Les

I hear you. I've learned from your info in past posts. Right now I have a custom grind spec'ed out from somebody else with very similar specs to the Torquer 116 but on endurance lobes with +1 overlap. I have a call to make today to Geoff at EPS to follow up on a cam he spec'ed for me a few months ago. I love the way the 116 hits hard and I'm hoping to get that power with endurance lobes.

Frans96ss

Our B3 cam does very well in LS7's. We can grind it on a 116 lsa for smoother drivability

MyLS1Hauls

Geoff is a very knowledgeable guy. He's had his name on some pretty notable grinds over the years...TR220, TR224, tRex, etc. I ran a few myself.

Softer lobes do add a bit more "seat to seat" duration, and give a bit less "valve time area", but in my experience, the gain in valve train stability almost cancels this out. Back when I was a young buck, and the XE-R lobes had just come out, I HAD to have them, thinking that they were worth a significant amount of power...plus all of the BIG guys were using them. As the years went on, and further testing was done, it was proven that it wasn't much of a difference...but it did take a toll on your valve train. I still like to push the envelope, but not nearly as much. I like driving more, and wrenching less.

Katech_Zach

From your description in your original post I would advise you go with the Torquer 116. There should be no surging what-so-ever with either camshaft if you have a good tuner. Some cam lug with the Torquer 110 below 1400rpm and 30mph. Absolutely nothing with higher loads. Sounds like you would benefit from an install and tune by Katech. Get that baby up here and let's get her fixed up.

NW94Z

I'm running a custom grind cam similar to a 116 that I worked on with Geoff at EPS. Overlap is +2 though. 224/244 Lift .630/.630 LSA 116

Was able to pull over 600 RWHP on a Dynapack that AHP uses for tuning.

The important part is the car still drives very nicely.

Bad_AX

One good reason is that the Katech cams have been exhaustively validated for the recommended combinations. This is something very, very few other vendors can offer. If the system is stable, it doesn't matter what the lobe design is, it's working. Another good reason is that the Katech cam packages have been in use now for a good number of years in many different engines, and I haven't noticed a lot of hysteria about blown engines and trashed valve trains with the Katech combinations.

Just sayin

Katech_Zach

We continue to use them because we don't have failures. When we have a stable valvetrain validated on our Spintron we keep the valve in control and don't beat parts up. If we were having issues with them, we would stop using them. No issues - keep using a proven package.

Must_Have_Z

I went with a cam custom spec'd by Pat G. Very very similar to the BTR Stage 2.

230/246 .634/.634 116+4. 6 degrees overlap.

Paired with K&N intake, Mamo MSD, NW102 AHP Stage 4 milled .015 heads, Kooks headers and Corsa Sport, I made 556/490. Very happy with the power and driveability from a relatively mild cam. Good chop/lope at idle, but drives great. The addition of the NW102 made the car more fun to drive than stock, because the throttle response is much better ("quicker") and makes shifting smoother. Hardly any extra surge or bucking with this cam. Love it so far, looking forward to the driving season coming up!

*El Ocho*

I'm in the same boat. Will be doing heads/cam soon, just need to decide on a decent, mild cam.

MyLS1Hauls

Fair enough...I can respect that.

outhouse

Katech or AHP same grind 116 offers great power with perfect street manners.


Love mine rain or shine, drives better then stock.

JFG Racing #1

BTR stage 4 cam
BTR spring and rod kit
BTR truion upgrade
Ported MSD intake
Ported stock TB
Haltech 112cf CAI
LME ported and milled heads
Kooks 1 7/8 headers and catted xpipe
Stock npp exhaust

fueledpassion

Mine is 236/244 on a 112+3. It's moderate. Overlap is 16* I think @ .050" lift.

Anyways, if you have a good tuner, someone who understands how to tune part throttle really well and has a track record in doing so, then I would say:

-Keep the overlap 16 or lower @ .050
-Keep the .006" lift duration below 300 on either intake or exhaust
-Keep the slope/lobe/ramp rate moderate
-An atypical grind is better, IMO because you can get an aggressive ramp to open the valve sooner and hold it for longer and have a softer profile for closing events to keep valve train from slapping the seat.

Mine is more aggressive but only because it has a really aggressive slope ground into the cam, making it open almost like a solid roller cam. Basically, it opens very quickly, builds power a few thousand RPM's earlier than most cams, but still holds it's own up top.


If you don't know how good the tuner is, then you should get a cam that the tuner feels comfortable tuning because not all cams are the same in tuning - not even close in some case. Add another degree to my intake advance and there would only be a handful of tuners in the country that could adequately handle the specs of that cam for street applications. So if you were to deal with Katech, then you need to go with a cam that Katech feels comfortable giving you based on your needs. Don't ask them to be like some other shop or to provide results like this guy or to work a build around an unfamiliar cam spec. That isn't a recipe for success, IMO.

kbreese

I'm sure there are some nice off the shelf cams, but the fact that you can get a custom cam from a few very knowledgeable guys for basically the same price, I think that's the way to go.

Tell them your exact setup and exactly what you are looking for and they will deliver. Based on the advice of others hear I went with Geoff @ EPS. Emailed him all my specs and spoke with him on the phone to verify exactly what I wanted and within 10 days it will be shipped to me for total of $465 shipped.

131 Zack 131

I'm on the same boat with deciding on a cam....

I want to pull the trigger to get the heads fixed this month but I just can't decide what cam to go with. I like how both the BTR stage 3 and torquer 110 sound at idle....just can't decide between the two or a custom grind.

outhouse

I was in those same shoes, decided to trust the guys that do it day in and day out on this motor.


I have no regret at all getting the 116 from AHP, the extra 10-15hp of an aggressive cam would be fun about one day every few months, but that's it.


I chose my cam because its a Daily driver and it really does drive better then stock and plenty of power.


The problem with a custom grind is as Katech pointed out, its a crap shoot on longevity. My cam has been through the spintron and not a single negative remark from any user yet.

outhouse

So its not a daily driver?


Don't buy for sound.

131 Zack 131

You're not the first to tell me that lol. And yes, not a DD.

kbreese

I'm not saying you are wrong, but I'm not understanding this. Regarding EPS cams, I heard the Cam Motion cams are very good quality and stronger then Comp Cams for example. Also heard good things about the endurance lobes Geoff uses, with them being easier on the valve train. That coupled with going with a fairly mild cam, I'm not sure why it would raise a question on longevity just because it was custom spec'd?

outhouse

The 116 has a great track record, it is popular with no complaints.


A custom cam is just that, no track record. You did pick guys that can be trusted, and I'm sure it will be a fine cam. I just liked knowing what I was getting and something that was put on a spintron and tested well before it was even released for production. Then after release, it has had nothing but positive reviews.


I wish we knew synergy's mild cams #rs, I know they put out proven mild cams as well. Either way you will be fine your in good hands.