What is the difference between a stock, RV, and Roller cam? The guy who just rebuilt my engine said he put an RV cam into my 390.

Thanks,
Karl

 

Cheap lol I dunno, put one in my 352 and it seems to have a lot better grunt than before. I like it. Not much on the high end I dont think but it's a truck, i tend to drive it like one.

 

RV cams are designed more for low-end torque than high-end horsepower. The cam in my Galaxie is an RV cam. Since it is a cruiser, having the low end torque is great.

 

A stock cam is a compromise between power, mpg, smoothness, idle quality, etc. An RV cam is optimized for low rpm torque at the expense of some hp at higher rpms and will often net more mpg. A roller cam is the type of lifter used, it does not mean any particular type of power band. Normally a roller cam has more lift with less duration due to the more aggressive ramps used compared to a flat tappet(hydraulic or solid lifter) camshaft.

 

RV cams are those having specs in these ranges: 250-270 degrees advertised duration and lifts ranging from the .470's to .515 (give or take an extra .010) The @.050 duration is typically about 200-215 degrees duration. The Stock 428 CJ cam falls into this category. They're basically improved stock type cams but less than what would be called a hot street cam.

 

Seems like the cam I installed was .483/.517 and @ 50 204 ? Barry sold a cam on survival that was a match but looks like the #'s have changed. I'd say for daily and mudding your in business, unless the mudding is competition then >???? But I'm pretty sure this cam could jerk the **** outa an elephant!!

 

I put a RV cam awhile back in my 352.
I took it out because it had a pretty good lope to it.
Maybe it wasn't an RV cam.

It was a Crane Blazer Cam
Duration: Intake .292º---Exhaust .310º---Overlap 70º
Lift: Intake .528"---Exhaust .546"

 

Way past an RV grind in my book.

 

I'm sure those are "advertised" durations, so take about 50 off and you'll have the "actual" duration. Most cams WITH actual 310 duration have alot more than .540 lift(usually over .600 somewhere). If I recall from back in the day, the "blazer" cam was not an RV cam. Remember back in the 80's when the ads in catalogs said "If you want the baddest sounding car in the lot.........buy the 305 duration cam"

I'm sure it had a "choppy" note to the exhaust, but everyone's idea of what a cam sounds like is different. It ain't a big cam unless the car shakes...not just the tailpipe!! LOL!

 

What is an "RV" cam?

"Really Varies" with the cam manufacturer... But I'm pretty sure sierraben's cam would not be an "RV" cam

 

I would say they call it an RV cam because of the low end torque reason. This would be essential in pulling a camper or an RV. That is my guess why it is called that.