Heads/Cam on a daily driver...?
03-07-2004, 07:39 AM
#1
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Heads/Cam on a daily driver...? Hey guys, this is my first post here in ages, I don't even remember what my old name was so I just made a new name. (i was nobody important, i had like 300 posts)
Anyways my car is basically stock other than catback and a lid but im looking for at least 400rwhp.
heads and cam seem to be the best way to go as far as price/power ratio. in a perfect world, id like to supercharge, but im a broke *** college student and cant afford no supercharger
anyways, my real question is regarding the reliability on a H/C daily driver. Is this a bad idea? My main concern basically is that I can't afford for anything to go wrong. I have just enough money for the H/C package, but if something were to go wrong with it, i'd be out my car and with no money to fix it (or even afford a rental
)
should I be worried about this? i know theres been some cases of engine failure and such (as a result of such an install) but it seems like those are a vast minority, and the results are overwhelmingly positive.
what do you guys think?
also, whats it like to own a H/C car? do you have to be careful about overdoing it, or can you basically treat your engine like it was stock and pretty much beat on it whenever? i know that beating on even a stock engine constantly is bad, but you know what i mean. i dont want to have all this horsepower but have to worry about **** breaking on me everytime i floor it
basically, the point of my thread is...is this a worry free mod? i dont want to be buying a problem, i just want my car to be faster and i dont want to have to worry about it...is that too much to ask?
thanks guys, ls1tech is definitely the place to go for questions like this. you guys rock
i need to start posting here more often
Anyways my car is basically stock other than catback and a lid but im looking for at least 400rwhp.
heads and cam seem to be the best way to go as far as price/power ratio. in a perfect world, id like to supercharge, but im a broke *** college student and cant afford no supercharger
anyways, my real question is regarding the reliability on a H/C daily driver. Is this a bad idea? My main concern basically is that I can't afford for anything to go wrong. I have just enough money for the H/C package, but if something were to go wrong with it, i'd be out my car and with no money to fix it (or even afford a rental
)should I be worried about this? i know theres been some cases of engine failure and such (as a result of such an install) but it seems like those are a vast minority, and the results are overwhelmingly positive.
what do you guys think?
also, whats it like to own a H/C car? do you have to be careful about overdoing it, or can you basically treat your engine like it was stock and pretty much beat on it whenever? i know that beating on even a stock engine constantly is bad, but you know what i mean. i dont want to have all this horsepower but have to worry about **** breaking on me everytime i floor it
basically, the point of my thread is...is this a worry free mod? i dont want to be buying a problem, i just want my car to be faster and i dont want to have to worry about it...is that too much to ask?
thanks guys, ls1tech is definitely the place to go for questions like this. you guys rock
i need to start posting here more often
03-07-2004, 08:32 AM
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I would go with TEA or Patriot 5.3 heads and a tr224 ot F4. Anytime you mod your car there is alittle risk. If done right it is very little.If it were me i would do TEA 1.5's and a FMS F4.
03-07-2004, 08:32 AM
#3
Cam and Heads can cause you problems,but so can any mod for that matter.Cam and Head combo can be trouble free if you choose your parts well ,a reputiable performance shop does the install,and Boils down to Haveing a good tuner.A tuner can make or break a C/H package.But if you are that worried about breaking stuff,than leave it stock.Just my Thoughts
Last edited by Pro Mouse; 03-07-2004 at 08:41 AM.
03-07-2004, 09:19 AM
#4
Originally Posted by 98SS Blackattack
I would go with TEA or Patriot 5.3 heads and a tr224 ot F4. Anytime you mod your car there is alittle risk. If done right it is very little.If it were me i would do TEA 1.5's and a FMS F4.
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03-07-2004, 03:06 PM
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I drive my car 70 miles round trip to work and back every day.. and I've got a pretty aggressive setup 
I never have had any problems in all the time I've had a H/C package. You might want to call TSP and check on one of their new 225 cams and a set of PP 5.3's, that would be a little milder than what I'm running and would still make great reliable power.
I never have had any problems in all the time I've had a H/C package. You might want to call TSP and check on one of their new 225 cams and a set of PP 5.3's, that would be a little milder than what I'm running and would still make great reliable power. 
03-07-2004, 04:00 PM
#11
Originally Posted by z28 mayo
Hey guys, this is my first post here in ages, I don't even remember what my old name was so I just made a new name. (i was nobody important, i had like 300 posts)
Anyways my car is basically stock other than catback and a lid but im looking for at least 400rwhp.
heads and cam seem to be the best way to go as far as price/power ratio.
heads and cam seem to be the best way to go as far as price/power ratio.
anyways, my real question is regarding the reliability on a H/C daily driver. Is this a bad idea? My main concern basically is that I can't afford for anything to go wrong. I have just enough money for the H/C package, but if something were to go wrong with it, i'd be out my car and with no money to fix it (or even afford a rental )
should I be worried about this? i know theres been some cases of engine failure and such (as a result of such an install) but it seems like those are a vast minority, and the results are overwhelmingly positive.
what do you guys think?
