# is my cam setup on the right track?



## Zdeuce4 (Dec 3, 2010)

Im a noob of course, but ill be picking up a cam from a friend in houston whose moving on to a more aggressive one. 

the specs are.. 

230/242 114LSA .612" ,it's also coming with ls7 lifters

ill be adding, pac springs for .650 lift. ( do i need the full spring kit or is the spring set enough?)

tx speed push rods

my big question is if i need to get anything else to make sure this goes in right? 
timing chain? gaskets or bolts? any info on this will be greatly appreciated..

i will have pacesetter longtubes with this setup and the car has a magnaflow catback on it already..

the guy did his own install and tuning and put down 413 whp coming from 330whp stock on his g8.


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

That's a pretty big cam for a 90% stock motor. You will need springs for sure. As far as a "spring kit" goes, I don't know of there being any difference from just ordering springs from Comp Cams or whoever else you choose vs. a spring "kit" per say, always thought they were the same thing. If you don't want to buy all new rocker arms, I'd definitely order Comp Cams needle trunnion upgrade kit for $200 and have the new guts installed in your rocker arms while everything is pulled apart. With a cam of that size, you'll end up with needles in your oil pan... very very bad thing. You will also want to look at getting bigger fuel injectors.

You said you were putting headers on there, so you got that covered... You might want to look into paying somebody a couple hundred bucks to have your heads ported too. A cam of that size is going to need to be able to move alot of air to function right. If it came out of a G8, those things already got the L92 heads on them (both in GT and GXP trim, according to the G8 boards) and flow way more air then the LS2 243 heads do. 

One last thing that I can think of, if you have an automatic transmission, you'll need a 3,000 stall/torque converter minimum. I'd say probably more along the lines of a 3500 or so. My cam is 228/232, .595 lift, 114+2 LSA. I'm using a TCI 2500 stall, which is really too small. It's what Texas-Speed, Comp Cams, and TCI all agreed on that would be the bare ballest/smallest stall I could use to get by with the cam so everyday driveability wouldn't be affected. If I had to do it over, I would definitely have put a larger converter in.


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## Zdeuce4 (Dec 3, 2010)

dustyminpin said:


> That's a pretty big cam for a 90% stock motor. You will need springs for sure. As far as a "spring kit" goes, I don't know of there being any difference from just ordering springs from Comp Cams or whoever else you choose vs. a spring "kit" per say, always thought they were the same thing. If you don't want to buy all new rocker arms, I'd definitely order Comp Cams needle trunnion upgrade kit for $200 and have the new guts installed in your rocker arms while everything is pulled apart. With a cam of that size, you'll end up with needles in your oil pan... very very bad thing. You will also want to look at getting bigger fuel injectors.
> 
> You said you were putting headers on there, so you got that covered... You might want to look into paying somebody a couple hundred bucks to have your heads ported too. A cam of that size is going to need to be able to move alot of air to function right. If it came out of a G8, those things already got the L92 heads on them (both in GT and GXP trim, according to the G8 boards) and flow way more air then the LS2 243 heads do.
> 
> One last thing that I can think of, if you have an automatic transmission, you'll need a 3,000 stall/torque converter minimum. I'd say probably more along the lines of a 3500 or so. My cam is 228/232, .595 lift, 114+2 LSA. I'm using a TCI 2500 stall, which is really too small. It's what Texas-Speed, Comp Cams, and TCI all agreed on that would be the bare ballest/smallest stall I could use to get by with the cam so everyday driveability wouldn't be affected. If I had to do it over, I would definitely have put a larger converter in.


by spring kit im talking about the ones that have like retainers and seals i think it is. not all of them actually say kit so i was a tad confused..

i wasnt sure if that was considered a large cam or not but im kinda having second thoughts on it now. i may just go for a camp package from tx speed instead if its gonna require head porting. unless i can find a place to do it here for a good price.

and no im not an auto


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## HP11 (Apr 11, 2009)

Would that be the FTI "Hellraiser" cam by any chance? I know someone who is claiming close to 500 rwhp with that cam but it's not in a GTO...


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## AlaGreyGoat (Jul 6, 2006)

You will need retainers to match your springs and lock to match the retainers,
so you should probably get a kit. You don't say how many miles on the car,
and if it a lot then an oil pump and timing set may be a good decision.
Also, you will need a new HB bolt and consider an under drive pulley.
Stock LS2 intake and heads will probably bottleneck that big of a cam, but a
good tuner can still get good HP of of it. You can add intake /heads later.

