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I have a 2004 C5 Base Corvette with a stock motor, and it has an automatic transmission. It has 25,000 miles, one owner, and was taken care of. I am not a mechanic, but have a really great mechanic that works on my car. He works for a race shop and they have a standard labor rate of $157.00 per hour, and that would apply to all work done to my Vette.
The only modifications I have done to my Vette are new Borla cat back mufflers, and tires and wheels. I was thinking about installing new cams and need some feedback on this. By doing this, does it really improve performance? What kind of HP bump would I get? Is it expensive to do this work? What are the best cams to install? Are other mods needed when you upgrade cams? I am not looking to go crazy, but a nice bump in HP would be nice.
My car will be used as a weekend warrior and never brought to the track.
I have a 2004 C5 Base Corvette with a stock motor, and it has an automatic transmission. It has 25,000 miles, one owner, and was taken care of. I am not a mechanic, but have a really great mechanic that works on my car. He works for a race shop and they have a standard labor rate of $157.00 per hour, and that would apply to all work done to my Vette.
The only modifications I have done to my Vette are new Borla cat back mufflers, and tires and wheels. I was thinking about installing new cams and need some feedback on this. By doing this, does it really improve performance? What kind of HP bump would I get? Is it expensive to do this work? What are the best cams to install? Are other mods needed when you upgrade cams? I am not looking to go crazy, but a nice bump in HP would be nice.
My car will be used as a weekend warrior and never brought to the track.
Thank you in advance!
Edgemere
An automatic trans limits your cam selection, unless you make many supporting mods (gets expensive in a hurry). Another question is what rear end gears does your car have? If 2.73 (standard in the A4), you'll need to get a different diff. A G92, 3.15 'performance' gear was optional. The 3.15 is at least workable. If you have the 3.15, I'd say go with a 224° duration I., and 228° E., about .580" lift. With that cam, I'd say you'll pick up at least 40whp. Without stating your budget, it's hard to make recommendations.......
Last edited by grinder11; Jan 30, 2022 at 02:22 PM.
6-7k would cover a supercharger and a lot more horsepower, but as mentioned the automatic transmission might not last at higher power levels. Congrats on the new to you C5
You can't just throw a cam (even a mild one) in it and expect good results. As others have said, you will need supporting mods and MOST IMPORTANTLY a proper tune of the finished setup. Since a new cam will change the timing of the valve train you will need to have the fuel trims adjusted accordingly.
As far as what can be gained-- you can gain a LOT of power with a properly supported cam swap, but as with most things, it's a tradeoff. The more aggressive you go with the cam, the less driveable (from a daily driver standpoint) the car becomes. For a regular driver-type car it might not be worth the effort and expense to swap the cam, especially if you're trying to keep the budget reasonable.
Thanks for the answers. The color of my car is Torch Red. I went through a complete mod upgrade with a 2008 GT500 Shelby I had. I put 20K into the car and was pulling 797HP at the rear wheels. One mod led to another and it was not a daily driver anymore. Sure was fun though! I do not want to go down that rabbit hole again, and I do not want to spend that kind of money as I am retired now. I love my C5 Vette and it is a really cool car. I was hoping to get another 50HP out of my car which led me to cams. As stated I am not a mechanic and would have my race shop do the work. I really would not want to spend more than $3,500.00 at this point. What is the best thing to do to get more HP out of my car without going crazy with money and mods?
Well the good news is you don't need new cams, you only need one! Just messin with ya.
Like Grinder said a budget would help us help you.
I'm voting cam, stall, gears and headers. I'm guessing here but I think you could do those mods for 6-7k.
Sounds like you got a nice car, congrats! What color?
Similar to the OP, I have a 2004 A4 C5 convertible but I have the 3.15 performance axle. I'm reading I should still swap out the rear to 3.73 gears and go with a cam, headers, and tune. I already have a Callaway Honker CAI, Corsa X-pipe, and axle back exhaust. I'm still researching and learning the different Cam types/heights, etc. so open to suggests as I want to maintain the drivability of the car as it will be street only. Just looking for more HP and quickness off the line. Would like to get up to the 450-500 HP range if possible without losing drivability.
I’m retired too, and use my car as a daily driver, so I want smooth and easy on the way to the market, and to haul the mail on an on-ramp. Here’s my suggested recipe.
3.73 gears - $2000 installed with labor. Major perf improvement.
LS6 cam - $200. This and the springs you can do. Probably $1000 labor.
