Jgolden314

Ok, I would like to step up the performance of my camaro. I would like to know what cam would go good with my engine.

I have an LG4, with 190,000 miles. The engine is stock. I have a 700r4 tranny, and 3.23 gears out back. I want to leave the rear at 3.23.

So which cam would be best for my engine? Will it hurt to put a bigger cam with that many miles? I ran a best of 16.5 last summer, pure stock. I am about to add a nice catback from banks.

What do you think my new 1/4 would be with exhaust and a cam that you suggest?

Thank you.

RB83L69

Get an exhaust, all the way from the heads to the street, BUT NOT FOR LG4. Get something chassis-specific, not universal, like SLP or Edelbrock; for something like a 350 TPI, and a direct-fit cat such as a Catco and the cat-back for the same application.

I'd recommend a Comp XE256H, with the valve springs and hardware to go with them tha tComp recommends.

Get a L69 dual-snaorkel air cleaner; NOT an open element.

You should get close to 14s with those things, if not all the way there.

A torque converter would make a MASSIVE improvement also. Something around 2400-2500 RPM. The above mods plus a converter should put you well down into the 14s.

Jgolden314

thanks for the quick reply. I thought maybe with exhaust and that cam i would only hit high 15s. I would be happy with mid 15s even

thanks

87LS

get some headers and an exhaust like he said

I'd get a cam with about 488 lift, that will getyou to about 6,000 rpm
take off the heads and mill them and port them also

your car will be mid 14's then

Jgolden314

thanks again for the info. How much money am I looking at to have the heads ported and polished?

RB83L69

You should do that yourself. It costs by the hour to get somebody else to do it, and it takes alot of hours, and the people who do it aren't cheap because they will be experienced and know what they're doing.

It's pointless (well, not pointless, but certainly not fully pointful) to port & poish them while leaving the stock small valves in them. If you're going to work them up, get 1.94" intakes cut into them; and use undercut-stem valves, such as Manley Street Flo. If they were mine I'd also get the guides cut for Teflon seals, have the studs converted to screw-in with guide plates, and have the push rod holes enlarged.

Trouble is, by the time you pay somebody to do all that for you and buy all those parts, you'll have as much money tied up in them as you would if you just bought new aftermarket ones; except that instead of brand-new performance aftermarket heads, you'd still have old junk stockers, with a bunch of work done to them. That's especially true if you pay to have somebody port them for you.

So if you aren't going to do the port work yourself, you might want to look into replacing them instead of working them up.

Jgolden314

good info. What would happen if i left the heads alone, and put the cam in, and exhaust on? would it be worth the money?

RB83L69

To whom? That's an individual question that only you can answer. You're looking at somewhere near $1000 for all of that from the time you start until the time the car will drive again, assuming you do all the work yourself; is it worth that much to you to get more power?

Either a cam or exhaust by itself won't gain you much; but the 2 together attack both of the strangle points in the LG4. Even without head work they would be a HUGE improvement.

Sitting Bull

Do them yourself and it won't cost more than $400 total. Read the how-to at the end of my sig for the low down.

Jgolden314

thanks! I am about to read it.

Jgolden314

well, is this something that isnt that hard to do? I have never messed with heads and i am somewhat nervous to try it myself. If i do it, it wont be for a few months anyway. I am guessing there are parts you do not polish, and there is a certain thickness to take off?

Sitting Bull

Do a search of Vader's posts. He posted templates that will be perfect for what you want to do. Simply print them to scale and then cut them out and use them as your guide

And, yes, you CAN do this work--it ain't rocket science. The hardest part is actually believing that you can do it. But you certainly can!

Jgolden314

thanks for the reply. You are all great help in motivating me to do it myself. Again, I probably wont be doing it until summer, but I was curious now.

Gotta find the templates now and print em up!

thanks all.

Golden