Summitracing

@TrendSetter,

Thanks for reaching out in the thread asking for a cam recommend@68Formula has provided some great advice.

It sounds like you're thinking of drawing back a bit on the converter. Maybe have it stall more around 3,000? If that's the case we could think of a couple of options to look at.

Option 1: Stage 2 SUM-8706R1 that Formula mentioned. Specs on it are .600/.575, 226/230, 113+4 with 2* of overlap. It'll have a steady lope but is easy to tune and live with. This will spool quickly pulling hard in the mid-range with a great top-end. We recommend a 2,800+ converter for the 8706R1.

Option 2: Stage 3 SUM-8716R1. Specs on it re .600/.600, 232/234, 115.5+5.5 with 2* of overlap. This will have an unmistakeable lope with its 6* IVO @.050" but it's easily tuned. This will move the power to the right with its 46* IVC @.050" vs. the 8706R1's 42* IVC. It spools quickly with an excellent mid-range and top-end. We recommend a 3,000+ stall with the 8716R1.

You can run .600" lift beehives with either of these and they'll be happy out to 7,000+. As an upgrade we offer the .660" lift PAC by Trickflow duals. You'll want upgraded pushrods. With either of these cams, we typically see a 7.400" or 7.425" pushrod used. Things can vary so we always recommend measuring for pushrod length before purchasing pushrods. If you don't already have a pushrod length checker we offer the Trickflow TFS-9501. For pushrods, we recommend a minimum of a 5/16" Chromoly pushrod with a .080" wall. You can typically find a set of 16 for around $100. From there you can get into a thicker wall or larger diameter pushrod. For excellent stability and strength check out our 11/32" HDR pushrods with a .120" wall. These have 25% less stress and 28% less deflection than a typical 5/16" x .080" wall Chromoly pushrod.

Let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

TrendSetter

Thank you for the info, I’d like to clarify a couple things that may change your recommendation.

If I send the converter out I’m going to have it loosened up to 4000-4200
my heads already have new good dual springs, so lift won’t be a limiting factor.
I want to push the truck pretty hard so getting up well past 7000 is acceptable but also want good torque for cruise fuel economy. I understand those are opposing goals.
tuning isn’t a concern.

I’ve been running the sloppy stage 2 in a couple of my cars recently and am quite dissatisfied so it’s a good time to try a more modern approach to specs.

Summitracing

@TrendSetter,

Thanks for getting back to us with more info. It sounds like you want a daily but you also want to party

The SUM-8722R1 is where we'd set the bar for this combo and goals. Specs on it are .625/.605, 234/238, 115+5 with 6* of overlap. It's the quickest spooling and best mid-range cam in our twin-turbo cam lineup. It'll have no problem running out to 7,100+ with a supporting valvetrain. Your cubic inches, converter, and gears will help keep it daily-friendly. It's not going to be docile but it also won't be like trying to street an old *****'s Gasser. With the increased overlap it will have a noticeable lope and a free-flowing exhaust is a must. One thing for certain is this will sure be a heck of a daily driver NBS truck

monoaural

Looking for a cam recommendation for 5.3, all stock with a manual transmission in a Volvo 240 wagon. Tempted to get a TBSS intake manifold. Would be a weekend car, but would like driving in traffic to be not miserable.

Project GatTagO

iTrader: (7)

I am a huge fan of the Summit Ghost cam. I've recommended it to several of my customers and they have all been very pleased with it. It's also boost friendly...

Andrew

G Atsma

Any way to have Post # 305 bounced outta here? It REEEKS of bot-ism...

Project GatTagO

iTrader: (7)

I miss spam bots...

Andrew

Rick Dorion

iTrader: (1)

Another vote for the Ghost cam. I have it in my LM7. Excellent street manners and performance.

