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My 6.0 I sourced earlier this year has another cam failure. The block was said to have 89k and looked about right. Can anyone suggest a cam and a set of lifters that won't fail and is common enough that I can source some data for my own tuning? I need a cam and set of lifters under 600 dollars somehow and hopefully be able to run the 2 month old btr springs that are in the truck that are good for .560 lift. I'd like something with great low end torque and still have power in the high range.
I have chewed up 2 sets of lifters last time 3 failed and they were supposed to be morels. I'm certain my preload was in the .80 range. I ran them on an LS7 cam from a 7.0 that was used and the guy did touch up polishing on it with grit not polish which he said would run no problem. The replacement I ran for the last 2 months looked new had 50k~ on it and I used a full set of new ls7 lifters. I've yet to tear into it because the sound is identical in behavior and started this morning.
I will take it apart before I order. To make this more interesting I just ordered an hptuners yesterday.
I'm stuck doing this all myself. I have contacted all the places that work on ls's in my area on my last failure and couldn't get it into a shop everyone is backed up unless you have 10 grand. I recently got busted the morning after a party for hitting a woman's car in a parking lot doing a whopping 2mph maybe 3. There was no damage but a 2 inch crack on the headlight. It was on the very bottom you had to hunt for it and now I have a breathalyzer in my truck and nobody even wants to tune it.
The LS7 cam seemed horrible with the tune and would hesitate alot jerking the truck which meant the entire drivetrain was doing it for what I can guess was ruining the cam in the process. I'll be doing a compression test before I take the heads off.
Last edited by Guy with a Chevy; 08-01-2023 at 08:07 PM.
I would go with something real cookie cutter so you can get 80% of the tune dialed in from a mail order tune. Something in the ballpark of a 218/218 cam on a 114 with ls7 lifters.
Won't break records but will have a nice idle and should be super easy to learn to tune on with minimal overlap.
Use factory injectors, throttlebody and maf.
I think the delphi ls7 lifters are the ones you need. Idk the price on them, if they are over 300 bucks then get a set of morel or John drop ins and GENUINE gm lifter trays. Very important to not use any ebay or off brand parts, even for lifter trays. Ws6store has a top end rebuild gasket kit to bundle all necessary cam swap and head gaskets parts and bolts.
I would highly advise the use of gm gaskets whenever possible. Even felpro has went to crap.
Probably the 2 most popular used that would work with those valve springs and fit what you're asking for would be the BTR Stage 2 Truck camshaft, or the Elgin 1838-P (Sloppy Stage 2), which is also the Trickflow TFS-30602001 through Summit.
You'll want a tune from a 6.0L with whichever heads you currently have (cathedral or rectangular), to get you ballpark.
I think your springs are your problem. You said they are good for .560 lift. The LS7 camshaft your using has .558 lift with a 1.7 rocker. Your likely going into coil bind occasionally and that can tear up lifters and cam lobes…along with pushrods and rockers. Your simply cutting it too close there. You need a .600 spring setup.
My 6.0 I sourced earlier this year has another cam failure. Can anyone suggest a cam and a set of lifters that won't fail and is common enough that I can source some data for my own tuning? I need a cam and set of lifters under 600 dollars somehow and hopefully be able to run the 2 month old btr springs that are in the truck that are good for .560 lift. I'd like something with great low end torque and still have power in the high range.
I have chewed up 2 sets of lifters last time 3 failed and they were supposed to be morels. I'm certain my preload was in the .80 range. I ran them on an LS7 cam from a 7.0 that was used and the guy did touch up polishing on it with grit not polish which he said would run no problem. The replacement I ran for the last 2 months looked new had 50k~ on it and I used a full set of new ls7 lifters. I've yet to tear into it because the sound is identical in behavior and started this morning.
I will take it apart before I order. To make this more interesting I just ordered an hptuners yesterday.
I'm stuck doing this all myself. I have contacted all the places that work on ls's in my area on my last failure and couldn't get it into a shop everyone is backed up unless you have 10 grand. I recently got busted the morning after a party for hitting a woman's car in a parking lot doing a whopping 2mph maybe 3. There was no damage but a 2 inch crack on the headlight. It was on the very bottom you had to hunt for it and now I have a breathalyzer in my truck and nobody even wants to tune it.
The LS7 cam seemed horrible with the tune and would hesitate alot jerking the truck which meant the entire drivetrain was doing it for what I can guess was ruining the cam in the process. I'll be doing a compression test before I take the heads off.
I think your springs are your problem. You said they are good for .560 lift. The LS7 camshaft your using has .558 lift with a 1.7 rocker. Your likely going into coil bind occasionally and that can tear up lifters and cam lobes…along with pushrods and rockers. Your simply cutting it too close there. You need a .600 spring setup.
Thankyou for all the responses and I had suspected matching the cam lift with the max spring lift was a bad idea. Been a long day I will definitely look into the cams more tomorrow and hopefully have time to take it apart.
Are you using OEM lifter trays from GM? I would only get these from a big name place like BTR, TSP, Summit, SDPC or the dealership. If you bought them on Amazon, they're probably a sloppy China knockoff that allow the lifter to turn. There are a lot of cheap China knock off lifters out there branded as LS7 lifters too.
