SPINMONSTER CAM (TSP custom grind), LS2 CAM ONLY RESULTS
 

Was time to replace factory harmonic damper after hearing the dreaded chirping on recent trip through Deal's Gap. Quick glance under the hood verified it had indeed started to slightly wobble. Given the labor involved, decided time for cam swap too.

After MANY hours spent reading various threads on cam options for LS2, decided SPINMONSTER's 230/234 was the way I wanted to go.

Car is '05 M6 w/z51 package

Mods existing prior to cam swap:
- FAST 102 Intake (non-ported / factory 90mm throttle body)
- LG Street Series Headers (1.75" primaries)
- Borla S-type II exhaust
- Vararam CAI

Added:
- SPINMONSTER's CAM (TSP custom grind)
(230/234 .629/.615 114 +2)
- NGK TR6 plugs
- Melling High Volume Oil Pump
- TSP Trunion Kit
- TSP .660" Dual Springs
- Chromoly Pushrods (measured to insure fit)
- Chain and gaskets
- Summit Racing SUM-C2501 Harmonic Damper (standard, non-ud version)

Dyno Baseline:
397.5 whp (5900 RPM) / 415.1 wtq (4700 RPM)

Dyno Post cam install / tune:
459.8 whp (6150 RPM) / 438.3 wtq (4800 RPM)

GAIN = 62.3 whp / 23.2 wtq

Thoughts:
For the cam being the only horsepower gain mod, was hoping to see 50 whp / 15 wtq gains. HP range in mind was 45 - 55, with 55 being very high end given this cam's specs. The emphasis repeatedly stated by SPINMONSTER in it's development was the daily driving manners, not max effort.

Need to pause here to share how it drives. Never would I have thought the car would drive BETTER with a cam than prior to the cam install, IT DOES! The performance shop that did the work is Lethal Performance & Dyno in Jefferson City, TN. It took 3 weeks to get the car back, but they did a FANTASTIC job on the work / tune. They're just shy of 50 miles from our home, and I purposely ran in 6th at 50 - 55 mph between 1300 - 1400 RPM on the way home and could not get a buck or surge out of it. She'll wag her tail at a stop with a nice lope, but once underway the car genuinely drives better than stock. Huge props to Brandon and his team at Lethal for their work, especially the tune. The car is incredibly smooth, with power everywhere.

May update this post with later observations after more mileage and spirited mountain drives (don't track it [haven't yet anyway]). Should heads come next, will be shooting for 11.4 - 11.7:1 compression, from all I've seen shared on this cam it likes that range.

Thought I'd share in case someone else is wondering about this cam with factory 243's and standard compression.

Just picked it up today, only shot one video to upload. May get better one later.

Baseline Dyno sheet:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f94327ee50.jpg


Post cam:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...31c52ee260.jpg


Cam Card:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...1f05ad5694.jpg


Quick walk around while running:

Great results and great read. I had eyeballed Lethal performance and dyno hard but had a different shop do my build. That other shop tune killed my cats because they knew something wasn't right and saying something kept holding it back but didn't fix the issue. Well when I left that shop got less than a half a mile up the rode X-pipe section glowing, thought I was going to lose the car. They band aided it and I got it back to Chattanooga and still knew something wasn't right. Gas smell was super bad. So I called Lethal and Brandon and told him what I had going on and he found the problem, it was the O2 sensors and he did the dyno and street tune. Ending result BTR LS3 N/A Stage 3 cam, tsp stock ported heads (no milling), ARH, 10% ATI UD Pulley, AFE Magnum CAI and 160 stat ended up making 503rwhp and 470rwtq. Car drives very good considering the cam has 10.5 degrees of overlap. I had a TSP spec spin monster cam before this build so I know how it drives and the way Lethal has my BTR stage 3 tune requires just minimal effort to drive over the spin monster cam. I bit my pride when I went to Lethal because I called and talked to him a few times and never went but I wil go in a heartbeat if needed. I should have started and ended my build with Lethal. Oh yeah I'm in Chattanooga and there shop is 2.5 hours away from me.

unless I'm missing something? I have a problem with those #'s, MY 2006 MN6 LS2, 90 mm TB FAST cathedral port 102, stock 243's kooks 1 3/4 LT's 3 inch ZO6 exhaust, 1.7 roller rocker arms and a 224/228 114 LSA .551/.551 crane cam Pulled 425 RWHP and 410 RWTQ. I installed a set of Trick flow "fast as cast 220's and on the same new 2000 hp dyno by the same tuner M. Carnahan(1 of the best IMHO) Vengeance racing, pulled 459.6 RWHP and 441RWTQ, I have a hard time with the #'s before or after.

Those are some impressive numbers and the car sounds awesome by the way. My old LS2 GTO only made 422whp with a Vengeance Racing VRX5 and full bolt ons, given I didn't have a fast 102 but damn those are high numbers.

As is so often stated in this forum, a dyno is just a tool. As such have been measuring gains since stock.

First round of mods are those listed above as existing. Original work was done at FASTECH in Louisville, TN just south of Knoxville. They have a Dyno Dynamics unit, which is known to read low. When researching Dyno Dynamics vs Dynojet came across a conversion factor on evolutionm.net of 1.045 to use when comparing hp between the two. It's a Mitsubishi performance forum, but found it while google'ing the dyno units comparison.

