Purple Cam question

[Ross Wooldridge]

Hey All,

I recently got a really decent deal on a Purple cam - according to the guy I bought it from, it's part # P5007 697

It has these numbers on the shank:

I think it says 1103

I've been able to find out that this cam apparently has the following specs, but I could be wrong. Can anyone please confirm:

Intake Duration @ 050 Inch Lift 241
Exhaust Duration @ 050 Inch Lift 241
Advertised Intake Duration 284
Advertised Exhaust Duration 284
Intake Valve Lift with factory rocker ratio 0.484”
Intake Valve Lift with factory rocker ratio 0.484”
Lobe Separation in degrees 114

What I CANNOT find out for the life of me is whether or not this is a cam that would be good for a 440 in a heavy C body with an automatic - will it have good low end torque? I want to use it in a near stock configuration - 516 heads, factory intake, dual exhaust through factory manifolds. I don't need a high winder, but rather something that idle decently, and will be a stump puller off the line - fry the tires putting my foot in it at the stoplight... I want torque...

Thanks all!

 

[CBODY67]

It can work . . . but would probably need at least 3.73 gears to meet its potential. On a 440HP, with 3.91 gears, Holley 3310, Edelbrock 4bbl intake, 4-speed, and headers in a '69 B-body, it can basically equal Street HEMI performance. It is good that it has the 114 degree lobe separation, though.

Being a P5________ part number, this indicates that it is one of the later versions of the orig cam? I have one of the orig versions. I put in my 440 block to check the lift and duration. I was a bir shocked at what it had in comparison to a Comp 268HE for a Chry B/RB engine. From what I discovered that fateful evening in my shadetree shop was that the Comp 268HE probably had more "area under the curve" due to the fact that max valve lift was attained for 10 degrees of crank rotation, plus the "quick open, slow close" lobe shape. The P3690___ Purple Shaft Street HEMI cam held max lift for ONE degree of crank rotation.

To get what you state you desire, it might need a 500cid stroker to tame that cam down to "better terms" due to the larger engine CID. That Summit/repackaged Lunati "modern HP" cam might be a better deal for your desires?

Do not be specifically "blinded by the Purple Shaft glow". Compared to what used to be the real "Purple Shaft" cams, MP took that name and applied it to many other cams. Obvioiusly for the marketing affect it would have. Splash a little purple paint on it and it's all good, somebody probably felt. Most of those cams had 110 degree lobe separation angle, as I recall.

Your money, your dreams.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[furious70]

The 484 is a bit rowdy for what it is. I have it in my charger with the stick. Definitely not a cam I would use for what you described.

 

[LocuMob]

I have one in my smog 440/727 but I have a higher stall converter, tti headers and 3" pipes, 3.55 275/60/14. It starts pulling hard at 2500. I'm sure my combo is terrible, but I had the parts.

 

[twostick]

The MP484 used to be 108 LSA and it might tend to be a bit of a dog on bottom end given your application if it turns out yours isn't in fact 114 LSA.

Chrysler High Performance Cam Data

You could probably get away with a 3.23 and a Hemi type 2400ish converter but a stock converter and a 2.76 will get real old real quick around town and it won't be happy on the freeway at kinda legal speeds either with a 2.76. Click 2 and step into it at 65 and it will put a smile on your face tho...

Tire roasting at will is going to take some gear and at least a 3000 stall converter that will flash closer to 4K.

I have an MP509 in my 493 and because it has 53 extra cubes it made good torque from off idle and would hurl 4800 lbs of New Yorker through an intersection with authority even with a stock converter and 2.76 gears but it was a complete pain on surface streets because it idled at 1100 and with the 2.76 gear you were riding the brakes to keep it under 25 mph never mind the smash every time you went from P to D or R. I changed the rear to 3.23 and installed a Turbo Action 2800 converter and it was 100% better.

I'd call Dwayne Porter at Porter Racing Heads in Burlington VT and tell him exactly what you're looking for and what you have to work with and he will get you what you need. He's a Comp Cam dealer and distributor and a class act. 802 951 1955 is his number as far as I know. He goes by fast68plymouth on Moparts.

Kevin

 

[USSMOPAR]

poor cam choice, really poor!
split lift/duration at least 112 centerline
lots of good cam people out there to help choose
laser cams was on a you tube video from the indy parts show, check them
stock 1969 440 magnum cam is great cam for these cars
2.94 gears and a converter with 2500 rpm stall

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

Ross, you may already have most/all of this info but just in case.

 

[413]

It won’t do what you want. It is a higher rpm cam, needs a converter and gears to work good, and the idle is choppy. Not for a stock engine.

 

[LocuMob]

It won’t do what you want. It is a higher rpm cam, needs a converter and gears to work good, and the idle is choppy. Not for a stock engine.

I love the idle, perfect lope and sounds awesome. I agree with everything else, though, better cams for what Ross wants, modern grinds can get the performance without sacrificing driveability.

