How high to butterfly?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2014
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How high to butterfly? I have been rebuilding a L33 5.3 with 799 heads. My build theme has been to optimize (rather than maximize) the engine for street use. Intended for a 70 Vette as an occasional driver, I have ported and polished the heads with no plans to shave them, planning long tubes and now I have been considering the cam. Wanting a quiet action or 'easier on the valve train' cam I have been looking at lobes from EPS but have gotten curious about a custom Texas LXL. As I push the buttons for various cam sizes on the Texas custom website I have begun to wonder if there is a rule of thumb regarding how much lift one can have before butterflying the flat top pistons becomes necessary. I realize lsa and isl play a major role in events, but my curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask.
It's not the lift that gets you, it's the duration. Maybe to a greater extent, it's the advance ground into the cam. What you call butterflying , we call fly cutting.
Speedtigger posted a piston to valve calculator for Excel. Search this forum for it and plug in the cam numbers you are considering.
Speedtigger posted a piston to valve calculator for Excel. Search this forum for it and plug in the cam numbers you are considering.
I have been rebuilding a L33 5.3 with 799 heads. My build theme has been to optimize (rather than maximize) the engine for street use. Intended for a 70 Vette as an occasional driver, I have ported and polished the heads with no plans to shave them, planning long tubes and now I have been considering the cam. Wanting a quiet action or 'easier on the valve train' cam I have been looking at lobes from EPS but have gotten curious about a custom Texas LXL. As I push the buttons for various cam sizes on the Texas custom website I have begun to wonder if there is a rule of thumb regarding how much lift one can have before butterflying the flat top pistons becomes necessary. I realize lsa and isl play a major role in events, but my curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 12
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This is my first build. Please pardon my inexperience here. I believe I have a LS6 intake. It came along as bonus in the purchase of the engine along with the original 05 truck manifold. The transmission is a rebuilt 700r4 with a 2400 stall.
Looking at your combination, your stall converter will limit your cam choice to a cam where piston-to-valve clearance shouldn't be an issue. For what you are doing, I would pick this cam:
http://store.cammotion.com/the-titan1
It will have great midrange torque and pull strong to 6200-6500 in your 5.3 with ported heads. This cam will also be very easy on the valve train. Cam Motion is known for this. Just order some good hardened pushrods and matching valve springs.
http://store.cammotion.com/the-titan1
It will have great midrange torque and pull strong to 6200-6500 in your 5.3 with ported heads. This cam will also be very easy on the valve train. Cam Motion is known for this. Just order some good hardened pushrods and matching valve springs.
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If you were already looking at EPS, just call Geoff and he can spec you something that will do everything you want. He gets his cams ground by Cam Motion so you will still get the good cam core and precision grinding (along with a Cam Dr sheet so you KNOW your cam is right). Alternatively you could call Cam Motion and they can do the same.
If you were already looking at EPS, just call Geoff and he can spec you something that will do everything you want. He gets his cams ground by Cam Motion so you will still get the good cam core and precision grinding (along with a Cam Dr sheet so you KNOW your cam is right). Alternatively you could call Cam Motion and they can do the same.
Just because Cam Motion is grinding some of my cams doesn't mean that if you order from them that you are getting an "EPS" Camshaft. The process of me providing specifications for a specific combination and my lobe design belongs to me and me alone. If you want to get a 'clone', that is fine, but keep in mind that the end result won't necessarily be the same.
Point:
Just because Cam Motion is grinding some of my cams doesn't mean that if you order from them that you are getting an "EPS" Camshaft. The process of me providing specifications for a specific combination and my lobe design belongs to me and me alone. If you want to get a 'clone', that is fine, but keep in mind that the end result won't necessarily be the same.
Just because Cam Motion is grinding some of my cams doesn't mean that if you order from them that you are getting an "EPS" Camshaft. The process of me providing specifications for a specific combination and my lobe design belongs to me and me alone. If you want to get a 'clone', that is fine, but keep in mind that the end result won't necessarily be the same.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2011
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From: Marengo, Ia
Point: Just because Cam Motion is grinding some of my cams doesn't mean that if you order from them that you are getting an "EPS" Camshaft. The process of me providing specifications for a specific combination and my lobe design belongs to me and me alone. If you want to get a 'clone', that is fine, but keep in mind that the end result won't necessarily be the same.
Did not mean to create that kind of confusion. The point was just that the vendors like EPS are capable of many many more grinds than may be listed on their web catalog if the OP felt his options from that chosen vendor were too limited.
No worries. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't any confusion. Lately there have been several unethical vendors that have been pulling a "bait and switch" by using my name and selling something that isn't mine.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 12
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Whew. Glad that's all cleared up. Thanks everyone for your input. Gotta say I've spent a year reading every post and sticky, many several times and cam theory has gotta be the best game in town for motor heads. Gonna take all the thoughts and ponder for a few more days. Again, thanks so much.
Whew. Glad that's all cleared up. Thanks everyone for your input. Gotta say I've spent a year reading every post and sticky, many several times and cam theory has gotta be the best game in town for motor heads. Gonna take all the thoughts and ponder for a few more days. Again, thanks so much.
All without taking a toll on the valve train.
Engpwrsys.com
Point:
Just because Cam Motion is grinding some of my cams doesn't mean that if you order from them that you are getting an "EPS" Camshaft. The process of me providing specifications for a specific combination and my lobe design belongs to me and me alone. If you want to get a 'clone', that is fine, but keep in mind that the end result won't necessarily be the same.
Just because Cam Motion is grinding some of my cams doesn't mean that if you order from them that you are getting an "EPS" Camshaft. The process of me providing specifications for a specific combination and my lobe design belongs to me and me alone. If you want to get a 'clone', that is fine, but keep in mind that the end result won't necessarily be the same.