Replacement Camshaft 1958 283 / 250

[Arthur T.]

Anyone out here know what the part number is for a correct replacement camshaft for a 1958 283 / 250 HP engine?

I have heard the OEM hydraulic camshafts were made by Melling and I think the closest match in the current Melling catalog is CCS-2. Does anyone have any better information?

[Joe L.]

Re: Replacement Camshaft 1958 283 / 250

Anyone out here know what the part number is for a correct replacement camshaft for a 1958 283 / 250 HP engine?

I have heard the OEM hydraulic camshafts were made by Melling and I think the closest match in the current Melling catalog is CCS-2. Does anyone have any better information?

Arthur------


The original OEM camshafts were made by GM at the engine plants. I don't know where the current GM replacement camshafts are made. They may be made by an outside supplier or they may be made at the Toluca, Mexico engine plant (where SERVICE Gen I engines are manufactured).

The current GM part number for the camshaft is GM #14060651. It is virtually identical in specs to your original cam. You can sometimes buy this camshaft from sources like Pace Performance, Scoggins-Dickey, Sallee-Chevrolet, etc. for a very low price. They remove them from new GM crate engines in order to modify the engines.

You can also obtain a replacement in the aftermarket from manufacturers like Federal-Mogul or Melling. The Federal-Mogul/ Sealed Power part number is CS-274. The Melling part number is CCS-2.

[Duke W.]

Re: Replacement Camshaft 1958 283 / 250

The '57 - '66 base engine camshaft, which was used in the 283/250HP FI engine was replaced by the 3896929 in 1967, and this cam was used in millions of small blocks through 1979 or '80. It has slightly different high level specs, but the dynamics are milder, so it is easier on the valve train, but the operating characteristics are identical.

The 929 has been superseded twice with very slight changes, and Joe gave the latest part number that you can buy from GM.

My recommendation is to buy the Sealed Power CS-274. It is built exactly to the GM 929 drawing, and it only costs about fifty bucks at NAPA.

Duke

[Arthur T.]

Re: Replacement Camshaft 1958 283 / 250

The '57 - '66 base engine camshaft, which was used in the 283/250HP FI engine was replaced by the 3896929 in 1967, and this cam was used in millions of small blocks through 1979 or '80. It has slightly different high level specs, but the dynamics are milder, so it is easier on the valve train, but the operating characteristics are identical.

The 929 has been superseded twice with very slight changes, and Joe gave the latest part number that you can buy from GM.

My recommendation is to buy the Sealed Power CS-274. It is built exactly to the GM 929 drawing, and it only costs about fifty bucks at NAPA.

Duke

Any particular reason you recommend the Sealed Power camshaft over Melling? The local speed shop that will be doing my machining seems to think Melling is the way to go for this rebuild. I haven't built an engine in over 35 years and the last time I did it was a Mopar big block with a high performance roller cam, so I don't consider myself a trustworthy opinion in this matter.

[John D.]

Re: Replacement Camshaft 1958 283 / 250

Arthur, Your engine builder must be an old timer. Melling has an excellent reputation and has been well known forever. Not to say that the Sealed Power cam isn't good either. One reason may be just in the name.
In the old days TRW was the big cam name and was sold for 1/2 the price of one from GM. Then TRW was taken over by Sealed Power so hence a new name for the same cam. Then Sealed Power was taken over by FM so once again a new name for the same product.
Recap: TRW, Sealed Power, Fed Mogul. Same old cam with different owners.
Either one is good. Make sure you buy the stock Melling oil pump or your FI distributor may gave you fits with oil leaks.

You didn't ask but say you had a high HP 58 FI that used the Duntov 097 cam aka 3736097 here is the trivia on that cam.
Started off life as TRW TP113. We used it in old days as it was a fraction of the price of the GM cam.
Then the TRW cam was known as Speed Pro by Sealed Power TP113R And now today the same grind is known as Speed Pro/Sealed Power CS113R By Federal Mogul.

QT: What is the part number for the hydraulic lifters. Not the GM number but Melling or FM. JD
P.S. Be careful letting nice Speed Shop built your engine. Stress to them you want it stock as the FI's run on vacuum principle. Take the vacuum away and they run like a POC.

[Duke W.]

Re: Replacement Camshaft 1958 283 / 250

Sealed Power is Federal Mogul's OE replacement brand, and the parts they sell are the same that GM sells because, in most cases, the GM part is the same F-M part in a GM rather than Sealed Power box.

Federal Mogul (and Dana Corp.) are "Tier 1" suppliers. They meet the rigorous quality control standards required by the OEMs for current new car parts, and the same standards are used to manufacture parts for older models.

I don't know the status of Melling vis-a-vis their quality control standards or whether they have Tier 1 status and currently supply parts for new cars, so my default for all OE engine replacement parts is the F-M and Dana replacement brands, and essentially any OE equivalent engine part is available in their brands.

Have you insisted on OE quality parts for your project? If the "engine builder" wants to fill the engine with aftermarket parts, I would strongly suggest you find another shop that will do the job properly. You should be able to specify the manufacturer and part number of any replaced parts. You're the customer, and you're paying the bill.

If you are replacing the OE cam, also replace the valve springs with Sealed Power VS677, which are OE equivalent to the springs used on most small blocks from '67 to '79 including L-79, L-46, and LT-1 engines, and they cost less than two bucks, each. "Engine builders" love to use aftermarket gorilla valve springs even with OE replacement cams, which just puts the valvetrain in jeopardy. With careful valve spring height setup the 929 cam will rev to over 6500 before lifter pump up sets in, but unless your heads are well massaged, the power curve will fall off the end of the cliff long before lifer pump up speed is achieved.

They also love to install "high pressure, high volume" oil pumps - like all the "real racers" do. The fact of the matter is that about 9 out of 10 OE pumps are still good to use and the inspection to determine this takes no more than five minutes, but it's more profitable to just sell you a new pump. Many of these guys just want to replace everything. Inspection and analysis isn't part of their work ethic or skill set.

Duke

[Joe L.]

Re: Replacement Camshaft 1958 283 / 250

QT: What is the part number for the hydraulic lifters. Not the GM number but Melling or FM. JD
.

John-----


Federal-Mogul= HT-817

Melling= JB-817

[John D.]

Re: Replacement Camshaft 1958 283 / 250

Thanks very much Joe.