Krazedkuniva

iTrader: (3)

Is it possible, or am I just asking too much? I've been researching different combos, but to be honest, heads/cam and all the associated parts just makes my head spin.

I've been looking into the TR Cheatr V3 cam. Would that be a good choice for what I want? This is my dd, and most important is that it can pass CA smog and is still very streetable, but can I get a cam that will make more power and still have those attributes?

As far as heads, I think I might be even more lost. I'm looking for a good, budget set of heads. Patriot seems to make some fairly cheap heads, but I wouldn't know which ones I need for what I want.

I don't have a set budget, I'm just trying to spend the least amount possible while covering all my bases and doing everything the right way the first time. I assume I'll want a new timing chain and oil pump too?

Any help is appreciated! Current mods are in sig.

99 Blue Bird

iTrader: (3)

the cheater would work. are you gonna keep your stock exhaust manifolds for sure?

Fry_

A set of ported 243's/799's from one of your favorate vendors would be perfect. There a factory head so the smog police can't call you on them, they flow good, and are affordable. I'd get a set of PRC stage 1 ls6 heads from texas speed if it were me, but there are plenty of other heads to choose from. As for the cam, someone else will have to answer that because I don't have a clue what will and wont pass smog.

garygnu

like mentioned above,get some cnc heads and a custom cam from a cam expert like Patrick-G.

baxsom

iTrader: (6)

stock 243/799s are already a nice upgrade. 500ish will get them reworked for even better.

3rdCoastPowerSports

iTrader: (5)

from the research i,ve done the TSP224 or TR224 is about as big as you can go here in cali and still with a good tune pass smog. Ported 243's would be nice if you have the cash. gonna need new cats and a good tune...

MrElectric03

iTrader: (71)

A TR 224 or so and ported 243s will be your best bet. Honestly though think long and hard about it. Smog is not hard to get around, it just costs a little more per year. If you are like most people(including me) you will spend money on cheap heads, go through the installation and have it tuned to hit 380 rwhp. Then you will realize you could have gotten so much more out of it. I went through three setups before I finally found what I was happy with.

Krazedkuniva

iTrader: (3)

Yep. As long as I live in Commiefornia I think I'll be keeping the stock manifolds lol.

What setups did you go through, and what one did you end up with, if you don't mind me asking?

I know I could always search around for a "good" smog station. My fear is that I'll end up with long tubes and a powerful cam, and that I'll love the sound so much that I'll always have to hear it, and as a result will get pulled over for it and sent to a smog referee center where I would be screwed lol.

I am trying to hopefully break the 400 rwhp mark though.

Edit: So far the consensus seems to be a set of ported 243 heads and the Cheatr or 224/224 cam is what I want. Wasn't there a certain LSA you can't go below on that 224/224 cam to stay within smog limits though?

99 Blue Bird

iTrader: (3)

lf your gonna stay with the stock exhaust manifolds stay away from cams like the 224r. It's a good cam just not for your setup. I would suggest buying the best heads you can afford and get a cam custom cut. But something like the cheatr would be great because of its wide duration split building up air and forcing out as much as possible since your exhaust manifolds will be an airflow restriction.

Krazedkuniva

iTrader: (3)

Ah, gotcha. I do like several attributes of the Cheatr cam. The broad power range, the stealth sound, and the ability to keep stock manifolds are all appealing. There's a good chance I'll end up going with that.

So say I do go with the Cheatr cam, and a set of ported 243 heads.

*WARNING. I am about to ask entirely too many questions and I hope you can all bear with me here.*

I see on one of the websites several different 243 heads listed.

CNC Ported 243 LS6 / LS2 2.02"/1.57" 64cc Heads
CNC Ported 243 LS6 / LS2 2.08"/1.60" 64cc Heads
CNC Ported 243 LS6 / LS2 2.055"/1.57" 64cc Heads

And they either come bare or assembled with: Patriot Gold Dual .650” Lift springs, titanium retainers, Super 7 machined locks, custom honed bronze guides, machined spring bases, and viton rubber seals.

What the hell am I looking at here? I assume I want 64cc instead of the higher compression 59cc, but the other specs have me clueless. And will the already assembled valve train they list work well with the Cheatr cam?

And if you couldn't already see this coming, rockers and pushrods will be my next question

99 Blue Bird

iTrader: (3)

The differences in the heads listed are valve sizes. The first head listed uses 2.02" intake valves and 1.57" exhaust valves. So the next head would just have bigger valves. I think you would be fine with the first heads listed. As far as the 64cc combustion chamber goes you don't want to much compression cuz we can only get 91 octave here out of the pump so try not to go higher than 10:8.1. And for pushrods go with a chromoly pushrod and just upgrade the trunion on the stock rockers.

