I have a 97 LT1 Camaro and I am rebuilding the engine. I am educated on engines somewhat but when it comes to cams and rear ends and such im a little lost. Below is a detailed list of the engine modifications in the works for my LT1 engine. Anyone who has any experience, or ANYTHING, please pitch in your 2 cents and I would much appreciate it!

350 SB LT1 rebuilt and honed out...nothing drastic at all, just rebuilt

LT1 Alum. heads, street port and polish and a valve job but not oversized

Intake manifold ported to match heads and throttle body, and internals smoothed out

52mm Throttle body matched to intake manifold w/ an airfoil inside to stop the dead air

Smooth intake duct, High-Flow MAF, and SLP Cold Air Intake

Pacesetter long tube headers ported to match heads and rear O2 sensors deleted

Exhaust Y'd into single high flow CAT, to a flowmaster muffler, then 2 tailpipes

Underdrive Crank pulley and overdrive alternator pulley

EGR system deleted, AIR system deleted

160 degree thermostat, fans set to turn on at 180

AC Delco SP Wires, Spark Plugs, and front O2 sensors

Stage 3 clutch

Aluminum Flywheel

Complete computer tune to delete O2 sensors, EGR, AIR, re-set fan temp, etc etc etc.



NOW....my questions are this:

1. What cam would you recommend for a street car with a setup such as this? I am looking for something mild that isnt going to cost me a fortune and wont beef up my engine too much more, but will work nicely with what I am doing...I need a brand, lift/duration, etc recommendations if possible.

2. With all this done does my suspension need an upgrade? I am adding on a Hotchkis STB but do I need more or am I good? I was thinking SFC's and maybe a Torque Arm. I also have Polyurethane motor and tranny mounts.

3. How do you think my stock rear end is going to hold up to this??? and even my stock driveshaft?? Do I need to upgrady those as well?

4. If anyone has any other recommendations please feel free to let me know!! I could use the advice! THANKS!!!

 

hey brother just thought id throw you a bone on this one. my engine was worked over by MTI, who just recently closed their doors. they put on a full top end package and the car made roughly 440hp at the flywheel when it left there. it has the LT4 hot cam, but has stiffer valve springs (the rates of which i do not know), it has their stage 2 heads which have 2.05/1.6 valves, ported intake, 52mm TB, JBA headers, and upgraded rod and main bolts. the clutch was also upgraded but is soon to be swapped to a spec stage 3. i have the 1LE aluminum driveshaft, BMR torgue arm, BMR boxed lower control arms, and J&M enterprises LCA relocation brackets, a TPIS rear axle girdle, and 4.10 gears. the car was also tuned by MTI and runs phenomenally well. i average 15 to 18mpg around town, and 22 to 26 on the highway. MTI said the LT4 hot cam was the best cam to use for a daily driven street application. just a lil food for thought.

karl

 

hotcams are outdated..i personally would never waste the time installing one in my car. i would at least go with a comp cams cc503, or possibly a comp 230/236, depending on how much your heads flow

 

well sir as you stated, you "personally" would go with that. im just telling you what MTI, who has always been at the forefront of GM performance, had to say about what cam is the best "streetable" cam. outdated or not my firehawk still puts down more power to the wheels than most of the modern day vettes do, so i can live with "outdated".

karl

 

hotcams are not horrible, yes i think a cc503 would be a better choice but i think the appealing part about the hotcam kit is that it includes everything and your good to go. but lets not start ranting about hotcams, in a thread i read the other day people were gaining 50-70whp with a proper tune with the hotcam kit, no bs. there are better choices which the best would be a custom grind but the hotcam isnt a piece of **** as everyone seems to think it is.

 

Check out my cam guide sticky at the top of this forum that should get you on track. Dont bother with an STB that wont really do anything at all. I would focus on LCA's, LCA Relocation Brackets, and maybe a Torque Arm. You will greatly increase your traction and take away all wheelhop. You don't have to have any of them but whats good about making power if you can't put it to the ground ya know. The rear could last forever or go tomorrow it all depends on how you treat it. If your planning on hitting up the strip alot then say goodbye but if you just drive the car around town no reason it shouldn't last a while. The stock driveshaft will be fine, for a little over $100 you could buy and LS1 aluminum to reduce a little rotational mass but our stock steel's are actually a little stronger.

