A little off topic for this place.. I apologize... I am building a tpi motor for my jeep scrambler and would like your thoughts. I am gonna do vortec heads.. but even after hours of searching and reading I cant find some hard numbers on what an LT1 cam would do in this motor.... remember its a jeep.. with no overdrive.. and big tires... so moving the power band up much is counter productive. what I do need is gobs of useable low/mid power and economy to roll my 35 inch tires. around 300hp is sufficient.. but placement of the power is the key... appreciate any experience you'd be willing to share

 

I would put a ZZ4 cam in it. I used to have one in my Firebird. Makes a lot of low-end and midrange torque.

Just my 2 cents.

 

An LT1 B-cam, as opposed to the LT1 F/Y cam, will make quite a bit more low end torque than a ZZ4. I went from the stock L31 cam (same as LT1 B-cam) in my pickup to a ZZ4, and even with extensive PCM tuning on the ZZ4, the stocker was stronger up to 3000 rpm.
If you're interested in an L31/LT1 B cam, I have a brand new one never run from a GM crate motor. PM me.
With Vortec heads and the L31 or LT1 B cam, you'll be just about 300 hp @ 4500 rpm with tuning. If your Vortec heads permit the lift, add 1.6 rockers just to make sure. My stock Vortec L31 put down 255 rwhp through a 4L60E and 3000 stall converter, which is about 300 flywheel. The power stays strong until about 5000 and is done by about 5300.

 

any idea what kind of torque it made down around 2k rpm?

 

With the 3000 stall unlocked on all but one run, we weren't looking at the torque that low, but on the one locked run we did starting at 2500, the torque curve still flashed high but settled into its slope (already downward) by 2800-2900 rpm and was showing 305 rwtq. That's about 360 flywheel and is already beyond the peak torque rpm of the engine (2500 rpm). At 2000 rpm, I'd say true torque would also be about 360 flywheel (with the tune of course). You will look long and hard to find a better low rpm torque cam than the LT1-B/L31. Tuning for premium fuel, I'm sure you could better the numbers I saw. I run 87 octane.

 

so you did see the peak tourque at 2500? or did I miss somethin...if so thats not bad.. peaking any lower than that will prolly be a wierd cam with some less than desireable habbits.... oh.. was your l31 a tpi intake or a rael vortec?

 

It was the stock Vortec engine, as delivered in the 1998 truck, so yes a Vortec intake. I stated the torque peak at 2500 because that is where the GM specs say the tq peak is for that engine. They state the power peak at 4500 rpm, and mine was at 4550, so I have no reason to doubt their peak tq rpm.

 

ah.. wonder how different those numbers would be on a tpi setup.. perhaps mor tourque??? wish I could fine numbers from this setup.. im sure somone has run it

 

I don't think those rpm peaks would vary much in a TPI setup. The Vortec setup already has tq and hp peaks both 500 rpm lower than that same cam gives with an LT1 manifold. The TPI does have better ram tuning than the crude Vortec manifold, so you might get a little more boost in tq.

 

kinda what I was thinkin... still trying to find some hard numbers..