What's the best cam for a turbo LS1?
 

I am new to the LS1 engine family. I am putting an LS1 into my Chevelle, running a 12 bolt with 4:10 gears, a M6 trans and a 76mm turbo at around 15pounds. I want to do a 383 stroker and was looking for a few opinions on what would be a good cam choice. I see alot of cam questions on here, and am sorry to add another lol.

Thanks

there is none,

read the "cam guide" in yellow above here first then post more specific of a question.

the cam guide wont really answer this question as much as calling up a sponsor and telling them what your plans are for the build. I defintely would not look at an off the shelf grind for a turbo car. Check with Thunder, TSP, EPS...etc and see what they recommend. You may be able to peruse the FI section on here and see what other people have been running in their mild strokers with forced induction.

What ^ said.

Its time to call companies that grind cams and see what they say.

Sounds like a sweet ass build !

FYI,
All of Cam Motions regular turbo grinds for the LS1 are a reverse split.

C33-732 LS Hydraulic Roller Turbo Cam; 216'/212', .544"/.527", 114'+4'; Idle to 6,500 RPM
C33-636 LS Hydraulic Roller Turbo Cam; 218'/212', .561"/.549", 116'+4'; Idle to 6,500 RPM
C33-695 LS Hydraulic Roller Turbo Cam; 220'/216', .544"/.527", 114'+4'; Idle to 6,500 RPM
C33-633 LS Hydraulic Roller Turbo Cam; 222'/216', .561"/.544", 116'+4'; Idle to 6,500 RPM
C33-628 LS Hydraulic Roller Turbo Cam; 224'/220', .569"/.544", 116'+4'; Idle to 6,500 RPM
C33-679 LS Hydraulic Roller E85 Turbo Cam; 218'/212', .561"/.549", 116'+4'; Idle to 6,500 RPM
C33-704 LS Hydraulic Roller E85 Turbo Cam; 222'/216', .561"/.544", 116'+4'; Idle to 6,500 RPM

VHP also has a 232(.6")/228(.6") 117lsa turbo cam, pt#102T

It's all going to depend on your back pressure ratio.

a single pattern camshaft will do you just find, probably something in the 224/224 or 227/227 on a 114 range. I would rather see you build a 370 cube motor than a 383 imo.

What would be the advantage of a 370 vs. a 383? I am not opposed, just haven't heard of the 370 stroke. From all i have read, the 114 is a better streetable cam option. I am not trying to build a "race car", just a street car with plenty of go power. I also wanted to say thanks for all the responses i have gotten. I figure the more questions i ask, the less headache i might have later lol.
Thanks again all!!!

a 370 is from a 6.0l truck block which has a 4" bore which will fit larger valves then a 383 so it will make more power if you take advantage of that fact. Also you would want generally 114 and up lsa on your cam to help hold boost in, a 110 lsa cam will leak boost.

yeah it wont take such a big cam. there is a couple people running a 215/215-114lsa in the 9s

Depends on the lobes used with each lsa. A 210/210 on a 110 won't leak as much as a 240/240 on a 114.

Speed Inc. has a few turbo grinds, I'm using their TU1 grind on my street turbo build. 6 speed car, stock short block w/ 317 (6.0) heads and a 78mm turbo. The car isn't complete yet but I expect it to make pretty decent power with that grind.

The 370 is an Iron 6.0L truck block with a .030" over bore for 4.03" and a stock 3.622" stroke.

Do you really think a bigger intake valve is worth more than 13 more cubic inches on a turbocharged engine?

Yes, a bigger valve will flow more of that boosted pressure into the combustion chamber. I'd take a 4.03" bore over a stock 3.898" any day, I mean, mine is 4.07" :D.

You've seen this first hand?

It seems to me that increasing boost pressure would be an easier way to increase the mass of air going into the engine. After all, air mass is what it's all about. A bigger valve seems like it would just reduce the restriction in the intake path, causing a drop in manifold pressure (boost) without really injesting anymore air. To actually make anymore power with a bigger valve, you would have to maintain boost pressure, which would essentially be the same as increasing the boost on the smaller valve. Jason Haines from Lingenfelter spoke at the AETC confrence last year saying that the head generally doesn't matter when the engine is boosted. In their tests, flow numbers didn't do much to gain power, and that focusing on the turbocharger producing the greater gains.

Not to mention, a bigger bore is typically detrimental to the knock threshold of an engine. Charles F. Taylor explored this decades ago and found that larger bores tend to be more knock senitive for a given fuel at any piston speed. Small bores, conversely, tolerated more compression before they exhibited detonation. The octane limited engines in the EMC have found the same thing to be true to this day. Mod motors seem to tolerate a shitload of boost, and they only have a 3.70" bore...

mine is 4.06.
i would take a stock crank 370 and spend $ on rods and pistons
or drop the 4in stroke crank in a 6.0 instead of a ls1
over building a 383 ls1.
but thats just me:nod:

No, I am not a professional engine builder. But I do know that boost is a measurement taken in the intake manifold that referances the restriction. A larger bore with better heads and bigger valves will make the same power at less boost since the motor is flowing a greater volume of air. Or, at the same boost reading it will be making more power for the same reason. After you reach the limits of the 2.00" intake valve I don't care how much boost you have in the intake manifold, you are going to loose power.

Throw a stock LS6 cam in it... will work fine. 4.10 gears will be worthless.....dont even bother trying them. Also why are you stroking it? I wouldnt waste the money if you just want a street car with some extra power. Mine has a stock 6.0 in it w/ an LS6 cam, 15psi and 3.70 gears.... even those gears suck... Needs like 3.50 gears. Its making around 800hp on E85.

Contact Chris @ East Coast Supercharging and get a turbo cam for a 383. No guess work needed. They have proven them already on track/street.