you are confirming my choice of the BTR Torquer truck cam for my son's '08 Silverado 4.8. He doesn't run it out past 5500rpm so there was not point getting a bigger cam. the shorter duration of the Torquer truck cam tilts the power curve to the right and gives him more power and torque below 5500rpm where he uses it 99% of the time! great video!
What do you think would be a good cam swap for a AFM/DOD delete in a LC9. I’m considering POSSIBLY doing more to my truck. But if I don’t what would cam would still be dependable
Well done. I think I'd stick with the stg 1 truck cam too on an actual truck/suv app. My stock 4l60/LM7 Tahoe stalls out right around 2300-2400 rpm on the stock converter so as long as the cam doesn't lose anything from 2500 rpm on it's a good street choice.
These manufacturers really got the stages dialed in. I am running a stage 4 and it's just right for a truck that still sees work. I think if your truck is race only, you need to go slightly bigger than typical truck cam. Because with my stage 4 I don't feel like I lost any low end at all, I could afford to go larger. Especially if I stop hauling around a bunch of tools and materials. But this is with 4.10s and I will be switching to 3.73 soon so we will see how I feel about low end. Right now it hates the back tires anywhere under 30mph so I'd be happy to lose some low end lol
I’m building a 5.3 for my 2001 YukonXL hunting vehicle and using the BTR stage1 with BTR valve springs with the BTR trunnion upgrade. Your videos helped me pick my ‘poisons’
Great work as always. However I can't help but think most of your viewers will be using these for road use. It would be nice to see the bottom end of th Dyno graphs.
After putting in a BTR torque cam in my genIV 5.3l and unless I drive in manual mode, my truck shifts at 55-5700. So on a daily, your never really using 5500+ rpm. For a daily 5.3l I would suggest: BTR torque cam Speed engineering 1 3/4 headers And a Cold Air Intake
funny they call them truck cams. My idea of truck is low end torque. retired truck driver so always wanted to be able to pull that hill without shifting. drag racing and winding out to 6-7000 isn't my idea of truck. I would think torque cam or race cam would be better marketing. sure it depend on what rpm you are running but if a street car or truck cruising is usually 2-3000 rpm even at 80mph. race car wind out to 7000, shift then up to 7 grand again. Great videos Richard.
Yeah I agree, low end power is the #1 if you're building to tow. You'd be looking at boost or more displacement rather than the biggest cam you can shove into your engine
Incredibly good info. I've always thought for my purpose, anything but a mild cam and headers is wasted. The TBSS intrigues me as well, but I don't know that I'm capable of properly installing it.
💡Marine speakers in the bed of my truck jamming the beginning of Van Halen's Panama at stop lights. Then running a stage 2 Truck cam in my 6.0 with a Trailblazer intake, some 243 / 799 heads milled 30,000 with my Detroit truetrac 488 gear & 35" tires, thats the plan, I'm getting there, its gonna sweet, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT RICHARD!
Seen lots of comparing of cams and we went with BTR stg4 as many ZL1/LSA motors and their builders seem to love them... might lose some grunt down low though if these results are typical. We added a CircleD 3600 stall converter. Went Wiseco/K1 lower end that BTR had. Tooley seems to have attention to detail and a loyal following so we bought from them. We haven't got the car back yet so we shall see if the desired results occur. Update: Went with a Hughes 3600 stall, bore & stroke, 12# boost = 700+ whp/ 690 tq snapped the 456 input shaft rebuilt with CircleD 1200hp kit.
Stage 1 ground on 108 or 110 ... as much time over 400ft/lbs under 5500rpm and 400hp/minimum is my sweet spot. Great numbers for 5.3 liters .. 1.3 hp/cubic inch is 423hp on the 5.3.
So, when I was much younger, I remember seeing trucks listed as having “RV” cams. This led me to believe that they were built for max torque at lower RPM. Are there still cams out there that gain significant torque output? I mean, in real world use, my 2003 2500HD LQ4 truck doesn’t see 5500 RPM for any significant amount of time. I’d love to have a 30-50 lb-ft gain at 3-4500 rpm tapering off to near stock levels at the peak even if it meant minimal to no HP gains on the top of the range. Personally, my truck is for hauling/towing, but I don’t do enough to warrant a diesel (or building a big stroker engine) for the extra off the line lugging ability. Great vid, as always. Thanks Richard!
Nice! I actually went with the truck style cam in my near stock setup for the local autox (89 Mustang 5.0 Explorer cam) just for the low end grunt of pulling out of corners.
a pro ls summit 8718 cam 500 lift 205/217 at 112 its small really for a stage 1 anything lol its stock 5.3 valve springs still an it added really noticeable gains...granted im running a 3800lbs elcamino its 2500 rpm thru 5500rpm aint horrible if your inside for any reason an just curious...try it what's 300😉😉but i run Fitech ultimate ls system so im still learning ls tuning period....
Richard, I see people stating that Comps Thumper cams are for sound only and don't make power. I know that isn't the case, but would love to reference a RUclips video to prove it. Thanks
Even the cam designer at Comp said it was a marketing thing only, they are a terrible idea from start to finish for performance. ;) And Comp isn't exactly in the game of high end cams as it it, their "new" LST technology has been around for a long time, but they'll make the power that the dyno says and that might be enough after all. :)
I never understood why you want any of those, especially in a truck. Most of the time I'm running a truck around 2000 rpm or less, rarely up to 3000 rpm, let a lone 5000 rpm or more. Currently driving a 1996 Dodge extended cab with a 6 foot box, 1/2 ton 4x4 with the crappy 4 speed automatic and the 5.9 liter 360 gas with 33x12.50-15" tires making about 10.2 mpg. I want torque at low rpm at highway speeds or 55 to 70 mph in 4th gear.
