Help me choose cam!
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2019
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Help me choose cam! Hey guys! New to all this and gonna have help installing it and tuning it. Basically I want help choosing what cam to go for! Lm7 sittin in a 69 c10, Gonna have 3000 stall converter in it.
Nr1 .https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/200582/10002/-1
Nr2. https://www.briantooleyracing.com/tr...e-iii-cam.html
Nr.3 https://www.briantooleyracing.com/ls...e-iii-cam.html
Nr.4 https://www.texas-speed.com/p-5072-t...-camshaft.aspx
Nr.5 https://www.texas-speed.com/p-5004-t...-camshaft.aspx
Nr. 6 https://www.summitracing.com/int/par...4-11/overview/
Wich one should get me the best power? And what are the biggest differences between em? Not a dyno number chaser, rather "feel" the power when driving it. Any other cam that could be better?
Thanks!
Nr1 .https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/200582/10002/-1
Nr2. https://www.briantooleyracing.com/tr...e-iii-cam.html
Nr.3 https://www.briantooleyracing.com/ls...e-iii-cam.html
Nr.4 https://www.texas-speed.com/p-5072-t...-camshaft.aspx
Nr.5 https://www.texas-speed.com/p-5004-t...-camshaft.aspx
Nr. 6 https://www.summitracing.com/int/par...4-11/overview/
Wich one should get me the best power? And what are the biggest differences between em? Not a dyno number chaser, rather "feel" the power when driving it. Any other cam that could be better?
Thanks!
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 46
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Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 46
Likes: 0
Haha ye I know bud but thats simply because I dont know what route to go. Setup will be stall converter, (maybe tbss intake) hp tuners, long tube headers, lifters, vale springs and cam. The truck will be street driven.
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So let us know what the vehicle is, what you’re doing with it, how often you drive it, how often it must lumber down the highway, gear, converter, the idle quality you’re looking for, tuning ease, what you got for engine and exhaust currently, and what your future plans are. We’ll help you dial it in.
Jegs Camshaft
BTR STAGE 3 TRUCK CAM
Specs: 218/224 .553/.553 113+3
Seems decent, I'd want more intake duration if it were my 5.3 C10
BTR LS1/LS2 STAGE 3 NA CAMSHAFT
Specs: 231/242 .617"/.592" 112+2
Since your not sure what you want and have a 3,000 stall with a 5.3 in a ~3,800 pound truck, I think this one is probably too big for a street driven car or truck. A master tuner might get it to drive nice. If you had more cubes say 360 to 383 sure.
Texas Speed Stage 3 High Lift
216/220, .600"/.600", Camshaft With Your Choice of Lobe Separation
Nice lift, small duration. Will drive great. Needs matched valve springs and may need valve springs swapped eventually. I'd go bigger.
Texas Speed Low Lift
216/220, .550/.550 Camshaft With Your Choice of Lobe Separation
See above minus valve spring comment.
Summit LSR for LS3
227 int./243 exh. 0.614 /.624 113 lsa
I think it sounds like you have a cathedral port engine with the TBSS intake so you can probably find a better cam with less exhaust did for your set up.
Summit 8713 Vortec Stage 3 LS Truck Swap Cam
222/231 545/.545 Lift 112+5
Looks good and worry free. I'd want the Summit Ghost Cam with more lift
Summit Stage 4 LS Truck Swap Cam
226/230 112+4, .545 /.545 Lift
Probably a very good choice based on what we know about the C10. Nice duration. Good quality valve springs and not worry about changing for a very long time. Should be easy to tune well in a 5.3 it's not radical. If they have a high lift version that might be worth a look too.
Of course the Cam Guru's can help a lot more with more details on your C10.y comments are all from experience with various LS's I've had with stock to 236/244 cams.
In a 5.7 LS the sweet spot is sort of 226/233 to 228/235 for fat power curves for the ~ 6,500 rpm range. Subtract about 4-6 degrees for a 5.3
220/226 (smaller) to 224/231 ( bigger) is sort of the duration ranges I think of for a 5.3 that got a fat curve and fun to drive on the street. Lift to .600 good as long as you have the right springs etc.
