Z06 cam worth it?
Z06 cam worth it? Ive heard that ya can pretty much swap in a z06 cam..and not even need a tune. true? do ya need to change anythign else why your doing it? What other mild cam can you just do a direct swap..and not worry about a tune? An hotcams over there?
I dont want anything extreme..this is my daily driver during the summer.
I dont want anything extreme..this is my daily driver during the summer.
All you need is the cam and LS6 springs, as well as the stuff to install it with (i've always been told you need 7.45 inch pushrods due to the smaller base circle, but most people use the stock stuff and it works fine).. you would need the 02+ LS6 cam (more lift/dur) and 02+ LS6 springs for the best results.
A tune is always a good idea, but the car will run fine without one.. the only thing you really need to do it raise the rev limiter to get more out of the cam.
There are other "sleeper cams" out there that will give a little more power.. but for the price the LS6 cam is hard to beat. It really just depends on what you want to spend..
You could look into cams like the MTI Sleeper II, TR220, LPE GT-3, TR Old Man cam, etc.. you can find more info with a search.
I personally am going to do the 02 LS6 cam with a set of home ported heads soon and use a MAFT to tune it till I go bigger, then get the car dyno tuned the the bigger cam.
A tune is always a good idea, but the car will run fine without one.. the only thing you really need to do it raise the rev limiter to get more out of the cam.
There are other "sleeper cams" out there that will give a little more power.. but for the price the LS6 cam is hard to beat. It really just depends on what you want to spend..
You could look into cams like the MTI Sleeper II, TR220, LPE GT-3, TR Old Man cam, etc.. you can find more info with a search.
I personally am going to do the 02 LS6 cam with a set of home ported heads soon and use a MAFT to tune it till I go bigger, then get the car dyno tuned the the bigger cam.
well, if you don't want anything real extreme, i'd get a 224. that will still put down real decent power w/o jeopardizing anything. yes, it will need a tune to run real nicely, but with your m6 it will run well enough w/o one to drive it for a little while. people drive 231/237s and g5x3s in their DD's....its all a matter of taste. but a 224 should do you just fine. call thunder up, or futral, and talk to them about it. futrals 224 might give you a little better spring life with their cam motion lobes. good luck!! sorry i can't comment on the z06 cam, never paid it much attention.
I put the zo6 cam in becouse it was dirt cheap.... I gained 15 rwhp peak and about 25@6500 below 4k it was exactly the same as stock. I picked up 2mph and .2 in the 1/4 mile
I did swap it out a month later with an old B1... cam now thats not enough so an even bigger cam is going in
I wish I took everyones advice and put a 224 in from the start!! I do everything myself so there are no labor charges but again I wish I did it right the first time so my efforts could have been focused on other things!!
I did swap it out a month later with an old B1... cam now thats not enough so an even bigger cam is going in
I wish I took everyones advice and put a 224 in from the start!! I do everything myself so there are no labor charges but again I wish I did it right the first time so my efforts could have been focused on other things!!
On The Tree
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 100
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From: Tulsa,Oklahoma
i picked up up 30 whp and about 20 tq .had just a simple tune done from Ed not a dyno tune or anything shift points are about 6600 and dropped from 3-4/10's all the times and dyno #'s are pre - long tubes just put those on this weekend... and i still dont have my trans or stall back yet 
so i can test those out...
so i can test those out... Trending Topics
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,379
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From: Holly Springs NC
I've got a Comp Cam 212/218 114 LSA Xtreme cam in my daily driver and it's awesome. No lope whatsoever but the times are in my sig from last winter with myself (slower ET) and my Boyfriends ET driving it the same day. I have exhaust and gears, that's it. We did change pushrods to hardened and also used Manley springs with titanium retainers.
Cam pulls nicely and only tuning we've done was alittle fine tuning with LS1 edit we used close parameters of an MTI T1 cam and it runs like a beast (idle was fine but we bumped up the idle anyway a tad). Idle quality is perfect you don't even know it's in the car but it pulls hard uptop and has a nice low end grunt around 1400 RPM. Those times were on 1.7 60's and in 40 degree weather but the car recently ran 12.32 @ 114 in upper 70 degree weather as well.