3rdCoastPowerSports

iTrader: (5)

you dont need headers, will they help? yes but do you need them, no. actually the z06 LS6 manifolds flow just like shorty headers and i even read an article with dyno number compaining them to 1 5/8 headers and they were very close in numbers, not enough to justify the price for me. Now the 1 3/4 kooks headers they tested made the manifolds and the 1 5/8 headers look like crap. i was going to build a budget 224r build since i live in cali. I figured out it was going to cost me more to build the 224R cam motor correctly so i just decided to go with a much larger cam and ported heads... more power, not smog passable but who cares just find a friendly smog guy.

and yeas one day i plan on buying 1 3/4 kooks headers (just alot of cash for me at the moment)

Darkman

iTrader: (2)

I have no direct experience with the Cailfornia smog limits, but I did build a "max effort with stock exhaust manifolds LS6" under the supervision of PatrickG. The cam you need will not have equal intake/exhaust durations. Mine, for example, is 218/230 with 0.600 lift. I strongly suggest you look at custom cams, or cams recommended by a Sponsor specifically for stock manifolds and smog.

MrElectric03

iTrader: (71)

First I had almost full bolt ons(except longtubes and electric water pump), went to small cam similar to the cheater and made a little under 380rwhp with an M6...cant find the exact numbers. Car wasnt much fun to drive, lacked power, and wasnt very responsive.

Then I stepped up and got a custom cam specd by PatG which was a 226/232 113+2, added ARH longtubes, TSP stg 2.5 5.3 heads and a ported FAST 92 with a NW 92mm TB and SVO30 injectors and made 443rwhp/397 rwtq through the 10 bolt. This combo took alot of tuning and still never quite ran right and wasnt much fun to drive with the lack of low end torque.

Next after talking with my tuner he specd me a new cam. A 235/240 112+4, also had him build me a 347 with forged rods and pistons. I swapped the heads and everything over, broke it in and we dyno'd it. It made 475 rwhp and 435 rwtq. The driveability was FAR better than the 226/232 and low end torque made it alot of fun to drive. I really loved this setup, I ended up buying a ZO6 and put the stock motor back in the Trans Am and sold it, that motor is now in my 98 Formula race car with an Victor Jr/4500 TB on it and 1 7/8" headers.

Krazedkuniva

iTrader: (3)

You think if I paid Pat G he would have no problem walking me through all this and getting me set up perfectly with a custom cam? I'm going back and forth between the Cheatr cam and a custom one.

And the Cheatr is spec'd out pretty close to yours I think.

" CheaTR v.3" - 219/230 .607/.604 117 LSA.

One day, if I move away to a different state, I would do LTs. But I've came to the conclusion that just about anything but LTs aren't worth the minimal gains for the price. And my car is already loud and gets plenty of unwanted attention.. I don't want to increase this lol.

Wow that last one sounds like a nice set up. You never got hassled by the cops with that one? Sounds like it would be loud. I've been pulled over before for loud exhaust in a Lincoln Mark VIII with just exhaust, I can't imagine how many times I would get pulled over with that lol.

Darkman

iTrader: (2)

Yes, that is what he does.



Guerra Motorsports

http://www.guerragroup.com/motorsports.htm
Phone number: 361-576-5917
114 Spokane Avenue
Victoria, TX 77904

Krazedkuniva

iTrader: (3)

Alright I will get his professional input before I pull the trigger then. How does this cart look?



Did I cover everything? Did I get more than I need? And are those pushrods the correct length? I'm not ordering yet, just wanting to get an idea on the price and what I need.

The camshaft & cylinder head swap gasket package comes with: GM LS1 Cylinder Head Gaskets (left and right side,) GM Intake Manifold Gasket Set, GM Exhaust Manifold Gaskets, GM EGR Gaskets, GM Valve Cover Gaskets, GM Vapor Vent Pipe Seals, GM Water Pump Gaskets, GM Front Cover Seal, GM Front Cover Gasket, GM EGR Seals, GM Harmonic Balancer Bolt

Darkman

iTrader: (2)

The standard advice on the push rods is to measure first and then buy. For example, I suspect (but do not know) that your push rods will need to be more like 7.425 than 7.400 based on the change in cam base circle.

MrElectric03

iTrader: (71)

The exhaust was a dual 3" with a flowmaster merge into a single 4" pipe and a magnaflow muffler with dual outlets. It was very loud and throaty. I drove that car with that setup for over 2 years and got pulled over once. I told the CHP I just had it installed that day and hated it and was going to go back to get it changed the next day and he let me go. You just have to be smart about your driving habits and keep your foot out of it when you are around a cop.

And yes for sure measure your pushrod length and then buy them.

tumadre

cali sucks lol a friend of mine just got reff over his LT's

I wonder if its possible to fab up a heat shield cover non coated long tubes.