vDarko

What's up everyone. I have a 2009 suburban with an lc9, dod, and I believe it does not have vvt. I already disabled dod for now, until I can properly remove it all together via new valve train and cam.

I'm looking to "build" this motor for daily driving with reliability and also give it a little bit or a lot of bit of *****. Id also like a decent sound but thats just extra. My goal is full bolt ons. Headers, exhaust, intake manifold, throttle body, cam, springs.

I come from 4 cylinder race cars, so ive got a bit of a learning curve to overcome and despite all of the research ive been doing im finding myself a little confused on some things.

I figure instead of just buying a dod delete kit which comes with everything I need. Why wouldn't I instead get something even better that will generate a little bit of extra power? i read that a stock ls3 cam with ls6 valve springs was a safe, easy, and budget way to add about 50hp. Could anybody confirm the details of this information?

Secondly, I found this kit online
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175882840243?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=74bj7so7sus&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=Fo6XWszWSc y&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Is this something I could consider as an option? It seems so ridiculridiculously cheap to me? Can I install this as part of a dod delete?

In the world of Honda race cars. when you buy cams, you also buy springs, valves, and retainers. Which all essentially need to match eachother along with the compression of the pistons. This seems to only partially teansfer over to the LS world? I see some people say they just put in a cam and send it without changing anything else? I'm not interested in that option (if it even is one). But mostly I see guys saying only really the springs are what matter to go along with the cam?

I feel like I have so many questions and I'm just going in circles when doing my own research. And I don't have any v8 buddies that can help me. If anyone can sort of help me organize all of this information for me I'd greatly appreciate it.

G Atsma

Most importantly- Do you have smog inspection in NY? If so what do they check? Once these questions are answered, we can move on.

vDarko

No. We do not.

G Atsma

OK. Basically go to Cam Motion's website and check out their DOD/AFM delete kit, plus one of their truck cams. There are two specifically for the 5.3. You likely want the bigger one with these specs-
5.3 Stage 2, 206/210, .553"/.553", 115LSA + 5.
This all means 206 intake degrees intake and 210 degrees exhaust, both at .050" lift, .553" lift on both sides, and 115 degree Lobe Separation Angle. Plus it is advanced 5 degrees in the grind.
According to Cam Motion it should be good for about a 50 HP gain up top while also gaining throughout the rev band.
Besides the DOD delete kit, which is VERY comprehensive, you will need a set of LS2/LS3 style beehive springs.
Hope this helps you!

68Formula

Being an LC9, already have a great intake and throttle body on it. Just do the valvetrain and exhaust upgrades.

G Atsma

Totally agree! ^^^^^^Do this^^^^^^^

vDarko

Yeah I did find this information between the time I posted and now. I do think I'll be contributing an ls9 or ls7 stock cam. It looks like in most cases people see as much as a 40hp gain in exchange for some torque which works for me cause I'm not towing anything.

vDarko

thank you for this! i cross referenced this info you gave me from their site and realized the stock cam from both the ls7 and ls9 can go right in without me having to do anything aside from the obvious dod delete and gain 40-60hp. I may also do a tune for strictly e85 as well which will surely add more power.

RB04Av

Neither of those cams is appropriate for a truck. The LS9 most especially: I can think of few choices that have any chance of being a greater disappointment. The LS7 is designed for a motor with nearly 100 CID more than you have, in a vehicle that weighs 1500 - 2000 lbs less, and runs at RPMs your motor never sees; and the LS9 is specific to the blower they used.

Both of those will leave you with a slug that a Toyota Yaris will put to absolute shame.

You need a cam whose design is specific to a TRUCK with a 5.3, not just some romantic high-horsepower "name" (RPO code). Believe it or not, the mistake you are proposing to make, has already been made, LOTS of times, with well-known and repeatable results. You DO NOT want to repeat those results, lest your next post be something like "I put this [cam] in my truck, now it's twice as slow as it was before, what do I do now". GAtsma's recommendation is MUCH better.

G Atsma

The LS7/LS9 cams are lousy for a truck in that they lose a TON of low end power until around 4K RPM (IIRC). You do NOT want these cams.
Check out Ricnard Holdener's videos on cams and check the dyno tests with them. There's a reason the LS9 is usually cheap; NOBODY in their right mind uses it unless they WANT to have a weak low end.