It can be if you want it that way ... There's ways to build engines more efficiently and father more power than he thinks. His obstinance is not truth or wisdom.
THIS MAN IS A EXCELLENT INSTRUCTOR ..IF I WERE IN HIS CLASS I WOULD GET THE FRONT SEAT WOULDNT WANT TO MISS NOTHING..GREAT PRESENTATION ..I CAN TELL HE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ALONG TIME..
I went to Hi-Tech back in 2004 to get their custom grind cam for my 2000 Camaro LS/MT. I had all bolt ons and was looking for a little more power. I installed the cam and took it to Hi-Tech to get it tuned. Car ran perfect , I sold the car back in 2013 - Hi-Tech knows these LS motors! Glad to see you guys making YT vids!
EVERYONE STOP AND READ THIS!!!! This Guy Is An Absolute Amateur in Valve Event Timing... The info in this vid is about useless if your actually looking for max tq, hp & trapped Volumetric efficiency across the entire curve in an LS or any given v8 engine combo... Any body that sees this i highly recomend Watching bolth of Cattledog Garage's camshaft videos if you want pro stock level knowledge and beyond, Adam at Cattledog Garage explains stuff that dont exist anywhere on the entire internet and with dyno data for proof of concept to back up his words... Im a 73 year old ex Pro stock & Nascar engine builder, ive learned more from listening to Adam at Cattledog Garage for 2 hours than i have from a 3day $1200 David Vizard Seminar and more than the entirety of Billy Godbolds newest Book... Adam is an absolute Genious!!!
I want to spend my money with this guy. Very transparent. Most guys just want your money and send you on your way instead of educating you to get the best bang for your buck.
Awesome video. It is so freaking hard to find someone who wants to build a motor for efficiency over a dollar and bragging rights that doesn't matter. You started to touch on the LS3/ L99. I would appreciate the hell out of it if you would make a video about that/them. Thanks for what you do! If it wasn't for people like you the car world wouldn't be the same today!
if you just want the "chop Chop" use a 232/242 on a 108 lobe sep. it wont pull its way out of a wet paper bag, and it will get 9 mpg but it will give you Chop Chop. but i will not grind it for you.
I’m about to do a ls swap in my 1990 gmc short bed with 373 posi , I want the maximum hp I can get ,but I want a fair fuel economy.Im planning on really just installing a cam for power purpose,because they usually sound good either way so can you help me determine which cam to use for a stock 5.3 or 6.0 ls swap
Dear Lo-Tech. Check out Richard Holdener's channel. He has 100's if not 1000's of dyno runs documented. He did testing on LS cam LSA. He literally tested the exact cam you said would not not pull it's way out of wet paper bag. Guess what? It made the most power. Not just the most peak power, it made the most power everywhere on the curve. Just search LSA cam test. Maybe you might learn something. PS if you want good gas mileage get a KIA.
At 16:34 you nailed it man I made an LS cam selection video based on what we learned on the dyno over the years, I am astounded at how close your numbers are to mine I knew most of this but it's nice to get some confirmation anyway I have been saying the exact same thing with good flowing heads a ton of overlap is not only not necessary it causes lousy performance good video
Watched yours as well, chose a 217/225 .595 .587 114+2 Cam Motion cam for a 6.0 in my almost 4k lb street car, for all the reasons you both talk about. More concerned with driveability and low/mid torque than max peak hp. Not installed yet as it's my daily driver, I think I made a good choice. Your thoughts on my selection ?
Thank you! This is absolutely, without a doubt, the most informative and intelligent explanation I have found for specing out a cam. I am starting to plan a build on my 2001 corvette and will definitely be refering back to this video when it comes time to select a camshaft. I want the lumpy idle but more importantly, I want a cam that works with my set up and my needs more than just a sound. Thank you again!!!
4.8/5.3L if you want to keep stock stall and trans go with something around 205-216 intake 210-220 exhaust range. Barts 223/227 cam will need a stall converter, which is perfectly fine. However, on my daily driver and for towing I like the stock stall.
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your knowledge. I’m coming from the sport bike world to Chevys and LS motors. This helps me figure out cams to look at.
Good info! About three years after this video the hot LS truck cam is the Truck Norris which has a really narrow LSA (~108). This guy likes wide LSA’s after thousands of dyno runs! What gives?!? I know that a torquey street engine can be had with a little compression, smaller ports for higher velocity and a narrow LSA. I have a BBC set up that way and it’s nasty as a porta potty on a hot day!
pretty sure tighter LSA usually ends up closing intake earlier which traps more air and increases DCR which boost cylinder pressure and that's why tight LSA cams tend to make more power. I went with a 218/227 112 +2° for my 6.0 2500HD, 10.6:1 comp
Awsome to hear an experienced engine builder with real world knowledge talk about something so complex and makes it easy to understand. Where was this video in my life? Lets blow this video up
The 233/253 @ 0.050 .646/.637 on a 112+4 in my LS3 Camaro would probably fall on the extreme/max effort end of your scale - but even with stock compression it performs well and has surprisingly good manners for 19* of overlap at 0.050. It's ahead on power and torque for 3200 on up, picked up 70hp at the wheels, and 6-7mph in the quarter mile (probably more if I could get more than 4.10 in the rear). Sure, dynamic compression took a pretty good hit with that much overlap, but eventually I'll get these heads milled and bring that back. Honestly, it's street manners aren't bad at all for what it is, I put about 5k miles a year on the car, and I'm smiling the whole time. I'm sure it's not news to you, but you never touched on tuning in your video. I don't think you can overstate how important that is to the way any camshaft is going to drive. A poor tune will make a mild cam drive like trash, and a good tune can take a rowdy piece and make it very reasonable to live with. I've nitpicked mine to death myself over the last few years, and the little things like injection timing and light load spark tuning makes all the difference in those bad manners areas. But great video - I think you stressed a key factor really well: be honest about what you really want to do with the vehicle, and make a choice based on usage, not what sounds cool. If you're not willing to put a converter and gears in it, and not willing to tolerate some misbehavior, stay away from big duration stuff!
