My Head/Cam Install
My Head/Cam Install Okay so I recently decided to swap the heads and cam in my 2000 Camaro SS M6. The car currently has 60,000 miles. I am doing all the work myself and this is the first time ive ever done anyting this major to the vehicle. Current mods are ls6 intake, kooks LT's, SFC, LID and TSP true dual exhaust. Any advice or input on my setup or anything that could make the job easier feel free to post. I currently am on day 2 and have pulled the heads and the pulley and will be attempting to pull the cam tonight when I get off work. I am also using LS1howto.com. Is this the best write up there is? Thanks for all the help in advance. Pics coming soon!
Setup I chose.
TrickFlow As Cast 220cc Cylinder Heads- 3.90 Bore
Fully Assembled Including .650 Lift Springs
Mill to Desired Compression-61cc
Hardened Pushrods
228/230 .588/.592 112 LSA Camshaft
Comp Trunion Kit
GM MLS Head Gaskets
ARP Head Bolts
FAST Intake Gaskets
Front Cover Gasket
Front Cover Seal
Waterpump Gaskets
GM Crank Bolt
Powerbond 25% Underdrive Pulley with Gates Belts/GM Bolt- F Body
Comp Drop In Hi Performance Lifters
Katech C5R Timing Chain
Melling Hi Volume Oil Pump for LS Engines
SVO 42# Fuel Injectors
GM MLS Exhaust Manifold Gaskets
Poly Motor Mounts
Is there anyting else I should do while I have the engine stripped down to this point? Thanks!
Setup I chose.
TrickFlow As Cast 220cc Cylinder Heads- 3.90 Bore
Fully Assembled Including .650 Lift Springs
Mill to Desired Compression-61cc
Hardened Pushrods
228/230 .588/.592 112 LSA Camshaft
Comp Trunion Kit
GM MLS Head Gaskets
ARP Head Bolts
FAST Intake Gaskets
Front Cover Gasket
Front Cover Seal
Waterpump Gaskets
GM Crank Bolt
Powerbond 25% Underdrive Pulley with Gates Belts/GM Bolt- F Body
Comp Drop In Hi Performance Lifters
Katech C5R Timing Chain
Melling Hi Volume Oil Pump for LS Engines
SVO 42# Fuel Injectors
GM MLS Exhaust Manifold Gaskets
Poly Motor Mounts
Is there anyting else I should do while I have the engine stripped down to this point? Thanks!
Last edited by splitfinger09; Oct 28, 2010 at 11:31 PM.
10 Second Club
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 195
Likes: 0
From: Houston Tx
Looks like you got everything you need. The LS1Howto is a good writeup. Be sure to clean gasket surfaces throughly, and either suck up or blow out all coolant from the head bolt sockets. Be careful with the oil pump oring and don't drop the the pump bolt in the pan. When reinstalling the balancer put it in the oven at 250 for about 10 or 15 minutes it will help get it back on. Good Luck.
Looks like you got everything. I'd get a pulley installer tool so you don't have to beat on your new pulley with a hammer to get it on or strip your crank threads with a longer bolt. Search ebay for (gm lsx pulley installer) very nice pulley installer.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Five Reasons the Camaro Was the Most Pivotal Player in the Pony Car Wars 2.0
Brett Foote
You'd have to pull the motor out and take it apart to change the rod bolts. Not necessary at this point. If you're going to do that then rebuild the whole motor with forged internals and spray it.
but soon! how much more would a fast get me with this setup? 
Christmas came a little early this year boys ......
ups man finally showed up!
Still waiting on cylinder heads and injectors. A few questions?
1. Which color O ring do I use. I got the melling pump and theres a choice between a green and black?
2. What do I use to clean the cam? It seems to be pretty dirty.
3. The inside of my LS6 intake is pretty oily. Is there a way to clean it out?
4. The lifter instrucions talk about preload? Basically I want to know how to install the cam, the lifters, pushrods, and rockers the correct way. How do I torque the rockers etc...
5. Do I need to use RTV if I got a new front cover seal?
6. Which bolts do I need to apply loctite to?
Thanks for all the help everyone!!!!!
ups man finally showed up!
Still waiting on cylinder heads and injectors. A few questions?
1. Which color O ring do I use. I got the melling pump and theres a choice between a green and black?
2. What do I use to clean the cam? It seems to be pretty dirty.
3. The inside of my LS6 intake is pretty oily. Is there a way to clean it out?
4. The lifter instrucions talk about preload? Basically I want to know how to install the cam, the lifters, pushrods, and rockers the correct way. How do I torque the rockers etc...
5. Do I need to use RTV if I got a new front cover seal?
6. Which bolts do I need to apply loctite to?
Thanks for all the help everyone!!!!!
Clean motor!! You say you have oil in your intake. One thing i would HIGHLY recommend while you're in there is the 04+ LS6 valley cover. It eliminates the old LS1 style PCV. The 04+ LS6 VC has a built in orifice/oil separator. Since I installed one, the oil consumption is pretty much non-existent now.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 24,241
Likes: 89
From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
1. Which color O ring do I use. I got the melling pump and theres a choice between a green and black?
Black one, green is for trucks
2. What do I use to clean the cam? It seems to be pretty dirty.
Leave the residue on it until you are ready to stick it in. I hose them off with brake parts cleaner and wipe them down with a clean rag. Then use assembly lube on all the lobes/journals as you are installing it.
3. The inside of my LS6 intake is pretty oily. Is there a way to clean it out?
Remove the MAP sensor on the rear, and hose the inside of it down with Brake parts, degreaser, water hose or whatever else works.
4. The lifter instrucions talk about preload? Basically I want to know how to install the cam, the lifters, pushrods, and rockers the correct way. How do I torque the rockers etc...
You need to measure for pushrod length, search around, it's posted a bunch of times here
5. Do I need to use RTV if I got a new front cover seal?
All LS1 gaskets are the dry type. Some will RTV anyway though, I don't
6. Which bolts do I need to apply loctite to?
Rule of thumb for me, if it goes into aluminum I use anti-seize, if it goes into steel, I use blue or green loctite.
Thanks for all the help everyone!!!!!
Black one, green is for trucks
2. What do I use to clean the cam? It seems to be pretty dirty.
Leave the residue on it until you are ready to stick it in. I hose them off with brake parts cleaner and wipe them down with a clean rag. Then use assembly lube on all the lobes/journals as you are installing it.
3. The inside of my LS6 intake is pretty oily. Is there a way to clean it out?
Remove the MAP sensor on the rear, and hose the inside of it down with Brake parts, degreaser, water hose or whatever else works.
4. The lifter instrucions talk about preload? Basically I want to know how to install the cam, the lifters, pushrods, and rockers the correct way. How do I torque the rockers etc...
You need to measure for pushrod length, search around, it's posted a bunch of times here
5. Do I need to use RTV if I got a new front cover seal?
All LS1 gaskets are the dry type. Some will RTV anyway though, I don't
6. Which bolts do I need to apply loctite to?
Rule of thumb for me, if it goes into aluminum I use anti-seize, if it goes into steel, I use blue or green loctite.
Thanks for all the help everyone!!!!!
My thoughts in bold.
While everything is off and apart, you can do somethings in your engine to make it look better IE: Paint the intake manifold, valve covers, wire mod, coil relocation mod, etc.