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Ram Air Series Hyd Flat Tappet Cam and Cam Kits by Butler
Pontiac V8 Ram Air Series Hyd Flat Tappet Cam and Cam Kits by Butler
The Factory Grinds, Reproduced — Ram Air Series Hyd Flat Tappet Cam and Cam Kits by Butler for Pontiac V8s
The Ram Air Series hydraulic flat tappet cams are Butler exclusives: factory reproduction grinds of the original Pontiac profiles, designed and ground by COMP Cams for Butler, made in the USA and cut in Tennessee. This is the page for a numbers-correct restoration or anyone who wants the factory powerband back.
Four profiles are reproduced, the 067, 068, Ram Air III 744 and Ram Air IV 041, offered as cams, cam and lifter kits with Hy-Lift Johnson 852B lifters, or master kits. Melling reproductions of the same four cams are stocked alongside them.
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1. The Butler Exclusive COMP Reproductions
The Butler RA Series is an updated cam lobe designed and ground by COMP Cams exclusively for Butler. Lift is with 1.5:1 rockers.
| 067 | 244/254 advertised, 200/210 at .050", .405"/.405" lift, 111 lobe separation. The mildest of the four and a straight replacement for a tired stock cam in a driver. |
| 068 | 256/268 advertised, 212/225 at .050", .405"/.405" lift, 115 lobe separation. Same lift as the 067 with more duration and a much wider separation, which is why it idles as cleanly as it does. |
| Ram Air III 744 | 268/280 advertised, 224/236 at .050", 115 lobe separation. The Ram Air III grind, and a genuinely usable street cam. |
| Ram Air IV 041 | 276/290 advertised, 231/240 at .050", .469"/.516" lift, 113 lobe separation. Reproduced from factory ID number 9794041, used on the 366 horsepower 1968 Ram Air IV 400, the 1969 345 and 370 horsepower 455 and the 1970 370 horsepower engines. |
The cam and lifter kits pair these with the 852B Hy-Lift Johnson lifter set, made in the USA; the Ram Air IV master kit uses a Hy-Lift Johnson set of its own.
2. The Melling Reproductions, and One Thing to Watch
Melling reproduces the same four factory cams, specified slightly differently. Melling quotes cam lift and valve lift separately, which is useful when you are checking clearances.
| 067 reproduction | 284/293 advertised, 198/208 at .050", .270"/.272" cam lift, .404"/.408" valve lift, 111 lobe separation with centerlines at 106 and 116. |
| 068 reproduction | 285/298 advertised, 212/225 at .050", .272"/.271" cam lift, .409"/.408" valve lift, 115 lobe separation with centerlines at 113 and 118. Butler notes this one is actually a 400 HO cam, commonly referred to as a Ram Air III, but the true Ram Air III part number is the SPC-3. |
| Ram Air III 744 | 297/310 advertised, 224/236 at .050", .271" cam lift, .406" valve lift on a 1.5 rocker ratio, 115 lobe separation with centerlines at 112 and 119. This is the true Ram Air III part. |
| Ram Air IV 041 | 304/315 advertised, 231/240 at .050", .313"/.313" cam lift, .470"/.470" valve lift, 113 lobe separation with centerlines at 112 and 115. |
Do not compare a Melling advertised duration against a COMP advertised duration and conclude one is a bigger cam. The two grinders measure advertised duration differently. Compare at .050" and the picture is far clearer.
3. Master Kits and Head-Matched Springs
| What the master kit adds | the cam and its lifters plus the timing set, valve springs, retainers, locks and valve stem seals, so the whole top end goes together as one package. |
| Spring selection | the kits use one spring for cast iron heads and a different one for aluminum. Say which heads are going on when you order. |
| Restoration builds | if the goal is factory appearance, remember that these cams reproduce the grind, not the casting numbers on anything else in the engine. |
4. Break-In on a Reproduction Cam
These are flat tappet cams and the rules have not changed. All flat tappet cams require break-in oil and the use of oil additives, and they require a more extensive break-in process.
| ZDDP | use a break-in oil or additive and keep zinc in the oil afterward. Current API oils on their own are not enough for a flat tappet Pontiac. |
| Break-in spring pressure | run the correct seat pressure for break-in before going to final springs. |
| New lifters | never break a new cam in on used lifters. |
| The first twenty minutes | varied rpm well above idle, with timing and cooling already sorted. |
If the car is a driver rather than a show restoration and you like the factory grind but not the break-in, Butler grinds hydraulic roller retrofit versions of these same four profiles.
Not sure what your Pontiac needs?
Call our tech team at 866-762-7527. Tell us your engine, heads, car, and power goal, and we will put the parts together as one combination that works.