Another CC306 vs CC503 thread...
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From: Indiana
Another CC306 vs CC503 thread... I've got a 95 Z28 with 137,000 miles on it. I'm planning on rebuilding it but first off I want to figure out which cam to go with. Basically I'm planning on re-ringing it and putting new rod bearings and main bearings in it. I'm gonna get some ARP rod bolts to put in it also. I'm gonna use the factory heads and intake but they will be ported. I've got Pacesetter headers and off road Y-pipe with 3" flowmaster exhaust. I've got the 1LE elbow with a moroso CAI. Right now I have a 2100 stall in my trans (definitely gonna go somewhere around 3000) and 3.73s in the rear with a mini spool.
I'm basically wanting to know which cam would be good for this setup. I will be getting it tuned again after the rebuild.
Also gonna be putting a 58mm throttle body.
I'm basically wanting to know which cam would be good for this setup. I will be getting it tuned again after the rebuild.
Also gonna be putting a 58mm throttle body.
If you're gonna get the motor rebuilt and the heads ported then I would go with something more aggressive. Those shelf cams are for people weary about eating factory bearings with too much RPM. New rod bolts, rods resized, big cam and spin to the moon.
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From: Indiana
I've heard great things about the 306 cam
If all you have heard is great things about the 306 then you have been hiding under a rock and NEED to put this project on hold for awhile while you get a clue. You also need to stop listening to whover you have been getting advise from up to now.
The 306 was the "best" if you define "best" as biggest catalog cam you could order 12 years ago.
The 306 was the "best" if you define "best" as biggest catalog cam you could order 12 years ago.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 8
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From: Indiana
If all you have heard is great things about the 306 then you have been hiding under a rock and NEED to put this project on hold for awhile while you get a clue. You also need to stop listening to whover you have been getting advise from up to now.
The 306 was the "best" if you define "best" as biggest catalog cam you could order 12 years ago.
The 306 was the "best" if you define "best" as biggest catalog cam you could order 12 years ago.
You ever stop and think that maybe I posted this thread because I didn't know if the 306 was the way to go? I've googled cams for the LT1 and you see comp cams all the time. Everyone uses them.
Maybe you could just give me some feedback on which cam you would recommend instead of being a smartass lol
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Verdad Gallardo Like I said my advise is shelve the project for now, if these are the ideas you are getting you haven't done adequate research.
Hint some of the fastest stock shortblock cars use less duration.
Hint some of the fastest stock shortblock cars use less duration.
No shelf cam or custom cam is going to be the magic bullet that overcomes what all of us are seeing as a project very likely to fall way short of your expectations. Take offense if you like, but comments like"re-ringing it and putting new rod bearings and main bearings in it. I'm gonna get some ARP rod bolts to put in it also" just sounds like you're regurgitating some buzzwords without understanding the really important things that need to happen to actually make good use of your new rings, bearings, and rod bolts.
No, the 306 cam is not a good choice for you. It's a handicap compared to better cams even in an expertly built motor. If your engine and car setup isn't built with consideration for it, the car will be a turd. Your gearing and TC plans point to the CC503 cam working much better for you.
On The Tree
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I drove a CC306 LE2 headed car, with a Vig3200 and 3.73s for 4 years with that setup. Here is my $0.02.
Here is the lesson I learned from doing things by the braille method. A properly setup combo will out run things that you shouldn't on paper. I'd select the heads based on how fast you want to go, then match the cam, converter, gears, ect to that. It all depends on whether or not this is a street car.
My current street car has stock heads and cam. If the motor lets go, I'll stick with either the stock cams or the smallest cams available and have the heads worked over to match my goals (not hogged out all the way).
Newer cams were coming out when I went with the CC306 back in 2004. A decade later, there are way better cams. You'll get all the power of the CC306 up top, and better down low with a newer grind.
Another guy had a setup close to mine, except he ran a 224 Joe O cam - iirc. He ran 2 mph faster than me in way worse weather.
If it were my money and I were doing it again, I'd drop my cash on a proven heads/cam combo and suppress the need to do something original.
As far as how the CC306 drove, it didn't want to operate under 1800 rpm. I had the converter lock up weirdly in my setup. In 3rd, it'd lock up at 33 mph, then hold 3rd all the way until 52 mph, then shift into 4th while locked up to cruise on the highway. This kept the car always spinning over 1800 rpm in cruising gears and it drove way nicer like that.
Everyone thought you were racing them, because you had to take off spinning around 2500 to keep up with traffic, or 3000 to move with any sense of urgency. Although it confused cops all the time. They saw a car crawling along, but sounded like it should be flying. My converter was rated at 3200, but it flashed 4000 and the shift recovery was around 5000.
Here is the lesson I learned from doing things by the braille method. A properly setup combo will out run things that you shouldn't on paper. I'd select the heads based on how fast you want to go, then match the cam, converter, gears, ect to that. It all depends on whether or not this is a street car.
