Cam & Heads upgrade help needed
03-18-2009, 10:18 AM
#1
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Cam & Heads upgrade help needed
I would appreciat any help here ,
I have a 5.3 4WD 08 Sierra, K&N intake and borla catbacks, diablo programmer didn't do any help nether did the TB spacer, now I have some cash to spend, thought of changning the engine to get the max power once and keep room for more mods later, but it seems a big mess, so i am thinking of changing the cam and heads and install LT headers, ANY SUGGESTION on the cam sepesifications and heads ? and from where to get them? any web sites? any info will help guys.
It is a daily driven truck, no towing, I want a strong respons, some tire burning and strong upshifts, to feel power from the truck basicly.
and how much should I expect HP on the wheels?
I have a 5.3 4WD 08 Sierra, K&N intake and borla catbacks, diablo programmer didn't do any help nether did the TB spacer, now I have some cash to spend, thought of changning the engine to get the max power once and keep room for more mods later, but it seems a big mess, so i am thinking of changing the cam and heads and install LT headers, ANY SUGGESTION on the cam sepesifications and heads ? and from where to get them? any web sites? any info will help guys.
It is a daily driven truck, no towing, I want a strong respons, some tire burning and strong upshifts, to feel power from the truck basicly.
and how much should I expect HP on the wheels?
03-20-2009, 06:16 PM
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I just did what you are wanting to do except I didnt change heads. Really no need to change heads unless you are going all out. The heads on our trucks are pretty good from the factory. If you went with the same size cam I did you would need at least a 3000 stall converter. Do a DOD cam swap search and there are several threads on what you need to do to change your camshaft. Texas Speed or Thunder Racing will have everything you would need to do the swap. Both companies offer excellent customer service and are very good to work with.
03-20-2009, 09:46 PM
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You don't have to swap lifters but it is highly recommended that you do. A lot of people have experienced lifter failure with the DOD lifters after a cam swap. So if you do decide to swap lifters the LS7 lifters and the LS2 valley cover are the way to go. Might as well do it right the first time and save yourself some trouble down the road.
03-20-2009, 11:17 PM
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You don't have to swap lifters but it is highly recommended that you do. A lot of people have experienced lifter failure with the DOD lifters after a cam swap. So if you do decide to swap lifters the LS7 lifters and the LS2 valley cover are the way to go. Might as well do it right the first time and save yourself some trouble down the road.
03-20-2009, 11:30 PM
#6
no need 2 change heads or lifters. . our NNBS have Ls6 Heads' pretty good flow . .and oru lifters are pretty good 2 . . down here were running 220/220 , 222/222 with 58X lifts' on 112lsa. .& no problems on lifters . . you just need Ls7 3 bolt sprocket or get a Comp cam 1 bolt custom grind' << I pers' went with hot cam . .219/228 . .525lift. on 112lsa, , , pretty good Mid/top END . and got ls6yellow springs .. . . . Ohh. if u plan 2 shift above 6200 rpm . .make sure u get hardened pushrods. . .
7.4 from comp cam or Texas speed . . .
7.4 from comp cam or Texas speed . . .
03-21-2009, 05:20 PM
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To the original poster. Do not do a cam swap on a AFM/DOD truck without doing LS7 lifters, new lifter trays and removing the LOMA unit. I did that,and it was nothing but trouble, "ticking" noises, code p0300 random misfires, and other crap you would never want to deal with.
If you are going to do it, it will be expensive. You need a cam, valvesprings, pushrods, LS7 lifters, LS2 cover, LS2 (etc.) lifter trays, LS2 cam gear, 3 cam gear bolts, black chain tensioner, head gaskets, exhaust gaskets, water pump gaskets, oil, coolant, sealant, and 2 whole days to do the deal.
You will then need a tuner to disable AFM/DOD, and tune for the cam. We are talking a $2000+ - parts job, with you doing the labor.
Don't suffer the crap I went through trying to run a cam with the old DOD lifters in there, it was nothing but a headache.
LS7 lifters are VERY quiet, BTW.
If you are going to do it, it will be expensive. You need a cam, valvesprings, pushrods, LS7 lifters, LS2 cover, LS2 (etc.) lifter trays, LS2 cam gear, 3 cam gear bolts, black chain tensioner, head gaskets, exhaust gaskets, water pump gaskets, oil, coolant, sealant, and 2 whole days to do the deal.
You will then need a tuner to disable AFM/DOD, and tune for the cam. We are talking a $2000+ - parts job, with you doing the labor.
Don't suffer the crap I went through trying to run a cam with the old DOD lifters in there, it was nothing but a headache.
LS7 lifters are VERY quiet, BTW.
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03-21-2009, 10:20 PM
#8
i have no problems with my DOD .. cam swap..mine's running strong. . all i needed was ls6 springs, hardened pushrods, and ls7 ( 3 bolt ) sprocket . . .and with a good tune, ur good 2 go
03-22-2009, 12:18 PM
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I ran my truck 3000 miles with the AFM/DOD lifters, LOMA, and a Blackbear tune that disabled the AFM with a Lunati 212/218 cam. The truck had code issues, and insanely noisy valvetrain. When I installed the LS7 lifters and removed the LOMA, my oil pressure increased, and my cam "lope" increased, and all the valvetrain noise went away. Power came up also, the truck has way more punch now.