LT4 Hotcam kit on 97z?
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,121
Likes: 75
From: somewhere in TX
LT4 Hotcam kit on 97z? I just purchased a one owner 40k mile 97' Z with an auto that has never been touched. I sold my ws-6. I am looking at getting the complete kit from gm performance parts rockers, springs, and cam. How can I expect the vehicle to act in regards to driveability, power and reliability compared to stock. I was also planning on doing Magnaflow exhaust, lt headers with offroad pipe, egr,air delete, throttle body airfoil, descreen maf, 3:73 gears and a 2300 stall. I was planning on using lt1 edit to tune the pcm. I tinkered extensively with my ls1 but this is my first lt1. If anybody would point out short coming of my plan and some recomendations I would be very happy. thanks
Welcome to the LT1 world!
With full boltons, I would expect 320 RWHP properly tuned with stock heads. If you get the heads ported, you could see up to 350-360 RWHP. For street use, the 2300 stall would be great. I am running the LT4 Hotcam with ported heads in my Vette. DEFINATELY get those gears. I run my stock 2.59s (for now anyway) and it kills me at the track.
The only problem I had with my setup was some fouled spark pluggs due to a bad tune.
With full boltons, I would expect 320 RWHP properly tuned with stock heads. If you get the heads ported, you could see up to 350-360 RWHP. For street use, the 2300 stall would be great. I am running the LT4 Hotcam with ported heads in my Vette. DEFINATELY get those gears. I run my stock 2.59s (for now anyway) and it kills me at the track.
The only problem I had with my setup was some fouled spark pluggs due to a bad tune.
Originally Posted by 01WS6/tamu
What did you have to do to the tune to alleviate the problem
Since my 92 uses the old speed density based ECU, I contacted Alvin at PCMforless and told him what mods I had. He sent me a piggyback chip that fixed the problem.
Your 97 will be running MAF AND an OBDII engine management system that is harder to tune. There is a guy a pcmforless that does all the 94-97 LT1 tunes named Brian.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,121
Likes: 75
From: somewhere in TX
With me having no experience with the edit program would I be better off with a tune from pcm for less. Were you impressed with the cam swap afterwards.
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Originally Posted by 01WS6/tamu
With me having no experience with the edit program would I be better off with a tune from pcm for less. Were you impressed with the cam swap afterwards.
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Joined: May 2004
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From: Halfway back on the Highway to Hell...again!
The hotcam is very good but I suggest the CC305 or 306 with the Pro-mag rockers. I have the Hotcam kit also and love it in my wifes Impala SS (heavy car) I have seen like cars running CC306 that are much faster than me. It all depends on your $$$ budget. I don't know about your area for emissions but if you can, pcmforless can reprogram your pcm to a OBD 1 config for easier tuning, plus you can get the "load your own w/ lifetime updates. Very cheap and worth it.
Originally Posted by METALBEAST
Specs are as follows for the CC306
230/244 Duration @0.05 inches lift, 0.544/0.576 inches lift with 1.6/1 rockers and 112 LSA
230/244 Duration @0.05 inches lift, 0.544/0.576 inches lift with 1.6/1 rockers and 112 LSA
Dont waste your money on the hotcam! Ive tried to make the best of mine, but the car is just too damn slow for my liking, it drives just like a stock motor (with a converter, no OD and 4.30s of course) and hardly lopes at all at idle.. Id estimate 355 - 360 RHWP out of mine, still decent for I motor I spent $1800 building though I suppose.
Launching!
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Waco/CS, TX
355-360 rwhp with a hotcam on ported heads Id assume. he'll see ~320-330 rwhp with the hotcam kit on stock heads and good tuning.
there are a couple other options in the line of heads/cam if you want to go that direction. lloyd elliott makes a heads/cam package that will put you anywhere from 370-390 rwhp with good tuning, AND it'll pass emissions if that's a concern.
there are a couple other options in the line of heads/cam if you want to go that direction. lloyd elliott makes a heads/cam package that will put you anywhere from 370-390 rwhp with good tuning, AND it'll pass emissions if that's a concern.
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 574
Likes: 0
From: Chattanoga TN
i have the hotcam and for the budget i say its definetly worth it. some of the people on here really know how to tell people what to buy but never consider the ammout of money they are talking about. but then its usually the guy that spends the most money thats always the fastest 
My advise is to wait and mod the right way one time! I went ported heads and cc305 and was happy at first. After a while I had wished I went bigger, well due to unfortunate circumstances with the old setup I had to change alot of things. Went 396 with stage III heads and a custom grind cam. Still on the break satge so no #'s yet but i can tell you this power range and torque are far superior. Makes me wonder why I jacked around the first time? But it depends on the cars long term goals and if your going to keep it?
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
IMO there's no reason to go with something like the GM847 with stock heads. If you plan on doing them in the near future that's a different story. Stock heads don't flow nearly enough to justify that cam....especially since the stock heads are outrageously choked at higher lift.
It's all nice to say get this cam or get that cam but you should really match your cam to your heads. No reason to have heads that are choked up top and run a high lift cam.
It's all nice to say get this cam or get that cam but you should really match your cam to your heads. No reason to have heads that are choked up top and run a high lift cam.
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,121
Likes: 75
From: somewhere in TX
I'm running kind of tight on money even afte selling the ws6 with christmas and all, I have about 700 to play with. We own a shop and get gm parts at dealer cost and I can pickup the hotcam kit for 425 and have it in a couple of days. Heads are not in the near future. Emissions does not matter. I am looking for a little more punch and I need something I can drive 50 to 55k a year and not have to worry about anything execpt maintenace. Maybe by next summer I can swing some aftermarket heads. I figured lt1 edit is possibly the best option for tuning.