I like all my torque low and I am just not a top end racer. I have the degree wheel and dial gauges to degree my cam to the tee. I was wondering how to go about doing it. I guess I want all my goodies to be setup for 2k to 6k rpms, with more bias in the lower rpm scale. Should I install the cam stright up, or? What numbers should I look for at .050?

I believe I have this cam here as it has "0965" etched on it.

1998-2000 Camaro / Firebird
Lift E/I .500/.500
Dur @ .050 209/198
LSA 119.5
Timing 117/122


Thanks

P.S. I am "just" starting to look at how to degree a cam, so, if it is obvious, please go easy on me, lol.

 

I'm pretty sure that cam is advanced ~2° when installed dot-to-dot, so keep that in mind before throwing another 4° advance at it.

The ls-guy website says it has an intake centerline of 117°, giving it 2.5° of built-in advance.

 

The numbers I have say -2.5 (that's minus) advance. Don't recall where I got this, could only find one post on here from way back that confirms this number:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...year-ls1s.html

There's not much on the interwebz with the cam specs for those years, and what there is disagrees about the numbers. The stickies on here have links to some jpgs that aren't there any more.

 

The intake centerline is the point of peak tappet lift. If it happens to coincide with the lobe separation angle, the cam is straight up.

Your cam achieves peak tappet lift before the lobe separation angle, by 2.5°, thus moving all the events closer to top dead center, by 2.5°, and any change in the timing of the valve events that make them happen sooner (measured in degrees after top dead center) is considered advance.

Or at least that's my understanding of how this works.

 

I'm sure you realize you will need an appropriate timing set.

 

Looks like I need to learn how to decipher my lobes advance, or, lack of. Really should verify it my fact. Problem is, as of now, I have no idea how to do that. Guess I will just have to set aside a day to learn.

Yes. Though, I do not know what there is, I guess I am going to see if they make 1,2,3 and 4 degree offsets. I think there is just 2 and 4, but, thus another fork in the road on my journey


Is there an amount of advance I should aim for (no matter whats built into the cam), or, will that depend on where my lobes really are?

 

Cloyes Hex-a-just will give you whatever you want

 

I think that if you are advancing or retarding the cam more than 4°, then you have the wrong cam. That's just personal preference, though.

By my rule, that only leaves you 1.5° to advance, as I mean 4° total, not an additional 4° on top of what's built-in to the cam. I wouldn't advance a cam with 4° built-in to it.

I think if you're that far off of what you want, then get the proper cam for your goals.

 

Actually, I was looking into the crank sprocket and ls7 chain.



Well, to be honest, this engine is low buck build. It is lucky enough to get the sweat off my, well, you know, much less a $300 cam. Fact of the matter is, Its getting good, but scrounged new bearings, rings, lifters, timing chain and this cam I had laying around. The motor is a steel 5.3 that will be going in a retro car for a year while I build a 6.0 aluminum.....something. It will then go into a 4x4. I do not plan to tear the engine apart twice, so, I figured I would set the cam to get as much low end as possible (without getting too reTarded), then, its as good as its gonna get for the truck when I throw it in the truck.

Not knowing cams, this was a "what should I do with the stocker I have and how far is common sense to go with it?" question.

I believe all that is getting answered

Thanks

P.S> Yea, I dont think I have ever heard of anything past 4° total in any cam thread I have read to this date.

 

Ok. Now that I fully understand your intentions, I would say throw it in advanced the full 4° total, with whatever halfway decent timing chain that allows you to do so the cheapest. Should be a solid motor... Especially when you put a turbo on it, because, admit it, turbo trucks are cool.

 

Really?

Funny how a stock LS1 is SO robust, but, put in parts that are 10% better than stock and its deemed a sht build because its not laced in 14k gold parts from Lunati and SCAT.

P.S. Dont worry, it will hold up to the turbo. Its only a 1500w hair dryer plumbed inline. Should be good to go for a few passes to the grocery store.

 

Did I come off as being facetious? I wasn't being sarcastic. Maybe I am not understanding your response.

I am a huge fan of budget builds, and I like what you are doing with this. I think an iron 5.3 with a '99 camaro cam, advanced a total of 4°, would be an excellent place holder engine in a retro car while you build a 6.0L motor. I also think that exact same 5.3/advanced ls1 cam combination will do awesome in a truck. And I also think that exact same combo would behave very nicely with a turbo.

