SMALLBLOCKHERO

iTrader: (2)

i know i know..buy a new converter!... i want to make a cam change ,i have the bolt ons( lid, tsp rumbler, cut out). i just dont want to change the converter yet. and im not sure on the stock stall speed of my 1998 Z28. anyone do an upgraded cam on their stock converter?. i was thinking the TR224..but im afraid the duration is a bitmuch for the stock pieces. any advice would be good. and yes ill have it tuned after of course..but til next year the tranny stays the way it is. it also has 2.73s in it factory. theyre goin over winter for 3.42s. and will the stock push rods work? id like to just stuff in a new stick and springs and rumble along.

Hennytime

iTrader: (33)

dont bother with stock manifolds and a converter

SOMe WS6

iTrader: (1)

personally i would get all the boltons for your car first including a stall. that way when you put your cam in, your car will be ready for it. if you are only running 13.7's now you will probably only run 13.4 -13.5 with a cam and stock stall

3rdgentug

iTrader: (23)

trust me get the convertor 1st
i got a fuddle 3400 2.1 n it was a night n day difference, fixin to do my 3.73 next
then comes cam/heads
that seems to be the more popular way to do it on a budget, i got alot of advice from people here n my local car club

99DWPTA

iTrader: (10)

do you want the cam so it makes your car sound cool???

SMALLBLOCKHERO

iTrader: (2)

cmon man...im not a noob. im still figuring out the capabilities of LS1 cars. ive owned and built 3 1st gen camaros, that were borderline race cars. just wanted some advice if anyone has done this and how it worked. i already know any cam over 220 should have at least a 2800 stall. but thats on carbed and th350/400 cars. thats why i read and post on the LS1tech forums. everyone has a learning curve. but im no teenager(no offense to those who are) so im not just trying to make my car sound "cool". just wanted an entry level cam to pickup low end torque and retain my stock converter for now. it is after all my daily driver. there are hundreds of hydraulic flat tappet cams for GEN I motors that work with a stock converter. i appreciate all the advice anyone has. i just figured a lil better cam and a tune would help me out.

nuzee

iTrader: (2)

I was looking for a cam that would enhance the low end and compliment the stock converter. So I chose a CompCams 206/212 112lsa. Because at the time, I liked to infrequently mess around at the dragstrip, I installed the cam 2 degrees retarded, so as not to lose to much topend.

This cam installed 2 degrees retarded with stock 1.7 rocker ratio is very torquey right off idle. Actually would be a very good truck cam. My stock converter'd 60 ft times improved from mid to high 1.9s with the stock cam to high 1.8s to mid 1.9s with the 206 cam. I also knocked off .3 sec & gained 2.5 mph in the 1/8 mile. So, I have some numbers to back up my seat of the pants feel.

I later added 1.85 rockers to further improve 1/4 mi ET & trap speed. Then I eventually threw on a 3500 stall and ran the times in my sig. I feel like I got some respectable time slips from the mods that I made along the way. I regret not being able to have installed the set of headers I bought a couple of months before the local track closed - for good. Not having a track to run at sure put a damper on my driving interest.

I have since reinstalled the stock converter and run it with the 206 cam. Very good match, crisp response, can break tires loose with slight jab of the throttle, & makes driving in traffic more tolerable.

SMALLBLOCKHERO

iTrader: (2)

your god sent brother!..this is exactly what i was hoping to hear and just what i was looking for in this thread. what did you have to change in your valve train set up? pushrod length, springs? unfortunately i have the factory 2.73s for now but i will have the 3.42s in by next summer. your description of how it runs and drives in traffic is just what i wanted. by the way...i thought the big island still has a 1/4 mile strip.

