G-Body

iTrader: (4)

I am going to swap cams in a couple weeks and I am wondering if I will have a lot of driveability problems with my current tune. I am swapping from the stock 5.3L 0.466/0.457 190/191 114 cam to a 2001 f-body cam 0.479/0.467 207/196 116 cam.

I currently have a custom tune in the car from wait4meperformance. I know that I will not have maximum power until I get the car retuned for the new cam, but I probably won`t have time to get it retuned for a couple months. I just want to make sure that I can swap the cam now and be able to drive it until I get it retuned.

gametech

iTrader: (1)

Why the tiny cam swap? The results probably won't be any better than just putting high ratio rockers on. It just seems like a lot of work for probably less than a SOTP gain.

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

Tiny cam swap because its cheap and easy. Between the cam and everything else I need I have less than $100 out. I don`t even have to change the valve springs because the trucks and f-bodies use the same ones. Plus I am not changing my timing chain even though it has 140K on it because I don`t have the clearance to lower the pan, or move the motor up without pulling it completely out.

I checked everything out on desktop dyno and it looks like everything will be the same from idle to 3500rpm. But from 4k-6k the 01 f-body cam is worth 40-60hp. My car feels great on the bottom end up to about 4k, but once you get to second gear and 4300RPM the power just falls off and 3rd gear doesn`t pull very hard because I am at 3800RPM as soon as I up shift from 2nd. I figure this should extend my RPM range up enough for me to live with it for a while.

I will probably swap to a 6.0L with lower mileage and a bigger cam in a few years anyway.

gametech

iTrader: (1)

The desktop dyno won't accurately model the truck intake, which flows great at lower rpm, but drops off up top. Also, there is something else DRASTICALLY wrong with the calculations if it shows a 40-60HP gain. You would be lucky to get that from a large aftermarket cam.

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

The truck intake does pretty well, back in 2004 chevy high performance did a comparison with 4 intakes and 3 cams. The truck intake made more power to 6000 RPM than the LS1 intake. Of course the LS6 intake and FAST intake were better than both the truck and LS1 but that is to be expected.

I`m not expecting to get a 50hp gain off this cam, but 20 would be nice.

I can`t see putting in an aftermarket cam because with the money it would cost for the cam, pushrods,springs etc I would be halfway to just buying a used 6.0L motor, and if I sold my 5.3L off it would probably be cheaper to drop a 6.0L in than do a cam swap.

The rocker arms would probably have a similar effect as swaping this cam in, but they are a lot more expensive than what I paid for the cam swap parts and I`m on a college student budget. It`s better for me to spend a few more hours over spring break swapping a cam in than a few more hundred to swap rockers on.

So I`m still assuming that I should not have driveability problems with my current tune since its such a small cam????????

01WS6/tamu

iTrader: (37)

If you want an affordable swap try a 02 ls6 cam.

ChucksZ06

iTrader: (9)

I think you will be fine with the stock tune...that was your question wasn't it. It is hard to get a straight answer here. Folks always want to tell you what you are doing is not the best way, etc. Good luck.

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

Thanks Chuck that was what I was looking for.

01WS6/tamu: I was going to swap in an 02 LS6 cam, but when I was looking I could not find one for under $100. I saw the 01 f-body cam for $25 and when I punched it into desktop dyno it had the same hp curve, just 10HP down all the way through. I would have also had to buy new springs and pushrods with the LS6 cam. I know that the f-body cam is not the best cam, but it was cheap, easy and available.

Frost

iTrader: (45)

So maybe they should be quiet instead of giving GOOD advice?

Yes you will be able to drive it; though you aren't spending money on parts, your time HAS to be worth something. And at that point, I'd say a good set of headers will make a good bit more than that cam.

V8 Supra Builder

iTrader: (37)

Sorry, I bought the last one on the Corvette Forum .

I was wondering about the tuning issue as well for both of my 5.3L projects. There is not a lot of tuning info on people putting the 5.3 into vehicles.

My 2003 LM7 in the Supra is stock, but I have a 1998 F-body PCM and harness, so I am looking at tables and settings for a '99 5.3L truck to get in the ballpark.

The RX7 will be somewhat different since it is the HO L33 5.3L and I am putting the $100 '02 LS6 cam in it.

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

I will probably be putting on headers too, now that Illinois has repealed their emissions laws for pre 95 cars . I have to find a set that will fit though .

I don`t see the cam swap taking me that much longer than the rockers, I figure a day or two at the most. I just have to pull the coils, valvecovers, radiator, water pump, balancer and timing cover. I`m not replacing the springs, retainers, or valvestem seals, so that should cut down on the time a lot. I keep hearing that people cam swap cams in the f-bodies in ~4 hours and I have a lot more room around the engine.