Q: My current project is giving me trouble.

I have a 1950s-era Chevy 1/2-ton truck with a 283 at .030 overbore and .010 under rods and mains. I’m running early power pack heads, a port-matched stock single quad intake, a 600 cfm Carter AFB carb, and a 45,000V ACCEL coil.

I ran the truck at my local strip and turned a lousy 15.9 at 83 mph. When I hit fourth gear, it didn’t gain any speed.

I checked the plugs at the finish line and they looked fine. My current hydraulic cam specs are .450″/.460″ lift and 224°/224° duration at .050″.

I think I may be using the wrong cam or that my carb is too big. What do you suggest?

Chevy 3100 pickup truck at summit racing parking lot
(Image/OnAllCylinders)

A: Your current carb is the ideal size for your engine.

But to shave time off of your ETs, you need a cam designed to generate maximum performance throughout the powerband.

A Crane PowerMax cam and lifter kit has specialized lobe patterns to precisely balance intake and exhaust flow for superior power at any rpm.

You can speed up your times even more with an Offenhauser 360° Equa-Flow single quad high-rise intake manifold. The 360° divided-plenum design provides equal fuel flow to each cylinder, eliminating flat spots in the rpm range — which means more horsepower and torque from start to finish.