2xLS1

iTrader: (25)

Don't go any smaller than a TR220/114 LSA. I've installed that one in a couple of stock converter stock exhaust f-bodies and it is a nice gain. I've also installed a couple of TR224/114 LSA cams in stock converter cars. The 224 needs a slightly higher idle speed and will try to pull through the converter a little more when stopped. I've also run a comp 212/218 114 LSA and a Comp 216/220 114 LSA many years ago in a 98Z with stock converter and exhaust. Both were really torquey cams. In my experience, the 216/220 and bigger cams cause enough misfires to screw with the converter locking up and all the cams I've listed here want a higher than stock idle speed so some tweaks the tune are necessary. And of course there is always the LS6 cam that will give you gains from 4K rpms and up and idle like stock.

5_02ls1

iTrader: (20)

Ill answer your question yes you can......ive seen 2 cars on here this month that had an ms4 on the stock stall.........a good tuner can get any cam to idle with the stock verter.....a tr224 will work fine but i would look at somthing in the 218 220 range....

if I was advising a next mod it would be get rid of the 273s for some 373s then a converter then a cam....but thats my opinion

Bo White

iTrader: (59)

I ran a custom Comp grind 218/222-115 in my 98 and when it was all said and done I would have rather went with a 3500ish converter.

RoDan

No joke man, for all the trouble of a cam install you might as well just say screw it for now and slap you in a good verter and gears. You will be much better off, and you will see far better gains. Then when you are itching for more, you can do a cam and do it right, with the cam you really want and not just settle for a smaller cam "to get by with the stock converter". You will also want headers for sure.

Here are my thoughts: You get the converter--awesome, put the converter in same time you are doing the gears. Then you are gonna FEEL a lot of gain just from those 2 mods, trust me. You will just need a minor tune to correct gear ratio. Then when you get the itch for more, you have headers and a cam waiting to be bought and installed and then tuned professionally. I've been there done that. It'll keep a smile on your face.

WS6Drop

iTrader: (10)

I would suggest this:

99-TR214/220-115-2 Thunder Racing Custom Camshaft
"Old Man Cam" - 214/220 .600/.523 115 LSA This is the perfect cam for someone looking for a stock range power band and stock sounding idle. Significant horsepower gains throughout the RPM range. No computer tuning required. Due to the fast ramp rate of this camshaft, the use of 1.8 rockers is not recommended.

or This:

Thunder Racing Custom Camshaft
"CheaTR" - 214/230 .601/.575 117 LSA. Off Idle-6800 RPM Power Band. Broad power range. Works well with stock exhaust manifolds and catalytic converters. Stock like idle. Minor tuning required on automatic transmission cars. Responds very well to nitrous. Due to the fast ramp rate of this camshaft, the use of 1.8 rockers is not recommended. Double valve springs and titanium retainers required for this cam.

Both from Thunder Racing, you must change the springs which you are willing to do.

nuzee

iTrader: (2)

I used 918 springs with stock retainers and pushrods. I wanted to avoid going too aggresive on the cam lobes for street driving peace of mind. I also was hoping that the cam wouldn't require any reprogramming. But it would ocassionally stall when coming to a stop w/out programming. So I got the Crane Power tuner and cleaned up all drivability issues.

I had 2.73s originally too. 3.42s will nicely wakeup the car. I live on Oahu so I can't easily get to the others islands to race.

The 206 cam is a low-end cam. Most of the gains will be in the lowend with some in the midrange and a little up top. If I were to pick a new cam with not too aggresive lobes using my experience with the 206, I would get a 210ish cam, 112 lsa. I wouldn't mind having the cam "come on" a few hundred rpms higher like at 1100 rpm instead of right off idle to gain a meatier midrange. I guess an aggressive lobed 215 would equal the milder lobed 210. So, what some of the other guys are suggesting above falls in line with my experience. If you are inclined to stay mild lobed, some of the 210 Crane cams might be something to look at.

My suggestions are based on you not being a cam newbie and that you know exactly what you want from a cam. For the newbies out there, if you go small cammed now you will always wonder what a bigger cam will do. Thus, you will be buying another cam later just to find out. I can almost guarantee that, LOL.