Best "low effort" cam for LT1 350?

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cwilliamsws6

cwilliamsws6

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Miiiight be picking up a 94 Roadmaster sedan later if everything works out in my favor.

If I get it I want to do a mild engine build and make it a sleeper, zero appearance mods except maybe some Torq-Thrust II wheels and HIDs.

I was thinking of doing the LT4 hotcam kit but it's really expensive (over $800) and for a cam that large I imagine I'd need a larger stall too.

I have ridden in a 96 Roadmaster wagon that had a Comp Cams 260XFI and he was running that on the stock tune, he just swapped the cam and valvesprings iirc.

I want something a bit more aggressive though, I love a big lopey idle.

What series camshafts would y'all recommend for a cheap engine-only budget build? Trying to keep it under $500, and I am willing to retune the ECU if needed. I just don't want to drop the trans to swap a converter or anything like that.
 
I like the specs and price of that Lunati cam. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thank you!
 
Might need springs too. Its over 1/2 " lift at short duration which means very accelerated VT components.

I agree that should be a decent street cam

How a bout rear gears; does it have towing gears now?

Mid twos out back is too tall for a cam that big.

And Forget the "Dopey Lopey" Idle.

That's just for posers or real competition engines.

If you had a carb you could mistune the idle mixture to make it idle rough
smile.gif


Is this the Older woman's car your were going to tune up?
 
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no problem, if you go any bigger you will have to change your torque converter because all things being equal a larger lift and duration cam simply moves the power band up the rpm range.

to be polite a "heavy" car like a road monster
lol.gif
, needs tons of low end torque to move it off the line, a high rpm screamer cam looks good on paper but only works good on a circle track
 
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ARCOgraphite - not the older woman's Roadmaster, I'm not even the OP of that topic. This is totally unrelated. lol

I do believe the car is towpack since it has the mechanical fan as opposed to the electric one. I also probably would be doing beehive springs regardless of what I swap in just for my own peace of mind.
 
A friend of mine had a Roadmaster wagon and it was pretty fast w/o anything done except exhaust. Dang thing would burn the tires off until he let off the gas. A cam will make it a gas hog and you will have to tune it, do converter, etc. You basically shift the power to high rpms and make the driveability worse on the street.
 
+1 on the rear gear, I also seem to remember they did a dyno with and without stock intake elbow and picked up something like 13-15HP. They really had it choked down to mute the intake noise.

Forget the cam, why not flip the manifolds, get one of those $167 eBay turbos that Richard Holdener made 800HP with, and have a custom exhaust built for it to go from the hot side to the factory exhaust? The turbo and gear would get that car moving way better than any cam will, and still be around your $500 limit, and be waaaaay more original and fun too! LOL

Just use about 6-9psi so you don't break anything and you don't NEED an intercooler so you keep it simple.... then get a good tune.
 
What gear ratio would you guys recommend? Maybe some 3.73s?

I do not wish to go the turbo route as I am on a barely-above-minimum-wage budget plus I do not possess the tools or skill to fabricate the means to run a turbo. Maybe later down the road but certainly not right now.
 
How much driving will you be doing? Deeper gears might help around town to improve mpg, but they tend to hurt at highway speeds, unless the current gearing is super tall. I'd think 3.42's would be a good all round option, 3.73 or 4.1's for city. Don't forget, tire size comes into play too.

I know you're going to wait until you possession; I'd drive it first and see how it feels, and what rpm it's turning.
 
Ultimately I plan to use the Roadmaster as my daily driver if I get it, because the sound system I built in my CR-V took away all my cargo space except the back seats and subsequently the ability to utilize the car for about anything.

I would just get some 15x7" Torq-Thrusts and swap the 225/75r15 tires off the old wheels to those.
 
BRAKE CHECK! Seriously folks, the OP just stated his lousy "barely-above-minimum-wage budget".
Your 18. Stay away from the Buick unless you want to live with your parents the rest of your life.
 
Originally Posted by cwilliamsws6
I would just get some 15x7" Torq-Thrusts and swap the 225/75r15 tires off the old wheels to those.
Torque Thrusts were played out a decade ago. Nothing screams mid-2000s Boomer like a set of TQ2s. Slot mags are way cooler!
 
Originally Posted by SubieRubyRoo
+1 on the rear gear, I also seem to remember they did a dyno with and without stock intake elbow and picked up something like 13-15HP. They really had it choked down to mute the intake noise.

Forget the cam, why not flip the manifolds, get one of those $167 eBay turbos that Richard Holdener made 800HP with, and have a custom exhaust built for it to go from the hot side to the factory exhaust? The turbo and gear would get that car moving way better than any cam will, and still be around your $500 limit, and be waaaaay more original and fun too! LOL

Just use about 6-9psi so you don't break anything and you don't NEED an intercooler so you keep it simple.... then get a good tune.


This. Everybody loves turbos sticking out of the hood!

A5A04FA3-B244-4E19-8E12-EBC8D973D9C4.webp
 
Originally Posted by cwilliamsws6
Miiiight be picking up a 94 Roadmaster sedan later if everything works out in my favor.

If I get it I want to do a mild engine build and make it a sleeper, zero appearance mods except maybe some Torq-Thrust II wheels and HIDs.

I was thinking of doing the LT4 hotcam kit but it's really expensive (over $800) and for a cam that large I imagine I'd need a larger stall too.