I got a 5.3/t56 with sloppy stage 2 cam idle set at 900rpm and man she idles aggressive . Car moves side to side at idle I love it. Only paid $229 with pac springs and install was a breeze
You don’t choose a cam for an engine, you choose a cam for that engines end use. If you want a perfect cam, you’ll never find one. Every single grind has its own personality. Horsepower , Torque, or somewhere in the middle. You will make gains in some areas and lose in others. Thats the facts.
I designed and built my own cylinder head with rotating tubes where I had to guess the values by myself. I ended up at about 250/250 with a 110 LSA @ 0.050" equivalent. It has about 4-5 inches of vacuum at 700 RPM idle. I was hoping it would work well at 6k+ rpm, but oddly enough the airflow is similar to stock between 4,000-7,000 rpm and a bit better below 4k. If I did it again, I would certainly go to something like 230/230 since it flows better than a poppet valve engine and so I can improve the idle.
I put a big circle track cam in my car when I was in my teens, it sounded mean, had top end, but all but needed a push start, I had to slip the clutch alot to get it moving, that didn't last long, I don't remember the spec's, but it had over 300° dur, and 106 lsa, it was crap until about 4k and wanted to keep going above 7k, I think it was a 4500-8500 cam, I'd had to put 4.88:1 gears to run that thing it would still been crappy, I had a truck also, I could jerk the doors on a cobra mustang, on the highway, but it didn't have that low down tq, I made a guy with that cobra feel bad, after spending all that money, then get out run by a 5,000 lb truck, I totally respect your knowledge, I'm here because I don't know LS engines, and looking for a decent Street cam for a 4.8 in a s10, with a turbo, and about 10-15 psi, I'd like the boost to give it the top end, and allow the cam to keep the 1500-2500 rpm tq, I'll probably be running a small amount of stall, maybe 500 over stock, so not really a stall converter, with stock 4.3 auto gears, and probably run the v6 converter, now I'm thinking about it, I know the 4L60's aren't the best, but I'm not racing on the strip, maybe the occasional trip down the track, I want the most power I can get, with the best mileage also, 3k at 65 is not me, (anymore) gas is too high, thanks for the video
Thanks for the video Bart. I'm stroking my LS1 to 383 and it is supercharged with a Harrop HTV1900. Currently has the stock cam in it (heads, valve springs, arp bolts, forged internals already but swapping some out). This video has been very helpful. I'm putting in a 224/230 .6 & .61 lift at 112 LSA. I'm not chasing power but low down torque and want to use a standard stall. I also want a little chop and the 112 LSA will give 3 degrees of overlap. Yes, I'll be losing boost but I'm not chasing max hp, just want that low down torque and a little chop. Also concerns about the blower running out of puff high in the rpm range, hence the cam size. Car is a WK Grange. Thanks from Australia!
Hate to correct you, but more overlap does not mean less cylinder pressure for the same duration cams. When you tighten the LC you are advancing the intake lobe which closes the valve sooner. Hence higher psi cranking pressure. Most oval track cars run 104 to 105 LC to help accelerate out of the corner. When I worked at Camonics years ago we found 105 to 106 made the highest peak power but the worst idle. 113 to 116 made less peak power but the best idle. Engines that are FI typically run wider LCs due to idle issues with low vacuum. This is naturally aspirated as turbos and blown cars favor 116 LC to keep from blowing the charge out the exhaust port. Your video is somewhat correct but you fail to talk about other items such as exhaust type, compression ratios, etc. which also factors into this.
Richard Holdner tested an LS down to 108 LSA and it made the best power everywhere. He also tested the loss of pressure and guess what no problem. The problem is everyone wants lots of duration and most small blocks don't need it. Run more conservative duration and tighten the LSA. You will make more average power. Fat area under the curve.
Thank you for the great information. I completely agree with what you said. I've learned the hard way over the years and also seen many people make the mistake of over camming engines and end up unhappy with performance.
What a good camshaft for my 5.3 Lm7 stock head new spring bh. Bore motor 3.780 every day driving no racing just wants a good kick to it would like something a little above stock 👍
I love you everything you said about the LS1 LS 2 camshafts and all the tech inspects but I didn't hear nothing about the LS3 . I thought you were going to talk about the LS3 also which is the best motor they made in the LS series
After what feels like half a lifetime spent trying to find the real story on cam selection for my 6.2 LS3 this video was like a breath of fresh air. Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I have a daily driver that I want to take road racing on weekends. I want to maintain driveability, make more power, and lope a bit at idle. Do you have a recommendation for a streetable 6.2 LS3 Camaro?
The right cam and the wrong cam cost the same amount and generally people over cam not under cam and loose power in the range they use there engine and I laugh when people act like they know more than guy like you that dyno prove there theory and do it for a living great video lots of great info
I was talking to a woman I know, who DOES understand cars TO A POINT, and she is a math wizard with a college degree. She looked at me during one of our conversations about old cars and racing, and finally said to me "How can a 305 small block Chevy be faster than a same car with a 350 cubic inch engine?" and I looked at her and said "It is all in the math!" and for a moment she looked at me like I was lying to her in that answer!!! BUT has I went on to explain, you have to know EVERYTHING about the set up you are running!! Weight of the vehicle MATTERS, final drive gear ratios MATTER, and as I further explained to her as well, transmission gears, even engine performance parts ALL MATTER!!! Change ONE small thing in any engine and you can out run (on a drag strip) a V8 engine with a inline 6, if you have done the math correctly because EVERYTHING YOU DO to the car AND MOTOR as well as any gears in between MATTER!!!! And for a moment she looked at me confused!!! The sad thing is, I have seen guys try to run HUGE cams in a car that run like garbage on the high side of the power curve, but seem to run solid but sluggish on the take off, only making power mid way. I have seen guys run cams that are too small that make INSANE off the line power but fall flat shortly after take off, because they just didn't have enough cam to satisfy the same mid way power curve!! I have even seen guys who think stuffing a large carb on an engine will "fix this" and totally ignore allowing the exhaust to flow, and the list of things I have seen goes on and on and on from there to 4.11 rear gears in a car that just can't handle such a steep tooth in "normal" applications, when they should have ran something more "realistic" like 3.73 instead!!! Facts as they say DO NOT LIE!!! And it is all in the numbers!!! And you can stick in the biggest big block you can stuff into a car, and think "This will be fast" but if you ignore the rest of the numbers you might as well take all your work and hard earned money out into the driveway and set it all on fire.......because all you are doing is wasting your time if you don't do the math and follow the numbers with a fine tooth comb!!!!
