1989GTA

Good numbers with an unreal torque curve. I take it with stock L99 heads and a 6L80E. I just hope my numbers are as good when I am done. I will also be using the Yank SS3200. How does it drive?

Gus 82

iTrader: (2)

Yea that looks pretty promising, Guys on some of the other forums say yank it out and go with standard cam but with so many OEM's putting it in the engines there has to be something there. Hoping I can sort this out. I think the older style phaser fixes my problem and I dont need to buy a new cam I can get HP tuners and try and tune it or put the extra cash to a nitrous kit.....

futureuser

iTrader: (1)

Other oems can vary exhaust and intake valve timing independently. There is a huge advantage to doing this. The first vvt systems on imports would only vary intake valve timing, not both at the same time. Even these earliest systems on imports are superior to what's on the "LS" system. LS3, LS7, LSA, LS9 all exclude vvt. The "LS" vvt system is to help gm meet cafe fuel economy standards.

pharmd

iTrader: (4)

1) just giving my experiences with the topic...it was on a SC application the point is still valid, VVT didn't do jack.
2) How many things have manufacturers done throughout the years that turned out to be just a fad? Its like saying everyone's doing it so it must work. I got rid of DOD and VVT and the car made more power, back to back apples to apples...period, in my experience its all marketing.

Also, we need good data. I realize most folks aren't going to take the time or money to compare cams, but its really the only way to get a clear picture of what parts "actually" do and don't make power in each application. Posting up a graph saying I made xx power more vs my stock cam isn't helpful...you could have made the same (OR MORE) power increase by using a non-VVT cam. I am just trying to provide honest real world experiences on the topic.

Scoggin Dickey

iTrader: (34)

Advancing and/or retarding a cam isn't a fad or marketing scheme, it's been used effectively for as long as anyone in performance can remember to move the powerband around. The benefit can not be argued. Peak gains in HP an TQ will vary, some will see quite a bit and some will not see as much if any. To me that's irrelevant as IMO that's just a bonus to the most useful advantage of VVT which is broadening the power range.

Gus 82

iTrader: (2)

So I'm going to order a custom cam today. After doing a ton of article reading I am going to stay with the VVT. I will post my current cam for sale after the swap which would be good for a Reg cab or lighter car... Just not a 4x4 ext cab 4.8 trying to pull a 5500 boat trailer......I agree with scoggin, in any v8 app advance it in the Low RPM or retard for Upper RPM has been around forever. Even though most guys dont degree a cam doesnt mean you are getting the full potential. I like the idea of being able to do this without changing keys and not being locked into having to choose where I want my power. The Specs of the cam I am going with are 189 core vvt, 210/224 @.050, .556/568 and a 112 + 5 intake advance.. With or without vvt I think these specs should give my little 4.8 a good low RPM boost.

Gus 82

iTrader: (2)

Any thoughts on the new cam specs think it should give me more bottom end? 210/224 @.050, .556/568 and a 112 + 5 vs currently installed 219/228 .550/.550 114

1989GTA

I think in your situation with a 4.8L motor and a extended cab truck that cam will be fine. I also think you made the right decision in keeping the VVT.

Gus 82

iTrader: (2)

I know its not the most powerful engine out there but the currently installed cam was actually slower I think then stock..... Once I get this in I will be looking for a 4l80 and a t70....

-TheBandit-

iTrader: (1)

^^THIS^^

I think the real question is if the gains are worth the additional costs and whether or not the LSx VVT system will prove reliable in performance applications. My biggest concern with the VVT setup I'm pursuing (TSP VVT-2) is how stable the cam valve timing will be and whether or not that will cause problems with valvetrain control. As long as the timing control is good, you could theoreticaly grind any cam profile onto a VVT core and see the benefits of on-the-fly timing adjustment.

Futureuser, you should have Vengence grind your cam profile on a VVT core, do a swap and let us know what the gains are after cam timing optimization I bet you could do it for less money than I'm spending to fix my rust pile lol.

pharmd

iTrader: (4)

As a side note, I spoke with my tuner. He has tuned thousands of cars, several with VVT. In his experience he had not seen any "SIGNIFICANT" power or torque increases with VVT cams vs regular cams. Like The Bandit is saying, put a conventional cam in a car, tune it for max power, then swap to a VVT cam, tune it for max power...same dyno, heads, compression, exhaust etc this is the only way to see "IF" their is significant power to be had. picking up 3-5 HP here or there isn't SIGNIFICANT, IMHO doesn't justify the expense or risk. I realize VVT failure leading motor damage is largely a myth at this point, but more moving parts = less reliability...I think most would agree with that. Im not bashing VVT, I just know for me, on my car, in my application, it did NOTHING, and cost me more money. And I would have to imagine I am one of the few non-shop, average consumer type people that have done back to back testing of VVT vs conventional cams, especially that are on a board posting unbiased results. Just trying to share information and help folks be more informed.

1989GTA

"several with VVT"

Did these cars have the VVT software tables installed from companies such as TSP who have spent countless hours and hundreds of dyno pulls refining the VVT software for their cams? Were they just using the factory tables?

Gus 82

iTrader: (2)

I know its not true for every application but I am not trying to get every last bit of HP from my cam install. It actually cost me the same money to do the VVT cam a new solonoid bolt and timing gasket set as it would of to buy all the conversion parts brand new. With the cam being able to advance a bit in the low end I think that should really help MY 4.8 on the bottom end when getting my 22ft Hurricane deck boat up to highway speeds.