LT1 cam digest (the ultimate one)
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,001
Likes: 62
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
Car: 1988 camaro "SS"/ 1991 305/T5
Engine: 383 LT1 in progress/LT1TBI 355 soon
Transmission: Probuilt 700R4 3600 stall/ T5
Axle/Gears: Moser axles, 3.42 Eaton Posi
Re: LT1 cam digest (the ultimate one)
Also Cosmick you'd do well with a ZZ4 cam and mildly worked L31 heads. I know my L03 with ZZ4 heads and cam was a fun little motor. Didn't take me much to tune in as well.
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,001
Likes: 62
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
Car: 1988 camaro "SS"/ 1991 305/T5
Engine: 383 LT1 in progress/LT1TBI 355 soon
Transmission: Probuilt 700R4 3600 stall/ T5
Axle/Gears: Moser axles, 3.42 Eaton Posi
Re: LT1 cam digest (the ultimate one)
So my last thing to say is the LT1 cam is a total waste of time. I personally wouldn't run anything less than a ZZ4 cam using 1.6 rockers on the intake and 1.5 rockers on the exhaust. It's a great combo with the right set of heads and a tune.
Supreme Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,353
Likes: 2
From: North Salt Lake
Car: '86 Camaro, '94 Camaro, 3 others
Engine: LG4 ->L29, L32->LR4, L36, LG4, L31
Transmission: 700R-4, T5WC, 4L80E, SM465, 4L60E
Axle/Gears: 3.42, 3.23, WTB/WTT 2.93
Re: LT1 cam digest (the ultimate one)
I've driven a ZZ4-cammed L31, it's an excellent match. The L31 heads have a lot better intake flow than exhaust, the ZZ4 cam uses a bunch more exhaust lift and duration that helps compensate. The RPM ranges are fairly well matched, both are good through 5500 but are nosing over before 6000, and the lift is an excellent match, the ZZ4 intake lift is 0.474", the L31 intake port flow stalls above 0.475" lift. If you lift the intake valves any higher, flow falls off dramatically, and doesn't recover when the valve closes past the 0.475" point. The ZZ4 cam is great for low-end torque, as is the Vortecs being only 170 cc, which is best matched to 340 ci. Plus the ZZ4 cam is good for emissions, as are the fast-burn chambers of the L31 heads.
Supreme Member
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,353
Likes: 2
From: North Salt Lake
Car: '86 Camaro, '94 Camaro, 3 others
Engine: LG4 ->L29, L32->LR4, L36, LG4, L31
Transmission: 700R-4, T5WC, 4L80E, SM465, 4L60E
Axle/Gears: 3.42, 3.23, WTB/WTT 2.93
Re: LT1 cam digest (the ultimate one)
But that LT1 cam idled dead smooth, gave good idle, emissions, and mileage, plus it pulled through 6200 RPM.
Sure, you could do slightly better with a hair more lift, but I don't want it from higher-ratio rockers that are counter-productive for power in a high-RPM HR application.
If I wanted more power from an LT1, I'd just turbo it, and I'd love to find one for my S-10, since the LS swap doesn't fit as well as advertised, even when you do the Cherokee steering shaft and the tubular upper control arms. But having already done one S-10 350 swap, I wouldn't turbo an LT1 in an S-10. And an L31 is a cheaper, more-common version of the LT1, without the Opti-spark problems, so I might try a '94 Z28 cam in an L31 yet.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 10,450
Likes: 508
From: Hurst, Texas
Car: 1983 G20 Chevy
Engine: 305 TPI
Transmission: 4L60
Axle/Gears: 14 bolt with 3.07 gears
Re: LT1 cam digest (the ultimate one)
I would. My '94 Z28 was a heavy convertible with an automatic and the lame 2.73:1 axle, a 2.5" cat welded into the 2.75" intermediate pipe, and a Hypertech tune, but the cat was little restriction at our high elevation, where we only get 85% of advertised power anyway.
But that LT1 cam idled dead smooth, gave good idle, emissions, and mileage, plus it pulled through 6200 RPM.
Sure, you could do slightly better with a hair more lift, but I don't want it from higher-ratio rockers that are counter-productive for power in a high-RPM HR application.
If I wanted more power from an LT1, I'd just turbo it, and I'd love to find one for my S-10, since the LS swap doesn't fit as well as advertised, even when you do the Cherokee steering shaft and the tubular upper control arms. But having already done one S-10 350 swap, I wouldn't turbo an LT1 in an S-10. And an L31 is a cheaper, more-common version of the LT1, without the Opti-spark problems, so I might try a '94 Z28 cam in an L31 yet.
But that LT1 cam idled dead smooth, gave good idle, emissions, and mileage, plus it pulled through 6200 RPM.
Sure, you could do slightly better with a hair more lift, but I don't want it from higher-ratio rockers that are counter-productive for power in a high-RPM HR application.
If I wanted more power from an LT1, I'd just turbo it, and I'd love to find one for my S-10, since the LS swap doesn't fit as well as advertised, even when you do the Cherokee steering shaft and the tubular upper control arms. But having already done one S-10 350 swap, I wouldn't turbo an LT1 in an S-10. And an L31 is a cheaper, more-common version of the LT1, without the Opti-spark problems, so I might try a '94 Z28 cam in an L31 yet.
Last edited by Fast355; Dec 3, 2016 at 11:39 PM.
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