I have been thinking about a cam installation only on a 2000
coupe with :
1. ARH
2. X pipe and cats
3.LS-6 intake
4.160 thermo stat
5.polished TB
6.Large bridge
7.larger Mat
We should assume a cam and kit and etc.

Right now I am not interested in new heads. I here alot of talk
about getting a big cam and there are alot of folks that will say
that what ever I chose pick one size larger. I might also say that
I have a A4 with 273 gears and I am not sure I want a new torq
and lower gears
I have read alot of threads including a current one on another
forum that is very convinceing that a small cam is much better
every day driver than a much bigger cam. When I say small
cam I'm talking about a GM Hot cam or a 224/224. So I guess
this long winded question is can I get my car into the low 12s
with a street cam? Or am I to follow the pack into a monster
cam?
Thanks for reading this thread and your comments

PS- I will probably need that 343 gear come to think of it.

 

 

When you are unsure on cam size, always err on the small side. There are 50 years of experience making that statement.

 

You will need a higher stall tourqe convertor if you want kind of lift & duration or the driveability will suffer. Give us a call for recomendations & options.
813-628-0080

 

This post will do nothing to help your question but hopefully it will make you smile. Or least push this post TTT for you.

"There is no such thing as too much cam... Just not enough engine to handle a big cam"

 

Most people go small and wish they had more... that said go drive some cars. I got to be around baby ams and G5-X4 cams... I chose a G5-X2 and it's perfect for me.

Agressive and lopey, but tame eough to drive w/o a headache.

 

I guess the problem with cam talk is that alot of guys want a lopy
cam so their buddys can talk about the sound-kind of like cat-backs.
Sound does not make speed just talk. I don't care about that.
I do care how my DD runs in all seasons. You hear alot of complaints
with I guess wrong BIG cams that they surge buck what have you.
It shows that GM enginners have alot to do too have powerful
engines that anybody can drive.
So the small cam must have a combination of other componants
to achive a reasonable hp. I have seen small cams do very well
in the 1/4 mile compared to bigger cams.
I would like to qualify myself, I have a goood tuner Mike Norris.
so that cannot be used as the only reason for a big cam.
I have built some vettes over the years without computers
and the big cams of old are the little cams today.

 

I'd look at something under 220 for 2.73s and stock converter. A Z06 cam, Thunder Racing Old Man cam, Lingenfelter GT2-3, etc.

For every guy who wishes he went bigger, there's another guy who wishes he went smaller.

The gear and converter really limits what you can do. The cams listed above would be worth about 20-25 rwhp. If you went to a mild converter you would pick up even more seat-of-the-pants power than any of these cams, plus you could go with a slightly bigger cam, say a 224 or at most a 228, and then you'd be looking at more like 40 rwhp from the cam. If you have to do these mods separately due to finances, converter first.

But if you want to stay with the stock converter and gears I totally understand You want a real car. In that case err on the small side with the cam.

What you might consider instead is really good heads. It costs a little more, but you will pick up 25-40 rwhp with NO downside effects to driveability or mileage. If you can afford them, go with AFR 205s and be done. 40 rwhp or close and probably even better mileage than you get now. If money is a little tighter look at Patriot, Livernois, or Texas Speed LS6 Stage 1.5 heads.

P.S. I just read your last post again and see you're working with Mike Norris. I would just take him money and do what he suggests.

 

Get something with a duration of 360.

 

You have good insight and ideas. I read a thread raveing about a
GM truck converter that was cheap and seem to work for him and
his DD. Any thoughts ?

 

I can't speak to the specifics of converters, I'm a six-speed guy.

 

People that complain about a big cam bucking or surging are either cheaping out on the tune or are not having it tuned by a good shop.

A good tuner can make any cam idle very well and not have any issues.

IMO, a 228 cam is the absolute smallest I would go. It doesn't have any more lope than a stock Z06 cam to me though.