LS7 cam advice
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
From: New York
LS7 cam advice My LS7 motor is currently being rebuilt with forged pistons and a few other mods to stabilize the valve train. While it's apart, I'm considering a cam change, and I'm curious if anyone has recommendations.
I've a mid engine, light weight car (about 2000 lbs) built for road courses. It's got a small fuel tank, so I need something which will deliver decent fuel mileage on the street. I don't think I need piles of torque because the car is so light. I'd also like something that can rev to 7000 rpm so I can hang onto a gear before braking for a corner, though it doesn't need to deliver peak power there. I plan to run the car on pump gas.
So any recommendations for a cam, and if so any required changes to the heads i.e. milling? Or should I just stick with the stock LS7 as it does everything reasonably well?
TIA.
Tom
I've a mid engine, light weight car (about 2000 lbs) built for road courses. It's got a small fuel tank, so I need something which will deliver decent fuel mileage on the street. I don't think I need piles of torque because the car is so light. I'd also like something that can rev to 7000 rpm so I can hang onto a gear before braking for a corner, though it doesn't need to deliver peak power there. I plan to run the car on pump gas.
So any recommendations for a cam, and if so any required changes to the heads i.e. milling? Or should I just stick with the stock LS7 as it does everything reasonably well?
TIA.
Tom
With a light car our STALKER cam will deliver excellent power, torque, drivability, and fuel mileage. Our next step up is our LETHAL cam. This cam pulls hard to 7000 rpm with good mileage. The LETHAL is what most of our customers use in the LS7. Do some research on it here and the corvette forum and youtube. You will get lots of information. Please give me a call or or send me a pm if you have any questions I can answer for you.
Shawn
Shawn
Vengeance Racing has good cams as well.....
I'm running a QM600 cam. Attached is the graph on a stock LS7 motor with headers, ported TB, ported intake, and CAI (cold air induction). My car is about 2800lbs wet; however not currently driveable as it is being finished. I'm planning on spinning it to 7300rpm. I have 1.46" oversize springs (rated at .700" lift). If you have ported heads add about 30rwhp and 20rwtq across the graph. Run as much compression as you can for the octane fuel you run. Big cams help to bleed off compression.... so with 93 octane fuel you can run very close to 12:1. I'm at 11.25:1 with 91 octane.
I assume you have a GTM?
FAST came out with a new LS7 intake which makes more power across the board compared to an LS7 intake. I would put that on your list as well. Since you need to get retuned you may as well go all out. Here is a comparison:https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...equired-5.html
One done by Katech on the engine dyno: https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...t-results.html
I'm running a QM600 cam. Attached is the graph on a stock LS7 motor with headers, ported TB, ported intake, and CAI (cold air induction). My car is about 2800lbs wet; however not currently driveable as it is being finished. I'm planning on spinning it to 7300rpm. I have 1.46" oversize springs (rated at .700" lift). If you have ported heads add about 30rwhp and 20rwtq across the graph. Run as much compression as you can for the octane fuel you run. Big cams help to bleed off compression.... so with 93 octane fuel you can run very close to 12:1. I'm at 11.25:1 with 91 octane.
I assume you have a GTM?
FAST came out with a new LS7 intake which makes more power across the board compared to an LS7 intake. I would put that on your list as well. Since you need to get retuned you may as well go all out. Here is a comparison:https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...equired-5.html
One done by Katech on the engine dyno: https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...t-results.html
Last edited by gnx7; Apr 23, 2009 at 08:41 PM.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
From: New York
thanks to all for the replies.
Odd as it sounds on this forum, more power is not really what I need - the car is so light, and doesn't have much aero hardware on it, so I don't need bags of power. I guess I was wondering if there is a cam that takes advantage of newer/better valve springs with faster ramp rates etc so that fuel mileage is equal to stock, but maybe power is slightly better.
on a separate note, with forged pistons and stock rods, what's the safe limit on RPM on a LS7?
BTW, it's not a GTM - it's a Lola T70 replica.
Tom
Odd as it sounds on this forum, more power is not really what I need - the car is so light, and doesn't have much aero hardware on it, so I don't need bags of power. I guess I was wondering if there is a cam that takes advantage of newer/better valve springs with faster ramp rates etc so that fuel mileage is equal to stock, but maybe power is slightly better.
on a separate note, with forged pistons and stock rods, what's the safe limit on RPM on a LS7?
BTW, it's not a GTM - it's a Lola T70 replica.
