I'm thinking about having a cam installed in my 2007 manual transmission C6. Here are the currents modifications on my C6:

Vararam CAI
Kooks 1 3/4 headers
Kooks high-flow cats
Corsa Sport exhaust
BM shifter

I have several questions, but I certainly apologize for the simpicity of most of these:

1. I hear the MTI X1 cam is the best fit for my current mods. Do all agree on this? What is the best cam out there for my current mods?

2. My C6 is not my everyday driving car. However, I do on occasion enjoy taking a 1 to 2 hour roadtrip in the vette. Will the installation of a cam prevent me from taking short 1 to 2 hour road trips?

3. Will the cam affect gas consumption?

4. A technician told me that in order to install a cam (keeping the stock cylinder heads), you also have to install a valve train upgrade package. Is this true?

5. Are there any other modifications, aside from what I've done, that should be done to the engine to get the most out of the new cam?

6. Does the car/PCM have to be re-tuned after the installation of the cam?


Again, basic questions, but important for an informed decision. Thanks all!

 

...

 

I think your tech is correct, you need to play with the valve springs, pushrods and such. Not a big deal since it already apart and in the shop.

I think it is against the "Corvette code" to speak of such things as gas consuption or rear tire wear.

You seem to have the intake and exhaust mods covered, which would be needed with a cam anyway.

Try a good performance tune, before your cam upgrade. There is a lot of easy power left inside the computer that a good tuner can get out. If you do a cam, you will need to re-tune after.

The only other mods I see, after the cam are clutch, brakes, wheels, tires... Let the spending begin.

 

1. I hear the MTI X1 cam is the best fit for my current mods. Do all agree on this? What is the best cam out there for my current mods?

There is no "best" cam. Your choice should depend on your mods, driving style, and other needs such as fuel economy, driveability, and emissions. Your mods do not include aftermarket heads or gears, so you don't want a full-tilt racing cam. Do you like a "lopey" rough idle, or prefer a stealthy, stock-like idle? Do you need to pass an emissions test?

2. My C6 is not my everyday driving car. However, I do on occasion enjoy taking a 1 to 2 hour roadtrip in the vette. Will the installation of a cam prevent me from taking short 1 to 2 hour road trips?

The cam will not affect your ability to take road trips. Too big a cam will make low-RPM driveability an issue.

3. Will the cam affect gas consumption?

Yes, especially a large cam.

4. A technician told me that in order to install a cam (keeping the stock cylinder heads), you also have to install a valve train upgrade package. Is this true?

Yes. Most aftermarket cams increase both the lift and the duration, and allow you to get more power at higher RPMs. This requires stiffer valvesprings and pushrods.

5. Are there any other modifications, aside from what I've done, that should be done to the engine to get the most out of the new cam?

A FAST intake would help, but is not mandatory.

6. Does the car/PCM have to be re-tuned after the installation of the cam?

Yes. Even a fairly mild cam will benefit from a tune. A larger cam requires tuning.

Hope this helps.

Gary

 

Thanks for the info hitman99. Yes, I am interested in a lopey rough idle, and here in Texas, emissions is not a problem. So, which cam would be best?

 

Again, there is no "best" cam. If there were, everybody would be running it, and all the other cam manufacturers would go out of business.

There is also an old saying --- "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch". In other words, every cam choice you make comes with tradeoffs. Go too big on duration, and your low end TQ suffers. This is because the increased duration tends to bleed off compression. You can compensate for this by increasing your compression ratio, but that requires new heads, new pistons, or thinner head gaskets. Increased duration usually means more valve overlap (both valves open at the same time). This is what causes a rough idle. You may not mind a little lope, but if you plan to drive much on the street, you probably don't want to idle at 1000 RPM's or higher, either.

Go too big on lift, and you run into issues with valvespring life. If you don't mind swapping out your valvesprings every 20K miles, that may not be a problem, but for those on a budget, or for those who have to pay a tuner/installer, it's a big factor. Also, stock heads will only support a certain amount of lift, and when you go above that the heads will "stall out" because of turbulence, especially at lower RPMs. This can result in poor throttle response.

So, what are your goals? How often do you go to the track? Do you autocross, or go to road racing events? Answers to these questions should influence your choices.

Most guys just want the most power they can get. They get seduced by the PEAK HP numbers that other guys post, and feel cheated if their combo doesn't measure up. In my opinion, this is a very short-sighted approach.

My advice is to pick a proven cam, & hopefully find someone who has one already installed, take a test drive. You will need a local tuner, so ask their advice too. I would suggest duration around 228/232, lift under .600", LSA at 112. There are many choices within that range, and all of them will probably suit your needs.

Gary

 

I would highly recommend that you talk to someone who is a "good" tuner (IMHO HPTuners is the best for our LS engines) because the car will have to be tuned after the cam install, they can walk you through the differences in cam choice and get you close to what you think you want it for. Good luck.

 

Thank you for the awesome presentation/feedback HITMANN99 and BADC64GO. This information really does help me out. I actually donnot go out to the race tracks (yet). I am currently a first-time corvette owner and just having the time of my life! I finally got a vette, and now I want it to be the american muscle car that it was meant to be. Just plain fun, fun, fun!

I just have not decided between LG, MTI, HPE cams. But, like you said, with the specs all the same, it should not matter which company I go with.

thanks

 

Although I have heard they are good and plenty of people are happy...I think LG wants too much of a premium price for thier cam shafts....Just my thoughts...Also consider looking at 21st Century Motorsports. They have all sorts of cams for less $.

 

I went with the G5X1 cam from LG and I'm very happy with the results. I did add the FAST intake as well. I probably picked up 20-25rwhp with the intake. I see other people running the G5X3 cam and no FAST intake and making similar numbers to me.


Matt

 

Good Info Hitman.

 

Don't overlook Texas Speed. Their Torquer V3 is pretty popular.

And as Hitman said, pretty much any cam worth going through the trouble of installing is going to require better springs.

 

have any surging or bucking with that cam? i had a cam from MTI with same specs 228/232 and had problems with surging while driving on the highway cruising in 6th gear...always had to down shift to 5th to avoid surging.
?????

 

We have a new cam about to be released that will surpass our previous S cams power by as much as 10-20 rwhp! Most S cams with no fast intake, make 425-435 rwhp with excellent driveability. As said, the Fast intake is worth 20-25 over the stock LS2, in fact I saw 30 last week on one car!

The new cam along with a fast intake I expect to see making 460-475 rwhp consistantly.

Add some Trick Flow 225's to this setup, and plan on seeing 500-525 rwhp with heads/cam + stock shortblock!

Chuck @ HPE
281-448-1300

 

How streetable would this setup be?
My car is a daily driver so i can't sacrifice my ability to wade through traffic just above idle
Would it pass a smog check??

 

I have kooks headers,xpipe,B&B exhaust and a vortex intake.I installed the MTI G1 cam & love it.No problems driving on long trips.Idles great.After a nice tune from EFI live it ran great!!

 

It's going to mildly aggressive. Under 1500 rpm you can expect slight cam surge, however with a good tune it shouldn't bother you at all. Just a lopey idle is the main thing! If your tuner is good, you won't have any problems with this setup!

As for smog... depends on your local regulations.

Chuck @ HPE
281-448-1300