C6LSx

Ok fellow members; I am getting ready to have a new cam installed in my new 2008 LS3 C6 automatic with the NPP exhaust.

Part of the major modifications include the installation of the LG Pro series catted LT headers that I am having Jet-Hot coated.

CAI will most likely be the Callaway Honker unless LPE has their new LS3 CAI ready for sale.

I'll also be installing an SLP underdrive pulley, ported oil pump, electric water pump and 160 degree T-stat.

That leaves me with the two most important modifications which is a new cam and quite possibly the CNC ported cylinder heads from Lingenfelter.

My understanding of the $498.00 GM Hot Cam is that in provides an increase of 50 BHP as a stand alone modification which no change in idle, throttle, driveability and street manners.

It is very important to me that the cam that I choose is very civilized with great street manners and driveability. I've been advised that this cam has no lopey idle or chop to it and is virtually undetectable that 50 BHP has been added to the LS3 via a cam swap.

I am considering this cam given the above attributes and the fact that I will very likely install the Callaway Magnacharger for the LS3 when it becomes available.


So where I am is that I am considering the 50 BHP GM Hot Cam for the reasons stated above and quite possibly the GM L92 ported cylinder heads that are stated to provide and additional 25 BHP.

The combination above should add 75 additional BHP and still provide a viable platform for the later installation of the Callaway Maggie.

BHP increases from the LG Pro LT Headers, under drive pulley, ported oil pump and electric water pump and CAI should sweeten the pot and put me at what I estimate to be 550-575BHP with a great HP tune.

My question to the forum members is that knowing that a tiny bit more than aggresive idle (without any lope) that is very civilized with great street manners and driveability.....am I making the right choice with the GM Hot Cam knowing that I will later install the Maggie?

Or is there another cam that you would recommend that provides better than 50 BHP and is very civilized is sound and idle with great driveability and street manners and as undetectable as the GM Hot Cam?

Thank you in advance for you advice and suggestions.


PS; I have the NPP mufflers and do not want to trash a $1300 set of mufflers. My understanding is that these NPP mufflers on both the C6 and Z06 have a 2.5" ID at the axle back pipe that enters the mufflers. The Z06 however has 3" pipe from the manifold all the way back to the rear NPP mufflers whereas the C6 has 2.5" pipe from the manifolds to the rear mufflers. Would I be able to purchase the Z06 LG Headers with 3" pipe all of the way back to my 2.5" NPP mufflers with a 2.5" reducer at the axle back entry? If so; would this be recommended and would there be any added benefit or should I be concerned about torque loss with the larger 3" pipe?

3 Z06ZR1

What hot cam? In hope not the ol ls-1 hot cam. Only 1 I know of

Joe Lynch

The forum sponsors can help you on the cam choice. There are several recent threads on mild cams for these engines. I would start there and then make a few phone calls.

theofel

First time I heard of this GM hot cam. Sounds like no other cam...50 HP without any significant difference in idle. I'm game. Tell me more......

LS3 Machine

If I were you....

I would not:

Charge the heads... the LS3 heads are very efficient and the minior improvement you may (or may not) get from headwork are not worth it IMHO.

Electric water pump. Fairly expensive and have failed on several CF members. Not worth the minor gain.

I see the above mods as wallet mods, they just remove money from your wallet.



You are definately on the right track with a cam, headers, UD Pulley, intake, and tune. Best improvement in the LS3 for the lowest cost (excluding N2O). With these mods you can easily get your LS3 in the high 400s, close to 500 RWHP. I don't use BHP since I have no way of measuing it.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cool Rod

Is this cam actually available now?

Where is it coming from?

If it's not going to affect your new car warranty, I'd be on it like a monkey on a football.

blackvette101

Are there any specs for this cam. 50 HP and no differance in idle or drivabilty sounds like to me but who knows.