I understand wanting to save money, but lifter trays and lifters aren't the place to cheap out.
My lifter trays are OEM. I will try to get to taking it apart today.
I have been looking for a cam and springs such a pain with the summit search they have alot of inventory.
I want to stay in the .550 lift range and also get new springs for adequate power I don't want too mild of a cam. I would like to see 425hp and great torque at the same time is that possible with any of these suggested cams?
I am also interested in the truck efficiency 8718r1 and the high lift version. I read a good amount and couldn't find any data on what to expect with these in a 6.0
If I understand correctly the same cam designed for higher torque in the 4.8/5.3 will produce less torque and more horsepower in the 6.0? Would the truck run better shooting for more horsepower, it's a quad cab 1500 with 4.10 rear
My lifter trays are OEM. I will try to get to taking it apart today.
I have been looking for a cam and springs such a pain with the summit search they have alot of inventory.
I want to stay in the .550 lift range and also get new springs for adequate power I don't want too mild of a cam. I would like to see 425hp and great torque at the same time is that possible with any of these suggested cams?
I am also interested in the truck efficiency 8718r1 and the high lift version. I read a good amount and couldn't find any data on what to expect with these in a 6.0
If I understand correctly the same cam designed for higher torque in the 4.8/5.3 will produce less torque and more horsepower in the 6.0? Would the truck run better shooting for more horsepower, it's a quad cab 1500 with 4.10 rear
Forget summit, call cam motion. They will get you everything needed and they grind the cam and develop the profiles themselves. Easy.
I think your springs are your problem. You said they are good for .560 lift. The LS7 camshaft your using has .558 lift with a 1.7 rocker. Your likely going into coil bind occasionally and that can tear up lifters and cam lobes…along with pushrods and rockers. Your simply cutting it too close there. You need a .600 spring setup.
I don't think the lift is an issue. The rated max lift and coil bind numbers are two different things. BTR states those springs have a coil bind height of 1.150", which should leave .090" of clearance with the maximum .560" rating, as long as the install height was verified at 1.800". Now, it could be that the BTR spring doesn't have enough open pressure for the LS7 cam. The stock LS7 springs show being 300lbs open, and the BTRs are a bit shy at 285lbs.
I'm also suspicious of this LS7 cam that appears to have been refinished at home.
Whatever the issue is, it appears each time OP has fixed it, he has simply been reinstalling the problem. One thing I'd stop doing immediately is running used and/or "fixed" cams!! The other thing I'm wondering about is who set up the valvetrain, particularly the installed height, etc. It almost sounds like a couple of springs could be coil binding. Another question-Can you remember if its the same lifters and lobes that are being trashed? If so, that could reinforce the possibility of coil binding. Hope this helps.....
I just got the heads off and pulled the lifters nothing wrong this time but sounded identical to to the torn up cam I had months ago. I'm wondering what the sound may have been now. Rod knock or maybe a spun bearing I'm suspecting now unless a bad tune and wrongly applied cam can cause engine knocking that would sound mechanical
The heads were machined and assembled earlier this year with a 1.8 spring height.
The first cam that was refinished was the cam that failed months ago. The shiny replacement I received is still intact from what can be seen with the heads off.
I will be rechecking everything over tomorrow.
I did drive on the other cam for quite a while before finding 3 lobes/lifters failed and this time barely heard the noise the day before yesterday I think.
Latest this evening I looked at the cam with a flashlight and I'm thinking it looks rougher than when I installed it. I'll have it out tomorrow and know for sure. I should have my hptuners tomorrow so I can pull the tune and share it.
Last edited by Guy with a Chevy; 08-01-2023 at 07:59 PM.
I'm interested in the BTR stage 2 truck cam. If it has .553 lift is that before or after rocker ratio? Do I need dual springs? Or just find a .600 beehive setup?
I'm interested in the BTR stage 2 truck cam. If it has .553 lift is that before or after rocker ratio? Do I need dual springs? Or just find a .600 beehive setup?
I'm interested in the BTR stage 2 truck cam. If it has .553 lift is that before or after rocker ratio? Do I need dual springs? Or just find a .600 beehive setup?
The springs you have now are fine. Or you could run .600 beehive. Dual springs not needed.
The exact springs are BTR SP015-16 max lift .560 does everyone think these are ok for a BTR S2 V2 or should I find .600 lift springs with higher lb rating.
OR can someone tell me what to expect from the BTR S2 V2 NSR has lift of .480 I'm not looking for crazy top end. Will it make 425/350 with decent low end torque?
Full truck intake with rectangle heads to stock headers no cats open after the Y into a down pipe with stock converter
I will have the ls7 cam out for good later today
Last edited by Guy with a Chevy; 08-02-2023 at 10:17 AM.
Well this far apart and no signs of cam failure or spun cam bearing. The last cam I did drive for atleast a month and really tore up things. The knocking would only occur at low rpm. All the lifters are good with no failing plungers.
One of the cylinders seemed wet when the head was removed this may be the issue?
If the tune is off and really heavy on fuel at idle can that cause knocking?
Hopefully when I pull the tune there will be a clear indicator of what was going on.
Last edited by Guy with a Chevy; 08-02-2023 at 02:33 PM.
07-30-2023, 02:11 PM
Cam and lifter Suggestions 
