Need Advice on Aftermarket Cam Options

[Truckboattruck]

Goin in for the L83 DOD delete soon, looking at doing lifters and cam at the same time. Will probably go with Johnson lifters. Completely lost on which cam. I also have a Circle D 300mm pro series triple disc converter on the way, rated stall speed 2400-2600. 

I don't know much about cam specs at all, would like to get something that gives more power over stock without having to upgrade fuel pumps and injectors if possible, if not possible or not logical I can take that step though. Mostly just looking to do an upgrade in the process of preventative maintenance, but I figure with the higher converter stall speed I might have some good options beyond that. Any advice appreciated.

[shakenfake]

I would look at getting a stage 2 cam, you may be able to get away with a stage 3 cam though. 

Somewhere between 210-220 in duration for 2 or like 215-225 for 3

[pokismoki]

what would be a good factory upgrade? maybe from lt1-lt5, seems this would be cheaper with good metalurgy from GM's source the boosted camaro and caddt operate in this stall range.... just an idea

[pokismoki]

 

[pokismoki]

 

[pokismoki]

from the laybor involved. I think your better off installing a supercharger

[Truckboattruck]

41 minutes ago, pokismoki said:

from the laybor involved. I think your better off installing a supercharger

I don't want to feed 500+ hp to my 6L80 even with a built converter and then still have 100k+ mile lifter and cam concerns.

[truckguy82]

15 minutes ago, Truckboattruck said:

I don't want to feed 500+ hp to my 6L80 even with a built converter and then still have 100k+ mile lifter and cam concerns.

Just keep in mind the 6l80 was formerly oem on the 6.2. Including the c7 vette, which made 460hp.

 

Gotta figure your peak torque with headwork probably won’t be much higher than the 6.2, if any. I’m not a transmission expert, but I believe their primary limitation is input shaft torque, which means hp by itself would not matter much.

Edited December 31, 2021 by truckguy82

[shakenfake]

cam swap takes one day max. Obviously supercharger is going to be easier but cam is so much cheaper.

[truckguy82]

1 minute ago, shakenfake said:

cam swap takes one day max. Obviously supercharger is going to be easier but cam is so much cheaper.

I’ve never taken apart an LT motor. I’ve heard its 18-24 hours of labor to do a cam on these, and that’s for someone that’s done it before. If that’s true, that’s a pretty big freaking job.

 

 

[Truckboattruck]

1 hour ago, truckguy82 said:

Just keep in mind the 6l80 was formerly oem on the 6.2. Including the c7 vette, which made 460hp.

 

Gotta figure your peak torque with headwork probably won’t be much higher than the 6.2, if any. I’m not a transmission expert, but I believe their primary limitation is input shaft torque, which means hp by itself would not matter much.

I didn't know that, interesting. My only justification for my apprehension is based on distant observations of a few folks with Whipple charged L83's blowing the 6L80 and figured something is going on past around 550HP. Maybe they are just launching the crap out of them, if so I wouldn't know one way or another. I have heard folks say the 6L80 will take 700+ but of the Whipple builds I have seen about a quarter of them have trashed it with less, so I don't know what to think.

But I am just looking to do a mild cam and lifters at this point, if down the road I wanna take the next step to a supercharger I figure it won't hurt to have those components already well sorted out.

[pokismoki]

yeah a noobie will spend 2-4 days doing the cam. and another few days collecting tools, documents ,parts

you know what you want .. go for it

[truckguy82]

3 hours ago, Truckboattruck said:

I didn't know that, interesting. My only justification for my apprehension is based on distant observations of a few folks with Whipple charged L83's blowing the 6L80 and figured something is going on past around 550HP. Maybe they are just launching the crap out of them, if so I wouldn't know one way or another. I have heard folks say the 6L80 will take 700+ but of the Whipple builds I have seen about a quarter of them have trashed it with less, so I don't know what to think.

But I am just looking to do a mild cam and lifters at this point, if down the road I wanna take the next step to a supercharger I figure it won't hurt to have those components already well sorted out.

I launch the living hell out of my 6l80 6.2. Its tuned so way more violent launch than stock. Done it 100’s of times, awd launches.

 

i’m starting to get a little slippage now at 67k miles. But you have a converter, i just have the factory garbage.

 

lets be honest, 500hp NA out of a 5.3 will take quite a bit of breathing mods and it will shift the powerband to the high side and rev higher. Which means the violence of low end torque or forced induction will not be there to destroy the transmission.

 

i have no doubt in my mind a 500hp NA 5.3 would be just fine for a 6l80. Especially one with a converter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Truckboattruck]

Well now I'm thinking about a Whipple or Maggie and headers job w/ lifters and DOD delete but leaving the cam. Yall a bad influence, lol. Seems you gotta petition congress even if you take the engine out to get the cam from from these Gen 5 L83's, was not expecting it to be a pack a lunch kinda job. I've been party to an LT4 cam swap and thought it would be pretty breezy, but this is probably not something I can handle on my own. I heard the Whipple can cause issue with HPFP's due to the intake design, so was leaning Maggie but dunno much about either of em.

Anyone know a good shop for performance in the northern VA or VA/WV/MD tristate area that could handle something like this?

[shakenfake]

10 hours ago, truckguy82 said:

I’ve never taken apart an LT motor. I’ve heard its 18-24 hours of labor to do a cam on these, and that’s for someone that’s done it before. If that’s true, that’s a pretty big freaking job.

 

 

One day is probably an exaggeration but I mean you are basically tearing down the whole engine to swap lifters etc. So yes it is a larger job but it is nothing crazy crazy

 

Also OP you are not going to get 500 out of just a cam swap. Don't worry about the tranny at all.