HottLS1Z

iTrader: (5)

Friend of mine just picked uup a 94Z a4. Looking to do a cam but 1. is on a small budget, and 2. is going to make it his daily driver. So tryin to figure out what a good cam would be for something like that no tune for the time being, eventually will have full exhaust and a gear, but for now just something mild that will still run good. Current mods when doing the cam swap will be ORY a cat back and a LS1 LID conversion, maybe a 2600 stall. Any suggestions?

Thanks

daniel6718

iTrader: (36)

none on stock tune

StealthFormula

iTrader: (35)

At this point in time adding a cam would be a bad mod. A car should have at the mininum full exhaust, CAI, and a stall if automatic. A cam should not be done for someone thats on a real tight budget because many mistakes are bound to happen. Other than the cam you have to figure in mandatory valvesprings, locks, retainers, gaskets, pushrods, the list goes on and on and its close to a grand in the end just in parts and seeing your friend is being iffy on spending a couple hundred on a tune I assume hes not aware of all of that too. The stock tune really isnt good enough for boltons so no cam should be ran without a tune.

LSWHO

iTrader: (1)

Tell him he'll get more power out of headers than he will out of a cam at this point.

He's trying to mod out of order.

And if he must, then I'd stick with the hotcam.

HottLS1Z

iTrader: (5)

Well, he just bought the car, and it has a blown head gasket, so I'm assuming he wants to do a cam swap just because the heads will already be off. He is well aware its doing things backwards as I have reminded him too, but like I said heads will already be off so he wants to do something. Before he got this car he had a 00 TA that got totaled out and has read with those the pcm will learn to run ok on a mild cam and stock tune, so I take it this does not apply to the OBD 1 cars?

HottLS1Z

iTrader: (5)

I agree no cam should be driven un-tuned, it would be tuned eventually, but something that would run "ok" for the time being.

dre2013

iTrader: (7)

port and polish those heads...maybe port the intake manifold,and throw some longtubes on it

Smokinlt1

I ran the Hotcam for a year on stock tune. wasn't too bad, would stall sometimes when coming to a stop but I learned to to just throw it in neutral. while braking. I DO NOT reccommend doing it at all but it can be done. I also had all the supporting mods(CAI and shorty headers) just no tune on a stock stall.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

I understand wanting to do this while the motor is apart, long as he understands the substantial compromises he is making and what it will later need to be right I can see going about it like this.

I would just suggest a full pull of the engine so the bearings can be inspected, no sense in putting the cam in if the bearings were damaged by the coolant.

I would also consider staying smaller than the HOT. Keeping rpms down is one way to improve reliability and will drive better untuned for the meantime.

Elliott's94Z

iTrader: (12)

yup

1994Z28Lt1

iTrader: (1)

sounds to me like the perfect time to throw some longtubes in if the heads are going to be off and obviously the stock manifolds are coming off

throwing in a cam just because the heads will be off without headers and tune is from lack of words an awful idea

let me assure you some LT's on the LT1 does a lot to wake it up, just LT's, ORY, and a tune added 3-4 mph to my trap speed, which is much more than a small cam would add on a stock tune

StealthFormula

iTrader: (35)

Some cams such as the Crane 227 or LPE 211/219 to name a couple would be better than others on the stock tune because they are on the smaller side of the spectrum in terms of camshafts. However, they will idle pretty smooth with a very slight lope, is your buddy looking for something that will be nice and choppy? If yes, they wont be to his liking really.

HottLS1Z

iTrader: (5)

something with more of a smoother idle, maybe like a 114-115 lsa.

96capricemgr

iTrader: (1)

While such stupidity is common it is a BAD idea.

http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ar/eb90252.htm

Formula350

iTrader: (3)

Yea, I vote for LTs as well. Would be much cheaper and more beneficial.

1994Z28Lt1

iTrader: (1)

this in an excellent read

tspence45

iTrader: (30)

Tell him to get LT's and a mail-order tune instead of a cam. Both would end up costing less than what all would be needed for a cam install and net him a lot better gains. You can get Pacesetter LT's for around $275-$300, and a mail-order tune for around $125-$150 from MadZ28 or PCM4Less.

Elliott's94Z

iTrader: (12)

Like Stealth said...the Crane 227 would be a good choice. Thats the one I ordered up for the same kind of set up

93z28_6spd

iTrader: (1)

i agree.. a gasket matched set of heads and intake, with some LTs would be far more benificial than just a cam... because believe me once you get in there with a cam .. .you need all gaskets ... prolly new push rods. springs retainers... then you should go head with the RRs.. and a new cam chain.. and the list goes on..
so just get the LTs and maybe a gasket matched heads and intake and the difference will be VERY noticable

Cheap Guy

iTrader: (3)

I was in the same situation last year, a blown head gasket, and I thought about going with the Hotcam since the top of the engine was already apart. The mechanic I took my car to said he'd do it and the car would run without a tune, but he SERIOUSLY didn't recommend it. Instead, he recommended just buttoning the engine back up and make sure it ran right with the head gasket fixed before doing any mods, and then going in the right proper order - intake, exhaust, suspension, etc. If I did decide later to do the cam, he'd give me a break on labor.