LS3 SpinMonster Cam 2019 Dyno Numbers
 

A month ago I picked up a stock 2012 C6 Grand Sport from a forum member here (thanks CLynn85 !) and immediately set about researching how to maximize the LS3's performance without breaking the bank or compromising reliability/driveability. Goal for the car is road racing, occasional drag racing, but mostly having a fun street car that doesn't buck and surge and make me not want to drive it.

I decided on the intake/headers/X pipe/cam only route. I didn't want the heads coming off the car. I'm new to the LS scene (any other 4G63 Evo owners on here?) and came to this forum to research cams. One name that kept popping up was SpinMonster. His posts about why his 230 234 made sense were convincing even if they were above my head, he didn't seem to have a dog in the fight as he doesn't sell cams himself, and more than a few seemingly independent result threads convinced me to give his cam a try. I ordered from PeakSpeedShop and was pleased to see that the cam I got was actually ground by Texas Speed Performance and not CompCams, as I read CompCams had ground these cams a few degrees off in the past. I didn't have to specify TSP, that's just what I got.

https://peakspeedshop.com/Zen_Cart/i...roducts_id=452

I installed everything but the cam myself and brought the car to Speed Inc. in Chicago suburbs for the rest. Tony was super responsive and helpful for someone new to LS modding and I can't recommend them enough. With that said, he told me in over 10 years they had never tuned the SpinMonster cam and that I should expect 460-470 whp on their DynoJet. He told me the car would drive great but I could probably make closer to 490 whp with a more aggressive cam. I went ahead with the SpinMonster anyway fully expecting to leave happy with 450-470 whp. I have chased dyno numbers in the past and didn't want to play that game anymore.

Mod list:
SpinMonster Cam 230 234 .615 .600 114LSA
Halltech MF103 Intake
Kooks 1 7/8" longtube headers
Kooks 3" catless X-pipe
OEM 2.5" NPP mufflers
Speed Inc. tune 93 octane

Result: 497 whp & 441 wtq


I was floored. Tony at Speed Inc. said he was shocked the cam did so well. The car absolutely rips and driving home, I was unable to make it do anything that made me regret camming the car. It lopes/shakes enough at idle to make my girl ask if it's broken but beyond that, no surge or bucking whatsoever. I drove in high gears on purpose to cruise at 1000 rpm or so and it honestly feels like stock. Couldn't be happier with my cam choice.

Thanks Speed Inc. and SpinMonster! And thanks to everyone here who posted their results/advice in the past.

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Wow ! Good for you. Doing a similar build but with a BTR 2 cam.

Great numbers! Great choice in cam.

Did the same cam in LS2 recently using the .629 / .615 TSP lobes, made 459 whp / 438 wtq with stock 243 heads (do have FAST 102, Headers, CAI). It’s an awesome cam.

Congrats!

Awesome results! This will be my cam choice for next year!

Could you please post a few speedo pull videos?

Is the OP 2012 Grand Sport a M7 or A6 Trans

I just added ARH 1 7/8" Headers to my 2012 A-6 Grand Sport with NPP
I need to conclude who/where /how to have my car "tuned"

Are there pics showing what has to be removed to access engine to install
cam ????

Thanks, Chuck Sharin Auburn,WA

Nice! Post an idle video when you can.

I still get similar responses many times each year.

The record N/A build using that cam was 521/485 but it used Trick Flow 235 heads. Had the owner bumped compression it would see about 535rwhp but it was to be a boosted car so the compression was left alone.

I'm glad you went with the cam and added another data point. Many people think bigger cams will make more power but the truth is that bigger only adds a degree of difficulty tuning with worse driveability. Feedback from people with far move overlap usually have less power and wish they could have called a do-over.

I'm sad we weren't able to meet up as you said that you would be heading through Colorado. I love meeting up with car enthusiasts to share stories and a meal.

Good luck with your new ride. Drive safe.

M6 trans

Thanks Spin! Coming from the Evo world I know there are always people on every car forum that contribute more than their fair share to the collective knowledge base. From my brief time on the Corvette forum I’d say you’re easily that guy when it comes to cams.

It’s such a great feeling when a risky but educated decision pays off like this. A lot of people said to go more aggressive than your cam. I second guessed myself because a lot of the SpinMonster result threads are a decade old now and I figured it would be more popular over the years if it did as well as you said. After seeing my results I scratch my head at why this isn’t the go-to cam for LS3s.

Judging from the results of a search for 'Spinmonster cam' on youtube, it actually is. I think the big reason it isn't pushed by tuners is that no one has a vested interest in selling it. Every tuner wants their in house designs to prevail so they sell what they come up with. Many run great. Wars have erupted when lower results such as 470rwhp were published by a tuner who then swapped in their cam which then made more. It's results such as your's, when the tuner has no ax to grind, produces a great result and there is no conflict of interest that we see it works well. You can have a range of results and the darker side of posters will only go by the low result.

I shared what worked for me. In the end it's only 4 degrees overlap and drives great. Competing designs with twice the overlap sometimes see over 500rw. The best part of the power it produces is the great Tq curve that stretches all the way to 6700.

I like Texas Speed's use of softer lobes. It makes the same power without snapping the valve open as harshly from a crazy ramp rate. PatrickG came up with a great grind too. I'm not sure if he is still around.

I still check PM's from time to time. If anyone needs any help, I try to get back in a decent amount of time. Always free...

Always good to hear when a well thought out combo works out :thumbs:

Spin/others:

How is your cam on the valvetrain? Are the springs a wear item due to lift/lobe design?

thanks!

Could this cam be used in an A-6 with a stock stall converter?

Why would you do a cam before a converter? A good torque converter is the BEST mod you can do on ANY LS car or truck.

HPDE. The standard torque converter produces less heat than a modified one.

Per TSP if use their lobes
 

Using the TPS proprietary lobes (new within the last few years) with .629/.615 lifts plan to check them every 25K per TSP's response to a personal inquiry on this topic.

Those lobes are used with their Torquer v4 cam for LS2, LS3 stage 2, and Pat G has them for his LS2 Stage 2.

Here's TSP's reply when asked the question...

Me: How often should I plan to swap the springs out as a general maintenance item?

TSP: I would check them at 25k miles. If they are within 5lbs they are fine, you can shim otherwise to bring up pressure if necessary after. Our lobes are very spring friendly and the made in usa top quality PAC springs have never let us down.

Hope this helps,
Andy

Awesome, thank you for the answer! Looks like a GREAT cam - I'm sold. This is definitely going to be my next mod.

what valve springs were used?

could you post a video of the idle in and out of the car?

Just gonna copy off invoice

Brian Tooley Racing .660" Platinum Dual Spring w/Titanium Retainer Kit
Brian Tooley Racing 5/16” diameter, 7.400” Long Chrome Moly pushrods
Brian Tooley Racing LS ROCKER ARM TRUNION KIT (8620 Carburized Steel )

I will post idle videos this week.

Yes....but I would STILL go with a 3000 to 3600 stall cam.

KW