Ok, I'm researching info for a cam replacement in my 3.4 and have no clue what all this stuff means, like "flat tappet", "Hydraulic, Mechanical" Lifters, "Roller Rockers"...
All I want is a little pushback in the seat when I hit the gas, instant power at highway speeds, etc. Gas consumption won't be a huge factor, but if possible I'd not like to completely trash it.
Now all I'm doing is research now, won't be able to do the swap until after March. But, what the hell does all that stuff mean? How do I get what I'm looking for? And what other considerations am I missing that I should know about before attempting this?
The only thing I've done to it is a K&N CAI filter, and just replaced the intake manifold gaskets.

Thanks

 

All that has to do with the lifters/cam. Like my LT1 is a hydraulic roller lifter. Means the lifters have rollers, or wheels on the end of them to roll over the lobes of the camshaft. It was designed to reduce friction and increase power.

LSA = Lobe Seperation Angle

States the average degree the intake and exhaust lobes are away from eachother. Like if the intake is at 110* and the exhaust is at 120*, the LSA would be 115*. The lower this number the quicker you make power, but also the rougher the idle.

Duration = well....duration

Means how long a lobe will be open. A 220/230 duration at .05" lift means the intake lobe is open for 220 degrees before it will completely close. 230 is the degrees the exhaust is open until it is completely closed.

Lift...well I hope you know what that means. Just states how far the valves will open up.

EDIT: Roller rockers are the same as roller lifters. They have a wheel on the end so it can roll, instead of just push. Also lessens friction and tries to improve power.

 

How much does that all cost when it's all said and done? I didn't know cams affected gas mileage negatively.

 

Well I estimated my car costing around 600-700 for a cam install, and that is if I did it myself, but yet I have a lot of other things on my list also.

And yes cams effect gas milage negatively. The point of a new/bigger camshaft is to make more power. More power = more gas.

Cam 250
springs 100 (about)
retainers 50 (about)
locks (can be from 20-40) 30
gaskets depends

My list:
Cam 250
rockers 225
springs 85
retainers 50
locks 30
gaskets and stuff about 50

So my list costs around 700. You can do it cheap though and get away with the first list. So say around 500. But really that is just a very rough estimate, and if you do it yourself.

 

So, is it recommended to buy a cam kit? Or buy all the individual components? And, I read somewhere that somebody had to get the computer reprogrammed after the cam install. What's the deal on that? Do you need to get reprogrammed after a cam? I'd like to get the most gain I can out of it without having to do other mods to accomodate it. Is that possible? Or does it automatically require other mods to increase the cam?

 

There are a lot of things involved in a cam swap. Let me give you an idea. For my cam swap that I plan on in the distant future, I would need these things. For my LT1 that is...

RVT gasket maker
intake manifold gasket
camshaft (obviously)
water pump gasket
timing chain gasket
cam lube
engine tune (really depends on the cam though)
valve springs
spring retainers
retainer locks
coolant
engine oil
valve stem seals
new injectors (depending on the size of the cam)

That is all I can think of off the top of my head. I know there is more involved. In most cases when you do a cam swap it is a good idea to get a tune. If the cam is not too much bigger and relatively close you can get away without a tune, but then what is the point if it is not that much bigger? If you did not go huge on the camshaft you could take away injectors and maybe the tune from that list. I do not know if new springs are needed on V6's but it would not be a bad idea. Like I said, it is not a quick and cheap thing to do. It can be done in a day yes, but not in a couple hours. Like I said, I estimated my swap costing 700 dollars without including gaskets, extra stuff like oil/coolant/lube, and that common stuff, AND if I did it myself. I will add up the total cost and see what it comes to, IF I did it myself.

So yes, getting a cam kit would be a wise idea, unless you know what you are doing and what you want. I guess the size of the camshaft really decides if you need other things to go with it.

I have learned installing camshafts is not cheap. It involves so much that money gets piled up here and there. It might be different on a v6 and might require less, but it can still get pricy.

