What is the biggest cam you can put in while maintaining driveability?

 

I'm running a CC306 on a stock stall and it works fine. Good daily driveability (little lopey at a stop light though. Have to put it in neutral).

 

I'm also running a 306 with a stock stall right now.

 

I wouldn't recommend running a 306 with a stock stall. You'd actually be faster running a smaller cam with the stock stall because a car with a 306 and stock stall will fall on it's face off the line bad. Try looking for something between 210-215 intake duration and 215-225 exhaust duration if you plan on keeping the stock stall. You can go bigger if you're gonna upgrade it but stay away from something the size of a 306 if you plan on running the stock converter any amount of time. You need at minimum a 3500 stall to run the cam, closer to 4000 if you want to see the potential of the cam, stock is only 1800.

 

You say the stock stall is 1800. Is that just your guess, or do you have some proof of that? Not saying youre wrong, just wondering. Cuz ive been trying to find an actual source that gives the stall of the stock converter, but have been unsucsessful.

 

what int. and exh. is the Hot Cam

actually, i believe that the stock stall is in the 1400-1500 range.

 

218/228 112 Lsa

 

No, the stock stall is 1800. You can foot brake it to about 1400-1500.

 

you'd fall on your face off the line, but once thats done youd be faster for the rest of the race. Even the big cams give good torque after 2000rpm.

Just dont race anybody off the line, do it off a roll

 

If you only have the dough for a cam and not the stall I say do the stall first. This coming from someone who did a tiny ZZ3 cam(208/221) then did the stall later. Car drove and even towed a boat fine with 2.93s 1650 stall and that cam(also see my username this is a b-body so it is heavier than yours) but the stall was a night and day difference and paid off BIG at the track even on street tires. I like 2800 and have an Edge but go with them Yank or Vig and you will get good drivability and it will make the car feel better whenever it is not locked, yes a converter makes a difference in passing performance too not just off the line.
If you still want the cam first consider the Crane 210/224 don't let the small duration fool you this is a very well performing cam.

 

i had a cc306 as well (with stock tc)

 

96capricemgr ditto. 97lt1z you'll probably see more of a gain by doing a stall than by tossing a 306 in.

 

A stall helps keep your car in its peak torque band but it results in greater drivetrain loss and worse fuel economy.

Once you are past 35mph, adn teh stock stall is running at high rpm, a looser converter will not do much. Increasing the rpm at this point will not increase torque as lt1s have pretty flat torque curves. IF the shift points are set high (eg. 6500 rpm or more), then even with every gear change, you will fall into peak torque range with a stock stall on WOT.

If your goal is the quickest 1/4 mile, a higher stall converter will help. It will hurt you at higher speeds and give you a lower top speed, and will reduce your fuel economy.

 

Sounds like your only experiance is with crap converters, find me someone who has done a 2800+ quality 9.5" who was unhappy. They are a world of different from the restalled stock 12" crap you can get for cheap.

 

Actually a higher stall converter gives you better shift extension(rpms drop less when the tranny shifts) when compared to a stock converter. So they actually aren't worse from a roll actually a little better. Not to mention when you get stuck at 35 where it will only downshift to second, a higher stall will have you right in the powerband while a stock one won't.