# Quick cam question.



## A4GTOMAJOR (Oct 21, 2009)

Can I run stock pushrods with a Cam with the specs of 232/234 595/598 112?


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## IMCauley (Oct 14, 2010)

I'd suggest getting reinforced pushrods.


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## A4GTOMAJOR (Oct 21, 2009)

What would happen if I didn't? I'm on a tight budget with a cam right now. Could it wait a couple of months before I get reinforced ones?


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

In a word, no. My cam is a tad smaller then that and Texas-Speed felt the need to include pushrods in the heads-cam kit they sent me. They aren't that expensive. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but they break it down on my invoice and a whole set is somewhere between 100 and 200 bucks. 

Is your LS engine worth the extra insurance? I say yes! There's 10s of thousands of road warriors out there that would KILL to have that motor in their car (Hot Rod Magazine just did an article on how the LS motors are the most popular engine swap motors of all time, from home made hot rods, to early muscle cars, to modern day Mustangs and imports).

You're treading on thin ice with your stock rocker arms as well. Everything may hold together just fine, for awhile. But how long is awhile? If you only drive your car on the weekends and puppy dog it around town and only get on it every now and then, well of course you'd be fine. If you take it to the track (balls out launching from dead stops), or use it as a daily driver, then you're playing Russian roulette. Consider buying a needle trunnion upgrade kit for the stock rockers. It beats breaking a rocker or ending up with needle bearings in your oil pan. 

It took me over a year of saving up $ and buying parts here and there when I could afford them until I had everything I needed for my build. I didn't want to half-ass anything, and I didn't want to have to go back into the motor for anything that could've been done the first time around. It sucked stairing at those parts in boxes for a year in my sunroom, but in the end, I'm glad I did.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

A4GTOMAJOR said:


> What would happen if I didn't? I'm on a tight budget with a cam right now. Could it wait a couple of months before I get reinforced ones?


Possable bent pushrod...

Why can't you wait and do it all at once?

Bigger cam comes with stonger springs and higher revs equal more stress on lightweight stock pushrods. Check to make shure you have the correct length pushrods for your application.


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## ballinboyz44 (Oct 1, 2010)

dustyminpin said:


> In a word, no. My cam is a tad smaller then that and Texas-Speed felt the need to include pushrods in the heads-cam kit they sent me. They aren't that expensive. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but they break it down on my invoice and a whole set is somewhere between 100 and 200 bucks.
> 
> Is your LS engine worth the extra insurance? I say yes! There's 10s of thousands of road warriors out there that would KILL to have that motor in their car (Hot Rod Magazine just did an article on how the LS motors are the most popular engine swap motors of all time, from home made hot rods, to early muscle cars, to modern day Mustangs and imports).
> 
> ...


I 100% agree. I didnt want to get the pushrods right away either, but it wasnt worth the chance of messing something else up internally. Plus if you get a cam then pay someone for labor theyre gonna have to do the same **** again so youll get charged double more then likely some you might as well have them done at the same time in my opinion


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

Kaaaaaaaaaa-boooooooooooooooooom


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## 06SixOhGoat (Jun 19, 2010)

Ha jason you know how to sum it right up!


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## Indecision (Oct 24, 2010)

I don't disagree with anything anyone else has said, get the push rods at the same time. I mean, $150 push rods is substantially cheaper than anything that could go wrong if you didn't get them.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

GM4life said:


> Possable bent pushrod...
> 
> Why can't you wait and do it all at once?
> 
> Bigger cam comes with stonger springs and higher revs equal more stress on lightweight stock pushrods. Check to make shure you have the correct length pushrods for your application.


This :agree

Why would you beef up one part without beefing up the parts it's connected to? You wouldn't try running a twin turbo LSX with a stock clutch... It's kind of a no-brainer, and also, a "while you're in there".

People need to learn that if you can't do a mod completely with this car, you need to either wait and save your money, or choose a different mod... otherwise you're going to end up with an empty wallet and a broken heart.


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## serotonin (Mar 15, 2010)

No offense intended, if you don't have the money to do it right the first time, don't do it at all. Save and wait; I know that sucks but it's 10x better than staring at a car you can't afford to fix.


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## svede1212 (Nov 1, 2005)

It's expensive getting a cam in this car if you don't do your own tuning or do the install yourself. A higher lift cam requires stronger springs to control the valves (and handle the extra lift) and stronger springs require stronger push rods. You also should install at the same time new valve seals, retainers and locks. They aren't too much more but at the better places to get cams sell complete kits. The rocker trunnion upgrade is a nice addition but isn't as necessary as the other stuff. I've run 20,000 on my stock rockers but will be changing them out with my head swap now as well as the lifters.


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