The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Camshaft revisited

Just finished installing camshaft. For anyone working on a small journal cam for a 235 with hydraulic lifters from 53 or 54 the best thing to do is get a solid lifter cam before 1952 and send it in to have it ground for your 53-54 hydraulic lifter motor. After 2 cams and 3 timing gears and a couple of trips to the machine shop I learned the hard way. I finally sent cam in to Delta and the lobe just behind the 3rd journal was to high they reground it and it slide right in. Does anyone know the hp of the 53 235 with hydraulic lifters I am assuming it would be less than the motors with large journal cams for my guess is the larger journals allow for a more aggressive grind? None of the manuals list any specs for the hydraulic lifter motor from 53.

Thanks I am surprised that it is more than a 25% more hp than the Babbit bearing motor. Great site lots of info

Put a 848 head on it and you will get more gain in horsepower from the additional increase in compression ratio. A different cam grind will give you a gain in horsepower, but only at higher RPMs (likely beyond where you want to rev it), and you will not have a smooth idle.
Carl