Need advice on a LS3 Cam - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

camaro_ssingh · 03-24-2016, 10:06 AM

So I want to install a bigger cam in my 15' SS. I don't know much about camshafts so I'm hoping someone can help me out. So far I have ARH Long Tube Headers, Borla Atak exhaust and a CAI intake. I'm looking for torque and HP gains and obviously a more aggressive idle. It's a daily driver. Thanks to anyone that can help.

Moto-Mojo · 03-24-2016, 10:17 AM

I'm not sure if you have a LS3 or and L99 you want to put a LS3 cam in. Here's a great article about L99's and VVT cams:

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/ght...-too-fine-l99/

camaro_ssingh · 03-24-2016, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moto-Mojo

I'm not sure if you have a LS3 or and L99 you want to put a LS3 cam in. Here's a great article about L99's and VVT cams:

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/ght...-too-fine-l99/

It's a LS3.

Gearheaded · 03-24-2016, 12:23 PM

Many companies make a Cam Kit. Look at TSP, Brian Tooley, and others.

Personally I went with TSP and couldn't be happier, but that's personal preference.

camaro_ssingh · 03-24-2016, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gearheaded

Many companies make a Cam Kit. Look at TSP, Brian Tooley, and others.

Personally I went with TSP and couldn't be happier, but that's personal preference.

I was looking at the Lethal Racing Night Fury Cam. It's running for $400. Do I just need to buy the camshaft or is anything else necessary?

Gearheaded · 03-24-2016, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camaro_ssingh

I was looking at the Lethal Racing Night Fury Cam. It's running for $400. Do I just need to buy the camshaft or is anything else necessary?

More mods are needed for sure. Double springs for the valves, hardened pushrods are minimum. A lot of guys go above and beyond for reliability. The Nightfury is a great cam, but you cannot put it in the car with the stock Valvetrain.

Cam, springs, pushrods, oil pump, timing set, new timing chain, Trunnion upgrade, and all the seals is what I did.

camaro_ssingh · 03-24-2016, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gearheaded

More mods are needed for sure. Double springs for the valves, hardened pushrods are minimum. A lot of guys go above and beyond for reliability. The Nightfury is a great cam, but you cannot put it in the car with the stock Valvetrain.

Cam, springs, pushrods, oil pump, timing set, new timing chain, Trunnion upgrade, and all the seals is what I did.

Thank you! Helped a lot 😊

christianchevell · 03-24-2016, 05:34 PM

So you know the specs of the night fury are about .620 .620 lift and you can read up on effects of the different LSA usually the smaller the number like 112 make the most power and the duration is up there. There are more aggressive cams out there you can shop around and even custom spec one from the core with places like cam motion. Most use a hardened good core of aircraft steel 8620 I believe. Lethal racing that used to make the night fury cam has closed and other places still can make that grind. I used to have the TSP 235/239 and it was a kick in the pants and with better specs made more. Most get about 480 rwhp on that grind if tuned good on a good dyno for the top numbers and I have seen them lower its all in the dyno set up anyway and the tune. Individual mods added being headers and CAI for the numbers.
You would also need with the three bolt timing gear for a aftermarket cam the bolts that come with gear usually, a new timing cover set, if ditching the pump for higher volume your able to drop the chain and I recommend a ls2 dog bone style damper for the chain versus the ls3 and the Katech c5r chain never broken in corvette racing.

And you cannot forget the gaskets for the timing cover, and if your a motor head like me a couple rounds of Driven racing Br30 for break in and the New Balancer bolt required. Frankly though internally balanced I went for a Fluidampr to dampen harmful vibrations also and its a 25% underdrive to electric only which only matters very little as the idle being 950..... it has like no effect, ( annoying though the instructions I found on summit showed the right belt length but the wrong gates #....lol).

Most places will have to recharge the AC from removing lines and such to get the shaft in and a couple gallons of anti freeze along with oil filter for after the dyno tuning session etc etc And don't forget the tuning to set for your new thermostat at 160 the fans to come on in the tune earlier, the AFR correct for partial and WOT, and ditch the torque management that robs power amongst other things, belts are usually cut off when doing a cam as the AC is a cut off usually, and you may want new tr6ix iridium plugs....so there's a few more for your list...shops usually have some RTV for the edges of the timing cover. Most places know recommended size for their base circle of their cam shaft the correct pushrod lengths usually used. with the lift that potential it most likely would run .650 springs.