GM LS6 valve springs - $100
Tune - $500
ttl = $3800.
The gears alone will transform your acceleration. The LS6 cam is a well mannered daily driver and does not require headers or an aftermarket convertor. This cam has the same power curve as stock up to about 3700 rpm, at which point it will really build some power all the way through 6000 rpm.
Yes - bigger cams with headers and higher stall converters will make more power. But, you’re talking another $3k or so.
I would be very aware of how difficult it is to build these engines back to OEM specs, unlike older designs. Good thing you have a guy. GM thinks a dedicated clean room is needed to do it properly, and they are pretty tight with a nickel over there.
Instead of getting into a rebuild, lots of guys just drop in a crate motor LS3. But even with selling the old engine, the money wouldn't be working out. Perhaps the bone stock guaranteed durability over the years would justify the higher initial cost.
I’m retired too, and use my car as a daily driver, so I want smooth and easy on the way to the market, and to haul the mail on an on-ramp. Here’s my suggested recipe.
3.73 gears - $2000 installed with labor. Major perf improvement.
LS6 cam - $200. This and the springs you can do. Probably $1000 labor.
GM LS6 valve springs - $100
Tune - $500
ttl = $3800.
The gears alone will transform your acceleration. The LS6 cam is a well mannered daily driver and does not require headers or an aftermarket convertor. This cam has the same power curve as stock up to about 3700 rpm, at which point it will really build some power all the way through 6000 rpm.
Yes - bigger cams with headers and higher stall converters will make more power. But, you’re talking another $3k or so.
All solid recommendations. Good stuff!
I wanted 3.90s in my Z06. I opted to spend $4k for an RPM differential installed instead of spending $2k for gears. IF you think you might do more mods in the future (as you know this gets addictive) this might be a good option.
I have a stock 01 Z06 cam sitting here if you're interested. For the price of shipping and a 30 pack it's yours. However I would suggest you go with a 02-04 cam.
I’m retired too, and use my car as a daily driver, so I want smooth and easy on the way to the market, and to haul the mail on an on-ramp. Here’s my suggested recipe.
3.73 gears - $2000 installed with labor. Major perf improvement.
LS6 cam - $200. This and the springs you can do. Probably $1000 labor.
GM LS6 valve springs - $100
Tune - $500
ttl = $3800.
The gears alone will transform your acceleration. The LS6 cam is a well mannered daily driver and does not require headers or an aftermarket convertor. This cam has the same power curve as stock up to about 3700 rpm, at which point it will really build some power all the way through 6000 rpm.
Yes - bigger cams with headers and higher stall converters will make more power. But, you’re talking another $3k or so.
How much HP would that set up yield if I already have an aftermarket CAI, x-pipe and axle back system? Also, how much extra HP would headers and a higher stall converter add to this set up? Want a little extra chop but want to maintain street driveability.
I’m retired too, and use my car as a daily driver, so I want smooth and easy on the way to the market, and to haul the mail on an on-ramp. Here’s my suggested recipe.
3.73 gears - $2000 installed with labor. Major perf improvement.
LS6 cam - $200. This and the springs you can do. Probably $1000 labor.
GM LS6 valve springs - $100
Tune - $500
ttl = $3800.
The gears alone will transform your acceleration. The LS6 cam is a well mannered daily driver and does not require headers or an aftermarket convertor. This cam has the same power curve as stock up to about 3700 rpm, at which point it will really build some power all the way through 6000 rpm.
Yes - bigger cams with headers and higher stall converters will make more power. But, you’re talking another $3k or so.
I agree with your advice-EXCEPT the cam and springs. Let's say the LS6 cam and springs come to $300.00, as you've stated. IMHO, the OP should go to a slightly better cam. For a cam, for him (not me, I'd go bigger yet!), I'd go with a 219/228 GM "Hot cam". As you stated, the labor is the expensive part. May as we make a real difference he'll feel SOTP. The LS6 springs should work fine with the Hot cam. If the OP is going to fork out $1k for cam swap labor, I think he'd be a lot happier with the Hot cam. Just my .02........
Here’s a dyno sheet on the LS6 Power Max cam from SDPC. More exhaust duration and a bit more lift. Note that this was done on an engine dyno with headers, but not required at this stage…
It demonstrates the mid-range advantage over stock.
How much HP would that set up yield if I already have an aftermarket CAI, x-pipe and axle back system? Also, how much extra HP would headers and a higher stall converter add to this set up? Want a little extra chop but want to maintain street driveability.
