Advanced Engineering Tech For the more hardcore LS1TECH residents

Which of these two cams are theoretically bigger?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 07:19 PM
  #1  
Built LT1's Avatar
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Default Which of these two cams are theoretically bigger?

Which of these two cams are theoretically bigger?
The engine with cam 1 is 348 cubic inches.
The engine with cam 2 is 388 cubic inches.

Cam 1.

Lift 59X-59X
Duration at 0.050 242-248
LSA 113+4

Cam 2.

Lift 62X-63X
Duration at 0.050 248-254
LSA 110+4

I do not have the advertised lift numbers.
Reply
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 07:52 PM
  #2  
LilSlo1's Avatar
10 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 305
Likes: 1
From: Plainfield, Illinois
Default

Duration at .050 is an industry standard for measuring duration. Many companys measure their advertised duration at different lifts (ex. .006 or .010). Having a duration rating at .050 lift makes it easier to compare cams from different companies.


Your cam #2 would be bigger. It has more duration and lift.

If you are comparing the sounds of these engines, the cams may idle very similiar.
If you were to have the same cam in each engine the bigger cubed engine will idle a little smother than the smaller cubed engine.
Reply
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 07:57 PM
  #3  
Built LT1's Avatar
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Default

Originally Posted by CrawlinRS

Your cam #2 would be bigger. It has more duration and lift.


If you were to have the same cam in each engine the bigger cubed engine will idle a little smother than the smaller cubed engine.
I am aware that the larger the motor is, the smaller the camshaft will become. I am just wondering if the 40 additional cubic inches would make cam two smaller than cam one. I have heard before that 40 cubic inches is equal to six degrees of cam timing?
Reply
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 08:09 PM
  #4  
LilSlo1's Avatar
10 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 305
Likes: 1
From: Plainfield, Illinois
Default

Originally Posted by Built LT1
I am aware that the larger the motor is, the smaller the camshaft will become. I am just wondering if the 40 additional cubic inches would make cam two smaller than cam one. I have heard before that 40 cubic inches is equal to six degrees of cam timing?


The only real way to compare the two engines with the two different camshafts you listed would be to see what kinda vacuum you have at idle. The "bigger" the cam (for the specific cubes) the less idle vacuum you will have.
Reply
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 08:19 PM
  #5  
Built LT1's Avatar
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Default

Originally Posted by CrawlinRS
Your cam #2 would be bigger. It has more duration and lift.

I understand what you are saying. I am just wondering how you know that cam #2 would be bigger? Is there a formula?
Reply
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 08:28 PM
  #6  
LilSlo1's Avatar
10 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 305
Likes: 1
From: Plainfield, Illinois
Default

Originally Posted by Built LT1
I understand what you are saying. I am just wondering how you know that cam #2 would be bigger? Is there a formula?
None that I know of.

When you say this "I am just wondering how you know that cam #2 would be bigger? " do you mean better ? as in peform better ?

Keep in mind that bigger is not always better. There is a point where a cam can be too big for your combo. If the cam is too big, you may be killing power rather than gaining it. Big cams will also sacrafise low rpm power, which many people say you need for street driving.

Also big cams are less streetable, but everyone has their own idea on streetable. My 10 second 3rd gen camaro I drove on the street, was it streetable ? Yes in my eyes. Although I did consider that having to hold the brake with one foot and give it a little throttle with the other foot to keep the engine running at a stop light was a pain in the ***.
Reply
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 08:47 PM
  #7  
Built LT1's Avatar
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 518
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Default

Originally Posted by CrawlinRS
.

When you say this "I am just wondering how you know that cam #2 would be bigger? " do you mean better ? as in peform better ?

Keep in mind that bigger is not always better. There is a point where a cam can be too big for your combo. If the cam is too big, you may be killing power rather than gaining it. Big cams will also sacrafise low rpm power, which many people say you need for street driving.
I guess I should have worded the question more clearly? I understand what your saying. Total performance and driveability aside, my question is what cam is larger when you factor in the cubic inches.

My question may be more understandable with the following example: A 220-220 cam on 350 inches would theoretically be bigger than a 224-224 cam with 700 cubic inches...follow the logic? This is my question.
Reply
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 08:54 PM
  #8  
LilSlo1's Avatar
10 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 305
Likes: 1
From: Plainfield, Illinois
Default

Originally Posted by Built LT1
my question is what cam is larger when you factor in the cubic inches.

