T-rex on a stock 02' SS????
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 39
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From: Lakeland, FL
T-rex on a stock 02' SS???? hi all, I am thinkin about going with TR's Trex cam for my SS. Its a 2002 bone stock. I will be ordering Long Tubes, true duals, Lid, filter, and pro 5.0 shifter along with it. but i have a few questions. is it possible for me to use the stock 3.42 gears?? i have a 6-speed. also, do i need the dual valve springs???
i have a completely stock longblock and I hope someone can help me out w/ this. Hopefully with a good tune i can use this as my daily driver as it is right now. thanks in advance for any help
i have a completely stock longblock and I hope someone can help me out w/ this. Hopefully with a good tune i can use this as my daily driver as it is right now. thanks in advance for any help
**** yes you need dual valvesprings. 
otherwise kiss your motor goodbye 
sounds like a bunch of mods at once. the t-rex is a huge cam, i've ridden in a car with one. go for it, but i'd also up your gears a bit....3.90 at least. trex cars CAN be used as DD's, but remember, valvesprings get worn out by big cams like this. it helps you have an m6.
personally, i'd do all those mods you are thinking about, and drive it around for a little while. THEN do the cam install. you might be suprised how well these cars react to mods...and how much power can be tweaked out of them.
otherwise kiss your motor goodbye sounds like a bunch of mods at once. the t-rex is a huge cam, i've ridden in a car with one. go for it, but i'd also up your gears a bit....3.90 at least. trex cars CAN be used as DD's, but remember, valvesprings get worn out by big cams like this. it helps you have an m6.
personally, i'd do all those mods you are thinking about, and drive it around for a little while. THEN do the cam install. you might be suprised how well these cars react to mods...and how much power can be tweaked out of them.
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 14
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Originally Posted by 35th SS
I second that.a must you will need dual vlv. springs. for this cam.do all the bolt ons as much as you can.raise your rev limiter to 7200rpm and let er ripped.good luck.
Also, the TRex is a VERY VERY big cam, and altho it CAN be daily driven, my OWN opinion would be to not daily drive that cam.
If you want a "big cam" with great daily driving, i'd highly suggest the G5X3 from LG Motorsports. I run it, and about 10 other guys in my club who are daily drivers run it as well. Dual valve springs are a must with this cam, I suggest COMP 921's, only becaues they are the best.
Btw, going with a any "big" cam, you need LS1 Edit to tune it and get it running right (or HP Tuners/mailorder/etc). Lastly, knowing big cams, I would HAVE to suggest at least an LS6 intake. With a big cam that likes to breath up top, you need it. I had my LS1 manifold on the X3 and as soon as it hit 6100RPM's, the power would drop off so fast it was crazy. As soon as I installed teh LS6 manifold, it would hit 7000RPM without a blink!
Good luck!
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 39
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From: Lakeland, FL
am i going to have to have the heads messed with in order for the springs to fit?? also i still want to know if running the stock 3.42 gears in the m6 is possible with this cam, b/c i do not have the money for a 12 bolt. with a good Ls1 edit tune and rev limiter set to 7000, i do not see why this cannot be a Daily driver. Also, how much of a difference are we talking between the t-rex and g5x3???
like i said in my first post.....bump your gears to at least 3.90. it will make life easier. you CAN get away with stock gears, but it won't be pretty. most dual valvesprings fit w/o machining the heads. ie comp 921's, patriot gold duals, prc duals. they all work well. the cam CAN be a daily driver, its just going to be a PITA thats all. its a big cam and is going to act like one. the trex is bigger than the g5x3.
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TECH Addict
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,336
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From: Fat Chance Hotel
Originally Posted by Danoldo
Lastly, knowing big cams, I would HAVE to suggest at least an LS6 intake. With a big cam that likes to breath up top, you need it. I had my LS1 manifold on the X3 and as soon as it hit 6100RPM's, the power would drop off so fast it was crazy. As soon as I installed teh LS6 manifold, it would hit 7000RPM without a blink!
Good luck!
Good luck!
