302 Crane Cam

[Rusty_S85]

I am working on a 306 build for a daily driver and I am looking at the Crane TruckMax roller cam #449541.

Has anyone here run this cam?

If so what kind of idle quality does it have?

How much more low end/mid end power would you say it creates over other cams?

The build I am doing is as follows.

Blueprint 306 roller short block
Crane 449541 cam (what I am planning on)
9.5:1 compression
AFR 165 Renegade 58cc aluminum heads with 7/16" studs
1.6:1 scorpion roller rockers 7/16" studs
edelbrock performer dual plane intake (not the RPM)
1" phenolic four hole spacer (reason why I opted out of the RPM version)
Summit 600cfm 4V vacuum secondary carb
hedman shorty street headers

Engine is intended to be a daily driver but is capable of better towing capacity than the stock 135hp rated 302 that I am pulling.

Only thing I am unsure on is the camshaft. It fits in with my plans on paper but I found contradictions between Summit, Crane, and outlaw performance when it comes to information on this camshaft. I also cant find any reviews online nor any feedback. Only video I could find pertaining to this camshaft is under the HR-216/325-2S-12 number and that was a newer fuel injection 302 that sounded like it had a stock like idle.

 

[68ford]

Seems funny they call that a truck cam and say it's for low end torque. It has more lift and only barely less duration and same lobe sep as a edlebrock performer RPM cam which I don't think anyone considers a good truck cam. Lobe sep being 112 it will probaby idle pretty decent, but I would not call it a low end torque cam. Probably run good and be fun, but probably not exactly what you want.

 

[cs_88]

For a little 306 you might want to consider the Summit 500 vs the 600.
Both good carbs.

 

[Rusty_S85]

Seems funny they call that a truck cam and say it's for low end torque. It has more lift and only barely less duration and same lobe sep as a edlebrock performer RPM cam which I don't think anyone considers a good truck cam. Lobe sep being 112 it will probaby idle pretty decent, but I would not call it a low end torque cam. Probably run good and be fun, but probably not exactly what you want.

The cam used to be known by a different name. For some reason Crane went and started renaming some of their cams a few years ago.

This one for some reason was called TruckMaxx.

For me what I want the engine to do is build low and mid range power. I might not tow anything and I probably would never go off road. But I might which is why I tried to keep the option open.

Most of the driving will be highway driving after I move at speeds of 65 to 75 mph.

The C6 that is behind the engine will be overhauled once I am done with the engine, will be getting a wide ratio planetary gear set to get a lower first and second gear than stock to help off set the taller 31x10.50-15 tires. I also have a tow/rv shift kit, deep trans pan, R code servo along with having the governor tuned to get about 5,500 rpm wot shift point. Axle is currently the stock 2.75:1 that will be replaced with a 3.25:1 as well, would be around a 2.90:1 and from what everyone has told me for the past year if it is true that a rebuilt C6 should be around 3 to 5 percent slip I should be able to turn 75 mph at 2,750 rpm keeping me with in the 2,400 - 3,000 rpm cruise range listed by crane.

In the end this is being done as a replacement for the stock smog era 134hp rated 302 that I am pulling out. My goal ideally is 300hp out of the build, which my specs are very similar to the BluePrint 306 crate engine only difference is this roller cam is slightly smaller than what they use and im looking at AFR heads over their house brand heads used. They claim their 306 with dyno sheets produce close to 400 hp with 9.5:1 compression.

For a little 306 you might want to consider the Summit 500 vs the 600.
Both good carbs.

Problem is I already have the Summit 600cfm carb, ordered it last year. This part sourcing Ive been doing since I put the truck down March 2018 when the balancer broke apart and spun on the crank. Doesn't sound like a big deal but it pinched the crank so the balancer bolt snapped off in the crank with 1/4 length left in it. Figured I would do a 306 truck build if im going to pull the old smog 302 out for any kind of repair. I have holley`s quick change secondary spring kit to install and I also built a tune box for this carb that is a wide band air/fuel ratio gauge so I can thread into the offroad Y pipe I bought from jegs so I can properly tune the jets and secondary spring properly.

I did have that issue when I was fixing to buy the carb I was questioning on numerous forums from Muscle Ford forums to Ford-Truck forums on down to FB groups I am on. The common consensus was to just go with the 600 cfm over the 500 cfm which is what I did.

 

[68ford]

600 CFM is fine for what you described. Especially shooting for 300ish HP.
If the same had a little less duration, I think it would be better for what you described. If you do more above 20 mph driving, not a lot of idling and stop an go traffic, a 110 lobe sep will make more torque above 2000 RPM, where you will always be if accelerating. Idle vacuum would be lower and more lope from overlap would be present, but as I said. Tighter lobe separation always make more mid-range torque and the point where it makes the most tq will be at a lower RPM.

 

[Timmy390]

Axle is currently the stock 2.75:1 that will be replaced with a 3.25:1 as well, would be around a 2.90:1 and from what everyone has told me for the past year if it is true that a rebuilt C6 should be around 3 to 5 percent slip I should be able to turn 75 mph at 2,750 rpm keeping me with in the 2,400 - 3,000 rpm cruise range listed by crane.

Thought Bronco STOCK gears were 3.50:1 or 4.10:1 in the 6 cyl. ?

Tim

 

[Rusty_S85]

600 CFM is fine for what you described. Especially shooting for 300ish HP.
If the same had a little less duration, I think it would be better for what you described. If you do more above 20 mph driving, not a lot of idling and stop an go traffic, a 110 lobe sep will make more torque above 2000 RPM, where you will always be if accelerating. Idle vacuum would be lower and more lope from overlap would be present, but as I said. Tighter lobe separation always make more mid-range torque and the point where it makes the most tq will be at a lower RPM.

Right now I live in the city, lots of stop and go traffic. But once I move the only slow speed driving will be in town or at a local city but to get to those I would have to be on the highway for an half hour to an hour so huge majority of my driving after I move will be in the 55 to 75 mph range. 55 doesn't come up much except when you are passing through a smallish town the highway speed drops from 75 to 55 for a short period.

I have already told myself if the vacuum is not enough for me for the power brakes I will be purchasing a 87 I believe it is F-superduty hydraboost which should bolt onto the firewall and align with the brake pedal with no modifications and just get away from vacuum boosted brakes. To piece this unit together would set me back about $250 - $300 vs the nearly $1000 price tag of a kit.

 

[Rusty_S85]

Thought Bronco STOCK gears were 3.50:1 or 4.10:1 in the 6 cyl. ?

Tim

To be honest, I never exactly stated this was a Bronco. A engine doesn't exactly know what its going in. Just like a engine doesn't know if its carbed or fuel injection. One might be more proper than the other but it wouldn't know.

I just saw how active this forum was and decided to post my engine question here since I haven't gotten much if any help else where. Other bronco forum I have my question posted on got a few replies and the truck forum I posted on had no replies.

 

[vintage bronco]

if you want the most out of it do a custom grind I use ED Curtis at Flow tech induction he can get the most out of it for sure he does all my cams none has never failed to preform.

 

[Rusty_S85]

if you want the most out of it do a custom grind I use ED Curtis at Flow tech induction he can get the most out of it for sure he does all my cams none has never failed to preform.

Thanks for the reply. Ive been in contact with a bunch of different companies. If anything changes I can always send this cam back for a refund from summit. So far Ive gotten from cam companies some interesting recommendations though.