420A 420a Cams

[DSMHERO1]

I'm finally ready to start building my 420a to be turbo ready.

I haven't kept up with much regarding part availability recently since I've been busy with work. I noticed that the cams for 420a were discontinued. What is the replacement for them?

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

This seems to get asked quite often here. I understand that most of the information is outdated, but this has been asked multiple times this past year. Read through the other threads where we have left some useful information. But today, here's my suggestions.

In this case for Crower, "discontinued" just means no longer stocked. You can still special order any grind you desire from Crower. The grind numbers are roughly as follows:
64461 : stage 1 N/A
64461-2 : stage 1 turbo grind
64462 : stage 2
64463 : stage 3
Etc.

To view the specifications, go to crower.com and enter the grind number into the cam card catalogue. You can actually order any custom grind outside of those that you would like, but I suggest getting something from the books unless you have extensive knowledge on valvetrain operation/timing and camshaft specifications.

There were tons of options 15 years ago. Brian Crower, Crower, Crane, OBX, and even Comp. I haven't looked into all of the manufacturers but Crower still makes them at least, just to special order. Brian Crower made good cams for the 420A. Their stage 2 grind were actually more aggressive than the Crower stage 2, and some people reported idle issues and misfire codes on the stock tune. You can still find those floating around Ebay and our classifieds section occasionally. The OBX camshafts are something I would stay away from, regardless of price. Those were the China special. Ground from scrapped pot metal and probably had little to no research. Just did not last long and didn't really lope either. The Crane cams were also a good choice. I had the stage 1 grind in my first 420A build and they ran great with a mild lope. But those aren't easy to find these days. The last set USED were on Ebay for $950. I never watched to see if they sold though. I wish I held onto mine. Instead, sold them on Facepoop years ago like an idiot.

 

[DSMHERO1]

This seems to get asked quite often here. I understand that most of the information is outdated, but this has been asked multiple times this past year. Read through the other threads where we have left some useful information. But today, here's my suggestions.

In this case for Crower, "discontinued" just means no longer stocked. You can still special order any grind you desire from Crower. The grind numbers are roughly as follows:
64461 : stage 1 N/A
64461-2 : stage 1 turbo grind
64462 : stage 2
64463 : stage 3
Etc.

To view the specifications, go to crower.com and enter the grind number into the cam card catalogue. You can actually order any custom grind outside of those that you would like, but I suggest getting something from the books unless you have extensive knowledge on valvetrain operation/timing and camshaft specifications.

There were tons of options 15 years ago. Brian Crower, Crower, Crane, OBX, and even Comp. I haven't looked into all of the manufacturers but Crower still makes them at least, just to special order. Brian Crower made good cams for the 420A. Their stage 2 grind were actually more aggressive than the Crower stage 2, and some people reported idle issues and misfire codes on the stock tune. You can still find those floating around Ebay and our classifieds section occasionally. The OBX camshafts are something I would stay away from, regardless of price. Those were the China special. Ground from scrapped pot metal and probably had little to no research. Just did not last long and didn't really lope either. The Crane cams were also a good choice. I had the stage 1 grind in my first 420A build and they ran great with a mild lope. But those aren't easy to find these days. The last set USED were on Ebay for $950. I never watched to see if they sold though. I wish I held onto mine. Instead, sold them on Facepoop years ago like an idiot.

Thanks for the info.

Would I just email/call Crower to order the cams?