I need camshaft help!! Please
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Teching In
Joined: Apr 2014
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I need camshaft help!! Please I'm new to the forum and pretty new to ls stuff in general. I have a 97 2wd single cab tacoma that I 5.3 4l60e swapped. The only mods currently done to it are custom 1 3/4" long tubes, exhaust, elec fans and an intake. I'm looking for some advice on a cam choice for the truck. It weights about 2700 lbs, it has 3.73 rear axle and a 27" tall tire. I plan on going into the heads in the near future, as well as a stall converter. I drive it quite often. Mostly highway and back roads. I do want to take it to the track. Tuning is not an issue. I've gotten a couple of recommendations from comp. etc. but I really don't agree with them. They have all been for little 218/220 ish cams. I personally think Id be leaving a lot on the table. I've been considering Brian tooleys stage 1 ls na cam. 223/230 .610"/.573" 115+2 . Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Last edited by jweyhrauch; Dec 19, 2014 at 07:15 PM.
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 17
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From: ATL, GA
Slightly different direction Just going to hit you from another direction because LS heads are so awesome.
I would work the heads before deciding on the cam because if you increase flow 25cfm that is like 50HP and then you can do some fuel curve changes and that could really be killer.
Remember the engine is an air pump and that is what gets it done bigger cams only access the same head flow for a little longer and usually kill bottom end if they are not designed to the cylinder head flow.
25 years on the Chassis DYno gives me a different perspective than most.
Mark@AlienChassisDYno.com
I would work the heads before deciding on the cam because if you increase flow 25cfm that is like 50HP and then you can do some fuel curve changes and that could really be killer.
Remember the engine is an air pump and that is what gets it done bigger cams only access the same head flow for a little longer and usually kill bottom end if they are not designed to the cylinder head flow.
25 years on the Chassis DYno gives me a different perspective than most.
Mark@AlienChassisDYno.com
Is that weight right? 2700lbs?
Much different application but I made the mistake of cam before stall and while the car drove fine it gained no performance at the track. 2700lbs and 3.73s might change make it matter less but I still think it is important.
On the heads first, while I wholly agree heads are the single biggest source of HP on an engine I have also seen cases where tiny little stock cams can not use any more than stock flow.
Take for instance the 5.3l engines from 06-08 they gained what 15hp with the new intake with bigger TB, and an upgrade to 243 heads. I don't know all the cam specs and compression so I won't claim this is a complete picture, but a GM power train engineer told me the intake/TB were worth 6hp by themselves.
Point being I think with a stock truck cam heads won't shine, give it even a mild aftermarket cam and good ported heads and the gains can be huge and make such a lite vehicle feel like a rocket.
Edit:
Went and googled 5.3 cam specs and came up with this.
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/...st-comparison/
Huge difference in the 5.3 cam vs the LS1 car cam so while a car might make substantial gains with heads alone I don't think a truck will, .030" less lift and 11degrees less intake duration are a big deal.
Much different application but I made the mistake of cam before stall and while the car drove fine it gained no performance at the track. 2700lbs and 3.73s might change make it matter less but I still think it is important.
On the heads first, while I wholly agree heads are the single biggest source of HP on an engine I have also seen cases where tiny little stock cams can not use any more than stock flow.
Take for instance the 5.3l engines from 06-08 they gained what 15hp with the new intake with bigger TB, and an upgrade to 243 heads. I don't know all the cam specs and compression so I won't claim this is a complete picture, but a GM power train engineer told me the intake/TB were worth 6hp by themselves.
Point being I think with a stock truck cam heads won't shine, give it even a mild aftermarket cam and good ported heads and the gains can be huge and make such a lite vehicle feel like a rocket.
Edit:
Went and googled 5.3 cam specs and came up with this.
http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/...st-comparison/
Huge difference in the 5.3 cam vs the LS1 car cam so while a car might make substantial gains with heads alone I don't think a truck will, .030" less lift and 11degrees less intake duration are a big deal.
Last edited by 96capricemgr; Dec 21, 2014 at 06:51 AM.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,324
Likes: 6
From: Marengo, Ia
Just going to hit you from another direction because LS heads are so awesome.
I would work the heads before deciding on the cam because if you increase flow 25cfm that is like 50HP and then you can do some fuel curve changes and that could really be killer.
Remember the engine is an air pump and that is what gets it done bigger cams only access the same head flow for a little longer and usually kill bottom end if they are not designed to the cylinder head flow.
25 years on the Chassis DYno gives me a different perspective than most.
Mark@AlienChassisDYno.com
I would work the heads before deciding on the cam because if you increase flow 25cfm that is like 50HP and then you can do some fuel curve changes and that could really be killer.
Remember the engine is an air pump and that is what gets it done bigger cams only access the same head flow for a little longer and usually kill bottom end if they are not designed to the cylinder head flow.
25 years on the Chassis DYno gives me a different perspective than most.
Mark@AlienChassisDYno.com
Also 96capricemgr, I didn't think that 2700 lb number sounded right either so I googled it and it's stock curb weight is only 2560 lbs so 2700 seems pretty believable.
Last edited by Fry_; Dec 21, 2014 at 11:26 AM.
