87 camaro cam upgrade questions.
87 camaro cam upgrade questions.
So upgraded my cam on my iroc sbc 305 to a crowler hydralic roller cam which has a max lift of 484.Can I reuse the lifters which are in good shape and reuse the factory pushrods and valve springs.
Cheers.
Cheers.
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Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,210
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From: Mississauga, Ontario Canada
Car: 1987 GTA
Engine: 5.7
Transmission: T5WC
Axle/Gears: 3:27
Re: 87 camaro cam upgrade questions.
There are calculations you need to do off the Cam card. You need to know what your current valve train can handle before you hit coil bind. You may also need to change your pushrods as well once you figure out your rocker tip sweep across the valve tip.
Re: 87 camaro cam upgrade questions.
Joined: Sep 2005
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Car: Yes
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Re: 87 camaro cam upgrade questions.
Never heard of "Crowler". However I do know of Crower, started back in the 60s by Bruce Crower. Is that who your cam came from? I'm guessing their 00480 or 00481, or perhaps 00461 or 00463?
Lifters, yes generally you can re-use if they're in good shape.
Push rods, iffy at best. Stock pushrods are made from about the cheeeeepest thing that's shinier than rubber. They might "work" butt will be one of those things that might just flake at any moment.
Valve springs, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY UNEQUIVOCALLY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER DO NOT RE-USE. I can't think of anything stuuuuupider or more destructive that you can possibly do to an engine than that. Stock ones aren't even able to control valve motion on a STOCK cam, let alone ANYTHING aftermarket, and ESPECIALLY not something aggressive and "performance" oriented.
In 2026, the best choice for springs, is probably "LS6" ones such as from Texas Speed, and the Comp 787 "adapter" retainers with their associated hardware, set up to 1.800" installed height, without the stock "rotator" garbage on the exhausts. That setup will work fine with any of those cams. I also strongly suggest putting in new valve guide seals; use the FelPro "positive" ones that they list for intake, on both int & exh; NOT "umbrella" type, and don't even bother with the useless O-rings that go inside the retainer after you put it on the valve with the spring compressed and before the retaiers.
Lifters, yes generally you can re-use if they're in good shape.
Push rods, iffy at best. Stock pushrods are made from about the cheeeeepest thing that's shinier than rubber. They might "work" butt will be one of those things that might just flake at any moment.
Valve springs, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY UNEQUIVOCALLY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER DO NOT RE-USE. I can't think of anything stuuuuupider or more destructive that you can possibly do to an engine than that. Stock ones aren't even able to control valve motion on a STOCK cam, let alone ANYTHING aftermarket, and ESPECIALLY not something aggressive and "performance" oriented.
In 2026, the best choice for springs, is probably "LS6" ones such as from Texas Speed, and the Comp 787 "adapter" retainers with their associated hardware, set up to 1.800" installed height, without the stock "rotator" garbage on the exhausts. That setup will work fine with any of those cams. I also strongly suggest putting in new valve guide seals; use the FelPro "positive" ones that they list for intake, on both int & exh; NOT "umbrella" type, and don't even bother with the useless O-rings that go inside the retainer after you put it on the valve with the spring compressed and before the retaiers.
Re: 87 camaro cam upgrade questions.
Never heard of "Crowler". However I do know of Crower, started back in the 60s by Bruce Crower. Is that who your cam came from? I'm guessing their 00480 or 00481, or perhaps 00461 or 00463?
Lifters, yes generally you can re-use if they're in good shape.
Push rods, iffy at best. Stock pushrods are made from about the cheeeeepest thing that's shinier than rubber. They might "work" butt will be one of those things that might just flake at any moment.
Valve springs, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY UNEQUIVOCALLY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER DO NOT RE-USE. I can't think of anything stuuuuupider or more destructive that you can possibly do to an engine than that. Stock ones aren't even able to control valve motion on a STOCK cam, let alone ANYTHING aftermarket, and ESPECIALLY not something aggressive and "performance" oriented.
In 2026, the best choice for springs, is probably "LS6" ones such as from Texas Speed, and the Comp 787 "adapter" retainers with their associated hardware, set up to 1.800" installed height, without the stock "rotator" garbage on the exhausts. That setup will work fine with any of those cams. I also strongly suggest putting in new valve guide seals; use the FelPro "positive" ones that they list for intake, on both int & exh; NOT "umbrella" type, and don't even bother with the useless O-rings that go inside the retainer after you put it on the valve with the spring compressed and before the retaiers.
Lifters, yes generally you can re-use if they're in good shape.
Push rods, iffy at best. Stock pushrods are made from about the cheeeeepest thing that's shinier than rubber. They might "work" butt will be one of those things that might just flake at any moment.
Valve springs, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY UNEQUIVOCALLY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER DO NOT RE-USE. I can't think of anything stuuuuupider or more destructive that you can possibly do to an engine than that. Stock ones aren't even able to control valve motion on a STOCK cam, let alone ANYTHING aftermarket, and ESPECIALLY not something aggressive and "performance" oriented.
In 2026, the best choice for springs, is probably "LS6" ones such as from Texas Speed, and the Comp 787 "adapter" retainers with their associated hardware, set up to 1.800" installed height, without the stock "rotator" garbage on the exhausts. That setup will work fine with any of those cams. I also strongly suggest putting in new valve guide seals; use the FelPro "positive" ones that they list for intake, on both int & exh; NOT "umbrella" type, and don't even bother with the useless O-rings that go inside the retainer after you put it on the valve with the spring compressed and before the retaiers.
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