Cam recommendation needed. 5.3 tt 550-650whp range
#1
Cam recommendation needed. 5.3 tt 550-650whp range
All my quick stats..
5.3 tt kit. 59 or 62mm turbos.
4l80e.
3200ish stall haven't decided.
3.23 rear
28" tires.
Should be able to hit 550whp pretty easy, may turn it up a bit more in the future with additional fueling. 95% street car, may take it to the track a few times a year.
Willing to sacrifice a tad bit of performance for the aesthetic of an old music car thump. It's a 70 camaro. I was considering one of the tick turbo stages, but my builder said they're a bit heavy and will not have good mid. He just told me to pick a cam and he'll put it in there for me with the supporting mods.
5.3 tt kit. 59 or 62mm turbos.
4l80e.
3200ish stall haven't decided.
3.23 rear
28" tires.
Should be able to hit 550whp pretty easy, may turn it up a bit more in the future with additional fueling. 95% street car, may take it to the track a few times a year.
Willing to sacrifice a tad bit of performance for the aesthetic of an old music car thump. It's a 70 camaro. I was considering one of the tick turbo stages, but my builder said they're a bit heavy and will not have good mid. He just told me to pick a cam and he'll put it in there for me with the supporting mods.
#3
I asked him what he'd use he hasn't answer. Just told me to pick a cam, sick of me changing my mind lol.
Mild cam get any thump out of an ls? Any opinion on the tick stage 1?
Mild cam get any thump out of an ls? Any opinion on the tick stage 1?
#5
#7
Thanks for your response, a 600 lift should cause a good amount of thumpies. I'm still pretty noobish to the whole cam scene anyways.
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#9
Thanks for the suggestion, I'm still new to cams. I feel like kind of a poser for wanting a cam thump, when the turbos will already provide plenty of power. But the old car thump is just a part of my dream car build..
#11
TECH Senior Member
iTrader: (26)
Jake gave you all the information you need. 2-3 degrees of overlap is plenty to get a nice chop out of a 5.3...even sounds good in a 5.7, but a 6.0 swallows that up pretty good.
I would go with this.
https://www.briantooleyracing.com/tu...age-i-cam.html
I would go with this.
https://www.briantooleyracing.com/tu...age-i-cam.html
#12
#13
TECH Veteran
First of all.... twin turbos are not needed for your power goal.
One guys garage did a simple build on a stock bottom end L33 motor.
224/228 cam
E85 fuel
76mm turbo with the bells and whistles
Stock 243 heads
Motor ended up making 825 hp on the engine dyno. Built under a 6000 budget.
gmhtp 5.3 turbo staying alive.
One guys garage did a simple build on a stock bottom end L33 motor.
224/228 cam
E85 fuel
76mm turbo with the bells and whistles
Stock 243 heads
Motor ended up making 825 hp on the engine dyno. Built under a 6000 budget.
gmhtp 5.3 turbo staying alive.
#14
Thank you for the responses. I know I could get by on stock cam, with a single turbo. However I've just always wanted to build my 'dream car' like this and it's how I picture it. It's the aesthetic and sound I can appreciate about it rather than just the pure dollar to horse power ratio.
I've asked a few about that twin turbo stage 2 cam. Some say it's too big. What are the drawbacks of one being too big? Can't idle? Can't move under a certain rpm? I can't imagine the drive ability is worse than my current 350.
Turbo whistle is lovely as my last car was a supra, but the presence of an old muscle car thumping is quite amazing too. Why not have both?
I've asked a few about that twin turbo stage 2 cam. Some say it's too big. What are the drawbacks of one being too big? Can't idle? Can't move under a certain rpm? I can't imagine the drive ability is worse than my current 350.
Turbo whistle is lovely as my last car was a supra, but the presence of an old muscle car thumping is quite amazing too. Why not have both?
#15
8 Second Club
iTrader: (4)
Want a serious lope turbo friendly cam look at the 2215 edelbrock or howards version of the "GM hot cam" (actual GM hot cam is fine too but it's more expensive.).
Here is about 950 RPM cold with the 2215 edelbrock (220/220 @ 111 .510 lift) on a bone stock 4.8 long block. Once warm, I could drop it down to 800 ish and it would really lope. Still has -2* of overlap at .050. It was really snappy on my 4.8. I liked it alot. Also for what it's worth most decently sized twin setups don't need to worry about a "turbo friendly" low overlap cam. They should have close to 1:1 back pressure, so you can cam them aggressively like an NA application.
Last edited by Forcefed86; 03-24-2017 at 01:22 PM.