My question may be more understandable with the following example: A 220-220 cam on 350 inches would theoretically be bigger than a 224-224 cam with 700 cubic inches...follow the logic? This is my question.
Thats what I thought you meant. This is something that you may need to call a cam manufacturer on if you cannot test it yourself with 2 engines. I'd say that the best way you can compare it would be to compare idle vacuum on both engines. The engine with a rougher idle will have the bigger cam for that particular cubic inches.

Mabey someone will chime in here it some sort of fomula that you were asking for earlier.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-5

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-9

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 09:51 PM
  #9  
SStrokerAce's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,344
Likes: 2
From: NY
Default

I can give you a dam good guess on the vacuum at idle if I had the compression of both motors.

IMHO the #1 cam would act much bigger in driving around. TQ curve will come on later and the motor will have a higher narrower power band.

Bret
Reply
Old Jan 6, 2007 | 10:27 PM
  #10  
Patrick G's Avatar
LS1 Tech Administrator
20 Year Member
Photogenic
iTrader: (14)
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 8,246
Likes: 34
From: Victoria, TX
Default

As a general rule, you add 8 degrees of duration for every 50 CID increase. 40 cubic inches of bigger motor will mean you need to add 6-7 degrees of duration to make the larger motor behave like the smaller one.

So your 242/248 cam would need to be around 248/254 in the larger motor for it to be the same. Now you've also monkeyed around with overlap on the bigger cam. The narower LSA will add more overlap than the increased duration will and therefore, the larger motor will chop harder with its idle. If the LSA was the same between the motors, they would theoretically act the same.

If the larger motor used the same valve sizes, going narrower in LSA is a good idea because the motor is more "under-valved" and would respond better to additional overlap.
__________________

2013 Corvette Grand Sport A6 LME forged 416, Greg Good ported TFS 255 LS3 heads, 222/242 .629"/.604" 121LSA Pat G blower cam, ARH 1 7/8" headers, ESC Novi 1500 Supercharger w/8 rib direct drive conversion, 747rwhp/709rwtq on 93 octane, 801rwhp/735rwtq on race fuel, 10.1 @ 147.25mph 1/4 mile, 174.7mph Half Mile.
2016 Corvette Z51 M7 Magnuson Heartbeat 2300 supercharger, TSP LT headers, Pat G tuned, 667rwhp, 662rwtq, 191mph TX Mile.
2009.5 Pontiac G8 GT 6.0L, A6, AFR 230v2 heads. 506rwhp/442rwtq. 11.413 @ 121.29mph 1/4 mile, 168.7mph TX Mile
2000 Pewter Ram Air Trans Am M6 heads/cam 508 rwhp/445 rwtq SAE, 183.092 TX Mile
2022 Cadillac Escalade 6.2L A10 S&B CAI, Corsa catback.
2023 Corvette 3LT Z51 soon to be modified.
Custom LSX tuning in person or via email press here.

Reply
Old Jan 7, 2007 | 07:25 AM
  #11  
edcmat-l1's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,782
Likes: 4
From: Va Beach
Default

Originally Posted by SStrokerAce
I can give you a dam good guess on the vacuum at idle if I had the compression of both motors.

IMHO the #1 cam would act much bigger in driving around. TQ curve will come on later and the motor will have a higher narrower power band.

Bret
See, I would think it would be the opposite. Cam #2, with the longer duration, and tighter LSA (more overlap) would have the narrower, higher power band than the 113 LSA. IMHO
I would also think that regardless of the engine size, the 110 LSA will have less manifold vacuum than the 113 LSA.
Even adding duration per cubes, if you keep the overlap down the motor should produce more vacuum.
I dont really understand the "theoretically bigger". There are alot of dynamics that dictate cyl filling that cant be answered by just comparing cam #s in relation to CID. Head flow #s would be the main factor.
" Which one will 'act' bigger?" Is this a question about idle primarily?
Reply
Old Jan 7, 2007 | 03:53 PM
  #12  
SStrokerAce's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,344
Likes: 2
From: NY
Default

Ok first problem is... your changing the lobe familys here. Going from .590" to .625" lift within 6° of duration is going to change the ramp and nose of the lobes. So lets just stick with XE-R type lobes.

