rarmendariz15

Hello, still pretty new here.

I just had a 227/234 113 lsa comp cam installed on my 02 Camaro SS at the performance shop along with 799 machined heads and I HATE to say it but I don't think i feel a real big difference... maybe once i hit 3rd gear. I don't know...

Im not sure if its missing something thats vital to these mods or it gained quite bit and i can't really feel it, or it shouldn't be such a significant gain. I can't tell you how much it sucks because I was expecting to feel the difference immediately. Super sad.

I was hoping someone with some experience on having cams installed with heads would have some idea as to why this is or whats going on? ask me anything you need to. thanks guys...

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Was the car tuned (dyno or street) after these modifications? Without tuning, you could be leaving quite a bit of power (and driveability) on the table. If it was dyno tuned, do you have the sheet and/or peak (or before and after) numbers?

The shorty headers are definitely going to hold you back a bit, but there should still be a noticeable gain from what you've done. It's not uncommon to see a ~100rwhp gain from heads/cam + LT headers w/ ORY and a good tune, if all done at once. With the shorties, and even more so if you also have cats, and if it's not tuned, then you can expect significantly less gains overall. You also didn't mention if you have an aftermarket air lid. Lids are actually worth quite a bit on an H/C car (15rwhp in one dyno test I saw), though most people have done this mod long before getting to the point of heads/cam so there aren't many before/after dynos to document it.

70T/A400

iTrader: (2)

Let's look at the valve events and see how they have changed.

Stock
202/210 116 LSA 0.496"/0.496"

IVC=37 degrees
IVO=-15 degrees
EVO=41 degrees
EVC= -11 degrees

-26 degrees of overlap, very wimpy camshaft with no hope of even getting out of its own way

Your camshaft

227/234 113 LSA

IVC=46.5 degrees (almost perfect)
IVO=0.5 degrees
EVO=50 degrees
EVC=4 degrees

This camshaft will make more torque and horsepower everywhere, it is not too aggressive to be a choppy idle and not a high revving camshaft. The midrange boost should be at least 30 rwhp and 30 rwtq.

rarmendariz15

@RPMWS6, the car was street tuned after these mods, not dyno tuned, they do not have a dyno in house. I still have cats yes, because I haven't decided if i should just delete them with some pipe or keep them and get a better cat back. I had the SLP lid that I took off and installed CAI but I can certainly put the lid back.

rarmendariz15

@70T/A400, obviously a lot better, maybe I should have went bigger on cam?

1FastBrick

iTrader: (16)

Are you referring to this cam from Comp?

grind# 277Lr HR13
Part # 54-458-11

Duration@.050 227/235
Valve Lift .614/.621
LSA 113°

madmike9396

iTrader: (29)

So you took your slp lid off for a k@N intake ?

70T/A400

iTrader: (2)

There is nothing wrong with the camshaft selection. But the heads, cam and exhaust is a combination.

You'll need to tell us the cc of the combustion chamber, is it an automatic or 6-speed, what gearing you have, and the exhaust set-up (headers, off-road pipe, cats).

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

Not sure I'd go quite that far. The factory LS1 cam looks like a Pro Stock offering compared to some of the smog era/dark age stuff. Not to mention, many folks have seen some pretty decent trap speeds with stock internals and stock weight. It's certainly not ideal for performance, but I wouldn't say that it can't get out of it's own way.

Without before and after dyno or track results, you don't really know what you've gained then. And what sort of device was used to monitor A/F during the street tune? I would suggest to replace the shorties and cats with LTs and ORY, unless you need them for strict visual or sniffer e-tests.

70T/A400

iTrader: (2)

The new camshaft is opening the intake valve much sooner, 15.5 degrees sooner, 0.5 degrees BTDC whereas the stock one is 15 degrees ATDC. That means the fresh charge is being drawn in after the piston is already going downward, not great for power, but the new camshaft changes that.

The other critical valve event is the IVC. The stock camshaft is closing 37 degrees ABDC, the new camshaft is closing later and at a vey good angle for an LS1, 46.5 degrees.

You have to be able to feel the difference between these two camshafts.

rarmendariz15

Im going to take it to a dyno for some numbers since it was basically stock before these mods, and they don't do a visual anymore so I will upgrade to LTs and ORY. Some say they are too loud without the cats and without a nice muffler/exhaust setup though.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

On that point, I definitely agree. If there is no noticeable difference at all, then there has to be something wrong with the tune, fuel delivery, etc. If everything is optimal, I agree that it would be hard to not notice an improvement - though the shorties and cats (assuming stock cats, since they would fit with shorties) aren't helping any.

Oh yes, with LTs/ORY it will be way too loud for most people's taste if you don't have some sort of muffler(s). You can get a nice flowing catback that will greatly reduce the volume and still flow nearly as well as having no muffler at all (such as Magnaflow.) Or, if you really don't want a typical catback/crossflow muffler, you could use two race bullets in the Y-pipe (where cats would go), and then another, longer race bullet (or 5" round muffler, if you have room) in the I-pipe. That would at least take the edge off.

rarmendariz15

Im thinking longtubes and x pipe with no cats but leaving the magna flow muffler on? would that balance out the noise? or would I still need a high flow cat?

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

That setup would sound nice and not be too loud at all, IMO. I would skip the cats.

MuhThugga

Auto or manual? If auto, you are going to need a converter to match the powerband of the new camshaft, and if you have the stock torque converter, it could explain why you aren't feeling a difference.

Does the idle sound different? Did the shop give you your old camshaft and heads? The reason I ask is that it is possible that the shop made a mistake and put your factory camshaft back in. I know, it sounds retarded, but I rule nothing out with shops.

RPM WS6

iTrader: (3)

It might feel sluggish with the stock converter at lower rpms, and overall track performance would certainly not be ideal with the stock converter but, regardless of stall speed, he should definitely feel a difference with an H/C package at higher rpms in every gear. Same with a manual and stock gears. That is, assuming everything else is proper.