NastyFormula

Hello my friends, I have a 99 Trans Am Formula. It will have intake, headers, a brand new clutch, it's geared, and has a tune. I want a cam that will make an obvious difference in power, but not cause my engine to crap out. I only drive the car 1-2 times a week. Any information would help, and if you could link me to a site to buy the specific cam you mention, that would be fantastic! Thanks guys.

cali_bear2003

iTrader: (7)

Martin at Tick Performance, EPS or at least a half dozen vendors can hook you up with something. Google ls1tech, baby cam and read. I went with a baby grind myself, but I also need to pass emissions.

NastyFormula

I'm in TN, so that's no issue for me!

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

Do you want it to sound cammed?

NastyFormula

Not really concerned about if it sounds like it or not, as I just care more about results. However, that is a good bonus.

MonmouthCtyLS7

iTrader: (6)

LS6 cam?

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Thing is, a "baby cam" and a "cam that will make an obvious difference in power" are not one in the same. You can go with something like the LS6 cam mentioned above, but the power difference isn't going to be obvious to most people all by itself - though I guess that also depends on one's personal definition of "obvious". If you're looking for noticeable gains, you might be disappointed with a cam such as that.

Usually, the reasons for a baby cam are concerns over emissions (you already mentioned this is a non-issue for you), or wanting the car to run well with minimal tuning due to no local dyno tuners and having to rely only on mail-order, or very low personal tolerance for any idle/driveability issues, and/or concerns over MPG. As the car isn't your daily driver, none of those should be too big of a concern.

If all you are worried about is not causing your engine to "crap out", then you can certainly go with more of a mid-range cam with a powerband that keeps maximum engine speed under ~65-6600rpm or so, and will still offer some noticeable gains. As long as you select a proper valve train, there should be no worries with an intermediate level cam (say something in the 224-230° duration range) and proper tuning for best driveability. Camshaft profile by itself isn't really a contributor to premature engine failure, but selecting poor/mis-matched valve train components or a cam that requires engine speed to exceed what the lower end can reasonably handle will/can certainly cause engine failure. As long as you satisfy those areas of concern, I don't think there would be much difference in engine longevity between a baby cam and an intermediate cam.

thunderstruck507

iTrader: (18)

I'd look at something like this: http://store.cammotion.com/the-titan3-1

give them a shout and they can get you everything you need

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

i had an ls6 cam. and you know what? it wasnt bad. my SS ran ok. it didnt sneak up on anybody but it was fun.


but the only reason i bought one was because i didnt have a ton of money and didnt want to void my warranty.


id talk to a local performance shop thats familiar with our motors and look into some kind of custom cam. a good tuner can have an aggressive cam running like a stockish motor.

fccs

iTrader: (26)

A "baby cam" is a waste of time. Get a decent size one and you'll be fine. It will be perfectly fine daily driving a cammed car. Doing all that work for a measly hot cam or ls6 cam or something along those lines is a waste of time imo.

Tuskyz28

Baby cams can make a difference and be fun in my opinion. Gmhtp LS1 round up tested a baby lunati cam. Specs on the cam 219/223-duration, .625/.625-inch lift, 112 LSA.
it made a a great amount over the factory cam.

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engines-drivetrain/ghtp-1108-ls1-engine-cam-test/

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Not sure that would qualify for "baby" status IMO. It's not a ton of duration, but that's an awful lot of lift especially with such low duration; it would probably be somewhat hard on valve springs and not an ideal choice if you're looking for something you can drop in and forget about for ~100k (which would be the typical expectation of a baby cam, IMO.) I'd rather have a little less lift, a little more duration, and therefore likely better durability.