Cam or Fans
07-12-2010, 12:56 PM
#71
Fans can be had for 80-100 bucks vs ~$600-700 for a cam swap (400 cam, 100 pushrods, 150 springs, gaskets, fluids).
So it all depends on how much you want to spend, what results you're expecting, and how soon you can get a retune.
Electric fans can be wired up to a manual switch, so a retune wouldn't be necessary right away. But the only difference you will notice is that it will rev a little bit faster, and you might get better gas mileage. There isn't too big of a performance gain, but you won't hear that annoying clutch fan wooooosh noise when the truck gets hot.
If you get the cam, you'll spend all day installing it (assuming you're competent to do it). It will drive like absolute ****, and with a 5 spd it might be even worse until you are able to get a retune. The truck will be faster, but that depends on the cam you get. ...
So it all depends on how much you want to spend, what results you're expecting, and how soon you can get a retune.
Electric fans can be wired up to a manual switch, so a retune wouldn't be necessary right away. But the only difference you will notice is that it will rev a little bit faster, and you might get better gas mileage. There isn't too big of a performance gain, but you won't hear that annoying clutch fan wooooosh noise when the truck gets hot.
If you get the cam, you'll spend all day installing it (assuming you're competent to do it). It will drive like absolute ****, and with a 5 spd it might be even worse until you are able to get a retune. The truck will be faster, but that depends on the cam you get. ...
None of my cams ever drove like ****. I loved every one Ive had. Some more than others.
If youre willing to spend the money ($400ish for cam, $150ish for springs) Id go cam. Youre really not going to see much difference with the fans.
If you want it to idle good etc, youre gonna need it re-tuned, but youd need that for the PCM to control the fans too. I hated manual fans. If you forget about them, or let someone else borrow your truck that forgets, its too easy to let it get hot.
As far as cams go, with most performance cams, youre gonna sacrifice a little low end power for mid to upper RPM gains, some more than others.
"Instead of making an educated guess off of someone you dont know's opinion, let someone who specs cams for a living do so is a good idea" Actually, everything u said. FWIW, I'm hearing way less for some LS6 springs.
...I did fans on both of my RCSB's, yes it revs a hair faster, yes it is a bit more responsive, and I noticed an increase in economy in my 2000, however all the fans do is free up power that is lost using a clutch fan. They do nothing to actually make more power. The cam on the other hand lets more air/fuel/exhaust flow, thereby actually making more power.
A cam swap is easy, cam and springs isnt hard, just a PITA without a decent spring compressor. 4hrs tops without springs.
Either way you need a re-tune, either to turn pin 42 on for the fans, or for the cam (one worth swapping at least) so personally, I (and most people with experience with cams) say do the cam. ...
If youre willing to spend the money ($400ish for cam, $150ish for springs) Id go cam. Youre really not going to see much difference with the fans.
If you want it to idle good etc, youre gonna need it re-tuned, but youd need that for the PCM to control the fans too. I hated manual fans. If you forget about them, or let someone else borrow your truck that forgets, its too easy to let it get hot.
As far as cams go, with most performance cams, youre gonna sacrifice a little low end power for mid to upper RPM gains, some more than others.
"Instead of making an educated guess off of someone you dont know's opinion, let someone who specs cams for a living do so is a good idea" Actually, everything u said. FWIW, I'm hearing way less for some LS6 springs.
...I did fans on both of my RCSB's, yes it revs a hair faster, yes it is a bit more responsive, and I noticed an increase in economy in my 2000, however all the fans do is free up power that is lost using a clutch fan. They do nothing to actually make more power. The cam on the other hand lets more air/fuel/exhaust flow, thereby actually making more power.
A cam swap is easy, cam and springs isnt hard, just a PITA without a decent spring compressor. 4hrs tops without springs.
Either way you need a re-tune, either to turn pin 42 on for the fans, or for the cam (one worth swapping at least) so personally, I (and most people with experience with cams) say do the cam. ...
jadaven, a LS6 cam, springs, pushrods, retatiners & seats for $150 is a find! Between u & MPFD working on the wife delete mod now & you know every hundred lbs. you can get out of the truck is worth a tenth!! I had to laugh.
OH, do both, even if on your 6L!
2001CamaroGuy, efans for $150? That's using LS1 fans, keepin whatevwer rad. u have & doin your own tuning. If he had to pay for a tune just for fans & doesn't already have a "tuning plan", he's at that dollar figure. My '05 e-fans were $165 by themselves. :nunchuk1:
Out of those 4mods, the cam & hds. are the better mods than fans & CAI. More $, but greater rewards. They just support the other stuff, but net little.
MikeGyver, if adding fans after tuned for a new cam, it might need some more tuning for the fans because of the cam. Why? Cause of where u said u had to increase the IACs when fans are on to reduce engine surging?
I use the Blackbear 2 pin harness: http://www.blackbearperformance.com/
...For anyone wondering what the "2 pin" is, it lets the PCM control the fans based on temp rather than A/C settings and shuts them off over 45mph, iirc. Here is a thread about it: https://www.performancetrucks.net/fo...d.php?t=432250
...For anyone wondering what the "2 pin" is, it lets the PCM control the fans based on temp rather than A/C settings and shuts them off over 45mph, iirc. Here is a thread about it: https://www.performancetrucks.net/fo...d.php?t=432250
Well...if you do the fans first, it will make it easier when you do the cam since the clutch fan will already be off lol 
I still say, cam first (hot rodder must have), then fans (nice mod, but not necessary). FWIW, my baby cam with tuning was good for a 9/10th and 8mph improvement in the quarter mile, but my efans didn't do diddly for me, except for slightly better throttle response and quicker revving. As far as fan choice, I like the 05 fans and 34" radiator that I'm running, but the price goes up when you chose that route over the LS1 fans that I'm assuming everyone is referring to when they mention the fans as being a $100 mod. I think that my fans alone were $200 to $250 when I bought them over 5+ years ago, then you need a radiator, harness, coolant, and tuning of course. My efan setup was $500+ IIRC...
I still say, cam first (hot rodder must have), then fans (nice mod, but not necessary). FWIW, my baby cam with tuning was good for a 9/10th and 8mph improvement in the quarter mile, but my efans didn't do diddly for me, except for slightly better throttle response and quicker revving. As far as fan choice, I like the 05 fans and 34" radiator that I'm running, but the price goes up when you chose that route over the LS1 fans that I'm assuming everyone is referring to when they mention the fans as being a $100 mod. I think that my fans alone were $200 to $250 when I bought them over 5+ years ago, then you need a radiator, harness, coolant, and tuning of course. My efan setup was $500+ IIRC...
-.9 ET drop is stellar. And yes, the '05 efans, 34" rad. doesn't come as cheaply as LT / LS1 fans. While I noticed little to no gains in power mileage, it's a supporting mod that cleans up the engine bay. 
bluchev, I don't think it's that guys are running into problems cooling the engine down w/ the smaller radiator, just that the 34" rad is needed on '05 efans cause the 28" shares the same holes. If your truck seems to run just fine w/. clutch fan & smaller radiator, that's fine.
Last edited by fastnblu; 07-12-2010 at 02:51 PM.
07-12-2010, 03:06 PM
#78
IDK if I can even find that info, but IIRC, it was just a 6L w/.Z06 heads & cam. Not an all-out build, just a little idea what a few factory parts can do. Pump gas. I'm not homw, but if I find the info, I'll hit ya up w/. it.
