Is my cam too small?
TECH Resident
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 993
Likes: 173
From: Euless, TX
6.0 swap in 03 silverado, prc 2.5 5.3 heads, Holley hi ram intake, long tube headers, comp cam 227/235 .614/.621, built 4l60 with yank 3600 stall. Truck laid down 358 rwhp and 325 ft lbs torque. At drag strip truck has managed a best of 13.08 at 101 and 8.34 at 84. All with 1.98 60’. Truck hooks very good on drag radials and doesn’t appear to be spinning. Best i can tell it’s hooking. Ordered new torquer v2 cam from Texas speed which is 232/234 .600/.600. Will new cam possibly pick up any more power. Truck now is putting down numbers and times like a cam only 5.3. Any help is appreciated. Done compression test and all cylinders were around 140 psi. None stuck up very high or low.
I know its not an apples to apples comparison but I had a 5,300 lbs 2006 quad cab 5.7 Hemi Ram that ran a best in the 8.40s @ 80-81 mph. It ran its best times shifting at 6,800 rpm with the stock truck intake manifold, 1 3/4 long tubes, dual 3 " cutouts, and a 214/214 @ .050 cam cut on a 114 lsa. 3,400 stall converter and 4.56 gears with 32" tall P305/50R20s.
I currently have a 350 that peaks at 5,900 rpm that runs best shifting at 6,200 rpm. Stock L31 short block, L31 Marine intake, Assault racing 205cc intake port chinese clones of Dart Pro 1 Platinun heads that I assembled with good parts, a 215/224 @ .050 Comp roller cam cut on a 110 LSA installed on a 106 ICL, 0.568/0.568 lift with a 1.7 roller rocker and tri-y headers into factory dual 3" exhaust piping. Ran a 9.0 @ 76 in a 6,200 lbs Express van with a 4L85E, stock 2,400 rpm converter and 4.56 gears with 31.5" tall tires. What you need is a healthy torque curve to get your truck off the line. With good heads you do not need a huge cam. The cam you picked up is good for every bit of 7,200 rpm if not more.
Last edited by Fast355; May 26, 2018 at 10:42 PM.
You have a LQ4 , correct? If so the compression of those engines were only 9.5 so to get the compression up youd have to really cut the heads a bunch. I do agree with the other guys on the Fast Intake being a better option.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,445
Likes: 4
cam shaft timing events are really impotent when it comes to making the power you want, or need .figure out your dynamic compression .consider a that can help raise your dynamic compression .read the sticky about timing events ,started by Jake Fusion .
Numbers are super low and your torque is way way off particularly noting you have an auto. Something is mismatched. You spent money and time while not identifying your core problem.
You need to do a leak down on this motor and make sure something else isn’t going on first but I strongly suspect your cam is off a tooth, misground camshaft, or you have a ton of blowby. Cylinder pressure is the name of the game. If you can’t build any pressure you’ll never make any power. Larger cams make the power they do because guys have to run up around 11:1 to keep the cylinder pressure up. Do a leak down and if the motor is healthy then maybe look into a cam. Your static compression if my numbers are right is in the 10.4 range. You can run something in the 226 range pretty safe, but you have something way off.
Ordered new torquer v2 cam from Texas speed which is 232/234 .600/.600. Will new cam possibly pick up any more power.
Done compression test and all cylinders were around 140 psi. None stuck up very high or low.
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