Proper cam gains over stock LS1 at 800+ whp?
08-19-2013, 03:10 PM
#1
Proper cam gains over stock LS1 at 800+ whp? Due to failing lifters that had damaged 2 lobes on my Thunder Racing 214/220 115 LSA cam, I have to make a choice now - put in stock LS1 cam, or get me new camshaft specced.
Car is 383ci LS1 9.2:1 CR, Patriot heads, LS6 intake, 4L80E with 3500stall, daily driver, TC78 turbo at 15psi getting me 10.7@128mph.
It already seems I'm close to limits of the turbo so thinking of upgrading.
So plain and simple, is it worth getting new cam, or will stock LS1 do fine?
If it's only 15-20whp difference that's not enough to justify the cost at this moment...
Car is 383ci LS1 9.2:1 CR, Patriot heads, LS6 intake, 4L80E with 3500stall, daily driver, TC78 turbo at 15psi getting me 10.7@128mph.
It already seems I'm close to limits of the turbo so thinking of upgrading.
So plain and simple, is it worth getting new cam, or will stock LS1 do fine?
If it's only 15-20whp difference that's not enough to justify the cost at this moment...
08-19-2013, 03:56 PM
#2
9 Second Club
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Joliet,IL and Las Vegas 50/50
Posts: 1,230
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes
on
3 Posts
I have a similar build to yours with 346ci and have had great luck with my TU1 cam from speed inc. They sell a tu1.5 now that will make a little more power and give you a bit more cam sound. It would be worth looking into their turbo cam grinds. My car on 10psi has gone 10.4@134mph with a 1.6 60'. My turbo spooled insanely quick when I was on the tc78 and even the same on my pt7675. BTW, that tc78 is probably choking a bit up top so I wouldn't doubt that you are tapering boost down pretty bad.
08-19-2013, 08:49 PM
#4
i think you will loose 50+hp going back to the stock cam at the same boost level BUT if you turn up the boost you should be able to get most of that back.
it is a question i have always wondered. stock cam at 15psi or a custom cam at 10psi, is it worth putting in a cam or can you just crank up the boost? what are the negatives to more boost on a stock cam vs less boost on a bigger cam when at the same hp level?
it is a question i have always wondered. stock cam at 15psi or a custom cam at 10psi, is it worth putting in a cam or can you just crank up the boost? what are the negatives to more boost on a stock cam vs less boost on a bigger cam when at the same hp level?
Trending Topics
08-22-2013, 03:14 AM
#13
I've talked about it over the years and nobody ever seemed to care back then. Lol. There was a 212/112 lsa, a 221/114 lsa, and a 230/114 lsa I tested back to back one summer. The 212, and 221 cam were similar with slight advantage going to the 212 cam, and 230 cam was hard to launch, would nose over on shift if shifted below 6300, and had lowest trap of the 3. This was a 4850 lb 4x4 truck with small turbine. Tc76 maxed out.
Last edited by stock48; 08-22-2013 at 03:32 AM.
08-22-2013, 09:40 AM
#15
A cam ground specifically for your engine would a be a large improvement over a stock cam.
I have had customers gain very large amounts of power going to one of my cams over their old cams.
I know you can say, well of course you can always grind a larger cam to make more power, but these examples weren't large differences in duration or overlap.
Here's a good one. Denmah had a LS9 cam in his Fairmont. I told him he could gain as much as 50-60rwhp by swapping from the LS9 cam to a 224/226 cam he had laying around. This was with a GT45 Chinese turbo and a 5.3 engine.
On the same boost level he gained 60rwhp+ with the 224/226 over the LS9 cam, and it wasn't just peak power he gained.
With how light your car is Vetal I wouldn't compare the results Stock48 got with his cam test(which is a great test BTW thanks for sharing Jarrett)or rely too heavily on the comparison as his truck could possibly weigh 1200-1400lbs. more than your Trans Am. You also have a 4" stroke crank which changes piston position greatly when compared to valve position when designing a camshaft.
Last edited by Sales@Tick; 08-22-2013 at 09:47 AM.
08-22-2013, 01:27 PM
#16
The 9.73 with truck was with a T4 Gt76/94 and 212/112 cam. Has also been 6.0/117 with A S480/92 T4 on a soft launch. Best it did with the Tc76 was 10.33/129 mph in shitty air. I believe the turbine dictates how much cam, and overlap you can get away with. Small cam, big turbin gives up a little power up tob but still has good drive ability and works pretty well. Too big of cam and small turbine is garbage everywhere.
08-22-2013, 01:46 PM
#17
The 9.73 with truck was with a T4 Gt76/94 and 212/112 cam. Has also been 6.0/117 with A S480/92 T4 on a soft launch. Best it did with the Tc76 was 10.33/129 mph in shitty air. I believe the turbine dictates how much cam, and overlap you can get away with. Small cam, big turbin gives up a little power up tob but still has good drive ability and works pretty well. Too big of cam and small turbine is garbage everywhere.
08-23-2013, 05:15 AM
#18
So guys, for a uneducated person like me, how much whp would I gain up top with properly specced cam vs stock LS1 cam with turbo like TC78 (current) or smth. like PT7675 (hope to upgrade soon) ?
Also am I thinking right that low-down torque "of the cam" is not that important with highish stall anyway?
Also am I thinking right that low-down torque "of the cam" is not that important with highish stall anyway?
08-23-2013, 12:18 PM
#19
With a 76/75 a high 2 teens to low 220's @.050 could be worth around 100 hp up top. With a Tc 78/68 it would most likely be about half of that since it's going to choke up by 5K rpm on that many CI. A loose converter is not good with either of those turbo's you want just enough converter to do what needs to be done. You don't want to blow thru 90 % of your powerband with converter slip. A tight yank Sc3000 works really well with low rpm combo's.