good to get heads with out cam?
#1
Staging Lane
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good to get heads with out cam?
I drive a 2002 camaro z28. Mods: slp cold air package, slp loudmouth exaust, diablo sport programmer predator. What mod and or mods would be next for me? I was thinking headers, intake manifold, cam, but honestly I have no idea which one is best to do first. My car has 19500 miles on it so do t forget to take that into consideration.
Also: would it be ok to buy heads without a cam to match them? If I just bought headers, which ones should I get if my car is a DD with 19500 miles and an auto transmission?
Also: would it be ok to buy heads without a cam to match them? If I just bought headers, which ones should I get if my car is a DD with 19500 miles and an auto transmission?
#2
headrs should definitely be your next mod...but keeo in mind, if you go with an OR y pipe that Loudmouth system you have on there will get a lot louder...I had a Borla XR1 race muffler installed on mine in place of the resonator.
as far as heads but no cam is concerned...I suppose you could technically do that but you will be missing out on a lot of power by not getting a good cam package to accentuate your heads.
as far as heads but no cam is concerned...I suppose you could technically do that but you will be missing out on a lot of power by not getting a good cam package to accentuate your heads.
#4
I drive a 2002 camaro z28. Mods: slp cold air package, slp loudmouth exaust, diablo sport programmer predator. What mod and or mods would be next for me? I was thinking headers, intake manifold, cam, but honestly I have no idea which one is best to do first. My car has 19500 miles on it so do t forget to take that into consideration.
Also: would it be ok to buy heads without a cam to match them? If I just bought headers, which ones should I get if my car is a DD with 19500 miles and an auto transmission?
Also: would it be ok to buy heads without a cam to match them? If I just bought headers, which ones should I get if my car is a DD with 19500 miles and an auto transmission?
#5
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get a head/cam package and you'll probably save some money. if you check one of the other threads in this forum, TSP has really good customer service. that's most likely where i'll buy mine from when i get to it.
#6
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I'm in roughly the same boat as the OP, pricing out my build and what exactly I want to do while not decimating my monthly budget. Now I've got a general idea of where I want to go but I'm just curious in regards of the standard thinking on "cam before heads".
I know most people want the best bang for their buck in regards to power, but by doing the heads first, wouldn't it be cheaper/easier in the long run?
Just from what I have read, if I were to go for moderate to aggressive cam, it is usually required to upgrade most of the internals of the head (springs, retainers, etc) as well as some other internals (120k engine here, so lifters and the like) for the engine itself. So after installing the cam I'd have to do the add-ons for the stock heads at the same time, or close to it, just to keep things more or less in working order.
Down the road however, I want to do my heads and unless I go for a bare unit (I'm going cheap, so it'd more likely be a used set of low mile 243's after some machining), wouldn't I end up just having paid for materials (more springs and such) to add to my junk drawer, plus the actual work of switching the ones from the cam package to the new heads?
By doing my heads first (and some engine refreshing in my case), while I don't get the large increase in power everyone wants to see, I'm also not buying excessive materials, or blatantly risking my engine with something to aggressive for stock.
All that being said, is my cheap-skatedness clouding my understanding of the general direction I'm going, or am I just over thinking this?
I know I could just do a H/C package, but I'm also fairly impatient and working on the car gets me out of working on the house (I hate carpentry, love mechanical systems), so I like doing the small things here and there (or the not so small things as it were). That and trying to save the 2+ grand without getting distracted by all the shiney toys our sponsers peddle is pretty hard.
#7
keep the ls6 intake ,consider a cam kit from TSP.cam/springs/push rods for $590.you could put some used 243s on for $400 gaining 20 hp. $100 for gaskets and head bolts.get a tune from Frost .it is your car mod it any way you want to .what trans do you have? A4 or M6? what gears in the rear?
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#8
Hey,
I'm in roughly the same boat as the OP, pricing out my build and what exactly I want to do while not decimating my monthly budget. Now I've got a general idea of where I want to go but I'm just curious in regards of the standard thinking on "cam before heads".
I know most people want the best bang for their buck in regards to power, but by doing the heads first, wouldn't it be cheaper/easier in the long run?
Just from what I have read, if I were to go for moderate to aggressive cam, it is usually required to upgrade most of the internals of the head (springs, retainers, etc) as well as some other internals (120k engine here, so lifters and the like) for the engine itself. So after installing the cam I'd have to do the add-ons for the stock heads at the same time, or close to it, just to keep things more or less in working order.
Springs/retainers/seats are a must. In your case new lifters would be advisable, but not completely necessary.
Down the road however, I want to do my heads and unless I go for a bare unit (I'm going cheap, so it'd more likely be a used set of low mile 243's after some machining), wouldn't I end up just having paid for materials (more springs and such) to add to my junk drawer, plus the actual work of switching the ones from the cam package to the new heads?
Depending on the mileage you put on the springs in between the cam/ head mods, you may not have to replace springs, valvespring wear is also related to cam lift/ duration and brand of valvespring as well.
By doing my heads first (and some engine refreshing in my case), while I don't get the large increase in power everyone wants to see, I'm also not buying excessive materials, or blatantly risking my engine with something to aggressive for stock.
All that being said, is my cheap-skatedness clouding my understanding of the general direction I'm going, or am I just over thinking this?
I know I could just do a H/C package, but I'm also fairly impatient and working on the car gets me out of working on the house (I hate carpentry, love mechanical systems), so I like doing the small things here and there (or the not so small things as it were). That and trying to save the 2+ grand without getting distracted by all the shiney toys our sponsers peddle is pretty hard.
I'm in roughly the same boat as the OP, pricing out my build and what exactly I want to do while not decimating my monthly budget. Now I've got a general idea of where I want to go but I'm just curious in regards of the standard thinking on "cam before heads".
I know most people want the best bang for their buck in regards to power, but by doing the heads first, wouldn't it be cheaper/easier in the long run?
Just from what I have read, if I were to go for moderate to aggressive cam, it is usually required to upgrade most of the internals of the head (springs, retainers, etc) as well as some other internals (120k engine here, so lifters and the like) for the engine itself. So after installing the cam I'd have to do the add-ons for the stock heads at the same time, or close to it, just to keep things more or less in working order.
Springs/retainers/seats are a must. In your case new lifters would be advisable, but not completely necessary.
Down the road however, I want to do my heads and unless I go for a bare unit (I'm going cheap, so it'd more likely be a used set of low mile 243's after some machining), wouldn't I end up just having paid for materials (more springs and such) to add to my junk drawer, plus the actual work of switching the ones from the cam package to the new heads?
Depending on the mileage you put on the springs in between the cam/ head mods, you may not have to replace springs, valvespring wear is also related to cam lift/ duration and brand of valvespring as well.
By doing my heads first (and some engine refreshing in my case), while I don't get the large increase in power everyone wants to see, I'm also not buying excessive materials, or blatantly risking my engine with something to aggressive for stock.
All that being said, is my cheap-skatedness clouding my understanding of the general direction I'm going, or am I just over thinking this?
I know I could just do a H/C package, but I'm also fairly impatient and working on the car gets me out of working on the house (I hate carpentry, love mechanical systems), so I like doing the small things here and there (or the not so small things as it were). That and trying to save the 2+ grand without getting distracted by all the shiney toys our sponsers peddle is pretty hard.
Your best option for cost effectiveness/ economy and overall power would be to by a H/C package and install it all at once, if you're really debating to that extent.
But FWIW, I just did a cam only swap, 85k miles and put in new valvesprings/retainers/seats all for under $800.00