14SlomaroSS · 03-29-2016, 12:55 PM

i just installed the nightfury camshaft along with btr .660 dual springs with titanium retainers, btr 7.400 pushrods, melling oil pump, 3 bolt cam gear, iwis chain and LS2 chain guide. hasnt hurt my MPG and the cars my daily driver... drives amazing, huge difference in hp and chops very nicely! my vote is on the Nightfury!

03-24-2016, 10:06 AM	#1
camaro_ssingh Drives: 2015 Camaro SS Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Orange County Posts: 4	Need advice on a LS3 Cam So I want to install a bigger cam in my 15' SS. I don't know much about camshafts so I'm hoping someone can help me out. So far I have ARH Long Tube Headers, Borla Atak exhaust and a CAI intake. I'm looking for torque and HP gains and obviously a more aggressive idle. It's a daily driver. Thanks to anyone that can help.

03-24-2016, 10:17 AM	#2
Moto-Mojo Fast Cars and Old Guitars Drives: 2015 2SS RS (L99, baby!) Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: N. CA Posts: 3,974	I'm not sure if you have a LS3 or and L99 you want to put a LS3 cam in. Here's a great article about L99's and VVT cams: http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/ght...-too-fine-l99/ __________________ “I don’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member.” - Groucho Marx

03-24-2016, 12:23 PM	#4
Gearheaded Drives: 2014 SS Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Florida Posts: 369	Many companies make a Cam Kit. Look at TSP, Brian Tooley, and others. Personally I went with TSP and couldn't be happier, but that's personal preference. __________________ Toys: 2014 SS - TSP 235/239, CAI, LT's, 12.2 @ 115 ("SLOWLY" chipping away ET) 2000 Trans Am - Bolt-ons 13.0@110 (sold) 2009 YZF R1 - Race bike (road course)(totaled racing) 2008 YZF R6 - Race bike (road course)(still own)

03-24-2016, 05:34 PM	#8
christianchevell old school chevy rodder Drives: 2013 2SS/RS Manual,DM exhaust,CRT Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,587 View My Garage	So you know the specs of the night fury are about .620 .620 lift and you can read up on effects of the different LSA usually the smaller the number like 112 make the most power and the duration is up there. There are more aggressive cams out there you can shop around and even custom spec one from the core with places like cam motion. Most use a hardened good core of aircraft steel 8620 I believe. Lethal racing that used to make the night fury cam has closed and other places still can make that grind. I used to have the TSP 235/239 and it was a kick in the pants and with better specs made more. Most get about 480 rwhp on that grind if tuned good on a good dyno for the top numbers and I have seen them lower its all in the dyno set up anyway and the tune. Individual mods added being headers and CAI for the numbers. You would also need with the three bolt timing gear for a aftermarket cam the bolts that come with gear usually, a new timing cover set, if ditching the pump for higher volume your able to drop the chain and I recommend a ls2 dog bone style damper for the chain versus the ls3 and the Katech c5r chain never broken in corvette racing. And you cannot forget the gaskets for the timing cover, and if your a motor head like me a couple rounds of Driven racing Br30 for break in and the New Balancer bolt required. Frankly though internally balanced I went for a Fluidampr to dampen harmful vibrations also and its a 25% underdrive to electric only which only matters very little as the idle being 950..... it has like no effect, ( annoying though the instructions I found on summit showed the right belt length but the wrong gates #....lol). Most places will have to recharge the AC from removing lines and such to get the shaft in and a couple gallons of anti freeze along with oil filter for after the dyno tuning session etc etc And don't forget the tuning to set for your new thermostat at 160 the fans to come on in the tune earlier, the AFR correct for partial and WOT, and ditch the torque management that robs power amongst other things, belts are usually cut off when doing a cam as the AC is a cut off usually, and you may want new tr6ix iridium plugs....so there's a few more for your list...shops usually have some RTV for the edges of the timing cover. Most places know recommended size for their base circle of their cam shaft the correct pushrod lengths usually used. with the lift that potential it most likely would run .650 springs. __________________ 2021 Wild Cherry ZL1 A10, Sunroof, Data, Carbon, Nav, RotoFab Dry CAI, Elite x2, Borla ATK, Driveshaft shop Last edited by christianchevell; 03-24-2016 at 05:44 PM.

03-29-2016, 12:55 PM	#9
14SlomaroSS Drives: 2014 2ss camaro LS3 Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Spring, TX Posts: 73	i just installed the nightfury camshaft along with btr .660 dual springs with titanium retainers, btr 7.400 pushrods, melling oil pump, 3 bolt cam gear, iwis chain and LS2 chain guide. hasnt hurt my MPG and the cars my daily driver... drives amazing, huge difference in hp and chops very nicely! my vote is on the Nightfury!