Both motors with the same 315cfm LS6 heads, 11:1 Compression

Idle Vacuum for the 346 242/248 113 20° Overlap = 11.5"
Idle Vacuum for the 388 248/252 110 30° Overlap = 10"

You increased the overlap of the cam 50% while cubes increased 12%, obviously you will have less idle vacuum there. If you cut that down to 25° of overlap in the 388 the motors will idle the same.

The larger cube motor would have more than 85% of it's peak TQ available for a longer RPM range in the 388 than in the 346. About 2000rpm in the 346 while the 388 would have it around 3000rpm. The larger motor even though it would "chop harder" would be easier to drive since it has more TQ available at lower RPM and low throttle openings.

You basically just made the cam for the larger cube motor have more overlap with the same IVC and EVO events. And with the addition of 42 cubes it will like that. Reguardless to what you read on here, 50 years of engines telling us what they want (because the engine IS smarter than any of us in that department) more cubes want more overlap.

Bret

Last edited by SStrokerAce; Jan 7, 2007 at 03:59 PM.
Reply
Old Jan 7, 2007 | 07:45 PM
  #13  
edcmat-l1's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,782
Likes: 4
From: Va Beach
Default

Originally Posted by SStrokerAce
Ok first problem is... your changing the lobe familys here. Going from .590" to .625" lift within 6° of duration is going to change the ramp and nose of the lobes. So lets just stick with XE-R type lobes.

Both motors with the same 315cfm LS6 heads, 11:1 Compression

Idle Vacuum for the 346 242/248 113 20° Overlap = 11.5"
Idle Vacuum for the 388 248/252 110 30° Overlap = 10"

You increased the overlap of the cam 50% while cubes increased 12%, obviously you will have less idle vacuum there. If you cut that down to 25° of overlap in the 388 the motors will idle the same.

The larger cube motor would have more than 85% of it's peak TQ available for a longer RPM range in the 388 than in the 346. About 2000rpm in the 346 while the 388 would have it around 3000rpm. The larger motor even though it would "chop harder" would be easier to drive since it has more TQ available at lower RPM and low throttle openings.

You basically just made the cam for the larger cube motor have more overlap with the same IVC and EVO events. And with the addition of 42 cubes it will like that. Reguardless to what you read on here, 50 years of engines telling us what they want (because the engine IS smarter than any of us in that department) more cubes want more overlap.

Bret
I understand (all of that).
When you said before that the first cam would "act" bigger driving around I thought you meant it would chop harder, be less drivable.
I think the second engine would have more low speed (rpm) issues, due to the lower manifold vacuum (tuning will help/fix, obviously).
It may make torque over a broader band, but isnt that gonna be just cause of the size increase?
PS thats pretty much a rhetorical question. Already know the answer.
Reply
Old Jan 9, 2007 | 01:06 PM
  #14  
onephatZ28's Avatar
11 Second Club
iTrader: (8)
 
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,058
Likes: 0
From: Yucaipa,CA
Default

Originally Posted by CrawlinRS
My 10 second 3rd gen camaro I drove on the street, was it streetable ? Yes in my eyes. Although I did consider that having to hold the brake with one foot and give it a little throttle with the other foot to keep the engine running at a stop light was a pain in the ***.

Reply
Old Jan 10, 2007 | 09:17 PM
  #15  
SStrokerAce's Avatar
Banned
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 2,344
Likes: 2
From: NY
Default

Originally Posted by edcmat-l1
I understand (all of that).
When you said before that the first cam would "act" bigger driving around I thought you meant it would chop harder, be less drivable..
Yep basically what I ment the first and second time.

Originally Posted by edcmat-l1
I think the second engine would have more low speed (rpm) issues, due to the lower manifold vacuum (tuning will help/fix, obviously).
It may make torque over a broader band, but isnt that gonna be just cause of the size increase?
PS thats pretty much a rhetorical question. Already know the answer.
Yes it will make more TQ on a broader range but mostly because that cam and cube combo is better matched.

The lower vacuum can cause issues but it doesnt have too it's all the system.

Bret
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:22 PM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE