Daily driver cam?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 18
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From: Baton Rouge, LA
Daily driver cam? I've been looking at different possible cams to put in my 2000 z28 M6, but I drive it daily and dont want to have driveability issues with a big cam. Has anyone went with the GM hotcam it's 218/227 @ .050 and .525 lift on both sides with a 112 lsa. This is the cam i've been looking at.
TECH Regular
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 458
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From: Bellaire, TX
The GM Hotcam is a good cam, but there are much better cams out there.
what else is done to the car? a cam shold not be a "first" mod to a car, it can be, but it should not. keep in mind, you will need to change springs with any cam you get.
Do a search and you will find some great cams with good street manors.
The new ESP lopes are quiet and every easy on the valve train, you can get with PatG on here or Geoff at ESP on these cams.
what else is done to the car? a cam shold not be a "first" mod to a car, it can be, but it should not. keep in mind, you will need to change springs with any cam you get.
Do a search and you will find some great cams with good street manors.
The new ESP lopes are quiet and every easy on the valve train, you can get with PatG on here or Geoff at ESP on these cams.
I have that same TR230/236 cam now too. I'm liking it so far.
OP, before I got my new cam, I ran a TR224 for a couple years. It's a nice daily driver cam with lots of torque. No worries, it has good street manners. Get the 114 LSA for a smoother idle.
OP, before I got my new cam, I ran a TR224 for a couple years. It's a nice daily driver cam with lots of torque. No worries, it has good street manners. Get the 114 LSA for a smoother idle.
Why do people quote the ridiculous statement, "a cam should not be your first mod, it can be, but shouldn't"
Headers w/hi flo cats for LS series... $800 - $1200 net maybe 20RWHP
Fast 90/90... $1200 net maybe 25RWHP on stock motor
on the other hand...
Cam and supporting springs with gaskets --- $700 net from 30-60RWHP
My stock LS6 will receive its first mod - CAM. Along with other things while i have the car down, 10% UD, plugs and wires, 160 therm and a tune.
This will put down >420RWHP with my heads having no problem flowing the required amount that the cam needs. Sure i could double the out of pocket cost to get a set of headers and get an extra 20RWHP. Will I? Maybe in the future. But the intake and exhaust flows efficient enough for my cam selection to make GOOD power.
Headers w/hi flo cats for LS series... $800 - $1200 net maybe 20RWHP
Fast 90/90... $1200 net maybe 25RWHP on stock motor
on the other hand...
Cam and supporting springs with gaskets --- $700 net from 30-60RWHP
My stock LS6 will receive its first mod - CAM. Along with other things while i have the car down, 10% UD, plugs and wires, 160 therm and a tune.
This will put down >420RWHP with my heads having no problem flowing the required amount that the cam needs. Sure i could double the out of pocket cost to get a set of headers and get an extra 20RWHP. Will I? Maybe in the future. But the intake and exhaust flows efficient enough for my cam selection to make GOOD power.
cool. hows the low end torque and all with it? seems about a perfect cam for my car
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Why do people quote the ridiculous statement, "a cam should not be your first mod, it can be, but shouldn't"
Headers w/hi flo cats for LS series... $800 - $1200 net maybe 20RWHP
Fast 90/90... $1200 net maybe 25RWHP on stock motor
on the other hand...
Cam and supporting springs with gaskets --- $700 net from 30-60RWHP
My stock LS6 will receive its first mod - CAM. Along with other things while i have the car down, 10% UD, plugs and wires, 160 therm and a tune.
This will put down >420RWHP with my heads having no problem flowing the required amount that the cam needs. Sure i could double the out of pocket cost to get a set of headers and get an extra 20RWHP. Will I? Maybe in the future. But the intake and exhaust flows efficient enough for my cam selection to make GOOD power.
Headers w/hi flo cats for LS series... $800 - $1200 net maybe 20RWHP
Fast 90/90... $1200 net maybe 25RWHP on stock motor
on the other hand...
