Hi, I've got a friend whose 3rd Gen Camaro I'm working on and it has a few odd issues and she wants a cam installed in it as well. It's got an LS1/4L60E currently in it. I didn't do the swap in this car so I'm not familiar with how things are wired up. I just got the car home tonight for me to do some work on it but I won't be able to get to looking at it until this evening at the earliest.

1. When the car is shut off, the fan stays on. If you slide the top heater control lever from off to defrost and back off, the fan will turn off. What will cause this? I don't really want to wire it to the ignition but if I have to I can. Any input is appreciated.

2. The tach guage stays at around 500-1000 RPMs when cruising and when accelerating it'll move to about 1500 or so. So I know the tach works, it's just not reading properly. Where do I start with this?

3. She wants to install a cam, what is the biggest cam I can get away with without putting a stall in? Is this at all possible? any suggestions are appreciated. I'm not too familiar with automatics as I love 6 speeds.

Thanks for any help that you have it's greatly appreciated. As I said I haven't had a lot of quality time with the car yet so I'm going to work with it hopefully today sometime, maybe Sunday though. Basically I'm trying to correct someone else's mess.... GREAT!!

 

1) Find a fan relay and check the 86 pin whether its 12v IGN or 12v battery. The HVAC slider controlling the fans is really wierd though. AC has an override built into the PCM and defrost uses the AC dying system so this may have something to do with it. Might be worthwhile to rewire the fans for peace of mind if they're acting screwy. You dont want to lose the new engine if she gets stuck in traffic and they go on the fritz

2) If the tach worked before, have the tuner check the conversion factor. LS1's output a 4cyl tach signal where her tach is expecting 6cyl or 8cyl depending on the cluster. Simple cell change. If that has been accounted for then the tach itself bay be at fault. 90-92 camaro tachs are notorious for being faulty, there is a detailed fix in the electronics forum

3) LSx love big stalls, surf LS1tech for whos got what and how those do. 4,000 isnt unheard of even for a completely stock engine

 

I think he wanted the opposite, a bigger cam without an aftermarket stall

From what I've been told, anything more aggressive than a hotcam is gonna need at least a slightly bigger stall like 2800 or 3000. I can not tell you from experience though as I am also a stick man.

 

My stock cam'd 2000 LS1/4L60E has 3000 stall and is begging for more. I wouldn't do more cam before doing more stall.

 

yes you can install a good cam without a stall. especially if you get one custom specced like from patrick g.

 

Thanks for the replys. And yes I'm looking for a good cam without having to stall it, otherwise I may just tell her that she's gonna need a stall. I know a little but about stalls, but not very much as I don't drive an automatic, I stay to an M6 lol. So a hotcam would be about the biggest I could go with the stock stall?

 

look up ed curtis at fti. he can spec a cam that will net great power and can do it without a stall as well.

 

What is she going to use the car for? Cruise nights? DD? Track?

 

More crusing, not so much racing, it may see the track once or twice but I wouldn't count on it. It's not her DD she's got another car for that.

 

even if you can, you're limiting yourself at a very very small gain. Peak torque for a stock ls1 is 4500, so from a converter standpoint anything up to that rpm would work out great. Converters have come a LONG way from the 80s where a bigger one is a chore to drive. Vig makes several nice ones, VERY streetable with a lockup. The SS3600 and SS4000 are popular choices. Don't forget the tune after a cam swap as well. Then the added power will start to wear on the 10 bolt, etc etc. What's her budget? Obviously with your questions I'm not sure you're the guy to work on this IMO. no offense honestly. ls1tech has sponsors all over the country, perhaps they would be better suited for the cam swaps, etc.

 

I'd say talk to her and see if she'll go for a new stall man, after reading this I was cruising around on LS1tech and funny enough came across your thread on there haha (btw they totally hijacked it talking about nitto 555r's and 60ft times), anyway they are all saying the same thing, stall it. I'll poke around a bit more though and see if I come up with anything.

 

ed curtis is gaining in the 20 to 30 hp range with cams and a tune. that is wihout a stall. seen it many times.

 

Probably true. But, what is the goal in requesting a cam change? Rumpity idle? Dyno sheet? Tire marks at cruise night? Bench racing? Time slip? (Doesn't sound like time slip)

Two of those say "more stall". Three say "more cam".

 

that's great, a stall will cut more ET off at the track than 20hp ever would. So what are the gains really? $400 for a cam, another $400 in springs and pushrods, $500 in a tune, or building a MATCHED combo with a stall and having something really enjoyable. You're already spending a lot of cash, might as well do the stall as well and gain much more than 20hp

 

To update this thread, I just got done with the Cam Install on Sunday night. It would still benefit from a stall but it feels great. It needs a tune VERY badly it runs rich, cuts off at a stop, etc. But it sounds damn good. We'll see what the owner wants to do and if she wants to do a stall in the near future. Here's a video and you can see pics of the install and some other installs I've done at facebook.com/mrbluemagicss

didn't know how to post the video so here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6TKnlHSoHA

 

that sounds damn good for stock manifolds.is the rest of the motor completely stock? how was test driving?

 

I guess I'm an odd bird. I prefer a car that sounds "normal", but if you try to mess with it, it'll tear your ears off.

Once upon a time that was called a "sleeper"...

 

Once it get's going it's great, tries to die at a stop and sometimes does, but other than that I can't complain, runs a bit rich but after the tune it'll be good. Even without a stall it's bearable for me at least. Definitely more power left on the table without having LT's and gears but it is what it is.

I can definitely understand that. I like sleepers, but at the same time I like cars that have a nice sound to them too.

 

what cam did she go with. and a good tune will clear that idle up a lot to. once they scale the maf, timing, fuel, air at idle it will be smoother.

 

TR230-111. It's at the start of the video.

 

Just think a 4000 stall and that thing might actually move out good. A 230 cam is a good medium sized cam and will definitely want that extra rpm.

 

Cam is a 230/224 .575/.563 111* from Thunder Racing. A stall will definitely help it, and a tune is coming soon. Unfortunately I don't tune so I can't do it.

 

Remember if paying the $450+ for the tune, it will have to be redone when the stall is added, so I'd do the stall then tune to save the "retune" fee that is always there.