No need to pull the heads for a cam swap.
hot cam
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,786
Likes: 0
From: Minneapolis MN
hot cam
is it my misundersanding or can i slid a hot cam in to my lt4 and drive it ?will i need tuning or reprograming. how mutch labor hrs for a pro to install. i am concidering a purchase of one. trying to put info together. i have open air box and corsas. long tubes will go on at the same time as cam trying to figure it all out thanks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,596
Likes: 19
From: Portland Oregon
Originally Posted by redvette6spd
is it my misundersanding or can i slid a hot cam in to my lt4 and drive it ?will i need tuning or reprograming. how mutch labor hrs for a pro to install. i am concidering a purchase of one. trying to put info together. i have open air box and corsas. long tubes will go on at the same time as cam trying to figure it all out thanks.
Yes, you can just "slide" it in. But I would highly recommend you replace the springs when you do the cam. While you can run it without any PCM programming, to realize all the benefits from the cam you should have it reprogrammed. As for labor time, doing it in the car my guess or estimate would be around 14 to 16 hours. I consider myself a pro with all the right tools and it took me a long weekend to do the job. However my car has a blower which complicated matters a lot. That time also included replacing the springs. If you don't do the springs you could cut off about 2 hours.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 2,535
Likes: 2
From: Rochester NY
another note, if you are going to have the pro do the install and they will charge you 12-14 hrs of labor. Since the heads gotta come off any way. I would take advantage of having the heads ported/polished.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
The LT4 Hot Cam was designed specifically for the LT4 engine. Although replacing the valve springs certainly wouldn't hurt, it is not required. The LT4 is already set up with everything needed to run the Hot Cam and no other parts are absolutely required.
As for the PCM, tuning will certainly make it run better, but again it was designed with the LT4 in mind. If money is an issue the car will run just fine until you can afford to get it tuned.
The cam swap on an LTx Corvette is not particularly hard, just involved.
As for the PCM, tuning will certainly make it run better, but again it was designed with the LT4 in mind. If money is an issue the car will run just fine until you can afford to get it tuned.
The cam swap on an LTx Corvette is not particularly hard, just involved.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 13,793
Likes: 0
From: St. Peters MO Sometimes you have to prove yourself by doing alot of killing or alot of dying...
You can 'slide it in' and run with it... but a good tune will maximize power gains... book time for the project is 13 hours and I believe it requires lifting the motor to get the cam to slide in properly <I think... I know the 13hr part to be true>.
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Originally Posted by kwik_ta
You can 'slide it in' and run with it... but a good tune will maximize power gains... book time for the project is 13 hours and I believe it requires lifting the motor to get the cam to slide in properly <I think... I know the 13hr part to be true>.
Pro
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 599
Likes: 0
From: Tampa,FL
Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons
The LT4 Hot Cam was designed specifically for the LT4 engine. Although replacing the valve springs certainly wouldn't hurt, it is not required. The LT4 is already set up with everything needed to run the Hot Cam and no other parts are absolutely required.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
I installed a Hot Cam kit in my LT1 along with an electric water pump and a custom computer chip and picked up 44 rear wheel horsepower, taking me from 269 to 313. The LT4 already has 1.6:1 roller rocker arms so the major benefit there is negated. He is also not talking about an electric water pump, so you can subtract off about 7. My computer chip was a guess from a mail order tuner, as such I can say that his stock LT4 program will be just as good. Mass Airflow Cars do a very good job of tuning themselves for wide open throttle performance anyway.
Consider that the LT4 has a more efficient cylinder head and intake setup than the LT1 and you just added a few ponies back on top. I wouldn't really expect 44 horsepower, but 30-35 would not be out of the question at all. I don't know of any other way to add that much horsepower for $200
Consider that the LT4 has a more efficient cylinder head and intake setup than the LT1 and you just added a few ponies back on top. I wouldn't really expect 44 horsepower, but 30-35 would not be out of the question at all. I don't know of any other way to add that much horsepower for $200
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 3,786
Likes: 0
From: Minneapolis MN
the labor thing is a killer if i decide to open up the front if my motor and do the cam will there be trouble with oil leakes a buddy did it now he got a leaker says it comon another thing i am not planing on racing the car just the ocasional aggressive outburst for adrenalin purpuses only just want to enjoy the car thanks for all the information
Last edited by redvette6spd; Nov 28, 2004 at 11:10 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,043
Likes: 3
From: San Jose Pat Tillman - American Hero
Originally Posted by Nathan Plemons
Consider that the LT4 has a more efficient cylinder head and intake setup than the LT1 and you just added a few ponies back on top. I wouldn't really expect 44 horsepower, but 30-35 would not be out of the question at all. I don't know of any other way to add that much horsepower for $200
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,064
Likes: 1,166
From: N. Alabama
My LT4 responded well to the cam, headers, corsa and 52mm TB. I ended up with 343 RWHP and 335 torque after the final addition of the adjustable fuel pressure regulator set at 43psi idle.
