BIG BRUTE

Im having trouble figuring out/locating the right cam sprocket for my build. Hopefully you guys can point me in the right direction. The cam I bought is a single bolt cam that was in an in an 6.0 ly6. I have an 05 5.3. Both have the front mount cam sensor. The top pic is the cam sprocket that was used in the ly6, the bottom pic is the cam sprocket that is in my 5.3. Am I wrong in assuming that I need to find a single cam bolt sprocket with the half moon? Which as far as I can tell from all the searches I've done so far doesn't exist. I'm new to this so go easy on me haha. Thanks

Crf450r420

iTrader: (1)

You might have problem. The stock motors were first 3 bolt cam rear sensor and later moved to front sensor, both being 1X. The 1X goes with all 24x crank triggers. 2006 the LS2 came out and for a very brief time some crate motors cam 1X with the 58x, but for the most part they are 4X. Since the single bolt started after the 4X I don't know that GM makes a 1 bolt and 1X gear. I'm not sure the aftermarket does either, but I would think some people want to put a better cam from the new motors. That would mean there is at least a chance of it. I've just not seen one or not noticed and retained it.

BIG BRUTE

Thanks. Ya that's what I'm thinking. I'm probably try to sell this cam and get a 3 bolt

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

I will likely be flogged for this but I've contemplated this before and it's been bugging me. Why couldn't one just have a machine shop drill out the center hole on a 3-bolt gear to match what is needed for the single bolt? I know the three holes there might weaken the gear a little but there's some decent meat in that area already.

BIG BRUTE

I'm wondering this also

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

Actually the center hole looks the same size or very close in both pics. Would have to get a pic of the back side to see if anything else is significantly different.

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

One more thing. Why are you trying to use the LY6 cam? Why not just find a LS1 cam?

joecar

If the 3-bolt sprocket fits on the end of the cam and the bolt goes thru the center hole without binding on the sprocket, then I would go ahead with it.

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

Funny; I have seen a bunch of threads about this(one likely started by me a couple years ago when I misguidedly bought a LS7 cam--seller said nothing about how to cram it into my early engine), and nobody has pointed out the size of the holes. I have a stock LY6 short block on a stand and a 24x/1x LS2 short block sitting right next to it on a pallet in the garage. I need to get the VVT off that LY6 anyway so I'll pull that front cover this weekend and compare. My remaining concern is thickness of the cam gear where it hits the cam. If too much/too little, the chain won't line up. More this weekend. Now I am curious.

joecar

The cam sprocket will line up with the crank sprocket, but do check it anyway

BIG BRUTE

I still can't believe no one make a 1x single bolt cam gear yet. Not a very common swap but obviously a market for it. I got a good deal on the cam and didn't realize this was going to be such an issue. Im going to see what it will take to mod the 1x gear to accept the single bolt cam. It looks like the cam pin would be in a different position on the two gears witch would put the cam timing out correct? So I would have to drill a new hole on the 1x gear to match the 4x.

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

It will be this weekend before I see both in front of me. I know I promised this past weekend but food poisoning. I've been spending a lot of quality time with my toilet for the last week but I hope to be back in the garage tomorrow after work. ;-)

Again though..why LY6 cam? I think that cam itself is a waste of time, regardless of timing gear issues. I searched and searched for specs on that cam a few times and can't find anything. It IS VVT though. Not sure what that changes, either..but I plan on just deleting VVT on the engine I have on the stand. I have a LS1 cam that came from an engine that could have had more oil changes(so non-wear surfaces are dirty) BUT doesn't appear to have abnormal wear. $20+ shipping and you can have it. It's a three bolt cam that the 1x LS2 cam gear should bolt right to($30 for a whole Cloyes set for this with chain at O'Reilley Auto Parts). Problem solved and I am willing to bet it is a much better cam for a 5.3. Even though I have no clue what the LY6 cam is, most 6.0 cams are pretty tame until you get into LS2 and those fetch a little more $$.

See here what Hot Rod did with a 5.3 and LS1 cam...yours probably has better heads, too. They were up 63 HP and 51Lb-ft. @ 6500RPM.

http://www.hotrod.com/how-to/engine/...st-comparison/

BIG BRUTE

I should have mentioned it's not the stock ly6 cam. It's a LJP grind that a friend had in his 6.0. I've got an ls6 cam in my 5.3 right now but thought it would be a good step up for the $. But it's proving to be more effort than it may be worth.

Current setup is aluminum 5.3, flat top Pistons, rebuilt 317 heads, ls6 cam, Vic Jr intake with the fitech 1200hp efi. I haven't fired it up yet as I'm still working out a few things on the ls swap in my s10. Just wanted to do the cam swap before everything goes in.

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

Makes a LOT more sense now. Do we know if VVT cams themselves are different from, say, a LS3(1-bolt non-VVT) cam?

BIG BRUTE

I don't believe there is any difference between a vvt and non vvt cam. He did the vvt delete in his 6.0.

MuhThugga

The VVT camshafts are different. They take oil from the 2nd journal to feed to the phasers on the snout.

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

Ah. Good info. So can one delete VVT and keep the same cam(yes; waste of labor but humor me please) or would that end up in an internal oil leak?

MuhThugga

There was another thread where KCS and I briefly discussed it. With the VVT cam, the cam is going to fill with oil, and it most likely may start to drain/trickle out from the snout. I can't personally say if it is going to be enough of a leak to cause oil pressure problems or not, but the fact remains that oil is being directed to a place where it isn't needed in a non-VVT engine. So, I would recommend avoiding VVT camshafts in non-VVT engines. If you do put one in, I would closely monitor the oil pressure.

Mercier

iTrader: (15)

Yep; sounds like a bad idea. Also these cams are hollow to save weight for better performance right? Oil isn't as heavy as steel but can't be a positive thing to have it full of oil spinning thousands of RPMs.

EDIT: maybe not so bad as it's a fluid..all VVT cams I guess by definition are running full of oil.

joecar

Can the hole in the VVT's journal be plugged...?