Sort fits in with that stock cam is awesome sauce theme you likes to push
Cam recommendations from forum members
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 365
Likes: 133
From: California
To be honest, I think the late LS6 cam is a weird one!
204/218, 117.5 LSA? W I I I D E split, HUGE LSA, which normally go against "common" cam logic.
BUT it works, at least for Hio. Who are we to argue??
And here am I with an 04 Tahoe with LM7, in which I may someday stick a BTR Torque cam (202/202, .511/.511, 111+1) because I RARELY get above 5k RPM.
Because that is what will gain 20# torque throughout the range, and WILL work for ME.
Main point here, we use what WORKS for US. You use what works for you.
204/218, 117.5 LSA? W I I I D E split, HUGE LSA, which normally go against "common" cam logic.
BUT it works, at least for Hio. Who are we to argue??
And here am I with an 04 Tahoe with LM7, in which I may someday stick a BTR Torque cam (202/202, .511/.511, 111+1) because I RARELY get above 5k RPM.
Because that is what will gain 20# torque throughout the range, and WILL work for ME.
Main point here, we use what WORKS for US. You use what works for you.
And that's usually what it is- ONE more little thing or tweak to make it THAT much better than before. With me, besides the cam mentioned above, I wouldn't mind getting my heads done with a GOOD multiangle valve job and a bowl blend, plus maybe semi-polishing the ports to smooth the flow. But that would be it. The effect would be what I call "enhanced stock".
Flame Bait for HioSSilver 
In the early days, "The Pepper 🌶" was the first truly optimized bolt on car I recall reading about on LS1Tech.
Raughhammer had a1998 cayenne red Z28. named "The Pepper 🌶" showed what a well planned bolt on car could do by ETing ~ 11.5 or 11.6 in the quarter mile.
No fancy high dollar bolt on's like 1.9 roller rockers on a crate LS6 engine - just a bolt on LS1 with a LS6 intake etc, killer set up and great driving.
In 2002/2003 Raughhammer did a MTI heads & C1 222/222 Hammer cam - package and "The Pepper 🌶" ran high to mid 10's with various tweaks. IIRC Raughhammer hit like 10.4x in the "The Pepper 🌶" with a bigger MTI X1 cam 230/227.
I think its safe say Raughhammer like HioSSilver believed it was best to ream ALL of the 1/4 mile ET performance out of a bolt on car and get the fully car dialed in before stepping up to cam/heads & cam etc.
Of course for the casual hot rodder like me reaming the last 1/10th. In 1/4 out really doesn't matter all that much. Having a fun daily driver is more important.
Spoiler!
In the early days, "The Pepper 🌶" was the first truly optimized bolt on car I recall reading about on LS1Tech.
Raughhammer had a1998 cayenne red Z28. named "The Pepper 🌶" showed what a well planned bolt on car could do by ETing ~ 11.5 or 11.6 in the quarter mile.
No fancy high dollar bolt on's like 1.9 roller rockers on a crate LS6 engine - just a bolt on LS1 with a LS6 intake etc, killer set up and great driving.
In 2002/2003 Raughhammer did a MTI heads & C1 222/222 Hammer cam - package and "The Pepper 🌶" ran high to mid 10's with various tweaks. IIRC Raughhammer hit like 10.4x in the "The Pepper 🌶" with a bigger MTI X1 cam 230/227.
I think its safe say Raughhammer like HioSSilver believed it was best to ream ALL of the 1/4 mile ET performance out of a bolt on car and get the fully car dialed in before stepping up to cam/heads & cam etc.
Of course for the casual hot rodder like me reaming the last 1/10th. In 1/4 out really doesn't matter all that much. Having a fun daily driver is more important.
This is an interesting discussion, reminds me a lot of 90's 5.0 Mustang days. "Stock cam and bolt on's" was basically born back then(60-s-80's, you were a dork to have a stock cam, period). Basically, with the advent of factory roller cams, the Oem stuff became decent. I did the bolt on stuff and went pretty quick, but then went cam and serious heads and took off(ported Dart Jr's and a Wolverine 1087 FTW). My 4000lbs boat Lincoln Mark VII went mid 12's daily and 18mpg. Shooting for low 11's in my daily TBSS with a smaller cam than the Lincoln had, lol. Heads/intake/powerband/combo FTW. And put $$$ into the converter/clutch and you'll get more bang per buck than anything else.
Flame Bait for HioSSilver
In the early days, "The Pepper 🌶" was the first truly optimized bolt on car I recall reading about on LS1Tech.
Raughhammer had a1998 cayenne red Z28. named "The Pepper 🌶" showed what a well planned bolt on car could do by ETing ~ 11.5 or 11.6 in the quarter mile.
No fancy high dollar bolt on's like 1.9 roller rockers on a crate LS6 engine - just a bolt on LS1 with a LS6 intake etc, killer set up and great driving.
