Check out LMR's Best Cams For Fox Body Mustang 302 Engines so that you can choose the best camshaft that works for you!
Picking out a camshaft for your build can seem to be a daunting task. There will be many different things that you will need to put into consideration here. We will cover these areas and then some within this article.
When it comes down to choosing your camshaft, you will need to consider a few different areas of your Mustang. The first thing being is, “what do I want my build to be”? This may sound a little out of the norm, but are you going to be building a mild street car, or are you going to shoot for the stars when it comes to power and performance? You need to tailor this question around the entire engine build, including heads, intake, rotating assembly, etc.
Your camshaft should honestly be one of the last steps you make when building your engine. Going with too large or small of a cam for your heads can diminish overall performance. Check out our Cylinder Head Camshaft Guide to learn more. The same thing will apply to your intake manifold, choice of the rotating assembly, torque converters, and even rear-end gears. Some even call the camshaft “The Brain” of your engine. If this is thrown off, your overall power and performance will suffer. A popular camshaft choice is from Ford Performance. Check out our Ford Performance Mustang Camshaft Guide to learn more about the different options.
Regardless of the head or cam you choose, a good rule of thumb will be to thoroughly go over the following items to ensure everything works correctly.
Typically, these camshafts will be below .500 lift and offer excellent overall drivability on and off the street. Lobe separation and duration will be very friendly with these cams. These camshafts will not only give you a significant bump in power but will also provide your Mustang with an aggressive lope to the exhaust everyone is looking for. Idle quality is very good with these camshafts as well.
Typically, these camshafts will be above a .500 lift and offer a higher duration and lobe separation. Due to this, piston modification, aftermarket gears/torque converters, and tuning may be required. Please make sure to read over the product descriptions on these when making a decision. Idle quality is still somewhat fair with these cams.
Typically, these camshafts will be above a .550 lift and offer a higher duration and lobe separation. Due to this, piston modification, aftermarket gears/torque converters, and tuning usually are required. Please make sure to read over the product descriptions on these when making a decision. Idle quality usually is poor, and these will not be recommended for a daily driven street vehicle.
We at LMR hope this Fox Body Mustang 302 Cam Buying Guide has helped you make your decision on which best suits your needs by letting you weigh the benefits and features. Also, be in mind that all of the brands in this list are top manufacturers in the industry so you can’t go wrong with your choice. Check out our install article that covers how to install a camshaft in a Ford 302/351 with a timing chain if needed!
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