I have ridden in a 96 Roadmaster wagon that had a Comp Cams 260XFI and he was running that on the stock tune, he just swapped the cam and valvesprings iirc.

I want something a bit more aggressive though, I love a big lopey idle.

What series camshafts would y'all recommend for a cheap engine-only budget build? Trying to keep it under $500, and I am willing to retune the ECU if needed. I just don't want to drop the trans to swap a converter or anything like that.


The LT4 hot cam is very mild. Its specs are...

278 / 287 @ .006"
218 / 228 @ .050"
.525" / .525" lift w/ 1.6 rockers
112 +4 LSA

The springs that come with that cam kit are really weak. They're only ~100 lbs on the seat and ~280 lbs open with coil bind at .550" lift. They float valves even with the mild LT4 hot cam. I would recommend a custom cam for what you want as all of the shelf options are compromises for performance and part throttle drivability. The specs I recommend for a stock headed LT1 is...

280 / 286 @ .006"
230 / 236 @ .050"
.576" / .576" lift w/ 1.6 rockers
109 +3 LSA

That'll produce an aggressive, choppy idle, would come alive around 3500-4000 rpm and pull to 6000-6200 rpm. Lloyd Elliot is who I recommend contacting for a custom grind. His grind will probably be pretty close to those specs.

Also to note, there's a lot to be gained in small upgrades that are cheap or sometimes free.

Remove the coolant passage through the throttle body
160*F thermostat
1.6 ratio roller rockers (with better springs)
Longtube headers and Y-pipe
K&N (or Summit) cold air intake with cast elbow
A good tune

Just doing those things can gain 40-50 hp and 20-30 tq. A good cam will gain another 30-40 hp. The OEM head gaskets are also very thick at .051" so just swapping them for a set of Mr. Gasket .026" gaskets picks up over 0.5 point of compression.

I run the setup above in my '93 with a TH350 and FTI high STR 9.5" 4000 stall converter and 4.10 rear gear. It's strictly track only. If keeping the 4L60E, the Yank SS3600 is a good all-around converter. I recommend Dex VI ATF for street use although I use Type F in my TH350 (track only).
 
I'm pretty sure I'd be a LT1 as I've never seen a L99 with HD cooling.

I would recommend leaving it alone, Start making any power & you will find out how much a 4L60E cost to rebuild, '93/'94 4L60E's are different making finding a good used one tough.

Gear changes require a custom ABS reluctor gear for the pinion. And don't be surprised if you have a vibration afterwards from spinning the drive shaft faster.
 
Originally Posted by RDY4WAR
Originally Posted by cwilliamsws6
Miiiight be picking up a 94 Roadmaster sedan later if everything works out in my favor.

If I get it I want to do a mild engine build and make it a sleeper, zero appearance mods except maybe some Torq-Thrust II wheels and HIDs.

I was thinking of doing the LT4 hotcam kit but it's really expensive (over $800) and for a cam that large I imagine I'd need a larger stall too.

I have ridden in a 96 Roadmaster wagon that had a Comp Cams 260XFI and he was running that on the stock tune, he just swapped the cam and valvesprings iirc.

I want something a bit more aggressive though, I love a big lopey idle.

What series camshafts would y'all recommend for a cheap engine-only budget build? Trying to keep it under $500, and I am willing to retune the ECU if needed. I just don't want to drop the trans to swap a converter or anything like that.


The LT4 hot cam is very mild. Its specs are...

278 / 287 @ .006"
218 / 228 @ .050"
.525" / .525" lift w/ 1.6 rockers
112 +4 LSA

The springs that come with that cam kit are really weak. They're only ~100 lbs on the seat and ~280 lbs open with coil bind at .550" lift. They float valves even with the mild LT4 hot cam. I would recommend a custom cam for what you want as all of the shelf options are compromises for performance and part throttle drivability. The specs I recommend for a stock headed LT1 is...

280 / 286 @ .006"
230 / 236 @ .050"
.576" / .576" lift w/ 1.6 rockers
109 +3 LSA

That'll produce an aggressive, choppy idle, would come alive around 3500-4000 rpm and pull to 6000-6200 rpm. Lloyd Elliot is who I recommend contacting for a custom grind. His grind will probably be pretty close to those specs.

Also to note, there's a lot to be gained in small upgrades that are cheap or sometimes free.

Remove the coolant passage through the throttle body
160*F thermostat
1.6 ratio roller rockers (with better springs)
Longtube headers and Y-pipe
K&N (or Summit) cold air intake with cast elbow
A good tune

Just doing those things can gain 40-50 hp and 20-30 tq. A good cam will gain another 30-40 hp. The OEM head gaskets are also very thick at .051" so just swapping them for a set of Mr. Gasket .026" gaskets picks up over 0.5 point of compression.

I run the setup above in my '93 with a TH350 and FTI high STR 9.5" 4000 stall converter and 4.10 rear gear. It's strictly track only. If keeping the 4L60E, the Yank SS3600 is a good all-around converter. I recommend Dex VI ATF for street use although I use Type F in my TH350 (track only).

Agree with the 230/236 cam with 3:40 gears. Just this summer freshened up a 327 with a similar cam. It pulled strong thru a wide mid range and got decent mileage in a 2wd small Jimmy. Looking for something to use it in.
 
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