)should I be worried about this? i know theres been some cases of engine failure and such (as a result of such an install) but it seems like those are a vast minority, and the results are overwhelmingly positive.
what do you guys think?
The best advice I can give you is have all the parts independantly checked to make sure they are right before they go into the car.
My heads and cam install went almost perfect because the guys from WAR caught the problems with the intake, headers, & heads BEFORE even looking at the car. Catching a problem before it's installed on your car isn't a big deal. Learning about it after the fact can be a very big deal.
I think you really have to ask yourself if your willing to take a small chance on a very serious consequence.
With the budget suggested and only have a cat back and lid doing the rest of the bolt on's now (maybe a mild cam) and waiting until you've $aved up additional cheddar $$$ might be wise. Or wait and save a little more then do the heads and cam package. I try to have some extra $$$ on hand before starting a project because stuff will often go wrong...it's just the nature of the game.
Who will do the install? Are you paying someone? Are they or the people helping you experienced? Where are you located?
also, whats it like to own a H/C car? do you have to be careful about overdoing it, or can you basically treat your engine like it was stock and pretty much beat on it whenever? i know that beating on even a stock engine constantly is bad, but you know what i mean. i dont want to have all this horsepower but have to worry about **** breaking on me everytime i floor it
It's always fun to own a H/C car IMO. Since my car has an XE-R cam I always allow the water temp to fully come up and the oil pressure to drop to normal BEFORE beating on it. If you don't let the typical H/C car warm up correctly you take a big chance on breaking a valve spring. It's never a good idea to beat on a cold engine stock or mod'd. With H/C you might have to worry about the stock clutch because most stock LS1 clutchs do not live a long time behind 400+rwhp. With sticky tires you'll have to worry about your 10-bolt rear. Of course you'll have to worry about your 10-bolt even with near stock car.
Destroying new Z06's, putting uppity Mercedes in their place etc on the street has it's own rewards to make it all worthwhile IMO.
basically, the point of my thread is...is this a worry free mod? i dont want to be buying a problem, i just want my car to be faster and i dont want to have to worry about it...is that too much to ask?
Most of the worry depends on what you select for you cam. High lift fast ramp cams will require more frequent valve spring changes. If you run an aggressive Cam Motion or XE-R it's not unreasonable to plan on replacing or at least checking springs one a year. If you get a TR-224 (excellent cam) with less lift the springs will last longer. Of course if you beat on the car all the time the springs won't last as long etc.
thanks guys, ls1tech is definitely the place to go for questions like this. you guys rock
i need to start posting here more often
As for specific packages. I think a set of 5.3 TEA 1.5's with a TR-220 or TR-224 cam, FlowTech headers & Y pipe, LS6 intake, tuning & 3.73's would make a nice package. Maybe 4.10's if you have M6. Ideally, wait a little more and get hand touch ups for a little more $$$ for your new TEA 1.5's!
My car is being used as a daily driver right now and has almost 9,000 miles on it since H & C.
Good Luck
03-07-2004, 04:13 PM
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Originally Posted by 99 Black Bird T/A[COLOR=DarkOliveGreen
It's always fun to own a H/C car IMO. Since my car has an XE-R cam I always allow the water temp to fully come up and the oil pressure to drop to normal BEFORE beating on it. If you don't let the typical H/C car warm up correctly you take a big chance on breaking a valve spring. It's never a good idea to beat on a cold engine stock or mod'd. With H/C you might have to worry about the stock clutch because most stock LS1 clutchs do not live a long time behind 400+rwhp. With sticky tires you'll have to worry about your 10-bolt rear. Of course you'll have to worry about your 10-bolt even with near stock car.
Destroying new Z06's, putting uppity Mercedes in their place etc on the street has it's own rewards to make it all worthwhile IMO.[/COLOR]
Good Luck [/COLOR]
Destroying new Z06's, putting uppity Mercedes in their place etc on the street has it's own rewards to make it all worthwhile IMO.[/COLOR]
Good Luck [/COLOR]
belive it or not.. I'm going to once again agree with black bird, on a few things 
What he says about letting the car warm up is VERY important. I always make it a point to start my car up 5 or 10 mins before I'm ready to leave every morning. I just make it part of my routine, it has become habit now. I really think that is very important for a high lift, fast ramp cam.. heck I even do that with my stock WS6. It's just a good precaution in my book.
03-07-2004, 06:31 PM
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Originally Posted by 99 Black Bird T/A
Welcome back. Every member on LS1tech is important.
Originally Posted by 99 Black Bird T/A
400rwhp should be doable. What does your car currently make? Is the car M6 or A4?
Originally Posted by 99 Black Bird T/A
The best advice I can give you is have all the parts independantly checked to make sure they are right before they go into the car.
My heads and cam install went almost perfect because the guys from WAR caught the problems with the intake, headers, & heads BEFORE even looking at the car. Catching a problem before it's installed on your car isn't a big deal. Learning about it after the fact can be a very big deal.
I think you really have to ask yourself if your willing to take a small chance on a very serious consequence.
