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Thread: Smog Cam

  1. #1
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    Smog Cam

    What is a good cam I can run that passes the California Smog test?

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    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    The LS6 is a good start.

    There are other camshafts a tad more aggressive that have been known to pass. Something in the range of 220ish at .050 and more than likely with a wide lobe sep like 114 or more might be made to pass.
    An experienced tuner that deals with emissions should have some solid answers.

    I can tell you my wifes car passed smog in Florida before I bought it with a custom ground cam something similar to the LS6 grind.
    210/218 at .050 and .551/.551 lift on a 112 lobe seperation. It has 52* of overlap at .004.

    It's a tad different than an LS6 cam, has an ever so slight lope that is nearly undetectable. works well from idle to 6500 rpms.

    What are others doing in Cali????

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    Did the LS6 cam make a difference in power?

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    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Well, mine is a tad different than an LS6.
    It's custom ground by Crane for Vinci and has a faster ramp profile. It also has tighter lobe seperation (112 verses 116) But the rest of it is pretty close as far as lift and duration is concerned.

    But ya, it runs better than a stocker. I've trapped 111 mph with an 1800 ft. DA with the stock 3.42 gears still in the car and a race weight of 3,750 lbs. The only other addition was a set of long tube headers.

    I'm pretty happy with it considering it's meant to be a daily driver for my wife. It knocks down 23 mpg city and has gotten a best of 30.19 highway, but averages between 28-29 most of the time.
    So I have no intentions of changing it, runs good enough for what we do with it.

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    My Neighbors Hate Me!!! lvbroham1's Avatar
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    biggest is around the 224 area. Anything over that will take some involved tuning to be able to pass.

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    Member c5z28's Avatar
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    Since you are in cali and will be sticking w/ the stock exhaust manifolds a cam w/ a larger exhaust split is more preferential. they have the 215/230 116, 219/228 etc. If you talk to any of the cam manufacturer's they will give the biggest smog legal cam you can get. The ls-6 cam is dinky

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    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by c5z28 View Post
    Since you are in cali and will be sticking w/ the stock exhaust manifolds a cam w/ a larger exhaust split is more preferential. they have the 215/230 116, 219/228 etc. If you talk to any of the cam manufacturer's they will give the biggest smog legal cam you can get. The ls-6 cam is dinky
    Most of those type cams are "cheater" cams. Not sure if they were really intended to pass emissions but it would be interesting to try. I was kinda wondering the same thing. Not sure if he wants to be a test mule.

    Yep the LS6 cam is small compared to others, but it does pass e-check easily, and actually works quite well.

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    Member xmarkx's Avatar
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    you'll pass ca smog with a cheaTR cam for sure. I've heard rumors that with the right tune you can get the hot cam to pass as well, but I haven't seen any physical proof of that so I don't know if that's really true but,

    if you have your stock exhaust w/ cats and are using a cam that sounds close to stock when idling you have a good chance of passing

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    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xmarkx View Post
    you'll pass ca smog with a cheaTR cam for sure. I've heard rumors that with the right tune you can get the hot cam to pass as well, but I haven't seen any physical proof of that so I don't know if that's really true but,

    if you have your stock exhaust w/ cats and are using a cam that sounds close to stock when idling you have a good chance of passing
    Are you actually running one and passing smog??

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    I'm thinking about gett ing the stock heads ported then adding the LS6 cam. How much would that add to the wheels?

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    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    From what I've seen and/or read, most stock LS6 engines out there put out about 370 HP to the wheels give or take.

    There are a few 4th gens running the LS6 crate motor, for the easy swap and the fact that it passes emissions. A couple of them have told me their cars have dipped into the low 12's at about 112 mph with an automatic behind it. So the HP sounds pretty close.

    Doing the cam and some ported heads, I would think you would be somewhere close or in that neighborhood. You already have the intake.

    Depends on how fast you want to go. There are other things you can do that are smog legal.
    The AFR 205 Mongoose heads are emissions compatable as well as many other good aftermarket heads. Which might be a better way to go rather than porting the 241's you have.

    Another route to take would be a power adder such as a procharger. I believe those are also emissions legal. I've seen them bolted on an otherwise bone stock car and dyno at 430-440 rwhp.
    Last edited by Firebirdjones; 04-01-2010 at 09:18 AM.

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    Cunningham Motorsports in Lake Elsinore has been putting in a custom grind Comp Cam 224/228 114 +4 that they swear passes Calif smog with a good tune. You might give them a call. I think I am going to go that route with a set of stock LS 6 heads that I picked up on ebay.