 

Sorry, no turbo on the truck.

I dunno..... I think 4d advance total is all thats needed in this case and I will leave it at that.

 

My stock 1998 cam was retarded 2 degrees, but the OEM timing chain had about 80k on it, and I have no idea how much slack was contributing to the retarding of the cam itself.

I'm not sure advancing the cam 4 degrees will make much difference. Worthwhile powerband of an LS1 ends before 6000 RPM, and given the same valve events, a 5.3 with an LS1 cam probably won't be too much different. Maybe the smaller displacement will move the powerband up 500 RPM? You won't know until you try it.

Back when I had a Ford engine in my Mustang, retarding the stock cam 4 degrees on a mostly stock 5.0 was worth 2mph of trap speed and by rule of thumb that was 20hp (1mph=10hp). Granted you are trying to go the opposite direction and are starting with an engine that has a much higher VE to begin with, so pushing the powerband the wrong direction probably won't hurt you much, but it is also unlikely to help.

Some measurements on stock cam install in my threads below:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...-1998-cam.html

https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...s-typical.html

 

The lower displacement isn't going to effect the powerband of the cam much because both the 5.3 and 5.7 have the same stroke. And both are pretty close in displacement anyways.

It is a noticeably larger cam, so I'm sure the OP will pick up some power. Advancing the cam is going to bring the powerband lower in the rpm range, which will be perfect for a retro street car, and even better in the truck, which the OP has already stated is this motor's final resting place.

 

Honestly after I saw you reply a couple days ago I decided I didn't want to get involved with this thread, but given that I actually have timed a stock 1998 cam, I figured I would answer. Now I kind of wish I had not.

Powerband is based on displacement and valve events as well as many other things, not just the stroke. Difference in displacement can come from either stroke or bore. The stroke is the same between the two engines so to take advantage of the longer intake open time and move the same amount of air as an LS1 with that valve event, a 5.3 has to spin faster than an LS1. Intake valve events have gotten longer with the extra 7 degrees of duration which will allow the engine to process the same or more air at those higher engine speeds. Therefore the 5.3 will be able to rev higher than an LS1.

The LS1 cam he has is a 198/209 119.5 and the 5.3 cams are, from the 5 minutes I spent on Google, 191/190 114. Seven degrees of intake duration is not noticeably larger, but the 5.5 degrees of lobe separation is huge, and frankly that extra separation is going to hurt the low end of a smaller displacement engine which also has longer intake valve events. This is why I say it is not going to make a significant difference by advancing the cam. If he does want to maximize the benefit of that cam, then the LS1 cam needs to be retarded to move the 5.3 powerband upwards, which is opposite of what he wants.

 

Thank you for the clarification. I will be the first to admit that I don't know ****.

I was thinking about the wider lobe separation angle, and it's effects on early torque production, but the OP already has the ls1 cam, and was asking the merits of advancing it when installed in his 5.3, so I chose not to muddy up this thread worrying about things that cannot be changed.

I don't think anyone has made the mistake of saying that the ls1 cam is in any way ideal for this application, but it should do fine given the OP's moderate goals.

 

OP, you just need to save up for a real cam and get some real gains.....

 

The OP already has the ls1 cam, and has already stated that this is more of a refresh than an actual build. This motor is a place holder in a retro street car until the OP builds the six liter motor he intends to put in said retro street car. Then, this particular refreshed place holder engine is going to be tossed in a truck.

Why are you telling the OP to spend real money on a real cam to get real gains, when he already has a cam that will work just fine for what this engine is going to be used for?

The OP never asked if you think he should purchase a new cam. The question at hand is what are the merits of advancing the ls1 cam in a 5.3L application?

As stated earlier, the 5.3 is going to have to spin faster just to "catch up" to the duration of the 5.7L cam. So advancing it should move the powerband to the left, lower in the rpm range, negating some of this aforementioned "catch up" the smaller motor has to do to use the larger cam. Even if it effectively cancels some of the benefits of the added duration, he still has more lift with the ls1 cam, and I still believe that the OP should install it over leaving the truck cam in there.

 

LOL, it's just an opinion DUDE, if you don't like it, boo hoo... the OP says he wants lots of torque down low, why not get a cam designed to do that instead of trying to experiment with unproven theory while using a less than optimal cam from someone who readily admits "I don't know ****"...you clearly have too much time on your hands doing all this internet research for an under square "six liter motor" build you like to mention so much