GEARHEADZ - I need cam advice.

[Vortec Lover]

I've been thinking about getting a new cam for my truck, and I have been recommended several different kinds. Someone on here recommended that I get an LT cam, which would give me a lot more upper rpm horse, but I would lose some low end torque. Some locals around here recommend that I get a 'towing' cam, or what the parts guy calls an RV cam which people claim will keep my torque/horse in the low end, which is what I would want.

I was wondering if anyone had any info on either one of these cams and which one they would recommend me to get. ALSO- would I just need the cam itself, or would I need to get new lifters as well? I have a '98 Vortec, which would have stock rollers.

Any info would be great. Computer problems should not be an issue because I am going to be getting a BB tune before long.

 

[am92]

How many miles are on your truck? If your stock lifters look ok you can re-use them. Keep in mind though that with Vortec heads you have to keep lift under about .470 to avoid having to replace other stuff. If you want to go with say .500 lift you would need new springs and retainers. If you want, you could call up a cam manufacturer and tell them exactly what you want and they can custom grind one for you. Its a little more expensive but sometimes worth it because you won't have to compromise as much

 

[bluex]

I would call comp cams or another can company they have tech lines that I would trust more than anything....

 

[Vortec Lover]

How many miles are on your truck? If your stock lifters look ok you can re-use them. Keep in mind though that with Vortec heads you have to keep lift under about .470 to avoid having to replace other stuff. If you want to go with say .500 lift you would need new springs and retainers. If you want, you could call up a cam manufacturer and tell them exactly what you want and they can custom grind one for you. Its a little more expensive but sometimes worth it because you won't have to compromise as much

I currently have 132,000 miles on the ticker. She still sounds like a brand new truck. (aside from the cherry bombs and dual exhaust) I've had no technical problems with this pickup yet, which is what I like about these trucks. Money that would have been spent on repairs can be spent on upgrades instead. For comparison, we have a '92 Ford in the yard (you can just see the back of it in the corner of my profile picture) with 142,000 miles and it has been a nightmare for repairs. Both gas tanks have rusted through, it is on its second engine, the steering coloumn needed to be replaced, the transmission has already been rebuilt, the body is so rusted that it barely holds onto the truck, the computer acted up so it needed to be replaced, none of the power-locks or power-windows work, the a/c is out, the engine burns a quart of oil every 40 miles (not joking...I used to drive that truck before I bought my own truck, my GMC) has no muscle and pulled worse mileage on 235's than my GMC does on 285's. Ford probably does make good trucks, but it most certainly isn't the one that I drove.

 

[am92]

With 132k your lifters can probably be reused. Also, if you put a cam in, your truck would really benefit from adding long tube headers to get the most out of it

 

[MOBS]

Well the first question that anyone will ask you is: What do you plan to use the truck for? Yes, I would still change the lifters too. The only time I don't actually change rollers is when I've only run them long enough for cam break-in and testing and find I don't like a specific cam, so I swap for another. Yes it's prolly a waste of money the way I do it....but rather waste a small amount of money than a large amount on the side of the road. Back on topic, the reason I ask what your driving routine will be, is because your cam selection will determine how it reacts under certain conditions. If you got a longer duration cam, you'd need a higher stall converter to let you build your rpm's up into the towing power band.

 

[Vortec Lover]

With 132k your lifters can probably be reused. Also, if you put a cam in, your truck would really benefit from adding long tube headers to get the most out of it

My plans exactly.

 

[Vortec Lover]

Well the first question that anyone will ask you is: What do you plan to use the truck for? Yes, I would still change the lifters too. The only time I don't actually change rollers is when I've only run them long enough for cam break-in and testing and find I don't like a specific cam, so I swap for another. Yes it's prolly a waste of money the way I do it....but rather waste a small amount of money than a large amount on the side of the road. Back on topic, the reason I ask what your driving routine will be, is because your cam selection will determine how it reacts under certain conditions. If you got a longer duration cam, you'd need a higher stall converter to let you build your rpm's up into the towing power band.

Hey, if you have the money, go for it man.

As for my truck, it is a daily driver, not a workhorse. It'll probably only see a trailer once a decade, I baby it so much. I'm mainly looking for a cam to get more torque and horsepower. I crave performance, which is why I will also be sticking on headers and getting a BB tune.

 

[MOBS]

Well the generic rule of thumb about cams is that higher lift translates to higher torque and longer exhaust duration translates to your power being located higher in the rpm band.

If it's for shootin' around town, go with an LT1 hot cam....you'll love it, but I'd recommend a 2500rpm stall. GM recommended a 2400 stall behind the hot cam, you could also try a standard lt1-specced grind that matches the police engine.

 

[am92]

Well the generic rule of thumb about cams is that higher lift translates to higher torque and longer exhaust duration translates to your power being located higher in the rpm band.

If it's for shootin' around town, go with an LT1 hot cam....you'll love it, but I'd recommend a 2500rpm stall. GM recommended a 2400 stall behind the hot cam, you could also try a standard lt1-specced grind that matches the police engine.

Do you mean the LT4 Hot Cam?