jimmy169

Well I am extremely new to this and really confused, I tried to search and read the beginner mods sticky, I know it is highly recommended to get heads with a cam but I was wondering if there is a cam that isn't too aggressive, maybe one that will get me in the 360-380whp range that won't require heads? I think i read that no matter what it will require atleast better springs, is that correct? I'm wondering basically if there's any way to just do a cam swap, without needing to do any headwork, if I wasn't looking for 400+whp, but just something to give me a little extra whp.

Something else I read about during my search, is that me being auto may be an issue? Like I said I'm extremely new to this, and really have a hard time understanding half of what I read, but I want to learn as much as i can before making my choice. I read that I should get a stall otherwise the cam will be pretty useless and I wouldn't feel much of a dif? Why is that? I thought a stall only let u rev higher from a stop so you can launch harder, but what if I didn't want to launch, I just want a cam that will feel good if I step on the gas from a roll, just from regular driving and hopefully will be pretty helpful if I get a race while cruising. But I don't plan to abuse my car from a stop anytime soon (atleast I hope not if I can control myself, lol). So I am wondering why does it seem highly recommended to get a stall first, from some of the threads I found during my search?


Again any help is appreciated sorry for such newbie questions I tried to search and have read as many threads as I stumbled upon but it just leave's me with many more questions.

edit: also if it helps, I have a 98 auto trans am, with slp lid, pacesetter longtube headers, y-pipe, and catback.

formula001

iTrader: (1)

There is a number of cams that will put you in that power range you want. Maybe look into a 224 cam. Yes being an auto you would need to get a stall, not only does it help on the launch as you stated but it also keeps you in the power band better through all of the gears. Springs would need to be swapped out as well as pushrods. I would also replace the oil pump with a ported ls6 and also a double roller timing chain but these are not necessary.

transamfreak01

iTrader: (8)

just like formula said, stalls are a must in an auto. they will probably net you the biggest et drop (n/a). w/o a stall the car will not reach full potential of the cam. so i would go with a 224 on maybe a 112lsa w/ new push rods and springs, a yank ss3400 or 3600 stall, a ls6 ported oil pump, a pulley and also an ls6 intake. the ls6 intake is a big one. the intake and stall i would get b4 the cam if u dont plan on getting it all at once. hope that helped a little bit

jimmy169

It did thanks. I'm still confused as to why i'd need a stall, I mean does a stall help from racing from a roll lets say? I thought all it did was let u hold the brake's and rev higher? But I guess I will go for the ls6 intake first to complete the bolt on's, then I will look into a stall and tranny cooler, and go from there. Thanks again for the help so far, I'm just still confused on how a stall works I guess, I should have asked about that before I asked about the cam.

edit: I found some article's online and damn, stall converters sound awsome, i think i finally grasp it (i hope). From the reading i did, stall converters basically is like dropping a clutch at w/e rpm ur stall is set for. So if it's like a 3500, it's liek dropping the clutch always at 3500 if it was stick, except it's easier on the tranny...idk if i'm getting confused on what i'm reading, but if this is the case, then i finally understand why it's such a great mod for auto's. Here I thought it was just for the launch, but correct me if i'm wrong, it will always not engage until it's passed the 3k mark or w/e the stall is set for? (hope this is making sense and I'm not totally lost).

gts500

ok ! for a street racing the need of the stall converter is not at high recommended

you can run very fast without it.

i didnt swap my converter and still run very strong but am considering to go for it in my next mod.

and about the cam swap , replacing the valve springs and pushrods is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

you can by a thunder racing kit with a tr224 cam for 599$. and its all that you need

to reach 360-380HP with no problem.

jimmy169

Awsome thanks a lot for the help! I'm still really at odds and ends with the stall, I would really rather save that money and I won't be racing from a stop much at all, most of the race's come on from a roll around here for me that's why I'm confused whether I really need that stall or not. I'm thinking I will go for the cam without a stall at first and see how i like it, I'll def. do the springs and pushrods and everything as that sounds like it's a neccessity. But what do you guys think if the car was just for roll racing or stepping on the gas every once in a while while joy riding, not really interested in racing from a stop much i'm actually always paranoid about the tranny and would rather not abuse it nor the rear.

With a cam in the car making more power, can the tranny still handle being shifted manually going through the gears sometime's instead of just keeping it in drive, or would it be recommended to leave it in drive and let it shift on it's own?

