8cm cam grind

[Frank Miller]

I have an 8cm camshaft that does not look too bad but when I chucked it in the lathe and measured the lift I found values between 0.330 and 0.320. One was at 0.335. These numbers were repeatable. My question is can this cam be the ground to something acceptable close to stock? I know the base circle changes but I think this will not be much of an issue.

[Tim Ayers]

Frank:

I believe Tilden Technologies does have a "hot" stock grind. It may be the EAB cam profile or something like that.

Check out their webpage or give them a call.

https://www.tildentechnologies.com/

Good luck.

[Bored&Stroked]

Also, 'Pete' Samuelson (here is on here as 'Pete') can grind all sorts of great profiles - I imagine he has something that would work for you. I'd drop him a PM or eMail and see what he says . . .

[Desoto291Hemi]

Pete has my cam right now,,,,,he has a good reputation.

Tommy

[KiWinUS]

I can put a stock Mercury grind on you cam core. I am in New Zealand for a few weeks so would have to be when I return.
Cheers
Tony

[Frank Miller]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Thanks for all the replies. Weighing options. I guess the most important thing is that even though a cam looks ok you really need to measure it.

[51 MERC-CT]

Originally Posted by Frank Miller

Thanks for all the replies. Weighing options. I guess the most important thing is that even though a cam looks ok you really need to measure it.

Suspect that the minute differences seen on this cam were present since new and were there for thousands of miles.
Also suspect that grinding it in an attempt to make it perfect will not produce any noticeable difference in performance.

[jetmek]

Originally Posted by 51 MERC-CT

Suspect that the minute differences seen on this cam were present since new and were there for thousands of miles.
Also suspect that grinding it in an attempt to make it perfect will not produce any noticeable difference in performance.

I agree with this

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by KiWinUS

I can put a stock Mercury grind on you cam core. I am in New Zealand for a few weeks so would have to be when I return.
Cheers
Tony

I forgot that Tony was offering a "stock" grind as well.

[Ol' Ron]

I'm using a stock EAB cam in the 280, and am real pleased with it;s performance. Torque is amazing

[Tim Ayers]

Pete or Tony:

I have an EAB cam that has a damaged lobe. I'll try to get pict, but it has a chip in one of the lobes.

Can something like this be successfully repair?

[tubman]

I have a Mercury engine in my '51 Ford. I had an Isky MAX-1 to install in it, but after checking the specs on the "Tilden" page and some discussion here, I left the stock cam and saved the Isky for a later build. In retrospect, I think I did the right thing.

[rotorwrench]

The EAB cam was the last one FoMoCo made for the flathead V8 engines. It was designed to replace the 8BA cam to give the cars more torque for those that still had 239 CID. The 8CM cam was desiged for the Mercury 255 to give it a bit more torque. The Mercury cars were heavier than Ford beginning in 1949 but by 1952, the cars were a lot more similar in weight so the 239 needed a boost. The EAB cam was the replacement cam for all of them and Ford had them available for a long time after flathead production stopped. I still find NOS ones now and then.

[sidevalve8ba]

I wonder what the specs. are on an EAB cam?

[flatjack9]

They are very similar to the 8CM specs. .330 lift. 205 deg. duration at .050 lift.

[tubman]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if there are "1CM" ('51 Mercury) or "EAC" ('52-'53 Mercury) separate grinds?

[flatjack9]

I do have a 1CM cam. Haven't plotted it though.

[tubman]

Originally Posted by flatjack9

I do have a 1CM cam. Haven't plotted it though.

If you ever happen to do that, let me know will you? That's actually what I have in my car now. I had "assumed" that it was the same as an "8CM" (or maybe even a little better).

[Pete]

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

Pete or Tony:

I have an EAB cam that has a damaged lobe. I'll try to get pict, but it has a chip in one of the lobes.

Can something like this be successfully repair?

