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I知 out of Northern California and I知 looking for a cam that will run with stock manifolds along with stock cats. I know this is waste of money but I have to pass smog👎🏽 Short tube headers are a waste so I知 keeping the stock mani痴
At some point I will toss on some carb legal heads any input on this would help me out thank you
Last edited by willis b otch; 03-09-2019 at 08:42 PM.
To be CARB legal is about STEALTH. What isn't seen, heard or sniffed will not hurt or bust you. A cam that does not or barely lopes(adjusting the idle up a bit can cover some lope) and then get YOUR heads ported/milled to your liking which will not be visible to anyone.
What is your current setup?
BTW I DO live in Cali too, about 200 miles from you.
Carb legal Fast 90/92 intake.
I suggest discussing a custom cam with one of the professional cam guru's to get the best cam for your combination and situation.
Max cam I would consider if I lived in Cali would be a 224/224 on a 114 with what's required to pass in Cali.
With -4 overlap it should pass if the tuner is experienced and competent assume the rest of the engine set up right.
Something like a 222/226 on a 114 might be a better match for the exhaust system. Still at a -4 overlap.
I would be concerned with more than -4 overlap and emissions testing. I'm aware of some -4 overlap set ups that passed the testing. I've read cam guru Martin Smallwood said -5 overlap is the safe zone to pass.
1 5/8 primary shorty headers like the expensive JBA's are worth 5-10 hp over the stock manifolds. They may not be worth the cost or hassle.
However the Holley BlackHeart Shorty Header is C
are CARB legal 1 3/4primary. These shorty headers are definitely better than the crappy stock manifolds on 4th LS1 fbody. That 1 3/4 primary is a big help for a cam or heads and cam set up.
Appreciate the feedback on this. I didn稚 have much luck with shortys in my past had 0 gain with them on another LScar. I definitely will run the stock exhaust set up. Now with my set up I知 sort of sketched on running a 224cam on 114 not too sure if I値l be choking the car with that cam with full stock exhaust 😩 I know this whole build is a waste of time but I really love to have a lopy cam but with this new law here in CA getting cited with having after market muffler sucks so I知 keeping the exhaust set up completely stock lol I知 not really looking for cheater cam here.. but would like something lopy would be nice 😆
The problem with lopey cams is, that rough running causing the lope means it has an intermittent miss, which makes it run DIRTY. Getting cited for the muffler just means it was too loud. Smog regs don't regulate anything past the converters. BTW, with a stock exhaust you need a cam with more exhaust duration than intake, A 224 cam is old tech. The better LS cams have more split in the duration for better torque and efficiency. You need something more like a 216/220 .550/.550 to run clean AND snappy.
I know they aren't popular on here but I actually had good results with short extractors. Keeping in mind we dyno less in Australia, my LS1 went from 226 rwhp factory standard to 305 rwhp with just tune, intake and short headers, twin 2.5" exhaust using factory cats.
Dropped the car on the quarter from 14.9 to 13 flat @ 109 on street tyres with a 2.1 60 ft. Middle of a hot day and full weight @ 3900 pounds.
The problem with lopey cams is, that rough running causing the lope means it has an intermittent miss, which makes it run DIRTY. Getting cited for the muffler just means it was too loud. Smog regs don't regulate anything past the converters. BTW, with a stock exhaust you need a cam with more exhaust duration than intake, A 224 cam is old tech. The better LS cams have more split in the duration for better torque and efficiency. You need something more like a 216/220 .550/.550 to run clean AND snappy.
Yes everything your saying is true, the 224/224 is old tech, but it will pass the testing if set up correctly and make more power than a 216/220 with all else being equal. The -10 overlap of a 216/220 on 114 LSA will leave a lot on the table. More lift is definitely better I'd be looking for ~.600 lift on a nice quite cam lobe.
Where I used to live in the early 2000's we had sniffer test and went to OBD-2 emissions testing. The 216/220 .550 lift 114 cam cars passed often stuck at ~ 350 to 360 whp or so but so did the 224/224 .580+ lift 114 cam cars. The 224 build were up ~ 10-15 whp. Heads were usually worth ~20 to 25 whp more. Sometimes a 115 LSA was handy to suppress lope too.
Old tech thexSLP .Dusl/Dual was so beneficial ...keeping it quiet
I wish my knowledge was more up to date on the topic. I'm sure there is a better choice than the old 224/224 stuff maybe 220/226.