TECH Veteran
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,954
Likes: 1
From: Kent WA
There's no way I'd drive a car with a cam that big with stock 3.42s... it would take forever to get into the powerband. I'd step up to at least some 4.10s if not 4.30s.
If you don't get the proper support parts for that kind of power, you're going to wonder why your car isn't as fast as you think it should be with a cam that large. There's a lot more to going fast than shoving a cam, slapping some bolt-ons to it and mashing the gas pedal. Things like a 12 bolt rear end, steep gears, better clutch, better suspension pieces, and stickier tires are all essential when you're pushing that kind of hp through your car.
If you don't get the proper support parts for that kind of power, you're going to wonder why your car isn't as fast as you think it should be with a cam that large. There's a lot more to going fast than shoving a cam, slapping some bolt-ons to it and mashing the gas pedal. Things like a 12 bolt rear end, steep gears, better clutch, better suspension pieces, and stickier tires are all essential when you're pushing that kind of hp through your car.
Thread Starter
12 Second Club
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: Lakeland, FL
would i be able to use the g5x3 w/ the 3.42's??? b/c like i said b4 i dont have the $$ for a 12 bolt just yet, and i'd like to maintain the stock gearing. as long as the cam isnt going to cause me to stall out around town I have no problem with it feeling sluggish down low. at the track i launch at around 35-3800 which is where the trex starts making power, and more than likely it will see most of its action on the track so i dont see why it cant be daily driven. as long as i get the comp 921's i don't understand why i would go through springs very fast???
Originally Posted by MuTiLaToR
would i be able to use the g5x3 w/ the 3.42's??? b/c like i said b4 i dont have the $$ for a 12 bolt just yet, and i'd like to maintain the stock gearing. as long as the cam isnt going to cause me to stall out around town I have no problem with it feeling sluggish down low. at the track i launch at around 35-3800 which is where the trex starts making power, and more than likely it will see most of its action on the track so i dont see why it cant be daily driven. as long as i get the comp 921's i don't understand why i would go through springs very fast???
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 196
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From: Louisville, KY / Memphis, TN
Dont even think about racing on the street with this cam, and you will def. need a new rear end. Most people who get this cam build the motor and go larger displacement. This is a race only cam for a reason. If this is your first cam I would get a small one, and then move up as needed.
Im sure you like the sound of 500rwhp, but 400rwhp is no sloch either.
Spend a couple days searching, and learning about the timing and lift of a cam. Also, a good idea is to call a sponsor and tell them your goals and let them help you pick out a cam for your needs. I dont know anyone who uses a T-Rex in a daily driver.
Im sure you like the sound of 500rwhp, but 400rwhp is no sloch either.
Spend a couple days searching, and learning about the timing and lift of a cam. Also, a good idea is to call a sponsor and tell them your goals and let them help you pick out a cam for your needs. I dont know anyone who uses a T-Rex in a daily driver.
Originally Posted by rufretic
I'd look into preparing your car a little better before throwing in a huge cam.
you WILL NOT get the results that other people are getting from this cam, unless you are setup properly for it. yes, you can scrape by and "survive" with it in the car, but whats the point. 2MuchRiceMakesMeSick runs a trex as a daily driver and his car is very managable. he's also running a moser 9" rear, dennys n2o driveshaft, a FAST 90mm intake setup, full bolt ons, Lanes true duals, mickey thompson 28" rears....his car is setup to HAUL ***.
if you just want to scrape by, go right ahead. however you'll end up breakin ****, and it will cost you far more in the long run. do it right the first time. it sounds like your car needs some more prep before the t-rex, but thats my personal opinion. good luck either way.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 6,157
Likes: 1
From: Texas
I have this cam in my daily driver.
Get the cam package from thunder for this cam (dual springs only). This cam will be hard to manage untill you get full boltons and a great tune. Any boltons that you do (such as gears) will make this cam alot better.
Get the cam package from thunder for this cam (dual springs only). This cam will be hard to manage untill you get full boltons and a great tune. Any boltons that you do (such as gears) will make this cam alot better.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 90
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From: Liberty, SC
Im sure you like the sound of 500rwhp, but 400rwhp is no sloch either.