Should I pick up an LS6 cam or something else?

[ballsie]

Here is my dilemma:

I have been planning on picking up an LS6 cam, but I'm starting to get the urge for something little more aggressive.

The only issue is that this is my daily driver AND its what we drive on road trips. The truck gets a lot of highway time, which is why I was going with the OEM LS6 cam to begin with.

Should I stick with the LS6 or go bigger?

 

[blueflamed03]

other details.

Gears, have a converter, etc

 

[ballsie]

I have a bb tune, cai, headers, exhaust, efans.. thats it.

 

[HMFDZ28]

First question is what motor do you have? That will help pick a cam.

5.3L:
The LS6 cam will deff give you a little more pep. Personally I would go a bit larger since most people deside after the fact "I should have went bigger" when they are planning to go mild. Other choice is to get a 2 piece timing cover (Edelbrock's is $220 from summit). This way you can do the swap and if your not happy its 1/2 the worth to change the cam again.

6.0L:
I would deff go bigger. The LS6 cam will give such a minimal gain its not worth the swap.

Just for reference on Cam Specs:

LM7 5.3- 190/191 .466/.457 114 LSA
LQ9 6.0- 207/196 .479/.467 115 LSA
01 LS6- 207/217 .525/.525 116 LSA
02+ LS6- 204/218 .551/.547 117 LSA

 

[rich5368]

Personally in a truck I wouldn't go any bigger than say a TSP 224r. You get much bigger and you start getting to the point where you become a guy that has power but at the wrong spot for a truck. You need something that is going to give you torque early. In my 5.3 I'm planning to go with something like a 218/218 .565/.565.
On my 6.0 I'm looking at trying out the TSP 228r. But that's all just my opinion and everyone has one of those.

 

[KrautBurner]

have you considered doing heads instead?


if you're gonna do a cam,
go bigger. the only way that LS6 cam is really gonna be worth the work is if it's a "Free" cam

you can always call one of the cam builders, have them spec you a cam for your needs

I have only Cammed one vehicle 6L GTO
went a 226/226 591/591 on 112lsa

 

[JennaBear]

have you considered doing heads instead?


if you're gonna do a cam,
go bigger. the only way that LS6 cam is really gonna be worth the work is if it's a "Free" cam

you can always call one of the cam builders, have them spec you a cam for your needs

I have only Cammed one vehicle 6L GTO
went a 226/226 591/591 on 112lsa

His stock heads on the Denali are already pretty good, wouldn't make it worthwhile to change out.

I agree with calling a cam company to have one spec'd for you. You will need to decide if you are planning on bigger mods down the road. I knew I was going with a blower on my 5.3L, but needed the daily driveability, so I stuck with a 208/212 115LSA. We are running a Z06 cam on Justin's Silverado SS (6.0L swapped with L92 heads) with a TVS2300. If you are planning on running a TC, that will influence the cam as well.

 

[KrautBurner]

drop the LSA down to 111-113 for that good "Cammed" sound

 

[ballsie]

Sorry, I thought it was obvious by the pic in my sig.

Its an 04 Yukon 5.3

I dont want to lose the driveability.

I drove my buddies cammed vette over the weekend and now im in "lets get a 6.0" mode. I think i will pick up a LQ9 and throw a cam in it. I have seen them for around a grand on CL. Its time to start searching!

 

[KrautBurner]

I have a bb tune, cai, headers, exhaust, efans.. thats it.

btw:

you're gonna need a new tune

 

[HMFDZ28]

I would go 6.0 if thats in your mind. How can you beat a 60hp (LQ9) gain and Zero loss of idle/ driving qualities with the swap and a retune to compliment it and thats without a cam.

 

[blueflamed03]

is the 5.3 you have now good, low to decent miles, good oil pressure? You could always add a cam, TB stall, and use that for the 6.0 when you DO pull the trigger and go big.

 

[highrollin113]

hey i dont mean to jack this thread but i am curious about cams, what kind od gains are we talking, will i lose mpg? and can i change myself im fairly mechanical and i get the jist of how the cam works im just wondering what cam i should look for i have a 03 5.3l and how much $$$$

 

[KrautBurner]

hey i dont mean to jack this thread but i am curious about cams,
what kind od gains are we talking,
will i lose mpg?
and can i change myself im fairly mechanical and i get the jist of how the cam works im just wondering what cam i should look for i have a 03 5.3l and how much $$$$

I can't say for the Tahoe,

but when I did my cam in my GTO (along with Long Tube Headers and a tune),
I gained about 75 rwhp
my around town fuel milage went down about 1mpg
but my highway milage went down about 5mpg (with the stock tune/cam, I used to get 30-31mpg on open highway, now I'm lucky to hit 26mpg)

as far as doing it yourself,
if you have to ask. I'd recomend finding a friend who's done it before to help you.

it's not all that hard, but it's really something you don't wanna mess up.

 

[JennaBear]

It all depends on the cam you run. Any cam company can recommend a good cam for your application. We had the cam installed in my Tahoe in less than 2 hours, but it wasn't our first time installing a cam.

 

[skyhighsami]

I called Thunder Racing today and asked them about the 5.3 in my wife's truck and they suggested some of their cheater cams. The V3 for me. I'm torn between a head and cam setup or running a small 214/210 cam I have and getting a turbo setup. Just fyi they said that cam in a 5.3 with shortie headers and just a valve job on the heads made 346whp. In a Z71 with 33" tires

 

[JennaBear]

What type of dyno? DynaJet I am assuming? Those are lofty numbers IMO.

 

[skyhighsami]

Dynajet? Is that different than a Dynojet? I am not sure what they use but I would imagine they have a Dynojet. I wouldn't say the number are that high for a 5.3 with worked heads, headers, exhaust, electric fans, a cam of 219/230, and a tune. I had a 6.0 with similar mods without a cam that made 340ish whp. It was a truck Vengeance built and spec'd out for me.

 

[JennaBear]

Yes DynoJet, my phone doesn't like that word either, and yes those numbers are high, but that is just from my experience, take it for what it is worth.

EDIT: A stock Z71 (with stock wheels/tires) makes 230 at the wheels on a load bearing dyno (add 20% that is DynoJet number).

 

[skyhighsami]

He said on there dyno that they baseline 230. I don't put much in dyno numbers, just use them as a barometer of what I should expect. All dynos read different.