I have searched on the subject but i havent gotten very clear answers. I want a cam that is goin to be very streetable but with good power. My car is a daily driver. Im looking at the LS1 hot cam and the 02+ LS6 cam. Which one makes better power?What about torque curves, and power curves? Will i HAVE to get my computer tuned with either to make it idle right. I have a M6. I have Mac headers, exhaust, cut-out, lid., HPP3.
Thanks

 

in a sales catalog they listed ls6 at 550 lift, 218 intake,204 exhaust duration. the hot cam was 525 lift, and aprox 224 dur. i'm sure any new cam needs better springs. the ls6 sounds great to me! if its good enough for the z06, its good enough for me .(street performance) cost only $220. stock ls1 has 498 lift 98,99. the 00-02 has 473 lift.

 

The '02 LS6 cam will probably be fine with no tuning, but give you limited torque and low end gains and some top end.

With the hot cam on a M6 you also can probably get by with no tuning or simply raising your idle. The hot cam will give you more gains thoughout the curve.

Either one you will need new springs, but can run with your stock pushrods.

 

Thanks. I might be able to pick up a LS6 for under a $100 so i was just curious if i should get it or hold out and get the hot cam. It is my daily driver as of right now, so i think that 117 Lsa with the LS6 cam sounds better at the moment.

 

The '02 LS6 cam is great for drivability, inexpensive, and a perfect boost cam if you ever go that route. You will need the springs, though.

Also, DanoZ28 was almost right. The correct specs on the cam are 204/218, .551/.551, 117.5. Remember, the cam has a slightly smaller circle diameter, so your stock pushrods will just be short. This doesn't really effect anything, it just makes the lift on the cam more like .549.

Oh, and invest in hardened pushrods. The LS6 cam effectively raises the powerband to 6400-6500 RPMs, thus the need for stiffer springs and harder pushrods.

 

Thanks a lot guys. I think i will go with the LS6 cam for now for driveability purposes, and i will see how i like that. How much hp/tq do you guys think i will make? like stated b4, mac headers, cutout, cat-back exhaust, lid, 160*stat, powercrap programmer, and ill have the LS6 intake on by then. and its an M6

 

I think you'll end up liking the hot cam better. Just get a mail order tune for a little over $100 (after core exchange) from madz28.com, and it'll be very close to what a dyno tune can do. The hot cam will be very streetable but with a slight lope. I wouldn't go through all the trouble of tearing the top end of the motor out to only get as much gain as maybe long tube headers. The price looks tempting, but I really think you'll end up liking the hot cam better. You'll still have good low end and midrange and scream up top.

Jason

 

Oh btw, the hot cam with that tune should put you close to 390rwhp, maybe more at around 5800 rpm.

Jason

 

I have two people in my club that have the HOT cam, and honestly, they think they should have waited for something better. They're both put down just over 370rwhp with bolt-ons and LT headers, and don't like the drivability of it. Not to mention, it's more expensive and requires the additional tuning.

If you want something mild and in the interim until you really figure out what you wanna do, go with the LS6 cam and save some $$$ while you're at it.

 

i wish we had a faq page about cams and peoples impressions of them. (hint hint moderator ) the ls6 cam is cheap, it can be had for 200 bucks, springs are cheap as well. Pushrods will prob end up being more expensive then the springs in total. I hear that the ls6 cam nets about 20 rwhp, thats the same as a lid and lt headers. For me its not worth it. The cost of a cam swap is going to be around 700-1100 dollars for that ammount of money i would want to get something thats gunna tear up the strip. I would want something that can next around 380-400 rwhp with a tune. So that way no 03 cobra well stock atleast can get ya.

 

the hotcam wont give you 390RWHP
you gotta have some completely AWESOME heads to make that much with a crappy hotcam
i say forget the GM cams alltogether. They aint worth the hassle of a cam swap for that little of a gain. You can find a ton of small cams out there (like a 224) used for cheap

 

Actaully 390 on hot cam is possible though not common, but you have to have all the bolt ons and tune the f*ck out of it to peak about 6500 and you'll never see it perform like a car that is making 390 with good power under the curve ... pretty much the same as all the other miracle cams that are putting down mythical numbers.

But you kinda missed the whole point. The LS6 and hot cam are economy cams. The difference between a hot cam and 224 - both tuned - is probably around 5 to 15 rwhp. But the price difference is significant. Even on the used market the hot cam is still going to be $75 to $100 less than any of the other cams. Also the ancillary cost is going to be less with a hot cam.

A hot cam only requires springs - compartively inexpensive springs. Any of the other cams such as the 224 have the faster ramp rates and will require a more expensive spring, as well a pushrods.

After it's all said and done, you'll still be into a hot cam for $200 to $400 less than you will with any other cam than an LS6.

 

The Hotcam is not as bad as what you are saying it is. It's okay for what it is, a MILD cam. It's no Trex, but it'll give you better gains than an LS1/LS6 cam. It's a good nitrous cam, and gives a nice lopey idle. Computer tuning isn't required, but it would help, as the Hotcam likes to die at idle on a stock tune. Drill the throttle body and that problem is solved. Get LS6 springs and hardened pushrods since you have to take them out in the swap anyway