General kinetic camshaft

[emanuelK]

Hi
I have a cam that I intent to use if the specs are OK but cannot find any data on it. What I can understand it's a general kinetic cam with a number stamped on it (it's stamped over one of the holes on the end of the cam so it's hard to read 100% exact but..)

It says: C1H 2880

Anyone familiar with this company or this cam to support me find this information??

Thanks /Emanuel

[CNorton]

General Kinetics was a cam company that specialized in "rate of lift" camshafts for Junior Stock and Stock Eliminator in NHRA drag racing.  I used those cams in the late sixities and early seventies in my Stock Eliminator car.  "Rate of lift" camshafts featured NHRA specified dimensions (provided by the O.E.M) in terms of lift, duration, and overlap.  Many of their grinds featured relatively radical ramps designed to open the valve more quickly, hold it open at max lift longer, followed by rapid closing ramps.  They can create valve-to-piston clearance issues in some applications and, in their time, were considered to be very demanding on valve springs.  We were required to hold to O.E.M. specs on valve spring pressures as well.  That does not suggest that G.K. did not also sell cams for more general use.  I have no idea what that numbers on the end of the cam indicate but some of the more seasoned veterans may be able to help with that.

I believe that G.K. has been out of business for quite a while.  If that camshaft is a relic of the old Stock Eliminator days I would install it for thorough checking (check for valve-to-piston clearance on every lobe) before putting it in and firing the motor.  There are probably more effective grinds available through the aftermarket today.

Good luck.

[emanuelK]

Thanks for this. You are probably right, there must exist better option avaiable now.

[hotrod68]

If I'm not mistaken--and I could be--that may be a nice little GK cam. That PN looks awful familiar! We ran these things in the '80s and early '90s, and they were sweet for a mild street car. Butler's, Incorporated in Burlington, NC sold a blue million of the things. Specs are: .480" lift, 288 degrees duration (advertised), on a 108-degree centerline. They pulled hard from around 2400-6200 in a 350 and sounded great at idle. The beauty of them was the .480" lift--it was just under the limit of the old double hump heads' lift limit before coil bind, and you could run stock diameter springs without valve float. On the negative, they didn't make a lot of vacuum, and if you had power brakes you were constantly reminded of it. If it is the same cam, you have a jewel in the rough. If you're really serious about using this cam, I can call Darrell Butler and see if he remembers the part number and can confirm it.

 

[emanuelK]

Nice to hear. Thank you for this.
The cam was installed when I bought the car. The reason I took it out was because I had problems run the car on idle with a stock converter. You are right about the lack of vacuum. I'm now replacing the existing converter with a 2000 stall type. This will probably solve the idle, but not the vacuum. Perhaps I have to sacrifice this for performance.

Please, check if there is any additional input about the cam spec. Thank you /Emanuel

[hotrod68]

Emanuel, a 2000-stall converter will make that cam come alive! What worked for me as far as idle was to run a lot of initial distributor advance--12-14 degrees--and run the loosest advance springs from an advance kit so you'd get full advance as quickly as possible. As I recall, you could idle the cam down to around 800rpm, which was just enough to allow the engine to run in gear with it properly tuned for the cam with a stock converter. As for the lack of vacuum, you can buy an aftermarket vacuum can that will solve the problem.  I set one of these cams up in a friend's '72 Chevelle 350. The engine was stock except for headers, the GK cam, an Edelbrock Torker 2, 1.94"1/60"-valve heads and a 600 Holley. With a stock Turbo 350 and stock single-leg gears, the car ran low 9s in the 1/8-mile, which wasn't bad for that heavy boat. Good luck!

[emanuelK]

Because I'm curious I will give this a try.
I will add a comment on this when everything is setup and tested.

Thank you for all help.

/Emanuel

[68L30]

This cam is a monster in a L-30 327....Very low (no) vac. and a very very rough idle. My car, with a glide, idled at 550 in drive and about 1500 in park with the stock converter. The rpm and powerband was awsome.Ditch the stock converter. I went a bit higher at 3500-4000...... I used this cam for several years and regret getting rid of it. The Grump sure liked GK....


Steve

[hotrod68]

They sure were sweet, weren't they, Steve? The 108-degree centerline killed the vacuum, but when that sucker unwrapped it was a thing of beauty... I haven't since come across a cam that will pull as hard in its powerband. I don't know what happened to General Kinetics--perhaps they were bought out by a bigger company, the way Crane Cams acquired Cam Dynamics. Ah, those were the good old days. 

[emanuelK]

Great.
Maybe I shall give the rest of the input available.
I bought a new aftermarket pair of aluminium heads with 195cc intake runners and 2.02/1.6 valves and 64cc.
Rest of the configuration is performer RPM intake and holley 750 cfm. I also have roller rockers and headers.
The question is now, depending on lack of cam specs, I wonder if I shall advance the cam 4 degrees or not. I'm more concern about low end power than high.
What's your opion??

Thank you for the input so far. /Emanuel

[68L30]

I installed mine straight up......not a ton of low end power. Top end was something else.....


Steve

[hotrod68]

I'd degree it in straight-up, Emanuel. Advancing it will help only a little on low-end, and with the overlap the cam has and the CCs of your heads you'd never notice the difference. 195cc ports aren't great for low-end response in a mild engine like yours. But given the specs you outlined above on your parts, that thing oughtta go like a scalded ape! What is the ratio of your rockers? If you have a 1.6 ratio the cam will have around .515" lift, which is perfect with your heads and intake manifold.
   Another thing I found when fooliing with performance hydraulic cams--adjust the rocker arms like this: turn the pushrods in your fingers until you hit zero lash, then turn the nut ONLY another 1/8-turn or so--just snug it up. The engine will idle better and be more responsive, and the lifters won't pump up. I swear it works.
    Sounds like your Camaro is heading into the high 8s in the 1/8th-mile! Good luck! Keep us updated, please.
 

[k_racing]

Does anyone out there have any specs on this camshaft  or cam card all info would be appreciated.              General Kinetics cam grind spec     #C1M302-P

Thank you

[ko-lek-tor]

Does anyone out there have any specs on this camshaft  or cam card all info would be appreciated.              General Kinetics cam grind spec     #C1M302-P

Thank you

I have a GK cam, C1M-302-R. You may want to double check that the P you post is not an R? It is basically the equivalent of the 346 .030- .030 cam (302 hint) .483 lift, solid, duration ? Ill have to dig. It is a single pattern profile meaning it has the same spec on intake and exhaust. I have run one. It has a nice little lope

[k_racing]

Thanks for the reply.I took a look at the cam again and it is C1M302-R still can't find any valve lash spec's  guy from the garage said to just set them with a 16 gauge on the intake and exhaust.