Btr Stage 2 or 3 Cam
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2018
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Btr Stage 2 or 3 Cam
Well I’m looking to cam my corvette I was deciding between the two cams listed above and a stall of around 3200. The car is sort of a daily driver. I’d hate to get the 2 and wish I went bigger. I’d be pairing the cam with a pair of ported 243 heads. Anything I should be aware of? Any opinions are greatly appreciated.
Le Mans Master
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Even their stage 1 cams have .615 lift. I’d call them or someone like Cam Motion, and explain what your goals and driving conditions are. If you’re not racing, want drivability for commuting, you’re looking at a cam that has a good midrange, but is considered mild. On the other hand, there’s a lot of guys on the forum that lean towards big top end numbers. Not a right or wrong answer here,
Heres my take: At 6000rpm in second gear with 4.10 gears I would be close to 90mph. So are you planning on driving that fast, or even faster? In my case, I’m driving city streets usually, but I might find a situation for a nice rip through a couple gears, so I told the cam guy I wanted my power between 2500 and 5200-ish rpm, because I don’t care about high speed. Just want some g-force for a small stretch.
But that’s just me. Decide what you want the car to do under various driving conditions and let the cam guys help you decide. They will give you guidance on springs and pushrods too. Enjoy!
Heres my take: At 6000rpm in second gear with 4.10 gears I would be close to 90mph. So are you planning on driving that fast, or even faster? In my case, I’m driving city streets usually, but I might find a situation for a nice rip through a couple gears, so I told the cam guy I wanted my power between 2500 and 5200-ish rpm, because I don’t care about high speed. Just want some g-force for a small stretch.
But that’s just me. Decide what you want the car to do under various driving conditions and let the cam guys help you decide. They will give you guidance on springs and pushrods too. Enjoy!
Le Mans Master
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I know it's not what you asked, but based on your stated use and desire, I would really really strongly consider an A&A supercharger kit instead. With a cam the more aggressive you go, the less streetable the car becomes. Fuel economy will also drop. With a blower, the car drives like stock when you want it to. It also gets close to stock gas mileage (when you're driving like a normal street car). However, at the same time, it goes like a bat out of hell when you want it to. You'll end up with more power than you can get from a mild to mid cam, while avoiding all the biggest downsides of a cam. When installed and tuned correctly, it is also more reliable. Plus, you'll get more power throughout the power band rather than just at certain ranges. It does cost a bit more. Also, since you have an auto, you'll want to upgrade your transmission. However, you were already looking at a higher stall converter to begin with. I honestly think you'll be a lot happier.
Le Mans Master
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I know it's not what you asked, but based on your stated use and desire, I would really really strongly consider an A&A supercharger kit instead. With a cam the more aggressive you go, the less streetable the car becomes. Fuel economy will also drop. With a blower, the car drives like stock when you want it to. It also gets close to stock gas mileage (when you're driving like a normal street car). However, at the same time, it goes like a bat out of hell when you want it to. You'll end up with more power than you can get from a mild to mid cam, while avoiding all the biggest downsides of a cam. When installed and tuned correctly, it is also more reliable. Plus, you'll get more power throughout the power band rather than just at certain ranges. It does cost a bit more. Also, since you have an auto, you'll want to upgrade your transmission. However, you were already looking at a higher stall converter to begin with. I honestly think you'll be a lot happier.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2017
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From: Virginia
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St. Jude Donor '21-'22
You are correct that an upgraded torque converter is not needed with the supercharger. I am running the OEM converter. I went with a Level V transmission from RPM. At present they are running $3295.00. The A&A kit is $6K. You're probably looking at $500-$700 for the Dyno tune. It is possible to find used stuff in good shape for less. Labor will vary depending on how much you do yourself or what shop you go to. Labor can cost anywhere from $95/hr - $250/hr. I'll admit, this is not a cheap option. However, I think the OP would be MUCH happier with the end result.
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 291
Likes: 5
I know it's not what you asked, but based on your stated use and desire, I would really really strongly consider an A&A supercharger kit instead. With a cam the more aggressive you go, the less streetable the car becomes. Fuel economy will also drop. With a blower, the car drives like stock when you want it to. It also gets close to stock gas mileage (when you're driving like a normal street car). However, at the same time, it goes like a bat out of hell when you want it to. You'll end up with more power than you can get from a mild to mid cam, while avoiding all the biggest downsides of a cam. When installed and tuned correctly, it is also more reliable. Plus, you'll get more power throughout the power band rather than just at certain ranges. It does cost a bit more. Also, since you have an auto, you'll want to upgrade your transmission. However, you were already looking at a higher stall converter to begin with. I honestly think you'll be a lot happier.
Le Mans Master
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A couple of other items to check off:
New HB balancer
Cam!