"I want torque at low rpm at highway speeds or 55 to 70 mph in 4th gear." Everything comes with a compromise. What you want could only be achieved by increasing engine stroke/adding forced induction or doing a Cummin's swap, otherwise you're limited to changing your gears to match you're desired torque at given RPMs. But your limited use of your vehicle doesn't mean everyone else is going to be using their truck or these truck engines in the same way. There are so many different uses it's baffling that you "never understood why you want any of those, especially in a truck.", I think you need to get more exposure in the world. Not everyone uses a truck for low RPM or towing and not everyone is using these "truck engines" in a truck application. I find that, as a light duty truck, my '96 Ram 1/2 ton with 5.2L has a great blend of low end torque and midrange with the 3.5:1 gears and the same stock crappy 4 spd auto. It only has 31's though. But I have no other uses for that truck other than to haul stuff from Lowe's. My K5 Blazer on the other hand isn't primarily intended for the same application and is more of a weekend warrior that would be more fun with another 100hp on the top end for the 5.3 LS that's in it.
Great work. I'm building a 6.0 with ported 706 heads and planning on using the comp in the video. Would love to see a similar video on different cams with a higher compression 6.0!
@@swappedoutZ71 it's actually going into my 1958 Edsel, it dropped a valve a couple months ago so I mounted an lq4 and 4l80 in it and planning on building both this winter and eventually plan on putting a lsa blower on it but that's a few years down the road!
@@rb002680 well don't waste money in ported 706s if you don't have them already, get the rec port truck heads or something. Asking because I ran 706s on a 6.0 and while it was a torque monster it lacked up top. But I was on unported heads and stock intake. I now have ported 243s and ported tbss manifold. It's still a torque monster, and faster up top now too lol
@@swappedoutZ71 that was my plan originally but I'm also planning on selling my daily and replacing it with a 2010+ silverado so figured when I go supercharged I'll put the 706 heads on the truck to increase compression and low end torque and put the rec port heads on the edsel
If there are marine grinds available, that's where my order will be. They idle clean, pull from idle up, and still have respectable top end. What better all around cam?
I run a comp cam 54 468 11 in my stock stroke 5.3 , forged rods and pistons 10.1 comp fast lsxr intake , 102 tb , ported 706 heads . Th400 trans 3500 converter , 3.4 gears with twin 6255 turbos. Thing comes on boost like a light switch
Instead of knowing I'll "need a converter", I'd really like some insight on how big of a converter, when to buy a bigger one and how to match it. I have a stock 4.8. I'm getting advice all over the place from 1800 to 3500, to whatever your peak torque is, which on that engine is about 4000. And those variations in number are from "professionals" or at least trans builders, racers, performance parts sellers and performance magazine editors. And theyre all talking about street engines. How do I pich a converter for a street 4.8 ls that will eventually have a mild cam like a stage 1 or 2, without having to change the converter again? I had finally settled on 2400. Again, not racing. Mainly street with a bit of performance. BTW, great videos. Its helping me figure out what I want to go with on a cam, etc. New to the ls world.
I was kind of wanting to see the BTR stage 4 truck cam, but it was definitely enough info to show me what it would be. My buddy has a really nice, billet face "2500" stall converter for sale for cheap, but I've realized that it's not going to work well for me.
@@swappedoutZ71 That's pretty much exactly what I have decided on. Fortunately, I didn't buy the one off of my buddy, and have the money to get a proper one.
A somewhat good gas mileage approach would be the highest amount of tork an the lowest hpm. Try a stock type dur cam with more valve lift or bigger valves with a small to medium turbo. Open the valves briefly and force feed the cylinders Bv
Camshaft decision time again ? Geez man, I just don’t know. Let me get back to you later on that. I’ll have to get an LS first before proceeding with cam choices I do have a nice inventory of Cleveland solid roller cams...🏁
Budget drag racing build… biggest cam the 5.3 can run and a single plane carb… if you are taking requests 😂I say carb because they are cheap and a lot of guys making the cross over to the dark side A. Don’t wanna learn fuel injection because it’s new/scary/complicated ect…. B. Already have more than one holley laying around anyway C. Because of B it’s a cheaper route to go. And D don’t wanna do a turbo build yet because of new/scary/complicated… you get the idea. Oh and spoiler alert I’m one of those guys 🙄
Built carb motor on nitrous type of guy 😂🤣 that’s still a good setup but I think turbo and computer tuning will give you more power on the big end, but I get it sometimes this stuff gets complicated and rather not mess with but it’s worth it
@@Lagrange1186 for racing yea it definitely is and not to expensive but you want to learn how to tune from a computer you’ll learn more about the car as well
Hey Richard- I would like to see the difference between the latest iteration of the Truck Torque cam (there is a revision)and the Stage 1 tested here. Could ya please??
@@chadvalliere8697 He tested the V2 Truck Cams, all 3 stages. But the Truck Torque cam he tested another time was the first version. I would like to see a comparo of the revised Truck Torque cam compared to the Stage 1 V2 Truck Cam on the same engine for an apples to apples test.
Those are the V1 version on the BTR truck cams. The V2 version is what is available now and has a bit different specs. I have the BTR stage 1 truck cam V2 version. It is 206-212 *.553* lift and 112°. V1 was .525 lift.. a small difference I know but would like to see if any difference between V1 and V2
and my buddies wonder why I left the 5.3 in my '99 GMC Sierra stock. Those cams would suck hauling my boat down the interstate @ 70 mph. I also use it to haul my cars to the track. A stock '99 5.3 can pull a '66 Chevy II and "87 Monte Carlo SS or '95 Vette with no problem.
What about bone stock junkyard engine with stock manifolds, ignition, intake, and fuel system? How about a test for us not wanting to do a rebuild, Holley engine management, intake, or headers, just a cam swap in our daily driven truck. Would like to see what a bone stock system would do with a couple different cams. I'm not a programmer and still new to LS engines.
@@richardholdener1727 OK, so no matter what, there's no drop in cam to use? The BTR NSR cams advertise no springs, tune, or converter. Or they used to. Just wanting a little more out of my stock 285,000 mile daily pickup without the huge investment.
