I have a 87 GTA 5.0 T5,the motor in it came out of a 87 iroc/auto.I was told that the factory T5 motors had the 5.7 cam.I'd like to put a bigger cam in mine.I know crazy,but it's going to be along while before i can afford a 5.7.Any suggestion on the best cam.I have a theromaster chip,160 stat,Air foil,and 1:6 full roller rockers already on car.I also plan on getting a ram air box( I have a ram air hood) So the air should be better flowing,and getting a fan switch(for secondary fan) to cool the engine even more.166 on/176 off..Other than that,stock.

Thanks

 

Changing the cam won't do a lot of good without installing new or ported heads as well. Wait, the motor is from an Auto Transmission car? Peanut cam I think....

 

changing the cam will make a big difference in the power of your car, change parts and do things as money comes, heads and port work are BIG money and for most people the cost of a roller cam and required components is enough at one time

 

this is what im going with

http://www.compcams.com/Cam_Specs/Ca...?csid=211&sb=2

 

Don't forget to upgrade the valve springs when you change the cam and make sure that you have enough clearance for the higher lift on the exhaust side. There are, however, better options than that from comp cam. Look into the xr258hr12, which is what I went with, or the xr264hr12, also a popular choice for TPI.

 

That cam will work fine with your setup.

 

It says requires machining on cylinder heads. Could you swap it in and not touch the heads, or is the maching part something you should do but can get away with not doing?

 

Swapping a cam requires careful measurements to make sure that all tolerances are met. You should also make sure that you are using the proper valve springs too. It seems that the cam you have selected is small enough that perhaps no further machining is going to be required on the 081 heads that you have. However, there are casting differences from head to head and I wouldn't just assume that you can get away without machine work.
I would find a reputable shop that does that kind of work and ask how much it would cost to have them perform the swap. I don't know about you, but I myself am not comfortable doing this kind of work. It would be a waste to swap the cam, put everything together and fire it up only to find out that you have pulled out a rocker arm stud or broken something.