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I have been reading thread after thread for the last couple weeks on CAM's and have narrowed down to 3 possible choices. Just need some advice/Help with what my specific goals are. The car is 2002 Trans AM WS6 A4. Now I would like to get to 400 RWHP and drive well. Now the absolute restrictions that I have are my wife suffers from vertigo so I need a cam that will add power but won't surge/ shake at idle or low speed. I plan on adding PRC 2.5 stage 2 LS6 heads with the cam (thinking of 64cc chambers), I will be adding TSP 1 7/8 Headers and looking to add built 4l60E with 3200 stall. So the CAM choices are the TSP Bald Eagle, 228R or the Torquer V2. Several threads had talked well about the 228R and I have seen some that mention the Tick SNS Stage 2 (which seems to match the Bald Eagle specs).
Since the car is a 2002 it has the LS6 intake already will be adding a ported TB, have a smooth lid and Blackheart True duals. My limiting factor as said before is the car can't shake excessively or surge. I already switched to the BMR low turbo K-member and that added some shake anymore and I don't think the wife could ride in the car.
I don’t think the lope will exactly shake the car. Cam surge with any of the cams you listed could be tuned out to none in a auto I wouldn’t worry about it at all if you have a decent tuner idle could even be left a touch high to eliminate some of the lope at idle. I would however do a 3600 minimum personally and I’d drop the head cc for as much compression as the fuel you have can allow. I would say any of those cams with that head will get you 400rwhp or very close. I daily a torquer v2 in a stick and surging only happens trying to lug it below idle in a parking lot you won’t have that to deal with but at idle I would say you can feel the vibration through the car but I wouldn’t say it shakes but I can’t say what she would notice.
Personally I would aim smaller. Look at a cam motion titan 2 or maybe even a btr stage 2 truck cam. Will not rev to the moon but should greatly improve midrange without sacrificing much of anything.
Street setup. I would look at a cam with 224 to 228 on the intake side with a moderate standard split. I'd also go with 1.75" headers for street torque.
Personally I would aim smaller. Look at a cam motion titan 2 or maybe even a btr stage 2 truck cam. Will not rev to the moon but should greatly improve midrange without sacrificing much of anything.
Go look for Mavn's Summit Ghost Cam build on here.
I was just about to recommend the ghost cam. 222/233 and it pulls to 6800-7000. Made 450+ in his stock bottom end 5.7 with good heads.
Yes a cam with lobe will shake the car. 100% it will. I had a 228-234 cam in my 5.7 and it would shake the car. The ghost cam has a small amount of lope if I allow it with timing correction but will idle smooth if I want it to.
In my mind this cam rides the line of, power/lope/ drivability for your set up. Just my .02¢ wourth not gonna argue with any one, weather it be smaller or bigger. Your the only guy who can make that call.. street sweeper ht.
Thank you everyone for your replies. Looks like I have a few more options to research which is greatly appreciated. Just out of pure simplicity of ordering parts if possible I would like to grab a TSP cam just so I can order a heads and cam package to help ensure I don't forget something. I am not opposed to ordering from multiple vendors if that is the best route for what I'm trying to achieve. The biggest issue would be excessive vibration and bucking while low speed driving at take off or in a parking lot. I know I used the word shake which doesn't detail anything very well. So I know LSA isn't everything but should I lean more towards the 114 vs 112? I think more narrow than 112 and I would be asking for trouble from my limited research. I would like the car to sound like it has a cam change made just not extreme.
Darth you mentioned looking smaller and in looking at the quick specs of the Titan it seems close to the 224/228, would those be similar?
In my mind this cam rides the line of, power/lope/ drivability for your set up. Just my .02¢ wourth not gonna argue with any one, weather it be smaller or bigger. Your the only guy who can make that call.. street sweeper ht.
I had almost this same cam, but a bigger lobe sep, which will tame it more than this cam.....i took it out and put the ghost cam because i did not like the driveabilty. My car drives like stock now. I really did not like the other cam. I felt no power loss, as a matter of fact it pulls just as high and has better bottom end and midrange.
