Hey guys I need to know if I have a good plan for my engine. I have an 88 iroc with an L98 and 700r4. I had a the trans rebuilt last year so it can take the power. I am not going to race the car that much but I do want a nice street car.

I plan to put on the car tpis intake runners and a tpis big mouth intake maifold. I also want a ZZ9 cam (i live in CA so I have to stay emissions legal) and 180cc AFR heads. I already have 1 5/8 headers on the car backed up with a free flow cat and 3 inch flowmaster cat back exhaust.

So what do you guys think about the combination that I picked out? Would it work well on the street and be emissions friendly?

 

Just my $.02 as I am working on my 89 so these opinions are just mine. Much milder setup than yours though. Right off hand I don't think that the ZZ9 has a C.A.R.B number so it isn't emissions legal. I haven't heard what this cam sounds like but I'm assuming it will have quite a bit more lumpity lump to the idle. This may perk up the ears of the smog test guy or gal. So you better have a carb number for at least a smog legal performance cam available. The numbers on it from what I learned from a gentleman fall within the relm of passing if you learn how to chip tune and maintain an exact visual representation of a stock TPI. He told me stay below the mid to low 220s on duration@.050 and an LSA of no less than 112 degrees. The lift isn't as important. This is what I've learned not what I know, I'm no expert. I think quit a few here on this site are using something close to what your thinking of. At least I know that a ZZ4 some folks in CA have got to pass. However in any case you would have to learn how to chip tune to make it idle well etc. It's a bit of a learning curve. From my experience the duration on that cam and mine is well into the area that the MAF can just handle. However, adjusting idle, bottom fuel table and timing takes care of most of it. You will have to learn how if you don't already know. Another thing tuning a chip is technically not legal. My opinion is that if it passes visual and sniffer and you keep it in good tune your doing your step to preserve the bugs and bunnies. I wish Ca saw it that way.
Overall it all looks good but for me,to be safe, I would step down to maybe the ZZ4 cam. I don't think you will loose much and it might work better with TPI's RPM range.

Ok it's a bit long $.04

 

I am running the ZZ3 cam (same as ZZ4) in my L98 and I have passed the Los Angeles, California emissions test several times. The engine has a (very) slight lope to the idle, but I've never had a smog tech question it, or ask for C.A.R.B. numbers for any other non-stock, visible parts.
Bill

 

Check this site out http://www.chevythunder.com/

Burnouts got a good combination that's similar to what I'm going to try.
You ever run it in the quarter mile?

 

Yep, best of 13.91 @ 98+ 2.? 60 ft. @ LACR (2600 ft. DA?) 240 rwhp / 321 rwtq, with air / fuel ratio lean (13.8 - 14.2 :1)
Bill

 

that cam isnt too big. its 212/226. it may have a tiny big of lope to it, just a step up over stock, but depending on your exhaust you might not even hear it.

i think i have read ppl passing with that cam. there are other cams out there tho that will pass but thats a good choice. you dont really need that much duration split in the cam with AFR 180 heads. lingenfelters 211/219 cam is a good tpi cam and could be better

also comp cams XFI makes a good mild cam that will work great with afr 180s and TPI. the hot choice is the 268 but it may be alittle more cam than what you want for emissions. next step down is the 260 which will idle fine and make good power

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I looked at the tpis website and it says the cam is emissions legal but I did not see a CARB EO number. Its just with the stock cam and stock intake tpi runs out of power at 4500 rpm. I know if I had a modified base and some intake runners I could extend that rpm range to the 5000-5500 range. I like the tourque that the tpi has and I don't want to lose that especially since this is a street car.

I have seen some guys in california running a zz4 motor with aftermarket tpi at some car shows but I don't know if they passed the emissions test or they paid someone to let them pass the test.

 

We have been through all this. We being the SoCal Third Gen Club. I have ran the ZZ9 cam for a number of years as well as others in the club. No problems passing smog and idles quite nicely and you can get decent power from it. I was also using 1.6 roller rockers. However it is worth knowing that the ZZ9 cam is somewhat dated compared to what is out in the market place now.

The Comp Cams XFI 268 mentioned above is one of the cams that takes full advantage of modern technology. The ZZ9 has a seat to seat intake duration of 282 degrees. The XFI is only 268 degrees seat to seat. So using the seat to seat figures the XFI 268 has 14 degree less duration than the ZZ9 at the .006" mark. That is 14 degrees smaller.

At the .050" lift mark the XFI 268 has 218 degrees of duration and the ZZ9 has 212 degrees of duration. Plus four for the XFI 268 cam. It only gets better for the XFI 268 and worse for the ZZ9 as the lobes get higher in lift.

The short of it is the ZZ9 is a "lazy" cam and the XFI 268 has a modern agressive lobe profile. That is shorter duration with high lift. The XFI 268 idles every bit as good as the ZZ9 with just as much if not more vacuum at idle.

If your are going to go with the AFR heads get a cam such as the XFI 268 that will take good advantage of the heads. And yes there is no problem passing California smog with either cam. In fact members of our club are passing smog easily with even larger cams. You will need a custom tune no matter what.