LS3 cam upgrade, what else to change out?
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Teching In
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LS3 cam upgrade, what else to change out? I have a ‘15 Chevy SS with the 6l80 trans. So far I’ve done a rotodab intake, kooks longtubes with green cats and mid pipes to stock axle back, RCR ported stock intake manifold and throttle body, and a livernois tune.
I plan on also doing a Livernois 2c cam and zl1 torque converter in the next few weeks. While I am doing the cam, is there anything else I should deal with? I have these on my list:
rocker trunions (comp cams)
c5r chain
melling m295 oil pump
ls2 chain guide
new gaskets/O rings for everything touched
ATI dampener
I decided to stick with the stock thermostat instead of switching to a 160 degree since this is my daily and it doesn’t go to the track but a few times a year. Is my logic correct on this?
the car currently has just under 30k miles and I plan on keeping it for the next 10+ years. This is my daily driver as well.
I plan on also doing a Livernois 2c cam and zl1 torque converter in the next few weeks. While I am doing the cam, is there anything else I should deal with? I have these on my list:
rocker trunions (comp cams)
c5r chain
melling m295 oil pump
ls2 chain guide
new gaskets/O rings for everything touched
ATI dampener
I decided to stick with the stock thermostat instead of switching to a 160 degree since this is my daily and it doesn’t go to the track but a few times a year. Is my logic correct on this?
the car currently has just under 30k miles and I plan on keeping it for the next 10+ years. This is my daily driver as well.
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Joined: Jun 2016
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From: Central Cal.
Don't do the Comp trunnion upgrade. The trunnions are soft, and the needle bearings wear into them within 5k miles. Use either Straub or CHE bushing kits. Very well made and easy to install, with CHE having the edge in that dept.
You might want to use the Melling 10295 high pressure pump.
Good call on the thermostat! That is what the ECM is programmed to work with anyway.
You might want to use the Melling 10295 high pressure pump.
Good call on the thermostat! That is what the ECM is programmed to work with anyway.
Leave the rockers alone. Regardless of what any expert or vendor says, the trunion kits are NOT upgrades. You're going with a mild cam on a daily driver, so stick with stock. The only improvement you can make with the rocker system is a shaft mount which is overkill for your application.
C5R chain isn't necessary. A stock LS2 replacement is fine. The LS2 guide, ATI balancer, and stock thermostat are all good ideas.
With the money you saved on the rockers and chain it would be wise to purchase an Improved Racing crank scraper; you'll already have the oil pan off.
C5R chain isn't necessary. A stock LS2 replacement is fine. The LS2 guide, ATI balancer, and stock thermostat are all good ideas.
With the money you saved on the rockers and chain it would be wise to purchase an Improved Racing crank scraper; you'll already have the oil pan off.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,291
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From: Central Cal.
I don't think Jimbo or I were pushing the trunnion upgrade so much as steering him to a better one, since he had the Comp kit on his list.
Marc, you make good points on his build! Not detracting from anything you say, just clarifying Jimbo's and my posts above.
Marc, you make good points on his build! Not detracting from anything you say, just clarifying Jimbo's and my posts above.
Thread Starter
Teching In
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Posts: 18
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Okay, thanks for the input guys. New plan as follows:
ls2 chain
ls2 guide
ATI damper
improved racing egr-730
melling m295 or 10295
should I go for the m295 or 10295? I understand that the m295 is factory pressure/volume and the 10295 is high pressure/factory volume and both pumps reduce oil cavitation that occurs with the factory pump over ~6200rpm. Do I need/want the higher pressure for my application of DD/once-in-a-while dragstrip or autocross?
thanks again for the help guys.
ls2 chain
ls2 guide
ATI damper
improved racing egr-730
melling m295 or 10295
should I go for the m295 or 10295? I understand that the m295 is factory pressure/volume and the 10295 is high pressure/factory volume and both pumps reduce oil cavitation that occurs with the factory pump over ~6200rpm. Do I need/want the higher pressure for my application of DD/once-in-a-while dragstrip or autocross?
thanks again for the help guys.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,291
Likes: 3,615
From: Central Cal.
Tough call on the pumps. Both are excellent. The high pressure one will be good insurance for the HPDE stuff, and there is no negative aspect to it. You can go either way on this.
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I rolled about 40K miles on my stroker with PRC heads (stock rockers with CC trunion upgrade) and the rockers were 'cherry' when I swapped the heads for a set of AFR's.
May be a matter of improper install, if anything.
That said, I now have the TSP roller rockers with the CHE bearings with those heads on my Impala.
Cometic .040" compressed head gaskets.
KW
Last edited by KW Baraka; Dec 19, 2018 at 11:38 PM.
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 22,291
Likes: 3,615
From: Central Cal.
It was/is a matter of metallurgy. Many, though not all, trunnions were improperly heat treated(possibly annealed, or softened) and did not last long at all, usually under 5k miles. You obviously got a good kit. Many who related their experiences here were not so fortunate. The affected kits are likely in the minority, who wants to risk it, unless Comp proves all is good?
Leave the rockers alone. Regardless of what any expert or vendor says, the trunion kits are NOT upgrades. You're going with a mild cam on a daily driver, so stick with stock. The only improvement you can make with the rocker system is a shaft mount which is overkill for your application.
C5R chain isn't necessary. A stock LS2 replacement is fine. The LS2 guide, ATI balancer, and stock thermostat are all good ideas.
With the money you saved on the rockers and chain it would be wise to purchase an Improved Racing crank scraper; you'll already have the oil pan off.
C5R chain isn't necessary. A stock LS2 replacement is fine. The LS2 guide, ATI balancer, and stock thermostat are all good ideas.
With the money you saved on the rockers and chain it would be wise to purchase an Improved Racing crank scraper; you'll already have the oil pan off.
I also like the stock thermostat idea. Higher heat means more efficient burn of the fuel. If you don't have a situation where you're having issues with controlling engine temps or blowers I'd run the 195 stat over the 160 personally.
I don't know where this comes from but my experience says this is not true.
I rolled about 40K miles on my stroker with PRC heads (stock rockers with CC trunion upgrade) and the rockers were 'cherry' when I swapped the heads for a set of AFR's.
May be a matter of improper install, if anything.
That said, I now have the TSP roller rockers with the CHE bearings with those heads on my Impala.
Cometic .040" compressed head gaskets.
KW
I rolled about 40K miles on my stroker with PRC heads (stock rockers with CC trunion upgrade) and the rockers were 'cherry' when I swapped the heads for a set of AFR's.
May be a matter of improper install, if anything.
That said, I now have the TSP roller rockers with the CHE bearings with those heads on my Impala.
Cometic .040" compressed head gaskets.
KW
It comes from lots of posts and pictures of failures.
As for headgaskets, .040 is a little tight on quench for my personal preference but to each their own there. If I were gonna do it I would do the WS6store .045's
The ws6 store gaskets are also a lot cheaper than cometic if I recall correctly. They're right around $70 and I believe cometics are about $200
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 18
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Thanks for the advice guys, I did the livernois 2c cam kit, LS2 chain/damper, melling m295, ATI balancer, and the improved racing crank scraper this weekend. The worst part was trying to jam pieces of wood under the engine mounts to make enough room to get the oil pan out.