Thank you everyone for your replies. Looks like I have a few more options to research which is greatly appreciated. Just out of pure simplicity of ordering parts if possible I would like to grab a TSP cam just so I can order a heads and cam package to help ensure I don't forget something. I am not opposed to ordering from multiple vendors if that is the best route for what I'm trying to achieve. The biggest issue would be excessive vibration and bucking while low speed driving at take off or in a parking lot. I know I used the word shake which doesn't detail anything very well. So I know LSA isn't everything but should I lean more towards the 114 vs 112? I think more narrow than 112 and I would be asking for trouble from my limited research. I would like the car to sound like it has a cam change made just not extreme.
Darth you mentioned looking smaller and in looking at the quick specs of the Titan it seems close to the 224/228, would those be similar?
its not going to "buck" if you have an auto, unless you lock the converter at too low of an rpm.
BTW>>>>>>> if you ask ten different people what cam to run, you'll get ten different answers. I think My answer is most relevant because I had a BTR stage 2 AND DID NOT LIKE IT FROM DAY 1. THEN SWAPPED IT OUT IN THE SAME ENGINE AND IT WORKED MUCH BETTER.
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Darth you mentioned looking smaller and in looking at the quick specs of the Titan it seems close to the 224/228, would those be similar?
titan 3 is very similar to TSP 224/228 (same durations). The cam motion one has exactly zero overlap, so it'll have some idle note to it, but it won't chop. In a stick shift, you might notice just a touch of stuff if you try to drop into third and cruise at 15mph, but other than that, you won't have any issues with it. And that's being wife-picky about it (been there). In an auto, I doubt you'd feel it much.
If you get to where you think that's going to still be too much, then go with the Titan 1 at 218/222-112. That will be a very docile cam at -4 overlap. That spec is very similar to the BTR stage 3 truck cam at 218/224. I really think those specs are more in line with what your wife will willingly tolerate. Still very significant upgrades over stock.
I had a BTR stage 2 AND DID NOT LIKE IT FROM DAY 1. THEN SWAPPED IT OUT IN THE SAME ENGINE AND IT WORKED MUCH BETTER.
Agreed, pretty much anything that big is likely going to be too much in this case.
I had a lunati 222/228 that would be perfect for what you are looking for. Made 380 through an a4 and stock ls6 heads and intake. Should make over 400 with a good head and intake. Made torque everywhere and had a pretty nice idle, relatively speaking.
Best thing to do is to call a place like cam motion and be very specific about what you want and they will spec a custom grind if an off the shelf cam doesn't suit your needs. On here youll probably end up more confused than you were to begin with because everyone person is going to recommend something different.
Best thing to do is to call a place like cam motion and be very specific about what you want and they will spec a custom grind if an off the shelf cam doesn't suit your needs. On here youll probably end up more confused than you were to begin with because everyone person is going to recommend something different.
I used to work at cam motion.
I'd call summit or texas speed. Summit cams really are great cams. Texas speed makes their own cams, and I loved the 212/218 truck cam I had in my 5.3 silverado.
I'd call Summit or Texas Speed. Summit cams really are great cams. Texas speed makes their own cams, and I loved the 212/218 truck cam I had in my 5.3 silverado.
Oooookay.... so you don't recommend your old employer's cams....
Motor mounts will play into how much it shakes too. Some fresh OE ones would be nice, although I will say when I had poly engine mounts and a rubber trans mount in my 2000SS it did not feel like it had poly mounts at all. Cousins 99SS with poly engine and poly trans mount would shake your teeth out.
I like the Texas Speed 224/228 for this build and your criteria. Not sure if I would go 112 or 114, for your criteria 114 would technically be best but I don't know how much either one would chop at idle/shake. Maybe Darth can chime in on that.
09-13-2020, 07:14 PM
Street CAM thoughts 
