i have a 95 lt1 i am putting in a 67 chevelle and want to put a comp xfi 292 cam and matching valve springs. at what lift does the retainers hit the valve guide. it has a fresh head job and installed on the car. i don't want to pull the heads off but i can change the cam if i had to. i am going with the carb so i can do what i want.

don't kill me it will be fi soon enough.

 

my main thing is my old school sbc has cast heads,lower comp,small cam. i want to spice it up and make a nice strip car. it is a old drag car that my fiance wants to race but my bbc would scare her to death. i would like high 12's and reliability.

i want to install the biggest cam without machine work. i have never built an lt1 with this big of a cam i was looking at around 560-580 lift. can this work

 

Just putting the 'biggest' cam in is not the answer. It's a good idea to match the cam to the heads, CR, converter and rear end gears.

Not to mention other important factors like LSA, fuel/spark management MAF or speed density. Just to name a few.

 

i know about setting the car up. it has 411 gears,3000 stall. i just needed some info on the lt1 limits of head

 

maybe i should refrase the question.

what is the biggest cam people are running on their stock headed lt1s.

i think people are not understanding my question. i don't want to order a cam and find out i have to have my guides cut down or flycut my pistons.

stock vortec heads are good to .460 lift. what about lt1

 

I have herd ALOT of people say that the comp 503 is as big as you wont to go on stock heads.

 

Flycut is gonna be a factor of claying pistons and being sure. Also has to do with valve event timing, head gasket thickness, etc.

In answer to "what's the biggest cam people are running on their stock headed LT1" - a hell of a lot bigger than .580. WITH careful consideration of valvetrain event timing. And - depends on valve, head gasket, how deep the seats are cut, installed height, and on and on. You want to know how much lift YOUR setup and handle? Put a checking spring on EVERY hole, and measure your clearance. You want to be SURE you won't need to flycut? Pull the heads and clay.


And since you obviously have NO clue what the LT1 motors like.... off the shelf cams primarily designed for SBC is far from the best way to go. You DO NOT NEED a huge cam (which will want to spin way too high for stock bottom end and stock head flow) to make good numbers. In case that was not clear enough: DO NOT USE an XFI cam.

Any number of other LT1 specific custom cams will make more power at more rational revs. SLP has some VERY nice cams that make good power at revs that let the LT1 live.

I would NOT regularly spin a stock LT1 above 5800-6000. And it sound slike you don't want to pull it apart, verify what you have, and build it right for racing, but just slap it in and have some fun. One of the grinds SLP developed back when they were the only game in town for LT1s might do you very nicely for your purposes, and might not require exotically expensive springs either.

But honestly, to get that heavy Chevelle rolling, you'd be better off with the big block. Detune it until she gets used to driving a quick car, then turn it back up. 12s in that body with an LT1 might require juice and/or going solid roller and expensive heads, valvetrain, and bottom end upgrades.

If you really don't want to go BB, then a mild SBC 350 is cheap to build... far more so than the LT1.

 

The answer you were looking for: Keep it under .600 total lift.

I had a thread a few days ago asking the same thing. Took 3 days to get the answer.

Now obviously, you will want to do some springs and such to make it work, but with stock heads and non stock valvetrain, that's as high as you want to go.

 

thanks for the info. i planned on keeping it under 6000rpm. i was interested in building a nice toy and i already have the lt1. i never planned on stuffing the biggest cam in there but wanted my limitations. i will build a 396 stroker for the 69 chevelle and might get a cam for that and comprimise with the current one. this is for the wife so if it makes less than optimal power i would feel safer.

as for putting abbc in i have a couple of bbcs but my current motor is over 600hp. not for the wife.

if someone has a suggestion that would be great. let me tell you my setup. 67 chevelle 3200lbs,4.11 spool,th350,2500 stall,hooker headers,3"exhaust w/cutouts,electric fans,msd ignition, have a good lt1 with fresh gaskets & valve job,resurfaced head(compression slightly higher) want to install a carb intake w/holley650(nitrous for me), would like to keep the rpms under 6k, any suggestions would be great. idle vacuum not important. has manual brakes. it is a drag car that might get drove to the track just for kicks. if there is a better cam by slp please tell me.

 

Lpe 211/219?