Others will have different views
- 1997-2004 GM LS Series (Gen III)
- Lift: 0.585"/0.585"
- Duration @ 0.050": 228°/230°
- Advertised Duration: 283°/286°
- Lobe Separation: 112°
- RPM Range: 2,500-6,500 RPM
BTR STAGE 3 TRUCK CAM
Specs: 218/224 .553/.553 113+3
Seems decent, I'd want more intake duration if it were my 5.3 C10
BTR LS1/LS2 STAGE 3 NA CAMSHAFT
Specs: 231/242 .617"/.592" 112+2
Since your not sure what you want and have a 3,000 stall with a 5.3 in a ~3,800 pound truck, I think this one is probably too big for a street driven car or truck. A master tuner might get it to drive nice. If you had more cubes say 360 to 383 sure.
Texas Speed Stage 3 High Lift
216/220, .600"/.600", Camshaft With Your Choice of Lobe Separation
Nice lift, small duration. Will drive great. Needs matched valve springs and may need valve springs swapped eventually. I'd go bigger.
Texas Speed Low Lift
216/220, .550/.550 Camshaft With Your Choice of Lobe Separation
See above minus valve spring comment.
Summit LSR for LS3
227 int./243 exh. 0.614 /.624 113 lsa
I think it sounds like you have a cathedral port engine with the TBSS intake so you can probably find a better cam with less exhaust did for your set up.
Summit 8713 Vortec Stage 3 LS Truck Swap Cam
222/231 545/.545 Lift 112+5
Looks good and worry free. I'd want the Summit Ghost Cam with more lift
Summit Stage 4 LS Truck Swap Cam
226/230 112+4, .545 /.545 Lift
Probably a very good choice based on what we know about the C10. Nice duration. Good quality valve springs and not worry about changing for a very long time. Should be easy to tune well in a 5.3 it's not radical. If they have a high lift version that might be worth a look too.
Of course the Cam Guru's can help a lot more with more details on your C10.y comments are all from experience with various LS's I've had with stock to 236/244 cams.
In a 5.7 LS the sweet spot is sort of 226/233 to 228/235 for fat power curves for the ~ 6,500 rpm range. Subtract about 4-6 degrees for a 5.3
220/226 (smaller) to 224/231 ( bigger) is sort of the duration ranges I think of for a 5.3 that got a fat curve and fun to drive on the street. Lift to .600 good as long as you have the right springs etc.
Others will have different views
Last edited by 99 Black Bird T/A; Apr 6, 2019 at 09:51 AM.
TECH Fanatic
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I have the old 113lsa btr stage III truck cam in my 5.7 ls1 z28 and I just bought myself a new summit 8714 to better match my current 3500+ stall and 3.73 gears. I'm sure it will pick up a little but I'm not really expecting a full on miracle lol. The btr stage III truck cam was no slouch of a stick as I am well into the 11's with a best of 11.87 @115 shifting at 6800 with it. I'm hoping to do a little better with the bigger cam with the rest of my setup optimized for it however, but the 218/224 duration 113lsa was great in the 5.7 with the stock stall, it even picked up 60ft over the stock cam, it felt like it picked up every where from idle to 6800. if I were doing a 5.3 I would start no bigger than a 218/224 duration or even less at stock compression for all the useable tourqes I could get, that new btr truck stage III on a 110 lsa straight up looks pretty interesting and would work great with a 3000 converter I'm sure, although I almost ordered the summit 8713 instead of the 8714, that one would work great too if I wasn't planning to add more compression later with some worked over 706 heads, hope this helps
Last edited by stockA4; Apr 6, 2019 at 12:53 PM.
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Thread Starter
Teching In
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Thank you for all of your replies! Will read em many times before I make my decision lol. Maybe the easiest way is to just contact summit and other large companys and tell em my full spec and kinda let "them decide" 
The gears is 3.55 atm and dunno yet if im gonna go higher. The car is gonna be my fun to drive truck when the sun is out.
The gears is 3.55 atm and dunno yet if im gonna go higher. The car is gonna be my fun to drive truck when the sun is out.
