69 Z WOES AT THE TRACK!

[motion427]

recently we took our standard bore 302 car to the track and was DEPRESSED!!  the engine is still the original pieces, block, heads, internals, 472 intake, DZ carb with 72/82 jets in it. the only change was the cam. we took the 30-30 out and put in the LT1 cam because of torque and cruzability. at the track it ran 14.5 with headers, M/T 275/50/15s 25psi, 38 total advance, 110 race fuel, and 3.73 gears with an M20. so actually the gears 1-3 are more like 4.27 with an M21. it ran 96 mph! HOW SAD!! pittiful!!!!!shifting at 7000!! is the LT1 cam a joke at the track?? does the 30-30 need back in the engine?? HELP!

[68Zproject]

I had the LT1 cam in mine and it was a dog compared to what I have now.  It was pitiful.  Had good pull to about 5k and then it died.  I have a comp xs282s.

[red69]

Put some rearend gears in it. Lower the better, to a point
Pat

[69z28302]

I was wondering the same thing about the 30 30 cam power curve. It seems like it's more of a higher RPM cam. With today's technology from the cam grinders it seems like there would be a better performing cam than the 30 30, a cam that would work through the entire power range and you could still turn 8 grand++. I know this is diiferent for every trans and rearend combo out there though.

Only my 2 cent's

Mike

[68Zproject]

That cam I have has pretty good low end and I've taken it to 7k and it's still going.  I have 3.73's.  I never had a 30-30 so I can't compare the cam I have to it.  The LT1 cam was in the motor when I bought it and I didn't know what cam it had.  I wondered why the thing was such a dog and when I took the engine apart I found it had the LT1 cam.  Maybe it was something else, but the cam was the only change.  I don't know if it was BS, but the Comp guy told me that the one I have would out-do the 30-30.  I am very happy with it.

[Jerry@CHP]

Chuck the LT1 cam and install the 30-30 or 140.  We can get these cars to run in the 13s all day long at CHP.  Tuning and setting up the car and engine are critical on the 302.

3.73 and a 2.52 tranny should be good to go in getting hte car in the 13s.

Jerry 

[dd442]

Jerry;s got the right idea. a the 302 from the factory did not have any lowend power, it was all made on upper rpm so I would go back to the 30-30 or find a compairable high power curve cam that would work, and you should see a differance, the 302 LOVES high RPM just ask Roger Penske.

[L78 steve]

Component mismatch is a bitch .The LT-1 cam was designed for more bottom end .You can't get much bottom end from a 3" stroke with any cam combo.

[69z28302]

68Zproject, what cam does your engine have?

Mike

[hihorse]

The Z is a wonderful creation, that was intended for a specific purpose other than the 1/4.

[68Zproject]

Comp XS282S.

[hotrod68]

Don't be depressed--I have some old PHR and Hot Rod magazines from that era, and your car sounds about right according to what a stock '69 Z ran. In fact, it's right on cue. They weren't 12-second giant-killers from the factory despite the legends that have been spawned about them over the years. Back then, the hottest '69 Z in our town ran 11:70s in the 1000-foot with a 140 cam and 4:88 gears, which is around high 13s in the 1/4-mile. Jerry is right-on. So smile--you're right in the zone!

[GaryL]

Component mismatch is a bitch .The LT-1 cam was designed for more bottom end .You can't get much bottom end from a 3" stroke with any cam combo.

I disagree. The LT-1 cam was for the solid lifter 350, never for the 302 or bottom end power. The '70 Z/28 had an automatic tranny available. Pretty hard to have a factory engine idle at 1100 RPM (900 in gear) with a stock automatic.

I have a basically stock 302. Overbored, carb is jetted up and I have a good timing curve (18 initial/18 mech) and headers. It runs as good as any 327 on the street on pump 92 octane. The 30-30 is a very forgiving cam with 11:1 static compression.