Good head/cam combo or just cam on WS6?

**KnightmareWS6** · 03-15-2010, 07:23 AM

I have a bone stock '01 WS6. I'm working with a limited budget so I'm trying to get the most hp for my money. I know when you upgrade the cam, you should usually upgrade the heads as well but I realistically cant afford that. What would be a good cam for a stock LS1 that will have a full intake/headers/exhaust upgrade sooner or later? I'm getting an SLP LMII exhaust and Pacesetter full-lenght headers and I want a cam that will add to the beastly sound that this will hopefully produce but not completely kill my "gas mileage" lol.

**shady milkman** · 03-15-2010, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by KnightmareWS6

I have a bone stock '01 WS6. I'm working with a limited budget so I'm trying to get the most hp for my money. I know when you upgrade the cam, you should usually upgrade the heads as well but I realistically cant afford that. What would be a good cam for a stock LS1 that will have a full intake/headers/exhaust upgrade sooner or later? I'm getting an SLP LMII exhaust and Pacesetter full-lenght headers and I want a cam that will add to the beastly sound that this will hopefully produce but not completely kill my "gas mileage" lol.

hmm i think i just posted on your other thread. You can go "cam only"..but there really is no such thing as a good cam only. it is wise if you are going to keep your heads..to swap out the springs and push rods. Gas mileage will almost always suffer when it comes to performance ..however look into the gm hot cams ...as it seems like you aren't looking to set the world ablaze in the performance category. .
so look into a gm hot cam, some comp cams 918 springs. some hardened push-rods. if you want to say with "stockish" heads ...if not then look into the ls6 heads or the 5.3. they are relatively cheap.
also with a mild to moderate cam you can keep your ls6 intake.

be warned..the slp lm with long tubes sound EXTREMELY raspy and many people do not like the sound and the drone.

**KnightmareWS6** · 03-15-2010, 07:50 AM

I'm staying away from the SLP longtubes. I've heard the scrape at every bump. I'm going with Pacesetter full-lengths.

And as far as performance, I wish I could set the world ablaze in that category. I just cant afford to. Performance is my main goal for this car but my budget is very limiting right now.

**shady milkman** · 03-15-2010, 07:53 AM

no the slp loud mouth catback system is what i was referring too. if you can..return the exhaust and get a magnaflow or ect..

**shady milkman** · 03-15-2010, 07:55 AM

or just buy a magnaflow muffler or corsa muffler and install it on the slp exhaust

**KnightmareWS6** · 03-15-2010, 12:08 PM

Havent bought anything yet. Have to get the engine out and replaced or rebuilt first. What's wrong with the SLP Loudmouth II exhaust?

**KnightmareWS6** · 03-15-2010, 12:09 PM

And this is going to be a weekend car. This is not my dd. So I dont really have to worry about being annoyed by the droning noise.

**shady milkman** · 03-15-2010, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by KnightmareWS6

And this is going to be a weekend car. This is not my dd. So I dont really have to worry about being annoyed by the droning noise.

nothing is wrong with slp loud mouth when there are stock headers and a catted y pipe ...go to ls1sounds.com and listen..you will see.

**INMY01TA** · 03-15-2010, 07:22 PM

I run cam only as do lots of other guys. Got me in the 11s and that's good enough for now.

**KnightmareWS6** · 03-15-2010, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by INMY01TA

I run cam only as do lots of other guys. Got me in the 11s and that's good enough for now.

What kind of cam are you running? Have you done any other mods to the car?

**INMY01TA** · 03-16-2010, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by KnightmareWS6

What kind of cam are you running? Have you done any other mods to the car?

It's a Comp custom grind 230/236, 613/613, 111'+1. You can see all my mods at my F Quick page in my sig.

**KnightmareWS6** · 03-16-2010, 09:38 PM

It seems like you've done a good bit, lol. But thanks for the advice and cam specs.

**Damian** · 03-17-2010, 08:21 PM

Installing a cam in an engine without supporting bolt ons makes about as much sense as building a house from the rooftop down. An engine is an air pump, and if you don't have sufficient air entering and existing the pump then you do not need to try and make the pump stronger from within.

Focus on getting your bolt ons done, and then plan for a cam/tune. Trying to cam around stock parts is going to get you sub par results, and waste your money.

Also, there's no such thing as rule of thumb that you should upgrade your heads with a cam. There are 1000's of LS1 cars running cams with stock heads with great results. Heads make more power of course, but they're not a necessity by any means. Just icing on the cake when you can afford the icing.

**shady milkman** · 03-17-2010, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Damian

Installing a cam in an engine without supporting bolt ons makes about as much sense as building a house from the rooftop down. An engine is an air pump, and if you don't have sufficient air entering and existing the pump then you do not need to try and make the pump stronger from within.

Focus on getting your bolt ons done, and then plan for a cam/tune. Trying to cam around stock parts is going to get you sub par results, and waste your money.