Larry


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## Zdeuce4 (Dec 3, 2010)

HP11 said:


> Would that be the FTI "Hellraiser" cam by any chance? I know someone who is claiming close to 500 rwhp with that cam but it's not in a GTO...


nah its a new era custom grind



AlaGreyGoat said:


> You will need retainers to match your springs and lock to match the retainers,
> so you should probably get a kit. You don't say how many miles on the car,
> and if it a lot then an oil pump and timing set may be a good decision.
> Also, you will need a new HB bolt and consider an under drive pulley.
> ...



hb bolt? and ok to the timing set. i can do that. also have thought of the udp. guess i can add that in too..ya this cam seems like a pain right now haha. ill pass on it.


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

I wasn't trying to scare you off the project. It's just that you can grab part A and try adding it to part B with a smidge of part C and expect getting a D and not even be in the ball park. 

Most of the time it's a domino effect. That's what happened to me. I bought the heads/cam kit, then spent the next YEAR piecing together all the rest of the crap I needed for the complete build that I hadn't thought of at the time and of course Texas-Speed wasn't going to tell me. 

It wasn't their fault I read an article in High Performance Pontiac and said "I'm gonna do that!" I made the phone call and they glady made the sale, probably assuming I knew what the hell I was doing, which I didn't, lol. It wasn't until after I had talked to the speed shop that I found out I needed an intake manifold, rocker arms, fuel injectors, torque converter, etc. etc. etc.


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## AlaGreyGoat (Jul 6, 2006)

Harmonic Balancer bolt. Stock ones are one time use and about $8.00 and ARP's are about $25.00 each.
I've put together two cam kits, one for my 05 GTO and one
for my 04 Z06. I bought a MS3 new, but from an individual
and another Clayton Racing used about the same specs.
I got the other parts off other forums, eBay, and GMPartdirect. I've got about $1100.00 in each and will
still have tuning cost.
Rocker arm trunion upgrades can be found for $125 and
are recommended. There is also a possibility of needing larger injectors.

Larry


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## Zdeuce4 (Dec 3, 2010)

would i be better off getting the torquer v2 package from tx speed? im liking the reviews from that cam on the forums...

im also gonna look at some custom grinds that the shop keeps on the shelf. they said that was an option too.


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## jpalamar (Jul 22, 2008)

No point doing a cam that big(230/242 114LSA .612) with stock intake mani and heads. Thats just my thoughts though.


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

I'm having trouble with TX Speed's website right now. What are the specs on that torquer v2 you're talking about?


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## dustyminpin (Jun 19, 2006)

Just read an article in the March '11 issue of GM High-Tech Performance "It's How Fast?!" which has a 2002 Camaro SS with STOCK LS1 241 heads, STOCK bottom end, and a FAST intake and 4000 stall converter using a Texas-Speed Magic Stick 3 cam: 237/242, .603/.609 lift, 112 LSA. 

He's running upgraged 30# fuel injectors. You've got 33# (assuming it's an LS2), so you're covered there. He's got Pacesetter headers, custom X-pipe, and Dynomax mufflers. He's using a 200 shot of nitrous from Harris Speed Works and ran a 9.58 @ 153... Now granted that's with 10.5 drag radials and a Moser 9" rear end with 3.89 gears, but damn.

Go ahead and get that cam off your buddy's G8 and add nitrous, lol.


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## Zdeuce4 (Dec 3, 2010)

dustyminpin said:


> Just read an article in the March '11 issue of GM High-Tech Performance "It's How Fast?!" which has a 2002 Camaro SS with STOCK LS1 241 heads, STOCK bottom end, and a FAST intake and 4000 stall converter using a Texas-Speed Magic Stick 3 cam: 237/242, .603/.609 lift, 112 LSA.
> 
> He's running upgraged 30# fuel injectors. You've got 33# (assuming it's an LS2), so you're covered there. He's got Pacesetter headers, custom X-pipe, and Dynomax mufflers. He's using a 200 shot of nitrous from Harris Speed Works and ran a 9.58 @ 153... Now granted that's with 10.5 drag radials and a Moser 9" rear end with 3.89 gears, but damn.
> 
> Go ahead and get that cam off your buddy's G8 and add nitrous, lol.



hahaaa. that sounds pretty good :lol::lol:

i called 3 shops that are local and they all gave me some good info. im either gonna get that v2 or a custom grind that will fit my needs better.


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