csmc711

iTrader: (4)

Lets say I took the stock LS1/x cam, left the lift the same and played with the duration or lobe centerlines, could I still make a better cam or is the stick cam the best I could do to make all the torque I could out of it? If not, whats the next best thing?

P.S. I dont know **** about cams. I have been reading them for years and I am still talking out my *** when it comes to them....

orangeapeel

iTrader: (18)

Well, you might want to think again about taking the cam out if you are worried about being economical. No one on here cams their car to get the gas mileage of a Honda Hybrid. Yes, people do it so it sounds like a dump-truck with no exhuast pipes, but economical....You would be better off with a supercharger on the stock cam grind. Just playing with the duration and other valve events on a cam can make it worse if you have no clue about the first thing involved in designing a cam.

If you want to raise everything up... 1.8 or 1.85 rockers are your best bet.

csmc711

iTrader: (4)

[QUOTE=orangeapeel]

Just playing with the duration and other valve events on a cam can make it worse if you have no clue about the first thing involved in designing a cam.
QUOTE]

That is why I am asking the masses bro, thats why I am asking the masses.

Everybody says I have this and this on my car, what do I need? I want to know what I have, if it can be made better, THEN I will work from there and add the extra nessasary peices to compliment it. Obviously, if the stock cam is the most efficiant one can get, then, for more power I need to step up, not sideways so to speak. 1.8rr's on a stock camwas my next thought "before" a new cam. If they made sense on a stock cam, I could always take themoff before I sold the car too, lol.

What I really want is a Patrick G cam but with maybe around a 550 lift. Yea, I know, not as powerful, but, I am not looking for a whole lot either, just the torque curve he is getting.

Street Lethal

I wouldn't bother with the stock camshaft. The amount of aggravation being saved alone would honestly justify the purchase of a custom one. Other than the stock throttle body, and stock heads (and MAF), there isn't that much more that can be made better on a stock LS1...

Don't kid yourself, you'll want your lift to be much higher than that. If your looking for similar results to that of Patrick's, I think even he would tell you that you'll want the cam's specs to not only work in harmony with the rest of your parts, but to also provide a nice average throughout the entire curve. More lift is always a good thing.

csmc711

iTrader: (4)

I like everyone else, wants a table top shaped torque spread. if that torque is only 250lbs (example purposes only) then that would be nice. The thing is, I want to start at the torque rating the LS1 puts out stock and add 50-80lbs more. IF I can do this without getting crazy mad expensive forged parts, radical cams/springs and what not, staying mostly close to stock as possible, that would be great. I have to rebuild my engine in my 98 beater and probably will be selling it, so, using whatever theories I can to achive this in this short lived car (before it goes out the door) would be a fun way to tinker with my frist engine before I get too $$ involved. I would then be able to apply a bigger build to a newer engine in the new car I get when this 98 sold. On the off chance I can not get rid of this thing anytime soon, I would like to have more power from it for the time being. There is a lot I still have to look into as I am going to keep the stock exhaust (no sense in putting money into that if it is going to be sold) and work on a few other things, one, being a cam, possibly. Who knows, when all is said and done, I might not do anything to this car and just wait for the next rebuild.

As far as Patricks cam goes, he has WAY too much lift for my desires. I do not want ANY trouble form the emissions man and it HAS to be 100% reliable. I know this can be done with the right parts choosen. If, at the most, I might have to compramise too and if thats what has to be done, then, thats what has to be done. My point about Patrick is that he knows exactly what I am after, I just need a down sacled cam like his, that gives the same "type" of results (torque curve) but of course not as high in the TQ readings, just too agressive for me.

fenix99

iTrader: (1)

a 2002 C5 ZO6 cam has .550 lift whats the big deal...go big or go home..or alil bit inbetween if ur worried about big cams and driveability...right around 600 lift with complimentary stuff is a nice setup as long as everything works well with the mods/motor you have. use SEARCH there are, oh, a billion threads about cams, forced induction, all motor, nitrous cams, big cams small cams medium cams, cams for 15 second cars, cams for 8 seconds cars...you get the picture... i too know nothing about cams i just know what to buy and the results they're "supposed to achieve", so i base my cam choice primarily on other peoples experiences/dyno graphs/and mod list... good luck hope you find what ur looking for...

LS1Formulation

iTrader: (13)

Lift will have little to no effect on emissions. Overlap will, however. The bigger the cam you spec, the wider the LSA needs to be to keep the overlap in a reasonable range. This is why the stock cams have such a wide LSA. Low emissions and a smooth idle.

csmc711

iTrader: (4)

Yea, no ****! You come by my work and explain to my boss why I have got no work done in 2 weeks cause I am digging in the search files which I do NOT mind doing. I will also just get the t-rex and you can pay for the cam, springs, retainers, pushrods, tune, gas and all the breaking parts that come along with it and I would be WAY more than happy to go big. Hmm, I did not think you would, so, I will stick with my personal options, thanks. Living alone in VA doesnt come cheap, skippy!

csmc711

iTrader: (4)

"gm Hot cam's lift is not all that much bigger than the stock LS1 cam. In fact, the lift increase is only slightly more than 0.025 inch. The big difference is in the duration. The Hot cam adds a solid 20 degrees of duration while narrowing the lobe separation angle from 119 to 112 degrees. This combination is significant since it adds a bunch more overlap, which helps mid- to high-rpm breathing."

