to cam or not to cam

[thebeewantsboost]

i'm towards the end of gathering parts for my turbo build and i am planning on actually pulling(dropping) the motor and trans initially because i need a new clutch and figured it would be easier to get the ffh and such on... since i will have it out, it would be the best time for a cam swap, obviously the cam can compliment the turbo and make more power... and i would probably use a gt1 or something of the sort.. or really anything i could get cheap enough... the gt1, is a good choice so that i won't have to spend more money in valvetrain.

my question is... is it actually safer(better) to have to a cam and run lower boost to reach the same horsepower goals? i realize a motor can only take so much, and i'm working with a stock bottom end... bout 60,000 miles.

[Choppers]

Re: to cam or not to cam

I'd rather have a cam than boost. Too much to go wrong with boost and tuning it. With a cam you can get by on some without major tuning.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: to cam or not to cam

i'm towards the end of gathering parts for my turbo build and i am planning on actually pulling(dropping) the motor and trans initially because i need a new clutch and figured it would be easier to get the ffh and such on... since i will have it out, it would be the best time for a cam swap, obviously the cam can compliment the turbo and make more power... and i would probably use a gt1 or something of the sort.. or really anything i could get cheap enough... the gt1, is a good choice so that i won't have to spend more money in valvetrain.

my question is... is it actually safer(better) to have to a cam and run lower boost to reach the same horsepower goals? i realize a motor can only take so much, and i'm working with a stock bottom end... bout 60,000 miles.

I think you are going to end up putting the same amount of stress on the car regardless...I mean honestly here, if your goal is xxx hp and you can get it through either 12 psi or 6 psi and a cam...if you do the 6 psi and a cam, and you know damn well that the motor can run 12...you know you're going to be cranking the boost to 12...there is no way you will keep yourself from doing that.

I don't think that it will be any safer/or less safe to run a cam with your setup...I think the cam will help you achieve your goals and then some, but the factory cam is not weak. Also, our bottom ends can take quiet a bit of abuse...remember there are guys putting out 400rwhp with stock bottoms... that makes for some damn quick camaros...

[techsan23]

Re: to cam or not to cam

Its hard to say if the bottom end will actually last longer with a more appropriate cam, but you will def make more power out of the boost with a turbo cam. ZZ makes the stattama #1 turbo cam that requires no valvetrain mods, and Abbott also makes a good blower cam.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: to cam or not to cam

check out club gp...parts sell for cheap over there...I think I counted like atleast 4 guys demodding turbo setups last week alone...

[thebeewantsboost]

Re: to cam or not to cam

thanx for the response guys... at this point i'm just going to keep my eyes open for a good deal on a cam and if i can't find anything oh well... its definately still gonna be a bit before i put her under the knife, so we will see how it goes. thanx

[ssms5411]

Re: to cam or not to cam

I'm going to run my VS cam 206/216 115LS with my turbo, since its like the stock cam but just a tad bigger, did well N/A & with the PD, and with nitrous, so I think it will with the turbo and P/P heads. Also I will be running 1.7 Comp Pro mags for even more flow. I would do something to open up the air flow for the turbo.

[bwkmaro]

Re: to cam or not to cam

do you have to do any head work to run the 1.7 rockers with the vs cam? ssms

[LETZRIDE]

Re: to cam or not to cam

I think his is small enough that he didnt, but I would have to look at the lift he has to be sure...why not go with an Xp cam steve?

[Meemperor]

Re: to cam or not to cam

What are your power goals? A proper turbo set up with no engine modifications is capably of making over 400whp reliably.

[thebeewantsboost]

Re: to cam or not to cam

i dont have any real power goals... "fast" would probably be the best way to say it.

i've been thinking and i'm probably going to skimp out on the cam... the turbo system will probably be complicated enough... i'm using a garett tb22 turbo,i believe its t25 flanges. been a little difficult to find information about it. its a twin off of a 300zx. its been rebuilt and i got it off a friend for 75 bucks. it's a small turbo i'll probably just start low and bump the boost up and tune accordingly

[ssms5411]

Re: to cam or not to cam

do you have to do any head work to run the 1.7 rockers with the vs cam? ssms

I had the guides milled down for over a .600 lift to be sure, doesn't cost much for a valve job and milling and have the guides millled , like $300. Plus my heads have been milled like .015" now but I'm running .065 MLS gaskets to be safe. XP cam I haven't heard too much for turbo apps, mainly GTP's superchargers. Our stock cams run very well with turbos, with the 115 LS so the 206/216 115 LS is just a bigger stock cam so I think it will do very well with the turbo boost esp. with other permormance mods setup. Theres a guy using a GT40R turbo with 130LB springs and double roller with stock cam making 450 Wrhp AND OVER 500 tq AT 18 psi, so with bigger valves and bigger stock cam I think it will respond alot better.

[Meemperor]

Re: to cam or not to cam

i dont have any real power goals... "fast" would probably be the best way to say it.

i've been thinking and i'm probably going to skimp out on the cam... the turbo system will probably be complicated enough... i'm using a garett tb22 turbo,i believe its t25 flanges. been a little difficult to find information about it. its a twin off of a 300zx. its been rebuilt and i got it off a friend for 75 bucks. it's a small turbo i'll probably just start low and bump the boost up and tune accordingly

That size turbo is not worth your time if it is only one of them. Even if there's two of them you won't be making great power. A single larger turbo would be a better option I'd say put that thing on ebay and use the money towards something more worth while like gears.

"fast" to different people mean different things. You should really decide on a HP level, trap speed or ET you would like to get to avoid to anything twice. I have made that mistake a few times already with different cars.

[ssms5411]

Re: to cam or not to cam

That size turbo is not worth your time if it is only one of them. Even if there's two of them you won't be making great power. A single larger turbo would be a better option I'd say put that thing on ebay and use the money towards something more worth while like gears.

"fast" to different people mean different things. You should really decide on a HP level, trap speed or ET you would like to get to avoid to anything twice. I have made that mistake a few times already with different cars.

I agree , that is pretty damm small for a 3.8L engine, maybe its good for a 1.8L but I would go with a bigger single turbo.

[thebeewantsboost]

Re: to cam or not to cam

well i've got everything else, so i'm not going to ebay the turbo and get gears.thanx for the suggestion though! i paid 75 for it i'm sure i could get that back out of it. any good/cheaper turbo's i should look at? as far as a power goal... 300+