So what would the ideal cam be for an ls3 daily driver looking for the best performance while still keeping good road manners and a little bit of an idle
I saw a video from richard holdener where the only thing he changes was the lsa and on the engine dyno it showed the 108 getting better low end power vs 112 and 120. Around 17:20 in your video you said 113 would make a little more down low torque over the 112. Im just trying to get a little clarification. I've been doing a research so i can decide what cams i should use in my 2 cars im gonna be building
Context matters. Note he is talking about a truck engine designed to make more torque down low (lower RPMs). LSA is part of optimizing for the planned use of the engine based on its flow characteristics. None of the numbers live in a vacuum so Richard isolating one aspect of cam profile for demonstration of what it does on a specific configuration does not mean it holds true for another configuration. 112 LSA in engine A may not have the same impact as it would in engine B. Unfortunately there is not a perfect number for all engines, a lot depends on what that engine wants to flow - the cam just adjust how much of that potential flow is realized at various rpm which you want to match to your intended use. (Race engine built for high RPM struggles at low RPM because the cam is not optimal for the lower flow rate at low RPM - could improve that with LSA but at the cost of performance at high RPM - there is always a trade off. his main point is that you need to pick the cam grind that fits your use and just because the numbers are bigger on one cam from another does not make is "better").
@@stephenbotello5914 yes... plenty of them LS and non LS. You may even find comments on the one you speak of, but I can't remember which test are in which videos.
@@stephenbotello5914 Just re-watched, Richard is using the go to 402" test rig with heads flowing 350cfm. Note the last 30 seconds or so of the video where he asks the question about a smaller engine. Note the point he makes about the RPM range and question about idle quality. Note the advice in this video is about a truck engine which needs to produce some power down low. Its not a more of X always equals more of Y equation. There is a limit beyond which the results move the other way. Context matters and flow (fluid dynamics) is not always a linear equation thing. (And Richard is right that boost can make a lot of those compromises irrelevant).
What an good spec cam for an 383 ls1 stroker with trickflow 220 heads with 2.055 intake valves and 1.57 exhaust valves and fast 102 intake and Tb , I had an 240/250 cam speced and the car felt like an dog , and only trapped 117mph in the 1/4 mile
Jesus brought me to this channel!!! About to rebuild my 2006 GMC Sierra CrewCab w/5.3L, and it’s an everyday truck, that occasionally pulls a trailer full of landscaping materials. I don’t need a Sloppy Stage II cam, for sure. Thank you for real world application information🙏🏽💯✊🏽
Great video , thank you . Now back in the day PAW advertised a SBC cam that stated it WAS a 360/360 , always got a chuckle from that and you just reminded me ....thanks again
Awesome vid! It's had to believe people are still trying to run big camshafts with a stock converter... The factory grinds are almost big enough to warrant a stall converter. Gotta love the torque of a mild cam in an LS on the street... Everything feels like the old 327-375hp these days...❤
LMAO - this shows up in my recommendations and 3 minutes in, I am thinking to myself I need to go to Wallace Racing and use their calculators again... Such a wonderful resource, just gotta make sure you know what those number mean and remember your conversion factors.
I went with what they recommend 231 243 duration @ 116 + 6 degrees.. 9 psi magi supercharger w/ stock heads 488 gears.And performed awesome. On the next bill going to order heads and cam as recommended , big dia. Header ...response was Instantaneous. I’ll always go with recommendations of cam heads after talking to the pros , BUT they have to listen to YOU and YOU have to listen to them
For me I try to make the most average power in the rpm range the engine is designed for, hence why its extremely important to be honest with yourself about what you are going to do with vehicle
What about a solid flat tappet 274 at 050 duration 650 lift 106 lobe separation for a drag race only 362 windsor with canfield heads and 12to1 compression on 100 octane fuel? Has a 258 at 050 578 lift 105 lobe separation now and will instantly light 1st 2nd and 3rd to tire smoke on street.
vortec truck cams are different. the heads are only good for 540 lift with the guides. if you are still using the fuel injection system use a 220/224 540/540, on a 114 lobe sep. the vortec heads are very good but they have some limitations with the valve springs and fuel injection. b
Can you recommend a cam for my LS 416 stroker. I have 11.5:1 compression, stock LS3 heads, long tube headers. This engine is in my 81 Firebird backed up by a 4L70E transmission and 3000rpm stall and stock 308 gears. This is a streetcar. I want a good idle, I don’t mind the racy idle sound but I don’t want to be idling above 850 rpm . Thanks
I've got a 2000 2500 with a 6.0 3in single exhaust want to put a cam in going to put some 243 heads milled 20ths still want to pull my boat and camper but want it to sound good at idle
224/228 610/610, 112 lobe sep+0. the lobe sep will do the lopey idle and the cam is small enough to still run and pull well from 2000 rpm up. $409+25 to ship. 763 712 9088 b
Do you happen to have a part number for the 223 227 cam? I bought an Lq4 for my 1997 Z71 pickup. I was going to go with a stock cam, but a little more power would be nice! Thanks.
I have a 1985 1 ton 4 speed dodge truck with a stock 360 engine. I want more power for moving heavy weight on the highway usually from 0-70 MPH. It has 2" dual exhaust and short headers. How should I build it? Which camshaft, heads, intake, and carburetor should I use?
Great video Bart. Thanks for sharing your knowledge . Rebuilding my 6.0 in my 06 Hummer. Do you have a cam idea for towing 4000 lbs and street? Have another set of heads ported for it and 1.8 ratio roller rockers .
I would argue that the 1.5 is typical but not a hard rule. Look at Ford gen 3 coyotes and 5.2s. They develop more than 1.5 per cube from the factory. With 1.82 per cube in their 5.2l crate engine. Aside from the physics of DOHC vs OHV I think 90 percent of their benefits are from being able to individually swing intake/exhaust independently by a large degree very quickly.
I like what you’re saying it’s actually better to go with a smaller camshaft to get a bigger performance and track ability. Especially when it’s a daily driver. I’ll be watching.