IMO, this cam blows away a Z06 handsdown. You may see a little bit, but if you have stock headers, you may want to change that before a cam to really see a serious gain once you let that motor breathe
Cam pulls nicely and only tuning we've done was alittle fine tuning with LS1 edit we used close parameters of an MTI T1 cam and it runs like a beast (idle was fine but we bumped up the idle anyway a tad). Idle quality is perfect you don't even know it's in the car but it pulls hard uptop and has a nice low end grunt around 1400 RPM. Those times were on 1.7 60's and in 40 degree weather but the car recently ran 12.32 @ 114 in upper 70 degree weather as well.
IMO, this cam blows away a Z06 handsdown. You may see a little bit, but if you have stock headers, you may want to change that before a cam to really see a serious gain once you let that motor breathe
Last edited by racer88; Oct 19, 2004 at 11:24 AM.
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Joined: Jun 2004
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From: The Chicken Ranch, California
Depends on the year of the Z06 cam, if it's 2001 or earlier, you don't need springs, if it's 2002 or later, you do need springs. (according to a chevy dealer and a speed shop)
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Holly Springs NC
Originally Posted by mdblackz28
i would say go with the tr224...bigger gain, and still streetable
Streetable yes with tuning, lopey yes. I thought about this cam it's gonna lope like a **** with stock heads.
I dyno'd 348 rwhp unlocked with bolt-ons including MAC's, LS6 intake and a Yank Y3200. I ran a best of 12.49 at 109 mph in 70 degree weather. Since I bought the cam/springs used for $150, I thought it was a excellent bang-for-buck mod. Most will knock it, but it's a true plug and play cam,certainly not the most hp, but still good value.
Launching!
Joined: Nov 2003
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Originally Posted by racer88
What kind of track times you run with it dropping 361? Dyno #'s are just that a #.
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
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Since I bought the cam/springs used for $150
I don't see why you'd want a Z06 cam. If you want a stock idle, get the stealth II. If you want power, get the TR224 if you don't mind a LITTLE lope (the TR224 on a 114 doesn't qualify as lope IMO).
Maybe you'll spend more money, but the hp gains will be worth it.
Originally Posted by 99Ws6TransAm
Ive heard that ya can pretty much swap in a z06 cam..and not even need a tune. true? do ya need to change anythign else why your doing it? What other mild cam can you just do a direct swap..and not worry about a tune? An hotcams over there?
I dont want anything extreme..this is my daily driver during the summer.
I dont want anything extreme..this is my daily driver during the summer.
Any discussion about a TR224 doing the same is non-sense. The TR224 can (and is) driven daily by many people (with tuning); however you will lose off idle torque and it will not have a stock idle. You can definately tell an LS1 w/ a TR224 is cammed. I have a TR220-114 in my car and it idles well, almost stock...almost. The other thing I will point out is that while my TR220 is very street friendly, it does not have the same off idle torque as the stock cam. I now need more RPM during first gear take offs and second gear take offs are a chore, where with the stock cam it was not.
I'm not saying don't stick a TR224 in your car, a lot of people like it. Just don't stick it in your car and think it will act like a stock cam on the bottom end.
I belive an LPE GT2-3 is the best of both worlds cam based on what you asked for.
Good luck
Last edited by equandt; Oct 20, 2004 at 11:07 AM.
Originally Posted by equandt
The other thing I will point out is that while my TR220 is very street friendly, it does not have the same off idle torque as the stock cam. I now need more RPM during first gear take offs and second gear take offs are a chore, where with the stock cam it was not.
My 221 cam has a lot of low end and I can tug around in 6th at rpms way lower than the stock or zo6 cam I had.
Now the first time it was tuned on the dyno and the idle adjusted it ran poor at part throttle the first time I drove it. My tuner adjusted a few things and it ran great after that with plenty of power down low.
Originally Posted by equandt
...I have a TR220-114 in my car and it idles well, almost stock...almost. The other thing I will point out is that while my TR220 is very street friendly, it does not have the same off idle torque as the stock cam. I now need more RPM during first gear take offs and second gear take offs are a chore, where with the stock cam it was not.
Overall, I agree with the others, the Z06 cam is cheap, but there are better options. The smallest cam worth a swap is the 212/218 114.
Originally Posted by Ragtop 99
Have you done any tuning on the bottom end? It may run better with a little extra timing or slightly leaner mixture.
I'm not saying the car is a pig off the line. That isn't it at all, I am just saying that I lost some off idle torque. After 1800 rpm I have it all back and then some. I can cruise at 60 mph in 6th gear with no problems, I get 24 mpg and it'll spin the tires at 50 mph in second gear when I stomp the gas so I really think everything is cool with the tune.
