whats the right duration for a daily driven application along with sum strip use? in my case i have a 383 in my 84 z28. backed by it is a 700r4 with tci goodies and a 3.73 posi. the cam i have in it is a magnum 270 with 224/224 @ 0.050. i want to go with the xtreme marine xm278 @ 234/244 @ 0.050. will i have to run a cannister? the heads im running on it are sportsman 2 heads with a little port work done to them. i like the xe274 hydraulic cam duration 230/236 @ duration but the lsa isn't where i want it to be. any advice is GREATLY appreciated. THANX  

What kind of compression does this engine have and what are the sizes of the valves in heads?

A 700R4 is not well suited to a drag engine. An overly low 1st gear, a large "jump" between 1st and 2nd, and having overdrive don't really suit the needs of a performance ride. Also, is it the stock torque converter?  

9.7 is the CR. the heads are equipped with 2.02/1.60 valves. i have a 2800 stall converter. the first gear in a 700r4 is better than the first gear in a th350. many of the cars that are posted in CHM have overdrives and in particular third gen camaros. they seem to get pretty good numbers  

It's a little strange that you think just because a gear in a transmission is lower that it is better. How do you explain cars with 'glides running sub 9 second passes?

That being said, I'm sure a 700R4 will be fine for what you're doing. The advantages on the street are very noteworthy.

Back to the cam... I would be looking for about 278/284° of seat duration on around 108° LCA. I would look for specific part numbers but you didn't specify if you need a retro-fit hydraulic roller or you may even want to consider a custom grind.  

im running a comp cams hr 288 cam part# 12-433-8 this is my favorite cam for streat and strip.My first engine with this cam was 9.8 -1 comp and my motor now has 10.5-1 comp.Both engines ran great with this cam.Good power down low and both motors reved to 6500.Highly recomend this cam.  

is that seat duration aka advertised duration? i want to hydraulic flat tappet due to my budget. i would like a retro just for that quick snap revving. how would i go by requiring a custom grind. note i'm going to use a nitrous as my power adder so a cam with a 108 lca would n't work, or am i confusing that with lsa?  

whats the lift on the cam? were both small blocks? whats the power band. would you use nitrous on the cam. what kind of idle does it give off?  

Yes, with a hydraulic cam advertised duration can be called "seat" or more accurately "seat to seat" duration fairly safely...

Sorry, I was confused and thought you wanted a roller. "Retrofitting" is the term used to describe using a roller cam in a early model block that did not have a roller cam from the factory. So, if you want a flat tappet this does not apply to you.

Lobe separation angle (LSA) and lobe centerline angle (LCA) are the same spec. You are welcome to spread the LCA if you're concerned while on the spray.  

what about a custim grind? how do i go about acquiring one if needed? if in my shoes would you go flat tappet or roller?  

Any camshaft manufacturer will help you with a custom grind. Contact whomever and ask around...

Rollers have very few cons other than price. The chance of losing an engine to poor break-in is very possible with a flat tappet and in this way some think that a roller is good insurance, which it is if you're a novice builder. A flat tappet can survive just fine but it takes a little more expertise, attention to detail, and extra precautions than a roller. Having a cam go flat will usually mean completely rebuilding the engine - as in pulling all the soft plugs and oil galley plugs and hot tanking and powerwashing the block AGAIN.

The roller offers very little in terms of extra power with around 270-275° of duration.  

Advertised duration is generally measured at .050" lift unless the manufacturer wants to make his bump stick appear more radical.  

That is not true. Advertised duration for a flat tappet Comp cam is measured at .006" tappet rise but it's measured at .008" tappet rise for Crane Cams, just to name a couple. Advertised duration for a solid cam by Comp is usually given at .020" tappet rise.

So, it depends on the manufacturer and a little bit of semantics but I've never heard advertised duration be stated at .050".