I've seen the hot cam replaced by a 224 twice and each car picked up right at 20rwhp without losing tq against it down low. I have seen an also mild 224-228 cam pickup 30rwhp over the hot cam.

There is a fair amount of work and secondary cost already involved with the swap. I would think an extra week or two to save up the difference in getting a different grind would make you more happy with the result in the long run.

I have tuned about a dozen of them in boltons M6 cars and seen 355-365 rwhp, though a few have done a little better. I typically see 335-345rwhp out of the same cars with the stock cam. The hot cam is incredibly easy to tune and drives like a dream. There is this weird internet myth that it is hard to tune. It's absolutely a myth though.

 

I had mine and while i never dyno tuned it, it was street tuned for nitrous (retarded timing) and only shifted at 6400rpms so i was leaving power on the table. with a tci stall, mac mid headers, hotcam and open cut out i ran 12.2@114 and 10.8@125 on a 150 shot. imo its a great setup you can have for under 200 bucks and never have to check the valve springs and drive around on the street like its stock but with more bite.

 

you look like the one with the attitude, and have clearly already made up your mind...kinda makes the whole thread a little pointless

anyway I'll let you get back to being hateful to people giving honest opinions

 

The best thing about the hot cam is the idle..there are many other cams that are a more agressive grind that will have a nice sounding idle and still have good manners for a daily driver and make 25-30 more HP/TQ than the hot cam .....how do I know ... I have a dailey driver that has 215,000 + miles on the motor that has had 3 different cams in it...it makes 452/418 and still gets 27 MPG on the highway and 20 around town ... the hot cam is really very old news to say the least.

 

I'm not being hateful. The whole purpose of this whole post was JUST FOR INFO ABOUT THE HOT CAM. Like I said before I know that there are better cams. It just gets old seeing people make a post without following the guidelines of the question. If there were not so many people that totally destroy a thread then others wouldn't have to read countless worthless threads to finally find the one that contains the good information.

Sorry for offending anyone. I just wanted to get some opinions on the HOT CAM from people that have had it or have it. Thats it. Sorry for mixing up the **** pot.

Thanks again for everyone's input on the hot cam. I greatly appreciate it.

 

If you can get the hotcam for 200 with springs than I say do it. It will performe good. I dont know whats your goal is but for the street a hotcam is a very good cam it has very good drivabilliy and good performance. If you dont like it you always can go better. That cam sure does sound like you are running a big block or a serious modded car.

 

Nice ride ^^^^ and thanks for the friendly input

honestly I just want a good thump and a good price. im pretty set on the hot cam now after all of the good reviews from you guys. And just like stated above if I dont like it or want to go bigger one day I can just switch em'. Thanks again guys.

 

Good reviews ... Where were the good reviews ... ... the cam has a good lopy idle and makes 25-30 less HP/TQ than a not very big aftermarket cam ... a 224/228 or something similar with a proper tune will drive like stock and run circles around a hot cam car ... there were some guys that said that they were running this cam but the fact of the matter is that the hot cam is not very hot at all when it comes down to it....it should be called the hot idle cam.

PS Just an FYI for ya ... you can buy a cam package that will have custom or off the shelf cam and springs, valve seals, spring seats, retainers, locks, and pushrods for less than $600 and make 30 more HP than the so called hot cam.

 

I still run it in my car and i like it. I wont change it out until my motor dies and i build up my 383. I just got complimented on the sound a few minutes ago. Not bad for the price in my opinion. I was putting down 387/385 with stock 243's. I have upgraded to bigger headers and duals. Im gonna throw in some 1.85 RR's and get it retuned to see how much it will pick up. Has very good low end power and you can feel it.