My current street car has stock heads and cam. If the motor lets go, I'll stick with either the stock cams or the smallest cams available and have the heads worked over to match my goals (not hogged out all the way).
Newer cams were coming out when I went with the CC306 back in 2004. A decade later, there are way better cams. You'll get all the power of the CC306 up top, and better down low with a newer grind.
Another guy had a setup close to mine, except he ran a 224 Joe O cam - iirc. He ran 2 mph faster than me in way worse weather.
If it were my money and I were doing it again, I'd drop my cash on a proven heads/cam combo and suppress the need to do something original.
As far as how the CC306 drove, it didn't want to operate under 1800 rpm. I had the converter lock up weirdly in my setup. In 3rd, it'd lock up at 33 mph, then hold 3rd all the way until 52 mph, then shift into 4th while locked up to cruise on the highway. This kept the car always spinning over 1800 rpm in cruising gears and it drove way nicer like that.
Everyone thought you were racing them, because you had to take off spinning around 2500 to keep up with traffic, or 3000 to move with any sense of urgency. Although it confused cops all the time. They saw a car crawling along, but sounded like it should be flying. My converter was rated at 3200, but it flashed 4000 and the shift recovery was around 5000.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
I drove a CC306 LE2 headed car, with a Vig3200 and 3.73s for 4 years with that setup. Here is my $0.02.
Here is the lesson I learned from doing things by the braille method. A properly setup combo will out run things that you shouldn't on paper. I'd select the heads based on how fast you want to go, then match the cam, converter, gears, ect to that. It all depends on whether or not this is a street car.
My current street car has stock heads and cam. If the motor lets go, I'll stick with either the stock cams or the smallest cams available and have the heads worked over to match my goals (not hogged out all the way).
Newer cams were coming out when I went with the CC306 back in 2004. A decade later, there are way better cams. You'll get all the power of the CC306 up top, and better down low with a newer grind.
Another guy had a setup close to mine, except he ran a 224 Joe O cam - iirc. He ran 2 mph faster than me in way worse weather.
If it were my money and I were doing it again, I'd drop my cash on a proven heads/cam combo and suppress the need to do something original.
As far as how the CC306 drove, it didn't want to operate under 1800 rpm. I had the converter lock up weirdly in my setup. In 3rd, it'd lock up at 33 mph, then hold 3rd all the way until 52 mph, then shift into 4th while locked up to cruise on the highway. This kept the car always spinning over 1800 rpm in cruising gears and it drove way nicer like that.
Everyone thought you were racing them, because you had to take off spinning around 2500 to keep up with traffic, or 3000 to move with any sense of urgency. Although it confused cops all the time. They saw a car crawling along, but sounded like it should be flying. My converter was rated at 3200, but it flashed 4000 and the shift recovery was around 5000.
Here is the lesson I learned from doing things by the braille method. A properly setup combo will out run things that you shouldn't on paper. I'd select the heads based on how fast you want to go, then match the cam, converter, gears, ect to that. It all depends on whether or not this is a street car.
My current street car has stock heads and cam. If the motor lets go, I'll stick with either the stock cams or the smallest cams available and have the heads worked over to match my goals (not hogged out all the way).
Newer cams were coming out when I went with the CC306 back in 2004. A decade later, there are way better cams. You'll get all the power of the CC306 up top, and better down low with a newer grind.
Another guy had a setup close to mine, except he ran a 224 Joe O cam - iirc. He ran 2 mph faster than me in way worse weather.
If it were my money and I were doing it again, I'd drop my cash on a proven heads/cam combo and suppress the need to do something original.
As far as how the CC306 drove, it didn't want to operate under 1800 rpm. I had the converter lock up weirdly in my setup. In 3rd, it'd lock up at 33 mph, then hold 3rd all the way until 52 mph, then shift into 4th while locked up to cruise on the highway. This kept the car always spinning over 1800 rpm in cruising gears and it drove way nicer like that.
Everyone thought you were racing them, because you had to take off spinning around 2500 to keep up with traffic, or 3000 to move with any sense of urgency. Although it confused cops all the time. They saw a car crawling along, but sounded like it should be flying. My converter was rated at 3200, but it flashed 4000 and the shift recovery was around 5000.
1/4 time vs 1/4 time the 503 and 306 are almost identical, peak hp on the dyno the 306 wins because that is all it is, a dyno queen cam. There is no useable power under the curve. I've seen hotcam cars run faster than 306 cars, with 30-40 peak hp less on the dyno. The 306 is very dated. And anyone who says "I googled lt1 cams and comp always shows up", that's like saying "I googled tuners and hypertech always shows up", that means absolutely nothing to the quality of the product.
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 130
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It was my daily driver. It's not going to be here in a couple weeks when I get a beater to drive to work. I'll just keep researching cams. I'm probably gonna look around for a descent set of heads and get an intake. I'm not planning on doing this build until this fall/winter though.
When doing heads and cam, you don't want to cheap out on pretty much anything. I had to replace lifters and springs early on because I cheap'd out on them. Now I know better.
