You guys that have installed it...what do you think? Happy with it?

 

I was happy with it in my 95. I actually bought the kit again for my GS but might get something a little bigger.

 

Are the rocker arms in the kit self aligning?

What other parts do I need that are not in the kit?

Bob

 

well, i just started my 95 for the first time today after 3 weeks and 4 weekends of mods incuding the hot cam kit..... you can note in my signture what i had and what i recently added. as for sound and idle, hard to say have yet to attach my SLP 3" catback to the new full lenths, but without it sounds MEAN!!!! :D :D :D haven't pulled her off her blocks just yet because i know im going to have to get some measurements for fitting some intermediate pipe between the hookers and the SLP system. the throttle response is excellent now though, i tapped the gas and she shot to 5500 and not flooring it either, kinda shocked me haven't had it so responsive before. i will post again tuesday to this thread to let you know the seat of the pants feel, and again thursday with updted track times, weather permitting of course..

as for parts needed that aren't in the kit, i posted it somehwere here on the forum but will again post it here:



this is a complete list of what i needed for my job. jeff kopp from superior chevy compiled this for me and it was fantastic. the head gaskets are for the impala ss and are thinner to bump compression a little so if your not interested in this let him know and he can specify the stock gaskets for the heads. also, w/ 100k miles i did the chain and sprockets as well, if you have less, then you my be able to get away with out it. mine had some wear to them to where i would have replaced them before going further wth the job. the rockers are self aligning and adjustable 1.6's and fit on the stock LT-1 studs. not shown but recommended for the job are your throttle body gaskets (all of them recommended) as i dipped my TB to really clean it and of course the gaskets came apart upon disassembly. also i would grab an oil filter adapter gasket kit, $3, what else, let me think....if you ever plan on doing full lengths, do it while your dong this job. you can turn the motor mounts bolts while you have the engine raised after that when its time for them to go in,they were both in and bolted and torqued withing 45 minutes (peace of cake) :D no banging scuffs or scatches either!! and if you do headers cancel the order for the exhaust manifold gaskets as they will not work with the full lengths, i used the ones that came from jegs with the hookers and just trimmed them to fit the D-ports of the heads, worked like a charm and no leaks!! i think thats about it. also if your unsure about your opti do it now as well and if your going to do an elec waterpump this too is a doer while you've gotten her torn down. what else? plug wires! thats about it i think, if i remember anything else i will post again!! good luck, i did the kit for the price and what you get with it. if i had more money i may have gone with some more cam, but i am still not sure how this one will stack up yet. check back late thrusday night for track tests!!

good luck!

chris :smash:


[Modified by lcvette, 11:38 PM 9/9/2001]

 

You can save some good money if you buy the kit, but if you want a little better quality or performance stuff, get them seperate, like above.

 

For the price, the GM hot cam (218/228) is pretty hard to beat, IMHO. Power is a bit peaky, perhaps, and torque is a bit off down low, but that's pretty common with most performance cams.

I had very good experience with a Comp 210/224 cam, a milder unit with excellent drivability, perfect idle, and a really flat torque curve.

The Comp 305 (220/230) is supposed to be an excellent street grind if you want something just a bit more than a GM Hot Cam.

I finally opted for a Crane 222/230. It has a slight lope that I like and comes on very strong. It does like fuel though so I wouldn't suggest it for an otherwise stock LT1 or even LT4 without larger injectors.

A step up from this is the Comp 306 (230/244) which is about as radical as I'd want to go on a stock displacement motor for the street. Strokers can tolerate more cam though.

Best advice is try to get a test drive or at least a test ride in a friend's car with the cam you're interested in. Nothing beats experience.