Great video. Thank you Question? With long tube headers using your recommendation for my 2001 Silverado 5.3, of cam 223/227 600/600 should I plan on flowing heads and valve springs with hardened pushrods or keep what I’ve got Valve wise=stock? Also, torque converter, stock or high stall?
One thing you did not talk about was rod ratio & piston speed and how that factors into the head flow numbers and how that can dictate the cam profile.
I have a truck motor but it’s going into a car. 2002 5.3 going into a 96 impala. Looking for great torque and cruising characteristics. Plus a great sound. Would you run a cam designed for a truck still? Since the car is so big
Needing a recommendation for a cam to go into my 6.0 motor, from an '03 Silverado. Swapping it along w/ @ 4L80 trans into my '92 K1500. Moving into a very fast paced city driving situation, so basically 0-60 quickness is key. But I do a lot of interstate travel too. Just tired of getting dusted in town with my TBI... Great vids, they're very informative and appreciated !
Hi just picked this video up Ive got 5.7lr ls1 Im looking at the truck norris camshaft, with dart pro 15 degree heads 225cc ,with just the ls6 long runner intake manifold . Would this be a good combination for a cruise car im looking for the more tourqe scenario.
I got a 05 GMC Sierra ext cab lm7 5.3 with a BTR 227/238 cam with a 3200 stall and it’s very very slow anything below 60 what cam should I get the ls9 cam or what
I have a Pontiac trans am 2000 LS1 engine stock whit headers,3.73 gears and it's reprogrammed. Which camshaft should I put in?? Is a car for daily use and I run it on weekends thx
Not too hard to work out, but you need to need to do some math... Do you have tractor tyres on it? Is it a Mini? What gearbox / trans? What gear ratios? How long is a piece of string? All stuff that can be worked out quite simply with math. But in a nut shell you need to work out how many revs you are doing at around town speeds (and what gear) and how many revs at highway speeds (and what gear). You can find a number of tyre circumference calculators online and use your tyre profile. I.E 235/45 - R17 will give you x mm per tyre revolution. You already know you diff ratio, now you need to know each of the gear ratios in your gearbox / trans (if auto does it have a lockup convertors or will it slip?). Hopefully you can see where I am going with this... Some math later later and you know what rev range you will be sitting in for the biggest part of your driving. You go with a cam that is in it's sweet spot at those revs. So lets say you are doing 2500 at highway speeds you don't want a cam that starts at 3500, or it will dog along until it gains another 1000 rpm.
I do not race my 2010 LS-3 Corvette. Mostly we use it for long distance touring and back road driving. The car pulls strongly from idle to 5500. I think I will stick with the stock cam. Thanks for the Information.
He’s like a parent telling you something you don’t want to hear .....but you know they are right !
Ya, absolutely,
Bow that you mentioned it. lol , like. "Listen, I'm only gonna tell you this once".
Lmao
It can be if you want it that way ...
There's ways to build engines more efficiently and father more power than he thinks. His obstinance is not truth or wisdom.
When the man wears his glasses at the tip of his nose, he knows his stuff!! Glad he spent some time for this video! Thank you
someone actually explain something really well thank you sir
THIS MAN IS A EXCELLENT INSTRUCTOR ..IF I WERE IN HIS CLASS I WOULD GET THE FRONT SEAT WOULDNT WANT TO MISS NOTHING..GREAT PRESENTATION ..I CAN TELL HE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ALONG TIME..
I went to Hi-Tech back in 2004 to get their custom grind cam for my 2000 Camaro LS/MT. I had all bolt ons and was looking for a little more power. I installed the cam and took it to Hi-Tech to get it tuned. Car ran perfect , I sold the car back in 2013 - Hi-Tech knows these LS motors! Glad to see you guys making YT vids!
Where are they located?
@@grand3lyfecuhh798 Minnesota
What cam specs
EVERYONE STOP AND READ THIS!!!! This Guy Is An Absolute Amateur in Valve Event Timing... The info in this vid is about useless if your actually looking for max tq, hp & trapped Volumetric efficiency across the entire curve in an LS or any given v8 engine combo... Any body that sees this i highly recomend Watching bolth of Cattledog Garage's camshaft videos if you want pro stock level knowledge and beyond, Adam at Cattledog Garage explains stuff that dont exist anywhere on the entire internet and with dyno data for proof of concept to back up his words... Im a 73 year old ex Pro stock & Nascar engine builder, ive learned more from listening to Adam at Cattledog Garage for 2 hours than i have from a 3day $1200 David Vizard Seminar and more than the entirety of Billy Godbolds newest Book...
Adam is an absolute Genious!!!
I want to spend my money with this guy. Very transparent. Most guys just want your money and send you on your way instead of educating you to get the best bang for your buck.
same. or tell you they recommend going all acdelco everything and that they dont know about anything aftermarket.
Awesome video. It is so freaking hard to find someone who wants to build a motor for efficiency over a dollar and bragging rights that doesn't matter. You started to touch on the LS3/ L99. I would appreciate the hell out of it if you would make a video about that/them. Thanks for what you do! If it wasn't for people like you the car world wouldn't be the same today!
if you just want the "chop Chop" use a 232/242 on a 108 lobe sep. it wont pull its way out of a wet paper bag, and it will get 9 mpg but it will give you Chop Chop. but i will not grind it for you.
I’m about to do a ls swap in my 1990 gmc short bed with 373 posi , I want the maximum hp I can get ,but I want a fair fuel economy.Im planning on really just installing a cam for power purpose,because they usually sound good either way so can you help me determine which cam to use for a stock 5.3 or 6.0 ls swap
Hi-Tech MotorSport Lol that son of a bitch is weaker than cat piss!
@@marvisblockum1327 he is giving you the info you need
Dear Lo-Tech. Check out Richard Holdener's channel. He has 100's if not 1000's of dyno runs documented. He did testing on LS cam LSA. He literally tested the exact cam you said would not not pull it's way out of wet paper bag. Guess what? It made the most power. Not just the most peak power, it made the most power everywhere on the curve. Just search LSA cam test. Maybe you might learn something. PS if you want good gas mileage get a KIA.