Headers can add another 30ish hp and make a difference. Normally headers for these cars come with their own x-pipe. The converter doesn’t add HP Itself, buil will allow the car to idle without creep, and lets the engine rev free under WOT to help the engine hit its power curve sooner. If you want chop you’ll need lower lobe separation angle. Best to talk that over with the cam mfg of your choice.
I agree with your advice-EXCEPT the cam and springs. Let's say the LS6 cam and springs come to $300.00, as you've stated. IMHO, the OP should go to a slightly better cam. For a cam, for him (not me, I'd go bigger yet!), I'd go with a 219/228 GM "Hot cam". As you stated, the labor is the expensive part. May as we make a real difference he'll feel SOTP. The LS6 springs should work fine with the Hot cam. If the OP is going to fork out $1k for cam swap labor, I think he'd be a lot happier with the Hot cam. Just my .02........
Some good points!
Still, he has an A4, so he needs to consider that a more aggressive cam may require a higher stall converter, another couple grand. In addition, a bigger cam will want headers, another couple grand….
I was approaching the OPs intentions from both budget and overall performance. With the additional expense mentioned, he would be in supercharger price ranges. Just depends on his budget and how far he wants to go.
How much HP would that set up yield if I already have an aftermarket CAI, x-pipe and axle back system? Also, how much extra HP would headers and a higher stall converter add to this set up? Want a little extra chop but want to maintain street driveability.
I would guess 350ish.
But you’re going to be a lot faster w the gear swap.
Some good points!
Still, he has an A4, so he needs to consider that a more aggressive cam may require a higher stall converter, another couple grand. In addition, a bigger cam will want headers, another couple grand….
I was approaching the OPs intentions from both budget and overall performance. With the additional expense mentioned, he would be in supercharger price ranges. Just depends on his budget and how far he wants to go.
Based on your original recommendation of the LS6 Power Max Cam, any reason to bump up the recommended rear gears from 3.73 to 3.90? Currently running an A4 with 3.15 rear performance axle stock.
Went down the rabbit hole, you are thinking about. Short answer A&A C5 supercharger and good tune. The ultimate weekend cruiser. No headers, no mufflers, no 3" exhaust, no stall converter and cooler. no rear differential, No extra cold air intake. And all the extra thousands in labor to install. Just POWER.
Went down the rabbit hole, you are thinking about. Short answer A&A C5 supercharger and good tune. The ultimate weekend cruiser. No headers, no mufflers, no 3" exhaust, no stall converter and cooler. no rear differential, No extra cold air intake. And all the extra thousands in labor to install. Just POWER.
Was thinking about it but it's almost double the cost right? You mentioned no extra cold air intake, however doesn't the A&A supercharger cut up and into the radiator shroud? Also, since I'm planning to install a new Dewitts aluminum radiator and fan kit, I would need to exchange for the lower rise unit to accommodate the supercharger correct? I'm currently running a Callaway Honker CAI and would like to keep using it if possible but per the kit pics on the A&A website, apparently that gets replaced with their own intake and shroud. How about the Supercharger and 3.90 rear gears? Or would that be too hard on the A4 transmission? Current kit is $6K + Install + Tune.
Based on your original recommendation of the LS6 Power Max Cam, any reason to bump up the recommended rear gears from 3.73 to 3.90? Currently running an A4 with 3.15 rear performance axle stock.
You could, just depends on how you use the car, since the 3.90 will increase your normal city rpm’s about 200 rpm.
If it were me, I’d stick with 3.73. Here’s some figures:
You could pull more rpm…. For my interests, I wanted a cam that would be happy in the 5000-5500 range, where the stock cam is long out of breath, with 6000 attainable. That’s how I feel it should have come from the factory.
If you really want to turn up the wick, you’ll want upgrades to the trans and converter, and headers. In that case your in A&A territory cost wise all in with the gear swap, which is what all the blower guys will say and they’d be right.
The thing about doing deeper, but not too deep, and then a mild cam is that you can stop there and drive it a while. The LS6 Power Max and 3.73’s is a pretty big jump alone, but not too radical if you want a blower some day. The 3.73 gears would spool up that centrifugal blower like right now.
Ps. Engine power, ie blower/big cam/headers will put a lot of strain on your trans, whereas gears work downstream. In fact the lower gears are easier on the driveline. Either course is proven to work, but with the auto trans you need to take its attributes into consideration.
C5 Cam Shaft Upgrade