I was running with the stock program during that last pull. However, I have since used a little tuning from the LT1 edit software but have not dynoed yet. I probably won't. The vette is strong and well mannered.
I might note that with the 48mm TB I got only 330 HP. I then switched to a BBK 52mm TB while strapped on the dyno and picked up another 10 HP to 340 using stock Fuel regulator. I have since had the original TB bored out to 52mm by Koldos. But personally, the airfoil that I also got did not do any better than the BBK without one.
If you want to run stock programming, you may want to up the ignition advance to 18 below 400 and 22 below 800 rpm to avoid setting misfire at idle. But then, if you change the idle advance, you may as well put in a few more things!
I was running with the stock program during that last pull. However, I have since used a little tuning from the LT1 edit software but have not dynoed yet. I probably won't. The vette is strong and well mannered.
I might note that with the 48mm TB I got only 330 HP. I then switched to a BBK 52mm TB while strapped on the dyno and picked up another 10 HP to 340 using stock Fuel regulator. I have since had the original TB bored out to 52mm by Koldos. But personally, the airfoil that I also got did not do any better than the BBK without one.
If you want to run stock programming, you may want to up the ignition advance to 18 below 400 and 22 below 800 rpm to avoid setting misfire at idle. But then, if you change the idle advance, you may as well put in a few more things!
Pro
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 599
Likes: 0
From: Tampa,FL
Originally Posted by Perfusion
Great point, Nathan... Very true. But for those of us who don't/can't do our own work, it's not adding that much power for $200 - it's adding that much power for $200 + 13hr. labor. For me, labor is $92/hr, so that works out to be $1196 (plus the original 200 = 1396). Now...is that still a *very* worthwhile mod to do if you're able to? YES. Is it necessarily cheap? No...
I do feel I am fairly mechanically inclined..but a cam swap is out of my relm of comfort. I'll go with the N20 for $600 and add 100HP 
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 1,830
Likes: 1
From: atlanta Georgia
well when they say 100 shot of nitrous its not exactly 100 hp its less and its also not at the wheels!
nathan was talking about 30-40 RWHP!!! not crank or flywheel!
the cam is very easy with the right tools and a haynes manual!
simple remove intake ducting, water pump, crank pulley and hub, timing cover, timing gear and old cam! also to get it it remove the radiator shroud so you can drop it in!
does anyone know if you have to remove the intake to do it?
thanks alot your friend
Sean
nathan was talking about 30-40 RWHP!!! not crank or flywheel!
the cam is very easy with the right tools and a haynes manual!
simple remove intake ducting, water pump, crank pulley and hub, timing cover, timing gear and old cam! also to get it it remove the radiator shroud so you can drop it in!
does anyone know if you have to remove the intake to do it?
thanks alot your friend
Sean
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 3,490
Likes: 68
From: Hewitt NJ
Originally Posted by redbullapril23
...does anyone know if you have to remove the intake to do it?
thanks alot your friend
Sean
thanks alot your friend
Sean
Safety Car
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,655
Likes: 24
From: Charleston SC
Originally Posted by southern_son
.
I might note that with the 48mm TB I got only 330 HP. I then switched to a BBK 52mm TB while strapped on the dyno and picked up another 10 HP to 340 using stock Fuel regulator.
I might note that with the 48mm TB I got only 330 HP. I then switched to a BBK 52mm TB while strapped on the dyno and picked up another 10 HP to 340 using stock Fuel regulator.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 14,064
Likes: 1,166
From: N. Alabama
Originally Posted by FD2BLK
This would have been great info in another post about TB's and gains yesterday. I stated then the only realy way was to stick the car on a dyno and see what if any gains where to be had. There has been a lot of opinions on the whole TB thing and very little back to back test to back any of the claims made. So here is one combo that looks like it does benifit from going from 48mm to 52mm. Great info