I have an lq4 with 706 heads. Was thinking 210/213 @.050 600/600 on a 108. Should make good torque?
At 16:34 you nailed it man I made an LS cam selection video based on what we learned on the dyno over the years, I am astounded at how close your numbers are to mine I knew most of this but it's nice to get some confirmation anyway I have been saying the exact same thing with good flowing heads a ton of overlap is not only not necessary it causes lousy performance good video
Watched yours as well, chose a 217/225 .595 .587 114+2 Cam Motion cam for a 6.0 in my almost 4k lb street car, for all the reasons you both talk about. More concerned with driveability and low/mid torque than max peak hp. Not installed yet as it's my daily driver, I think I made a good choice. Your thoughts on my selection ?
Looking back at your cam selection video , I already asked your opinion 8 months ago 😂👍
I’ve learned more from this guy than I have from mechanics from my hometown. Thank you.
Thank you! This is absolutely, without a doubt, the most informative and intelligent explanation I have found for specing out a cam. I am starting to plan a build on my 2001 corvette and will definitely be refering back to this video when it comes time to select a camshaft. I want the lumpy idle but more importantly, I want a cam that works with my set up and my needs more than just a sound. Thank you again!!!
I also have a 2001 corvette and i want to start modifying the engine! What cam did you end up getting? Any suggestions?
I would put a 221 225 on a 112 and it will roast tires all day because torque will come in sooner
@@utahcountypicazospage5412 I run a 224/228 on 112 .550 lift in my 98 z28 LS1. 3200 rpm stall 2.1 torque converter.
Keep them coming. The numbers will come. We're watching all the knowledge
The Guru broke it down for us. Really appreciate the science. Great vid
4.8/5.3L if you want to keep stock stall and trans go with something around 205-216 intake 210-220 exhaust range. Barts 223/227 cam will need a stall converter, which is perfectly fine. However, on my daily driver and for towing I like the stock stall.
Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your knowledge. I’m coming from the sport bike world to Chevys and LS motors. This helps me figure out cams to look at.
Ah, what id pay to spend a day wrenching with this guy. Thanks for the knowledge, from Canada.
Good info! About three years after this video the hot LS truck cam is the Truck Norris which has a really narrow LSA (~108). This guy likes wide LSA’s after thousands of dyno runs! What gives?!? I know that a torquey street engine can be had with a little compression, smaller ports for higher velocity and a narrow LSA. I have a BBC set up that way and it’s nasty as a porta potty on a hot day!
pretty sure tighter LSA usually ends up closing intake earlier which traps more air and increases DCR which boost cylinder pressure and that's why tight LSA cams tend to make more power.
I went with a 218/227 112 +2° for my 6.0 2500HD, 10.6:1 comp
Yea, that BTR Truck Norris is 216/227 @108* LSA....You’re close except for that LSA.
Awsome to hear an experienced engine builder with real world knowledge talk about something so complex and makes it easy to understand. Where was this video in my life? Lets blow this video up
The 233/253 @ 0.050 .646/.637 on a 112+4 in my LS3 Camaro would probably fall on the extreme/max effort end of your scale - but even with stock compression it performs well and has surprisingly good manners for 19* of overlap at 0.050. It's ahead on power and torque for 3200 on up, picked up 70hp at the wheels, and 6-7mph in the quarter mile (probably more if I could get more than 4.10 in the rear). Sure, dynamic compression took a pretty good hit with that much overlap, but eventually I'll get these heads milled and bring that back. Honestly, it's street manners aren't bad at all for what it is, I put about 5k miles a year on the car, and I'm smiling the whole time.
I'm sure it's not news to you, but you never touched on tuning in your video. I don't think you can overstate how important that is to the way any camshaft is going to drive. A poor tune will make a mild cam drive like trash, and a good tune can take a rowdy piece and make it very reasonable to live with. I've nitpicked mine to death myself over the last few years, and the little things like injection timing and light load spark tuning makes all the difference in those bad manners areas.
But great video - I think you stressed a key factor really well: be honest about what you really want to do with the vehicle, and make a choice based on usage, not what sounds cool. If you're not willing to put a converter and gears in it, and not willing to tolerate some misbehavior, stay away from big duration stuff!
the Legend
@@Ws6Ms lol!
Hey Andrew, where can I message you about finding a cam setup for my ls3?
Is there a part 2 for this??? Cause I'm ready for it
my first week starting ls swaps, I sold 4 in a week and thank-you for the info. With this, I'll be better able to make my customers happy.
13.55 Thank you for saying this - 100% agree.
Thank you sr. I followed you instructions and ran a 12.00 with a 6.0 in a 3000lb truck and it feels great.
what cam specs?
I got a 5.3/t56 with sloppy stage 2 cam idle set at 900rpm and man she idles aggressive . Car moves side to side at idle I love it. Only paid $229 with pac springs and install was a breeze
Did you have to install a stall converter and what heads would you swap with that?
Bart did work on my 02 Mustang, I couldn't have been happier! He's a great guy to talk to! If you go to his shop, prepare to drool!! ~SGT. Hot Wheels.
this is very helpful because i have a 5.3 in 1974 and i want a cam that doesn't require a stall or change the rocker arms
This was the best information on cams ive ever seen well done my friend
Didn’t sound at all like rambling, just experience and knowledge. Great video Bart !
I stumbled on this video and it is the best tech info I have heard in years. Thank you!!
I just want that Chop-Chop.
literally this. f the EPA I wanna spit flaaamez
Check out tick cams!
cackle cackle cackle
228/232 .550 109lsa chop chop chop
Nice video sir, I have stack 4.8 L and I going to put a cam wish do you recommend or I can buy from you.
You don’t choose a cam for an engine, you choose a cam for that engines end use. If you want a perfect cam, you’ll never find one. Every single grind has its own personality. Horsepower , Torque, or somewhere in the middle. You will make gains in some areas and lose in others. Thats the facts.
I designed and built my own cylinder head with rotating tubes where I had to guess the values by myself. I ended up at about 250/250 with a 110 LSA @ 0.050" equivalent. It has about 4-5 inches of vacuum at 700 RPM idle. I was hoping it would work well at 6k+ rpm, but oddly enough the airflow is similar to stock between 4,000-7,000 rpm and a bit better below 4k. If I did it again, I would certainly go to something like 230/230 since it flows better than a poppet valve engine and so I can improve the idle.