Summitracing

Thanks for reaching out in the thread for a cam recommendation. The community nailed it by unanimously recommending the SUM-8715R1 "Ghost cam". Specs on it are .600/.575, 222/234, 115+3 with -2* of overlap. We've recommended it a TON in this thread and for good reason. It'll have a smooth to noticeable idle depending on idle speed. It will have excellent manners and be easy to get along with in traffic or parking lots. It packs a punch though and can hang right with most "stage 2" cams. Pair it with our .600" lift beehives and it'll be happy to 6,800+ for when you're feeling sporty! Get it while the getting is good. We have a Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale running. Up to 10% off on select Summit Racing brand products!

Be sure to check pushrod length. We offer the Trickflow TFS-9501 to help with that. You'll likely end up with a 7.400" or 7.425" but it's important to measure first to make sure it's right the first time.

If you can snag a TBSS manifold for a good deal jump on it. It's the go-to factory intake if there's enough clearance for it.

budget76

would appreciate .02 on cam choice for my situation if you've got a moment. 2002 6.0 with 317 heads, truck intake, probably cheap long tubes going into a 60's pickup with a Colorado AR5 manual trans behind it. Prefer lower end torque than upper RPM powerband, so focusing on the truck cams. I'd like some lope/chop, its a fun truck. No clue what final rear end gears or tire size will be at this stage in the build.

I may do lifters while the engine is out, and if I do I'd prefer to stay below .550 lift so I can run the $60 LS6 springs instead of the $200 .600 lift springs to keep the budget in check. That leads me to be looking at the 8719 ST1 high, 8701 ST2, and 8713 ST3 as options. though my eye keeps going back to the 8728's low RPM appeal, but then I'm reading I may need to also do another $100+ for rods if I get up into the .600 lift cams?

Much of the discussions seem to be around the 5.3, not sure if the larger displacement changes cam choices some in terms of the durations it can handle? I've been reading a bunch and have gotten myself thoroughly confused now, and am also wondering if I'm overthinking it and i'd be happy with basically any choice. Am I really going to notice a big difference seat of the pants going from .550 to .600 lift?

thanks for any input

DualQuadDave

iTrader: (6)

You guys have such a thing as a Stage 3 High Lift Truck cam? I am doing a iron 6.2 gen 3 motor/fully ported 243 heads for a customer now, going in a H2 Hummer. I like your truck cams, but was wanting slightly bigger than your Stage 2 considering it's going in a 6.2 w/ 3000rpm converter. LMK what you think.
I was even considering the Ghost cam, as well.

Summitracing

Thanks for reaching out in the thread for a cam recommendation. We understand wanting to keep the budget you've set in check. If you want to set the barrier at .550" then we'd go with the SUM-8719R1. Specs on it are .550/.550, 209/217, 112+1 with -11* of overlap. It produces good torque off idle with a very good mid-range and good top-end. Idle speed can be tuned for a smooth idle to a noticeable lope. It won't be choppy but you can certainly make it noticeable that it isn't "stock". It'll be happy out to 6,500+ with budget-friendly LS6-style springs. It'll need a custom tune to get everything dialed in.

At .550" lift we recommend upgrading pushrods. It's not so much the length it's the stability gained. No better time to buy pushrods than right now with our HOLIDAY OVERDRIVE DEALS going on. Now through Cyber Monday, you can get our 11/32 HDR pushrods with a .120" wall for $87.29. That is an OUTSTANDING value considering most 5/16 pushrods with an .080" wall are $100+ for a set. Our 11/32 pushrods with the .120" wall have 25 percent less stress and 28 percent less deflection than a typical 5/16 x .080 wall chromoly pushrod. The SUM-14917400 7.400"pushrods should work at .550" lift but things vary so we recommend measuring for pushrod length first.

If you don't mind spending another $121.50 above the cost of the LS6 springs on the .600" lift beehives we think you'd be very happy with the SUM-8728R1 "Big Torkinator". Specs on it are .600/.585, 212/218, 110+3 with -5* of overlap. The 8728R1 will make great torque from 2,000 on up and pulls well to 6,500+. It'll be easy on the valvetrain with the previously mentioned .600" lift beehives. The 8728R1 will have a nice steady lope that will require custom tuning. It's not just the added lift of the 8728R1 that will be a hp/tq gain over the 8719R1. That combined with the 33* IVC and 6* more overlap will give you a kick-in-the-pants feel. It will be very responsive and torquey for your 60's truck with the 5-speed.