In 2002/2003 Raughhammer did a MTI heads & C1 222/222 Hammer cam - package and "The Pepper 🌶" ran high to mid 10's with various tweaks. IIRC Raughhammer hit like 10.4x in the "The Pepper 🌶" with a bigger MTI X1 cam 230/227.
I think its safe say Raughhammer like HioSSilver believed it was best to ream ALL of the 1/4 mile ET performance out of a bolt on car and get the fully car dialed in before stepping up to cam/heads & cam etc.
Of course for the casual hot rodder like me reaming the last 1/10th. In 1/4 out really doesn't matter all that much. Having a fun daily driver is more important.
Spoiler!
In the early days, "The Pepper 🌶" was the first truly optimized bolt on car I recall reading about on LS1Tech.
Raughhammer had a1998 cayenne red Z28. named "The Pepper 🌶" showed what a well planned bolt on car could do by ETing ~ 11.5 or 11.6 in the quarter mile.
No fancy high dollar bolt on's like 1.9 roller rockers on a crate LS6 engine - just a bolt on LS1 with a LS6 intake etc, killer set up and great driving.
In 2002/2003 Raughhammer did a MTI heads & C1 222/222 Hammer cam - package and "The Pepper 🌶" ran high to mid 10's with various tweaks. IIRC Raughhammer hit like 10.4x in the "The Pepper 🌶" with a bigger MTI X1 cam 230/227.
I think its safe say Raughhammer like HioSSilver believed it was best to ream ALL of the 1/4 mile ET performance out of a bolt on car and get the fully car dialed in before stepping up to cam/heads & cam etc.
Of course for the casual hot rodder like me reaming the last 1/10th. In 1/4 out really doesn't matter all that much. Having a fun daily driver is more important.
I did try some speed master 1.9s after i $hifted. No results on those.
You will for sure learn more about making the car accelerate with bolt ons vs cramming the largest cam you can find in it. Even the lowly ls1 is capable of running well into the 11s.....and it's pretty easy to do. If one can't get a engine well known to make it to the 11s then they aren't ready for a cam.
Nothing will dd better than the stock cams.
This is an interesting discussion, reminds me a lot of 90's 5.0 Mustang days. "Stock cam and bolt on's" was basically born back then(60-s-80's, you were a dork to have a stock cam, period). Basically, with the advent of factory roller cams, the Oem stuff became decent. I did the bolt on stuff and went pretty quick, but then went cam and serious heads and took off(ported Dart Jr's and a Wolverine 1087 FTW). My 4000lbs boat Lincoln Mark VII went mid 12's daily and 18mpg. Shooting for low 11's in my daily TBSS with a smaller cam than the Lincoln had, lol. Heads/intake/powerband/combo FTW. And put $$$ into the converter/clutch and you'll get more bang per buck than anything else.
TECH Regular
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 426
Likes: 293
From: Lawrenceburg Ky
This is an interesting discussion, reminds me a lot of 90's 5.0 Mustang days. "Stock cam and bolt on's" was basically born back then(60-s-80's, you were a dork to have a stock cam, period). Basically, with the advent of factory roller cams, the Oem stuff became decent. I did the bolt on stuff and went pretty quick, but then went cam and serious heads and took off(ported Dart Jr's and a Wolverine 1087 FTW). My 4000lbs boat Lincoln Mark VII went mid 12's daily and 18mpg. Shooting for low 11's in my daily TBSS with a smaller cam than the Lincoln had, lol. Heads/intake/powerband/combo FTW. And put $$$ into the converter/clutch and you'll get more bang per buck than anything else.
Last edited by BigDaddy97; Aug 11, 2020 at 08:22 PM.
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TECH Resident
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 985
Likes: 12
Man just wanted to follow up with my cam swap post lol. This thing is going to be nasty. Tweaked the tune enough to force the idle down. It wanted to idle at 1200-1400 the first couple times I flashed it lol. Haven’t driven yet still on jack stands with a few odds and ends left.
It changed the sound of the engine quite a bit. A lot different induction noise. Sounds badass. I didn’t expect a bigger cam to take less idle airflow and have better throttle response but the thing is happy.
It changed the sound of the engine quite a bit. A lot different induction noise. Sounds badass. I didn’t expect a bigger cam to take less idle airflow and have better throttle response but the thing is happy.
Thread Starter
9 Second Club
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 818
Likes: 215
From: VA
Man just wanted to follow up with my cam swap post lol. This thing is going to be nasty. Tweaked the tune enough to force the idle down. It wanted to idle at 1200-1400 the first couple times I flashed it lol. Haven’t driven yet still on jack stands with a few odds and ends left.
It changed the sound of the engine quite a bit. A lot different induction noise. Sounds badass. I didn’t expect a bigger cam to take less idle airflow and have better throttle response but the thing is happy.
https://youtu.be/BHNtAkRp9Zc
It changed the sound of the engine quite a bit. A lot different induction noise. Sounds badass. I didn’t expect a bigger cam to take less idle airflow and have better throttle response but the thing is happy.
https://youtu.be/BHNtAkRp9Zc
