Cam swap done!
12-04-2009, 01:40 PM
#1
Staging Lane
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Cam swap done! After having my car for about 9 years, I finally did the cam swap. Went with the Patriot Cam 225/229 580/590 lift. It was about $100 dollars cheaper than anywhere else, and I wanted a split duration and lift. I figured if the engineers at GM like it, why not? Got the valve springs, pushrods, and timing chain from Texas Speed. Oil pump, gaskets and misc from SDPC. Rented a tool set for the swap from Chris at CC Performance. He was really helpful on the phone too!
The ls1how.com instructions were pretty good. The oil pump was a pain in the a**!! I dropped the bolt into the pan, but easily got it out. Getting the gears to line up and getting the pickup tube back in was a pain. Then getting the bolt actually back into the pump was a frickin' pain also!
Get a friend to help you get the radiator out! I was impatient on waiting for help, so I spent 45 minutes messing with a 5 minute job by myself.
Oh, check your push rods, if you have stock ones! One of mine was very bent, and you could see rubbing marks on at least two others.
I had 335 hp to the wheels with headers and a tune. I just put on the ls6 intake and the cam. Hopefully, I can get the tune next week. Still waiting on Nic D to email me back. I'm hoping to get at least 385 to the wheels. Might be stretching it a little bit.
Thanks to all of the people out there who have commented on cam swaps in the past several weeks. Pulling little bits of information from everywhere was very helpful!
Oh yeah, past 4000 RPM's.....it's a beast! I'm really happy with it.
Everyone was also right about the "sewing machine" sound!
The ls1how.com instructions were pretty good. The oil pump was a pain in the a**!! I dropped the bolt into the pan, but easily got it out. Getting the gears to line up and getting the pickup tube back in was a pain. Then getting the bolt actually back into the pump was a frickin' pain also!
Get a friend to help you get the radiator out! I was impatient on waiting for help, so I spent 45 minutes messing with a 5 minute job by myself.
Oh, check your push rods, if you have stock ones! One of mine was very bent, and you could see rubbing marks on at least two others.
I had 335 hp to the wheels with headers and a tune. I just put on the ls6 intake and the cam. Hopefully, I can get the tune next week. Still waiting on Nic D to email me back. I'm hoping to get at least 385 to the wheels. Might be stretching it a little bit.
Thanks to all of the people out there who have commented on cam swaps in the past several weeks. Pulling little bits of information from everywhere was very helpful!
Oh yeah, past 4000 RPM's.....it's a beast! I'm really happy with it.
Everyone was also right about the "sewing machine" sound!
Mods are fun.... 
12-04-2009, 07:55 PM
#6
On The Tree
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Did you degree it in I put that same cam in my new engine and could not get it to degree correctly It was all aout of wack < still is > its coming out in jan going with vengence cam they have a nice split durration cam. I have heard a few bad things about these cams after i had put mine in. Now since it was a new engine hard to compare it to the stock cam so not sure but keep us posted on the numbers mine only put down 340hp & 340 tq with this cam and ls6 head,intake,shortie headers,a4
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12-05-2009, 09:11 PM
#12
With the engine in the number one firing position, tighten the following valve rocker arm bolts: Tighten
Tighten exhaust valve rocker arm bolts 1, 2, 7, and 8 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
Tighten intake valve rocker arm bolts 1, 3, 4, and 5 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
Rotate the crankshaft 360 degrees.
Tighten the following valve rocker arm bolts: Tighten
Tighten exhaust valve rocker arm bolts 3, 4, 5, and 6 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
Tighten intake valve rocker arm bolts 2, 6, 7, and 8 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
http://members.***.net/vettenuts/rocker_procedure.gif
Hope that helps
Tighten exhaust valve rocker arm bolts 1, 2, 7, and 8 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
Tighten intake valve rocker arm bolts 1, 3, 4, and 5 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
Rotate the crankshaft 360 degrees.
Tighten the following valve rocker arm bolts: Tighten
Tighten exhaust valve rocker arm bolts 3, 4, 5, and 6 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
Tighten intake valve rocker arm bolts 2, 6, 7, and 8 to 30 N·m (22 lb ft).
http://members.***.net/vettenuts/rocker_procedure.gif
Hope that helps
12-07-2009, 11:11 AM
#13
Staging Lane
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To mknight759, no I didn't degree the cam. Only 340 hp with the cam? I had 335 to the wheels on a 100 degree day with 17 x 11 TT's (that weigh a ton) with only headers!
To TTA1437, no I didn't tighten the lifters correctly! Like an idiot, I just followed the directions from ls1howto.com! I knew in the back of my head that there was a problem. I'm gonna pull the valve covers off and re-tighten the rocker arms. I'm hoping that will cure some of the sewing machine issues.
Still waiting on the tune...?
To TTA1437, no I didn't tighten the lifters correctly! Like an idiot, I just followed the directions from ls1howto.com! I knew in the back of my head that there was a problem. I'm gonna pull the valve covers off and re-tighten the rocker arms. I'm hoping that will cure some of the sewing machine issues.
Still waiting on the tune...?
12-27-2009, 11:05 PM
#14
TECH Junkie
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I run this cam right now, when my cammed LS1 was in my old 97 is put down 360/346 on a Mustang dyno. I just had the cam swapped into my new 01 WS6 yesterday and it runs great! Great power throughout the RPM range. This car feels faster than my 97 (same cam/mods etc) I guess its the weight?
See my link for dyno thread: https://ls1tech.com/forums/dynamomet...tang-dyno.html
See my link for dyno thread: https://ls1tech.com/forums/dynamomet...tang-dyno.html
Last edited by HoLLo; 12-27-2009 at 11:12 PM.
