I know there are a million threads about this as I have been researching for quite a while but figured I'd post here anyways for some feedback.
Car is a 2002 Manual transmission coupe with 58K miles on it, only mods are a Billy Boat PRT axleback and X pipe. I've owned the car for 6 years and love the low end torque and drivability but debating about adding some more power and rumble to the exhaust.

The car is mostly a weekend car that is used for cruising around the streets with the occasional rip down an empty road and pulling up to car shows/cruise nights. Occasionally driven as the daily weather permitting.

Not looking to make huge power, ideally the magic number to me would be 400hp or basically a C5 Z06 LS6 copy. Not looking to go crazy on the mods, I want to keep it a reliable car, probably won't do headers, most likely will not change the heads unless it's not horribly more expensive while a shop is already doing the cam. I've read the harmonic balancer and oil pump are good to change if doing the cam swap. (If heads are recommended, anything from GM that fits an LS1?)

Anyways, I know going too big of a cam is rough on valvetrain/springs (Anything around or over 600 lift), as I said I want to keep it stock like reliability. Not looking to pull the heads if I don't have to. I was looking at the GM Performance Parts website and have read decent things about their "Hot Cam" and "ASA" cam. The Hot Cam even comes as a kit with LS6 valve springs. I know this cam as been around a long time and technology has come a long way, is this still a decent daily driver cam to swap in? Better options available today? I've read this cam is very easy on the valvetrain and like that it's basically a drop in upgrade without needing to change lifters, rockers, etc.

The stock LS6 cam has more lift but less duration. Hot Cam has lower LSA which gives it more lope, not sure if it's got surge at low speeds because of that. Is the LS6 cam a better option?

Basically looking for a cam that will be able to use stock valvetrain, unless a spring upgrade is absolutely recommended, add some good low end torque-mid range power, and be smooth to drive on the street while hopefully adding some nice lope/rumble. Nothing peaky or that makes all the power at redline.

 

Richard Holdner has an exhaustive series of videos on YouTube explaining how to pick exactly the cam profile suited to your needs. The series is very good — and a bit long.
That said, there is a lot of love for several of the 228 cams out there, Texas Speed, Comp, and Brian Tooley included.

 

I say leave it alone if you are not willing to go the distance. I definitely would not crack the motor open for cam only.

 

^^^
The rabbit hole is large...
To pay someone to install the normal Cam/heads/ headers is huge. I did my car two years ago and 20k miles on it now. Runs great. I installed a low lift TSP stage IV truck cam in mine for the same reasons you are asking about. Torque and reliability. As the saying goes... Cheap, Fast, Reliable... Pick two... Mine was not cheap in time or parts. I enjoy engine work ( more fun with others cash) and would do it again.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-coupe-m6.html

 

224 to 228 on the intake will give a nice lope and powerband for a stick shift car and stock gears. I've helped friends on a few cam only LS builds. We usualy swapped on 243 casting heads. Sold gains. I would go with a cam requiring aftermarket springs. The gains on a cam designed for stock spring IMO wouldn't be woth the effort. Also, the ASA cam makes torque but isn't the easiest to tune in a 5.7 with a C5 ecu.

Is a cam only worth it? It all depends on your budget, goals, and timeline. If you're planning on adding heads shortly down the road, I would not swap in a cam and springs, just to buy heads shortly after than have good springs installed. You would set yourself up to spend money twice, on fluids, gaskets, springs, and possibly pushrods. Always measure pushrods. If you can meet your goals with the cam only or the heads are further down the road, go for the cam only.

Prop Joe's topic is a good one.

 

I was looking for the same; good around town manners and strong midrange for occasional short rips. I looked at Scoggin Dickey Z06+ cams and they have basically a more aggressive profile of the GM Z cam. They have two levels and either would perform well and you could use a PAC beehive spring.

I ended up getting a custom ground cam by CamMotion. Again, it’s the same general proportions as the Z06, just more aggressive (218°/226°, .587/.587, 114+3). This cam has a light lope, drives like stock under normal throttle, runs like a scalded dog from 2500 up through 5500 rpm. At the same time I installed stock 243 heads, and then had it tuned. Running through stock exhaust it had 366 whp and 370 tq. Headers would probably add another 25-ish whp.

Im very happy with the combination of driveability and power on tap.

