Which GM cam to perfect the L31?

[big_mike]

This reminds me of when guys on LS1tech and another local forum thought I was crazy for running a baby 224 cam in my LS with worked over 5.3 budget heads and on a stock tune running 87. Everyone said I was gonna tear **** up, it wouldn't make power, ect. Well I did all that with 100k on the motor, sold it with 180k on it still untuned and just heard from the new owner it laid down over 400rwhp on that "tiny" setup on regular pump gas. Guess I proved a tiny cam isn't always as it seems if you know WTF your doing when you put a combo together and you don't just go off magazine articles or buying what's popular....

 

[89GMCJOHN]

Im with you .....alot of guys are just focused on the peaks and not the avg curve and tell you you are doing this or that wrong and dyno focused -thats cool if its your thing ...I am really happy with this mild torque focused build so far - plenty of power for me for what it is . Those are damx good numbers your combo put down - cool build.

 

[big_mike]

Im with you .....alot of guys are just focused on the peaks and not the avg curve and tell you you are doing this or that wrong and dyno focused -thats cool if its your thing ...I am really happy with this mild torque focused build so far - plenty of power for me for what it is . Those are damx good numbers your combo put down - cool build.

Man it was the simplest LS build on the planet.

Stock 5.3 heads hand port/polished & milled .018" with larger 2.0 intake valves cut for low lift, 7.4 hardened pushrods, PRC gold dual spring kit. When flowed they had similar numbers to stage III 243 heads at the time. Comp 224/224 .581/.581 114, Ported stock TB, stock maf, stock injectors, LS6 intake, LS7 lifters and Pacesetter longtubes with 3" TSP ORY and hooker aerochamber muffler.

I bought the cam used for $150 on LS1tech, had a guy on LS1tech do the heads and TB for $550. It was a super budget H/C build but took me over a year talking to people across the country to piece it together with specific goals in mind. This effected my valve size decision, milling decision for specific compression, ect..end result was a daily driver getting 18mpg untuned with zero knock retard on 87 pump gas.

 

[Christian Steffen]

Man it was the simplest LS build on the planet.

Stock 5.3 heads hand port/polished & milled .018" with larger 2.0 intake valves cut for low lift, 7.4 hardened pushrods, PRC gold dual spring kit. When flowed they had similar numbers to stage III 243 heads at the time. Comp 224/224 .581/.581 114, Ported stock TB, stock maf, stock injectors, LS6 intake, LS7 lifters and Pacesetter longtubes with 3" TSP ORY and hooker aerochamber muffler.

I bought the cam used for $150 on LS1tech, had a guy on LS1tech do the heads and TB for $550. It was a super budget H/C build but took me over a year talking to people across the country to piece it together with specific goals in mind. This effected my valve size decision, milling decision for specific compression, ect..end result was a daily driver getting 18mpg untuned with zero knock retard on 87 pump gas.

That sounds like a fun build for sure, only question is why not tune it?

 

[big_mike]

That sounds like a fun build for sure, only question is why not tune it?

Only reputable tuners at that time were outta state and not cheap. I just never got around to getting the cash together for a full dyno tune session plus travel expenses. And since it was my daily driver I always needed it. Hell I threw that combo together in 36hrs in a buddies garage running on beer and sour patch kids once I had all the parts, lol. Had to have it ready for work that Monday morning, lol. Drove it open headers for 3 days before the ORY came in, lol.

 

[Christian Steffen]

Only reputable tuners at that time were outta state and not cheap. I just never got around to getting the cash together for a full dyno tune session plus travel expenses. And since it was my daily driver I always needed it. Hell I threw that combo together in 36hrs in a buddies garage running on beer and sour patch kids once I had all the parts, lol. Had to have it ready for work that Monday morning, lol. Drove it open headers for 3 days before the ORY came in, lol.

Haha can't say I haven't been there. I guess if it made good power and got decent mileage it must not have been running too poorly. There was probably a bit left in it, but oh well. I was just curious.

 

[sharpe.trey]

Does anybody have experience with the Elgin 1136 cam?

 

[89GMCJOHN]

Does anybody have experience with the Elgin 1136 cam?

L31MAX said he put one in an Escalade as I recall.......

 

[sharpe.trey]

What did he say about it? It's no big deal if you cant remember we're talking about a 20-year-old platform

 

[Frank Enstein]

CCA-08-464-8. That's the part number @ Summit Racing.
.550 intake .546 exhaust
Glass smooth idle with gobs of torque.
Call Summit Tech ask for Tom