5.3 with big spinmonster cam?
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Teching In
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5.3 with big spinmonster cam? I have a bone stock 2000 5.3 in a s10 truck. I started building a 370 for another truck and got a good deal on a spinmonster 230/234 .613 .598 lift 114+2 cam ghat doesn't seem to fit my all out build quite right so I know everybody says this cam is way to big for a 5.3 but it's just sitting on the shelf and has my curiosity up. What if I put it in this bone stock engine? Will it run on stock tune? Will the cam be so big it actually loses power? Anybody got any input on this? I mean really it won't cost anything but time to swap it out other than my time just to see what happens
It's large enough that it will have no power until 3500 - or possibly as high as 5000 rpm. It will probably feel worse than a stock cam below 3000 rpm, drive pretty terribly.
You might get it to run on the stock tune, but that won't be saying much. I was able to get the mods in my sig to run on a stock tune, but that is a 346 with heads and cam better matched. You can always try it if you really want. Worst that'll happen is you don't like it and swap it back and get an oil leak you can't quite get to stop.
You might get it to run on the stock tune, but that won't be saying much. I was able to get the mods in my sig to run on a stock tune, but that is a 346 with heads and cam better matched. You can always try it if you really want. Worst that'll happen is you don't like it and swap it back and get an oil leak you can't quite get to stop.
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Joined: Sep 2014
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From: Mississippi
If you get stuck with that cam you'll need a lot of stall speed/rear gear to take advantage of the cam... but again who want to drive around all the time with a 8 inch stall?
I wouldn't for a vehicle that's go see a lot of street miles.
I wouldn't for a vehicle that's go see a lot of street miles.
Thread Starter
Teching In
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I just figured what the hell it's sitting there might as well try it and see what happens. This truck sees very little street use anymore. Just something to play with. If the power came in at 3500 that would be ok with me as long as it was a overall improvement over the stock cam as far as power goes. Also forgot to add the truck already has a 3400 stall converter
Last edited by myv8s10; May 4, 2015 at 06:18 AM. Reason: forgot to add something
That converter will help. The other thing that'll help is compression. If you put the cam in and decide to just work with it, you'll want to port/polish/mill the heads to get the most out of that cam.
You'll end up north of $2K trying to make that cam work for you.
You'll end up north of $2K trying to make that cam work for you.
Maybe this post will help:
I have since started to cam 5.3's a bit differently than I used to. I have experimented with smaller cam grinds in 5.3's especially in heavier trucks and SUV's with great success.
Even though the piston speed is identical and even though piston position is identical, swept volume is not. The amount of volume we have to fill the cylinder is smaller and as you pointed out as well the compression is lower.
Because of the swept volume being less and cylinder pressure being lower, one must close the intake valve earlier and open the exhaust valve later to retain as much useful cylinder pressure as possible and to maximize torque. I now feel that a lot of people over cam 5.3 engines and especially so in trucks.
IMO to successfully run a 224/228 duration cam in a 5.3 truck you would need at least a 3600 stall and 4.10 gears. Some of these 228R and 228/232 cammed trucks need a 4000 stall and 4.56 gears IMO.
I have several smaller 213/217, 215/215, 215/219, 217/221 and 219/223 cams I use in trucks with great success. I get a lot of customers that call me and say, "My buddy just bought a cam from you for his 5.3 truck and he's blowing my doors off, but I have a bigger cam and make more power on the dyno."
That seems to be at least for me a reoccurring theme lately. Even with 5.3's in general and not just in trucks. I have a lot of customers with 5.3 swaps in 5.0 Fox Body Mustangs that spray 150-250hp worth of nitrous. None of those cams are over 229 intake duration and all of those cars run 9.60's-10.20's in the 1/4 mile respectively. I've re-cammed several 5.3 engines in Fox Body Mustangs and G-bodies that have picked up very well over their previous larger camshaft.
Even though the piston speed is identical and even though piston position is identical, swept volume is not. The amount of volume we have to fill the cylinder is smaller and as you pointed out as well the compression is lower.
Because of the swept volume being less and cylinder pressure being lower, one must close the intake valve earlier and open the exhaust valve later to retain as much useful cylinder pressure as possible and to maximize torque. I now feel that a lot of people over cam 5.3 engines and especially so in trucks.
IMO to successfully run a 224/228 duration cam in a 5.3 truck you would need at least a 3600 stall and 4.10 gears. Some of these 228R and 228/232 cammed trucks need a 4000 stall and 4.56 gears IMO.
I have several smaller 213/217, 215/215, 215/219, 217/221 and 219/223 cams I use in trucks with great success. I get a lot of customers that call me and say, "My buddy just bought a cam from you for his 5.3 truck and he's blowing my doors off, but I have a bigger cam and make more power on the dyno."
That seems to be at least for me a reoccurring theme lately. Even with 5.3's in general and not just in trucks. I have a lot of customers with 5.3 swaps in 5.0 Fox Body Mustangs that spray 150-250hp worth of nitrous. None of those cams are over 229 intake duration and all of those cars run 9.60's-10.20's in the 1/4 mile respectively. I've re-cammed several 5.3 engines in Fox Body Mustangs and G-bodies that have picked up very well over their previous larger camshaft.