I'm starting to get greedy inside and am thinking if I'm spending this much money I might as well go for the 380+whp range.

Comin' Thunder

iTrader: (5)

Even from a roll, the stall will keep the rpms up and shift faster than guys with a manual can. Most definitely put the stall and cam in. It'll feel like a totally different car....in a good way. I have many friends with stalled auto LS1's. I've got a 6-speed, but if I had an auto the stall would've been among the first mods I did. Good luck.

93redBIRDman

iTrader: (9)

Yea, a stall helps you off the line AND from a roll. Trust me, you will feel a HUGE speed and acceleration improvement in EVERY gear with a good stall. Your car will feel like a totally different animal.

gts500

if you do have the stall budget go for it

but if you run tight budget get the neccessary things BUY THE CAM KIT .

that will make the huge diffrent between stock and modifided car ,not only stall will do.

as i told you am not runin a stall in my ride and am still smoke alot of super cars like

porsche and f430 ,and alot more . am getting the stall soon and its my last mod.

so go fo what will takethe car to a diffrent level ,cam swap will do .

(find a good tuner and dyno) highly recommended.

lilbuddy1587

iTrader: (1)

No offense, but OP, please do not listen to this guy and just get a stall. That will be your best bang for your buck. You will wonder why you never installed that first when you feel what it does for your car. It will take away dead spots from a roll, be a monster from a dig (pending traction of course) and just make your auto that much more fun to drive. A stock stall and a cam = surging, car dieing, car taking forever to get into the powerband etc. You will feel/recieve more of an increase in performance with a stall over a cam. Obviously adding BOTH would be great! Good luck

1WICKDZ

iTrader: (2)

Stall (for street mainly I wouldn't go over 3600), tranny cooler, shift kit, and your cam of choice (street cam would be 224 to mid 23X range) with the kit of springs and pushrods. texas-speed.com and thunderracing.com have good deals on these cam kits. Do both the cam/stall at the same time. Take into consideration, you're going to need a good tune after this as well.

Great post on stalls
https://ls1tech.com/forums/automatic-transmission/728728-commonly-asked-stall-transmission-related-questions.html

98Z28MASS

iTrader: (6)

For 360-380 rwhp Id suggest a tsp torquer v2 or toruqer v3 along with a 3200-3500 rpm stall. For the cam you would need minimum comp 918 springs or if you want patriot dual gold springs (id opt for the duals). On top of that you will need hardend pushrods, titanium retainers, new ported ls6 oil pump, new timing chain (ls2 chain will work fine), and then id suggest a 25% pulley, ported stock throttle body, and ls6 intake manifold. With either of the torquers and the mods listed above you should see 370-380 rwhp easy.

melchoir

iTrader: (4)

As previously mentioned, a stall should practically be a requirement for anyone modding an Auto. A stall will help from a dig or a roll. Get the cam after the stall, or both at once.

As others have mentioned you HAVE TO change the valvesprings, and really should swap the pushrods.

gts500

anytime man just tryin to help

Ragtop 99

iTrader: (7)

You have 3.73s and probably high compression which helps you get off the line. If you are traction limited, the 3.73s may be all you can use. You may find it becomes tricky to launch with a stall on the street if you pick the wrong stall.

With stock gears, a mild stall does wonders with a cam. It's easier to idle tune since it permits a higher idle speed and doesn't fall out of the power band on the 1-2 upshift. My best steet launches came when I had stock 3.23 gears and a 4000 stall.



Back on topic, the classic 224/224 112 cam seems to be perfect for your needs

gts500

yes you right about the 3.73s and the high compresstion .

but what am tryin to say here is JIMMY tryin to start modifiding his ride

so basicly most of us usualy start moding the engine first then the rear end

then the tranny.

so i saw guys here try to steer jimmy wrong by telling him to start moding

with a stall???
they was right about that the stall will clean dead spot on the rpm and

will launch faster ,BUT what the hell is that power band they are talkin about??

the guy didnt start moding the engine he have stock internal???so what power band they are talkin about???

when jimmy get the cam kit ,after that he will have a power band he can run his stall around it.

thats what am tryin to say .

NO OFFENCE LILBUDDY 1587. but about talkin about bangin the buckes?

the cheapest stall will cost around 450$ ? and u can get a cam kit around that number or 100$ higher .

so to have a good launch from a dig or a roll...you have to have an engine

capable to do that ,with stock engine that will be like throwin mony in fire

so for guys who run tight budget like most of us do ,here is my moding method

1:get the engine done (bolts on +internals )
2: get a rear end will match the power band .
3:get the tranny done with a stall .
4: good BRAKES ofcourse to stop that monster.

