cam in a 150,000 mile ls1?
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 378
Likes: 3
From: Indianapolis/Louisville
cam in a 150,000 mile ls1? Got my SS 4 years ago with 40,xxx miles on it and have loved it a little to much, to the tune of 150,xxx miles.... I had it dyno tuned two years ago with about 120,xxx miles on it and it pulled 355 hp/375 tq on long tubes and the usual bolt ons. Now i kinda want to put a cam in and try to hit 425 with stock heads. how smart is this on a 150k mile engine? its my DD so i don't want to pull the engine and rebuild it, but i definitely don't want to do some serious damage milking more power from it! i would plan on a new timing chain, ported oil pump and all the little bits and pieces that usually go with a cam install, plus a new tune of course.
advice?
advice?
I don't see a problem with doing a cam at that mileage as long as you change out all of your valvetrain. I would think pretty hard about doing lifters when you do all this as well. I know its more work but it would suck to have to go back in and do the same work a couple months later on down the road. We have a number of customers with 100k+ on thier shortblock with heads/cam setups, so as long you do it right you should be ok.
^ this I just put a TSP 228R cam in my 169,xxx camaro, I did all the necessary upgrade mods as well like Ported ls6 oil pump, timing chain, 918 behive springs, harden TSP pushrods and a set of low "5,000" millage ls1 rocker arms. She runs like a champ and she loves it with the nitrous 
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
iTrader: (3)
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 378
Likes: 3
From: Indianapolis/Louisville
good to know im not the only one building up a high mileage ls1... my goal is to make good power on stock heads (read, i don't want to remove the heads). I plan on replacing all the valve train, rebuilding my stock rocker arms with the trunion bearings (is this correct?) basically doing everything right the first time.
Not to hijack but i have the same plans and my question could benefit us both what are some good replacement lifters nothing to expensive, nothing to elegant but good quality what would ya'll fellas reccomend.
Trending Topics
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
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
You could also consider building a "new" engine and then you will always have a spare sitting there since its your DD. You can swap an engine out over a weekend. Setup a PCM for each engine and everything else is direct bolt-in and plug-in. 
You will be fine. A buddy of mine on here is putting in a 228R in his has 150k on the clock as well. Just make sure to do some preventative maintenance on it as well. Put in a new tiing chain, lifters, LS6 oil pump, along with the springs and rods with the cam. You will be fine. These LSx motors are bulletproof. Honestly I dont see many LS motors with cams that dont have 100k+ on them...
i have almost 140k on mine and i'm doing heads and cam at the moment, but like everyone else said DO IT RIGHT! replace just about everything in your top end. if you are going to use your stock rocker arms at least get the comp cams trunion bearing upgrade kit. it cheap insurance!
I got a few questions about my T/A. She has 140,000 miles on her. i just got an custom grind cam with all the necessary upgrades such as new LS6 oil pump,water pump,water pump,upgraded push-rods, springs, plugs, wires, ect. Heads have been rebuilt and have a strengthened with all the good stuff. Here is the new cam specs:Custom grind cam through comps cams:
530Lift-intake220-@50exhaust-224@50-112degree separation. The top end is basically bullet proof now but I am concerned about the bottom end, rear end and tranny. the bottom end has never been sprayed. the tranny has an ls7 clutch kit in it and the axles have been changed to truck axles which are said to be a little stronger. Should I focus on getting a 9inch rear end first or worry about my crank going out or the tranny? I seen many guys with high mileage ls engines with cam head kits and spray have no bottom end issues. Seen my rear ends go out than anything on these cars. should I feather it around town be safe on the rear end until I get a built one? What the you think this cam will put out to the tires with a tune with and ls6 intake headers and the basic bolt on stuff. Oh cam power should be between 1500-5500 rpm they told me. Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
530Lift-intake220-@50exhaust-224@50-112degree separation. The top end is basically bullet proof now but I am concerned about the bottom end, rear end and tranny. the bottom end has never been sprayed. the tranny has an ls7 clutch kit in it and the axles have been changed to truck axles which are said to be a little stronger. Should I focus on getting a 9inch rear end first or worry about my crank going out or the tranny? I seen many guys with high mileage ls engines with cam head kits and spray have no bottom end issues. Seen my rear ends go out than anything on these cars. should I feather it around town be safe on the rear end until I get a built one? What the you think this cam will put out to the tires with a tune with and ls6 intake headers and the basic bolt on stuff. Oh cam power should be between 1500-5500 rpm they told me. Let me know what you think.
Thanks,
The bottom end is not really affected that much from the cam, unless you plan on spinning it much higher than with the stock cam.
What really is affected by the new cam is all of your valvetrain. So if you replace all of it like most people said, you will be ok.
What really is affected by the new cam is all of your valvetrain. So if you replace all of it like most people said, you will be ok.
yeah gonna get a second car or a bike maybe. When you say drive scared you mean I shouldn't be launching the car hard, revving it high, or just normal driving in general? the drive train and everything was blue printed with the cam from comps talk with them for like 2 hours before I got the set up I wanted. So should I not track it all and feather it around town? I am personally an autocross guy anyways. How much HP to the wheels do you think I will be at after the tune?
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
Hey I'm all for going all out all of the time! That being said if you are generally concerned the rear is gonna go, and you can't afford for that to happen because it is a dd then before you put yourself in that position. Upgrade!