. You definitely need those valve springs.
Hot cam kit with or without headers
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 199
Likes: 24
From: Palmetto FL
Hot cam kit with or without headers
I'm planning to do some mods to my 95 6spd conv. 95k. not going to be a track car, and not doing big internal rebuild yet, but want to start the process. GM Hot Cam Kit seems to be a good starting point, then headers w/ cats (already have Magnaflow Cat Back). Many posts about stock LT1 exhaust being pretty good for stock. Would I be losing much doing just cam, and add headers when engine pulled for rebuild? I read about head flow, etc, but intake/head porting is for later rebuild.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 6,192
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From: near the thumb in the mitten
Everything works off your budget. At 95k rebuild would be a little unusual. The more engine mods the larger the benefits of long tube headers. On a stock lt1 they are worth 15 hp or so. The PCM can deal with the Hot Cam with out custom tuning is a plus. I would only want to have engine apart once. So if you're a planning modified heads the Hot Cam was designed for LT4 top end. Lloyd Elliott and Eldebrock offer top end and cam packages. Although relitively expensive you might consider doing it all at once.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,388
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From: Melbourne, FL
I think headers should be your first performance mod. Every mod after that will continue to make more power due to them, and they're probably the best bang for the buck mod you can make.
i would do a headers and tune long before I did a cam no headers setup.
i would do a headers and tune long before I did a cam no headers setup.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 199
Likes: 24
From: Palmetto FL
Thanks for feedback from everyone. Leaning towards Hot Cam now, and ARH 1 3/4" headers w/cats and tune Spring/Summer due to budget. Don't have the space/time to do cam myself, but C&S Corvette (good reviews from my 'vette club) in Sarasota can handle the job. One place I called about said I didn't need LT4 valve springs w/ 1.6 rockers. I ran away fast.
Last edited by Charsel; Dec 15, 2018 at 11:30 AM.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 7,706
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From: Everett WA
C4 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I would offer this for your consideration:
Installing just long tube headers will not require a tune on your 95 LT1 BUT installing the Hot Cam Kit will require a tune to get the most benefit out of the cam.
The car may "run" without a retune but you're going to leave a lot on the table without it.
Thus, I would go the long tube route first ... then when you can afford the cam and the resulting retune you will already have the LT headers on the car.
Installing just long tube headers will not require a tune on your 95 LT1 BUT installing the Hot Cam Kit will require a tune to get the most benefit out of the cam.
The car may "run" without a retune but you're going to leave a lot on the table without it.
Thus, I would go the long tube route first ... then when you can afford the cam and the resulting retune you will already have the LT headers on the car.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 199
Likes: 24
From: Palmetto FL
I've read that LT require a tune. If I went LT , then Hot Cam wouldn't I need a tune after each installation? I've read the Hot Cam does not require a tune, so a tune after Hot Cam and headers seems more practical and less down time.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,388
Likes: 6,530
From: Melbourne, FL
A cam is going to throw off the tune a lot more, as the valve durations are longer. It's far more likely to need a tune, though a hot cam ia only mildly different.
IMO if you're doing a cam you should get your heads done at the same time "while you're in there", and that definitely Italy needs a tune.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 4,564
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In all honesty you are just wasting money doing something now. If you are planning for a rebuild a little further down the line, I would wait and do everything at once. A lot of the camshaft swap would be redundant during a rebuild, and even the headers would be a wasted effort as they too would come off in a rebuild. If it was my car, I would hold off.
Racer
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 350
Likes: 74
To answer your original question, yes, there is plenty of performance to be had doing just the hot cam kit with stock heads and exhaust. I have the hotcam, valve springs and 1.6 rockers, and nothing else other than a tune and muffler deletes. Stock manifolds and cats still in place. It runs very strong. The way I see it, doing the cam first opens things up so future mods like headers will be that much more effective. 95k isn’t that many miles for an LT1 so if the engine is healthy I wouldn’t hesitate at all to throw a cam in it and not think about a rebuild any time soon.
Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,426
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From: Motor City
To answer your original question, yes, there is plenty of performance to be had doing just the hot cam kit with stock heads and exhaust. I have the hotcam, valve springs and 1.6 rockers, and nothing else other than a tune and muffler deletes. Stock manifolds and cats still in place. It runs very strong. The way I see it, doing the cam first opens things up so future mods like headers will be that much more effective. 95k isn’t that many miles for an LT1 so if the engine is healthy I wouldn’t hesitate at all to throw a cam in it and not think about a rebuild any time soon.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
Likes: 3,291
From: Hartford WI
Thanks for feedback from everyone. Leaning towards Hot Cam now, and ARH 1 3/4" headers w/cats and tune Spring/Summer due to budget. Don't have the space/time to do cam myself, but C&S Corvette (good reviews from my 'vette club) in Sarasota can handle the job. One place I called about said I didn't need LT4 valve springs w/ 1.6 rockers. I ran away fast.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,475
Likes: 3,291
From: Hartford WI
I'd definitely do headers and then get a cam worthy of a dyno tune and time and effort to install. Skip the hotcam that might work OK, with the stock tune. If it is that close that it works, it is probably not the max you can get since that would require a tune. If you are going through all the work to install the cam, might as well get something really good and do a tune. Why hobble yourself?
Racer
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 350
Likes: 74
I'd definitely do headers and then get a cam worthy of a dyno tune and time and effort to install. Skip the hotcam that might work OK, with the stock tune. If it is that close that it works, it is probably not the max you can get since that would require a tune. If you are going through all the work to install the cam, might as well get something really good and do a tune. Why hobble yourself?
Last edited by JBPC4; Dec 21, 2018 at 08:44 PM.