Putting together a 2wd OBS std cab Silverado. Cleaning up a 5.3 from a 2001 Tahoe driving through an AR5 manual transmission. Budget build so cam, lifters, pistons, springs, bearings, trunnions, etc will be replaced (engine had pistonslap bad). Towing Jetskis on occasion. Looking for cam suggestions
Can't wait to see you do a dyno session on the new truck Norris cam. Patiently waiting for that compared to stock/btr's truck cams to decide which is best for my 6.0
Hey Richard, going by with your comment, it’s okay to put stage 3 cam truck cam for my TBSS? Stock converter and she is a daily and not a race truck. I do some hauling with it for DIY house work. I want more power but I don’t need it to spin the motor to the moon.
My truck runs 1600-2000 with the cruise set. 98% of the time it's between there and 4000 RPM with only occasional fun runs to 5000. In my opinion, calling cams that don't really add power until after 4500 RPM "Truck cams" is a joke. Are you supposed to manually down shift it and try to run 5000 RPM to actually gain power to pull a trailer? I understand a cam alone won't make tons of low end torque. Help us out please. On a 5.3L, what combination of parts will add torque from 1800- 4500 RPM? If it adds some power above that, it would be nice, but not necessary. I'd like to see a WILD build for this RPM range.
@richardholdener do you plan on compiling power numbers from California carbe eo approved parts? You mentioned it before but I may have missed the video
Id definitely love to see you test the Truck Norris cam! I just ordered a L96 and plan on boring it 30 over with DSS 6cc dome pistons, LPE Ported 823s with Stainless Hollow Stem Intake Valves and stock Inconel exhaust valves, ported Gen4 rec port truck intake manifold and 92mm throttle body. I am definitely leaning towards the truck norris, this combination will be going into 2009 GMC Canyon crew cab with a Supermatic 6l80e swap and probably a 2400 stall converter! I also have the rear axle from a Hummer H3 with 4.56 gears and currently running 32" tall tires
Just look at the specs he gives out for these BTR cams; Duration, Lift and LSA(lobe seperation angle) Compare the BTR stage cams spec on this video to the SR cams and you'll have an idea of what the HP those summit racing makes. Usually stages on racing parts are just dumbed down ways of telling one part is "better" than the other. Im a dumby myself and could be wrong about this but, i try.😅
Can you please make a vid explaining about max piston speed, 400 is a number I read a lot ., But what if you want to ref it a bit more? what you need, for a 4 inch stroke 6000rpm is about the max if I see othet ( not verry clear ) vids, But I have forged , crank pistons, H beam rods . 4 bold mains . Is that good for a (bit) more ?
On the tbss I know you said you ran the stock 706 heads what heads would be the best to make the most power on the set up I have the same set up just want to know should I port my 706s heads or go aftermarket
Good power for stock headed 5.3... I run a btr stage 2 with 2600 stall and heads. Its nasty all the way through the rpm range and perfect for a daily. Can you test the ls power max plus cam? It looks like a good camshaft for a 5.3 with the 220/222 duration and good lift... your thoughts?
I have a 2001 Silverado with stock 5.3 and tune and am going to go with the btr stage 2 cam mainly because I plan on one day putting a 6.0 in it and can use the stage 2 cam in it when I swap it in. Otherwise I would just go with the stage 1 cam. Oh, and I built my 4L60e trans with all the upgrades and also put the trailblazer 4.2 torque converter in it which gives me about 2600 stall or so behind this little 5.3 motor. The extra stall makes a pretty big difference on these motors for sure. Mine is a 4x4 that I tow with so not wanting to go too crazy on stall or cam. For now, just going to the stage 2 cam with springs and maybe a tbss intake if I can find a used one for the right price.
I just swapped one performance cam for a bigger one 226/228, 585/588 @114 to a 238/244, 595/595 @114. After tuning the bigger cam only picked up 3.5 hp and at about 400 rpm higher, and lost 20-30 through the rest of the rpm range. Different dynos but both dyno jet. Is it possible that the bigger cam only gained 3.5 hp up top and lost EVERYWHERE else?
Hey Richard, need some help please. I have put an Ls1 in my 94 GMC Sierra. Here in New Zealand the iron blocks are hard to source, my question is: I want to do a Truck Norris Cam but have been told that a performance cam would be better because I have a 'Street engine' in, not a Truck iron block. Am I wrong to still look at wanting the Truck Norris for the ls1?
The tuners here steer clear of this Cam as they struggle to tune it or to find the tune file for it, is that correct also? I don't see why this would be a hard Cam to tune even if we were in New Zealand.
Mr.Richard I got a 1999 c2500 automatic 4l80e I want every bit of power for towing out of a 5.3 which will replace the 5.7 vortec any ideas for a good combo
Question: If stepping up to a stage 1 cam gains both low speed TQ and high speed HP, what is the reason GM would not factory install such a cam from the factory? MPG or emissions get worse?
this is exactly the type of budget rebuild i was planing for my 5.3L LH6... my question is how would it affect its long term (100k Miles) reliability for a daily driver.
@@swappedoutZ71 thanks for the reply... no, nothing crazy on the cam; the most i was going to go is a stage 2 truck cam. the engine came with "243" heads and i was told LS2 6.0L springs would make a good budget upgrade when rebuilding the heads. i know of a shop that does CNC head porting for around $250, so i was thinking of going that rout also. i was reading that the pistons on the 5.3L was a weak point and should be replaced with something stronger for the rebuild process. with TBSS intake and headers should give around 435HP at the crank and 390HP to the wheels sound about right? no real reliability issues sounds too good to be true.
@@ericmartin2470 pistons are pretty much fine unless ur boosting or spraying. They're not a weak point until you push them, and a cam isn't gonna do that to your pistons Personally I'd go better than ls6 springs. I think ls6 springs are good to around 550 or more and btr cams are usually around 550 lift. And I'd skip ls7 lifters, go Johnson or morel. Get trunnion upgrade for your stock rockers or get aftermarket rockers.