3:10 math.
Air Flow Research lists the heads I have flow at 260 cfm on the intake at .500 lift.
So...
260 x 2 = 520
520 x .10 = 52
520 + 52 = 572 h.p.
I put a big circle track cam in my car when I was in my teens, it sounded mean, had top end, but all but needed a push start, I had to slip the clutch alot to get it moving, that didn't last long, I don't remember the spec's, but it had over 300° dur, and 106 lsa, it was crap until about 4k and wanted to keep going above 7k, I think it was a 4500-8500 cam, I'd had to put 4.88:1 gears to run that thing it would still been crappy, I had a truck also, I could jerk the doors on a cobra mustang, on the highway, but it didn't have that low down tq, I made a guy with that cobra feel bad, after spending all that money, then get out run by a 5,000 lb truck, I totally respect your knowledge, I'm here because I don't know LS engines, and looking for a decent Street cam for a 4.8 in a s10, with a turbo, and about 10-15 psi, I'd like the boost to give it the top end, and allow the cam to keep the 1500-2500 rpm tq, I'll probably be running a small amount of stall, maybe 500 over stock, so not really a stall converter, with stock 4.3 auto gears, and probably run the v6 converter, now I'm thinking about it, I know the 4L60's aren't the best, but I'm not racing on the strip, maybe the occasional trip down the track, I want the most power I can get, with the best mileage also, 3k at 65 is not me, (anymore) gas is too high, thanks for the video
Thanks for the video Bart. I'm stroking my LS1 to 383 and it is supercharged with a Harrop HTV1900. Currently has the stock cam in it (heads, valve springs, arp bolts, forged internals already but swapping some out). This video has been very helpful. I'm putting in a 224/230 .6 & .61 lift at 112 LSA. I'm not chasing power but low down torque and want to use a standard stall. I also want a little chop and the 112 LSA will give 3 degrees of overlap. Yes, I'll be losing boost but I'm not chasing max hp, just want that low down torque and a little chop. Also concerns about the blower running out of puff high in the rpm range, hence the cam size. Car is a WK Grange. Thanks from Australia!
Hate to correct you, but more overlap does not mean less cylinder pressure for the same duration cams. When you tighten the LC you are advancing the intake lobe which closes the valve sooner. Hence higher psi cranking pressure.
Most oval track cars run 104 to 105 LC to help accelerate out of the corner.
When I worked at Camonics years ago we found 105 to 106 made the highest peak power but the worst idle.
113 to 116 made less peak power but the best idle.
Engines that are FI typically run wider LCs due to idle issues with low vacuum.
This is naturally aspirated as turbos and blown cars favor 116 LC to keep from blowing the charge out the exhaust port.
Your video is somewhat correct but you fail to talk about other items such as exhaust type, compression ratios, etc. which also factors into this.
do you mean LS (Lobe Separation) instead of LC?
Richard Holdner tested an LS down to 108 LSA and it made the best power everywhere. He also tested the loss of pressure and guess what no problem. The problem is everyone wants lots of duration and most small blocks don't need it. Run more conservative duration and tighten the LSA. You will make more average power. Fat area under the curve.
Thank you for the great information. I completely agree with what you said. I've learned the hard way over the years and also seen many people make the mistake of over camming engines and end up unhappy with performance.
What a good camshaft for my 5.3 Lm7 stock head new spring bh. Bore motor 3.780 every day driving no racing just wants a good kick to it would like something a little above stock 👍
I love you everything you said about the LS1 LS 2 camshafts and all the tech inspects but I didn't hear nothing about the LS3 . I thought you were going to talk about the LS3 also which is the best motor they made in the LS series
After what feels like half a lifetime spent trying to find the real story on cam selection for my 6.2 LS3 this video was like a breath of fresh air. Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I have a daily driver that I want to take road racing on weekends. I want to maintain driveability, make more power, and lope a bit at idle. Do you have a recommendation for a streetable 6.2 LS3 Camaro?
One year later and ??? What did you find out?
The right cam and the wrong cam cost the same amount and generally people over cam not under cam and loose power in the range they use there engine and I laugh when people act like they know more than guy like you that dyno prove there theory and do it for a living great video lots of great info
I was talking to a woman I know, who DOES understand cars TO A POINT, and she is a math wizard with a college degree. She looked at me during one of our conversations about old cars and racing, and finally said to me "How can a 305 small block Chevy be faster than a same car with a 350 cubic inch engine?" and I looked at her and said "It is all in the math!" and for a moment she looked at me like I was lying to her in that answer!!!
BUT has I went on to explain, you have to know EVERYTHING about the set up you are running!! Weight of the vehicle MATTERS, final drive gear ratios MATTER, and as I further explained to her as well, transmission gears, even engine performance parts ALL MATTER!!! Change ONE small thing in any engine and you can out run (on a drag strip) a V8 engine with a inline 6, if you have done the math correctly because EVERYTHING YOU DO to the car AND MOTOR as well as any gears in between MATTER!!!! And for a moment she looked at me confused!!!
The sad thing is, I have seen guys try to run HUGE cams in a car that run like garbage on the high side of the power curve, but seem to run solid but sluggish on the take off, only making power mid way. I have seen guys run cams that are too small that make INSANE off the line power but fall flat shortly after take off, because they just didn't have enough cam to satisfy the same mid way power curve!!
I have even seen guys who think stuffing a large carb on an engine will "fix this" and totally ignore allowing the exhaust to flow, and the list of things I have seen goes on and on and on from there to 4.11 rear gears in a car that just can't handle such a steep tooth in "normal" applications, when they should have ran something more "realistic" like 3.73 instead!!!
Facts as they say DO NOT LIE!!! And it is all in the numbers!!! And you can stick in the biggest big block you can stuff into a car, and think "This will be fast" but if you ignore the rest of the numbers you might as well take all your work and hard earned money out into the driveway and set it all on fire.......because all you are doing is wasting your time if you don't do the math and follow the numbers with a fine tooth comb!!!!
GREAT STORY,
SO TRUE.
THANKS.