As you noticed we certainly recommend pushrods for the 8728R1. We typically see a 7.400" or 7.425" pushrod used. Things vary so it's recommended to measure first. As far as a hp/tq number difference between the two it's hard to put a concrete number on it without back-to-back dyno runs. It would certainly be a difference felt in the seat of the pants with the 8728R1 feeling stronger throughout the range than the 8719R1.

Idle example videos

8719R1 in a 6.0

8728R1 in a 6.0

A lot to process here. Let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Summitracing

Thanks for reaching out in the thread for a cam recommendation. While technically we don't have a "high-lift" version of the stage 3 SUM-8713R1 truck cam the closest to that would be the SUM-8715R1 "Ghost cam". If your customer doesn't mind not having a chop monster we wouldn't hesitate going with the Ghost cam for that combo. It'll have a smooth idle to noticeable lope depending on the tune but it'll have no problem getting that H2 up and moving. We'll assume the engine is in the ballpark of 10.5-11:1 compression depending on head milling, pistons, and head gasket choice. Combining that with the H2's stock 4.10 gearing and a 3,000 converter this would be a fun multi-purpose vehicle. You can cruise along with the excellent manners of the Ghost cam for daily duties. Then you could surprise some folks from stop light to stop light in the tank of an H2. Want to hit the trails for some Off-Roading no problem!

Pair it with .600" lift beehives or .660" lift duals and it'll be happy out to 6,800+. Add in our 11/32 pushrods with the .120" wall and you'll have a very stable valvetrain for a good value.

Scarebird

Something that wojld really be nice is a better selection of Gen V cams. TSP and BTR have a few but most are borderline race cams and run $$$. A DOD-delete LT1 cam (200/207°) made in-house would be great, especially if it was in the OEM price point, around $150.

As these truck and cars get older the lifter issue may get worse and some will wish to delete them - this will require a delete cam.

Bill_VA

I'm new to LS engines and I'm getting my feet wet. I've been a SBF guy for a long time and drive a 65 Cobra replica I built many years ago (Factory Five Racing). The car weighs 2500lbs and my 351W makes about 420hp.

My next project will be a brand new 56 Chevy truck restomod. I want to go with a fairly hot LS naturally aspirated engine and 5 or 6 speed Tremec manual trans. The goal is to keep the performance as close to the Cobra as I can, so I'm thinking I'd like about 525-550hp, set up for street driving. I want a nice healthy lope to the idle and primarily an RPM range of 1500-6500. The plan is to use Holley's Mid-Range EFI intake (Part # 300-128) and the TerminatorX ECU. Ideally, I'd like it to be able to run well on 89 octane gas.

So, with all that said, which of your cams would work in this case? Do I need a 6.0 or 6.2 block or can a 5.3 make this kind of power?

Summitracing

Bill_VA,

Thanks for reaching out in the thread for a cam/engine recommendation. A 56 resto-mod Chevy truck sounds like a fun project. This could go a variety of ways depending on the budget and how ambitious you are. Staying naturally aspirated we would go with a 6.2L so you have cubic inches on your side. We wouldn't recommend the Holley midrise for this combo. We'd stick with a factory rectangle port intake. They'll make the power you're after and not lose the all-important low to mid-range torque. From there you could go with a crate engine or a pull-out from a donor vehicle.

Shoot us a PM or send us an email at forumadvisor@summitracing.com and we'll be happy to discuss further.

Bill_VA

Thank you for your reply. Curious, why would you recommend against the Holley intake? They claim "the Mid-Rise manifold is an excellent choice for street and performance street/strip applications with a powerband from 1,500-6,500 RPM" and it has rectangular intake ports. Holley makes a low-rise version too. I know it sounds silly, but I'm not a fan of the stock plastic intake, it doesn't say "unique" or "hot rod" to me.

I was actually hoping to get more of a recommendation of what cam would work best for my intended setup too.

Summitracing

Thank you for getting back to us.