A 5000+ truck or SUV with a stock torque converter stage 1 if your willing to put a 2500-2800 stall converter stage 2 anything bigger than a stage 2 in a 5000 pound truck or SUV will need a even higher stall converter 3000+ and lower gears
Btr Truck norris on a 07 6.2 denali yukon awd with long tubes and a airaid intake with stock air box with kool blue filter and efi tune and a stall what’s your thoughts on this set up
@richardholdener1727 it was one of those questions referring to how every one focus on 7,000 rpm horsepower when in reality a daily driver or street car won't see those number. Then these performances engine builders and cam sellers focus on the high rpm numbers knowing it takes a lot more to build the proper engine to comfortably hang around those Rpm numbers without ripping a bearing. I myself focus on the power at 6200 most rpm dash tachs are red at 7k. Lol
It would be cool if the Stage 1 cam would work with the VVT so that I keep that little boost in low end from the VVT in my 4.8 Silverado. The comparison graphs show no-VVT stock cam vs no-VVT performance cam. But if I have to lose the VVT, then how much more of a low end would I trade off? Probably no way to dyno down that low.
@@natricjol - piston to valve clearance becomes a question when you upgrade. The whole point of the swap is to get more lift and duration, but the variable timing makes it trickier to guarantee that there's still room to not hit.
So this is with stock valves only spring kit? Also no valve seating just swapping cams and running it with just mandatory checks correct? Also love the content. Always a lotta fun and I learn stuff.
And just like that , 54-454-11 will be "out of stock" at the blink of an eye . Great vid
Now does it need springs ? And new rockers ?
What springs and rockers did it have before the cam swap , where the rocker trunnions upgraded ?
@@privatedata665 stock every thing
Your work is timeless and priceless, thank you so much
I will now call you Professor Holdener. I learn so much on performance from you. Thank you sir
you are confirming my choice of the BTR Torquer truck cam for my son's '08 Silverado 4.8. He doesn't run it out past 5500rpm so there was not point getting a bigger cam. the shorter duration of the Torquer truck cam tilts the power curve to the right and gives him more power and torque below 5500rpm where he uses it 99% of the time!
great video!
Thats what he says
My thoughts exactly 😂
What do you think would be a good cam swap for a AFM/DOD delete in a LC9. I’m considering POSSIBLY doing more to my truck. But if I don’t what would cam would still be dependable
Stage 1 for the win bang for buck and with stock convertor the driveability will be the best by a mile! 👍
I don't know about y'all but I never get tired of this kind of content!
Well done. I think I'd stick with the stg 1 truck cam too on an actual truck/suv app. My stock 4l60/LM7 Tahoe stalls out right around 2300-2400 rpm on the stock converter so as long as the cam doesn't lose anything from 2500 rpm on it's a good street choice.
These manufacturers really got the stages dialed in. I am running a stage 4 and it's just right for a truck that still sees work. I think if your truck is race only, you need to go slightly bigger than typical truck cam. Because with my stage 4 I don't feel like I lost any low end at all, I could afford to go larger. Especially if I stop hauling around a bunch of tools and materials. But this is with 4.10s and I will be switching to 3.73 soon so we will see how I feel about low end. Right now it hates the back tires anywhere under 30mph so I'd be happy to lose some low end lol
Thank you for having the test results right upfront it is very much appreciated, stayed for the testing and further insight.
Wished LUNATI would let you test some of their VooDoo cams. Be nice to see what Harold Brookshire had up his sleeve designing them.
Send him one.
Love my 256 voodoo in my mopar 383...awesome cam!!
I’m building a 5.3 for my 2001 YukonXL hunting vehicle and using the BTR stage1 with BTR valve springs with the BTR trunnion upgrade. Your videos helped me pick my ‘poisons’
Great work as always. However I can't help but think most of your viewers will be using these for road use. It would be nice to see the bottom end of th Dyno graphs.
Yes! Truck Norris cam please!
Looking forward to the Truck Norris cam test! Perhaps in a 6.0l as well? Time will tell?
Is the truck Norris cam available for purchase allready?
@@rustinpenner5661 it is currently listed on the BTR website?
@@derrelcarter9401 I cudnt find it last week
@@rustinpenner5661 it was listed last night when I looked
@@derrelcarter9401 sweet! I gotta check it out!
After putting in a BTR torque cam in my genIV 5.3l and unless I drive in manual mode, my truck shifts at 55-5700. So on a daily, your never really using 5500+ rpm.
For a daily 5.3l I would suggest:
BTR torque cam
Speed engineering 1 3/4 headers
And a Cold Air Intake
I’d suggest a turbo.
@@matt6951 If I had another vehicle to drive it would already be turboed.😁😁
@@matt6951 That's what I'm in the process of doing.
funny they call them truck cams. My idea of truck is low end torque. retired truck driver so always wanted to be able to pull that hill without shifting. drag racing and winding out to 6-7000 isn't my idea of truck. I would think torque cam or race cam would be better marketing. sure it depend on what rpm you are running but if a street car or truck cruising is usually 2-3000 rpm even at 80mph. race car wind out to 7000, shift then up to 7 grand again. Great videos Richard.
Yeah I agree, low end power is the #1 if you're building to tow. You'd be looking at boost or more displacement rather than the biggest cam you can shove into your engine
All great points , more inches is always a win down low.
Incredibly good info. I've always thought for my purpose, anything but a mild cam and headers is wasted. The TBSS intrigues me as well, but I don't know that I'm capable of properly installing it.
Super easy to install. Did it on mine in a weekend. Contact me if you want assistance.
I believe that stage one cam and a turbo would be delicious... And I stayed until the end. We are loyal out here
💡Marine speakers in the bed of my truck jamming the beginning of Van Halen's Panama at stop lights. Then running a stage 2 Truck cam in my 6.0 with a Trailblazer intake, some 243 / 799 heads milled 30,000 with my Detroit truetrac 488 gear & 35" tires, thats the plan, I'm getting there, its gonna sweet, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT RICHARD!
Richard, thank you for all your info. A Star is born
I will help support the test of the BTR Truck NORRIS CAM !
