The hotcam kits price is deceptive. If you look at the individual components it turns into a bad deal. I like the cam itself at $225 or so and bought one. The LT4 valve springs are no good for the cam and I got valve float at 6k with them. The rocker arms are lift limited by their fulcrum and are SA, $300 of the kit price is for them, for that much there are WAY better RRs that you will be able to use with more radical cams down the road.

It's great your wanting to get in and start working on your engine, but there is no room for error with the valve train so be careful. As others have said you could start with some easy bolt ons like headers and gears. Those two will give a good SOTP return for the investment.

 

My dynos weren't on the same day, actually 2 years a part. Same time of year, temp, humidity and dyno. 299rwhp/330 tq and a best 12.97 et. Daily drove in fair weather for 2 years and then swapped, dyno'd and hit the track. I swapped from a s/a 1.6 Promag to a nsa 1.7 Scorpion, guide plates, 7/16 studs and chromoly push rods. I hit the dyno and netted 309 rwhp/ 336tq. Headed to the track and ran 12.86 and a fluke best of 12.82 et, 1.74 60' @ 3900lbs. The track time backs up the gains. All runs same weather.

 

XJS what was the mph you ran with the two different rocker ratios?

 

Good advice on the Hotcam kit, thanks. It's cheap for a reason: LT4 valve springs are not good enough and the RR's are not NSA rockers.

If I were to do this I'd definitely want NSA 1.6 rockers with guideplates and probably CC918 springs. It costs more for a reason; it's better!

There is a guy on CF (Nathan Plemons) that runs 1.7 rr's with the Hotcam, but I think it would be a good idea for me to stick to 1.6. 1.7's would cause a lot of added stress on my old-*** engine (114k miles). Keep in mind that this is my only car and daily driver, even in this New England winter

 

high 103 to 104.22

 

Pretty amazing.

 

You could go with the Gen III LS6 springs, Comp 787-16 retainers and 648-16 locks. LE recommends you shim them from 1.800 to 1.750-1.730. You can pick this package up new for about 100.00 with shipping. Not sure what it would cost to have them shimmed. For the stock cam and upgraded Rockers, these would be good. LS6 springs are rated at .570 lift.

 

These are my mods : Hot cam kit + exotic muscle longtubes , electric water pump , slp claw air kit.


I'm happy with the power range so far.

 

I would do more research on springs, 918s and the equivalent PAC 1218s and 1215s seem to give issues past 20k miles, sometimes with engine destroying results. If you are going to DD the car, or put any serious miles on it, I would either swap out ALL the behives every 15k, or just get a nice set of dual springs from the get go.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/lt1-lt4-m...kes-again.html

And dont pay $225 for a hotcam, wait until one pops up in the classifieds for $100. If you are patient, you can get some REALLY good parts, for great prices, in the classifieds. Things that dont wear, like pushrods, ARP studs, and guideplates, are very good items to get used.

I have a set of 1.6 crane NSA 3/8 stud race full roller rockers for sale now actually...$125 plus shipping ($400 new) if you are interested PM me.

 

I just bought EM longtubes as well, I can't wait to install them! How much has your setup cost you? just curious


Thanks for the advice. PM sent.

 

Isnt the stock rev limiter 5850? So 6000 would be over what GM expects it to operate at. Does the hotcam even make power at 6000?

 

I believe with the right springs the Hotcam makes power to 6300. And yes stock rev limit is 5850, I hit it daily

 

Longtubes will make a good change

I just added the LTs , the car has already these mods when I bought it. So I can't tell how much were these mods cost.