 

So how do you know when your cam is big enough to warrant new injectors?
And, is a tune something you have to get done at a shop? Or something i can do at home?
BTW, thanks for all the info... I'm going broke here and haven't even finished looking **** up! LOL

 

There is some math you can use to find injector size. The stock v6 had 200 flywheel horsepower. So...

200 x .47 / 6 x .85 = 18.4314 lbs./hr

Stock v6's had 19lbs/hr injectors. So the stock injectors are close to their limits as it is. Upgrades on those would be almost a must. LT1 24lbs/hr would be a good choice; can do 22lbs/hr also.

I would assume springs is a must upgrade also, but not entirely sure. So new springs means new retainers/locks/seals.

A tune is something you can do yourself if you have a tuner or the software to do it. Or you bring it to a shop and have them tune it for you. Dyno tuning is most effective. What a tune really does is change the air/fuel ratio so you get the right amount of power and efficiency and don't ruin the engine.

As for the right camshaft, that is really up to yourself. I have no idea what a stock cam size is on a stock 3.8 or 3.4 camaro.

So you are looking at;

gaskets
springs
retainers
locks
seals
camshaft
injectors
tune

And some other misc. stuff like oil, coolant and all that jazz.

Check out this site, they have a lot of useful info.
http://www.camarov6.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php

ShibbyZ

 

hey -- stock injectors on the 3.4L are 16#/hr. if you do anythign you need bigger. hell even just modifying for exhaust/intake might need a injector change. gm was stupid and gave us crappy injectors. teh 3.8 got 19#/hr

 

So do injectors increase fuel flow only on demand? Or is it dumping more gas all the time?

 

Dumps more gas all the time. That is the point of a bigger fuel injector. Easy way to think about it is; if the car is running, the engine needs so much gas. So if it needs a 36lbs/hr injector, it is going to need that the whole time it is running.

 

Ok, so if the injectors are pumping more fuel into the engine, does the computer know this? I mean, is it going to adversely affect the idle and how the car runs without getting the computer reprogrammed?

 

In all simplicity;

1: No the engine does not know you changed injector size without a tune

2: Changing injector size does not effect idle, unless the injectors are too small and cannot supply enough fuel.

3: What changes idle/drivability/power is the camshaft. The bigger the camshaft is from stock, the harder it is going to be on idle/drivability/performance without a tune. There is a "bumper zone" though; where the camshaft is so close to the stock tune it can be run that way with very little effect.

EDIT: To clear something up, injectors do not supply more fuel from just changing to a larger injector. It needs to be programmed into the computer so the computer tells the pump how much to give. Think of the injector size as a "max limit of fuel" the engine is going to get. Engine needs so and so amount of gas, but the injector can only supply so much.

Maybe I should explain this on my little how-to site...

 

Trying to understand so bear with me... in simple terms:
Car with 16lb injectors at idle and car with 24lb injectors at idle = same fuel consumption,
But aw WOT, 24lb injectors make the car go faster than 16lb injectors?

 

No

Without a tune; a car with 19lb injectors and 24lb injectors will be the same. The 24lb car might run a little rich, but nothing huge.

Like I said, injectors have nothing to do with power, idle, or performance unless the injector is too small to supply fuel.

All an injector does is get the right amount of fuel to the engine. If the injector is bigger than what is needed, great. If it is smaller than what is needed, bad. 24lb/hr injectors on LT1's are bigger than what is needed, for example.

Camshafts and a tune to match the camshaft, are what change the idle, performance, and power.

EDIT: I think I know why you are confused. What a "tune" does to an engine is make the right air to fuel ratio. Now say the car is completely stock; nothing has been done to it since the factory. If I added 24lb injectors (upgrading from 19lb), and then tuned my engine with the correct air to fuel ratio; there would be no gain what so ever. Some people do say they gain 10-15 horsepower, but that is not from the injectors, that is from the engine running at better efficiency now, not because of the injectors.