Hello,

I am looking for the camshaft specifications for a Ford FE 1960 352 HP 360 horsepower.

And yes, I know I could call a camshaft company and ask for this information but.... did that, had a cam ground and have reason to think it is incorrect. I am looking for a second opinion. :^)

I was hoping someone had a old motor book that might have this information. Also, is the 1961 390 HP the same camshaft grind?

This is my dads car and he is going to replace the camshaft and we are looking for some info to be sure he gets it right this time!

Thanks,
Mike

The Steve Christ book lists the 352 HP cam lift at lobe of .286 and lift at valve .480 for both intake and exhaust. No other events listed.

Here's a link to FE Cam Specs. But didn't see the 352HP. Though, I did find someone else say the lift was .480" too. There wasn't a mention on duration.


http://www.woodyg.com/fairlane/finfo/fecams.html

And it also lists the valve spring force at 1.82" closed and 1.32" open - implying .500 lift but only by interence.

I hope to see some part numbers and specs on this cam too, I'm not totally convinced it is any different in lift/duration from the 427/410 cam of 1963.

But there is a lot of discussion here and other places that it was .480 net lift vs the .500 net lift of the 427 cam, duration said to be close or identical I think.

Let's see who else posts, I thought I had the old 1960-61-62 part numbers in my database but I dont. Maybe somebody will post some part numbers, lift, and even "advertised" duration so we can correlate it to the better known 427 grinds.

If none else, I would pick the Crane Fireball 294 as a very, very near clone of the 427/410 cam at 227-227 duration and 114 LSA, .523 gross lift for .500 net lift.

Per the "Gonkulator" there is only about a 3hp difference in the 352/360 from .480 lift vs .500 lift so this Crane cam would sound and behave virtually the same as the original cam, at least what I think the original cam was!

From circa 1962, The COAE-6250-B cam was used in the '60 hi-perf 352 and the '61 hi-perf 390. It was changed slightly for use in the '62 406 and got a new part number, C2AZ-6250-A. Duration was given as 276 degrees on both intake and exhaust and .479 inch lift. Single valve springs gave 80-90 pounds at 1.82 inches and 184-194 at 1.32 inches.

Lift for '62 406 is .500 at ZERO valve lash. Valve springs cannot possibly have less than 200 lbs at full open. There were 2 springs in '60, early and late. The early ones were totally inadequate and are listed 94-104 closed and 180-198 open. These were out only a short time before new springs were released. Vlave float set in early with these springs. They were changed to 80-90 closed and 255-280 open. Same tension requirements for 406 as well. From the Steve Christ book, "How to rebuild your Big Block Ford.

and had a yellow tint on them..My 61 had orange springs with a white stripe and two piece retainers.The retainers would spread and the center piece would sink deeper causing severe valve float etc..I put the blue springs and 60 one piece retainers in and no more problems.Of course we had no specs like now.Just shimmed all the springs .060 and raced.I didn't like the .025 lash and set mine at .016 and really picked up top end.Gas Rhonda was having the same problem and I told him to have Champion Speed Shop in South S.F to put the 60 set up in and when I saw him again he thanked me.One time in Silver Springs N.V. in 1960 at a 1/2 mile C.N.T.A. points meet,I saw him at a closed gas station trying to adjust his vales as he drove it up there,being his had O.D. and I adjusted them for him.He won S.S and I won N.S..We used to have a lot of fun back then.

My dad raced his 1960 Starliner in Fremont in 1960 when Gas Ronda was there in his black 60 Starliner.



I just got off the phone with my dad discusing his new cam shaft and and he told me a neat story.....



In 1960 my dad was racing in Fremont and he beat a 58 Chevy by about two car lengths. When my dad came around after the end of the track the official wiped the number off my dads car glass indicating that he had lost the race. My dad went to the tower and complained to the head officials that he didn't loose the race, he had won the race! They said that the track side officials said my dad lost and that was that. He protested and the officials ask the guy in the 58 Chevy who won and he responded with something like....."well who ever you say won I guess, Im not sure". So, the officials left it that my dad lost the race. By this time word was getting around that there was a protest going on and Gas Ronda went to the officials and indicated that "I watched that race, the kid in the 60 Starliner won that race". The officials didnt know what to do, so they decided to re-run the same race. In the second race my dad was so pissed off that he went up in smoke off the line and the race ended in a dead heat. So, they lined up again. On the third race, my dad beat the 58 Chevy by about 3 cars lengths.



My dad credits Gas Ronda for that win as the officials would never have reversed their mistake if it wasnt for Gas Rondas reputation and willingness to get involved. That does sound like a great time to be a car guy.

Very cool that you raced the 1/2 mile drags! That's sort of a western novelty, there were a few different places for that but it seems to have faded out in the early 60's.

What sort of ET and speed would a Starliner do in a half mile?

Great info, my dad hadn't heard that there were two springs used in 1960. My dad's engine came with dual springs. Where the early springs just single springs?

Thanks for the cam number and info. We are going to use this informaiton to verify the specs on the new cam.