Cam and supporting springs with gaskets --- $700 net from 30-60RWHP
My stock LS6 will receive its first mod - CAM. Along with other things while i have the car down, 10% UD, plugs and wires, 160 therm and a tune.
This will put down >420RWHP with my heads having no problem flowing the required amount that the cam needs. Sure i could double the out of pocket cost to get a set of headers and get an extra 20RWHP. Will I? Maybe in the future. But the intake and exhaust flows efficient enough for my cam selection to make GOOD power.
Realistically speaking, the cam determines how all the other pieces of the puzzle work. Choosing the wrong cam as a first mod can turn your car into a noisy unpleasant beast that makes only modest improvements in power over stock. Doing the supporting mods first is a good way to get some incremental gains along the way and then realize the full potential of the cam when installed & tuned.
BTW, your cam that works with the stock exhaust probably has some compromises that will would eventually limit your potential when/if you do go with LT's later, so that could very well mean another cam swap and retune....let us know how close to 420rwhp you get.
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TECH Resident
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 859
Likes: 2
From: Frozen Tundra, WI
I think this article may be of some interest to you... http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...camshafts.html
Here are some more cams to consider... http://www.vincihiperformance.com/CA...%20LS1%202.htm
Just for reference, the "Torque Monster" cam in the article is the 043 on the Vinci site.
Here are some more cams to consider... http://www.vincihiperformance.com/CA...%20LS1%202.htm
Just for reference, the "Torque Monster" cam in the article is the 043 on the Vinci site.
Dyno numbers on my 2004 GTO are 415 HP and 400 TQ. I actually lost a little torque going to the TR230/236 compared to the TR224, but gained about 40 HP. But, it's all good, I still have 350 TQ at 3,000 RPM, so plenty of grunt down low still.
Last edited by batboy; Feb 11, 2010 at 09:25 PM.
That might be 'ok' in a Z06 with better exhaust than the original poster's Z28, but it's still not ideal. Your logic is flawed anyway, as a tune is definitely required for any cam that has the potential to make 420rwhp with an absolutely stock exhaust.
Realistically speaking, the cam determines how all the other pieces of the puzzle work. Choosing the wrong cam as a first mod can turn your car into a noisy unpleasant beast that makes only modest improvements in power over stock. Doing the supporting mods first is a good way to get some incremental gains along the way and then realize the full potential of the cam when installed & tuned.
BTW, your cam that works with the stock exhaust probably has some compromises that will would eventually limit your potential when/if you do go with LT's later, so that could very well mean another cam swap and retune....let us know how close to 420rwhp you get.
Realistically speaking, the cam determines how all the other pieces of the puzzle work. Choosing the wrong cam as a first mod can turn your car into a noisy unpleasant beast that makes only modest improvements in power over stock. Doing the supporting mods first is a good way to get some incremental gains along the way and then realize the full potential of the cam when installed & tuned.
BTW, your cam that works with the stock exhaust probably has some compromises that will would eventually limit your potential when/if you do go with LT's later, so that could very well mean another cam swap and retune....let us know how close to 420rwhp you get.
But on the other hand- it isn't worth the 2000 dollars in additional mods to get 20-30 hp if his intentions are a mild cam. And if he wanted, picking up a set of used ls6 heads won't run that much either. To actually NEED a fast setup or similar, 500hp+ ambitions would be at stake. Not 375-400rwhp.
Logic flawed??? Please re-read my mod list... Right after 160 thermostat... Tune. Never said I was hitting 420 without a tune.
But on the other hand- it isn't worth the 2000 dollars in additional mods to get 20-30 hp if his intentions are a mild cam. And if he wanted, picking up a set of used ls6 heads won't run that much either. To actually NEED a fast setup or similar, 500hp+ ambitions would be at stake. Not 375-400rwhp.
