was wondering if i could buy and install chevy 350 cams (designed for cars) on my 5.7 volvo penta. if not, what cams or other upgrades can be done to increase power?

thanks

as long as you don't mind a cam that was designed for emissions first, last, and best fuel mileage in between, go for it. there are a very few 67 to 72 or so LT1 cams that do ok in marine engines. from what i hear the 260 merc cam is essentially an LT1 grind. i hear people mentioning a zz4 cam, but i don't know it. it is a boat. the engine is a hermaphrodite cross between a race motor and a truck motor. wants to pull hard from 2000 to 5000 rpm. has little use for anything higher. as far as upgrades, most popular is vortec heads with matching alum intake-usually performer rpm. aftermarket exhaust. stainless marine-gil-something along those lines. then get back to the cam question. everybody here says call bob madera. he apparently is the marine cam guru...

I would recommend installing the magnum iron intake. This is a huge "wake-up" for a stock 260 motor. If you want to get a few more horses install the magnum flame arrestors (much more flow that stock) and call The Carburetor Shop in Ontario California for the correct secondary metering rods. This was my first "hop up" on my twin powered boat with 260 h.p. 350s. I then added World Products heads, SR Torquers, roller rockers and a Crane cam, a 272 Hydraulic. 216-216 with .454 lift. I had a bit more lift as I used 1.60 rockers. This cam had a range of 1600-5400 r.p.m.s. Mind you this was all done in the mid 80s! Now I would go to a 383 stroker and use (closed cooling) aluminum heads and intake as well as a hydraulic roller cam. Anyway you build it today it is easy to gain 60-120 horsepower. BTW I had to move up 2" in prop pitch...it's only money!

+2 Call Bob Madera, he will give you honest answers to fit your budget.