How to pick the right LS cam :
1. Call Brian Tooley
2. Give him your money
Nope id go with comp cam or even better texas speed
I’d run, summit, tick, and Texas speed before btr.. hell I’d find an old lunati voodoo cam first.
@@matt6951 Why?
@@matt6951 Or even an Elgin P1839 or P1840. The money saved will pay for the valve springs.
So what’s the reason yall dont like BTR stuff? Dont throw shade without giving some reasons.
Gotta love a good bump stick video!!!
Seen lots of comparing of cams and we went with BTR stg4 as many ZL1/LSA motors and their builders seem to love them... might lose some grunt down low though if these results are typical. We added a CircleD 3600 stall converter. Went Wiseco/K1 lower end that BTR had. Tooley seems to have attention to detail and a loyal following so we bought from them. We haven't got the car back yet so we shall see if the desired results occur. Update: Went with a Hughes 3600 stall, bore & stroke, 12# boost = 700+ whp/ 690 tq snapped the 456 input shaft rebuilt with CircleD 1200hp kit.
Yes we need the truck Norris comparison ASAP please!!!
Stage 1 ground on 108 or 110 ... as much time over 400ft/lbs under 5500rpm and 400hp/minimum is my sweet spot. Great numbers for 5.3 liters .. 1.3 hp/cubic inch is 423hp on the 5.3.
So, when I was much younger, I remember seeing trucks listed as having “RV” cams. This led me to believe that they were built for max torque at lower RPM. Are there still cams out there that gain significant torque output? I mean, in real world use, my 2003 2500HD LQ4 truck doesn’t see 5500 RPM for any significant amount of time. I’d love to have a 30-50 lb-ft gain at 3-4500 rpm tapering off to near stock levels at the peak even if it meant minimal to no HP gains on the top of the range. Personally, my truck is for hauling/towing, but I don’t do enough to warrant a diesel (or building a big stroker engine) for the extra off the line lugging ability. Great vid, as always. Thanks Richard!
hard to gain 50 lb-ft down low on an ls application with a cam
@@richardholdener1727 oh, I know, just saying that as an example.
I’d Probably be better off with a “stage 2” PD cam and a LSA anyway.
@@richardholdener1727 can you do 1 on the btr truck Norris cam
Nice! I actually went with the truck style cam in my near stock setup for the local autox (89 Mustang 5.0 Explorer cam) just for the low end grunt of pulling out of corners.
a pro ls summit 8718 cam 500 lift 205/217 at 112 its small really for a stage 1 anything lol its stock 5.3 valve springs still an it added really noticeable gains...granted im running a 3800lbs elcamino its 2500 rpm thru 5500rpm aint horrible if your inside for any reason an just curious...try it what's 300😉😉but i run Fitech ultimate ls system so im still learning ls tuning period....
Richard, I see people stating that Comps Thumper cams are for sound only and don't make power. I know that isn't the case, but would love to reference a RUclips video to prove it. Thanks
Even the cam designer at Comp said it was a marketing thing only, they are a terrible idea from start to finish for performance. ;) And Comp isn't exactly in the game of high end cams as it it, their "new" LST technology has been around for a long time, but they'll make the power that the dyno says and that might be enough after all. :)
Would definitely like to see some testing on Truck Norris. Great video as always. ✌😁
I never understood why you want any of those, especially in a truck. Most of the time I'm running a truck around 2000 rpm or less, rarely up to 3000 rpm, let a lone 5000 rpm or more. Currently driving a 1996 Dodge extended cab with a 6 foot box, 1/2 ton 4x4 with the crappy 4 speed automatic and the 5.9 liter 360 gas with 33x12.50-15" tires making about 10.2 mpg. I want torque at low rpm at highway speeds or 55 to 70 mph in 4th gear.
"I want torque at low rpm at highway speeds or 55 to 70 mph in 4th gear."
Everything comes with a compromise. What you want could only be achieved by increasing engine stroke/adding forced induction or doing a Cummin's swap, otherwise you're limited to changing your gears to match you're desired torque at given RPMs. But your limited use of your vehicle doesn't mean everyone else is going to be using their truck or these truck engines in the same way.
There are so many different uses it's baffling that you "never understood why you want any of those, especially in a truck.", I think you need to get more exposure in the world. Not everyone uses a truck for low RPM or towing and not everyone is using these "truck engines" in a truck application.
I find that, as a light duty truck, my '96 Ram 1/2 ton with 5.2L has a great blend of low end torque and midrange with the 3.5:1 gears and the same stock crappy 4 spd auto. It only has 31's though. But I have no other uses for that truck other than to haul stuff from Lowe's. My K5 Blazer on the other hand isn't primarily intended for the same application and is more of a weekend warrior that would be more fun with another 100hp on the top end for the 5.3 LS that's in it.
That new BTR, Truck Norris Cam looks promising
Great work. I'm building a 6.0 with ported 706 heads and planning on using the comp in the video. Would love to see a similar video on different cams with a higher compression 6.0!
What will you be doing with the truck?
@@swappedoutZ71 it's actually going into my 1958 Edsel, it dropped a valve a couple months ago so I mounted an lq4 and 4l80 in it and planning on building both this winter and eventually plan on putting a lsa blower on it but that's a few years down the road!
@@rb002680 well don't waste money in ported 706s if you don't have them already, get the rec port truck heads or something.
Asking because I ran 706s on a 6.0 and while it was a torque monster it lacked up top. But I was on unported heads and stock intake. I now have ported 243s and ported tbss manifold. It's still a torque monster, and faster up top now too lol
@@swappedoutZ71 that was my plan originally but I'm also planning on selling my daily and replacing it with a 2010+ silverado so figured when I go supercharged I'll put the 706 heads on the truck to increase compression and low end torque and put the rec port heads on the edsel
@@rb002680 sounds like a well thought out plan to me lol. Get bigger valves in the 706s. The 6.0 will love those heads
If there are marine grinds available, that's where my order will be.
They idle clean, pull from idle up, and still have respectable top end.
What better all around cam?
I too would like to know about "truck norris" cam.
Heads up LY6 req heads up... Truck Norris verses the SDCP Hot Truck1 cam.
You can do it Richard.
never heard of the scdp cam
I run a comp cam 54 468 11 in my stock stroke 5.3 , forged rods and pistons 10.1 comp fast lsxr intake , 102 tb , ported 706 heads . Th400 trans 3500 converter , 3.4 gears with twin 6255 turbos. Thing comes on boost like a light switch
Instead of knowing I'll "need a converter", I'd really like some insight on how big of a converter, when to buy a bigger one and how to match it. I have a stock 4.8. I'm getting advice all over the place from 1800 to 3500, to whatever your peak torque is, which on that engine is about 4000. And those variations in number are from "professionals" or at least trans builders, racers, performance parts sellers and performance magazine editors. And theyre all talking about street engines. How do I pich a converter for a street 4.8 ls that will eventually have a mild cam like a stage 1 or 2, without having to change the converter again? I had finally settled on 2400. Again, not racing. Mainly street with a bit of performance.
BTW, great videos. Its helping me figure out what I want to go with on a cam, etc. New to the ls world.
you will be happy with a stage 1 cam and 2400 stall on a 4.8l
@@richardholdener1727 awesome! Thank you, sir!
You had a test with a lunati bootlegger cam with 5.3 with a fast intake and Tfs heads 481hp
I was kind of wanting to see the BTR stage 4 truck cam, but it was definitely enough info to show me what it would be. My buddy has a really nice, billet face "2500" stall converter for sale for cheap, but I've realized that it's not going to work well for me.
Triple disc or nothing. For a stage 4, 3200 minimum in my opinion. Personally I'm running a stage 4 on a 4k and it's nuts from a dig
@@swappedoutZ71 That's pretty much exactly what I have decided on. Fortunately, I didn't buy the one off of my buddy, and have the money to get a proper one.
If I’m not mistaken the summit stage 4 LS cam actually made more than this cam by quite a bit. 475 horse on a 5.3 if I remember correctly
Trucknorris cam for the win
I think my 2007 Buick Rainier 5.3 needs that mild cam and Trailblazer SS intake
A somewhat good gas mileage approach would be the highest amount of tork an the lowest hpm.
Try a stock type dur cam with more valve lift or bigger valves with a small to medium turbo. Open the valves briefly and force feed the cylinders
Bv
Great video Richard. Thank you
Thanks I was waiting for truck cam video, from a long time before
Another good video sir, I keep missing the live videos though🤦🏻♂️.
Stage2 TEXASSPEED in my 99 Z-28 350hp 350tq TEXASSPEED 1 7/8 headers ls6 intake.procharged 6 psi 491hp 471tq wheel
Camshaft decision time again ? Geez man, I just don’t know. Let me get back to you later on that. I’ll have to get an LS first before proceeding with cam choices
I do have a nice inventory of Cleveland solid roller cams...🏁
those work too
@@richardholdener1727 ....for sure. And if a physical fitment issue should pop up, I have a big hammer that’s perfect for fine tuning as needed 😱.
How about a show to demonstrate how to go from stock truck manifold to TBSS.
that just bolts on
Budget drag racing build… biggest cam the 5.3 can run and a single plane carb… if you are taking requests 😂I say carb because they are cheap and a lot of guys making the cross over to the dark side A. Don’t wanna learn fuel injection because it’s new/scary/complicated ect…. B. Already have more than one holley laying around anyway C. Because of B it’s a cheaper route to go. And D don’t wanna do a turbo build yet because of new/scary/complicated… you get the idea. Oh and spoiler alert I’m one of those guys 🙄
Built carb motor on nitrous type of guy 😂🤣 that’s still a good setup but I think turbo and computer tuning will give you more power on the big end, but I get it sometimes this stuff gets complicated and rather not mess with but it’s worth it
@@geraldjackson263 I agree with you completely. I always seen the carb N/A route to be a more do it yourself friendly approach.
@@Lagrange1186 for racing yea it definitely is and not to expensive but you want to learn how to tune from a computer you’ll learn more about the car as well
cams work with carbs too
Fuel injection new?? Factory standard equipment for over 35 years....
Hey Richard- I would like to see the difference between the latest iteration of the Truck Torque cam (there is a revision)and the Stage 1 tested here. Could ya please??
You talking about the V2 truck cams?
@@chadvalliere8697 He tested the V2 Truck Cams, all 3 stages. But the Truck Torque cam he tested another time was the first version.
I would like to see a comparo of the revised Truck Torque cam compared to the Stage 1 V2 Truck Cam on the same engine for an apples to apples test.
I tested every V2 also
Thanks Richard. I'll check again for the later Torque cam test.
Those are the V1 version on the BTR truck cams. The V2 version is what is available now and has a bit different specs. I have the BTR stage 1 truck cam V2 version. It is 206-212 *.553* lift and 112°. V1 was .525 lift.. a small difference I know but would like to see if any difference between V1 and V2
I'v tested both
@@richardholdener1727 have you tried the 4.8 stage 2 turbo cam?
@@richardholdener1727 do you have the numbers on the V2 cams? I'm sure it's not a big difference would like to see if they improved from V1 to V2.
and my buddies wonder why I left the 5.3 in my '99 GMC Sierra stock. Those cams would suck hauling my boat down the interstate @ 70 mph. I also use it to haul my cars to the track. A stock '99 5.3 can pull a '66 Chevy II and "87 Monte Carlo SS or '95 Vette with no problem.
What about bone stock junkyard engine with stock manifolds, ignition, intake, and fuel system? How about a test for us not wanting to do a rebuild, Holley engine management, intake, or headers, just a cam swap in our daily driven truck. Would like to see what a bone stock system would do with a couple different cams. I'm not a programmer and still new to LS engines.
it would need to be tuned if you add a cam (even with stock ecu), I just show you what you get if you tune it properly with a stock ecu
@@richardholdener1727
OK, so no matter what, there's no drop in cam to use? The BTR NSR cams advertise no springs, tune, or converter. Or they used to. Just wanting a little more out of my stock 285,000 mile daily pickup without the huge investment.