 

I like the look of the STB mostly...makes a nice addition to the egine bay cosmetics even if it doesnt work. I got it for 20 bucks. I will look into LCA's and the torque arm. As for my use it will be street. I might do some stoplight to stoplight stuff and maybe one or two highway runs but nothing drastic. I will only take it to the track during events such as the LTX shootout or when I do something and need official times. As for the cam I LOVE the sound I have been getting on youtube of the CC503! Nice solid lope and great sound and rev........gives me goosebumps. I'll prolly go with that one. I havent been able to locate a cam and lifter package though...any suggestions???

 

Mild street grind - I'd go with the LT4 hotcam
A lil more - I'd go with the CC503
Either way you go, you should have a nice street/strip performer.
Your suspension/rear end should work fine, but can always benefit from an upgrade.

 

You probaly heard my car on there, I ran that cam and liked it alot. It was great for DDing and running good times at the track. The only package out there is the LT4 hot cam kit package but even then the parts in it are sub par such as the valve springs. You really dont need new lifters if the old ones are in good shape however a $120 set of GM LS7 lifters would be what you want. For springs check out the Crane 10308-1 kit, if on a budget some Comp Cams SA 1.6's would work fine but NSA Pro-Mags are the way to go if you ever decide to dig into the motor more. They require the use of guideplates, studs, and chromemoly pushrods. You should get the Trick Flow pushrods after checking for the proper length.

 

No ****...that WAs you...your car was the one that made me flip out...that is EXACTLY what I want mine to sound like...how many horses did you have with the CC503?

 

330rwhp and just under 340rwtq with my auto and full exhaust and rockers only.

 

as for those LS7 Lifters.......are they compatible with a modded LT1?? Everything I see mentions LS1-7 but no LT

 

by the way...the reason for new lifters is 2 of mine were jacked.....I screwed them up in a race a while back...figured might as well get all 16 while I'm at it

 

You can run LS7 lifters in a LT1.

 

sounds good. I will look at getting the CC 503 cam, LS7 lifters, and probably go ahead and get the Crans springs. I dont need new push rods or anything...all of mine were fine. I am estimating my engine to be pushing around 425-475 horses...what do y'all think from what I have told y'all so far? Is my estimatre even close? Too high? Too low?

 

Maybe around 425....I honestly wouldnt think much more than that

 

Things like the "high flow MAF" are a bit scary, particularly at a modest level of performance like you are aiming for, EVERY reputable shop should be telling you to stay stock, it works fine, is easiest to tne, and wont be a restriction.

The underdrive pullies are a joke, you would be further ahead to buy a new damper that is underdrive, and with the raised idle of a aftermarket cam you wont need the OD alternator pulley.

Any idea what they did for pistons? Did they yse something with low tension rings like the STOCK LT1 has? If not they threw away power there. Did they go with lighter pistons so you can rev it up a bit more reliably? What sort of rpms are you looking to turn with it? Compression?

From what I am reading you should be able to hit the low to middle of your guessed range, with the right heads and cam the top end of the range would have been easy if the shortblock is any good.

For the rear to last, first thing it is avoid wheelhop, then no high rpm launches on slicks on a good surface.

 

when it comes to the internals of the block im not all that good. I am relying on the other guy who has a lot of experience to rebuild the block for me. I want everything pretty much refreshed so I dont have to worry about it. Right now he has not toughed it yet because I have not supplied the parts. So my question now is......

What is a good lighter weight piston to use? Recommendations?

Same goes for the low tension rings...what is a good replacment for the stock without robbing me of power? I am not going for a strip car here, more street than strip, but I dont want to leave something out that could hurt me later. While I have it apart I better go ahead and cover all avenues.

 

anybody?

 

does anyone at all know about these things so I can know what kind of pistons and rings and valve springs to use? I need to know asap so I can get the engine build going