 

Some brands have NSR no springs required or no tune required cams that helps split them into categories.
https://briantooleyracing.com/camsha...KyfvvX3CTTiPqy

I went one level above those, 216/220 .525/.532 as a tune adds power on top and got new ls6 springs for $40 but 114 LSA for less lope. Would have left it as the 2000 has a slightly hottest base cam with the 3:42 rear end and upgraded intake manifold but balancer has the wobble and the cam was cheap used.
The stock springs are 23 years old....

 

At 430 crankshaft I imagine very happy is a bit of an understatement!

 

Do it once, do it right. Just a cam will bring some power, but a set of 243's re-man are only 699 and they come with new valves, guides and springs. You can even call the guy and spec the springs you'll need for the cam you choose! Who is gonna tune for you? Heads and a cam will get you where you want to go easily with a good tune. Think future possibilities too! Like, do you think you will ever boost it? If YES, then have the new HB pinned so you wouldn't need to go back and do that if you add boost in the future.

As far as the cam goes? So many choices but seems as you want something that is friendly in traffic/stop and go and doesn't kill fuel mileage and drivability. Call BTR or one of the other cam vendors and have a chat with them. Numbers and specs are good but discussing the use and pro's/con's to the various options will give you a better understanding and help you make a good choice.


General Motors 243 # Cylinder Heads | Genuine OEM | Aluminum | Performance

This vendor has 100% positive feedback. Heads came packed perfectly and looked brand new. I sent mine off to LME for a porting job after I got them, but for what you want, stock 243's will be the ticket.

 

The heads have to come off for a cam swap, so you are looking at ~30 hours of labor. At $150/hr (cheap for most shops) that's $4500 just in labor. You're foolish if you don't 'do' the heads at the same time.

Your money is much better spent on a set of Long Tube Headers. Those can be installed in a day and will net you exactly what you are looking for. I suggest getting them with cats otherwise the car will stink

 

False

 

The heads DO NOT need to come off for a cam swap. They do need to come off to replace the lifters, if that’s something you decide on.

 

but I would replace 20+ year old lifters and I would buy new genuine GM lifter treys.

 

Hi there. I have a HOT Cam in my C5. You can read up a bit more about it here HOT CAM.

I agree with some of the feedback you've gotten in this thread already. If you're not willing to headers/exhaust, I wouldn't bother with a cam. You will likely unlock just as much power with headers, as you would doing a Cam only upgrade. Headers are a bit of a multiplier for a cam, I'll give you a rough example: Headers upgrade is worth 25 HP, a cam only upgrade is worth 25HP, but Headers + cam is about 70 HP. Keep in mind a cam upgrade will require tuning, a header upgrade tuning would be recommended but not required.

There is some low end surge with a Hot Cam in the 1200-1400 RPM range. I've tried my best to tune it out (I'm a novice tuner) but can't quite shake it all out. It is kind of easily avoidable though, so it doesn't bother me too much unless I stubbornly want to cruise at low RPM.

If you'd like a nice cam with low end manners, but still wakes the car up, check out the Summit SUM-8715R1, or the Scoggin Dickey LS6 Power Max Plus cam.

 

Someone who goes into a motor of that age and doesn't replace such a critical part... well I don't want to be a part of it.
THIS

 

New lifters can be a bit of a gamble these days. I'll keep my good clean originals when I swap. Only thing I'd change them out for is Johnsons. My 27 year old truck with 312,000 miles still has original lifters. It's silly to think something with a fraction of the miles is any worse. Of course you should always inspect the lifters instead of blindly refusing them.

 

I simply corrected your statement about removing the heads. I thought that was pretty clear. I did not suggest, one way or another, that the original lifters be reused.

As stated above, the original lifters are known to run for hundreds of thousands of miles. Not uncommon to use the same lifters just for a cam swap.

 

No offense intended, I'm a guy who doesn't like doing jobs twice.
And for what OP is asking for, a set of LT headers is a better answer

 

250k on my truck, if I did a cam I'd swap them for Morels or Johnsons. Known a few that swapped the cam for the stock lifter tho fail to each their own

 

Thanks for the info! I know 243 heads off the LS6 flow better than the stock 241 heads. How to ported 241 heads compare to stock 243's? Not worth it? I've been researching heads a bit more after the input from this thread.