One of our first stops during day one of SEMA was the Crane Cams booth. They were very happy to re-introduce us to their Fireball line of camshafts. Once a staple offering in the performance camshaft market for your vintage V8 muscle car, the Fireball line of camshafts eventually gave way to Crane’s Energizer line of camshafts.
The customer service folks at Crane have been fielding calls for this popular grind as of late, and Crane finally brought it back for those wanting that signature performance sound for their warmed-over V8s. Similar to the high-performance, hydraulic L79 camshaft from Chevrolet, an early intake valve opening and long exhaust duration create optimum overlap for a powerful, hard-hitting exhaust note with a nice, broad torque curve and plenty of power.
Technology has improved since the previous grinds were designed in the ’80s and this new offering now has a slightly tighter lobe separation to give it an added push of that performance sound. Currently, Crane is offering the Fireball camshafts for both small- and big-block Chevy engines, in both flat-tappet and hydraulic-roller versions.
There has been some talk of spreading the Fireball line into the LS market, but Crane’s Robert Freund says they’ve got a little more work to get both the lobe separation and power in their desired range. Featuring excellent horsepower gains and broad torque curve the Fireball line of camshafts from Crane will continue to be an excellent choice for vintage muscle cars and hot rods.
Contact your nearest Crane Cams distributor or go to Crane’s website for more information.