So what would the ideal cam be for an ls3 daily driver looking for the best performance while still keeping good road manners and a little bit of an idle
I saw a video from richard holdener where the only thing he changes was the lsa and on the engine dyno it showed the 108 getting better low end power vs 112 and 120. Around 17:20 in your video you said 113 would make a little more down low torque over the 112. Im just trying to get a little clarification. I've been doing a research so i can decide what cams i should use in my 2 cars im gonna be building
Context matters. Note he is talking about a truck engine designed to make more torque down low (lower RPMs). LSA is part of optimizing for the planned use of the engine based on its flow characteristics. None of the numbers live in a vacuum so Richard isolating one aspect of cam profile for demonstration of what it does on a specific configuration does not mean it holds true for another configuration. 112 LSA in engine A may not have the same impact as it would in engine B. Unfortunately there is not a perfect number for all engines, a lot depends on what that engine wants to flow - the cam just adjust how much of that potential flow is realized at various rpm which you want to match to your intended use. (Race engine built for high RPM struggles at low RPM because the cam is not optimal for the lower flow rate at low RPM - could improve that with LSA but at the cost of performance at high RPM - there is always a trade off. his main point is that you need to pick the cam grind that fits your use and just because the numbers are bigger on one cam from another does not make is "better").
@@opieg7333 did you even watch Richard holder's video?
@@stephenbotello5914 yes... plenty of them LS and non LS. You may even find comments on the one you speak of, but I can't remember which test are in which videos.
@@opieg7333 I'm not talking about all his other videos 🤦♂️ only the one where he specifically test the lsa
@@stephenbotello5914 Just re-watched, Richard is using the go to 402" test rig with heads flowing 350cfm. Note the last 30 seconds or so of the video where he asks the question about a smaller engine. Note the point he makes about the RPM range and question about idle quality. Note the advice in this video is about a truck engine which needs to produce some power down low. Its not a more of X always equals more of Y equation. There is a limit beyond which the results move the other way. Context matters and flow (fluid dynamics) is not always a linear equation thing. (And Richard is right that boost can make a lot of those compromises irrelevant).
Excellent video your knowledge will be building a 5.3 real soon your 475 to 500 horsepower is the range I really want to get
Did you reach your HP goals?
What an good spec cam for an 383 ls1 stroker with trickflow 220 heads with 2.055 intake valves and 1.57 exhaust valves and fast 102 intake and Tb , I had an 240/250 cam speced and the car felt like an dog , and only trapped 117mph in the 1/4 mile
Jesus brought me to this channel!!! About to rebuild my 2006 GMC Sierra CrewCab w/5.3L, and it’s an everyday truck, that occasionally pulls a trailer full of landscaping materials. I don’t need a Sloppy Stage II cam, for sure. Thank you for real world application information🙏🏽💯✊🏽
Great video , thank you . Now back in the day PAW advertised a SBC cam that stated it WAS a 360/360 , always got a chuckle from that and you just reminded me ....thanks again
Awesome vid! It's had to believe people are still trying to run big camshafts with a stock converter... The factory grinds are almost big enough to warrant a stall converter. Gotta love the torque of a mild cam in an LS on the street... Everything feels like the old 327-375hp these days...❤
So what cam should I put in my stock 5.3 2000 Silverado. I want all the power lower in the rpm for towing and such.
LMAO - this shows up in my recommendations and 3 minutes in, I am thinking to myself I need to go to Wallace Racing and use their calculators again... Such a wonderful resource, just gotta make sure you know what those number mean and remember your conversion factors.
I went with what they recommend 231 243 duration @ 116 + 6 degrees.. 9 psi magi supercharger w/ stock heads 488 gears.And performed awesome. On the next bill going to order heads and cam as recommended , big dia. Header ...response was Instantaneous. I’ll always go with recommendations of cam heads after talking to the pros , BUT they have to listen to YOU and YOU have to listen to them
Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge!
will the cam you mentioned 223/227/600/600 113 work in my 2006 Silverado 5.3 with 35 in tires
oh for got to add that i am in the Communist state of California
For me I try to make the most average power in the rpm range the engine is designed for, hence why its extremely important to be honest with yourself about what you are going to do with vehicle
What about a solid flat tappet 274 at 050 duration 650 lift 106 lobe separation for a drag race only 362 windsor with canfield heads and 12to1 compression on 100 octane fuel? Has a 258 at 050 578 lift 105 lobe separation now and will instantly light 1st 2nd and 3rd to tire smoke on street.
Ok next time can you talk about the 5.7 vortec truck engine because thats what I have and looking to get the most out of my engine
vortec truck cams are different. the heads are only good for 540 lift with the guides. if you are still using the fuel injection system use a 220/224 540/540, on a 114 lobe sep. the vortec heads are very good but they have some limitations with the valve springs and fuel injection. b
Thank you for sharing it I have a LS 5.3 from a Escalade 2004 what should be my right camshaft to add bust? Thanks for your help.
1972 318 MOPAR for a van stock engine what is a good cam
Finally good straight up advice from experience..Thanks.
Can you recommend a cam for my LS 416 stroker. I have 11.5:1 compression, stock LS3 heads, long tube headers. This engine is in my 81 Firebird backed up by a 4L70E transmission and 3000rpm stall and stock 308 gears. This is a streetcar. I want a good idle, I don’t mind the racy idle sound but I don’t want to be idling above 850 rpm .
Thanks
I've got a 2000 2500 with a 6.0 3in single exhaust want to put a cam in going to put some 243 heads milled 20ths still want to pull my boat and camper but want it to sound good at idle
224/228 610/610, 112 lobe sep+0. the lobe sep will do the lopey idle and the cam is small enough to still run and pull well from 2000 rpm up. $409+25 to ship. 763 712 9088 b
Do you happen to have a part number for the 223 227 cam? I bought an Lq4 for my 1997 Z71 pickup. I was going to go with a stock cam, but a little more power would be nice! Thanks.
its a custom grind that i have done. $409+25 for shipping. i have them in stock. 763 712 9088 b
Hi-Tech MotorSport I have an lm7, 5.3, will I be able to run my stock torque converter with this cam?
Hi-Tech MotorSport . How are you doing thank you for the video. Where can I get a 226 234 600 600 112 camshaft or a part number?.