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Fanatic
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From: St. Louis
4L60e behind it with a 3.55? Honestly at 9.5:1 325ci, I'd be looking at something along the lines of my BTR stage III truck cam or something like a summit stage 2 truck cam or one of the other various hotcam clones. It's going to run and sound great with the right exhaust setup, If that's not right you can always get a bigger or smaller cam or you can do a power adder or something else to it. Don't over think a simple 5.3 swap lol
Thread Starter
Teching In
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4L60e behind it with a 3.55? Honestly at 9.5:1 325ci, I'd be looking at something along the lines of my BTR stage III truck cam or something like a summit stage 2 truck cam or one of the other various hotcam clones. It's going to run and sound great with the right exhaust setup, If that's not right you can always get a bigger or smaller cam or you can do a power adder or something else to it. Don't over think a simple 5.3 swap lol
Thread Starter
Teching In
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Hehe yea I hear ya. Just want the cam that will get me the most power tbh lol. Doesnt the truck cams tend to drop in power in the above rpm range if you compare it to high lift cams?
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I'm in the 11's n/a with ls6 springs on a great pair of .325 lobes at .5525 theoretical lift, they are good enough for my car that can handle idling all day, being beat on, and driving around all weekend delivering pizza. I think the actual overlap and events are more important than lift for power output, I'm very happy with my OEM reliable cam and valvesprings only setup though if you can afford to upgrade more than just cam and valvesprings their are still more gains to be had with higher lift and lighter components, though they may be less reliable than stock
Teching In
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The 218/224 sized cams will give you a lot of extra power where you want it. Anything bigger will start to have some drawbacks like loss of torque. Stock heads dont flow much extra past 0.550 anyways. Also you dont want to push a stock 4l60 past 6000 rpm if you at all care about its lifespan. You will want a 2800-3200 stall to back it up
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Teching In
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Im planning on buying a cam kit so I get cam, springs and pushrods. Prob will change lifters aswell, hate lifter ticking lol. And no I prob wont go over 6000rpm when tuning it since I want the 4l60e to hang around for a few years lol
Thread Starter
Teching In
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Would love if you guys post lets say top 3 cams you would personally choose? 
If we go with following recipe. 2003 lm7 and 4l60e. 3.55 ratio. 3000 stall converter, Hp tuners, long tube headers, tbss intake, lifters, cam, springs, and pushrods. Car is gonna be used as a fun daily in the summer. Rpm stop somewhere around 6000.
What hp do you guys think it will push?
If we go with following recipe. 2003 lm7 and 4l60e. 3.55 ratio. 3000 stall converter, Hp tuners, long tube headers, tbss intake, lifters, cam, springs, and pushrods. Car is gonna be used as a fun daily in the summer. Rpm stop somewhere around 6000.
What hp do you guys think it will push?
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Any cam you are looking at is going to want to rpm higher than 6000 even with a stock intake. My BTR stage III truck cam in a 5.7 with ls6 intake and closed exhaust made peak power at 6400 with the rest of my setup and gets the best et's with 6800rpm shifts. I'd let a cheap 5.3 rip all the way to 7200 with that btr cam in it if it needed to for the best times but I just like get the most out of anything
Thread Starter
Teching In
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Ok so omc8 your pick would be https://www.summitracing.com/int/par...8715/overview/ ? 
StockA4 whats urs? =)
Blackbird?
should make a vote challenge lol
StockA4 whats urs? =)
Blackbird?
should make a vote challenge lol
TECH Fanatic
Joined: May 2016
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From: St. Louis
BTR stage III truck cam would work great for what your all wanting to do it's my favorite all around grind
I bought my 218/224 113+3 when they first came out directly from BTR and even they were shocked at how much my car picked up. We all learned something lol. I can't imagine wanting more duration at the same weight vehicle with less cubes, less compression, and less gear than mine has given the gains I saw. Im thinking now that I will use this cam in my 11:1cr flat top 372 build with rough 853 heads for really mild idling average tourqe pig street stomper. I just have to decide if I'm going to put the assembled engine in my old suburban a4 gt5 or my wife's otherwise stock camaro a4 gu2 for some daily driver fun.
I bought my 218/224 113+3 when they first came out directly from BTR and even they were shocked at how much my car picked up. We all learned something lol. I can't imagine wanting more duration at the same weight vehicle with less cubes, less compression, and less gear than mine has given the gains I saw. Im thinking now that I will use this cam in my 11:1cr flat top 372 build with rough 853 heads for really mild idling average tourqe pig street stomper. I just have to decide if I'm going to put the assembled engine in my old suburban a4 gt5 or my wife's otherwise stock camaro a4 gu2 for some daily driver fun.
Last edited by stockA4; Apr 7, 2019 at 11:37 AM.