Please do the Truck Norris cam! Wanting to know if it’s worth it.
IT IS
You should also get ahold of the new truck Norris cam
I wrote that before you mentioned it lol
already seen the dyno data
Putting together a 2wd OBS std cab Silverado. Cleaning up a 5.3 from a 2001 Tahoe driving through an AR5 manual transmission. Budget build so cam, lifters, pistons, springs, bearings, trunnions, etc will be replaced (engine had pistonslap bad). Towing Jetskis on occasion.
Looking for cam suggestions
i have a cam that would work well
@@richardholdener1727 what do you have?
54-469-11 cam I’d love to see on a vid for a comparison to the 54-454-11
I have directly compared those cams-on cath and rec port heads
@@richardholdener1727 I’d love to see your findings on that if there isent already a vid
Can't wait to see you do a dyno session on the new truck Norris cam. Patiently waiting for that compared to stock/btr's truck cams to decide which is best for my 6.0
get the truck norris
Hey Richard, going by with your comment, it’s okay to put stage 3 cam truck cam for my TBSS? Stock converter and she is a daily and not a race truck. I do some hauling with it for DIY house work. I want more power but I don’t need it to spin the motor to the moon.
stage 3 truck is not good with stock converter-try a smaller cam
Awesome video. I have a 2012 Burb with a 5.3 and the lifter tick. What's the best way to rebuild and get more 0-70 power?
CAMS, SPRINGS AND BIGGER BORE WITH NEW PISTONS
@@richardholdener1727 Awesome thank you very much!
Been looking for a Good Truck Cam for the 4.8,
My truck runs 1600-2000 with the cruise set. 98% of the time it's between there and 4000 RPM with only occasional fun runs to 5000. In my opinion, calling cams that don't really add power until after 4500 RPM "Truck cams" is a joke. Are you supposed to manually down shift it and try to run 5000 RPM to actually gain power to pull a trailer? I understand a cam alone won't make tons of low end torque. Help us out please. On a 5.3L, what combination of parts will add torque from 1800- 4500 RPM? If it adds some power above that, it would be nice, but not necessary. I'd like to see a WILD build for this RPM range.
For power and torque in the RPM range your looking for I would suggest a Magnuson supercharger it will make that 5.3 fell like a 6.2
hi richard when are we going to get some more barra content cheers from down under
Great video. Thank you very much.
@richardholdener do you plan on compiling power numbers from California carbe eo approved parts? You mentioned it before but I may have missed the video
Can we get a bump stick test for modular 4v fords?
Why no love for the BTR Torque cam?
TESTED IT MANY, MANY,MANY TIMES
Id definitely love to see you test the Truck Norris cam! I just ordered a L96 and plan on boring it 30 over with DSS 6cc dome pistons, LPE Ported 823s with Stainless Hollow Stem Intake Valves and stock Inconel exhaust valves, ported Gen4 rec port truck intake manifold and 92mm throttle body. I am definitely leaning towards the truck norris, this combination will be going into 2009 GMC Canyon crew cab with a Supermatic 6l80e swap and probably a 2400 stall converter! I also have the rear axle from a Hummer H3 with 4.56 gears and currently running 32" tall tires
If u added 1 point of compression with that last cam intake combo, would u recoupe that lost low speed torque?
Now it's time to add truck Norris in the BTR truck cam test
Stage 1 w/ tbss intake and 317 head stock vs ported please, I have a lq9
BTR LS TRUCK NORRIS CAM vs the original tourqe cam wonder how they truly compare
the Norris cam is suppose to be better everywhere
Can you do same stock 5.3 test with summit racing stage1 2 3 4 cams ??
Just look at the specs he gives out for these BTR cams; Duration, Lift and LSA(lobe seperation angle)
Compare the BTR stage cams spec on this video to the SR cams and you'll have an idea of what the HP those summit racing makes.
Usually stages on racing parts are just dumbed down ways of telling one part is "better" than the other. Im a dumby myself and could be wrong about this but, i try.😅
Can you please make a vid explaining about max piston speed, 400 is a number I read a lot ., But what if you want to ref it a bit more? what you need, for a 4 inch stroke 6000rpm is about the max if I see othet ( not verry clear ) vids, But I have forged , crank pistons, H beam rods . 4 bold mains . Is that good for a (bit) more ?
don't be concerned about max piston speed, it's not relevant to your motor
Hello. Thanks for the videos. I wanted to ask can a LS engine have good oil pressure with a new oil pump and also have a rod knock?
yes
On the tbss I know you said you ran the stock 706 heads what heads would be the best to make the most power on the set up I have the same set up just want to know should I port my 706s heads or go aftermarket
ported heads help
How about a cam test for us poor California boys? Maybe you could find cams that increase hp and still pass smog.
Seconded
Good power for stock headed 5.3... I run a btr stage 2 with 2600 stall and heads. Its nasty all the way through the rpm range and perfect for a daily. Can you test the ls power max plus cam? It looks like a good camshaft for a 5.3 with the 220/222 duration and good lift... your thoughts?
I have a 2001 Silverado with stock 5.3 and tune and am going to go with the btr stage 2 cam mainly because
I plan on one day putting a 6.0 in it and can use the stage 2 cam in it when I swap it in. Otherwise I would just
go with the stage 1 cam. Oh, and I built my 4L60e trans with all the upgrades and also put the trailblazer 4.2
torque converter in it which gives me about 2600 stall or so behind this little 5.3 motor. The extra stall makes
a pretty big difference on these motors for sure. Mine is a 4x4 that I tow with so not wanting to go too
crazy on stall or cam. For now, just going to the stage 2 cam with springs and maybe a tbss intake if I
can find a used one for the right price.
the 220 cam works-it will just be softer down low than the stock cam
Would Stage 2 be a better shot than stage 1 for a 6.0 on a 2500 Suburban? Stock exhaust.
