What should I expect from just swapping in a Lt1 cam in my 90 305tpi.

and will it just slide in without any mods? I'm new to the cam swap game. Do i need new rockers?

 

Research a little more and see what the aftermarket has to offer as far as more aggressive camshafts go. As labor intensive as that swap is, You'd might be dissapointed with the gains you get out of an LT1 cam. Just a heads up for ya. You wouldn't need new rockers, but it's usually a good idea at the very minimum to replace the valvesprings with new pieces. Over time the factory springs weaken and that alone could be costing you power in the upper RPM ranges. The factory roller lifters you have should be reuseable if they don't show any signs of wear or damage.

Maybe someone will chime in with actual experience from this kind of swap. Goodluck.

 

Man it's been a long time since I've done LB9 stuff but I'll try to help you out (I'm not at home so I don't have my resources available so I'm going off memory) I don't think you'd want to go with the LT1 cam for the very reason autoroc said. It will give you a power boost but I honestly dont think it'll be what you're expecting. What other mods have you done to the car? Keep in mind that the stock intake on those tpi cars is pretty restrictive especially once you get past 4800rpm. You need to determine where you want the car to breath, if larger runners or possibly an entire new intake are in your future. Assuming you are stock, comp cams has some "kits" or they did several years ago when I was doing a 305 buildup that come with springs, the cam, etc...I'd look strongly at something like that. You'll get everything you need (I think they even had an option that came with new rocker arms) but if you go to radical you'll shoot yourself in the foot because of the intake problem. If you keep it stock you want something that builds power from about 1500rpm to 4800 or so rpm (5000 is ok). Once you get above that the intake won't allow you to build much power even if you put in a helacious cam...give us more info on your car so we can give you more info...

 

I think the LT1 cam would be perfect. He won't need to machine the heads for larger valvesprings or worry about coil bind with it. And its lift is quite good for a 305.

Perfect choice, IMHO.

 

i have heard that lt1 cams work great and can give 3-4 tenths of a seconds off at the track and i was reading an article about tune ports they said avoid sticking an agressive lumpy cam in your car cause that wont like it!

 

8957 You're right for the most part you don't want a massive cam, however a cam specifically designed for a tuned port car I think would net him better results...

 

That's another thing about the LT1 cams; they have a nice wide LSA, somewhere around 116, which is perfect for TPI. LOTS of vacuum there to keep the sensors happy

Moreover, the cam's lift and duration perfectly complement an engine that struggles to hit 5000 rpm.

 

thanks for all the help, I can get a lt1 cam for about 40 bucks, and how hard of a install? What type of hp gains should I expect with the cam alone? I plan on adding header and exhaust probally mack. As far as the intake, going with the slp,and I already got the 180 stat. Then if I have enough money 3.42 gears and a transgo shift kit.

 

Don't know if you know this or not but adding a shift kit to a high mileage tranny can (doesn't always but can) kill them quicker.

 

It depends what you want, I like my lumpy cam. It sounds mean as hell with my flowmaster. The only gripe I have with mine is that it hurts me off the line a little. The rpm range for mine is 2500-7000, and I dont have a stall convertor so its a little weaker than it sould be off the line. But it hauls *** in 2nd gear. Oh and it sucks too much vacuum, my brakes are basically manual not power anymore.

 

I got about 120,000 miles on the iroc, so the transgo not a good idea?

 

If it were me I'd wait till I could do a rebuild on it too. I added a shiftkit when I rebuilt mine, friend of mine added one with 110k on his and 3k miles later it was toast. I also remember reading from one of the companies that makes shiftkits saying to NEVER install one on a tranny that has already been used, to always do it when the clutchpacks can be replaced.

 

anyone have any experience with the lt-1 cam swap in a305tpi, what can i expect in terms of added power. how long would on average it take?