Thinking it's time for a new cam.
 

Well funds this year are going to be tight with just purchasing a new home ane the wife just graduating school and looking for a job. So I was thinking of forgoing the building of a larger motor and just upgrading the cam in my car.

Details on the motor:
TSP 231/237 .598/.598 110+2
Patriot Performance Stage II heads 59cc .650 lift springs
Fast 90/90
Comp Chromoly pushrods 7.4"
160* T stat
SLP P&P oil pump w/upgraded spring
SLP double roller timing chain
SVO Red top injectors

Trans is built FLT stage 4
SS3600 Yank Stall

MWC 9" with 370's

Car currently puts down 435rwhp and 385tq. I would really like something to work with everything else that is on the car at this time. I'm not sure if there is very much to improve on so I'm throwing this up and seeing what you guys think.

Car is mostly street driven with seeing the track a few times a year. Total miles on the car is 34,900

Thanks,
Ken

Seems to me like you have a pretty solid combo. Going much bigger on the cam is going to push the powerband higher and possibly make the car slower.

So your saying it would be better just to save for a larger motor?

You look like you have a good combo. Only thing i can think of from your current setup right now is bigger cubes, maybe upgrade the heads, or add some spray..:devil:

:werd: I would kill to have the combo you already got. Definately put the money you were going to use for the cam into your new motor.

spray it..............

I was spraying it. I got into a bind for money and couldn't afford to upgrade the fuel pump. So I decided to pull it and sell it. Needless to say, that money is gone as well. So I guess I'll start saving for an LS2 short block.

Time to add a 100 shot of the good stuff!

I fought with the same question for a while -- should I drop another $700+ on a slightly larger cam to squeeze 15 more peak hp out (at best)? No. Just added 25 more with different N2O jets and put the rest of the money in the bank for the next motor!

don't touch the combo just start saving...and then sell your current setup as a long block. go for the cubes!

we almost have the same combo but my cam is 232 238 and 5.3 heads with a 5c and I put down 435 rwhp as well...I was gonna swap cam but in intsead jsut added a 100 shot :-)

I had the nitrous. It's fun but not all ways there. So S/c or turbo might be in the future. Oh couse once I have a forged motor.

this has crossed my mind too so I just may toss the 10lb bottle for a 20lber so I dont run out lol!
But yeah I would like to go forced induction but with a cam on a 111lsa and a 4400 stall its not ideal..I would have to change cam and stall if I wanted to go F/I RIGHT NOW so nitrous it is for now:D

I went as far as buying the Nano system for a 10lb bottle. Ran it on the dyno 10 seconds. Car went lean, pulled everything and sold, needed the money. I'm keeping my eye on the classified section for a D1SC set up at the right price.

I agree with everyone else, just save up and get a nice ls3 based 418 :)

What is your ultimate goal? You definitely have options, but it may not be inexpensive to make gains with what you already have, especially if the parts you buy are not usable in some capacity with the end result.

You can do a lot with cathedral port heads, and they can work with larger cube setups as well. Your PP heads are a worthwhile upgrade for someone else, but are probably going to hold you back. The cash you get from them can go towards some heads to give you more power now and on a 408 - 418 when you can fund the shortblock.

It would be very difficult to change cams and get more HP on the top end without compromising your low and mid range. Those are tough compromises to make in a primarily street driven car. Better heads will make the most of the cam you have, and the valve events you have now are in the right area for 346 cubes.

Other ways to gain include optimising your 90/90, or better yet, upgrading to the FAST 102 setup. Later, the right porting on the intake and the heads can wring the last bits out of your big cube engine. This is your best opportunity to spread out the cost.

Money you spend now on parts you can use later is likely your best route, even if not the best bang for the buck right now. You can probably sell your cam for a couple hundred and upgrade to a newer design for a couple hundred more, as long as you can live with the compromises. You'll be forced to do it again down the road when you have more cubic inches to feed.

Lots of tough decisions to make - best of luck with your project!

Also another option maybe look into some trick flow heads or AFR..just another option to think about

Always thought your heads were holding you back on more power.