Remote oil sensor (cheap)
Clean out the radiator and condenser fins (free)
Tensioners, pulleys, belts (a couple hundred)
Enjoy!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2017
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From: Virginia
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The fact that you're already going to be in there does change the math a bit. In that case, I would probably go with a mild cam that would pair well with a blower in the future. I agree that if you are going to do this, you should really reach out to BTR directly. From what I hear they are very helpful, and happy to give you really good expert advice based on the goals that you have. I do still think that you'd enjoy a blower a lot. Good luck!
Le Mans Master
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Any cam works with a blower, but a blower cam has specific characteristics. A blower cam has far less overlap, because it doesn’t need the scavenging to fill the cylinders. Also ideal springs will tend to be heavier as the boost will work against the intake valve closing.
That said, a lot of guys run these superchargers with stock cams, maybe upgraded springs. The reason is that the superchargers make so much power out of the box on a street car, you can’t even hook up the tires on full throttle, adding more power isn’t needed.
If you have the financial means to do it, and you don’t mind the whistle, it’s a great option. Comes down to what would make you happy!
Ps, BTR isn’t the only game in town. Cam Motion, Comp Cams, Isky, even Blower Drive Service can help. Learn as much as you can, and these guys love to talk about their stuff with customers.
Heres some good reading:
https://www.blowerdriveservice.com/CamApplications
That said, a lot of guys run these superchargers with stock cams, maybe upgraded springs. The reason is that the superchargers make so much power out of the box on a street car, you can’t even hook up the tires on full throttle, adding more power isn’t needed.
If you have the financial means to do it, and you don’t mind the whistle, it’s a great option. Comes down to what would make you happy!
Ps, BTR isn’t the only game in town. Cam Motion, Comp Cams, Isky, even Blower Drive Service can help. Learn as much as you can, and these guys love to talk about their stuff with customers.
Heres some good reading:
https://www.blowerdriveservice.com/CamApplications
Last edited by vette4fl; Jun 22, 2023 at 05:40 PM.
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Any cam works with a blower, but a blower cam has specific characteristics. A blower cam has far less overlap, because it doesn’t need the scavenging to fill the cylinders. Also ideal springs will tend to be heavier as the boost will work against the intake valve closing.
That said, a lot of guys run these superchargers with stock cams, maybe upgraded springs. The reason is that the superchargers make so much power out of the box on a street car, you can’t even hook up the tires on full throttle, adding more power isn’t needed.
If you have the financial means to do it, and you don’t mind the whistle, it’s a great option. Comes down to what would make you happy!
Ps, BTR isn’t the only game in town. Cam Motion, Comp Cams, Isky, even Blower Drive Service can help. Learn as much as you can, and these guys love to talk about their stuff with customers.
Heres some good reading:
https://www.blowerdriveservice.com/CamApplications
That said, a lot of guys run these superchargers with stock cams, maybe upgraded springs. The reason is that the superchargers make so much power out of the box on a street car, you can’t even hook up the tires on full throttle, adding more power isn’t needed.
If you have the financial means to do it, and you don’t mind the whistle, it’s a great option. Comes down to what would make you happy!
Ps, BTR isn’t the only game in town. Cam Motion, Comp Cams, Isky, even Blower Drive Service can help. Learn as much as you can, and these guys love to talk about their stuff with customers.
Heres some good reading:
https://www.blowerdriveservice.com/CamApplications
I was thinking about an A&A kit with an upgraded CAM for my 2004, A4 convertible, however the more I read it seems unlike the M6, the supercharger/A4 is not a great match in terms of transmission durability. As a result, I'm thinking of going with a new CAM, new 3.73 rear gears, headers, stall, and transmission cooler. It won't have the top line HP increase a blower would add, but it will make the off-the-line starts and back road driving more fun.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2021
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Likes: 4,343
From: Florida
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Good information.
I was thinking about an A&A kit with an upgraded CAM for my 2004, A4 convertible, however the more I read it seems unlike the M6, the supercharger/A4 is not a great match in terms of transmission durability. As a result, I'm thinking of going with a new CAM, new 3.73 rear gears, headers, stall, and transmission cooler. It won't have the top line HP increase a blower would add, but it will make the off-the-line starts and back road driving more fun.
I was thinking about an A&A kit with an upgraded CAM for my 2004, A4 convertible, however the more I read it seems unlike the M6, the supercharger/A4 is not a great match in terms of transmission durability. As a result, I'm thinking of going with a new CAM, new 3.73 rear gears, headers, stall, and transmission cooler. It won't have the top line HP increase a blower would add, but it will make the off-the-line starts and back road driving more fun.
Heres a good thread in the subject:
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-coupe-m6.html
Last edited by vette4fl; Jun 22, 2023 at 08:58 PM.