I got laid off during Cmotorsports great combo deal, but now the cash is starting to flow, and it's time to bite the bullet for good. I am in a cam debate and need some advice. I have searched, but most people are looking to a 112 grind and very few would consider a 218/224 on a 114 and have not compared these 3 cams. I am myself looking to a 114 for a daily driver.

95 m6,3.42,midlength headers,corsa catback,cai, 52mm tb

A cousin got a set of bare lt4 castings for me as a 21st b-day present. They need to be cleaned, built and assembled. They basically have been polished up from factory castings, otherwise, nothing special. I have to get the lt4 intake manifold. These will be going on with the cam.

I spend 60% if not more of my driving in the 1000-1500 range. Then 20%-30% at 1700-1800 (highway) and then the last 10% getting on the throttle. My comment to CC was "No loss in bottom end or milage. A gain in bottom end would be fine though."

Their immediate and obvious response was the XE series and ground on a 114lsa. They said I could select the 218/224, 224/230 or 218/230 and see no issues with my driving with any of them.

I have no experience with these cams. Why not the hotcam? they all should make the same power as the hotcam, but supposedly the XE's would make a little more across the board (maybe not as much up top) and the 90% of my driving where I'm not on it, there would be only possible gains. Also the increased cost to go to an XE from the hotcam IMHO is worth it for simply a better cam.

This is the gist of their reccomendations:

218/224 on 114 - possible increase in fuel economy approx 20-30hp gain peak, and more tq everywhere compared to stock. (Seth from Cmotorsports reccomended this one to me)

224/230 on 114 - same economy as stock, 30 (possibly more) peak gain, more tq from 2000+ and no loss under 2000 or part throttle. (This was Comp Cams Choice)

218/230 on 114 - same economy as stock, 20-30hp gain peak, more tq everywhere compared to stock, better choice for power adder. (Rich Krause - isnt this your cam?)

Now I know there are some pros out there that are using these exact grinds and I've read some books on why each cam would be better then the other. Only problem is, most of the books I have read are on traditional cam lobes, and the XE series from what I've gathered, knock out the disadvantages of a large cam on the bottom end. I have no idea if I'd ever get a power adder, but from what I've found on the boards, it seems all the cams will give me about the same powerband. The peaks would all hit near the same hp (5 or 10 off) and the same tq (with the 218/224 producing the most torque from 0-2000rpm i believe and adding a power adder to any would net about the same, aside from the 218/230 obviously coming out a few hp more... Not to bog down the pros with yet another question and suck up more time, but hey, if you reply, thanks. If you dont plan on replying - you might as well considering you just took all the time to read this

 

224/230 in an automatic here.. on a 112 LSA it's pretty liveable for daily driving, I imagine the 114 would make it even moreso.

No loss in low end.. just an increase

224/230 gets my vote

 

sheesh good post was hoping some experienced folks would have chimed in because I'm in the same deliberation. Mine is a daily driver I stay in the lower rpm range unless I want to play which is mostly weekends. I don't tear it up but I want the best power possible from a cam with the stock heads. I may do headwork next year or something but for now I just want a little more power. I have all the boltons including JetHot longtubes, no cats, Borla, Moroso CAI blah blah blah...most of the other bs.

 

they really told you you may see better economy with a 218/224 on a 114?

I am no expert, but I wouldn't have guessed that to be the case.

Who's doing your tuning?

 

the XE 218/224 on a 112 will be VERY streetable. it is actually a smaller and more streetable cam than the cc305(114 LSA) and the hotcam(112 LSA). im sure you would be disappointed going with that XE on a 114 LSA and one that small.

 

The XE 224/230 on 112 LSA is incredibly streetable. In everyday driving I've only gone over 3k while driving on highway on-ramps. Driving around campus it will hardly crack 2500.

I also drove from Chicago to Purdue, without tuning, on a single tank of gas

 

do a search...

you cant really get a ton more low end, more top end , and not hurt gas milage
especailly with a 224 durration

 

I wouldnt assume that I could get more on top end and more on bottom end, but more on top end without a sacrifice on bottom end is certainly a possibility. I have made no decision on tuning, but most likely a pro, considering I have no lt1 tuning experience.

From what I've read, the few on the board with the 224/230 on a 114 say there is a small loss in power below 3500 (but apparently quite minor) , but at 4500 the cam really gets going. Considering I am going to be putting a a set of lt4 castings on the car, that will effect things.

One comparison put the 218/224 on a 112 against a 224/230 on 114... The 114 would have a higher peak rpm, but both would be extremely streetable...

Not too much in comparing the three..