IRNMADN

I appreciate the advice. I'm not pulling the trigger on the cam until I'm 100% comfortable knowing it will meet my goals.
I filled out the cam request card on Comp Cams site and just waiting for their suggestion.
As far as the first cam you are saying won't pass.... I had asked the tuner and AI both about it after concerns were raised and both said it shouldn't be a problem. On the Vette forum, a member close to me was asking why I was gonna run a cam that mild and said he runs X cam and still passes.
I honestly don't have a clue on cams so it's why I'm listening to everyones advice. Problem is, it seems like it starts sounding like opinions and we all know what that means. lol
I'm gonna take my time on this and hopefully make the correct choice. Feel free to keep chiming in. I appreciate the help.

mchicia1

iTrader: (5)

Are you in California? Where are you trying to pass smog exactly?

What I would do is contact some of the cam gurus and see what they have to say. Get a 2nd and 3rd opinion.

I'd contact:

Ed Curtis of flowtech
Martin @ tick performance
Patrick G on here

See what they have to say.

IRNMADN

yes. California.

Ed Curtis

You would be probably be shocked on the actual camshaft that will pass emissions and still make a lot of steam with Phil's cylinder heads.

As noted by another post, bigger ain't always better.

IRNMADN

Thanks for chiming in Ed. Phil? Is he with AI? I've only emailed their customer service but don't remember who replied.

Can you be more specific on your comment? If in the post isn't appropriate, maybe by pm. Just not sure if you are saying that the 224/236 -115 lsa ,610/.605 cam they suggested is the proper choice for their 226cc 243 heads. Or if a different cam would be the right choice.

99 Blue Bird

iTrader: (3)

If Mark said it will pass than it will pass. I know of a MS3 car he tuned and it passed with stock manifolds/ cats. The cam in my Sig passes CA smog with no sweat as well. I chose to go with a cam more suited for exhaust manifolds because I got tired of taking my headers off for smog and I was not gonna pay $250+ for a smog.

I have not had my car tuned since I rebuilt the motor so I can't give you any numbers but with stock manifolds, y pipe, cats, air lid, and tb I can tell you this car makes way more tq and power than my car did before with long tubes and true dials and all that other crap. As soon as I give it gas from a dead stop it's on the rev limiter instantly. I need to get it tuned becausea couple other fbody cars iI have ran I have put car lengths on. But honestly I have lost all interest in these cars so I will probably never know what it's full potential is.

mchicia1

iTrader: (5)

Great point about the manifolds. I am running ls7 manifolds on my own car. It's a very easy swap in a c5 and costs next to nothing.

Here is a great how to thread....he even shows how to adapt the air tube system.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/sout...sion-pics.html

Ed Curtis

Phil = AI

Run their heads - they are fine.

As for cam specs, I don't comment on here. Too much drama.

IRNMADN

Got my cam suggestion from Comp Cams.
They suggest a 226/226~111LSA .598/.598 custom grind cam

Uhg! So darned confused. AI was 224/236~115LSA .610/.605
Not sure I will ever feel like I'm getting the best advice as they are all so different.
Factor in that cam grinds are a foreign language to me!!!!

99Bluz28

iTrader: (35)

IMO, unless your tuner is going to clearly tell you it'll pass SMOG with that cam, and back it up with a guarantee I wouldn't hold your breath. IMO, if you really want it to pass SMOG sniffer legally then you need to go with a smaller cam. Then later if you still want more power go with a SMOG legal Forced Induction kit. Also your not getting any hard proven facts in this thread about what cam will pass SMOG: it's all still just opinions (me included).

Here's a cam I overlooked that I feel would still be a good option for you.
Tick Street Heat stage 1: http://www.tickperformance.com/tick-...1-ls6-engines/

99 Blue Bird

iTrader: (3)

The cam comp cams recommended you will not pass the sniffer either without having to jump through hoops. Look if you want a cam that will pass the sniffer WITHOUT having to take your headers on and off and putting your stock manifolds and cats back on you need to have a much smaller cam than any of these guys will recommend for you. 99% of the companies that you will tell you need a cam to pass smog will not have any experience with any cams of this nature because there is like 5 states in all of the US that require smog and California is the strictest. Now if you decide you don't want to take your car apart every 2 years but still want to cam your car you will need to go with a wider split cam to make up for you not using headers.

It sounds like you need to do some research. Your gonna get a thousand different answers. Pick a plan and stick to it. Than deal with whatever comes of it.

If you wanted my opinion I would not even bother with modding a car that needs to be smogged. Save your money and go with a P1SC procharger kit. It completely smog legal and bolt on.

IRNMADN

I have a stock first year LS1. Even swapping in a Z06 LS6 cam would be a good improvement over what I have now. I am pretty confident that I'm gonna be good on the visual side of the emissions testing. So I should be ok to keep the headers on for good. But, back to the cam.
Maybe I will start calling some of the Vette shops around town. See what they have installed in their customers C5s.

IRNMADN

??? Are you in California? Just looked at your sig. You have the AI 226cc 243 heads as well?

JakeFusion

iTrader: (7)

That advice for the Procharger is probably the best advice in the thread. You'll be faster with that vs ported heads and a tiny cam.

IRNMADN

I'm not concerned with being faster than the next guy. Mid 400s will be plenty fast enough for what I want out of the car. If I go with a supercharger, the rest of my drivetrain is gonna start needing to be built up with the 500+ beating it will be taking.
I'm already expecting that a new clutch will be in short order after the heads/cam/headers upgrade. I want to slowly upgrade the drivetrain as needed.
Phil at AI is pretty confident in both that the 224/236 cam will pass if tuned and that it will produce mid 400hp with his 243 heads. Gonna run it by my tuner again and see what response I get.

99 Blue Bird

iTrader: (3)

Yes I'm in California. And in northern California. And I completely know who mark Romans is. And yes I have the heads in my Sig. That's why I'm trying to give you some advice lol. I have been through all this stuff millions of times. And switched my setups millions of times because I got tired of dealing with all the smog drama and decided to build a smog combo that passes everytime and I don't ever need to touch my car and just pay $40 dollars for a smog. It gets old real fast trying to hide and cover things up to pass smog or returning your car back to stock to smog it.

IRNMADN

I just sent Mark a text asking if that 224/236 115lsa cam will pass. As I said in the last post, Phil at AI says it should and will put me in the mid 400s.
Mark responded saying if my cats are good, it will pass.
What's up with the cam you have now? What power is your car making? Is that the new smog friendly cam you are talking about? Are you running headers?

IRNMADN

Here's one for you guys. Tony Mamo ported 243 heads or AI ported 243 heads???

IRNMADN

Im asking because the Mamo heads are 230cc CNC and hand port vs the AI's 226cc CNC porting. Also the Mamo(AFR) heads use aftermarket valves in the 2.02/1.57 size vs the factory valves. Just has me thinking maybe having Tony Mamo doing my heads is the way to go. He also suggested a 223/227-115+2 or 114+2 cam.

dr_whigham

iTrader: (49)

Move out of the Communist Capital State. That'll save you the most money, and guarantee you the most power in the long run...