I need a baby cam!
#1
I need a baby cam!
Hello my friends, I have a 99 Trans Am Formula. It will have intake, headers, a brand new clutch, it's geared, and has a tune. I want a cam that will make an obvious difference in power, but not cause my engine to crap out. I only drive the car 1-2 times a week. Any information would help, and if you could link me to a site to buy the specific cam you mention, that would be fantastic! Thanks guys.
#2
Martin at Tick Performance, EPS or at least a half dozen vendors can hook you up with something. Google ls1tech, baby cam and read. I went with a baby grind myself, but I also need to pass emissions.
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Hello my friends, I have a 99 Trans Am Formula. It will have intake, headers, a brand new clutch, it's geared, and has a tune. I want a cam that will make an obvious difference in power, but not cause my engine to crap out. I only drive the car 1-2 times a week. Any information would help, and if you could link me to a site to buy the specific cam you mention, that would be fantastic! Thanks guys.
Usually, the reasons for a baby cam are concerns over emissions (you already mentioned this is a non-issue for you), or wanting the car to run well with minimal tuning due to no local dyno tuners and having to rely only on mail-order, or very low personal tolerance for any idle/driveability issues, and/or concerns over MPG. As the car isn't your daily driver, none of those should be too big of a concern.
If all you are worried about is not causing your engine to "crap out", then you can certainly go with more of a mid-range cam with a powerband that keeps maximum engine speed under ~65-6600rpm or so, and will still offer some noticeable gains. As long as you select a proper valve train, there should be no worries with an intermediate level cam (say something in the 224-230° duration range) and proper tuning for best driveability. Camshaft profile by itself isn't really a contributor to premature engine failure, but selecting poor/mis-matched valve train components or a cam that requires engine speed to exceed what the lower end can reasonably handle will/can certainly cause engine failure. As long as you satisfy those areas of concern, I don't think there would be much difference in engine longevity between a baby cam and an intermediate cam.
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#9
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i had an ls6 cam. and you know what? it wasnt bad. my SS ran ok. it didnt sneak up on anybody but it was fun.
but the only reason i bought one was because i didnt have a ton of money and didnt want to void my warranty.
id talk to a local performance shop thats familiar with our motors and look into some kind of custom cam. a good tuner can have an aggressive cam running like a stockish motor.
but the only reason i bought one was because i didnt have a ton of money and didnt want to void my warranty.
id talk to a local performance shop thats familiar with our motors and look into some kind of custom cam. a good tuner can have an aggressive cam running like a stockish motor.
#11
TECH Veteran
Baby cams can make a difference and be fun in my opinion. Gmhtp LS1 round up tested a baby lunati cam. Specs on the cam 219/223-duration, .625/.625-inch lift, 112 LSA.
it made a a great amount over the factory cam.
http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engines-drivetrain/ghtp-1108-ls1-engine-cam-test/
it made a a great amount over the factory cam.
http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/engines-drivetrain/ghtp-1108-ls1-engine-cam-test/
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Not sure that would qualify for "baby" status IMO. It's not a ton of duration, but that's an awful lot of lift especially with such low duration; it would probably be somewhat hard on valve springs and not an ideal choice if you're looking for something you can drop in and forget about for ~100k (which would be the typical expectation of a baby cam, IMO.) I'd rather have a little less lift, a little more duration, and therefore likely better durability.