#17
#18
Super Hulk Smash
iTrader: (7)
Lobe design matters. But I'm not getting into that in this thread.
And total overlap still matters more. Overlap at .006 is going to be a lot greater with a very mild cam. It has slow ramp and that has more effect on poor cylinder fill than total lift. A stock LS head doesn't flow well at .650. But people put high lift cams in (because they are aggressive) to increase the curtain area (or duration at .200-.500) of the lobes so you're open longer at every point along the way. So yes, you're right about poor cylinder fill. But it still has little to do with ultimate lift. Because I can have poor cylinder fill with a lazy .600" cam vs a very aggressive .600" lift cam. The difference is can I control the more aggressive lobe? Especially with 15psi pushing on the valves?
But that's another discussion. A lazy cam will lope. A fast cam will lope.
I can make any cam lope. And any cam not lope.
I had my 16 degree cam not loping in my 346. And had my 6 degree cam loping harder at the same RPM. Because you can tune in or out chop. Doesn't mean it drives great. But you can do it.
And that Stage 2 Twin Turbo cam will sound good in the 5.3. You can always lower the idle RPM to get more lope. And then play with timing, A/F, and EIOT...
And total overlap still matters more. Overlap at .006 is going to be a lot greater with a very mild cam. It has slow ramp and that has more effect on poor cylinder fill than total lift. A stock LS head doesn't flow well at .650. But people put high lift cams in (because they are aggressive) to increase the curtain area (or duration at .200-.500) of the lobes so you're open longer at every point along the way. So yes, you're right about poor cylinder fill. But it still has little to do with ultimate lift. Because I can have poor cylinder fill with a lazy .600" cam vs a very aggressive .600" lift cam. The difference is can I control the more aggressive lobe? Especially with 15psi pushing on the valves?
But that's another discussion. A lazy cam will lope. A fast cam will lope.
I can make any cam lope. And any cam not lope.
I had my 16 degree cam not loping in my 346. And had my 6 degree cam loping harder at the same RPM. Because you can tune in or out chop. Doesn't mean it drives great. But you can do it.
And that Stage 2 Twin Turbo cam will sound good in the 5.3. You can always lower the idle RPM to get more lope. And then play with timing, A/F, and EIOT...
#19
Restricted User
He's changed the entire direction of this build dozens of times in the last few months of us trying to hash it out lol.
Its went from a single turbo 4.8 with his LT1 6 speed being converted to LS1 style.
Then a twin turbo 4.8 with the same trans.
Then a 5.3 with twins and the T56
Then a 5.3 with a 4L80e and twins
Then a 5.3 with a 4L80e and cam and twins, and upgraded 10 bolt.
Then a 5.3 with a 4L80e with stock cam and twins
Then a 5.3 with a 4L80e with cam and twins, with 4L80e, upgraded 10 bolt, driveshaft.
At some point a high compression 6.0 and his T56 were thrown in there somewhere as were a few other options, like going back to the T56.
At this point, I'd rather just let him pick exactly what he wants me to use and I'll build it with that lol.
Its went from a single turbo 4.8 with his LT1 6 speed being converted to LS1 style.
Then a twin turbo 4.8 with the same trans.
Then a 5.3 with twins and the T56
Then a 5.3 with a 4L80e and twins
Then a 5.3 with a 4L80e and cam and twins, and upgraded 10 bolt.
Then a 5.3 with a 4L80e with stock cam and twins
Then a 5.3 with a 4L80e with cam and twins, with 4L80e, upgraded 10 bolt, driveshaft.
At some point a high compression 6.0 and his T56 were thrown in there somewhere as were a few other options, like going back to the T56.
At this point, I'd rather just let him pick exactly what he wants me to use and I'll build it with that lol.
#20
Super Hulk Smash
iTrader: (7)
He sounds like me.
I've settled on the D1SC since I have this POS driving pretty well now. I can live with it everyday.
I'm saving the 76mm turbo build for a RCSB I'm looking for right now. Actually found an 07 GMC with a V6 in it... dropped on DJM 4/6 with 18/20 Fuel wheels. So it already looks the part. Just need to swap in an L33 and the turbo setup. But the price is too high considering I have to do an engine swap.
I've settled on the D1SC since I have this POS driving pretty well now. I can live with it everyday.
I'm saving the 76mm turbo build for a RCSB I'm looking for right now. Actually found an 07 GMC with a V6 in it... dropped on DJM 4/6 with 18/20 Fuel wheels. So it already looks the part. Just need to swap in an L33 and the turbo setup. But the price is too high considering I have to do an engine swap.