What would you recommend Comp cams? or Texas Speed cams?
both have good stuff
Great vid. How do you decide what torque converter to run with an upgraded cam? (stall)
ASK THE CONVERTER COMPANY-OR CHECK ON LINE WITH ANY OF THE LS CROWD
Ordered truck Norris cam
Where at?
@@rustinpenner5661 local dealer
I just swapped one performance cam for a bigger one 226/228, 585/588 @114 to a 238/244, 595/595 @114. After tuning the bigger cam only picked up 3.5 hp and at about 400 rpm higher, and lost 20-30 through the rest of the rpm range. Different dynos but both dyno jet. Is it possible that the bigger cam only gained 3.5 hp up top and lost EVERYWHERE else?
those two cams should be 20+ hp difference
Hey Richard, need some help please. I have put an Ls1 in my 94 GMC Sierra. Here in New Zealand the iron blocks are hard to source, my question is: I want to do a Truck Norris Cam but have been told that a performance cam would be better because I have a 'Street engine' in, not a Truck iron block. Am I wrong to still look at wanting the Truck Norris for the ls1?
how much power do you want
The tuners here steer clear of this Cam as they struggle to tune it or to find the tune file for it, is that correct also? I don't see why this would be a hard Cam to tune even if we were in New Zealand.
Mr.Richard I got a 1999 c2500 automatic 4l80e I want every bit of power for towing out of a 5.3 which will replace the 5.7 vortec any ideas for a good combo
MILD CAM, HEADERS, TUNE,
Question: If stepping up to a stage 1 cam gains both low speed TQ and high speed HP, what is the reason GM would not factory install such a cam from the factory? MPG or emissions get worse?
emissions, longevity, cost, required springs
@@richardholdener1727 so a stage 1 will shorten the life of the engine ? 🤔
@@201231 The answer there is likely emissions. Even if borderline, GM won't risk it.
this is exactly the type of budget rebuild i was planing for my 5.3L LH6... my question is how would it affect its long term (100k Miles) reliability for a daily driver.
Valve springs if you're on high lift. Other than that, shouldn't be no big deal on stock stroke and bore.
@@swappedoutZ71 thanks for the reply... no, nothing crazy on the cam; the most i was going to go is a stage 2 truck cam. the engine came with "243" heads and i was told LS2 6.0L springs would make a good budget upgrade when rebuilding the heads. i know of a shop that does CNC head porting for around $250, so i was thinking of going that rout also. i was reading that the pistons on the 5.3L was a weak point and should be replaced with something stronger for the rebuild process. with TBSS intake and headers should give around 435HP at the crank and 390HP to the wheels sound about right? no real reliability issues sounds too good to be true.
@@ericmartin2470 pistons are pretty much fine unless ur boosting or spraying. They're not a weak point until you push them, and a cam isn't gonna do that to your pistons
Personally I'd go better than ls6 springs. I think ls6 springs are good to around 550 or more and btr cams are usually around 550 lift. And I'd skip ls7 lifters, go Johnson or morel. Get trunnion upgrade for your stock rockers or get aftermarket rockers.
@@swappedoutZ71 sounds logical... thanks for the 411
@@ericmartin2470 those are the only real reliability gremlins, the lifters and rockers. They take ALOT out with them when they fail.
Have you done a video on the 4.6 2V with the staged cams?
i tested all of the comp cams
A 5000+ truck or SUV with a stock torque converter stage 1 if your willing to put a 2500-2800 stall converter stage 2 anything bigger than a stage 2 in a 5000 pound truck or SUV will need a even higher stall converter 3000+ and lower gears
Btr Truck norris on a 07 6.2 denali yukon awd with long tubes and a airaid intake with stock air box with kool blue filter and efi tune and a stall what’s your thoughts on this set up
YES
@@richardholdener1727 thanks for the quick response will you be doing a dyno cam video of truck norris in the near future?
I've got a 440 dodge motorhome what would be a good upgrade as far as tork ..i have a 3 speed torkflight
small cam
@@richardholdener1727 256 Lunati Voodoo!
I want the best power out of my 5.3 what do you recommend
I always ask why do 7000rpm hp numbers matter in a street car? 6200rpm numbers are what matter in my opinion
I gave you both
@richardholdener1727 it was one of those questions referring to how every one focus on 7,000 rpm horsepower when in reality a daily driver or street car won't see those number. Then these performances engine builders and cam sellers focus on the high rpm numbers knowing it takes a lot more to build the proper engine to comfortably hang around those Rpm numbers without ripping a bearing. I myself focus on the power at 6200 most rpm dash tachs are red at 7k. Lol
It would be cool if the Stage 1 cam would work with the VVT so that I keep that little boost in low end from the VVT in my 4.8 Silverado. The comparison graphs show no-VVT stock cam vs no-VVT performance cam. But if I have to lose the VVT, then how much more of a low end would I trade off? Probably no way to dyno down that low.
I think BTR is working on VVT gen 3/4 CAMS
Isn't the only difference with the cams the hole in the #2 bearing journal?
@@natricjol - piston to valve clearance becomes a question when you upgrade. The whole point of the swap is to get more lift and duration, but the variable timing makes it trickier to guarantee that there's still room to not hit.
@@Broadpaw_Fox mast motorsports has plenty of cams for vvt. There is also limiters for higher lift cams.
Texas Speed has a few options for VVT. Im in the same boat just enough to wake the truck up some since its my daily driver and wanna keep VVT
When will you do a 5.3 ported heads test? Like 243 or 706s?
lots of those videos up
Great video! Have you done any testing on the Gen IV 6.2 with variable valve timing? Like out of a 2010 and later Escalade.
Not yet! no vvt gen 4
Make one
So this is with stock valves only spring kit? Also no valve seating just swapping cams and running it with just mandatory checks correct? Also love the content. Always a lotta fun and I learn stuff.
stock valves-only cam and springs
Thank you