LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

383 NA LT1 cam question

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Old Sep 21, 2006 | 10:18 PM
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Default 383 NA LT1 cam question

ok im running the 11:1 golen shortblock with ported 190cc heads and a ported intake, but cant decide on the comp cams 236/242 or the 242/248 cam, which is gonna give me the better shot at breaking 500 hp with 42 lb injectors? the main goal im shooting for is 500 hp from the block and im close i know but i feel the cam is going to be the deciding factor, any input is appreciated!
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Old Sep 21, 2006 | 10:23 PM
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It's all in the heads. Pick the cam best suited to the heads.
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Old Sep 21, 2006 | 10:37 PM
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thats the problem i have been having, im not sure which cam to buy.
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Old Sep 21, 2006 | 10:49 PM
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242-248 would be my guess but you are not giving us all the information like "lift", "lobe centers", Valve Size" and "Flow Specs" of the heads.
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Old Sep 22, 2006 | 05:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Nastyc4
It's all in the heads. Pick the cam best suited to the heads.
x2
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Old Sep 22, 2006 | 06:00 PM
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need some specs.... flow numbers very important....
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Old Sep 23, 2006 | 11:47 PM
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190 cc runners in the heads, 265 cfm@.500 lift (intake) 200cfm@.500 lift (exhaust) and the top of the intake was chopped off for porting but i do not have specs of the intake, im assuming it was just ported to match the heads
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Old Sep 24, 2006 | 04:46 PM
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Originally Posted by moserman
ok im running the 11:1 golen shortblock with ported 190cc heads and a ported intake, but cant decide on the comp cams 236/242 or the 242/248 cam, which is gonna give me the better shot at breaking 500 hp with 42 lb injectors? the main goal im shooting for is 500 hp from the block and im close i know but i feel the cam is going to be the deciding factor, any input is appreciated!
If you mean 500 hp @ the wheels, which is what I think you mean, you don't have enough head to get there. If you mean 500 hp at the flywheel or 420-430 @ the wheels, you may still be a little short on heads.

Instead of a hp goal, what are your overall goals for the complete vehicle? Are you just plannng to race other cars on the dyno for bragging rights, or do you want to run the car on the street/strip? Is it a Daily Driver?

FWIW, a true 500 rear wheel hp (NA) Daily Driver with an under 3000 rpm converter are fairly rare, and VERY expensive.
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Old Sep 25, 2006 | 06:56 AM
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no i meant 500 horse at the crank, im aware that im well far away from 500 to the wheels, the only way that wuld be possible is to spray and i dont want to do that stuff, i dont like to cheat. and the car is pretty much completed, i want to finish the block and the cam decision is one of the last things to complete so. its a street/strip car and yes i was shooting for bragging rights for right now until it gets procharged wayyyyy in the future. btw the car is a 6 spd, not auto (referring to converter comment) thanks tho OldSStroker i appreciate the input!!!
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Old Sep 25, 2006 | 08:55 AM
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Originally Posted by moserman
...., the only way that wuld be possible is to spray and i dont want to do that stuff, i dont like to cheat. .....i was shooting for bragging rights for right now until it gets procharged wayyyyy in the future.
I just can't understand why supercharging isn't cheating but using the bottle is. The same effect is achieved using both.

I could understand if someone out and out lied about having it and was winning a lot of races but we all want more bang for our buck.
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Old Sep 25, 2006 | 10:07 AM
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Originally Posted by moserman
no i meant 500 horse at the crank, im aware that im well far away from 500 to the wheels, the only way that wuld be possible is to spray and i dont want to do that stuff, i dont like to cheat. and the car is pretty much completed, i want to finish the block and the cam decision is one of the last things to complete so. its a street/strip car and yes i was shooting for bragging rights for right now until it gets procharged wayyyyy in the future. btw the car is a 6 spd, not auto (referring to converter comment) thanks tho OldSStroker i appreciate the input!!!
I'd get a custom cam designed for the engine/vehicle combo you have now and WAAAAY in the future get a cam to go with the Procharger. However my desires would be for a fast street combination, not just peak dyno horsepower. IOW, I'd go for max area under the torque and hp curves in the rpm range you run the engine.