Tom
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TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 3
From: Upstate NY
thanks to all for the replies.
Odd as it sounds on this forum, more power is not really what I need - the car is so light, and doesn't have much aero hardware on it, so I don't need bags of power. I guess I was wondering if there is a cam that takes advantage of newer/better valve springs with faster ramp rates etc so that fuel mileage is equal to stock, but maybe power is slightly better.
on a separate note, with forged pistons and stock rods, what's the safe limit on RPM on a LS7?
BTW, it's not a GTM - it's a Lola T70 replica.
Tom
Odd as it sounds on this forum, more power is not really what I need - the car is so light, and doesn't have much aero hardware on it, so I don't need bags of power. I guess I was wondering if there is a cam that takes advantage of newer/better valve springs with faster ramp rates etc so that fuel mileage is equal to stock, but maybe power is slightly better.
on a separate note, with forged pistons and stock rods, what's the safe limit on RPM on a LS7?
BTW, it's not a GTM - it's a Lola T70 replica.
Tom
Probably not anyone's shelf cam, no matter what the name, but your cam is defintely out there waiting to be designed. Perhaps it could be called Lola like the Kinks' song.
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Launching!
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 251
Likes: 2
From: Portland OR
If you're going to see a lot of track time, the RPM limit is really a question of valvetrain durability. I'd guess the stock crank and rods will live 500 or 1000 RPM past the design limit of 7000, but you can find plenty of stories of people suffering catastrophic valve spring (and sometimes, valve or rocker) failures even with a 7000 RPM limit. That's where sticking with the stock cam, and its gentler ramps, might be a good idea, even if you go to aftermarket springs.
Just IMO, of course. My opinion is definitely affected by my own recent experience replacing a motor that sprayed many of its internals all over the local road course ...
Just IMO, of course. My opinion is definitely affected by my own recent experience replacing a motor that sprayed many of its internals all over the local road course ...
Carefully pickout a valve spring that's made to do what your looking to accomplish. I think the new PRC .675" spring is exactly what your looking for in this application! Checkout my tread about the spring, it has excellent test data even after huge numbers of cycles compared to the current LS springs available.
We offer the LS7S & LS7R camshafts for LS7 head applications. While they're designed for LS7 based Vettes, we can defiantely help tweak a few things on them to make them better fit your application. It sounds like a great project, let us know if we can help in any way!
We offer the LS7S & LS7R camshafts for LS7 head applications. While they're designed for LS7 based Vettes, we can defiantely help tweak a few things on them to make them better fit your application. It sounds like a great project, let us know if we can help in any way!
__________________
Jason
Co-Owner, Texas Speed & Performance, Ltd.
2005 Twin Turbo C6
404cid Stroker, 67mm Twins
994rwhp/902lb ft @ 22 psi (mustang dyno) www.Texas-Speed.com
Jason
Co-Owner, Texas Speed & Performance, Ltd.
2005 Twin Turbo C6
404cid Stroker, 67mm Twins
994rwhp/902lb ft @ 22 psi (mustang dyno) www.Texas-Speed.com
HKE and G-Force have had a lot of success making not only big power on a dyno but producing very fast cars with their LS7 combo's.
I can set you up with an HKE cam/combo or give G-Force a call.
I can set you up with an HKE cam/combo or give G-Force a call.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
From: New York
Guys,
I ended up putting a baby cam into my LS7 motor - cam specs as follows
Int valve lift - .615"
Exh. valve lift - .625"
Int duration @.050" - 222 degrees
Exh duration @ .050" - 230 degrees
Lobe separation - 118
I don't have the full dyno sheet yet, but the motor made 574 HP at 6200 rpm, and 518 ft-lb torque on the engine dyno. Typical stock LS7 makes 540 - 550 HP on their dyno.
Obviously not the kind of power a lot of you guys make, but I think it will be adequate in a 2000 lb car!
Tom
I ended up putting a baby cam into my LS7 motor - cam specs as follows
Int valve lift - .615"
Exh. valve lift - .625"
Int duration @.050" - 222 degrees
Exh duration @ .050" - 230 degrees
Lobe separation - 118
I don't have the full dyno sheet yet, but the motor made 574 HP at 6200 rpm, and 518 ft-lb torque on the engine dyno. Typical stock LS7 makes 540 - 550 HP on their dyno.
Obviously not the kind of power a lot of you guys make, but I think it will be adequate in a 2000 lb car!
Tom