Regarding the intake. Check out this article and video from Richard Holdener for MotorTrend. He takes a crate LS3, Comp CCA-54-469-11 cam, and then runs the gambit of LS3 intakes on a dyno. You'll see which ones were good performers and which ones traded torque for peak horsepower. We understand the plastic intake doesn't have that "hot-rod" look. Maybe after seeing those dyno results you might be ok with the plastic intake. This was a heck of a test that Holdener did and a good one to go back to for info and data.

Regarding a cam for a naturally aspirated 6.2L in your 56 Chevy resto-mod truck. One thing to remember is there's give and take when going with a cam or just about anything with automotive upgrades. It's going to be hard to get the idle, powerband, and power you're after naturally aspirated. We assume the idle and power level were most important to you so here's our cam recommendation with that in mind.

Take a look at our stage 4 truck cam SUM-8714R1. Specs on it are .550/.550, 226/230, 112+4 with 4* of overlap. This will have that "Hit-A-Lick" idle you're after. It'll pull strongly from 3,000 on out to 6,800+ with budget-friendly LS6-style springs. As an upgrade, you could go with Trickflow by PAC TFS-16918-16 .600" lift beehives. You'll want long tube headers, free-flowing exhaust, and a custom tune. We'd also recommend 3.73 or numerically higher gears.

If you want a little more "Hit-A-Lick" take a look at Cam Motion's CXM-03-01-0075 Hotrod LS cam. Specs on it are .595/.587, 227/237, 111+4 with 10* of overlap. It opens the intake valve earlier and closes the exhaust valve later creating more overlap than our stage 4 truck cam. Thus it'll give you more "lope" at idle. Being in a 6.2L with a manual it won't be a bear as long as you go with long tube headers a free-flowing exhaust, 3.73+ gears, and a good custom tune. It'll have a similar powerband to our stage 4 truck cam with its 40.5* intake valve closing. Pair it with the .600" lift beehives above and it'll be happy. As an upgrade you could go with the Trickflow by PAC .660" lift duals.

Either of these cams in a 6.2L with the proper bolt-ons and tune will get you in the 525+hp range and be good to run on 89 Octane.

If you don't mind drawing the idle and power level back to get more in your 1,500-6,500 powerband take a look at our SUM-8720R1. Specs on it are .600/.600, 218/227, 112+2 with -1* of overlap. You can get a nice steady lope out of it with the idle speed turned down. It makes great mid-range and top-end power. Pair it with the Trickflow by PAC .600" lift beehives and it'll be happy out to 6,500+. With the same bolt-ons as mentioned previously and a good custom tune, you should be able to see 500+hp out of an otherwise stock 6.2L.

This should give you an idea of the range of cams we'd look at depending on what you're looking to get out of the combo. Let us know if we can be of any further assistance.

Bill_VA

Thanks so much for such an informative reply.

It's hard to believe that GM got something so right! Normally, the OEM pieces are just ok and the aftermarket world can always be better, but not in this case it would seem. The LS3 intake is nearly impossible to beat.

I did find a couple companies that make a real carbon fiber cover for the stock LS3 intake (https://andersoncomposites.com/produ...and-l76-motors), that could be a good compromise.

FYI, for 2024, Performance Design is coming out with a carbon fiber and billet aluminum intake that is so beautiful that a bit of hit on the wallet and horsepower would be worth it (https://shop.performancedesign.com/c...s3l92-p36.aspx).

Summitracing

@Bill_VA,

It is hard to beat the factory LS3 intake. We understand the aesthetics aren't the most pleasing but the performance speaks for itself.

We agree an intake/engine cover could be a good compromise if going with a factory intake.

We knew about the new Performance Design TRc manifold coming in 2024! Once Performance Design has those available you'll be able to find them right on our site. They just might be worth the "don't tell your significant other cost" and loss of torque for how pretty they look!

Don't hesitate to reach out to us in the future. You can always reply to this thread for a cam recommendation. You can also reach us here via PM or shoot us an email at forumadvisor@summitracing.com. We'll be happy to help!