Okay, I have finally got everything I need to do a pretty basic cam swap, I think. I'm just not sure if I have it all. I have the cam, springs w/ locks and seats, retainers, NSA 1.6 RR's, and thats about it right now. What else do I need, like gaskets and all the little crap. I need the intake manifold gasket, and maybe a new timing chain right? Is there anything else? And would it be worth an extra couple hundred to get the heads ported, I am going to be running a cc306 cam? Thanks

 

it is ABSOLUTLY WOTH IT TO GET THE HEADS PORTED.

lets up it this way.

i went from a stock motor-
exhuast and gears
13.2

to a 383 with a big cam (relativly), 2400 stall (should went bigger, i'm dumb ) rockers- yeah the works
I ran out of money and used stock heads
I probobly run a 12.5 at best and gained 75 hp


my new heads will push me well into the 11's and give me another 100 i'm guessing.

my point-
$7000 motor gained me less than a set of ported heads
of coarse the car wouldn't respond to the heads nearly as well as it will now withotu the new 383, but you get the idea.

gaskets, just get a whole top end gasket set
intake, head (head porting?) throttle body, water pump, valve cover, intake gaskets... i might have forgot a few.

If the opti is old and the water pump is too, just replace them while your in there, same with the hoses and spark plugs and wires. Opti-

Dal Slabaugh: 1-800-362-9494 ext 501
email: lockitup@bright.net
VanDevere Buick/Pontiac/Olds Akron, OH

Jason Cromer: 1-877-726-8295
email: gmparts@samtaylor.com
Sam Taylor Buick/Cadillac Ft. Walton Beach, FL

Id get an autozone water pump.

You will also need motor oil, oil filter and coolant.

good luck

 

you need 1 thing trey forgot.guide plates so you can use your nsa rockers

 

good call
that woulda sucked

 

http://www.afrashteh.com/guide/install.htm

As was mentioned, you will need guideplates if you go non-self aligning. Also, the CC306 is a big cam for a 350. Consider that this cam will need other parts to work well (such as gears and stall if you have an A4).

-Alex

 

I've actually heard the cmotorsports get a good deal on opti's too, just FYI

 

Well, Sam Smith does work there (people bought from him when he was at Fairway Chevrolet), but you would think that they have to mark up GM parts just a little to make it worth their while to resell them, otherwise why sell them at all? Not saying don't buy from them or the price will not still be pretty good. Just that it might not be just as it was before.

 

The optispark is an ACDelco part though, and they are AC Delco distributors.

 

valve stem seals

 

Yeah, I am aware of that. Still, I heard someone say that they had gotten one through him and it was not as cheap as before. I am sure they still have competitive prices, though.

 

You need the following seals and gaskets in addition to your cam and timing chain:

Intake gaskets
Water pump gaskets
TB gasket
Timing cover gasket
Opti-spark seal
Water pump drive seal
Crank seal
EGR gaskets (unless you deleted it)

 

I believe Thunder Racing sells a whole gasket kit for the cam swap (minus the head gasket if you are getting them ported). I would probably check with them (www.thunderracing.com).

 

Alright, thanks guys. Does anyone know if the crane 10308 springs will fit right without machining or anything? I kinda overlooked that since I got such a good deal on them.

 

I purchased a timing gasket kit from autozone. It had all the seals for the timing cover, a timing cover gasket, some O-rings for the opti, and the water pump gaskets.

You shouldn't need a TB gasket unless you are taking it off and replacing it with a larger one.

Scott