Do some searching and you'll find similar combinations.
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Old Sep 25, 2006 | 01:16 PM
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What are your goals for the car? I run a small-for-a-383 Joe O. spec'd cam that really hauls and is great for a DD...Just trapped 119.5 mph with it (3650 race weight) and ported LT1s last Friday in bad air...and get 20 mpg on the highway...

--Alan

...sorry I just read your above post and saw "bragging rights"...Remember that the 500 number is just a number...There's been a few bigger number cars that have seen my tailights...

Last edited by ABA383; Sep 25, 2006 at 01:22 PM.
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Old Sep 25, 2006 | 04:27 PM
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Here's what I suggest. Sit down and decide where you will end up with the car. What is the weight. What is the gearing you will choose. How driveable do you want it. What do you want more higher peak dyno #s or a broader hp/torque curve, do you want a smooth idle. There's so many more things to know but I suggest you give a cam company a call. If the salesman won't give you the time and ask you all the questions and details about your car, call again or ask for someone else. I'll admit I didn't choose my cam for my LT4 but my builder listened to EVERY little detail about how I drive, and what i wanted, the rpm range etc etc. What is funny is that I called comp cams and one person took 1/2 an hour asking me questions and going over information from me, and was within 1-2 degrees duration and was settled on the exact same LSA that my builder chose. of course theres a few minor things that are changed up in a custom cam depending on what the builder believes in to make power, but I was throughly impressed at how close he was. good luck !
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Old Sep 25, 2006 | 04:34 PM
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One thing's real important here.

You want to choose a cam that best works with the heads you have.
Getting a bigger cam doesn't always mean youre getting bigger power, if the Heads/Cam aren't aligned as good as they should be.

You will get more power out of a cam that goes good with your heads because the pair works more seamlessly.

I know guys on here that bought LE1 heads and a huge cam, but they didn't get as much power as they thought. Once they got the proper cam for the heads, the engine curves where smoother, and the engine made the same/ and in many cases more power.
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Old Sep 25, 2006 | 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by CatchinZs
I just can't understand why supercharging isn't cheating but using the bottle is. The same effect is achieved using both.

I could understand if someone out and out lied about having it and was winning a lot of races but we all want more bang for our buck.

I Agree 100%
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Old Sep 26, 2006 | 08:34 PM
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Originally Posted by moserman
ok im running the 11:1 golen shortblock
How are you going to address the compression issue when you procharge it?


Dean
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Old Sep 26, 2006 | 09:50 PM
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I agree with everyone else match the cam to the heads. LLoyed told me what cam to run and what cams not to even think about. What springs do you plan on and retainers? And what type of tune are you thinking? I was on a budget so my intake is stock for now and my heads flow slightly higher than yours but flow #s arent everything. I would get with your porter and talk to him about it. The stroker will tame the bigger cam while driving though. Good luck
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Old Sep 26, 2006 | 11:55 PM
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i plan on doin a full rebuild with 9:1 compression when i charge it way in the future, but for right now my problem is that there is so many cams to choose its insane and i dont have 400 bucks to spend on a custom grind.... i guess the best question is to ask which of the 2 comp cams to choose from (236/242 or 242/248 cam) since they are both 275.....

myslowlt1 i will be using crane 10-308 springs will be using a pcm for less tune since my computer was already tuned there once, so it will only cost 50 bucks for the upgrade and i have heard many good things about them.
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Old Sep 27, 2006 | 03:57 PM
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Cam timing is like spice. If you use too much you spoil the whole meal.

Use the smaller cam and find a happy chassis dyno. Then you will have the best of both worlds.

Dean
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