Just a simple question...How much horsepower can be gotten out of a head and cam setup on an A4 and not affect drivability? I would like a cam that idles like stock.

Thanks,
The Big Dog

 

Alex1217 has a great setup for a A4. It is nothing extreme or over the top so the driveability is still very much there.

I believe he ended with around 410 rwrhp with 3.15 gears.

PM him to see what his setup is.

 

My mods are in my sig below. I ended up with 407 RWHP and 398 RWTQ with my setup. As far as driveability, there's only a small lope sound at idle, there's no hesitation, surging or cut off with my 224/230 cam and no resonance at all inside the cabin (mostly due to the Z06 titanium exhaust). I'm extremely happy with my setup, ECS did a great job giving me a setup that is comfortable enough to use as a daily driver if you wanted but has more than enough power for my needs. A good tune is also essential to keeping the idle smooth. It obviously isn't exactly like a bone stock C5 but I've sat in other vette's with just headers and an aftermarket exhaust like the B&B bullets and my vette is alot smoother with no resonance at all. Knock on wood, its been a very reliable setup as well, even after a few road course events, tons of WOT runs and some very aggressive driving.

 

I have another combo that is very streetable also. The cam is similar to Alex's, I also have the 3.42 rear gear set in mine, so the numbers are not exactly comparable, but close. A good tuner and a good tune make all the difference in the world. A good tuner will make you have high hp vehicle that you can drive regularly.

 

I have heard of a few people just swapping in the cam form a Z06, or the one that Lingenfelter sells that is almost the same (I THINK it's called the GT2-3 but I don't know for sure)

Get some super spiffy heads (like Alex's AFR 205's) and you'll make good power.. and with a stock (Z06) cam, you'll get stock idle.

The exact way you asked the question makes this tough. You ask how to "not affect" drivability. The stock Z06 cam I mentioned would fit that. If you meant "I don't mind a noticable difference, as long as it doesn't bug me when I'm in traffic" then the options (and the ammount of power you'll get) are more. But of course, when you put it like THAT, it's obvious that this is going to be subjective. What bugs me, might not bug Alex or Chaase. (and personally, if they are running a cam with 230 degrees, than that's pretty likely)

.

 

very good point. there are things that I let slide with my car with a Big Cam that other people would never allow. With S/D tuning many of the little annoying things of owning a cammed car are gone which is nice.

The problem I have with suggesting a Z06 Cam is that it is not big enough for most people. Sure you will get some ok numbers out of it, but you are spending the money so you might as well get something more out of it for the same price.

the best bet is to go see some cars that have done H/C job and see if you like the way they act.

 

Oh, I didn't mean to imply that he should do that... Just that there ARE ways to keep a stock idle and bump up the power. Incidentally, the people who have done that usually know the guys at the local shops and install take-off parts that they get cheap after somebody with a stock Z06 upgrades. The guys who use the almost-stock cam tend to me going F/I, which is a different story.

I have a bolt-on car with aftermarket intake and exhaust (full) and custom tuning, but no serious mods (just lost the factory warantee recently) I get 350 to the wheels now, and I bet that just heads (and retune) would add 35-40 rwhp (putting me at 385). Then going to a stock Z06 cam would probably add about 10, leaving me just under 400. Since the other posters have slightly bigger cams and have just OVER 400 rwhp, this seems to be reasonable.

I have been looking into this myself and since I am looking for right around 400 rwhp, I may very well end up going this way. But only if the right deal on a cam comes along. - I agree 100% though... If you're gonna pony up the 400+ bucks for a new cam, you might as well get more than a 2 percent difference in your hp. Unless idle quality is REALLY that important to you


.

 

Fozzy makes a good point, what some people tolerate and what others will tolerate can be different. See if there are any forum members around you with H/C packages and take a ride with them.

I am very confident you can get a good horsepower increase and still keep it running nearly stock. You need to make these things clear to the tuner.

Chris

 

LS-6 207/217 525/525 116 LSA

Lingenfelter
GT2-3 207/220 573/580 118.5LSA

 

2002 ZO6 cam specs are: 204/218 lift .551/.541 117.5 LSA
Larger the LSA smoother the idle.
I went with the ZO6 cam and like others I'm not satisfied with the power of this cam. So I'm having a 224/224/ lift .568/.568 LSA 115.
Having LS6 ported/polished and milling to .62cc chambers. Along with the MODS in my sig. this should get me over 400 rwhp.
Good luck,
SLPRC5

 

IMHO, I think you shouldn't go any lower than a 224/224 sized cam. you're going to wish you went bigger in a month. Do it right the first time. No matter what size cam you choose, remember that drivability is all in the tune. Good luck!

 

There are tons of guys running small-ish cams that idle stock-like that are pushing out low 400's with AFR heads.

 

That makes me feel a little better. I would have sworn that I saw that they were really close.

Not to hyjack the thread, but just for reference... Does anybody have the stock LS1 cam specs handy?

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Alex, have you run the car at the track? I curious what it runs, we have almost the same combo and gears. I would think high 11's @ 117 mph?

 

depends on where you live--in Calif or states with similar smog police i have dynoed several cams and put several on the smog machine--to get over 400 RWHP with an A4 is pretty tough--it takes at least a cam in the 228 range at 114-112 range with heads to get it--and that in my experience won't pass smog---the biggest cam i have seen pas in calif is about a 224 @114 o4 115--after that it is hit or miss--takes a lot of tuning to get one to pass---
With a 6 speed it is way easier because there is less drive train loss--
a 221to 224 would get you 400 RWHP and pass---do your homework 1st as you don'twant to do it twice--Every state has diff. laws--so build your engine to the smog aceptance--who wants to battle every 2 years and worry if you can drive your car or not--