Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 84
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From: Durham, NC
Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1? I have a brand new ZZ4 cam out of the infamous crate motor that I am trying to sell, and I just wanted to clarify that it will work in an LT1. If not, what will it take to make it work?
Hydraulic Roller
Duration @ .050" Lift
208 221 .474" .510" 112
TIA
Darren
Hydraulic Roller
Duration @ .050" Lift
208 221 .474" .510" 112
TIA
Darren
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From: Houston
Re: Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1? it will not work. The LT1's/LT4's require a dowel pin to spin the optispark and its located on the front end of the camshaft. The ZZ4 is an old school cam that utilizes a distributer instead of the front mounted optispark.
Re: Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1? That cam will actually work. You will have to take it to a machine shop and have them drill the front of the cam and install a dowl pin also. I had a custom ground Crower cam in my 95 that I ordered for my 89 formula. It was totaled, so when I bought my 95 camaro I just had it the machine shop drill the front of the cam and add a dowl pin and it worked great.
Scott
Scott
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From: Houston
Re: Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1? yes, you could always machine a hole for the dowel pin, but as it sits it wont work. make sure you get the right size dowel pin installed also(.320 for 92-94 LT1 and .685 for 95-97 LT1(I THINK)). What about the distributer drive on the ZZ4 cam, is it just not used on the LT1? Very curious to know because that would give me a whole new set of possibilities for the next setup that I do(way down the road).
Re: Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1?
yes, you could always machine a hole for the dowel pin, but as it sits it wont work. make sure you get the right size dowel pin installed also(.320 for 92-94 LT1 and .685 for 95-97 LT1(I THINK)). What about the distributer drive on the ZZ4 cam, is it just not used on the LT1? Very curious to know because that would give me a whole new set of possibilities for the next setup that I do(way down the road).
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From: Houston
Re: Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1? i know all LT1 cams have the oil pump drive on them, thats common sense. The ZZ4 cam isnt an LT1 cam though, its a GM crate motor cam that was designed to run with a distributer, not optispark. I didnt know that the distributor drive on the ZZ4 cam would substitute perfectly as an oil pump drive as well.
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Re: Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1? Aaron-the cams distributor drive and the oil pump drive are one and the same. On the 'old school' rear distributor cams the oil pump drive shaft plugged into the bottom of the distributor shaft. On our LT1's the distributor gear has been replicated by a gear that has a bracket that bolts onto the block. The LT1 oil pump has a shaft that plugs into the bottom of that gear. This had to simplify GM's tooling for the LT1 and keep that aspect of cost to a minimum. GM has a carb manifold for the LT1 that allows the enthusiast to run a carb as well as the old rear mount distributor. All that's required to use the rear mount distributor is to remove the LT1 oil pump drive gear from the lifter valley. The distributor can be any old School SBC distributor. The gears will line up perfectly and the oil pump will be driven by the bottom of the distributor shaft.
Dave
Dave
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Staging Lane
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Durham, NC
Re: Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1?
Aaron-the cams distributor drive and the oil pump drive are one and the same. On the 'old school' rear distributor cams the oil pump drive shaft plugged into the bottom of the distributor shaft. On our LT1's the distributor gear has been replicated by a gear that has a bracket that bolts onto the block. The LT1 oil pump has a shaft that plugs into the bottom of that gear. This had to simplify GM's tooling for the LT1 and keep that aspect of cost to a minimum. GM has a carb manifold for the LT1 that allows the enthusiast to run a carb as well as the old rear mount distributor. All that's required to use the rear mount distributor is to remove the LT1 oil pump drive gear from the lifter valley. The distributor can be any old School SBC distributor. The gears will line up perfectly and the oil pump will be driven by the bottom of the distributor shaft.
Dave
Dave
So far its majority saying it should work/can be made to work, but noone is confident it seems.
Thanks for the replies so far guys.
Re: Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1? It will work with some mods. The middle of the cam will have to be drilled to allow an opti spark to fit in as it protrudes a little past the cam gear. (95-97) The only other thing to make sure is the cam retaining plate on the LT1 fits the cam. IF the cam is not machined for a retaining plate then it's pointless to do since the cost of machining will be worth more then the cam itself. Also make sure it's a hydraulic roller.
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From: Houston
Re: Will the ZZ4 cam work in an LT1? Thanx for clarifying all that up Dave and Rick. Good luck on the 27th Rick, I hear there is a lil grudge match going to take place or something along those lines 
This is old but hey, it's an answer.
It does work, cuz I run it. I had to have the front drilled for 50 bucks to open up the hole and since no one actually sells the correct sized dowel pin I took a carbide tungsten drill bit and cut and had it tapped in. You have to run a later model style Optispark of course and it runs great. I've got over 5000 miles on it now and it has quite a bit more bite than stock.
It does work, cuz I run it. I had to have the front drilled for 50 bucks to open up the hole and since no one actually sells the correct sized dowel pin I took a carbide tungsten drill bit and cut and had it tapped in. You have to run a later model style Optispark of course and it runs great. I've got over 5000 miles on it now and it has quite a bit more bite than stock.
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From: Detroit,MI
It canbe made to work by machining a hole an installing a dowel pin, that much is correct.
I have to agree with Bizzzatch though, its more work than I would be willing to through for that little camshaft. Just my .02
I have to agree with Bizzzatch though, its more work than I would be willing to through for that little camshaft. Just my .02
Well it's almost like stock but much more efficient, it has a much more aggressive ramp. And if you add 1.7 RR you emphasize that even more. But it's probably borderline 400hp with good tuning and the 1.7rr's. I like it cuz I want to run nitrous someday if I ever get around to it. Plus I bought it for 60 bucks. You compare that to $250.00+ on another "bigger" cam which will also DESTROY your gas mileage and you reconsider the little torquey ZZ4 cam. The split profile also lends itself to N20.
I wanted some extra performance without hurting gas mileage too much. Then add the rest through N20.
Wish I could say it would crank out 400hp though for sure. But I think with the 1.7rr and it's new lift numbers it can come close if not match it. Nick you might have a better idea, what do you think??
w/ 1.7rr lift goes to:
.537
.578
All with a 208/221 duration on 112.
I'd say that's a max effort fuel conscious cam packing a comparable "bigcam" torque+HP curve IMO.
I do like the GM 847 cam though. When I picked the zz4 it was that or the ever common LT4 Hotcam or the CC306 but I didn't like what they did to gas, the 847 tho I'm sure hurts gas also, but it's return looks inargueable so far from what ppl have been getting out of it, 440 HP would have convinced me to go big also but I didn't know of the 847 at the time.
I wanted some extra performance without hurting gas mileage too much. Then add the rest through N20.
Wish I could say it would crank out 400hp though for sure. But I think with the 1.7rr and it's new lift numbers it can come close if not match it. Nick you might have a better idea, what do you think??
w/ 1.7rr lift goes to:
.537
.578
All with a 208/221 duration on 112.
I'd say that's a max effort fuel conscious cam packing a comparable "bigcam" torque+HP curve IMO.
I do like the GM 847 cam though. When I picked the zz4 it was that or the ever common LT4 Hotcam or the CC306 but I didn't like what they did to gas, the 847 tho I'm sure hurts gas also, but it's return looks inargueable so far from what ppl have been getting out of it, 440 HP would have convinced me to go big also but I didn't know of the 847 at the time.
A larger cam wont kill your gas mileage, hot cam and CC305 cars seem to run fine with good tunes. As much of a better cam as it maybe over stock, its still a small cam and its not going to make that much more power. Used hot cams are a dime a dozen.