Ragtop 99

iTrader: (7)

I think if you look at the stock internal ET list, you'll be surprised how fast you can go with a big stall. A 3600 stall and stock gears will be quicker than most cammed cars with a stock stall.

As to the question of powerband, the stock powerband is 4000 - 6000 rpm. A 4000 stall puts you there and keeps you there. Not only does it cure the deadspots on the upshifts, the shift extension provides torque multiplication through the upshift.

We can discuss the pluses and minus of each, but there are several good reasons to skip the gears and stick with stock. Some people don't like the looseness of a high stall so gears are a way to help crutch the problem. Others want low highway rpms and swapping gears doesn't cut it from them. There are tradeoffs for every mod. However, the biggest ET reduction per dollar invested will come from a stall and that's why other members are pushing him to look at a stall.

lilbuddy1587

iTrader: (1)

What you're trying to say makes no sense. No one is trying to "steer him wrong". The first mod(s) to an LS1 auto should be a tranny cooler and a converter to get rid of the dead spots, help to get the car up in its power band quicker(yes it has a powerband even with stock internals) and to help it get off the line much much quicker. A rear end is unnessecary with most auto LS1's because its much easier on the rear and doesnt shock the **** out of it unless you're running a trans brake etc.

Let me break it down for you. A cam will cost $3-400, ok? Now, add in the push rods, springs and other supporting mods(to do it right) and you're looking at $800-1k. Now, look at the stall converter. You can pick up a 3-3600 stall for roughly $450 and add in a tranny cooler for another $100 bucks. Not only will the STALLED auto be faster than the CAMMED stock stall auto, it will have better drive ability and NOT require a tune(another $350-400). So which one makes more sense to you?

d james

Yes I would also recommend getting a stall converter over a cam. The difference between a stock stall and high stall is termendous, it really does make the car feel like a whole new animal. driving stock stall cars makes me sick, they feel like a slug to me. The higher stall will help everywhere, it does have some drawbacks such as mushy throttle response because the engine must rev to its specific point before launching which makes it feel a little mushy, unless your going full throttle, plus it eats gas a little more and does cause more heat in the trans. Don't put a new stall without a trans cooler, I would say get one with the stocker as heat is very bad for the trans. With a good stall you won't even care you have stock gears, a new higher stall is always one of my first mods I love them.
Far as cam, that should be next after stall or after all the other supporting mods, never forget its in the combination of parts that makes the best running car, not just mismatched parts that claim XX amount of power. If you throw a big cam in there but can't reliably use its powerband, whats the point of going bigger? A stall might not be adding any flywheel horsepower, but a cam that claims 50 horses won't bring you that amount if all the other parts are'nt there to compliment it. I get the impression you don't like changing springs, since you were looking for a cam that doesn't require new ones. I'll tell ya I hate changing those things, and if this is your thought as well, take this into considertion when finding a cam because many cams require spring changes sooner than later. In my opinion some of the popular cams need changing to quickly. Some may need changes as soon as 25k, others such as the hotcam can go for much much longer-just something to think about.

gts500

I KNOW the tock engine has a power band ,but how much 260or280 even 300 .plus stock power band will peak at 5500 rpm??? and you have a stall with 3600 or 4000 speed stall.

i know the stall is strongly recommended for auto and am not forgetting that

i am getting my stall soon from YANK.

and i saw a cam kit with springs pushrods and retainers for 599$ on TR web.

i bout my YANK stall for almost 700$???

anyway that was my steps for moding am not saying its the right formula

but am givin information based on my experince .

and the rear end is most important for me because am runing 3.07 (gto 04) gears and you run 3.23 on your ls1 camaro.so (have some mercy man)

and based on my infos,i know that for high stall application you need a alot of torque to lift and launch faster,so if am right let say:
a stock engine has 290 or 310 peak torque at 4500
and a cammed engine put 350 to380 peak torque at 5000
so wich power band you think is much much faster???

basicly the stall theory is remain the same (it will launch fast and kill dead spot).

but its a mony game in here ,every one of us will think the way he see it right

you have what you think is right for spending your buckes,and i have my way too and at the end BOTH OF US GOES EMPTY HANDED .
BUT IT WAS WORTH EVERY SENT $$$

nice thread guys and alot of infos