Wallacefl

I have used this cam ...112 LSA....I doubt you would like the idle...I am hoping someone will try out a Thunder Racing CHEATR or a Lingenfelter GT11 and give us some feedback

Craigster05

Actually it is the LS-1 Hot cam....I checked the part number with GM. It's a 219° intake and 228° exhaust with .525-inch intake and exhaust valve lift. It does lope a little at idle, and I've never heard of anyone getting 50 HP with just it. I think the "50HP" rumor is from the LS3 crate engine ad from GMPP. Look deeper, if they are getting 50 extra HP over he standard LS3, there's probably a few other things tweaking up the HP.

How civilized it idles has more to do with the cams LSA and the tune. If you are really intent on going FI, I would call one of the forum sponsor FI specialists like ECS or Cartek and discuss it first hand. They've both built some very fast street and track cars with numbers to back them up.

C6LSx

Here is the actual information from GM Performance Parts with regard to the GM Hot Cam producing an additional 50 BHP across the powerband on the LS3 engine

You are correct that the LS3 is available in three crate versions; 376/430 as installed in the 08 C6, 376/480 with the GM Hot Cam and the carb 376/510 version.

As reported, the 376/480 LS3 crate engine version includes the GM Hot Cam that increases the BHP by an additional 50HP. And of course this cam is available through the GM Performance Parts catalog for our 376/430 engines and is warranted as specified below.

Once again, I am hoping to hear from someone that has our base 2008LS3 376/430 engine and has actually installed this GM Hot Cam and can report their opinions.

The 50 BHP increase on the LS3 276/430 platform IMO has to be correct given that GM reports HP numbers under the SAE guidelines.

GM Performance Parts Catalog Cam Description:


LS3 + Hot Cam = Loads of Fun.

What's Hot?

· Hot Cam!
· Big EFI power
· 24-month GMPP warranty

The hot new small block V8 in the GM lineup is the hyper-aggressive LS3. It offers a high-revving 376-inch combination that represents generations of small block V8 development and engineering. Not only is the LS3 an amazing engine in its stock configuration, but with those high-flowing rectangular port cylinder heads, the LS3 is loaded with potential. To tap into this potential, the engineers at GM Performance Parts offer you the LS 376/480 – an LS3 with an upgraded camshaft that ups power by a whopping 50 horsepower!
The LS 376/480 comes with the same great features as the LS3 crate engine. The bottom end includes a 6-bolt aluminum block, nodular crank, high performance rods, and 10.7:1 pistons. The heads are high-flowing rectangular-port units that share their design with the amazing LS7. The same EFI intake manifold feeds the hungry engine, while 1.7:1 roller rockers work with the upgraded camshaft.
The GM Performance Parts engineers picked the LS Hot Cam (p/n 12617570) to take the LS3 to the next level. This cam specs out with .525-inch intake and exhaust valve lift. Duration (@ .050 inches) is 219° intake and 228° exhaust. This cam allows for a dramatic increase in power across the power band while still maintaining good street manners. The engine will idle and cruise just like an LS3, but the power increase is there whenever you need it.
With all of the same great components as the LS3, but with an additional 50 horsepower, the new LS 376/480 is ready, willing, and able to answer your call for a new LS crate engine.

JFTaylor

CARTEK's 2X 228/232 @ .585 & 114LSA

Nd4spd2

Sounds pretty good to me. I have the LS3 A6 as well and have been wondering about this option. Keep us up to date on what you do.

Wallacefl

may want to approach LPE with your concerns /thoughts...only problem is I have tried contacting them several times trying to get some RWHP #'s on their 2008 LS3 520 hp package...still no answers....I have the same car you do and am not willing to to give up drivability/idle...with an A6 almost any cam with greater that 220 intake duration or LSA < 115 is going to have some chop or lope in the idle and will be pushing the car at a standstill requiring a higher stall converter.

C6LSx

I too looked at the LPE package and am considering having them do my installation with some modifications to what they are offering with the parts in the package. I have the NPP exhaust and won't get rid of that in favor of the Corsa as the NPP provides the best of both worlds. Even Billy Boat has jumped on the NPP wagon with there new Fusion muffler package.