Also, there's no such thing as rule of thumb that you should upgrade your heads with a cam. There are 1000's of LS1 cars running cams with stock heads with great results. Heads make more power of course, but they're not a necessity by any means. Just icing on the cake when you can afford the icing.

i like how you start of talking about how just going cam only is dumb and life building a house roof down.....well going with a healthy cam without a good pair of heads..you wont be able to put all the power your cam is capable of out with stock heads..so with the house theme..it is like incorporating all the newest technology into the roof..then using mud walls (those are the heads) ......so really your second paragraph contradicts your first paragraph in terms of ideology

**Spaz** · 03-18-2010, 04:58 AM

here is what SLP loud mouth 1, slp Y pipe with no cats and headers sounds like...

honestly your best bet it to start with the suspension... even the stock power is useless when it's not getting to the ground through flexing parts... sub frame connectors, LCAs, torque arm, pan hard bar... etc...

**Damian** · 03-18-2010, 06:58 AM

Originally Posted by shady milkman

i like how you start of talking about how just going cam only is dumb and life building a house roof down.....well going with a healthy cam without a good pair of heads..you wont be able to put all the power your cam is capable of out with stock heads..so with the house theme..it is like incorporating all the newest technology into the roof..then using mud walls (those are the heads) ......so really your second paragraph contradicts your first paragraph in terms of ideology

I don't want to sound like a dick, but you really have no idea what you're saying or talking about. LS1 heads flow more air than most ported SBC heads. They flow plenty of air for a camshaft, even in stock form. And if I'm wrong, I guess all the other 100's of shops and LSX builders are wrong too and all the 10's of thousands of cammed LS1's need to get back in the shop to have some heads put on their car.

I've been building LSX engines for over 10 years. If I say something on here, it's because I learned it from experience. Not because some internet mechanic on some website told me so.

**02Sweet** · 03-18-2010, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by Damian

I don't want to sound like a dick, but you really have no idea what you're saying or talking about. LS1 heads flow more air than most ported SBC heads. They flow plenty of air for a camshaft, even in stock form. And if I'm wrong, I guess all the other 100's of shops and LSX builders are wrong too and all the 10's of thousands of cammed LS1's need to get back in the shop to have some heads put on their car.

I've been building LSX engines for over 10 years. If I say something on here, it's because I learned it from experience. Not because some internet mechanic on some website told me so.

I think he was trying to say that the stock heads starve the cam compared to the upgraded heads. Yes you are correct the stock heads have produced great numbers with a cam only car. To a lot of people that is plenty of power but with the upgraded heads you really unleash the power of the cam even more.

**shady milkman** · 03-18-2010, 08:40 AM

Originally Posted by Damian

I don't want to sound like a dick, but you really have no idea what you're saying or talking about. LS1 heads flow more air than most ported SBC heads. They flow plenty of air for a camshaft, even in stock form. And if I'm wrong, I guess all the other 100's of shops and LSX builders are wrong too and all the 10's of thousands of cammed LS1's need to get back in the shop to have some heads put on their car.

I've been building LSX engines for over 10 years. If I say something on here, it's because I learned it from experience. Not because some internet mechanic on some website told me so.

Originally Posted by 02Sweet

I think he was trying to say that the stock heads starve the cam compared to the upgraded heads. Yes you are correct the stock heads have produced great numbers with a cam only car. To a lot of people that is plenty of power but with the upgraded heads you really unleash the power of the cam even more.

02Sweet hit the nail on the head ^^^
sorry for the confusion

the sbc vs lsx head argument is pointless ...you know it too. they are different beasts entirely.

**02Sweet** · 03-18-2010, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by shady milkman

not to sound like a dick ...but what he said ^^^ or are you going to argue that aftermarket heads offer no benefit over stock heads ?

the sbc vs lsx head argument is pointless ...you know it too. they are different beasts entirely.

milkman I don't know how this post was directed to? This is no argument in my eyes about stock vs aftermarket heads. It is night and day difference. But I was just stating that the stock heads flow "just" enough for some peoples expectations of power that is all.

About the sbc vs lsx difference. Yes it is true a ls1 stock head does flow better than aftermarket sbc head. But that doesn't matter. The lsx aftermarket head flows much better than stock, so the sbc vs lsx head discussion is like apples to oranges.

**shady milkman** · 03-18-2010, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by 02Sweet

milkman I don't know how this post was directed to? This is no argument in my eyes about stock vs aftermarket heads. It is night and day difference. But I was just stating that the stock heads flow "just" enough for some peoples expectations of power that is all.

About the sbc vs lsx difference. Yes it is true a ls1 stock head does flow better than aftermarket sbc head. But that doesn't matter. The lsx aftermarket head flows much better than stock, so the sbc vs lsx head discussion is like apples to oranges.

oh it isnt directed to u. ...let me clarify my first post.