Is a cam worth it? C3
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 210
Likes: 1
From: Aberdeen NC
Is a cam worth it? C3
Hi all, I'm running a stock 1982 C3 and would like a little more low RMP power. I'm running Borla Exhaust with no cat. and want to increase low end power. Everthing else is stock with 71,000 miles. I was thinking of using a Comp. Cam. kit of some sort. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,456
Likes: 2
From: Coming home from Luckenbach Texas
Yes, but...tell us exactly what's under the hood. Is it 100% stock, complete with Cross Fire Injection, or has someone scrapped all that stuff and installed a good old-fashioned carb and intake?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 6,493
Likes: 6
From: Bloomington MN
Cruise-In II Veteran
Originally Posted by page62
Yes, but...tell us exactly what's under the hood. Is it 100% stock, complete with Cross Fire Injection, or has someone scrapped all that stuff and installed a good old-fashioned carb and intake?
I used to have an 82 Trans Am Crossfire. After I put what I would consider a reasonably healthy (not too hot) cam in it, it couldn't hold an idle at all. If you have switched to a carb though, then pick you cam for the motor you have. I am running a Crane Powermax 288H right now that is really a nice street cam. I am quite sure the 82 has a really lame cam and you will pick up a ton of performance with a hotter stick as long as you aren't running the stock computer.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 210
Likes: 1
From: Aberdeen NC
It is all stock… crossfire injection, computer everything with the following exceptions, Borla exhaust with gutted cat. and shift kit in the transmission. I really would hate to rip apart too much… I like having the car close to stock. Thanks
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Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
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From: San Jose CA
The best way, IMO, is to go for a full package. If you pick a cam for the stock L-83, it's going to have to remain mild unless you do some port work on the intake and throttle bodies, reprogram the ECU.
If you wanna get serious about power, you can put a nice pair of cylinder heads in the 180-195cc range, a proper cam of at least 218 deg duration on the intake side @0.050, and a good X-fire intake if you wanna remain stock "appearing". The X-ram is a nice intake, but I'm not sure of availability or if you need to remain smog legal. But this would definitely give you a serious engine of at least 350 flywheel hp.
-Steve
If you wanna get serious about power, you can put a nice pair of cylinder heads in the 180-195cc range, a proper cam of at least 218 deg duration on the intake side @0.050, and a good X-fire intake if you wanna remain stock "appearing". The X-ram is a nice intake, but I'm not sure of availability or if you need to remain smog legal. But this would definitely give you a serious engine of at least 350 flywheel hp.
-Steve
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 6,493
Likes: 6
From: Bloomington MN
Cruise-In II Veteran
The most limiting factor on a crossfire is the intake manifold. It has ports about half the size of what you need to make decent power. There is only so much air and fuel you can physically cram through those ports. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there it is.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,176
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From: State of Confusion
http://www.crossfire.homeip.net/
Based-on from what I've learned there, your options, if remaining close to stock, are few, if attempting REAL Corvette-style HP/TQ numbers.
It seems that much of a cam, anything over stock specs, is limited by the restrictive intake manifold;
replacing the manifold with the X-RAM, or porting the stock intake helps, but the cylinder heads aren't very good;
replacing the heads with smaller chambers help, but then the fairly small TBs are a restriction;
the TBs can be bored over-size, but the stock ECM will need re-worked (and I ain't a computer kind-of-guy).
Other than the members of that forum, nobody, especially the after-market, made many hi-po pieces for the Cross-Fire;
some members have really explored the Cross-Fire, with surprising results!
If you're just interested in a quick hop-up, you may find it easier to switch to a carb, and build a 'traditional'-style SBC.
If my '82 didn't have so few miles (22,700), it'd have a carb, cam, headers, etc., and be making 350 HP easy.....
Based-on from what I've learned there, your options, if remaining close to stock, are few, if attempting REAL Corvette-style HP/TQ numbers.
It seems that much of a cam, anything over stock specs, is limited by the restrictive intake manifold;
replacing the manifold with the X-RAM, or porting the stock intake helps, but the cylinder heads aren't very good;
replacing the heads with smaller chambers help, but then the fairly small TBs are a restriction;
the TBs can be bored over-size, but the stock ECM will need re-worked (and I ain't a computer kind-of-guy).
Other than the members of that forum, nobody, especially the after-market, made many hi-po pieces for the Cross-Fire;
some members have really explored the Cross-Fire, with surprising results!
If you're just interested in a quick hop-up, you may find it easier to switch to a carb, and build a 'traditional'-style SBC.
If my '82 didn't have so few miles (22,700), it'd have a carb, cam, headers, etc., and be making 350 HP easy.....