Cammed LS2 engine - what does it involve ?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 202
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From: Sofia
Cammed LS2 engine - what does it involve ?
Hi guys,
Can someone explain a noobie, what does it take, what is involved in improving performance by getting the engine cammed ? I mean literally, what parts do I need to replace, how much does it cost (just an orientation) and how would you place this against forced induction ?
I'm in a roll now upgrading my vette and next month I'm considering spending some $5000 for performance and I'm wondering which route is better. FI or cam. The FI route I know more or less as I have another supercharged car and though people say reliability/driveability is not an issue with A&A supercharges, I'm still a bit reluctant.
Furthermore $5k is very likely not going to be enough as it's not only the A&A kit, but also I'll need a tune and a tuner hardware (no local garage has this, in the entire COUNTRY!), which will be an extra $1k more or less..
Thanks !
Can someone explain a noobie, what does it take, what is involved in improving performance by getting the engine cammed ? I mean literally, what parts do I need to replace, how much does it cost (just an orientation) and how would you place this against forced induction ?
I'm in a roll now upgrading my vette and next month I'm considering spending some $5000 for performance and I'm wondering which route is better. FI or cam. The FI route I know more or less as I have another supercharged car and though people say reliability/driveability is not an issue with A&A supercharges, I'm still a bit reluctant.
Furthermore $5k is very likely not going to be enough as it's not only the A&A kit, but also I'll need a tune and a tuner hardware (no local garage has this, in the entire COUNTRY!), which will be an extra $1k more or less..
Thanks !
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,290
Likes: 0
From: Willow Springs IL
A cam only swap (using the stock heads) is around $3000 or so for the materials and labor. A good shop will change the cam, valve springs, timing chain, and necessary gaskets etc...
With a cam only you will not pick up anywhere near the power that you would with a FI setup. I did a cam swap in my old 03Z and only picked up about 40RWHP over stock. It does make the car sound alot better than stock but as far as power goes you really need to do aftermarket heads along with the cam to get near the power you will make with FI. For around $5000 or so your best bang for the buck will be FI. I have an A&A on my 07 right now and it is hands down WAY more fun to drive than my 03Z06 was.
With a cam only you will not pick up anywhere near the power that you would with a FI setup. I did a cam swap in my old 03Z and only picked up about 40RWHP over stock. It does make the car sound alot better than stock but as far as power goes you really need to do aftermarket heads along with the cam to get near the power you will make with FI. For around $5000 or so your best bang for the buck will be FI. I have an A&A on my 07 right now and it is hands down WAY more fun to drive than my 03Z06 was.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,326
Likes: 5
From: louisville "derby city" kentucky
first of all, be realistic about what power level you want. then look at the whole engine vs just a cam etc. choosing the proper cam has a lot of factors to be figured in it. you should also do a ported throttle body and a FAST intake, and headers without cats if you can. one of the biggest mistakes people make is having too large a cam and not considering all the other factors. complete combinations are what give the best results. good luck, 
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
I have a Heads/CAM/Ported FAST 90/90 450 HP 02 Z06. Its fun as hell to drive but,,,,,,,,in hind sight,,,,a nice Forced induction set up would have been cooler!
FI! More power, less driveability issues.
BC
FI! More power, less driveability issues.
BC