The NPP exhaust is very civilized while driving through the subdivision, but yet when the butterfly valves open; the asphalt starts to crumble once out on the highway! I don't want an exhaust system that while under idle sounds like a Harley Davidson Fatboy with drag pipes.

But with regard to the LS3 head and cam package, I am figuring that any decent cnc ported head and mild cam package should provide at least a 20% increase in BHP.

In this case; the GM Hot Cam is good for 50 FWHP and the L92 CNC ported heads with stock valve geometry is good for another 25 for a total of 75.

Adding the additional 75 BHP to the factory rated 430 puts you at 505 with the Corsa and CAI putting the LPE package at the 520 BHP.

In reality; the LPE package is probably closer to 540-550 FWHP with a good LPE dyno tune and the under drive pulley and ported oil pump.

I'm figuring that adding back the LG Pro Series LT Headers and electric water pump, I should be at about 575 FWHP with perhaps close to 500 RWHP.

I looked at the GMPP dyno graph and this GM Hot Cam has a very strong and almost flat torque curve all the way through the power band.

The most important thing to me with regard to cam selection is maintaining a strong torque curve and not ending up with a cam that is going to have any real detectable lope or chop to it. Like you, for my application the cam selection has to have good idle, good civil street manners and driveability.

I like the fact that it is a GM Performance product and warranted as such in addition to the Lingenfelter warranty as well.

Have you tried speaking to Jeff yet at LPE?

He is very knowledgeable and is usually always on par with his recommendations based on your application.

This cam was slated for release in April of this year and has just been released for sale by GM. With that said, it may be difficult to find someone that has had it installed and can comment on its performance.

On a side note, I was speaking with Zip Corvette and they have a LS3 cylinder head package in development with a revised shaft mounted valve train geometry for the LS3 that is supposed to flow some incredible numbers, but is slated for release in the early summer.

Ragtop 99

Please explain what your goals for the car are and your HP target. BHP doesn't really help in the discussion.

Much of this sounds like "wallet mods" as mentioned above. If you are going to get a maggie, there are options to increase boost and probably hit the power level you desire without heads and maybe other things too. Call Callaway, LPE, ECS and talk to them. If you goals are very lofty, you may be looking at wanting a built bottom end too.

I also would not use the hot cam kit. I'd look at heavier duty comps or patriot gold springs when doing the swap out since you will be going FI.

Flareside

Part number 12617570 that GMPP lists in their ad shows up everywhere as a connecting rod, not a cam.

Is this cam really on a 112? If so, I can't see how it will run like stock. I hope it does, but I doubt it.

Vetteinplano

It's been my experience that items that add horsepower don't add it progressively. 4 "things" that are advertised to add 15 HP each when installed, probably won't equal 60HP when all four are installed.

Wallacefl

As stated ...I used the the cam in an Ls1 and it does not idle like stock. When you add the headers to; noise will be up. IMHO if you are trying to keep stock like manners you need to mimic the wider LSA's used by Thunder racing, MTI, LPE...ie > 114 in most situations...What did LPE say about their GT11?....Looking over their package like you have I think it is quite possible with headers you might squeeze 450-460 RWHP out of it...headers=30;underdrive pulley=5;cai=10; GT11 cam=?;ported heads=10(remember these are big port L92's). If you look around the posts/site you see a lot of big RWHP#'s and enthusiasm but also look at the GTO forums and you will see day to day driving stories about bigger cam in automatics...I have done several big cams in the past and in a lot of cases you have to "make yourself learn to like them"

Joe_G

I am pretty certain you will not get 50 rwhp from that small Hot Cam. And I had a 112 LSA cam and it loped a lot (I like that though).

Your mod schedule sounds great except for the cam. Here's a thread on point on your mod needs:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1929832

You can use Patriot Extreme Gold springs - at $275 or so a set including Super 7 locks, Vitron seals and Titanium retains they are a great performance value.

LPE Fbod

+1 on this advice....except Jeff is gone.

Kevin is who you're looking for. I spoke with him last week regarding some new grinds they were going to put on the dyno using their LS3 (L92) heads. Maybe a month or two?