BTR Stage 3 and TEA 2.5 243
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 109
Likes: 3
From: Hackettstown, NJ
BTR Stage 3 and TEA 2.5 243 I've searched and googled many times but can't find anyone with this combo who can give me some information. I am picking up a set of 243 heads off of a 5.3L in a few weeks and was going to have them sent off to TEA or AI for porting. TEA has informed me that they take off "0.003-0.004" for their clean up milling, no other milling will be done. I've been pretty set on a BTR Stage 3 NA LS1 cam 231/242 .617"/.592" 112+2. I understand that the P2V clearance will be close and I will check it no matter what, but I do not want to waste my time and money getting these parts together to find out I need to fly cut, which I am not interested in doing. The car is an 02 Trans Am with a T56, intake, exhaust, monster stage 2 with Tick MC, lightweight flywheel, and suspension. I drive the car a few times a week and sometimes get stuck in NJ traffic on my way home. I live approx 10 minutes from Island Dragway so it will be there a dozen times a season or so. Anybody with this setup that could give me some advice I would greatly appreciate it.
I like my BTR stage 2. Slight bucking crawling through a parking lot, otherwise drives like stock. I don't think I'd go any bigger on a LS1.
TEA could answer you question on piston clearance but I think you'd be safe with a stage 3.
TEA could answer you question on piston clearance but I think you'd be safe with a stage 3.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 109
Likes: 3
From: Hackettstown, NJ
I've driven a friends Camaro with a BTR 3 in it, first cammed car I'd ever driven, after some getting used to it wasn't bad. He had a crappy mail order tune as well. I was really hoping to hit around 450 with 243's, Fast and a cam. Shooting for mid 11's once the H/C is complete and a 9'. I was also looking at some Tick Performance cams.
I run a BTR III in one of my cars (02 SOM in sig). The 241 heads were milled .015 and there is no clearance issues. Brian himself told me that a Stage IV would not fit if heads have been milled like mine, that why he recommended the III. There is not that much of a difference hp wise.
Mine is an auto w/3600 converter and I could DD it, the tune is that good. It ran a 11.5 N/A and 10.4 on a 150shot in full weight plus trim.
Mine is an auto w/3600 converter and I could DD it, the tune is that good. It ran a 11.5 N/A and 10.4 on a 150shot in full weight plus trim.
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Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 109
Likes: 3
From: Hackettstown, NJ
Was looking at a FAST, after some research leaning more towards the 92 over the 102. Simply because of the ease of install, tuneablity, and cost to hp. I love the monster stage 2 I've got in it now, great engagement and holding power, I'm only at 345 rwhp though. Not as worried about the dyno numbers, but of course its always an ego pleaser. I've got a few good tuners in the NJ area, RPM and Cartek. I'm sure they could get it damn near perfect. My TA weighed in at 3360 with the tank on empty and without me in it. Appreciate the replies, the BTR 3 sounded amazing in my buddies car and all the good things I've read about them makes it seem like this is the route to go.
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Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 109
Likes: 3
From: Hackettstown, NJ
I completely agree, but some 220's ported, polished, and assembled 220's are 2000 at least. I'm getting assembled 243's for 375 and then send them off to TEA for 1550. In the end its close, but me being able to slowly get all my parts together is gonna be easier to explain to my wife then dropping 2000 off the bat 
the 243's maybe a little cheaper but when its said and done you are left with a maxed out head that doesn't leave you any room to grow. For a couple hundred dollars more you get a head with a thicker deck, better valve angle and that can be opened up for a bigger bore later on
The stage 3 is going to be pretty rowdy if your ok with that. If you have a good tuner, injector timing can be played with and that will tame it down some. My buddy has one in his 6.0 gto and it’s pretty rowdy in that, idles at 950 which is a little high for my liking. I have the stage 2 in my gto and it’s just on the edge of not being tame, it’s about right. Idles at 725-750. He said it lost a lot of bottom end when he went from his 220/220. Had to up the stall to 3800 (your a standard so it don’t matter). Btw, my stage 2 pulls to 7000 in my 5.7. FWIW
Think about it. One person says, I drove my friends car and it drove fine with the stage three. Sometimes that all it takes and then someone buys that cam. Then they put it in and for their personal daily driver, figure out its way to loud, stinks real bad at idle and is too rowdy. When they could have gone one step lower and traded maybe 7-8hp less for something more driveable. Hence the reason I went with the Stage 2. And to be honest, I’ve got mine for sale and going to put a smaller cam in it.
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 109
Likes: 3
From: Hackettstown, NJ
I definitely agree with you, This is more of a "race car" since I do have a daily beater. A tank of fuel lasts me about a week and a half if I take it to work once or twice a week, 100 miles there and back. I'm sure if i had to drive the ta everyday again, a stage 3 would drive me crazy. It's hard to decide because like you said everyone's different. Some people wish they had gone stage 2, others stage 4. This is my first big project with the car since the clutch change, so i'm sure I will learn a lot. Nothing is going to be perfect, even though I will try to make it as close to perfect as I can.
On The Tree
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 152
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From: MS
I have a 2000SS with the original sbe LS1, BTR stage 3 LS3 cam, FAST 102, hand ported 243s. Very similar setup to what you are doing, The car does great in traffic, if anything, the Monster stage 3 clutch is more annoying than the cam but then again, I knew what I was getting into. The car made 447whp on a Mustang dyno, tuned by Mike Murillo and it doesn't buck at all at lower speeds however, if the car is going to see a lot of regular driving, I would stick to a BTR stage 2 cam.
Last edited by Basco; Aug 9, 2018 at 10:21 AM.