[hms2488485]

Hey guys,

I had a '16 1SS which due to circumstances which included moving 800 miles away and money being extremely tight (having $68 left after every paycheck), I had to get rid of and get something really cheap. I plan on keeping this new car for a year and trading it in. Luckily my fortune has changed and I'm starting to save to get the '17 1LE. I've always wanted to cam a Camaro but really haven't looked into it much. I was wondering if there's certain manufacturers, brands, types to go with and pretty much just looking for more information on the process.

Thanks

[TSloper]

I'd check out TSP. They actually have optimized the cam phasing tables for their cam grinds on the engine dyno. I'm not sure who else has gone to the effort. Anyone can adjust the WOT areas but the part throttle stuff is not possible for most to do in that area.

[slick3]

I spoke with some people over at CMS here in Southern California, he stated that cam definitely had some power to be had he preferred to use a custom grind that they would spec for my car, assuming a lot of the tuning has already been done for it maybe.

Side Note:
I had originally called and asked about a heads and cam package from some of the big names , TSP, WeaponX, Vengeance and he had stated he felt that the heads flowed pretty well and weren't worth the money. They have not seen or heard of anything yet that has made measurable proven power gains on the LT1...

[Camaroguy555]

+1 for Texas Speed, their stuff is incredible. And their kit includes everything.

[oldman]

TS is local to me, that said since a whole bunch of stuff has to come off, I'd do the Port and Polished heads at the same time. The only thing I did not like about TS, is the greater than .600 lift on all their grinds (except for their near stock SV). IMO that means stronger push rods, rocker trunions, C5R chain and new valve springs every 3 years or 35,000 miles. IMO of course.

[Camaroguy555]

Originally Posted by oldman

TS is local to me, that said since a whole bunch of stuff has to come off, I'd do the Port and Polished heads at the same time. The only thing I did not like about TS, is the greater than .600 lift on all their grinds (except for their near stock SV). IMO that means stronger push rods, rocker trunions, C5R chain and new valve springs every 3 years or 35,000 miles. IMO of course.

Yeah I'm fairly weary of titanium retainers on a street car, although I like the stability they allow, especially if the car is tracked and 6500-7000 is a regular occurrence.

[AbsolutHank]

Heads pulled and DOD delete must be done on any cam install on the LT1 manual trans correct?

[PRAY]

Not if you get a VVT/AFM compatible cam. There is an article in Super Chevy I believe about a Comp cam swap in a C7 that was basically the same as a L99 or the LS3 stuff with VVT. If you get any of the TSP cams you will have to do the DOD/AFM delete and buy all the necessary parts for it. Super expensive compared to the old stuff.

I would also have your heads ported at the same time since they are off and possibly have them milled or run a thinner head gasket to make up for your lost DCR if PTV isn't an issue. (I personally have not measured so I can't make it a recommendation until I talk to some cam manufactures) Leave the polishing in a head alone. It is an outdated term that no longer has a place in head porting. To tell the truth, polishing a TB also hurts flow also. People like the bling though no matter what it costs them power wise.

I also wouldn't worry about cams with over .600 lift. I haven't run a cam with under .600 lift in over 10 years with no issues. Almost all of my cams are between .610-.670 lift. Change the springs when you need to and you will be fine. But as stated above, the pushrods and springs will have to be changed with an aftermarket cam that you plan to spin to its power band. I don't know why you wouldn't do them anyway when you do a cam swap. Most of the upgraded parts are for the cam lobes that you are putting in the car now. Normally they are much more aggressive than the stock GM cam. Hense the need for a stiffer spring. Lift doesn't have a lot to do with it. Some people think that if the lift fits under the stock springs max lift they are good. That is not true. There are minimum and maximum spring pressures that are needed to work with hydraulic lifters and more aggressive cam lobes. I think the pushrods are more for the stiffer springs than the cam it's self. I prefer to run duals on all of my swaps as well. Added insurance against PTV if a spring breaks. Rockers are fine and so is the stock chain. I like doing the trunion upgrade though.

[Camaroguy555]

Why did GM screw us manual guys and put AFM lifters in our engines? I understand it costs more to make two different engines but come on.