With the budget suggested and only have a cat back and lid doing the rest of the bolt on's now (maybe a mild cam) and waiting until you've $aved up additional cheddar $$$ might be wise. Or wait and save a little more then do the heads and cam package. I try to have some extra $$$ on hand before starting a project because stuff will often go wrong...it's just the nature of the game.
Who will do the install? Are you paying someone? Are they or the people helping you experienced? Where are you located?
My heads and cam install went almost perfect because the guys from WAR caught the problems with the intake, headers, & heads BEFORE even looking at the car. Catching a problem before it's installed on your car isn't a big deal. Learning about it after the fact can be a very big deal.
I think you really have to ask yourself if your willing to take a small chance on a very serious consequence.
With the budget suggested and only have a cat back and lid doing the rest of the bolt on's now (maybe a mild cam) and waiting until you've $aved up additional cheddar $$$ might be wise. Or wait and save a little more then do the heads and cam package. I try to have some extra $$$ on hand before starting a project because stuff will often go wrong...it's just the nature of the game.
Who will do the install? Are you paying someone? Are they or the people helping you experienced? Where are you located?
)
Originally Posted by 99 Black Bird T/A
It's always fun to own a H/C car IMO. Since my car has an XE-R cam I always allow the water temp to fully come up and the oil pressure to drop to normal BEFORE beating on it. If you don't let the typical H/C car warm up correctly you take a big chance on breaking a valve spring. It's never a good idea to beat on a cold engine stock or mod'd. With H/C you might have to worry about the stock clutch because most stock LS1 clutchs do not live a long time behind 400+rwhp. With sticky tires you'll have to worry about your 10-bolt rear. Of course you'll have to worry about your 10-bolt even with near stock car.
Destroying new Z06's, putting uppity Mercedes in their place etc on the street has it's own rewards to make it all worthwhile IMO.
Destroying new Z06's, putting uppity Mercedes in their place etc on the street has it's own rewards to make it all worthwhile IMO.
i wouldnt dream of taking the car to the track without first replacing the factory 10 bolt, but do you think it would be necessary to do so with just street driving? im not gonna be doing any hard *** launches on the street, so it doesnt seem necessary to me until i start taking it to the track.
Also when i get the rear end, im gonna need some drag radials or slicks, too. my tires suck, BFG KDWS. good enough for scooting around town, bad for competitive driving
:
Originally Posted by 99 Black Bird T/A
Most of the worry depends on what you select for you cam. High lift fast ramp cams will require more frequent valve spring changes. If you run an aggressive Cam Motion or XE-R it's not unreasonable to plan on replacing or at least checking springs one a year. If you get a TR-224 (excellent cam) with less lift the springs will last longer. Of course if you beat on the car all the time the springs won't last as long etc
You should post here more often.
As for specific packages. I think a set of 5.3 TEA 1.5's with a TR-220 or TR-224 cam, FlowTech headers & Y pipe, LS6 intake, tuning & 3.73's would make a nice package. Maybe 4.10's if you have M6. Ideally, wait a little more and get hand touch ups for a little more $$$ for your new TEA 1.5's!
My car is being used as a daily driver right now and has almost 9,000 miles on it since H & C.
Good Luck
You should post here more often.
As for specific packages. I think a set of 5.3 TEA 1.5's with a TR-220 or TR-224 cam, FlowTech headers & Y pipe, LS6 intake, tuning & 3.73's would make a nice package. Maybe 4.10's if you have M6. Ideally, wait a little more and get hand touch ups for a little more $$$ for your new TEA 1.5's!
My car is being used as a daily driver right now and has almost 9,000 miles on it since H & C.
Good Luck
03-07-2004, 09:40 PM
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i had MTI stage 2 heads and X1 cam with a 4000 3disc stall on my daily...put about 50-60 miles on it a day. Jayson tuned it and I NEVER had a problem.
03-08-2004, 01:14 AM
#15
I wouldn't really suggest it if you can barely afford it. Especially if you don't do the work yourself. If something gets screwed up, you're gonna be paying out the *** to get it diagnosed, repaired, etc. A4 with h/c is ok, I'd go with a TR220 or a TR224 on a 114 with TEA 1.5s and the associated bolt-ons (LS6 intake, CAI, longtubes, etc).. You will blow the A4 up eventually with 400rwhp. You will also want a higher stall converter (Yank 3000-3500 I'd recommend for a daily). Rear end should live fine behind an A4, as long as you don't throw sticky tires behind it. If you race the car a lot, even stock, you're gonna blow up stuff anyway. If it's just a street car, it should last quite well, but I still say the A4 is gonna be the weakest point. Upgraded tranny costs ~2k + install. Torque converters cost 500-750+ install depending on brand. Don't forget tuning, especially with an A4. If you don't do it yourself, you're talking ~500 to have a shop do it.
Always budget 2x as much $$ as you think something is gonna cost, unless you've done it before. Trust me. Between the nickle + dime little things, and repairs/fixes/extra maintanence, you will be over budget before you know it.
Dope
Always budget 2x as much $$ as you think something is gonna cost, unless you've done it before. Trust me. Between the nickle + dime little things, and repairs/fixes/extra maintanence, you will be over budget before you know it.
Dope