 

Thanks, ^^^^^^^ yeah that is true but the hot cam performes pretty good and its a bad *** nitrous cam. Yes there is better out there for sure. 224 is pretty good it was in my bro vette and 228r is good also it is in my friends t/a and put him @ 432rwhp (with heads). I agree there is better out there but he wants to buy it with springs for 200. What cam can you get for 200 with springs that can hold the lift of the 224 cam (581) 228 cam (588)??? You would have to buy 918 valve springs at least to hold that lift. So your gunna go over the 200$ budget. Also ls6 hot cam makes power off the duration of the cam not the lift like the 224 or 228. Even though its a old cam and their are better the tuner that tunes the car is whats really going to matter.

 

A little of both of these in my post... my 02 LS1 pullout came with the LS6 hot cam in it (i am hoping this is what you're asking about). It lopes (some... not as much as I was hoping) and I honestly don't know on power yet, but at initial cold start up it almost dies, then from there you can't even tell (drivability wise) that you have an aftermarket camshaft in the car. So drivability wise, its awesome, power wise I don't know yet, but I can tell the car is going to be very fast. That being said, had it not come in the swap for "free" I would never have purchased it and would have gone with whatever Geoff suggested me in an EPS cam line.

All that being said, I am a v8 newb (this is my first ls1 and v8 in general), so I was hoping it'd cam a LOT harder than it does (just to feed the v8 bug in me), but then again I am sure i'd be bitching about drivability as well then after I got over the thump love ; however when it comes down to it power/results matter more than sound

 

I would just ask Patrick G he knows when it comes to cams or ls motors in general and he always willing to answer your questions on "What will be better"? so I would send him a pm.

 

Just installed one i gotta say im impressed by the idle and gain in power. Drives like stock but pulls hard up top. In my opinion theres better cams but for the price you can pick these up for its hard to beat.

 

I've had my Hot Cam for 6 years. I like it. I got a steal on it. I paid $400 for the cam, springs, and install.

 

you also have the cost of oil, coolant, crank bolt, gaskets, tune, your personal time, your labor, extra expenses, ect...

I think what people are saying is by the time you go through all that you might as well just spend an extra $300 and get a *bigger/better/newer* cam and better springs. Plus you will end up wanting more power later, just read threads/posts about all the people with small cams that wish they went bigger to begin with. Best of luck to you.

 

good post, listen to this guy.

 

I had one back in 03 in my 01SS. I was happy with it at the time, once it was tuned right. Made decent power pulled hard and sounded nice and lopey. Car was an M6 with 3.73's.

If you can get it for free or damn cheap.. then run it. Especially if you are doing the install yourself.

 

It's your car do what you want with it. There is a hotcam thread just like this every month or so and it always ends up in the same result. Bottom line. If you can get it for almost nothing and just want a little lope and never race....do it.

I had considered a hotcam back in 2000 when I got my first LS1. I am kinda glad that the cam I got was not a hotcam after all, but a 222/226 cam. That guy I got it from thought it was a hotcam and read some silly Love/Hate thread about it and decided he hated it before even installing it. Lucky me. I found out it wasnt a hotcam after I pulled it out for a 236/240 cam and sent it in to get cam doctored so it had some stats with it when I sold it.

I put down 404/386 with that 222/226 cam and mildly ported 241 heads with stock cc and a FAST 78 manifold untouched. People thought that it made retarded power for a hotcam....apparently we were all mistaken. So if you are just going with seat of the pants feeling...you will get it with a hotcam. Don't get it for a dyno queen.

 

That ol HotCam is still rockin.....lol

11.6's at 119 with ls6 intake, stock maf, ported tb

I picked up 2 used hotcams cheap so I can say I am very happy with the results. Not a bad cam and it did lay the smack down on a tr224 cam on the street....

 

Your numbers are good but thats not really a thundering improvement over the Hotcam.
With stock heads, LS-6 intake, a 3000 stalled a-4 with 3.42 gears I made
373 rwhp.
True, you have me beat by a solid 31 hp, but you also have a couple more tweek's as well.
The Hotcam is not the best cam out there. And I will grant you that it's not even "running with the rest of the pack".
But if you can swing a good deal, you will get a cam that gives you decent power, a good flat tq curve and low lift for long spring life.