Cam Help!

[Vera66]

Hi I am new to this forum and I really need your guys help. I have a 2000 chevy silverado Z71 and i am getting a brand new 5.3 and I want to put a cam but I dont really know what cam to look for. I have heard the Z06 cam will work great but i want a very torquey cam if there is even such a thing. And the biggest problem is that i live in california so it has to be smog legal. Also I dont want to mess with tunes or anything unless I have to. Please I need somebodys help i am buying my motor in july and i need to price things out. Thanks and any help will be awesome

[Mike@Diablosport]

 

 

Hi I am new to this forum and I really need your guys help. I have a 2000 chevy silverado Z71 and i am getting a brand new 5.3 and I want to put a cam but I dont really know what cam to look for. I have heard the Z06 cam will work great but i want a very torquey cam if there is even such a thing. And the biggest problem is that i live in california so it has to be smog legal. Also I dont want to mess with tunes or anything unless I have to. Please I need somebodys help i am buying my motor in july and i need to price things out. Thanks and any help will be awesome

To get the most from a cam swap, tuning will be required....

[Jennabear]

Depends on what you are wanting your cam for, high end, low end, will you be adding any other mods down the road? I recommend calling the cam company you want to go with and have them suggest a grind for you. Personally, I don't think the Z06 cam would be the optimal cam for a stock 5.3L.

 

Like Mike said, you will need to be tuned for one way or another.

[Vera66]

Depends on what you are wanting your cam for, high end, low end, will you be adding any other mods down the road? I recommend calling the cam company you want to go with and have them suggest a grind for you. Personally, I don't think the Z06 cam would be the optimal cam for a stock 5.3L.

 

Like Mike said, you will need to be tuned for one way or another.

I am looking for low end power u know power off the line but it must be smog legal and rly want to do as little tuning as possible .

[Badass69]

Low end power in a small displacement V8 in a heavy truck. A 6 litre would probably be a better choice and forget the 5.3 altogether. That being said something like a 206/212 degree duration cam or even 212/218 would be fine. You want something that is designed to build low speed power and anything larger will shift the power higher. Even so these engines are very soggy below 3000 rpm, virtue of their design. A good 3000 stall wakes up even a stock 5.3.

 

How about you forget the cam and just have your current stock engine tuned. Tuning will not void your smog legality. In fact a competent tuner could pick you up power and probably clean it up more than GM's factory tune. The stock tune is pretty mundane, especially with all it's limitations.

 

If you don't want to tune the truck properly, leave the engine alone. You will probably have no hope of passing smog with the stock tune and a cam swap........

[nickvrebel]

are you looking for red light to red light get up and go or more horsepower overall for towing?

 

for "get up and go" get a higher stall torque converter, you don't alter emissions and tuning won't be required (but could help still).

[raceinjw]

Converter and gears. Pick up well over a 1/2 second in the quarter mile.