The baseline on Dyno Dynamics stock:
329.6 whp / 338.7 wtq, using hp conversion found = 344.4 Dynojet
- seems very in line with other C6 LS2 stock numbers shared throughout the forum
- loss multiplier defined per baseline dyno dynamics numbers = .8225 hp / .84 tq

Post bolt-ons / tune on Dyno Dynamics:
385 whp / 396.9 wtq, again using hp conversion found = 402 Dynojet
- again, seems very in line with other C6 LS2 numbers with same mods
- NOTE: This is exact mods / tune used for baseline Dynocom numbers in original post

Using multiplier defined by baseline, crank numbers post first round of mods (as can be best calculated):
385 \ .8225 = 468 HP
396.9 \ .84 = 472.5 TQ

Asked Brandon about their Dynocom unit prior to any pulls being done. He stated they're usually very close to Dynojet. If the conversion factor found is close (which it seems to be), then it doesn't seem far off. Either way, not too worried about exact numbers. VERY pleased with how it drives! SoP dyno factor tells me it's got quite a bit more power.

The point: IMO can't go wrong with this cam. Do feel the TSP lobes are a key part of it too. Have done a lot of reading on their cam grinding investment from a few years ago. Seems legit. Have to thank SPINMONSTER for his openness and willingness to share what he's learned through experience. Many are not so open to doing so.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...6dedc2e449.jpg


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...a027c806e9.jpg

Adding 6* duration to both intake and exhaust + .078" & .064" lift to your cam would add 15-20 RWHP to your #s!

Thanks for sharing this, are those LS2 numbers? If so, very nice.

LS3 numbers sorry I though I put that in the post

You did, think I misread as BTR Stage 3. Didn't notice LS3 until now. 503 / 470 are great numbers, especially with manners described. Was thinking it sounded like LS3.

Post cam install observation to share...

Able to pull away from 911 on straits on Cherohala Skyway heading from NC to TN while up there over the weekend. Had 4 - 5 mile stretch where able to play once traffic cleared ahead. Right on my hip in turns as might expect, but coming out going WOT in 3rd from about 3K RPM to (+/-) 6K RPM wasn't able to keep up. Really don't feel that'd have been true prior to cam install. Obviously can't say for certain, but she does pull very hard (from 4K plus especially). Had to get pic from 129 photos for the memory...

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...660f7c7747.jpg



Anyone know what model this is, wondering if an S by the wheels? I'm not up on my 911s. Carrera, just not sure which one.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...0d5887d905.jpg


Lots of fun!

Thanks for sharing, always nice to see LS2 cam results :thumbs:

What a great thread! Your car looks incredible! I love the wheels. I also have an 05 Z51 manual, however mine is bone stock. I was considering the summit racing cams to save some money. Although, if you wouldn't mind, can you share the cost of your setup? Sounds like your getting great results. Also, the Porsche appears to have aftermarket wheels, and I bet it would have been very close with a stock C6 on a roll, probably neck and neck. You should've picked up almost well over a half second in the quarter mile with all the extra power, I would guess.

Hello Alex,

I'd have to sit down and look at the actual cost as it's come in increments. Not all of it was necessary, many parts were non-horsepower gain adds just thought to be a good idea. Much of your expense would also be determined by whether doing install yourself. I've installed most mods on the car aside from the performance adds (and ancillary to those). In my case those have all been done professionally including dyno pulls / tuning. As I'm sure you're aware all of it compliments the other. The headers / FAST are both worth +/- 25 - 30 hp each on an LS2. Believe the additional air flow has much to do with the cam result as well. I am likely in the $8K range invested for performance adds including parts / labor / dyno pulls / tuning / ancillary items such as upgraded oil pump, trunion kit, etc. The increments help to spread that cost. Fan of NA, you could go FI for the same money and gain more power as a result.

Regarding the Porsche, did see one identical to it with same wheels just this past weekend. Those are factory wheels and it was an S.

Hope to see you posting your mods in the near future!

Hey thanks for the info - considering your performance and uniqueness of the vehicle, I'd say its money well spent! its also cool how you can change the powerband of the car, I always feel shifting after 5500 is a waste in stock form. The car looks super sharp as well, headlights, carbon, etc.... it updates it quite nicely.

Great results, and almost spot on to mine with my LS2. I was able to coax a 10.99 out of mine with a very similar setup, so it's no slouch! Of course, now days with factory 10 second cars it's not as impressive anymore. lol

Hello Joe, seen many of your posts in various threads while researching cams, diffs, heads and the like. Notice the 2.59 sec 0-60 in sig every time. That’s awesome! Grab and go to get those numbers.

Curious, are your AFR heads the 230 v2s? Been considering those as well as TFS 225s, PRC 227s, as cast TFS 220s and PRC 225s. TSP had good things to say about the 225s when talking with them about the cam. Seem to be very good value. Would really like to hear your thoughts on the AFRs.

Would also be curious to hear if you’ve upgraded fuel injectors and / or fuel pump? My injectors are at 85% duty cycle per most recent mods when measured on the dyno. ROI seems lacking with the heads proposition when thinking $ for power gains. Especially if requires fuel system upgrade. Think my main motive at some point will be to swap out lifters. Just not sure about all that’s going to be done yet when that happens.

Hope all is well with the racing!

Andy

**Never mind RE:AFRs being 230 v2s, see in sig they’re 205s. Thoughts on those?

I got the 205’s for free so it was a no brainer. They were designed for the ls1 and are a bit small for the ls2 but my car does ok with them. Mine are shaved so compression is 12.1.

I’d buy TrickFlow 225’s if I wasn’t buying. They result in 500 rwhp most of the time.

I have stock injectors and they are doing great, I am at high duty cycle but I never go lean and can always add fuel. My car also runs great... I think the stock injectors give better part throttle drivability than when you swap for bigger. At least some friends have had troubles after they swapped which were tough to tune out. Of course when you add a blower you need to swap.

Here is a thread I did with all my mods overlaid on the Dyno sheet. You can see where heads will help you...all above 4500.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ast-heads.html

Good thread, Joe. Thanks for sharing! Lots of good insight.

Thanks! I wish I'd had that thread when I started modding my Vettes so I decided to make it. Glad you liked it!