Help with Comp Cam.

lotzafun · September 19, 2004

Well I got my cam installed, but not sure if this is normal. After I started the engine it went through some ruff running and died, but finally stayed running. Idle was very unsteady, with up and down of RPM's. Let the engine warm up completely and ticking noises finally quit. After test driving my truck, it still wanted to die at stops. This morning when I started it up and let it warm up, it was very unstable cold, and the check engine light came on.

Drove it around town hoping that it would drive out of it, but still idles unsteady. So I turned up the idle speed screw ont the throttle body. This helped a little, the check engine light went off, but still has an idle that is not what I think to be normal. My question is this for those that have installed a cam in their truck. Will this condition get better as the computer sees more driving conditions with this cam, or is something else needed? Give your thoughts here. Thanks.

I installed LS6 valve springs, and hardened push rods as well.

99Silver6.0 · September 20, 2004

Well I got my cam installed, but not sure if this is normal. After I started the engine it went through some ruff running and died, but finally stayed running. Idle was very unsteady, with up and down of RPM's. Let the engine warm up completely and ticking noises finally quit. After test driving my truck, it still wanted to die at stops. This morning when I started it up and let it warm up, it was very unstable cold, and the check engine light came on.

Drove it around town hoping that it would drive out of it, but still idles unsteady. So I turned up the idle speed screw ont the throttle body. This helped a little, the check engine light went off, but still has an idle that is not what I think to be normal. My question is this for those that have installed a cam in their truck. Will this condition get better as the computer sees more driving conditions with this cam, or is something else needed? Give your thoughts here. Thanks.

I installed LS6 valve springs, and hardened push rods as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats normal with a cam. Its surging. Trying to find a good idle and it cant because of the extra air that cam is pulling in. If you thried the throttle cracker with no sucess, you may just have to get a tune. This condition you are describing just comes with the territory when you install a cam. Try to put some more miles on it. The PCM needs to learn how that cam acts. I ended up changing quite a bit with Edit to get mine to smooth out.

Dont know if this will help, but heres a thread on how to get a heads/cam car/truck to idle.

http://www.ls1tuning.com/iboard/index.php?showtopic=9

lotzafun · September 20, 2004

What did you use to change your settings? HP, Preditor, or custom tune? Do you think if I disconnect the battery and give 3 fast blasts through the gears this would help with computer learning the cam?

99Silver6.0 · September 20, 2004

What did you use to change your settings? HP, Preditor, or custom tune? Do you think if I disconnect the battery and give 3 fast blasts through the gears this would help with computer learning the cam?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ive got LS1Edit. Id say pull the ECM B and ECM I fuses WITH the key on to reset the PCM. The PCM takes time to learn. Reset the PCM and just take it easy on the truck for a few miles. Then see how she acts.

lotzafun · September 20, 2004

What is the ls1Edit you mentioned? Is it a hand held, or something you use on a laptop? Where can it be purchased? If you don't mind, tell me more about it, like what are some of the things that you can control with it. Just seems to be down on power too. Will this improve with putting more miles on it? Just a little frustrated after putting alot of work into installing the cam, sorry if it seems like I am asking too many questions, just trying to understand the beast. Thanks for the help.

99Silver6.0 · September 21, 2004

What is the ls1Edit you mentioned? Is it a hand held, or something you use on a laptop? Where can it be purchased? If you don't mind, tell me more about it, like what are some of the things that you can control with it. Just seems to be down on power too. Will this improve with putting more miles on it? Just a little frustrated after putting alot of work into installing the cam, sorry if it seems like I am asking too many questions, just trying to understand the beast. Thanks for the help.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Dont feel bad. Mine acted the same way. But it ran fine over time with no tuning. LS1Edit is like the HPTuners setup. Its used on a laptop. You get Edit from www.carputing.com. You can change anything and EVERYTHING on your trucks PCM.

lotzafun · September 21, 2004

Does the HPTune allow you to flash your PCM if it should crash or lock up while loading info into your PCM, or is this something the dealer would have to do? Is it hard to learn how to do your own tune. Seems like there are pros and cons to both. Anybody with experience with ls1edit or HP Tune please give your input here. Thanks.

99Silver6.0 · September 21, 2004

Does the HPTune allow you to flash your PCM if it should crash or lock up while loading info into your PCM, or is this something the dealer would have to do? Is it hard to learn how to do your own tune. Seems like there are pros and cons to both. Anybody with experience with ls1edit or HP Tune please give your input here. Thanks.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Man, if the laptop locks when you are flashing you are just plain through! Gonna need a reflash with a TechII. Fact is that problem can happen with anything. The Diablow, HPP3, Edit, HPTuners. Just make sure if you used Edit or HPTuners you have the bare minimum running on the laptop when you read or flash your PCM. Ive flashed my PCM dam near 100 times using Edit with no problems. I really doubt there is any sort of recovery deal in HPTuners program. HPTuners also comes with logging software, Edit does not.

lotzafun · September 23, 2004

The other night I tryed what you said to do, pulled the two fuses for PCM, and restarted the engine after putting the fuses back in. Went through the learning process all over again, been taking it easy the last two days and it is doing better. Thanks for the hot tip. Have another question about the HP tuner & the ls1edit. Can you change things like torque management, gear ratio ifo, and idle speed? Really looking forward to getting back on the track with my truck and seeing what times it runs with the new cam. Still thinking about changing the rear end gears to 4.10's, could use a better launch off the lights. Thanks again for the insight, you have been very helpful.

By the way I used the valve spring tool by Crane Cams and it worked great. Was able to replace all 16 valve springs in just over an hour. The tool lets you replace two springs at the same time, was a nice slick tool. If any one is interested, I ordered mine straight from Crane, it only took two days to get it, most of the parts houses that advertised it did not even stock it when I called them.

99Silver6.0 · September 23, 2004

The other night I tryed what you said to do, pulled the two fuses for PCM, and restarted the engine after putting the fuses back in. Went through the learning process all over again, been taking it easy the last two days and it is doing better. Thanks for the hot tip. Have another question about the HP tuner & the ls1edit. Can you change things like torque management, gear ratio ifo, and idle speed? Really looking forward to getting back on the track with my truck and seeing what times it runs with the new cam. Still thinking about changing the rear end gears to 4.10's, could use a better launch off the lights. Thanks again for the insight, you have been very helpful.

By the way I used the valve spring tool by Crane Cams and it worked great. Was able to replace all 16 valve springs in just over an hour. The tool lets you replace two springs at the same time, was a nice slick tool. If any one is interested, I ordered mine straight from Crane, it only took two days to get it, most of the parts houses that advertised it did not even stock it when I called them.

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Good deal man. As far as Edit and HPTuners, you can change it all man!!! Everything! You would really love a gear swap and say a 3000 stall converter.

lotzafun · October 1, 2004

Could not take it anymore, ordered up HP Tuners for my truck, looking forward to getting the most out of this cam. Computer will not settle down enough for my liking. Should be able to smooth out the idle and make some changes that will help bring out the best of the cam. If anyone has suggestions on some areas that would help this cam come alive, post here and let me know. Thanks.