Smcgrath

2003 z06 black on black (wouldn't have it any other color combo) 6spd with 94k current miles on it.

Car is my current daily for the time being and so I didn't want to get too aggressive with the engine but still make some decent power. My initial course of action was going to go with a cam just under 230 duration but I didn't want to take too big of a dump on my gas mileage either so I started looking at milder cans and get my heads freshened up. I got the car in April of 2017 with 75k miles on it, and it already had borla LT headers, x pipe with no cats, and stock ti mufflers, and the full vararam intake. So lucky for me a few of the major and pain in the butt mods were already there. Since I was going with a more mild aftermarket cam I wanted to make sure I got everything out of it I could, leave nothing on the table so I went with just about every bolt on you could just about think of a long with porting the factory heads. I ordered a custom cam through cammotion (218/224 .595 .586 113 lsa +3, it's almost identical to their ls1 stage 3 mild cam but with a tighter lsa and higher lift) lift is with 1.8 as I went to 1.8 aluminum rollers over stock 1.7 rockers. With that I did cammotion's .650 lift dual spring kit with ti retainers and new chromolly pushrods and texas speed's one piece valve seal/spring seats. Went with new scorpion racing 1.8 aluminum roller rockers, I had read that they used to be kinda junk but have since redesigned their rockers to be stronger. Also got new LS7 replacement hydrolic lifters and new lifter trays. All these new valvetrain goodies would be going into a set of brand new 243s I got here off the forum for a good deal after having them hand ported by a local reputable mechanic that has a good rep with his heads and only does gm builds. Heads would go on with the thinner .040 cometic gaskets to get that little bump in compression. I was also able to swap my stock mufflers for some borla s type bullet mufflers to complete the exhaust system again courtesy of another forum member. While having the top end and front of engine pulled apart for the cam and heads swap I went ahead and did a new melling high pressure oil pump, new heat treated single roller timing chain, 160 t stat and under drive pulley on the crank. On top I did new spark plugs and upgraded to MSD wires and coils and bumped up to 36lb injectors, and did the throttle body coolant bypass tube. Also noticed the clutch pedal was starting to stick to floor so knew the slave cylinder was on it's way out so went with the ls7 clutch kit with flywheel, tick master cylinder and speed bleeder. Once everything was buttoned up and fluids changed and replaced brought it to get tuned by local gm tuner for a street tune. Hit the dyno and made a healthy wheel up of 415 at 6200 and 382 torque at 5200. In keeping with the smaller cam the torque curve stayed nice and broad all throughout which was what I wanted but still got a nice bump in the peak hp without pushing peak out to or past 6400-6500. Will post pics soon of the dyno charts. Only things I got left to do is a 90mm tb and intake setup, already have an ls2 tb I also had polished just waiting on a decent deal for a fast 92 then that will complete this build. Hoping the 90mm setup will get me into the 420s hp to the wheels and into the 390s maybe almost 400 for the torque.

Anyways that's my build story, for now at least, wouldn't mind hearing your 2 cents on the setup or what you got going on under your hood.

bigmackloud

Sounds like a nice build. I look forward to seeing the dyno sheet. Curious how the low end torque compares with some of the bigger cams (which typically shift the torque higher in the rpms).

Where in NC are you? Who did the tuning?

Smcgrath

Smcgrath

Spaceme1117

Very nice.

I have been looking at the Cam Motion LS1 Stage 3 (218/224 .595 .586 116 LSA +3) which is just like yours but with the wider LSA or the little bit more aggressive Titan 3 LS1 (224/228 .603"/.595 113 LSA +3). I am looking for a nice bump over stock but I don't want to go too aggressive and kill the bottom end torque.

How was the idle after the install but before the tune with the 113 LSA on that cam?

Smcgrath

Before the tune it had some decent chop to it for a small cam at the normal 750rpm idle, it sounded like a bigger cam than it really was. When I got it tuned the tune kinda hid the chop because tuner bumped idle up to 880rpm (to ensure I still had enough vacuum at idle) but then he adjust the timing at idle and only at idle to give a some chop back into it. The video of it idling and revving was post tune. The 218/224 still pulls really good even way down below 2000 rpm like the stock ls6 cam but as you can see on the chart the hp really climbs up top and stays pretty flat after peak not really much drop off. If or when I ever put a bigger cam in I'm still going to stay under 230, something along the lines of the titan 3.

Smcgrath

Smcgrath

Smcgrath

Only left I want to do to the engine is new intake, I have a ported ls2 throttle body with harness adapter ready to go, I want a fast 92 but really dont want to spend fast 92 money, 2 close alternatives I've seen are the tpis ls6 manifold with the 90mm snout which I've heard is a better setup than a stock ls2 manifold. Other one is the dorman ls2 manifold, been told that one uses/copied the bottom shell of the fast 92 but has the better runners than the stock ls2 and still has a 90mm snout. What are your guys opinions on these, anyone have any results with either or anyone selling, or should I fork up the dough for the fast? I'm hoping that whatever I take I go with could possibly get me well into the 420s whp (at 415 now for those that didn't read original post).

cv67

Youd benefit from a ported intake at this point imo
Perfect st cam, just enough to let you know somethings going on with probably near perfect manners.

Was curious as to how the runners CC size was before/after.

LS1Brit

Hi, Im also currently looking at the Cam Motion cam, pretty much the same spec. How have you found it now you have been running it awhile?

Smcgrath

It drives fine, nice quick throttle response like stock and still pulls down low like stock (just pulls harder now). I ran into a little bit of the car bucking if cruising below about 1200 rpm but I was able to bring it back to the tuner and he tweaked the tune to get rid of it. Overall it pulls really good at just about any rpm. It compared to stock it pulls harder and harder all the way to the top whereas with the stock cam I feel like I could kinda feel it plateau up top while this one keeps on pulling. I’d say only down side is it breaks the tires loose a lot easier even down low, I just have to upgrade my rubber now though.

Smcgrath

runner sizes for the stock heads is fairly easy to find, as for what they were after, I have no idea, they were hand ported then were almost immediately bolted onto the engine.

LS1Brit

thanks for the feedback, sounds like just what I'm after. Stock like performance just better. sounds nice in your video as well.

Smcgrath

I’ve been very happy with it. But as with anyone I’ve become used to it and now looking at a little bit bigger cams like the BTR stage 2 or similar since I have the other mods to support a bigger cam.

LS1Brit

You have caught the bug! My ls1 is in a AC Cobra replica, I don't think I want more than your power in it, bit of a handful.

PNW_C5Z

More cam...intake manifold (I don't recall if you had one listed?)...open up the rear exhaust (the stock mufflers are typical passenger car chambered ovals, not at all ideal for power)...you could be looking at another ~50whp! It's definitely a slippery slope!

Smcgrath

exhaust is already full aftermarket with no cats and birds stingers, manifold is still stock I’m just waiting on a good deal on a fast 92 or dorman ls2. I did the math and I’m only about 40ish hp at the wheels away from being about the same power to weight ratio as a hellcat which is essentially my goal power wise.

chetly

LS7 clutch is known for being pretty heavy. While that would help torque #'s a bit, it hurts the hp #'s. Wonder how much it would change the #'s if you changed that out?

tombrammer

Thanks for sharing, I like these more modest builds, I assume you did all the work yourself except the tune?