5.3 with tsp224r cam?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 22
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From: Central MA
5.3 with tsp224r cam? Im thinking about ordering a tsp224r cam and an sct pro racer tune or efi live for my 99 silverado 1500 5.3. All it has right now is a cold air intake and flowmaster exhaust, otherwise bone stock drivetrain. What would i need to make this work? I've read about getting an ls2 timing chain, ls6 oil pump, and new springs. My motor has 140xxx miles. would new push rods be a good idea? And lifters? what would you guys recommend for all this? What else would you recommend? Who has done this before with a truck? thanks
ls2 timing chain (maybe gears too if yours are worn)
ls6 oil pump (ported preferably)
new springs
hardened pushrods
you have to pull heads for lifters, so I would steer away from that unless you upgrade heads too
you will need a good street or dyno tune and a higher stall aftermarket torque converter for that size cam IMO
if you don't want to touch the converter, get a smaller cam and all the same above still applies unless you go down to something real small like the Cam Motion drop in cam I run (it only really needs cheap ls6 valvesprings for $40 and a tune) but the other stuff isn't a bad idea anyway
ls6 oil pump (ported preferably)
new springs
hardened pushrods
you have to pull heads for lifters, so I would steer away from that unless you upgrade heads too
you will need a good street or dyno tune and a higher stall aftermarket torque converter for that size cam IMO
if you don't want to touch the converter, get a smaller cam and all the same above still applies unless you go down to something real small like the Cam Motion drop in cam I run (it only really needs cheap ls6 valvesprings for $40 and a tune) but the other stuff isn't a bad idea anyway
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 93
Likes: 1
From: Arkansas
I ran that in my 2000 gmc 5.3 long tubes full exhaust and electric fans with 3600 stall nice cam I liked it! 317 rwhp and 310 tq factory intake and heads nothing fancy but it was fun and street able 11.52 1000 ft on 22s with nitrous converter and 10.69 on 125 shot... I would upgrade to ls7 lifters buy the cam kit from tsp it'll come with springs and pushrods, revmax convertors are cheaper but I liked mine a lot. Set of 243s or 799 heads would help and you can pick them up pretty reasonably priced, might give Martin a call at tick perfomance and have him spec you a cam I think I he could do better, but overall the 224 is a good cam!
Last edited by Csnell3732; Sep 17, 2014 at 07:45 PM.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Central MA
Thanks for the replies. Another question, do any of u guys have experience with that b&m shift improver? I've heard good and bad things and its like $40 so i was wondering if its a good buy?
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 93
Likes: 1
From: Arkansas
Not worth messing with if you are gonna do a cam swap the tuner can adjust all your transmisson pressures and how it shifts, and when
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 22
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From: Central MA
ls2 timing chain (maybe gears too if yours are worn)
ls6 oil pump (ported preferably)
new springs
hardened pushrods
you have to pull heads for lifters, so I would steer away from that unless you upgrade heads too
you will need a good street or dyno tune and a higher stall aftermarket torque converter for that size cam IMO
if you don't want to touch the converter, get a smaller cam and all the same above still applies unless you go down to something real small like the Cam Motion drop in cam I run (it only really needs cheap ls6 valvesprings for $40 and a tune) but the other stuff isn't a bad idea anyway
ls6 oil pump (ported preferably)
new springs
hardened pushrods
you have to pull heads for lifters, so I would steer away from that unless you upgrade heads too
you will need a good street or dyno tune and a higher stall aftermarket torque converter for that size cam IMO
if you don't want to touch the converter, get a smaller cam and all the same above still applies unless you go down to something real small like the Cam Motion drop in cam I run (it only really needs cheap ls6 valvesprings for $40 and a tune) but the other stuff isn't a bad idea anyway
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Yes I do. I used to have a 230/224 and the car was a nightmare to drive with the stock converter. In a 5.3 it would be worse and in a truck it would be even worse still.
The absolute biggest I would go on a stock converter would be something like Brian Tooley's stage 2 (212/218 iirc).
I really like my Cam Motion drop in truck cam, picked up huge power in the places I use it...idle to 6000rpm. And even with it, the truck really wants either a slightly larger converter or some 4.10 gears to really wake it up.
The absolute biggest I would go on a stock converter would be something like Brian Tooley's stage 2 (212/218 iirc).
I really like my Cam Motion drop in truck cam, picked up huge power in the places I use it...idle to 6000rpm. And even with it, the truck really wants either a slightly larger converter or some 4.10 gears to really wake it up.
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with the lockup in the converter, a high stall converter doesn't really use that much more gas. After its been in for a little while you won't hardly even notice it any more
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Central MA
Yes I do. I used to have a 230/224 and the car was a nightmare to drive with the stock converter. In a 5.3 it would be worse and in a truck it would be even worse still.
The absolute biggest I would go on a stock converter would be something like Brian Tooley's stage 2 (212/218 iirc).
I really like my Cam Motion drop in truck cam, picked up huge power in the places I use it...idle to 6000rpm. And even with it, the truck really wants either a slightly larger converter or some 4.10 gears to really wake it up.
The absolute biggest I would go on a stock converter would be something like Brian Tooley's stage 2 (212/218 iirc).
I really like my Cam Motion drop in truck cam, picked up huge power in the places I use it...idle to 6000rpm. And even with it, the truck really wants either a slightly larger converter or some 4.10 gears to really wake it up.
Last edited by 99.RCSB.LM7; Sep 23, 2014 at 09:52 PM.
No headers on the truck? I would def be looking at getting those ASAP. Speed Engineering just came out with some nice stainless longtubes for $230. I will be getting some very shortly.
Mine is the Cam Motion Stage 2 drop in cam. See this thread for dyno, full review, and sound clip: https://ls1tech.com/forums/dynamomet...hp-22rwtq.html
Mine is the Cam Motion Stage 2 drop in cam. See this thread for dyno, full review, and sound clip: https://ls1tech.com/forums/dynamomet...hp-22rwtq.html
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 93
Likes: 1
From: Arkansas
Speed engineering headers fit great on the fbodys! I've had 3 sets so far and stainless steel no issues what so ever like thunderstruck said, I can't vouch for the truck headers but I don't see why they wouldn't be great headers like the fbodys! Look into Revmax if your on a budget for stall, 400 bucks I believe for 2200-4000 stall If I remember right! No issues and they have good customer service, I wouldn't go much bigger than the 224r cam on a 5.3 just start getting into to much cam for the cubic inches, had a buddy run the 228r and it was a slouch with his 5.3 but he also was on factory conveter, 228r is the biggest I would go if you wanted something more radical
Last edited by Csnell3732; Sep 24, 2014 at 05:41 PM.