Cam swap... all things needed?

[SUPERSWOLE]

I've been looking at camming the car finally. Buddy has a TSP 231/246 .640"/.615" cam and I'm seeing what else I need to buy. Does anyone sell a package that has everything EXCEPT the camshaft? I've been told I also should go ahead and swap lifters to the ls7 lifters. What about pushrod length? Ls7 lifters should need a shorter pushrod right? Any help would be greatly appreciated guys

[Synner]

Anyplace will sell the springs/seal/retainer package. You already have LS7 lifters as they're the same as what's in there. You always measure for pushrod length and then buy what you need after measuring.

https://www.briantooleyracing.com/sp...s-engines.html

[ecreps]

Call up Texas speed and performance or Brian tooled racing or tick performance. But basically

Springs
Spring seats
Retainers
Pushrods
Timing chain
3 bolt timing gear
Front cover gasket
Waterpump gasket

[Russell James]

Originally Posted by ecreps

Call up Texas speed and performance or Brian tooled racing or tick performance. But basically

Springs
Spring seats
Retainers
Pushrods
Timing chain
3 bolt timing gear
Front cover gasket
Waterpump gasket

and...
oil pump
lifters
head gasket
head bolts
rocker bronze trunion kit

If anyone tells you to re-use the old lifters, stop listening.

[SUPERSWOLE]

Thank u guys

[SUPERSWOLE]

Recommendations on lifters? Can I buy stock again or a performance set?

[ecreps]

Originally Posted by Russell James

and...
oil pump
lifters
head gasket
head bolts
rocker bronze trunion kit

If anyone tells you to re-use the old lifters, stop listening.

I agree if your car has some miles on it, no reason to replace low mile ls7 lifters though, imo.

I also don't feel that an oil pump is necessary, but it depends how you use your car too.

[christianchevell]

TSP also sells pushrods and the cam gear as a package with cam along with the bolts for the three bolt cam gear and springs. You would need front timing set, new baskets if your high mile and switching out the lifters which requires pulling the heads with new head gaskets, maybe new exhaust gaskets, and new torque to yield bolts or studs. Many also are upgrading the trunnions on the way with bushings. I also use br30 break in oil and do a break in but I am motor head and read Driven racings stuff. And yes the varied installers will tell you if you have more miles than they are comfortable with in the lifters being reused which are the same part number for ls3/7 and can be suspended with the use of dowel to block the lifters up and the cam thoroughly inspected. I run myself a round on initial break in of the cam then change of the oil and another round of BR30 for 100 miles then with just a cam I use LS30 oil and a good WIX filter for full synth. Anything looking out of the normal on the stock cam with low miles and I would pull the heads,

Theres lots of places you can talk too; BTR, JDP, TSP, Cammotion, Tick, etc etc

As stated you need oil filter and a oil change after install of the cam also and a break in period to remove contaminants in the oil I do the break in on dyno 20-30 minutes at around 3000 range I believe for a ls3 and tune it while breaking in..But that's me, And you always measure for pushrod length with a adjustable pushrod measuring pushrod tool; but the manufacturers usually can steer you in the right direction for the length even without it. If attempting a cam install yourself you need to read like every thread on here about install and study up on setting preload and measuring for length, and tools needed and procedures and etc etc You as I did would want some tr6 IX plugs most likely and a 160 degree thermostat usually installed with headers along with a tune resetting the fan on off lower just to keep it cool along with other things you can do in the parameters of a tune such as customized AFR , and on a dyno tune in WOT AFR and such for timing settings that limit the spark Knock Retard etc..and limit the torque management etc...
Many also do a LS2 dogbone dampener with a C5r timing chain and high volume pump which is not so easy to change out the pump with out dropping the pan just trying to sneak the pickup over with its new o-ring and its setting above the pan and being tight critical while working from a gap instead of a full front cradle drop which is not usually happening. Good Luck. Not all are as wild and most keep the stock chain and ls3 dampener which can fall apart with its plastic and the stock pump and just do the cam install on the lower mile engine and inspect it while the cam is done. BTW the thread pitch is .047 the preload range for most is more in the .040-.060 range for sound of the lifters and the good plunger travel specific to the lifters and 1 turn is..1.7 x .047=.079 so about 3/4 turn is what most have done over time I have read .060 range mostly( it can change with say Johnson or morel lifters), some go more as higher preload is required for the ls7 engine and can be done for higher rpm usage and safety with valve float but the deal is its not that much more from .060 to .070 and the tighter the more the typewriter and like most lash/preload the harder turning over slightly and more pressure with most ls engines performance cams needing spring changes at like 25k recommendations also....or more racing and if higher rpm on the settings being in the tune with a higher redline...though why...? Anyway that's my rambling... a .047 thread pitch is times the rockers ratio because it acts as a fulcrum so use the math or be wrong a guy thinking he was at .047 with one turn and in the seat zone would actually be at .077 over the recommended preload even for a ls7 and over the travel in the lifter safely most likely, let alone hard on parts. seen it happen in here even to those trying to teach others. Many simply use a good high ZDDP oil for break ins such as a Valvoline VR1 or just ignore it because its a roller lifter which is not wise with the pressures from the higher lift and theres a reason vendors went to 8620 cores mainly as people had failures from not breaking in the cams and blamed the cam...my first cam was prestine at 10k I resold it and it was a low grade comp cam not 8620, but I did a break in and that's that.

