07-30-2008 | #1 |
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Crystal Lake, IL
Posts: 7,194
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opinions
As many of you know I just bought the upper end of a LT-5 Motor, wondering opinions on the cams and lifters. If I am going to swap heads, would you keep the lifters and cams or reuse the ones in the exisiting motor? I have a full set of cams/gears lifters. The cams have 40K miles on them, the lifters only 500 miles. The cams and lifters in my car have 20K miles on them.
Any thoughts? LGAFF 92 ZR1 #234 Another possibility would be to have stock cams reground for more HP. |
07-30-2008 | #2 |
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: lone pine and mammoth lakes
Posts: 1,407
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Re: opinions
if it bwere me , i would keep the cam and lifters together . i wouldnt switch holes with the lifters . i might go with your exsisting cams and lifters , but i would make sure to keep the lifter in the same hole it came out of . are these heads ported ?????. if so you will enjoy the results . are you doing the work ? if soisee if you can get someone to give you the magical way to time the cams for best power . its good for 10-15 hp
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07-30-2008 | #3 |
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Crystal Lake, IL
Posts: 7,194
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Re: opinions
sorry, yes they are ported.
LGAFF 92 ZR1 #234 |
07-31-2008 | #4 |
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Squires (near Ava MO in the Mark Twain N'tl Forest) - Missouri
Posts: 6,493
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Re: opinions
Having NO experience w/ regard to LT5s and your question, take it for what it is worth...But, with SBCs, ya keep the lifters with their respective cam lobes, which I imagine you know as well. And, you prolly also know ya can put new lifters on a used cam, but NOT the other way around.
SO! Applying the same reasoning to the LT5, I would suppose you could go with either cam set, as long as you keep the respective lifters together with the cams. Another option: You could maybe have the other set of cams reground a la "stage-II". (Ask Pete or Marc about it). As long as you're going that far, the opportunity to tweak the cam profile couldn't be better than now. However, I would imagine that would mean new lifters (or perhaps reconditioning the old ones?). If you don't regrind the spare cams, I guess I'd stay with your existing 20k cams and lifters, assuming no other wear. And, if it were me, I'd drive over to Marc H's soze he could look over the cams, the chains, etc just for an expert opinion on their relative condition and to spot any issues before reinstalling them. You are going to replace the chain tensioners, no? Just curious. BTW, are you going to time your cams yourself or have Pete or Marc or ?? do it? (Cam timing process is something I'd like to observe, if I get the chance someday.) P. |
07-31-2008 | #5 |
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Crystal Lake, IL
Posts: 7,194
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Re: opinions
If I decide to pull the heads, I will pull the motor myself, and install the heads, and then call Pete to time cams. Maybe Pete will do a cam timing seminar for us. Pete is a talented guy when it comes to Zs, I know he has some top secret tricks up his sleeves.
LGAFF 92 ZR1 #234 |
07-31-2008 | #6 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: north of montreal
Posts: 510
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Re: opinions
im going to do the same job this winter,ieorted heads and headers,but the block will have to stay in the car...nobody around here(montreal) wants to touch it,so ill have to do the job myself...my experience is in push-rod engines,bbc and harley,so anything learned here will be precious when time comes
bj 91/1735 |
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