I am planning to buy a LS6 Cam and I need to know what all I will need, whats the best to get for it and what not. Thanks

Erich
99 Z28 A4

 

------------------------------------------->
Make some calls and look at some websites. You can get away with just switching out the cam, but new springs and retainers will give you some insurance and lighten up the valvetrain and you might as well do pushrods as well. You'll find that there are better cam options out there once you do some research. You don't have to go big to make big power either.

 

Any cam over stock lift and you will need a new set of valvesprings. New hardened pushrods aren't a bad idea either.
Timing chain and oil pump if your car has over 50,000 on it.

 

If I were you I'd go bigger, there is no sense opening up a perfectly good motor for minimal gains..go bigger. You don't have to go huge but that cam is simply not worth the effort.

You want springs, timing chain, push rods at the very least. Will not 100% necessary, you will have to remove them for teh cam anyway...

Dave

 

You have to change springs.
What you need:
-LS6 02>up cam
-LS6 02> up springs
-7.425 push rods (for exact proper geometry), you'll see replies (I use stock ones, but then your lifter preload will be lighter with possible valvetrain noise)
-1 cam swap gasket kit (front cover gasket, water pump gaskets, front cover seal, crank bolt)
-1 LS2 timing chain with 2/3 oil pick up tube O ring (spares if you bust one)

+ tools.

Install instructions on: http//www.ls1howto.com

 

Im not really looking for very big power gains right now. All the LS1 guys that i run around with are throwing in really big cams. They really dont have much planning. I am going a different route then everybody else. My plan for my car is to be a handling car with some power. I like to use the arguement that they might be able to beat me in the quarter mile but i will lose them all around the curves. All these guys that I run around with have zero handling so i would like to get them on that. But i also plan on getting an ls6 intake and longtubes with that. How much power do you think i can get out of that.

Erich

 

Hi Erich
The cam will pull very hard after 3500 RPM - not a bad cam. Remember without the header but intake and cam, it should be like an LS6 - 400 at the crank. With the headers maybe 20 more.
Bill

 

I can understand handling being a priority and not power, but why purposely sacrifice potential power? Putting a more powerfull cam in won't make it handle worse. The only reason straight line people don't handle well is the suspension/tire setup is a whole different set of requirements. And even then it's not too hard to make a drag car that still turns well too.

Do you care to explain how they don't have planning, and you do? I'm curious based on what you have said so far.

 

my recommendation is the gt2-3 as it is a hair bigger then the ls6 and idles and drives just as good. specs are 207/220 571/578 on a 118.5 lsa.you cant go wrong. i was gonna do the ls6 cam then i saw the gt2-3 and the gains are great and smooth.

 

Hi Folks
This is just my two cents - with LS6 cam, you don't have to worry about changing valve springs every 30K miles or so. It is designed by GM to go the life of the car. That is not saying that the springs will not fail. The LS6 spring are only for .571 lift max. To tell the turth, my car is only a once awhile weekend warrior but I am not interesting in taking it a part - it is not a real fun car to work on and some case it is a real pain the a$$.
Bill

 

Thats true, not to mention how much cheaper you can buy an LS6 cam compared to other cams (mostly meaning used).

The GT2-3 is a pretty good cam as well, but I really don't think it is worth the extra money for the gains vs. the LS6 cam, well not in my experience. I"ve got a friend that has that cam with LPE heads..tuned and it doesn't trap any higher than mine with an LS6 cam, untuned.. his car loves the juice though with that LSA.

 

Just keep in mind that it will probably be awhile before your weekend warrior gets 20k-25k miles on it and springs can easily be changed in an afternoon's work. To most people it is worth a couple hundred bucks and an afternoon's labor every 20-25k miles when you consider how much better a moer aggressive cam can perform.

If the LS6 cam is still what you want, go for it.

 

yep not having to change spring is a great reason to go with that cam. If you want something bigger check out SDPC they have some crane cams that promise just as long spring life as the LS6 cam and they can use LS6 springs-you can even have them adjust the numbers if you don't like how they spec out. The one I'm looking at is the 220/224 114 551/551 cam 308 bucks and 50 bucks for the springs, and 50 bucks for the gasket kit and your done

 

I have a LS6 cam, LS6 springs, retainers, clips and push rods for sale if you are intersted. Just switched them out. Car has almost 7000 mikes on it, with oil changes done every 6 months. This is out of my 2002 Z06... PM me if you are interested. Will be listing it soon on the parts for sale this week.