[SUPERSWOLE]

Originally Posted by christianchevell

TSP also sells pushrods and the cam gear as a package with cam along with the bolts for the three bolt cam gear and springs. You would need front timing set, new baskets if your high mile and switching out the lifters which requires pulling the heads with new head gaskets, maybe new exhaust gaskets, and new torque to yield bolts or studs. Many also are upgrading the trunnions on the way with bushings. I also use br30 break in oil and do a break in but I am motor head and read Driven racings stuff. And yes the varied installers will tell you if you have more miles than they are comfortable with in the lifters being reused which are the same part number for ls3/7 and can be suspended with the use of dowel to block the lifters up and the cam thoroughly inspected. I run myself a round on initial break in of the cam then change of the oil and another round of BR30 for 100 miles then with just a cam I use LS30 oil and a good WIX filter for full synth. Anything looking out of the normal on the stock cam with low miles and I would pull the heads,

Theres lots of places you can talk too; BTR, JDP, TSP, Cammotion, Tick, etc etc

As stated you need oil filter and a oil change after install of the cam also and a break in period to remove contaminants in the oil I do the break in on dyno 20-30 minutes at around 3000 range I believe for a ls3 and tune it while breaking in..But that's me, And you always measure for pushrod length with a adjustable pushrod measuring pushrod tool; but the manufacturers usually can steer you in the right direction for the length even without it. If attempting a cam install yourself you need to read like every thread on here about install and study up on setting preload and measuring for length, and tools needed and procedures and etc etc You as I did would want some tr6 IX plugs most likely and a 160 degree thermostat usually installed with headers along with a tune resetting the fan on off lower just to keep it cool along with other things you can do in the parameters of a tune such as customized AFR , and on a dyno tune in WOT AFR and such for timing settings that limit the spark Knock Retard etc..and limit the torque management etc...
Many also do a LS2 dogbone dampener with a C5r timing chain and high volume pump which is not so easy to change out the pump with out dropping the pan just trying to sneak the pickup over with its new o-ring and its setting above the pan and being tight critical while working from a gap instead of a full front cradle drop which is not usually happening. Good Luck. Not all are as wild and most keep the stock chain and ls3 dampener which can fall apart with its plastic and the stock pump and just do the cam install on the lower mile engine and inspect it while the cam is done. BTW the thread pitch is .047 the preload range for most is more in the .040-.060 range for sound of the lifters and the good plunger travel specific to the lifters and 1 turn is..1.7 x .047=.079 so about 3/4 turn is what most have done over time I have read .060 range mostly( it can change with say Johnson or morel lifters), some go more as higher preload is required for the ls7 engine and can be done for higher rpm usage and safety with valve float but the deal is its not that much more from .060 to .070 and the tighter the more the typewriter and like most lash/preload the harder turning over slightly and more pressure with most ls engines performance cams needing spring changes at like 25k recommendations also....or more racing and if higher rpm on the settings being in the tune with a higher redline...though why...? Anyway that's my rambling... a .047 thread pitch is times the rockers ratio because it acts as a fulcrum so use the math or be wrong a guy thinking he was at .047 with one turn and in the seat zone would actually be at .077 over the recommended preload even for a ls7 and over the travel in the lifter safely most likely, let alone hard on parts. seen it happen in here even to those trying to teach others. Many simply use a good high ZDDP oil for break ins such as a Valvoline VR1 or just ignore it because its a roller lifter which is not wise with the pressures from the higher lift and theres a reason vendors went to 8620 cores mainly as people had failures from not breaking in the cams and blamed the cam...my first cam was prestine at 10k I resold it and it was a low grade comp cam not 8620, but I did a break in and that's that.

First of all I appreciate you taking the time to type all that, will be bookmarking for the information

[christianchevell]

Yes; well over the years helping someone is what makes some people happy, LOL lots of good threads out there, just remember Robert Way's DIY on install he was not that sure on the way he set his preload and came on in subsequent posts wondering about his pushrod length and preload going?????? and that post is what many used to install their own cams, and well where is he now? Gone with a lot of others to time... Kind of like limping it to get it tuned by someone else not such a good idea unless your close.... And up the page you should read the CAM BASICS Sticky...... Good Luck, its not a good old SBC BBC anymore....

[Gunmetal Speedster]

Originally Posted by SUPERSWOLE

Recommendations on lifters? Can I buy stock again or a performance set?

Go with a performance set, but changing the lifters requires you to remove the heads which I think isn't something required for a cam install, so that's extra labor on your end. Im saving lifters for when I get ported heads.

I just had my cam put in ~3 months ago, and I also did a lot of research on all the recommended upgrades. Here is everything I had:


- Night Fury Camshaft
- .660" Lift BTR Platinum LS Spring Kit; Titanium Ret., .505" ID .060" Thick Loc., Brown/Black Seals
- BTR Chromoly One Piece Pushrods; 7.400" Long, 5/16" Diameter, .080" Wall, Set of 16
- LS Series 3-Bolt Cam Conversion Kit w/Katech C5R Timing Chain
- LS2 Dampener
- Melling High Pressure/Standard Volume Oil Pump
- Straub Bronze Bushing Rocker Trunion Upgrade Kit
- ARP Harmonic Balancer Bolt
- x8 NGK TR6 Spark Plugs
-Powerbond 25% UDP

What others have stated about pushrod length is accurate, you always have to measure to make sure what you're putting in is the right length. Don't just take for granted that because it worked for someone else, it will for you too. LS2 dampener is a very inexpensive option that is recommended, costs like $20. The oil pump is recommended as well. Unfortunately not as cheap as the dampener, but it will be a lot cheaper than if yours decides to fail. Not all do, but it's been known to happen. I didn't wanna risk it, seems like cheap insurance to just replace it since everything will be a part anyway if you think about it.