LS6 Cam Power
LS6 Cam Power I'm looking at swapping the cam in the WS6 in my sig. I'd like to get some more power out of it with out a lopey idle or sacrificing drivability.This car is a daily driver for my wife. I'm interested in swapping out for the LS6 cam and would like to know if anyone else has done this swap. I appreciate any suggestions on other cams, however, I'm not interested in anything that sounds much different than stock.
TECH Regular
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Geneva, IL
i have to be honest...i wouldnt spend the money to go from a ls1 to ls6 cam...if you do you will for sure need springs so you would be looking at minimum $600 in parts for about 15whp.....204/219 .551/.548 117.5....is the specs on the ls6...if you went to like a 220/220 555.555 114...you would still have a very mild cam but would notice close to 50% more of an increase over the ls6 cam....it will sound a lot like stock, and drivability shouldnt really be an issue....just call a cam company and tell them your goals and they will set you up.....
TECH Regular
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 426
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From: Geneva, IL
and dont get me wrong. the ls6 cam is a nice cam i just dont think you would notice a huge increase in power, and if your not doing the work yourself it would probably cost at least 1000 all said and done.....think of it this way...ls1 rated 345hp....ls6 rated 405...its a 60 hp difference....now realize that the heads are a lot better too....so after you factor in drivetrain loss the cams only going to net you so much. You are probably looking at 50 bucks per every 1hp is what im trying to say. If you got the bank though it might be a good deal for you.
LS6 cam power Thanks for the info. I already have LS6 "yellow" springs and would definitely do the work myself. I'm pretty sure my '02 has the 243 heads, so I should be on the right track for more power, my biggest concern is not having to tune the car for a bigger cam other than using my handheld to tweak the stock tune. Have you tried the LS6 cam and if so, what did you think about it?
TECH Regular
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 426
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From: Geneva, IL
if your 02 has 243 heads did you put them on? bc they are supposed to come with ls1 heads (241 for the 02 i believe) so you might want to double check. iv heard its possible though to have come with them if they had a ls1 head shortage at the factory...and to answere your question i have not tried the ls6 cam, my buddy baught an ls6 and sold the cam right away and baught an ms3 so i have no experience with them, only knowlege that iv learned off of this site. maybe somebody else can help you there.
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2009
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im pretty sure 243 only came on 01to04 zo6 vettes an 05-06 gtos just not with sodium filled exhaust valves and the cts-v i have a full ls6 and mine are 243s my neighobr has a 04 gto an the heads on that are 241s so i dont think your heads are 243s
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You put that cam in there, you're going to be doing a lot of work for nothing. No way you would notice the gains (except in your mind). I'm sure some people will say they felt the gains going to that cam, but they are the same people who feel gains when changing spark plugs or adding cold air induction.
Just buck up and get a cam kit in the 224-228 range and get it tuned. About $1,000 and you've got a really good gain that you can really feel.
I am running an 03 z06 cam in my ls1. Also have 317 heads so it hurts power NA with just 9 to 1 compression.Still runs 11.5 on motor. Heres a dyno video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnO-QZwOORM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnO-QZwOORM
If you end up getting one make sure you get one out of an 02-04, its a bigger cam. Also, try to find a nice used one, you can usually find a low mileage one for 100 bucks or so. Just keep in mind you should use longer pushrods with the Z06 cam.
However, these other guys are right, you can get a cam that's better than the Z06 cam and still have a stock idle. It's all about overlap.
However, these other guys are right, you can get a cam that's better than the Z06 cam and still have a stock idle. It's all about overlap.
I was gonna go this route, but like others have said its a waste of time for the work involved for the minimal power gain. I went with the 228 cam & while it woke the car up very nice, I almost wish I went a lil bigger like a Torquer V2 or something with a 230 dur & .600 lift. It is a nice cam though & a set of ported heads should make it a beast, which I plan on doing.
I went with the 02+ LS6 cam and don't regret it yet. I also didn't want to have to change the valve springs every 20-30k. With the very mild LS6 cam i don't have to worry about changing them for a much longer time.
It sounds like the LS6 cam is what I'm lookinig for. The work of putting it in is no big deal since I can't drive the car for another 5 months anyway due to winter conditions. That just gives me something else to work on. Thanks for all the input.
Nothing wrong at all with the LS6 cam. But if you want to step up and still sound stock, get the LPE GT2-3. It uses the LS6 springs also. Nobody will ever know its in there. I stopped telling people I had a cam because they thought I was lying to them.
Mine ran 12.5 with it and then 12.3 with 243 heads in my heavy GTO. Sometimes I wish I would have just left that cam in there...
Mine ran 12.5 with it and then 12.3 with 243 heads in my heavy GTO. Sometimes I wish I would have just left that cam in there...