I was wondering how COMP Cams CAM LIFTER KIT LS1 XR275HR-12 on 2006 Cadillac CTS v 6.0 manual just a question
I have a truck a 2006 Chevy Silverado 4.8 1500 and i am stock what’s a good cam to put on it
I have a 1985 1 ton 4 speed dodge truck with a stock 360 engine. I want more power for moving heavy weight on the highway usually from 0-70 MPH. It has 2" dual exhaust and short headers. How should I build it? Which camshaft, heads, intake, and carburetor should I use?
Not rambling at all. Makes a lot of sense. Good stuff. Thanks.
Great video Bart. Thanks for sharing your knowledge . Rebuilding my 6.0 in my 06 Hummer. Do you have a cam idea for towing 4000 lbs and street? Have another set of heads ported for it and 1.8 ratio roller rockers .
Hi got a 4.8 it in a light car 6 speed manual transmission dont want a beast just a little more and yes sounds good at idle thks
Looking for info on a camshaft recamended for a 2000 lq4 cast heads truck motor. Worth cramming it on stock motor ?
I would argue that the 1.5 is typical but not a hard rule. Look at Ford gen 3 coyotes and 5.2s. They develop more than 1.5 per cube from the factory. With 1.82 per cube in their 5.2l crate engine. Aside from the physics of DOHC vs OHV I think 90 percent of their benefits are from being able to individually swing intake/exhaust independently by a large degree very quickly.
Where can you find the cam mentioned that is best for 5.3?
Doing a 5.3 and I’m putting a BTR Truck Norris Camshaft in it is that a good move or not
The 223/227 600/600 cam is that with a stock converter I'm using a 700r trans in my 87 c10 truck
Also the truck has a stock rear end
I like what you’re saying it’s actually better to go with a smaller camshaft to get a bigger performance and track ability. Especially when it’s a daily driver. I’ll be watching.
What is best Cam for a 4.8 in a Yukon daily driver? Just want good torque and a little more pep. Would like to keep everything else factory.
Great video. Thank you Question? With long tube headers using your recommendation for my 2001 Silverado 5.3, of cam 223/227 600/600 should I plan on flowing heads and valve springs with hardened pushrods or keep what I’ve got Valve wise=stock? Also, torque converter, stock or high stall?
What did you you end up doing. And how did it go
Long tubes, stainless, just redid the heads with hardened pushrods. It’s perfect. Daily driver and a whole lotta fun
And springs. Just did it right.
One thing you did not talk about was rod ratio & piston speed and how that factors into the head flow numbers and how that can dictate the cam profile.
whats best for daily driver 4.8 ?
LS 454 11:1 compression in heavy car any cam recommendations ?
I have a truck motor but it’s going into a car. 2002 5.3 going into a 96 impala.
Looking for great torque and cruising characteristics. Plus a great sound. Would you run a cam designed for a truck still? Since the car is so big
Whats a good cam for my 2009 ltz 6.2 tahoe only has tune haders cold air intake 6 speed transmission thanks you in advance
Needing a recommendation for a cam to go into my 6.0 motor, from an '03 Silverado. Swapping it along w/ @ 4L80 trans into my '92 K1500. Moving into a very fast paced city driving situation, so basically 0-60 quickness is key. But I do a lot of interstate travel too. Just tired of getting dusted in town with my TBI... Great vids, they're very informative and appreciated !
And I'm hot blooded so I'll be almost always have the AC on... I understand some cam profiles don't work well with AC.
Hi just picked this video up
Ive got 5.7lr ls1
Im looking at the truck norris camshaft, with dart pro 15 degree heads 225cc ,with just the ls6 long runner intake manifold .
Would this be a good combination for a cruise car im looking for the more tourqe scenario.
At 3:17 you said it's the Max hp the head can make in any application. You forgot boosted. You can double that hp per atmosphere added.
I got a 05 GMC Sierra ext cab lm7 5.3 with a BTR 227/238 cam with a 3200 stall and it’s very very slow anything below 60 what cam should I get the ls9 cam or what
What's your thought on the BTR stage 3 V2 truck cam in a 09 4.8 has 799 heads. Truck weighs around 4500 and is a daily driver.
I have a Pontiac trans am 2000 LS1 engine stock whit headers,3.73 gears and it's reprogrammed. Which camshaft should I put in?? Is a car for daily use and I run it on weekends thx
What cam do you recommend for a daily driver 6.0 with 4:10 gears?
Not too hard to work out, but you need to need to do some math... Do you have tractor tyres on it? Is it a Mini? What gearbox / trans? What gear ratios? How long is a piece of string? All stuff that can be worked out quite simply with math. But in a nut shell you need to work out how many revs you are doing at around town speeds (and what gear) and how many revs at highway speeds (and what gear).
You can find a number of tyre circumference calculators online and use your tyre profile. I.E 235/45 - R17 will give you x mm per tyre revolution. You already know you diff ratio, now you need to know each of the gear ratios in your gearbox / trans (if auto does it have a lockup convertors or will it slip?). Hopefully you can see where I am going with this... Some math later later and you know what rev range you will be sitting in for the biggest part of your driving. You go with a cam that is in it's sweet spot at those revs. So lets say you are doing 2500 at highway speeds you don't want a cam that starts at 3500, or it will dog along until it gains another 1000 rpm.
Or you can just go to the recommended website and find all the resources you will ever need... www.wallaceracing.com/Calculators.htm
I run 4.10 gears 4l60e 3800 stall frame connectors 3300 LBS. 2000 camaro can i run more cam I am stock bore and head David Mc
Just seeing this video now, love the amount of information I got from this video.
Do you have a website? I’m currently building a 5.3 for off road application and your 223/227 600/600 cam sounds perfect.
I do not race my 2010 LS-3 Corvette. Mostly we use it for long distance touring and back road driving. The car pulls strongly from idle to 5500. I think I will stick with the stock cam. Thanks for the Information.
Got a ls1 for daily street driving what cam should I be running
I have C5 Corvette 2000 Fbo filter intake Full exhaust system and MSD manifold intake so what is the best cam i should put in
Great video.. What can would you recommend for a 4.8 with long tubes, to make good power for street cruising