It can be fixed,BUT, at $80 bucks a pound for the welding rod it is not practical any more. When the core bank runs dry we will go back to fixing them.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by Pete

It can be fixed,BUT, at $80 bucks a pound for the welding rod it is not practical any more. When the core bank runs dry we will go back to fixing them.

Ah, makes sense.

[rotorwrench]

The 1CM cam came about for the change over to the rotator type valves and the automatic transmission.

[tubman]

That makes a lot of sense. The automatic transmission would seem to me to require a milder cam for a smoother idle to accommodate idling in gear when stopped. Maybe, maybe not.

[Mart]

May I ask if there is a (best) stock cam for the pre 8ba style motors with the front mount dizzy?

[cas3]

get the merc cam and cut the gear off mart, piece o cake for you

[flatjack9]

Have the Merc cam ground on an early core.

[flatjack9]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by tubman

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know if there are "1CM" ('51 Mercury) or "EAC" ('52-'53 Mercury) separate grinds?

I dug through my cam charts and found that I did degree a couple 1CM cams and for all practical purposed they are identical to the 8CM.

[Brian]

May I ask if there is a (best) stock cam for the pre 8ba style motors with the front mount dizzy?



In my opinion, yes; the 32-34 steel cam. In 1935 with the introduction of the bigger, heavier bodies, along with cast iron camshafts, Ford 'detuned' the cam timing.

[flatjack9]

Do you have some specs to compare the cams?

[Brian]

Only some;
year engine valve lift inches intake opensBTC intake closesABC exhaust opens BBC exhaust closesATC
32-34 V8 85 .292" 9.5 * 54.5* 57.5* 6.5*
35-42 V8 85 .292" 0.0* 44.0* 48.0* 6.0*
46-49 V8 100 .292 0.0* 44.0* 48.0* 6.0*
[1949 intake increased to .296" lift]

[cas3]

so my 34 motor that they left water in to freeze in not a boat anchor after all!

[cadillac512]

8CM that I degreed when building the 260 Merc:


9* 53* 50* 7* (checked at .014/.015 lash)

.330 lift at 0 lash



Compares nicely to the 32-34 cam Brian posted above. I think it'd be nice with the front modified for the early engine. An EAB cam is also very close to these numbers when advanced 4 degrees.



Terry

[flatjack9]

Originally Posted by Brian

Only some;
year engine valve lift inches intake opensBTC intake closesABC exhaust opens BBC exhaust closesATC
32-34 V8 85 .292" 9.5 * 54.5* 57.5* 6.5*
35-42 V8 85 .292" 0.0* 44.0* 48.0* 6.0*
46-49 V8 100 .292 0.0* 44.0* 48.0* 6.0*
[1949 intake increased to .296" lift]

Any ideas what lift these numbers were taken at?

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by flatjack9

Any ideas what lift these numbers were taken at?

I thought somewhere I saw the EAC is .320" lift. I'm surprise the stock ones are less than .300". Seems like such little lift.

[Frank Miller]

Tim,
Those numbers do not jive with these.
https://www.tildentechnologies.com/C...rformance.html

[flatjack9]

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

I thought somewhere I saw the EAC is .320" lift. I'm surprise the stock ones are less than .300". Seems like such little lift.

According to Tilden, Ford took spec'd their cams at .015 lift.

[Ol' Ron]

You can install an 8ba style cam in an early block and front cover. Then you can run a late style distributor. W do this all the time

[flatjack9]

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

I thought somewhere I saw the EAC is .320" lift. I'm surprise the stock ones are less than .300". Seems like such little lift.

I've never seen an EAC cam. I have cams marked EA and EAB. EAB had .307 lift and the EA had .330.

[Tim Ayers]

Originally Posted by flatjack9

I've never seen an EAC cam. I have cams marked EA and EAB. EAB had .307 lift and the EA had .330.

I’ll look again at the cam. The lift numbers were going off memeory so they may not be correct.