LS2 cam in 4.8
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 4
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LS2 cam in 4.8 Hey guys need a little help on this one. I’m installing a 2005 LS2 cam p/n 12574519 and LS6 springs in my 2006 RCSB 2wd truck with a 4.8. Little back story is the truck lost the exhaust lifter on Cyl 1 and wiped out the cam lobe as well. The truck is my daily driver and getting parts right now is awful due to covid. I already have this stuff and have brand new lifters, lifter trays, pushrods to match. The question I have is do I need a new cam gear and relocate the cam sensor to the front cover? Is there anything else I need?
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 663
Likes: 384
From: South Carolina
If that cam doesn't have the 1x cam sensor trigger near the back journal you'll need the LS2 front cover, sensor, correct cam gear and harness extention. Don't forget to replace the cams retainer plate. The orange gasket on the old plate gets squished flat over the years causing oil pressure to dump from the lifter galleys.
You have the absolute worst engine to cam. 4.8's can only make so much torque and trucks really need torque to not feel like dogs, you usually can't increase torque much with a cam and especially can't add much torque down low where you really need it. Trucks need lots of low end power to feel responsive down low. The truck cams are made for that.
The car cams are made for upper end power. That LS2 cam is considerably larger which also generally loses low end torque, not always but in this situation it will quite a bit (stock 4.8 cam vs LS2). So you have not only the larger duration killing off some low end but also different LSA/Valve events killing off low end. The truck will end up feeling like an absolute dog down low and great above 5000 rpm compared to the stock truck cam.
But you can get a truck cam with higher duration to add power with a really tight LSA that maintains lower end power for the most part. Summit racing has some of those cams and they are $289. Some even work with stock truck springs. But regardless, the truck will be a LOT faster with a stall, no matter what cam you choose. So I still recommend a stall.
You don't have to do a stall, but you'll wish you had.
The car cams are made for upper end power. That LS2 cam is considerably larger which also generally loses low end torque, not always but in this situation it will quite a bit (stock 4.8 cam vs LS2). So you have not only the larger duration killing off some low end but also different LSA/Valve events killing off low end. The truck will end up feeling like an absolute dog down low and great above 5000 rpm compared to the stock truck cam.
But you can get a truck cam with higher duration to add power with a really tight LSA that maintains lower end power for the most part. Summit racing has some of those cams and they are $289. Some even work with stock truck springs. But regardless, the truck will be a LOT faster with a stall, no matter what cam you choose. So I still recommend a stall.
You don't have to do a stall, but you'll wish you had.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,293
Likes: 3,617
From: Central Cal.
If you want a cam that stands a chance of giving you more torque everywhere, try the Brian Tooley Truck Torque cam 202/202, .511/.511, 111+1. On a 5.3 it gained 20# all the way up and down the RPM scale according to a Richard Holdener dyno test. I can't imagine a 4.8 doing much worse.
Stock Cams Dyno Tested in a 5.3
This article gives an excellent run down of the various stock cams. See details on LS6 cam results.
This article gives an excellent run down of the various stock cams. See details on LS6 cam results.
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TECH Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 365
Likes: 133
From: California
GM trucks have terrible stock tunes. Get HP Tuners and fix the stock tune and port your stock truck heads. Then if you still need more power you can swap a cam in.
Here ya go. Study this to understand how to tune your truck. Sloppy is the Man.
Here ya go. Study this to understand how to tune your truck. Sloppy is the Man.
Last edited by SoCalDave; Sep 15, 2020 at 01:14 AM.
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