GM -140 “off road” cam

[Tuner]

Granted the old 140 cam is not up to modern day standards. However, there are some positives that need to be taken into consideration before writing it off as junk. Back in the 60's and 70's parts were not so plentiful and easily obtainable. If you wanted to hot rod the only choice was your Chevy dealer and that was what we used.

GM parts were designed for the masses. Cams could be run with as little as 110 seat pressure and 270 open pressure. This could be done with the 1.25 valve springs, retainers, and locks. Stock rockers would work and if you got lucky and found a set of "o"s off a Z that was a plus. The wide lobe separation helped in piston/valve clearance. For those of you that have never ran these parts then you have no experience to respond to the original question.

Camking estimated 20 horsepower/torque loss over a more modern cam. I suspect in some cases it could be more, some less. That is not a very high price to pay for a cam that will rev to 7k with very little spring pressure, can run stock rockers and valve spring size, have ramps that have better chances surviving wear than the new lobes, sounds great, and makes decent power. I know there is better and worse, everything is a compromise.

I woulda said that ^^ but I'm scheming for the junk cam and lifters for $50.

[swampbuggy]

OldSchool, i personally think your last reply was very well worded and DID make good sense !! Mark H.

[Keith Morganstein]

Any of you people criticizing the performance of this cam actually run it ... ever?

Yes, and most of the other old Chevy HP grinds. I sold a whole lot of them all on eBay at one time (white box cams and lifter kits) the L79 cam was the best seller on eBay.

The 140 cam was meh, but sounded nasty. Maybe I needed the secret recipe...

[Tuner]

There it is ^^ one more no vote. My offer is down to $40. Cam is just no good, it isn't hard enough on parts.

Granted the old 140 cam is not up to modern day standards, will rev to 7k with very little spring pressure, can run stock rockers and valve spring size, have ramps that have better chances surviving wear than the new lobes.

Ohhh noooo, you're getting pretty far off the reservation with logic like this. ^^

[af2]

Funny reading this. I have a friend from high school that is still running that cam we put in in 1984 in his 331" with the Corvette 2x4 intake. At #140 seat he still shifts at 8000.. And his 58 Chevy pickup still runs 13.80 in the 1/4 mile with a Muncie 4 speed.
Not to bad.

[Tuner]

How am I going to scam the OP out of his junk 140 cam and lifters for $40 if you guys keep hijacking this thread? If he doesn't respond soon I will be forced lower the offer to $30 and he will have to pay the freight.

[af2]

How am I going to scam the OP out of his junk 140 cam and lifters for $40 if you guys keep hijacking this thread? If he doesn't respond soon I will be forced lower the offer to $30 and he will have to pay the freight.

HAHA!!!

[Walter R. Malik]

Any of you people criticizing the performance of this cam actually run it ... ever?

I used that cam with 1.65/1 roller rockers in a whole lot of customer street/strip builds, back some 40 years ago; got just over .500" lift after lash.
Right along with the dual 1.350" O.D. GM dual counter-wound valve springs mated to the matching GM aluminum retainers.

Worked very well for the intended purpose.

[Keith Morganstein]

The 140 cam is still availble, Elgin E-902-P
The 30/30 cam is also readily availble, Elgin E-901-P

Under $100.... (but not for $50 with lifters )

[rfoll]

Years ago I bought a 365 HP 327 crate engine with the 30 30 cam. I had a better set of valve springs, so I pulled the originals and put them in storage. 40 years later I put a few on the spring tester, and the spring rate appeared to be that of a stock GM offering for all of their stock heads.

[CamKing]

That is not a very high price to pay for a cam that will rev to 7k with very little spring pressure, can run stock rockers and valve spring size, have ramps that have better chances surviving wear than the new lobes, sounds great, and makes decent power. I know there is better and worse, everything is a compromise.

There are a ton of circle track classes that turn over 7,000rpm that are limited to stock rockers, and stock size springs.
A common cam we run, is 249/265 @.050", with .377"/.357" Lobe Lift.

RaceSaver sprint engines are limited to a stock size spring with 90-120# seat pressure, and 330-355# at max lift(.510"/.535".
We normally run a 243/248 @.050". That cam lasts for years, and turns 7,200rpm.

There are plenty of modern designed cams, that are just as easy on the valvetrain, and still produce more HP.
There is zero reason to run more duration, and less lift then the engine requires for your desired RPM range.

[pamotorman]

I ran the 140 cam and springs with a varicam in my 68 Z/28 but kept breaking the vericam pig tail spring. it did help with street driving.

[rustbucket79]

I have used this cam, about 20 years ago. 355, TRW 11:1 pistons, World iron 200 heads, Speed Pro .557"/274@.050 duration solid ft cam, 5000 stall/4.88 gears/G60 x14 Indy SS tires. I could spin the tires at will until I let off the throttle. It was a used cam and sadly it was short lived in it's new home. I picked that GM grind because on paper it should have had improved manners over the old cam and it was cheap.

Unscientific but the new cam didn't have the traction issues of the Speed Pro, nor were the "manners" any better. The cam is a loser. If I was to put lipstick on a pig, maybe it's ideal home is a 12:1 engine that needs to run on pump gasoline.

[MadBill]

Yes, I ran one in my '70-1/2 Z28 at 12.5:1 with 'pump' gas... (Sunoco 260, shortly before it was phased out. )

[travis]

How am I going to scam the OP out of his junk 140 cam and lifters for $40 if you guys keep hijacking this thread? If he doesn't respond soon I will be forced lower the offer to $30 and he will have to pay the freight.

Sheesh...I’m going to have to hurry up and use this thing before I end up having to pay you $100 just to take this turd off my hands