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Original Message
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| The goal was to keep political pressure on the 426 Hemi |
| By Dave Shoe - 09/04/2001 6:57:36 PM; IP 12.2.11.131 |
If NASCAR needed to be motivated before it would put pressure on the 426 Hemi, Ford provided it with the Cammer.
With the project launched early in 1964, Ford built and tested two prototype Cammers (documentation at www.sae.org paper#650497, $10.00+shipping), the first being displayed and tested in a 1964 competition Galaxie at Daytona. Rumor has it they then commissioned 50 aluminum-headed 12.0:1 compression ratio Cammers destined for the NASCAR tracks in late 1964 with magnesium intake manifold (or maybe valve covers, I forget). Also, the valves in the early 50 are set by shims instead of the adjustable rockers found on the later ones. The valve covers are either taller or clearanced for the adjustment screws on later Cammers. I wish I could dig up details to confirm this. Heck, I wish I could confirm there were aluminum headed Cammers, but it's just what I once read.
When NASCAR saw the 50 Cammer "production engines", the number officially required for homologation, they ruled them to be non-production pieces and apparently raised the homologation number to 500 engines.
Ford advised they would build 500 Cammers and so commissioned a first batch of 250 iron headed Cammers for 1965, most of which had 10.5:1 C.R. (Street Cammers), and a number of which had 12.5:1 C.R. The goal was clearly to keep political pressure on the rules regarding the 426 Hemi.
I've recently seen serial-number indications and casting date codes which suggest the second batch of 250 Cammers were commissioned in mid-1966, so the homologation rule was probably allowed to be spread over a two year period or something.
Apparently, Cammers were eventually legallized for NASCAR, but the weight restrictions (or something) were just too severe to make them practical.
As far as I can tell, the Cammer did it's job, giving political leverage to the wedge-headed 396FE and 427FE when it came time to put restrictions on the 426Hemi, and likewise the Cammer. For at least one year, the wedge head engines could apparently run twin carbs to a Hemi engine's single carb. Later, NASCAR legallized the non-production Tunnelport wedge head for the track because they recognized the need for non-production methods for getting a wedge-headed engine to breath like a Hemi.
Note the 396FE sideoiler was an engine which Holman&Moody listed in their parts book in 1967. It cost more than the 427 sideoiler that year and lots more than the 427 centeroiler, all three of which Holman&Moody sold simultaneously at different price points. Note the H&M 427 centeroiler of 1967 did NOT have the 7000RPM valve train components installed, only the sideoilers got the hottest cam and valves in 1967.
You can bet the Cammer "engine codes" which Ford published were also meant to keep the threat of the Cammer alive, and thus keep track restrictions on the 426Hemi as severe as possible.
My info is partly based on rumor, partly on published documentation.
Shoe. |
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