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    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bowtie Guy View Post
    Cunningham Motorsports in Lake Elsinore has been putting in a custom grind Comp Cam 224/228 114 +4 that they swear passes Calif smog with a good tune. You might give them a call. I think I am going to go that route with a set of stock LS 6 heads that I picked up on ebay.
    That sounds fairly close to Comps off the shelf XER273HR camshaft, with only 2 degrees less exhaust duration and 2 degrees more advance ground in.

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    predator-z specs good smog cams.the AFR should make it easier to pass emisions.

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    Member xmarkx's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Firebirdjones View Post
    Are you actually running one and passing smog??
    no I'm not but what I'm implying is that if it sounds like a stock cam it will most likely pass smog. if you really want to nit pick which cam is CA smog legal, none of them are. in ca it's illegal to use any cam but your stock cam but the smog guy isn't gonna tear your engine apart to check for a carb number.

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    Cheater cams are meant to pass smog/

  17. #17
    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by c5z28 View Post
    Cheater cams are meant to pass smog/
    I've never seen any mention of that from any of the suppliers.

    But what they do tell you is they are meant for cars with stock heads, stock exhaust manifolds etc....that need alot of help on the exhaust side. Which is the reason they have such a large intake/exhaust split. They also spread the lobe sep out to smooth the idle and keep it stock sounding. Hence the name "Cheater" camshaft, or more appropriate, sleeper.

    Although I do like the idea of these cams, and I'm just as curious as the next guy about it passing smog, I've never heard mention of passing smog from anyone running these cams, or that anyone even uses these cams for that matter. Most everyones experience here is based off of wanting to run headers, and a camshaft that makes sound.

    You rarely if ever see anyone here wanting to make their cars fast while still utilizing the stock exhaust manifolds.

    So where are all these people at that have first hand experience with these cheater cams?? I believe that's the kind of info that would help out the original poster.

  18. #18
    Veteran Firebirdjones's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xmarkx View Post
    no I'm not but what I'm implying is that if it sounds like a stock cam it will most likely pass smog. if you really want to nit pick which cam is CA smog legal, none of them are. in ca it's illegal to use any cam but your stock cam but the smog guy isn't gonna tear your engine apart to check for a carb number.
    I was asking in hopes that you might have some good info from your own experiences.
    Ya I'm aware of the goofy carb numbers for California, but like you said, engine tear down isn't part of the program so no worries

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bowtie Guy View Post
    Cunningham Motorsports in Lake Elsinore has been putting in a custom grind Comp Cam 224/228 114 +4 that they swear passes Calif smog with a good tune. You might give them a call. I think I am going to go that route with a set of stock LS 6 heads that I picked up on ebay.
    Quote Originally Posted by Firebirdjones View Post
    That sounds fairly close to Comps off the shelf XER273HR camshaft, with only 2 degrees less exhaust duration and 2 degrees more advance ground in.
    I think Bowtie is on the right track. Contacting a tuner that actually runs out of California and is familiar with LS motors, and the smog laws they work within is going to be your best bet.
    They would be better suited at giving you the information you need. The last thing you want to do is install a camshaft that someone told you they heard would work, only to find out no amount of tuning will get it passed smog. Then you're stuck tearing it down again.

  20. #20
    Member xmarkx's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Firebirdjones View Post
    I've never seen any mention of that from any of the suppliers.

    But what they do tell you is they are meant for cars with stock heads, stock exhaust manifolds etc....that need alot of help on the exhaust side. Which is the reason they have such a large intake/exhaust split. They also spread the lobe sep out to smooth the idle and keep it stock sounding. Hence the name "Cheater" camshaft, or more appropriate, sleeper.

    Although I do like the idea of these cams, and I'm just as curious as the next guy about it passing smog, I've never heard mention of passing smog from anyone running these cams, or that anyone even uses these cams for that matter. Most everyones experience here is based off of wanting to run headers, and a camshaft that makes sound.

    You rarely if ever see anyone here wanting to make their cars fast while still utilizing the stock exhaust manifolds.

    So where are all these people at that have first hand experience with these cheater cams?? I believe that's the kind of info that would help out the original poster.
    for a short time I was interested in the cheaTR cam so I called TR and told them straight up that I'm seriousley interested in this cam but only if it's 100% going to pass smog. the tech told me that he had someone buy the cam who lived in Cali and he's passed smog twice with it now.

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