Input or advice from others on cam swap for 6.2L 2011 Yukon Denali

[hagar]

I’m still leaning hard towards the TSP L92 stage 2, it says it’s okay with the stock converter. Are they hard to tune with HP Tuners?

Funny you ask that, the only issue with that cam has been it trying to push through the stock converter at idle in drive, and coming back down to idle like when you slow down for a stop light. I get around it by dropping the timing down at idle in drive and also while coasting down. Basically just trying to kill some torque by lowering the timing in those ranges. That is the only issue, everything else dials in super nice, tsp gives you the cam timing numbers they optimized to keep the cam in the sweet spot at various ranges. There is no side effect of lowering the timing for towing or drivability, it is purely in zero throttle range. The second you touch the throttle, it moves exactly like you would expect.

 

[hagar]

Funny you ask that, the only issue with that cam has been it trying to push through the stock converter at idle in drive, and coming back down to idle like when you slow down for a stop light. I get around it by dropping the timing down at idle in drive and also while coasting down. Basically just trying to kill some torque by lowering the timing in those ranges. That is the only issue, everything else dials in super nice, tsp gives you the cam timing numbers they optimized to keep the cam in the sweet spot at various ranges. There is no side effect of lowering the timing for towing or drivability, it is purely in zero throttle range. The second you touch the throttle, it moves exactly like you would expect.

If is probably the opposite problem of what you were thinking when you asked about the converter. It makes too much power at idle and coast down and tries to push through, it doesn't have a problem with getting into the power like you traditionally worry about the converter for. Stab it off the line, and it pulls WAY harder down low than stock.

 

[JPS0284]

Funny you ask that, the only issue with that cam has been it trying to push through the stock converter at idle in drive, and coming back down to idle like when you slow down for a stop light. I get around it by dropping the timing down at idle in drive and also while coasting down. Basically just trying to kill some torque by lowering the timing in those ranges. That is the only issue, everything else dials in super nice, tsp gives you the cam timing numbers they optimized to keep the cam in the sweet spot at various ranges. There is no side effect of lowering the timing for towing or drivability, it is purely in zero throttle range. The second you touch the throttle, it moves exactly like you would expect.

Man… this sounds EXACTLY like what I want… Does still give the lopey big cam sound? I’ve gotten so many recommendations to ditch the VVT and you completely resold me in the original idea going with the TSP L92 VVTStage 2… I’ve been stressing over this for the last week and I was about to just say F’it and order a Truck Norris cam and be done with it… thanks bro

 

[hagar]

Man… this sounds EXACTLY like what I want… Does still give the lopey big cam sound? I’ve gotten so many recommendations to ditch the VVT and you completely resold me in the original idea going with the TSP L92 VVTStage 2… I’ve been stressing over this for the last week and I was about to just say F’it and order a Truck Norris cam and be done with it… thanks bro

I do this for a living and get tons of feedback, all positive. I am doing a stage 3 l92 vvt right now in a regular cab short box, it should be an absolute freak for what it is, being a little 2 wheel drive.
It still sounds like a nice size cam, don't worry at all about that. It is for sure more on the aggressive side than the tiny cam side, it is very noticeable.
It really makes sense when you think about it. Racers have been installing cams advance or retarded for years, depending on tracks and the power range they are looking for. Traditional cams are a middle of the road as a default, then cam designers make them more advanced for heavy vehicles, and more retarded for lightweight vehicles that need less help getting going.
With these cams you start off fully advanced off idle, then it progressely retards the cam on a slope, all the way to when peak power is reached. You are getting the best of all 3 worlds.

 

[hagar]

I do this for a living and get tons of feedback, all positive. I am doing a stage 3 l92 vvt right now in a regular cab short box, it should be an absolute freak for what it is, being a little 2 wheel drive.
It still sounds like a nice size cam, don't worry at all about that. It is for sure more on the aggressive side than the tiny cam side, it is very noticeable.
It really makes sense when you think about it. Racers have been installing cams advance or retarded for years, depending on tracks and the power range they are looking for. Traditional cams are a middle of the road as a default, then cam designers make them more advanced for heavy vehicles, and more retarded for lightweight vehicles that need less help getting going.
With these cams you start off fully advanced off idle, then it progressely retards the cam on a slope, all the way to when peak power is reached. You are getting the best of all 3 worlds.

That's why it tries to push through the converter, it is taking in so much more air at idle than a stock cam, but it isn't bleeding it off like a conventional cam does via the intake and exhaust open timing that is traditionally used in a fixed cam.

 

[hagar]

That's why it tries to push through the converter, it is taking in so much more air at idle than a stock cam, but it isn't bleeding it off like a conventional cam does via the intake and exhaust open timing that is traditionally used in a fixed cam.

Oh, and beg borrow and steal to afford the drop on Johnson lifters, the risk is just too high these days with the Chinese stuff (all the other stuff.) There is a massive lifter problem from oem to aftermarket because they are all made in China. The Johnsons are American, 3 times the price, but the only way to sleep well after such a large job.

 

[hagar]

Oh, and beg borrow and steal to afford the drop on Johnson lifters, the risk is just too high these days with the Chinese stuff (all the other stuff.) There is a massive lifter problem from oem to aftermarket because they are all made in China. The Johnsons are American, 3 times the price, but the only way to sleep well after such a large job.

Sorry to keep adding, I keep remembering stuff. Last thing, don't use the tsp crank seal in their kit, it is horrible. Never had a problem with the gaskets in their name branded kits, but the crank seals have something wrong with them, so go gm for that.

 

[JPS0284]

I do this for a living and get tons of feedback, all positive. I am doing a stage 3 l92 vvt right now in a regular cab short box, it should be an absolute freak for what it is, being a little 2 wheel drive.
It still sounds like a nice size cam, don't worry at all about that. It is for sure more on the aggressive side than the tiny cam side, it is very noticeable.
It really makes sense when you think about it. Racers have been installing cams advance or retarded for years, depending on tracks and the power range they are looking for. Traditional cams are a middle of the road as a default, then cam designers make them more advanced for heavy vehicles, and more retarded for lightweight vehicles that need less help getting going.
With these cams you start off fully advanced off idle, then it progressely retards the cam on a slope, all the way to when peak power is reached. You are getting the best of all 3 worlds.

Im sold, I’m putting in my order next week… I was just ripping on the truck a little on the way home just noticing it’s making all its power around 2500-4500 I assume the new cams going to maintain that same pattern? I lm planning on picking up a HP Tuner and doing the tune myself, I’m super tech savvy but is this doable for a total noob?

 

[hagar]

Im sold, I’m putting in my order next week… I was just ripping on the truck a little on the way home just noticing it’s making all its power around 2500-4500 I assume the new cams going to maintain that same pattern? I lm planning on picking up a HP Tuner and doing the tune myself, I’m super tech savvy but is this doable for a total noob?

The cam picks up torque in those ranges, then pulls strong all the way to 6 grand, I set the over rev at around 6200 because of the intake manifold. If you have long tubes it will help up top to rev it out higher as well. The bottom end is safe to over 7 grand, and the valvetrain is good to around 6800 with the heavier l92 intake valves, so you just rev as high as you can until it stops making power, you will feel it fall off if street tuning, or see it on dyno.
Tuning is for sure not for a newbie, your 6 speed is tuned via torque. It used to be easy to tune the 4l80e and 4l60/70e stuff for newbies with a few simple blanket changes, but you can kill a 6 speed super duper quick once you change the actual delivered torque of the engine vs the conceived engine torque the transmission thinks is going on.
I don't do mail order tunes, but people seem happy with the black bear guy on here, or find a good local tuner. Make sure you resist the urge to go out and drive it without a base tune after its done. You can smoke the 6 speeds easier at part throttle if something is off , than at full throttle. It will at the very least, hit its max stock line pressure settings at full throttle after modded with no tune, but it will be capable of making much more torque at lower perceived delivered torque numbers,...then it overpowers the clutches.

 

[JPS0284]

Sorry to keep adding, I keep remembering stuff. Last thing, don't use the tsp crank seal in their kit, it is horrible. Never had a problem with the gaskets in their name branded kits, but the crank seals have something wrong with them, so go gm for that.

I was thinking about skipping all their provided gaskets and getting oem replacements on rockauto. So don’t go with the Delphi lS7 lifters? I was hoping there was going to be room in the budget for some 1 7/8 long tube headers n Y pipe this is getting pricey