 

[twostick]

Now if you were to put a 4.25" stroker crank in that 440...

Kevin

 

[furious70]

Even then the 528 solid would be a much better choice

 

[67valiant 100]

Have an old (~1999) .484 purple shaft in the convertibles stock 2bbl 383 with a 4bbl swap & HP manifolds. Its not terrible as a cruiser but by no means a speed racer. Swapping from 2.76 to 3.23s made a world of difference with it though. Need to swap out the factory 11" converter to reallly wake it up.

Sounds fantastic though lol & would consider putting the same cam in my SFGTs 440 if I stubble upon an old unused cam/lifter kit for a resonable price. But as others have said, there are much better grinds out there today then compared to 20 years ago.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Hey everyone - I've been away for the weekend, so I apologize for the delay in responding.

Thanks for your information and opinions. The cam was an impulse buy and was a bit of an unknown, but the price was right, so I figured I could trade/sell to recoup my minimal investment if it wasn't the right one.

I should have indicated that in addition to the 516 heads, dual exhaust and automatic, I am running a 3:23 Sure Grip.

I am trying to recreate the kind of performance my original 66 turquoise Monaco had back in the late 80s when I first bought it - 383 HP (NOT rebuilt, used original cam and lifters), dual exhaust, 3:23 rear, stock torqueflite internals... and it would roast tires quite easily off the line - and the tires were modern radials, not hard slippery bias ply tires.

I don't need/want/expect a high RPM screamer, but rather the above type of performance.

Would an RV cam give me that? Whatever that factory cam had, it was GREAT. Smooth idle, good vacuum, lots and lots of grunt, and decent mid-rpm on ramp power too. The same as my 4 speed Monaco has - that's what I want. Especially the grunt part!! This thing would chirp the tires into 2nd gear - with well over 100,000 miles on it.

Factory cam part number I believe is 2532 190, and I think I can get what is called a "replacement" through Elgin - the part number is listed in their eBay listing...
ELGIN Performance Camshaft Cam E-327-S Chrysler 350-440 431/429 lift OE 2532190 | eBay

I am simply trying to see if there's something modern out there that will equate or improve slightly on the factory performance cam I've experienced, without sacrifice.

Update - re my question about an RV grind: Elgin's catalogue puts the above linked camshaft in their RV class:

 

[furious70]

Now you've gone to the too small side

In my experience, even old school grinds like a comp 268h or 270h behave like you want in a 383, so you could go up a step from there.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

If your putting it in a 2 bbl 383 (low compression) that 284/.484 has too much overlap to work with that low compression. I have one in my(8.43:1) 400 in my Challenger, has no low rpm response, and it's a lighter car with a converter and 3.23.

 

[mr gtx]

do you know what valve springs you have ?

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

I have an NOS set of valve springs in a Mopar box - I'd have to look at the part number. They are doubles - plus I have two sets of used stock regular springs.
New set of stock rockers.

 

[twostick]

You could just advance the cam that is in it 4 degrees and see if that improves the tire roasting capabilities. It will give it a noticeable increase in bottom end especially if it is a smog era 440. If the distributor hasn't been recurved, do that too. Depending on the timing set you have in it ie stock or multi keyway roller, it's as close to free $$$ power as you can get especially if it's due for a timing chain anyway.

Kevin

 

[twostick]

I have an NOS set of valve springs in a Mopar box - I'd have to look at the part number. They are doubles - plus I have two sets of used stock regular springs.
New set of stock rockers.

That 484 will need the correct springs. Stock springs won't be up to the task.

Kevin

 

[Ripinator]

Hey All,

I recently got a really decent deal on a Purple cam - according to the guy I bought it from, it's part # P5007 697

It has these numbers on the shank:

View attachment 544310 I think it says 1103

I've been able to find out that this cam apparently has the following specs, but I could be wrong. Can anyone please confirm:

Intake Duration @ 050 Inch Lift 241
Exhaust Duration @ 050 Inch Lift 241
Advertised Intake Duration 284
Advertised Exhaust Duration 284
Intake Valve Lift with factory rocker ratio 0.484”
Intake Valve Lift with factory rocker ratio 0.484”
Lobe Separation in degrees 114

What I CANNOT find out for the life of me is whether or not this is a cam that would be good for a 440 in a heavy C body with an automatic - will it have good low end torque? I want to use it in a near stock configuration - 516 heads, factory intake, dual exhaust through factory manifolds. I don't need a high winder, but rather something that idle decently, and will be a stump puller off the line - fry the tires putting my foot in it at the stoplight... I want torque...

Thanks all!

Ross:

Here is the cam I'm using in my '66 300 convertible (No. 21-222-4). It is advertised by Comp to work well with 3.23 gears and provides good vacuum. It has worked out well for me - has excellent throttle response and I too am running 516 heads: