Budget rebuild items?

[Marky Dissod]

IFF you are looking for more torque/power UNDER 3500RpM
AND are uninterested in revving past 6000RpM
AND are uninterested in peak power past 5400RpM
then I very strongly doubt you'd need to delete VVT.

Limiting it may still be wise.

 

[Charlie207]

I'm literally watching a Livestream with Richard Holdener and was able to ask him about a fun cam for an LY6 of all the cams he's tested, and he said BTR Truck Norris.

 

[mattbta]

Regular or low-lift?

 

[Charlie207]

Regular or low-lift?

I didn't ask/specify, but he did say there's only a 5-10hp difference between the two, and since I'm replacing the valve springs anyway I'd do the regular, not the NSR cam.

I was hoping he had some input on the Cam Motion 6.0 stage 2 truck cam, but he said he hadn't tested that one.

 

[j91z28d1]

I didn't ask/specify, but he did say there's only a 5-10hp difference between the two, and since I'm replacing the valve springs anyway I'd do the regular, not the NSR cam.

I was hoping he had some input on the Cam Motion 6.0 stage 2 truck cam, but he said he hadn't tested that one.

my 2 cents is go with the guys opinion that has direct experience with the cam in the same application you are doing over the internet guy that does lots of dyno runs and saved charts from writing magazines articles.


engine dynos are for comparing tq/hp, it tells you almost nothing about about it's going to be to live with a combo daily driving it around on the street. the runs usually start at a higher rpm than you'll be driving around in at 1/4 throttle.

 

[Geotrash]

I didn't ask/specify, but he did say there's only a 5-10hp difference between the two, and since I'm replacing the valve springs anyway I'd do the regular, not the NSR cam.

I was hoping he had some input on the Cam Motion 6.0 stage 2 truck cam, but he said he hadn't tested that one.

Only problem I see with the Truck Norris is the 107 LSA. That's gonna make for one choppy idle. If that's your thing, then by all means do it. But I had a slightly less choppy cam in mine for a few months and still hated it.

I note though that their performance charts validate that losing VVT doesn't result in any penalty - at least on that cam. So that's cool. I've seen similar charts for other cams that showed the same thing.

 

[Geotrash]

my 2 cents is go with the guys opinion that has direct experience with the cam in the same application you are doing over the internet guy that does lots of dyno runs and saved charts from writing magazines articles.


engine dynos are for comparing tq/hp, it tells you almost nothing about about it's going to be to live with a combo daily driving it around on the street. the runs usually start at a higher rpm than you'll be driving around in at 1/4 throttle.

THIS^^^

 

[Charlie207]

my 2 cents is go with the guys opinion that has direct experience with the cam in the same application you are doing over the internet guy that does lots of dyno runs and saved charts from writing magazines articles.


engine dynos are for comparing tq/hp, it tells you almost nothing about about it's going to be to live with a combo daily driving it around on the street. the runs usually start at a higher rpm than you'll be driving around in at 1/4 throttle.

I get it, but since he's one of the only people doing back to back cam tests with the same engine I am working with (LY6), it's been one of the few relevant data points.

To be fair he absolutely touches upon your point in many of his videos and livestreams; most people want max HP/TQ numbers, but they don't typically load the dyno that low, aka cruising RPMs (1500-2500), but that you also have to account for the transmission; it will shift as soon as the driver request more power with the right foot.

All that being said, I'm basically down to the Cam Motion cam that @Geotrash recommended or the Truck Norris. I actually stumbled upon Dave's YT video of his cam install when searching for Cam Motion videos on YT. I see what you mean by the chop, and it's subtle but prevalent with the factory exhaust. I don't think I'd mind something in that realm, or a little more pronounced.

I have seen that Texas Speed offers a VVT cam upgrade, and should probably reach out to them to see what that's all about.

The 5.3 to 6.0 is going to give me a upgrade no matter what cam I go with.

 

[Charlie207]

so..... I got a Truck Norris directly from Richard for $169 shipped. What a guy!

Sounds like he had accrued a ton of parts, and is divesting to get some $$$ for future projects.

 

[Charlie207]

Low buck truck cam arrived today. The UPS tracking info said it came from BTR, but the label had Richard's name on it.

After watching a ton of his videos and live streams (tons of good info there) I assume he's got a good relationship with Brian Tooley Racing. The specs on it are pretty similar to the actual BTR Truck Norris cam.

He did say the the price on his cams will be going up soon, but I think he still has some available for $169.

I still have a ton of work to do to the block, and parts to buy, but progress is slowly happening.

 

[Charlie207]

Ordered some new parts from BTR: valve springs, valve seals, crank bolt, lifter trays. Basically enough to get over the $200 threshold for free shipping.

Also talked to the local machine shop about services & rates. He's going to take my block, heads, pistons, crankshaft, and clean them all in the hot wash tank. He'll service the heads and install the new seals and valvesprings, hone the cylinder bores and install new cam bearings, install new piston rings, and polish the crank bearing journals for me. His initial estimate is $600 assuming everything goes as planned.

 

[Geotrash]

Ordered some new parts from BTR: valve springs, valve seals, crank bolt, lifter trays. Basically enough to get over the $200 threshold for free shipping.

Also talked to the local machine shop about services & rates. He's going to take my block, heads, pistons, crankshaft, and clean them all in the hot wash tank. He'll service the heads and install the new seals and valvesprings, hone the cylinder bores and install new cam bearings, install new piston rings, and polish the crank bearing journals for me. His initial estimate is $600 assuming everything goes as planned.

That's a fair deal. Great to hear the progress!

 

[Charlie207]

Just got home from dropping off the cylinder heads w/new springs and seals, crank, and pistons at the machine shop to be cleaned and serviced.

The block was too heavy for me to carry on my own...need the neighbor's big muscles to help load it in the back of my car.

The machinist looked over the rod & main bears, and crank journals and said they looked to be in really good shape, and unless he spotted something egregious later on (he only looked at a couple) that he'd probably just clean them up and suggest I reuse them.

He did show me the wildest thing on a separate 6.0 LS iron block, how cylinder 2 had rusted through from the outside, and that I should tap on the block with a hammer to check mine. That's how miserable the road treatments are here.

And also how a iron LS block weighs more than an older big block that is physically larger. I picked up both off the ground to see for myself, and yeah that LS wants to stay on the ground if you let it.

 

[j91z28d1]

an iron sbc is not much more than a aluminum ls.

they put a let of material in there somewhere. super strong block.. 4 head bolts per cyl. it's so gm lol.

 

[strutaeng]

Quick Google search yields the following weights of blocks (not aftermarket like Dart blocks, etc.)

SBC 190 lbs
BBC 270 lbs

LS aluminum 121 lbs
LS iron 224 lbs

Iron heads vs aluminum heads must be considered, as well as accessories/brackets for overall weights.

 

[Charlie207]

Last of the stuff loaded up to go to the machine shop sometime tomorrow.

 

[Charlie207]

 

[Charlie207]

 

[Charlie207]

Was out of town for 10 days or so travelling to MT and UT to see some friends and national parks. Finally was able to resume the slow rebuild.

Installed the main bearings, crankshaft, and main caps. Forgot to clean the old shmoo off the bolts so I'll have to resume after a cleaning.

 

[Charlie207]

Managed to get all the main caps torqued down. Next is getting the rings on the pistons, and tapping them in.

The crank also spins smoothly after the cap torquing, so that's nice.