Need a "Legal" Cam for Ca?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Oakland, CA
Need a "Legal" Cam for Ca? Hello All, I'm fairly new to this and I want to put the craziest-but-smog-legal cam in my 99 ls1. It's an oxymoron I know because you can't go both ways. I'm not exactly sure what all i'll need, ex: the cam, lifters, pushrods, springs, etc... Should I buy a package deal? Or can I get away with just buying the Cam? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Originally Posted by JVs95LS1Z28
Hello All, I'm fairly new to this and I want to put the craziest-but-smog-legal cam in my 99 ls1. It's an oxymoron I know because you can't go both ways. I'm not exactly sure what all i'll need, ex: the cam, lifters, pushrods, springs, etc... Should I buy a package deal? Or can I get away with just buying the Cam? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 387
Likes: 0
From: Cali
224 would be a good choice, should pass emissions with a good tune and still give you some great usable power. definitely hit up that link white00ws6 posted, jmx's site is the ****.
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BAH! Just find yourself a shady smog man and throw the biggest cam you can fit in the SOB. I hate to say it, but what other choice do we have? Go half assed and settle for a cam that you might not be satisfied with, or pay some guy an extra $100 to look the other way. Tens of thousands of cars just like yours running around with no cats and huge cams. They can't catch us all! 
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Originally Posted by bad2000ss
BAH! Just find yourself a shady smog man and throw the biggest cam you can fit in the SOB. I hate to say it, but what other choice do we have? Go half assed and settle for a cam that you might not be satisfied with, or pay some guy an extra $100 to look the other way. Tens of thousands of cars just like yours running around with no cats and huge cams. They can't catch us all!
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,570
Likes: 1
From: San Diego, CA
well iwas in the same boat you are in now.... after i got all the bolt-ons then i looked into a H/C swap. we talked to guys at COMP and they recamended my....
222/224 .566/.568 114. now this is a medium sized cam that packs a big punch around
3K and pulls like mad to redilne (im VERY happy with this cam!) if you go much bigger on duration you have to rev it to the moon 6600 and up! this cam makes all its power by around 6200-6400... and if you go much more lift your putting alot more stress on your springs which can wear them out ALOT faster... and the 114 lsa sounds KILLER with long tubes ORY and a cut-out! very loud AND awsome lope!
now just because i was limited to the cam i could get i wasent limited to the heads...
get some and youll make alot more POWER... get some good stage 2's and kick up your CR to around 11:1.....
i didnt need lifters, mine only had 17K on them... but get some good pushrods....
you can get a good H/C kit for around $1400-2000 ...
good luck bro! i havent had to smog my cam yet... but im sure it will pass.....
222/224 .566/.568 114. now this is a medium sized cam that packs a big punch around
3K and pulls like mad to redilne (im VERY happy with this cam!) if you go much bigger on duration you have to rev it to the moon 6600 and up! this cam makes all its power by around 6200-6400... and if you go much more lift your putting alot more stress on your springs which can wear them out ALOT faster... and the 114 lsa sounds KILLER with long tubes ORY and a cut-out! very loud AND awsome lope!
now just because i was limited to the cam i could get i wasent limited to the heads...
get some and youll make alot more POWER... get some good stage 2's and kick up your CR to around 11:1.....
i didnt need lifters, mine only had 17K on them... but get some good pushrods....
you can get a good H/C kit for around $1400-2000 ...
good luck bro! i havent had to smog my cam yet... but im sure it will pass.....
I just tuned my 220/220/113.5 cam to pass emissions with stock heads. (new heads and intake on the way 
) I could not get it to pass without the catalytic convertors.
Once you get below 114 it becomes more difficult to reduce the hydrocarbons passing from intake to exhaust during overlap at the lower RPMS. By improving VE with new heads, you may also increase overlap HC emissions. Not much, but you need to be aware of it.
I went with the cam 'cause I got it for a great price and it works great on my heavy *** convertible for street driving and open track days.
A 224 should be able to pass with your typical aftermarket heads, intake, tb. Throw on LT w/cats and I would bet on it passing, but adds a couple extra variables.
What do you mean by "craziest" cam? Sound, dyno hp, torque?
) I could not get it to pass without the catalytic convertors.Once you get below 114 it becomes more difficult to reduce the hydrocarbons passing from intake to exhaust during overlap at the lower RPMS. By improving VE with new heads, you may also increase overlap HC emissions. Not much, but you need to be aware of it.
I went with the cam 'cause I got it for a great price and it works great on my heavy *** convertible for street driving and open track days.
A 224 should be able to pass with your typical aftermarket heads, intake, tb. Throw on LT w/cats and I would bet on it passing, but adds a couple extra variables.
What do you mean by "craziest" cam? Sound, dyno hp, torque?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
From: Oakland, CA
Craziest as in I will be able to gain more hp and torque. Sound is a nice thing, but i was happy with the sound of the lt1, but i know the ls1 could make more hp. I thought if i swapped heads, i'd never even come close to passing the smog. But so far i'm getting good idea's. The just put a huge cam and pay the man idea sounds good, but i went through all this stuff to just get it legal.... i don't think it would be wise to change now...
I would go with the 224/224 on a 114 and a good set of heads....if if you want more hp/tq after that go STS turbo...or a blower. The tr224/224 114 is a good forced induction cam. Especially if emission testing is a concern. My 2 cents.
Originally Posted by JVs95LS1Z28
I thought if i swapped heads, i'd never even come close to passing the smog.
I agree with your philosophy to pass emissions. I dont want to bother swapping parts on and off or worse, try to find someone to pay off.
Heads, TR224/114, lid, ls6 intake should get you near ~400 RWHP. The other way to get there is with FI. Hopefully STS will get CARB approved soon.
Launching!
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
From: Denver, CO
I'd stick to the Tr224/224 too.
People always say, "slip someone 100 bucks" or the like, yet none of them have ever done it. Why? because you get hit hard if your business does this, so nobody does.
People always say, "slip someone 100 bucks" or the like, yet none of them have ever done it. Why? because you get hit hard if your business does this, so nobody does.