But on the other hand- it isn't worth the 2000 dollars in additional mods to get 20-30 hp if his intentions are a mild cam. And if he wanted, picking up a set of used ls6 heads won't run that much either. To actually NEED a fast setup or similar, 500hp+ ambitions would be at stake. Not 375-400rwhp.
Again, the OP doesn't have LS6 heads, intake or the exhaust, so his "cam only" results would be much lower than yours....or much more costly.
Why do people quote the ridiculous statement, "a cam should not be your first mod, it can be, but shouldn't"
Headers w/hi flo cats for LS series... $800 - $1200 net maybe 20RWHP
Fast 90/90... $1200 net maybe 25RWHP on stock motor
on the other hand...
Cam and supporting springs with gaskets --- $700 net from 30-60RWHP
My stock LS6 will receive its first mod - CAM. Along with other things while i have the car down, 10% UD, plugs and wires, 160 therm and a tune.
This will put down >420RWHP with my heads having no problem flowing the required amount that the cam needs. Sure i could double the out of pocket cost to get a set of headers and get an extra 20RWHP. Will I? Maybe in the future. But the intake and exhaust flows efficient enough for my cam selection to make GOOD power.
Headers w/hi flo cats for LS series... $800 - $1200 net maybe 20RWHP
Fast 90/90... $1200 net maybe 25RWHP on stock motor
on the other hand...
Cam and supporting springs with gaskets --- $700 net from 30-60RWHP
My stock LS6 will receive its first mod - CAM. Along with other things while i have the car down, 10% UD, plugs and wires, 160 therm and a tune.
This will put down >420RWHP with my heads having no problem flowing the required amount that the cam needs. Sure i could double the out of pocket cost to get a set of headers and get an extra 20RWHP. Will I? Maybe in the future. But the intake and exhaust flows efficient enough for my cam selection to make GOOD power.
OP, daily driving any cam is all in the tune. Look at the huge cam in my sig, I daily drive it and with the cutout closed, it rides and sounds like a smooth bolt on car. No bucking, no stalling, a little idle hunting every now and then, but thats a compromise between bucking and idle hunt, and every cam will have a little idle hunt. I am not recommending for you to go donkey dick cam, I am just stating, any cammed car on the street is only as friendly as your tuner...
I think this article may be of some interest to you... http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...camshafts.html
Here are some more cams to consider... http://www.vincihiperformance.com/CA...%20LS1%202.htm
Just for reference, the "Torque Monster" cam in the article is the 043 on the Vinci site.
Here are some more cams to consider... http://www.vincihiperformance.com/CA...%20LS1%202.htm
Just for reference, the "Torque Monster" cam in the article is the 043 on the Vinci site.
good to hear, thanks for the info.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 18
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From: Baton Rouge, LA
hmmm Yeah, i know just about any cam can be driven on the street, but i dont want to run into bucking issues at low rpm when crusing, I'm running a M6, and the same time the cam will go it, so will the headers, exhaust, intake: most likely a LS6, upgraded valve springs: LS6, and then get it tuned. This is my daily driver so i need something that's going to be easy on the valvetrain but want it to have a little chop at idle. So does anyone actually have a hotcam in their car with a 6 speed? and how does it perform. Currently I have an air box lid, magnaflow muffler, and possibly a tune: no top speed limiter, no skipshift and it made 330 at the rear wheels on the dyno on the best run, average was about 317.
Yeah, i know just about any cam can be driven on the street, but i dont want to run into bucking issues at low rpm when crusing, I'm running a M6, and the same time the cam will go it, so will the headers, exhaust, intake: most likely a LS6, upgraded valve springs: LS6, and then get it tuned. This is my daily driver so i need something that's going to be easy on the valvetrain but want it to have a little chop at idle. So does anyone actually have a hotcam in their car with a 6 speed? and how does it perform. Currently I have an air box lid, magnaflow muffler, and possibly a tune: no top speed limiter, no skipshift and it made 330 at the rear wheels on the dyno on the best run, average was about 317.
