Is it nuts to go CAM "Only"
#2
FormerVendor
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I am proof that you will be wasting your time doing a cam without headers. If its a small cam you may be able to get away with it but if it is a fairly decent cam like the Fm13 like i have you are gonna be real disappointed with the stock manifolds. Headers woke the thing up it was like a night and day difference. The exhaust manifolds choke the hell otta the car and you get major EGR effects from the cam even more so the more overlap you have...
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I've got everything waiting for a cam install, now just waiting to be able to buy headers. Should've bought them first, but didn't have $800 layin around for Kooks. Bought the cam parts over time, cheap off the board Now I just have to wait a month or two to get headers....I'm ok with running those open for a week or two til I can put TD's on. I don't drive her much anyhow, just home -> college and back.
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#8
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Cams need to breath period. Ther bigger the cam, the more open the air flow needs to be. Personally I wouldn't put in a cam without headers, a cat-back, atleast an ls6 intake (78mm or 90mm lsx preferably) and a throttle body. You can get away with just headers, a cat-back and an ls6, but the more you open it up, the more power it'll put down. Plus it'll sound alot cooler.
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If you do a huge cam then you may have issues with it not running so good on a completly stock car cause it cannot breath. I would go full boltons first. What is the reason you want to go cam first?
#10
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Yeah, the bigger the cam, the more you need those other bolt-ons first.
FWIW: I love my little cam with minimal bolt-ons. Check out the Vinci Hi Performance site - they did a lot of testing with a 02 C5, and this cam was run for a while if you're interested.
FWIW: I love my little cam with minimal bolt-ons. Check out the Vinci Hi Performance site - they did a lot of testing with a 02 C5, and this cam was run for a while if you're interested.
#11
My car put down 378hp with a loud mouth, TR224/112 and stock manifolds w/cats a couple years ago. It's an '01 so it had the LS6 intake. Only tuning was a MAFT. Big difference over the stock cam.
#12
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Originally Posted by ROJO99
Can I do a CAM only swap with my stock exhaust? Waht can the factory 99 Corvette headers effectively handle?
I was trying to build a very mild combo so that I don't have to put in a bar. The mild combo exceeded my expectations. Although it would be nice to install headers, I don't think they are as big a restriction as people think.
There's more detail here:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=880887
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I have stock manifolds, gutted cats, y-pipe and cutout. I love my large cam and have no drivability issues with it. But it did need a some good tuning to get it there. I lowered my 1/8 mile track time by 4 tenths with it. I am sure I would do better with headers but for me the trade off isn’t worth it. I might do heads though sometime in the future.
#14
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I've been kinda wondering the same thing myself. After owning a few F-bodies I know the exaust is restrictive. The stock y-pipe is an absolute JOKE.
But on a Corvette especially my Z06 I'm wondering if a G5x-3 wouldn't be a bad FIRST mod. The vettes have a dual exaust from the factory and the cat backs breath pretty good compared to aftermarket. The intake boxes aren't bad the gearing is there. Hell I may just try it for the hell of it. I'm going to get headers but good headers for Vettes are 1500+!!!!!!
But on a Corvette especially my Z06 I'm wondering if a G5x-3 wouldn't be a bad FIRST mod. The vettes have a dual exaust from the factory and the cat backs breath pretty good compared to aftermarket. The intake boxes aren't bad the gearing is there. Hell I may just try it for the hell of it. I'm going to get headers but good headers for Vettes are 1500+!!!!!!