newbie question bout cams

[metalm0]

Hello everyone my name is Josh and I got kind of interested in somewhat building up these gen 3 motors after reading two books on ls1/ls6 motors and performance upgrades. One thing I see on these forums is everyone talking about comp cams this but in this book they use the stock ls6 cam, ls6 valvespring, and new pushrods and gain 38 hp off it and then some more ponies by advancing their timing 4 degrees. Is the comp cams better or? I have been trying to search this subject but for some reason the search hasnt been working for me, it doesnt show any results. Anyways if someone could straighten this out I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Josh

[SLO TRUCK]

the stock LS6 cam is good but depending on your goals. there are tons of cam combos that will yield way more power then the ls6. Look at www.texas-speed.com they have a bunch or speak with Nelson performance on the front page link. Good luck and welcome to the site

[metalm0]

O wow thats nuts. Seems like that the ls6 cam just opens up the motor but seeing that the aftermarket can open it up more with just a cam is pretty neat. I contacted nelson earlier about a custom tune to remove the post cat 02 sensors so I will see about that too. Thanks a lot man

[iowackers]

It all depends on what you have and what you want to do. If you have a 2wd and want to race, you have a different need than a guy like me with a 4X4 that is lifted with big tires. Any of the sponsors on here can give you really good advice. Ask multiple people and decide what works best for what you want.

Rubie

[metalm0]

Ya I have only a basic 6 inch rancho right now, bought it with it but will be going with 9.5 inch fts. Will be runnin 15x14s with 33x15.5 mtz's so I need a little more power. Just seems like the low range it just doesnt have much and according to the book I read the ls6 will really open it up in the lower and upper end.

[txarkitekt]

O wow thats nuts. Seems like that the ls6 cam just opens up the motor but seeing that the aftermarket can open it up more with just a cam is pretty neat. I contacted nelson earlier about a custom tune to remove the post cat 02 sensors so I will see about that too. Thanks a lot man

The tune will do A LOT more than just delete the O2 sensors.!

A truck like your would benefit from a decent duration, lower lift cam on a 114 or better LSA.

If I had your truck and wanted a cam, I would pick something like an 02 LS6 cam or a custom grind...something in the neighborhood of a 212/218 .563/.551 116 LSA.

[metalm0]

Ok sweet, now I hate to be a bigger newbie but can you point me in the direction of what the duration lobe lsa etc means? Thanks guys I appreciate it.

[txarkitekt]

Duration is how long the valve stays open. The lift is how far down the valve opens. the LSA is mainly the idle lope, but it also has a lot to do with the power range.

In a nutshell, you need to know the relationship between the duration, lift, and LSA. You also need to match the cam up to the right supporting mods to make the most out of your cam. The type of cam lobe you have also makes a difference. There is a lot to learn. The Internet is your friend--start reading.

[metalm0]

Sweet, Ill have to do that. I try to buy books on it so in case I dont have internet or get tired of looking at this screen, any good ones you can point at? Ill look around on amazon.

[iowackers]

I just got my cam from Vinci Perf. It is a 210/218 531 lift/114 LSA. No need for different springs. Hopefully I will get it put in inthe next week or so. I will let you know how it works out for me.

Rubie.