Hmm, interesting, but, no one likes the GM hotcam from what I have gathered here.

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

The only reason people haven't liked the cam is because they've wanted to go bigger. Those who haven't become part of the "go big or go home" craze certainly like it. I don't think you'll find many (or any) people on here with a hotcam that can give a reason as to why they don't like it other than "it's not big enough".

Street Lethal

Unfortunately though, this hobby can get quite expensive for all of us... and unless you really know how to select used parts, as well as knowing what goes with what to achieve your desired results, plan on spending a good amount of pocket change...

Also, if additional torque is your only real concern, while keeping things fairly "stock" (refering to your everyday driving), then you might want to scrap the camshaft concept, and simply go with more cubic inch displacement, being that that alone will solve your torque problem;

As someone already mentioned, lift has little to no effect on emissions. Overlap is the key, there...

We all understand what you are saying, and we're all after the very same thing; wanting the highest torque average possible under the curve (for whatever cam in question)...

csmc711

iTrader: (4)

U know, I would not mind going to a huge cam if I was CERTAIN it would pass emissions and came with a gurantee that I would pass or my money and time back, lol. I guess I am for now looking at the ***** cams like the old man camshaft. But then, if I am not going to get much out of it, then $389 could be better spent. Still have a lot of digging to go, but, I am forging ahead a wee bit. I was hoping to get something fun for this time being beast but I might have to wait to go all out.

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

Go with the hotcam or the TR224 on a 114lsa and make sure you get a good tune. The hotcam will easily pass and the TR224 has been shown to pass with good tuning. You're gonna need a cam to facilitate any sort of substantial gains though. It doesn't matter if you get heads, intake, headers, exhaust, etc if your cam can't utilize the greater flow.

Street Lethal

I'm sure that what you and I consider huge, are two completely different concepts. You won't need that big of a cam...

Don't dismiss the Old Man camshaft so quickly. Symmetry is always the key, not just the camshaft. True power is found in the cylinder heads, and you'd be surprised how much power you'd find in working the stock ones over the right way...

bczee

iTrader: (12)

I guess the 1st question is.. what are you building for and your main goals for the car.. The stock CAM is a good all round for a Daily driver and then some. If you have problems on trying to make mileage and pass the SMOG.. you might be better off spending your $$ on a good Tune and add on's.
If you are set on changing the CAM.. there are some that will add HP/TQ and still pass the SMOG test ok.. just need to research on what your goals are. I think you will see most of the threads on CAM are more for high HP / TQ, so, if that is your goal.. keep reading them. If not..reseach and call some of the CAM manufactors tech lines.

csmc711

iTrader: (4)

to answer that bczee, it comes as a two part answer.

Car 1 = 1998 camaro 6-speed, aka basket case. No big deal, but, for the tuning and money I want to put into a car, I got the wrong year, I need a 99+ Sure, i could just do the 98, but, this is america, freedom and all that crap, lol, so, why not just get the 99+ I want and be done with it? . Soooo, this car will need a motor rebuild to be dependable and or to even get my money back on a resale. Will probably also be with me for about a year too. Since it needs a new motor, I want to up the horsepower a little in the process but not put so much money into it I can not recoupe my losses. Also, if there is an agressive cam in there, it might scare off potential buyers.

Car 2 = 99+ (future) Camaro. This will be mine to do as I please and will be in the family probably for a long time to come. WILL be an automatic car and I have no problem dropping a dime on it if need be, but, I am a frugal screwge.

Goal for the car will be 50 to 80 rwl tq over stock. This is going to be my daily driver and maybe, just maybe it will see some track time, just for fun in the summer with everyone else hanging out, but, I do not expect it to be a killer. The only reason I would not go big cam with a good tune is that I had a 97 SS 6-speed. 1st gear was useless but manageable. I wanted about 50 more rwt from it and i would have been happy. I think any more than that and it just would not be any fun on the street. I mean, how coulf you hook up? I am a 0-speed limit kind of guy. I like they pin you back to the seat power from a dead stop. If your making so much power you cant plant it, its not going to do you no good. I guess I could get some traction aids, but, I dont want a gas pedal I barely touch and she slips sideways. I could probably deal with that, but, I just dont think I need that much. Also, I am definitly not going to be changing springs every 20k miles, fawk that!! I have enough cars to work on, never mind the added tinkering I would have to do. Maybe a cam some where that can use the LS6 springs??????

Still digging!!

ArcticZ28

iTrader: (14)

Hot.Cam.

orangeapeel

iTrader: (18)

Why are you wanting to get a cam and cheap out on the springs? That is the only thing I can figure out by you saying that you want a .550 @ .050 lift cam. Get the 918's and have them shimmed and run a .610 cam. Or get the Patrick Grind and run a Patriot or PRC dual spring set. Hotcam will sound like a mean cam and it will make moderate power, but don't get something that you don't want. If you are looking for power you have to expand a little. Your being to close-minded about it.

csmc711

iTrader: (4)

nooooooooo, I dont want t cheapy out. I just dont want a cam that I have to change springs on all the time. As far as I can tell, for what I am looking for, I will not be needing a cam with more than a .550-ish lift. Hell, I am just thinking of putting 1.8 on my stoker and be done with it................... for now.

my 99+ (future car) would probably get a 560-580 ish lift ........... maybe.