Shop cost for cam swap?
08-01-2015, 08:33 AM
#1
Shop cost for cam swap? So if I'm planning on going to a smaller cam but am going to keep everything else (springs, rods, heads untouched), how many hours am I looking to get charged for at a good shop just to swap cams? I do not have a garage nor the aptitude to attempt this on my own.
08-02-2015, 04:11 PM
#4
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Not sure where you guys are getting your work done (unless that is including the price of buying the cam too), but it's $300-$350 for a cam swap where I am if you're not changing springs, retainers, and pushrods. That doesn't include the tune or price of the cam, that's just the labor.
08-02-2015, 04:39 PM
#5
Not sure where you guys are getting your work done (unless that is including the price of buying the cam too), but it's $300-$350 for a cam swap where I am if you're not changing springs, retainers, and pushrods. That doesn't include the tune or price of the cam, that's just the labor.
08-02-2015, 06:38 PM
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The OP here said he is keeping his springs, retainers, and pushrods. I am not changing mine out either, as I only have maybe 3000 miles on them. They're dual .650 springs, titanium retainers, chromoly pushrods. I'm doing a turbo build and swapping to a turbo cam that has less lift so in my case I'd be wasting money.
Normally one would swap all of those, but maybe he is in the same situation as I am and only has a few thousand miles on his. OP, if your springs and stuff isn't new and has a lot of miles on them, I would definitely replace them.
Normally one would swap all of those, but maybe he is in the same situation as I am and only has a few thousand miles on his. OP, if your springs and stuff isn't new and has a lot of miles on them, I would definitely replace them.
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are u getting ur cam done at buckys exhaust shop? 
08-04-2015, 06:27 AM
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Here is the tuners (Dave's) car and I will say the same about it. They probably put more fbody's, gto's and vette's through them than anyone in a couple states around.
Last edited by Deeohgie69; 08-04-2015 at 06:34 AM.
08-04-2015, 09:55 PM
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If he is going to a smaller cam, then he most likely already has aftermarket springs, retainers, and pushrods. So as OP and I have specified already, this price is for a cam swap only, nothing else. So the funny statement about getting our cam done at bucky's muffler shop had to be about the cam only because it was clearly specified throughout this small post what the prices were for. That's all the op asked and said he was keeping everything else.
I'll take my muffler shop builder and tuner any day of the week
I'll take my muffler shop builder and tuner any day of the week
08-05-2015, 05:11 PM
#13
Thanks for the info guys. Yeah I should have specified- currently the car has a donkey dick MS4 cam. I am wanting to go to a cam with much better fuel efficiency and drivability and have already decided on going with EPS and have discussed some specs with Geoff.
Before I bought the car, the previous owner put in one of Brian Tooley's spring kits with barely 1k miles on them. The car also has aftermarket Yella Terra rockers, CTS V lifters, and hardened pushrods. The cam I am looking to go is much more mild- 222/230 114 +2. Although I am tempted to go ahead and spec to a cam in the 227 range since I've heard that is the bread and butter lobe for stock displacement and a good set of heads.
Before I bought the car, the previous owner put in one of Brian Tooley's spring kits with barely 1k miles on them. The car also has aftermarket Yella Terra rockers, CTS V lifters, and hardened pushrods. The cam I am looking to go is much more mild- 222/230 114 +2. Although I am tempted to go ahead and spec to a cam in the 227 range since I've heard that is the bread and butter lobe for stock displacement and a good set of heads.
08-06-2015, 10:17 AM
#19
Yep. Thanks Deeohgie for the most productive answer. Anyone else have some of their local pricing? Cost of living in SC is not high by any means but we have no speed shops to my knowledge so any shop I might trust to do this might be higher.
08-06-2015, 11:46 AM
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No problem man 
I had to drive about 50 min to the place I got mine done, but I wouldn't think that even if your area was a little higher that it would be more than $400-$450. The only problem I see is that if you don't have any performance shops around you, I would be concerned a little about a custom grind cam. I know that places like texas speed and a few others do the mail order tunes and know they would probably be decent for an off the shelf cam. Those guys have tuned so many cars and setups that they can tune it pretty close without seeing the car. But I would probably find a tuner that could tune it if you decide to go with a custom cam.
Unfortunately, my tuner just took a job in Texas and I really don't care for the tuners in my area. So while I'm doing my turbo build I'm sending my pcm to get a mail order tune so I can drive my car about 4.5 hours away to Kansas for him to tune it. I'm a firm believer in trusting and having a good tuner. Because you can have the best build in the world and a crap tune will ruin the whole build, or possibly hurt the motor.........hence why I'm driving so far to get it tuned lol.
Also, you may want to see if there are any members on this site that live close to you. For the most part there are a good group of guys on here and I've seen many times where another member has driven 45 min to help someone on a build. Just a thought, good luck man.
I had to drive about 50 min to the place I got mine done, but I wouldn't think that even if your area was a little higher that it would be more than $400-$450. The only problem I see is that if you don't have any performance shops around you, I would be concerned a little about a custom grind cam. I know that places like texas speed and a few others do the mail order tunes and know they would probably be decent for an off the shelf cam. Those guys have tuned so many cars and setups that they can tune it pretty close without seeing the car. But I would probably find a tuner that could tune it if you decide to go with a custom cam.
Unfortunately, my tuner just took a job in Texas and I really don't care for the tuners in my area. So while I'm doing my turbo build I'm sending my pcm to get a mail order tune so I can drive my car about 4.5 hours away to Kansas for him to tune it. I'm a firm believer in trusting and having a good tuner. Because you can have the best build in the world and a crap tune will ruin the whole build, or possibly hurt the motor.........hence why I'm driving so far to get it tuned lol.
Also, you may want to see if there are any members on this site that live close to you. For the most part there are a good group of guys on here and I've seen many times where another member has driven 45 min to help someone on a build. Just a thought, good luck man.