heads and cam???

[draggin95niss]

i have a 96 w/350 and wanting to do heads and cam but dunno what im looking at when i look at the specs, i want sumthing streetable, im also gonna do 411 pcm swap at the same or before to lighten the work load at once....planned a set of long tubes and cold air.....also how will pulleys help and will they affect the charging system?also th etruck 116k on it all original never rebuilt, is this sumthin that should be done first or is that mainly if im goin forced induction?

 

[DRAGGIN95]

I would look in to an LT4 hotcam I have heard lot's of good thing's about that swap.

 

[draggin95niss]

could u b a lil more specific on what ur talkin about? i honestly dont know much about this stuff....

 

[am92]

Your stock Vortec heads actually flow pretty dang well, especially at low lift, and they can support good performance with a little porting and a valve job. The downside of vortec heads is that they will require machining of the valve guides or using comp 787 retainers to allow for lift over about .470. As for the cam the lt4 hot cam is a GM performance upgrade for the lt4 engine
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-24502586/
it also comes in a kit but I would use ls6 valve springs and the comp 787 retainers instead of this kit.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-24502586/
Good luck and keep us posted
The hot cam is a solid option, but not really optimal for trucks because it moves the powerband up higher than I think it should be.
When/If I do a cam swap it will be with the Lunati Voodoo 60120 because of its more modern lobe design that maximizes performance without sacrificing much low end
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/LUN-60120/

 

[draggin95niss]

whats the reason for the retainers and springs? sorry for all th equestions i just want to know what im buying, why i need it, and whats the difference between stock and the aftermarket part im buyin and how it helps me....

also....whats the numbers mean on the cam as for intake and exhaust? the higher number more what?

 

[am92]

The retainers and springs will allow you to get lift over .470 without doing machine work to the heads. To use the springs and retainers in the kit, you would have to cut down the valve guides a bit and machine the spring pocket some.

 

[draggin95niss]

so the higher number on the cam the stiffer the spring is needed? and how does this affect running regular or will i be stuck to premium?

 

[am92]

There should be 2 numbers for intake and exhaust. One is lift, usually in the .450-.525 range for our motor. The other number is duration. The duration you should look at is the duration at .050. Duration will dictate where the powerband is. If you really want to get the perfect springs for your cam, you can call the manufacturer and they will tell you what spring rate is best. As for gas octane, compression is really what dictates what you need to run. You should be fine with regular

 

[Blue95]

I would definitely start researching first and get a good idea, knowledge of what you want goes a long way an makes you look intelligent.

 

[am92]

I would definitely start researching first and get a good idea, knowledge of what you want goes a long way an makes you look intelligent.

I agree, right now it looks like you might be trying to bite off a bit more than you can chew...Just do some research and learn as much as you can and it will help us help you