Need help picking a cam.

**bballking_2007** · 08-15-2008, 10:22 AM

Was looking a t cams today....where the h3ll do i start. i want some with power but still being able to drive if it is colder out nice winter day or something. i all ready know i will need a tune. so power lope is fine too. any advice to help me pick one.

**bballking_2007** · 08-15-2008, 10:23 AM

oh ya and and i was looking at intakes. ls6 or FAST.

**vettenuts** · 08-17-2008, 03:39 PM

One of the worst mistakes you can make is having someone pick a cam for you. Take a read at this link and get a little smarter on cams, it will help you trade-off the different specifications as any cam is a compromise. You also should be brutally honest with yourself as to what you are looking for from the car, while a nice lumpy idle can sound good, it also presents driving issues. If your car is an auto, too much cam can require a converter. Get smart on cams then start looking around.

Link

**KING Z28 HAWK** · 08-18-2008, 02:44 AM

Yeah read up on it give some cam comps a call and see what they say that can grind for your spec wants

**bballking_2007** · 08-18-2008, 09:25 AM

just looking for some help i have called some techs but nothing beats a LS1.com members. they give me a bunch of run arounds. but no one knows as much about cams for ls1 cars but the owers of a ls1 with a cam.

**SSwt00SS** · 08-18-2008, 09:32 AM

what are your goals? current mods? future mods in mind?

a 228R is a good all around cam, so is a 224 (what im running). great power under the curve. not PEAK HP making cams. good daily driver manners, etc. smart move would be to address the suspension before adding power...

i can tell you from personal experience, forget the LS6 intake and go FAST 90 or 92, unless you plan to run forced induction, then use an LS6 intake.

you will be fine w/the Ls1 intake for the time being until you get heads, then swap out intakes...

**shady milkman** · 08-18-2008, 10:00 AM

hmm also tho..the new 92/92 is supposed to be stronger now and if you do want to go FI ..you need to get the burst panels..i believe its an extra 150 bucks

**grouch0jr** · 08-20-2008, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by vettenuts

One of the worst mistakes you can make is having someone pick a cam for you. Take a read at this link and get a little smarter on cams, it will help you trade-off the different specifications as any cam is a compromise. You also should be brutally honest with yourself as to what you are looking for from the car, while a nice lumpy idle can sound good, it also presents driving issues. If your car is an auto, too much cam can require a converter. Get smart on cams then start looking around.

Link

so after reading most of this article it puts a lot of emphasis on the size of the valves in relation to the size of the cylinder. so im guessing this means if i plan on doing heads in the future i should consider this, or maybe wait and do both at the same time so they can be paired properly?

**nhraformula** · 08-20-2008, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by SSwt00SS

what are your goals? current mods? future mods in mind?

a 228R is a good all around cam, so is a 224 (what im running). great power under the curve. not PEAK HP making cams. good daily driver manners, etc. smart move would be to address the suspension before adding power...

i can tell you from personal experience, forget the LS6 intake and go FAST 90 or 92, unless you plan to run forced induction, then use an LS6 intake.

you will be fine w/the Ls1 intake for the time being until you get heads, then swap out intakes...

what he said

**nhraformula** · 08-20-2008, 05:23 PM

Originally Posted by KING Z28 HAWK

Yeah read up on it give some cam comps a call and see what they say that can grind for your spec wants

i did that a few years back when i was about to do a cam.
if i would of listened to the tech guy, i would of fucked up my motor quickly after installing the cam.
long story short, i had 1.85 rocker arms and the guy was telling me to get a cam at 590 lift or close to that.

**bballking_2007** · 08-20-2008, 05:28 PM

Originally Posted by SSwt00SS

what are your goals? current mods? future mods in mind?

a 228R is a good all around cam, so is a 224 (what im running). great power under the curve. not PEAK HP making cams. good daily driver manners, etc. smart move would be to address the suspension before adding power...

i can tell you from personal experience, forget the LS6 intake and go FAST 90 or 92, unless you plan to run forced induction, then use an LS6 intake.

you will be fine w/the Ls1 intake for the time being until you get heads, then swap out intakes...

why suspension. like what?

what about a ms3 cam

**KING Z28 HAWK** · 08-21-2008, 12:00 AM

Originally Posted by nhraformula

i did that a few years back when i was about to do a cam.
if i would of listened to the tech guy, i would of fucked up my motor quickly after installing the cam.
long story short, i had 1.85 rocker arms and the guy was telling me to get a cam at 590 lift or close to that.

Wow! Yeah nevermind come to LS1 with all your questions

**WILDKARDBOYZ** · 08-21-2008, 12:08 AM

look up texasspeed.com they are very helpful and cane tune your car

**SSwt00SS** · 08-21-2008, 05:27 AM

Originally Posted by bballking_2007

why suspension. like what?

what about a ms3 cam

to support what power you currently have and it will only help down the road once power mods are on the car. that way you know your drivetrain can handle the extra power...

subframes, LCA's, PH bar, TQ arm, 12 bolt or 9", springs/shocks, poly transmission/engine mounts, etc...

**shady milkman** · 08-21-2008, 05:39 AM

Originally Posted by SSwt00SS

to support what power you currently have and it will only help down the road once power mods are on the car. that way you know your drivetrain can handle the extra power...

subframes, LCA's, PH bar, TQ arm, 12 bolt or 9", springs/shocks, poly transmission/engine mounts, etc...

i'm with stupid minus the PH bar and the Tq arm...it all depends on if he is having wheel hop issues ..if he isnt getting wheel hop there really isnt a need to get a tq arm until the issue arrives(my opinion)..however get the lca and relocation lca brackets, shocks and mounts. Its important for the person to know that if he gets lowering springs..that it will upset the geometry of the suspension...thats when the relocation brackets and the lca's are required...since traction issues will appear..after which i am sure he might still get wheel hop..which means a tq arm might be required....but like brian said....first get sfcs,shocks, lca and relocation brackets.....if you are keeping your stock rim size and dont feel like lowering the car then stick with the stock springs..for drag racing they are actually pretty nice...but if larger rims and lowering are in your plans..then the PHB will be required to center your rear and the other supporting suspension mods to address the balance issue.

sorry for the novel

**bballking_2007** · 08-26-2008, 06:06 PM

will a magic stick three work? thats what i think will work good.

**PFM** · 08-27-2008, 06:59 AM

First off don't get in a hurry and buy a cam you'll regret later. Texas Speed is getting ready to test a bunch of different cams/heads on a stock 347 motor. My suggestion would be to wait and see what their results are and pick your best option from their testing.

**SSwt00SS** · 08-27-2008, 07:42 AM

stock motor is a 346, not 347. a forged 347 can yield drastically different results that the stock 346 Ls1 block...

**Bottesini** · 08-27-2008, 07:50 AM

My best advice for picking a cam is do lots or reading, phones calls, and talking. Then eventually you will get a better idea of what you want. I know when I was picking out this cam I used something like 300 of my cell phone's minutes just talking to different people, and that was just the different shops. Even more time was spent talking with all my friends.