Tweaking the WS6 Store Hotcam might work pretty well:
218/227 .600/.600 112+2 LSA - I don't think the 112 would be ideal for passing
To say 220/228 .600/.600 114 LSA add 2 to 4 degrees advance. Or similar.
Of course companies have to be careful. Jegs got hit with a over a million dollar settlement for shipping non CARB parts to Cali-Commie-forni. The Mexican drug cartels will probably be tempted to add cams to their list of services and products. Coming soon the "Big Baller, Shot - caller" line of cams...
Yeah playing with timing/idle speed will affect how a cam lopes or not. WS6 store widened the LSA to 114 I think on their hot cam for a customer in Germany It did smooth the idle a good mount, though not totally. Here in Cali, if parts are going on a non-smog application, can they be "imported" then?
What year and make is the car?
This maybe extreme, but I know a couple of guys in Cali that would do whatever they wanted to their engine and exhaust (huge solid roller, long tubes, etc.) and they had a separate stock engine and exhaust they would swap to when it came time for the smog test. Once the smog test was over, they壇 drive it home and swap back out to their radical setup.
Dang that’s doing to much, swapping motors every smog check? I’d only do that if I had to see the state referee for expection. Otherwise I’d be paying for a hot smog, like week I found a great price. I’m just worried about catching a ticket and sent to a ref
I wish could run 400 in a fbody in this state!!
wondered if swapping the engine for a bigger one would pass? Like almost wondering if I could swap L92 w/ cam on 114lsa in fbody?
Still pass state ref, smog emissions bs
Appreciate the feedback on this. I didn稚 have much luck with shortys in my past had 0 gain with them on another LScar. I definitely will run the stock exhaust set up. Now with my set up I知 sort of sketched on running a 224cam on 114 not too sure if I値l be choking the car with that cam with full stock exhaust 😩 I know this whole build is a waste of time but I really love to have a lopy cam but with this new law here in CA getting cited with having after market muffler sucks so I知 keeping the exhaust set up completely stock lol I知 not really looking for cheater cam here.. but would like something lopy would be nice 😆
For kicks after reading about the $1,000 fine for a loud exhaust in California, I measured my 416 (LT's, no cats, X-pipe, 2.5 True Dual BlackHeart ) at idle, 2,000 rpms & 2,500 rpm with a dB meter.
Followed what was described online as the California referee procedure:
The 416's highest reading was 92 dB for my home version Cali noise test. Of course the 416 would fail all the other stuff.
There is room to make improvements within the Cali laws if your careful with exhaust part selection and do the research.
Example -
Hooker 1 3/4 inch primary shorty headers, best flowing cats you can use, SLP Y pipe, SLP Dual /Dual should password noise with ease. The SLP Dual /Dual Cat-back was used OEM on FireHawk's and some SS Camaro's.
The bad part the cam lope won't be very noticeable. In 15 years, two people picked up on my heads & cam package at idle with the SLP Dual /Dual Cat-back. Having the idle set lower will probably enhance the lope or tweaking the tune.
Keeping stock manifolds, I'd just slap a Lingenfelter GT 2-3 207/218 .570/.578 118 lsa cam or similar cam in and be happy with the 20-25 whp gain.
In any case, wish you the best with the mod's and hot rodding in car hostile California.
Last edited by 99 Black Bird T/A; 03-11-2019 at 04:59 PM.
We Californianos just gotta be a little more inventive, clever, and above all, UNDER THE RADAR!
A little lope? Raise the idle a touch. As long as the OBDII shows no hiccups you should be good.
Again, a stock head that's been CNC ported, 5-angle valve-jobbed and milled for good CR is invisible to all.
A cam with more lift/duration BUT still has a reasonably smooth idle will pass.
A bucking, heavy-loping engine is really no fun to drive in traffic anyway. Besides, we're not in high school anymore.
Not at the moment but thats my plan, i also stay in cali, my friend had this setup a long time ago but with untouched 243s, car was making close to 400 rwhp, i would say the tsp la6 stage 1 would gain way more power vs stock
Not sure you'll need the FAST, but the heads and cam should do a nice job AND pass smog to boot! The LS6 intake is pretty good. And since you already have it, use it!
03-09-2019 | 06:15 PM
Cam suggestions, stock manifolds w/cats CA LEGAL 
