Cam vs More bolt ons
Thread Starter
10 Second Club
Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Hurley, VA
Cam vs More bolt ons I've got a friend thats planning to do a 228r cam. Hes got 1000 bucks to spend on it for parts (I'm doing the work for free). His plan is get everything from TSP with a mail order tune. Heres the thing. The car has the stock 3.42s, LS1 intake, pulley, and no ram air. I personally think he should do rest of the bolt ons and then go for the cam later. What do you guys think? Its a 2000 SS M6 by the way. Only mods are a lid, longtubes, and a dumped exhaust. What do you guys think?
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Michigan
Yeah...that's not a bad setup for a cam. You can leave the ls1 intake, underdrive pully is somewhat common to leave. Headers, lid, exhaust is crucial. As is a DYNO tune, a mail order tune is good for.bolt-ons, not internals by any means. The faster he can get a ls6 intake the better(15-20hp over stock). Plus its cheap and easy. Gears would be nice with the underpully the least of.his concerns. A lid is efficient enough for good flow over the stock **** lid.
gotta agree with justin, I had a 228r cam in my old z28 (4K stalled auto ) headers, duals, dumped, 12 bolt with 373s made 387hp/367 torque ran great no other mods, I think he'd be good, just get a ls6 manifold
Thread Starter
10 Second Club
Joined: Jan 2010
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From: Hurley, VA
Thats the thing. If he cams it it definately won't see a LS6 or a dyno tune. Basically he has 1000 bucks to spend and our closest tuner is about 5 hours away which would be a fairly expensive trip.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Mar 2011
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From: Maryland
Seems like it's ready for the cam other than the intake, probably will be leaving some power behind with it but I'm sure it will work until the time comes to upgrade. A mail order tune I think would work decent for a cam only setup, but I wouldn't get it expecting it to be as perfect as a good dyno tune.
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Is he gonna race it?
He has an advantage being a m6, but if he is only spending 1000, id do bolt ons instead. If he does a cam, hes not gonna get the same powergains as he would with a cam+bolt on car.
Then if he does a cam, hes gonna have to worry about getting it tuned, loosing a couple mpg's, keeping an eye on the 10 bolt, etc...
Do bolt ons first. Everyone else does for a reason.
He has an advantage being a m6, but if he is only spending 1000, id do bolt ons instead. If he does a cam, hes not gonna get the same powergains as he would with a cam+bolt on car.
Then if he does a cam, hes gonna have to worry about getting it tuned, loosing a couple mpg's, keeping an eye on the 10 bolt, etc...
Do bolt ons first. Everyone else does for a reason.
Not all. ewp, gear, fast 90, !weight. What does his car run in the 1/4? If it does not run 11's then it's not a decent bolt-on car yet. It will just be another under performing half assed cam only car.
IMHO. If I were going to do a cam, I would want to do it right, which means I would have well over $1000 in it. With ls7 lifters, ls2 lifter trays, trunnion upgrade, pushrods, ls2 chain, ls6 oil pump, gaskets, crank bolt and springs. All that being a must. That's probably around $800 in parts plus the cost of the cam. Then you have a decent tune which would put you over $1000. He would need an ls6 intake to really benefit the most. I would save another $600 or $800 then do the cam with everything.
Last edited by duweller; Feb 17, 2013 at 07:42 PM.
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 14
Likes: 1
From: Peru Illinois
It wouldnt be bad if he put the cam in now. He would see better numbers with an intake and the rest of the bolt ons but he has the essential suporting mods for cam. He wold also get faster with gears. Itll get you in that powerband quicker and get it moving.
He has a great start with the mods id save a little more and then do the swap. Depending on miles make sure to maybe do the timing chain as well. i wouldnt go mail order tune a good tuner is going to spend quality time with your ride to make sure every perameter of your powerband, cold starts, hot starts, etc. Thats why they make the big buck haha good luck
Get the cam! I have the same exact bolt ons, Long tubes, air lid and exhaust and i just finished the TSP 228r 114 lsa and brian tooley dual springs and i couldn't be happier. The car sounds sick, got a nice lope to it and i noticed a very decent power increase. I only have a mail order tune as well, but here is a suggestion... I didn't specify idle speed and they set it at about 860 and my motor doesn't lope as much as i would like so id specify an idle around 800. Also, make sure you include in that 1000 a comp cams trunion upgrade because your stock rockers will not handle that extra lift, its only 130 and its worth it not having to worry about needle bearings falling everywhere in your motor. I had a rocker fail and spill needles after only 50 miles, had to rip apart entire motor with it in the car and cleaned it out. then got the upgrade. you don't want to have to do that....
Seems to me aside from the intake, the boltons you have left are not going to be as cost effective, or net the same gains as a cam. I would go cam, but also do an ls6 intake at the same time since the intake is coming off anyway. On a side note, has anyone ever worked over an ls1 intake? Porting the runners, porting the mouth for an 80/85 tb, and removing the pillars? I would think it would help the top end a good bit.