I know there's a lot of people that have done this, some people say it's great, some people say that it's not worth the trouble.

I have the stock LS1 cam from a 2002 Camaro... according to http://www.smokemup.com/tech/ls1.php it's stats are:

197/207 int/exh @ 0.05" duration
0.467" / 0.479" int/exh lift
116 LSA

v.s The stock 5.3 cam of

190/191 int/exh @ 0.05" duration
0.466" / 0.457" int/exh lift
114 LSA

Basically, I got the cam for $35, it was a little rough, (some light surface rust, I'll post pictures when I get home after work, and you all can help me decide if it's even in good enough shape to install regardless of gains), I let it soak in synthetic oil for a couple of weeks.

The gaskets I'll need to get to do the swap will cost about 70 bucks, so I'll be in it about $105 give or take.

This is a daily driver, so I like the fact that the LSA is close enough that it shouldn't bother my idle, but, never doing anything like this before, I don't know if that duration @ .05" is going to be enough of a change to even bother dropping the money for gaskets and the time to do the swap.

Anyone with cam swap experience or especially anyone that dropped an LS1 cam in a 5.3, could you tell me if this will be worth the trouble?

Thanks!

 

You may not even notice a change at all. I put a one similar to the LS9 cam in my 5.3, and gains were extremely minimal at best. Are you dead set on installing this, do you have a reason? There are much better cams to choose from, not to mention custom grinds.

 

No, I'm not dead set on this cam by any means, the reason I bring it up is because I already have it sitting here, and it could be done cheap since it's a straight across swap (no need to get new springs or anything). If I don't end up putting it in my truck, it's probably going to spend the rest of its life being a bad *** towel rack in my garage most likely.

You think the fact that the LS9 is a S/C engine, the cam profile would lean more towards a boosted application? I know there are better cams out there, probably hundereds of them. I was using CompCam's CamQuest software and it came up with a cam with these specs:

CompCams Grind #XR259HR
206/212 @ .05"
.515/.522
Powerband 800-5800

But I'm going to need new springs to run this cam, I could probably pick up a set of yellow LS6 springs for pretty cheap though.

 

The 259 is an ecellent cam for DD'ing and the like. I'm aware that cost becomes glaringly obvious here as ompared to the cam ya got for $35, but honestly, as previously mentionedyou may not even notice a difference; the lobes are gentle for extended valve train life, that sort of thing. The aftermarket has a bit more liberty to nake radder profiles. But first, what is it that your'e looking for exactly out of the swap..........

 

What is that your looking to gain by a cam swap?
You can pickup used LS6 cams or even a small comp like you mentioned pretty cheap
New LS6 springs are like $58 from SCD parts and work well with mild cams

 

Idealy I'd like to get some gain across the whole powerband, stock or near stock idle, decent fuel economy (I'd like to lose no more than .75 - 1 mpg). I'm realistic though, I know a very mild cam isn't going to give me 35 horse and 50 ft/lbs across the powerband. But I think that 15-20 would be somewhat realistic, I was thinking that I could maybe get 5-8 out of the LS1 cam.

 

That 206 cam is what I run and I still have the same fuel mileage as stock so no problems there idles great pulls alot better the stock and yellow springs would be plenty you could get cam and springs for around 300 if you look around.

 

Is anyone running the TR220 or 224 @ 114 LSA? How's that for a DD and fuel mileage?

 

a lot of guys on here are running those in their 5.3. Sounds nice too!!

 

Related, but slightly OT

Here is an 02 Z06 Cam in a 4.8L
'02-04 LS6 .551/.547 lift, 204/218 duration, 117.5 LSA

This came from Lorenz at LSX power tuning. This was back in the day, street tuned and the valvesprings were allowing valve float. This was also done on big off-road tires.

I really don't see any part of the graph where the engine loses power, but the peak is certainly shifted to the right. Interesting to see the low end torque being very similar between the very mild stock cam and the 02 LS6.