[jim_howard_pdx]

Good point on learning to apply secrets that help you with getting free power with whatever combo you decide to try.

NOW I HAVE GOT TO CHASTISE EVERYONE A LITTLE BIT. 112 people have read the thread, and no one has called me on an omission I made JUST TO SEE IF ANYONE KNOWS THEIR STUFF.

HERE IS THE OMISSION. On any engine, there will be a maximum safe overlap. and a maximum safe lift for the valves. Max valve travel is more dictated by the spring height and the compressed spring height than any other factor. So you rarely see an engine with more than .790 lift, because it takes custom length valves and custom length springs, and custom geometry rocker arms, and custom length push rods, and jeeze guys THESE CUSTOM THINGS COST BIG BUCKS.

That is why I decided to stay at the 9 second bracket. MONEY!

So to get the best cylinder pressure at the rpm range you need to run to win the race, I tune the best overlap first, then vary the valve lift until I get maximum TORQUE at the mid-line rpm zone. So for the 5700 to 8500 rpm zone I run between 1/8 and 1/4 mile, midway would be 7,100 rpm.

SEE WHAT I AM DOING. Establish your zone, build the engine, set the proper overlap to best fill the engine at 7,100 rpm, then play with the valve lift until you hit the best torque you can make.

Just one word of warning. You know I own and love trick flow heads. The twisted wedge drops the intake valve down d a m n near the center of the cylinder, giving you the absolute best opportunity to generate swirl you can. It is so close to the Yates head it is SCARRY. But a cam that works best on a inline valve AFR head will not perform the best on the Trick Flow Head, because the AFR will not make the excellent swirl, nor will it dump the charge in the center of the cylinder, where the air fuel has longer to travel before it bumps the cylinder walls.

SEE WHAT I AM GETTING AT. What will work for one head and valve arrangement will not work on a different design. So there is a bit of work to get to the finish line.

I wish I didn't have to offer you this tid bit, I wanted YOU TO POINT THIS OUT TO ME!

NOW I HAVE LEFT OUT A SECOND B I G OMISSION, so lets see who can find it. Common guys you are really doing some great things. Think this all through...... Here is a BIG hint....Just what is the biggest danger in developing a cam to produce the highest possible torque at a given rpm????

Now get to work building that awesome power.