i need a radical cam

[boosted_4.3]

i talked to Al over at wynjammer. and thats the path im going with the jimmy. and now that i payed off the jetta (FINALY), i have 400 $$$ to play with now. so i was planning on building up the 4.3 before i get the s/c, and waste time so i can get the intake man from Al as well. he was talking aobut a 114 cam is the way to go. that being said, how radical can i go with that cam and still fit the rockers under the stock valve covers?

al said that the 4.3 will put out 360 ish hp with the jammer on it. so i would think that with the supporting mods he talked to me about, i sould be close to 400??????

[87wildside]

Why wouldn't you just listen to his recommendations?

[boosted_4.3]

i am. im just asking what options of cam do i have that are 114 that i dont have to changethe valve covers on it. im not to up on the cam specs and all that. he just said that the valves have to opem at different times. and , for example, the 280 would hurt you in the power department if you were f/i cause all your boost would go out the tail pipe.

[12sws27]

is your jimmy a 2 or 4dr? just curious

[Mikz86TA]

The 114 is one of the many specs of the cam. That one is Lobe Seperation. 280 is Duration. There is a few ways to determine duration and Lift which is another spec.
Frst you need to go to a cam site and read the info on what all that means. Or read past postings here about cams and get input on what those specs mean and their relation to output.
Next, the only thing that would net a needed change in valve covers is getting Aftermarket rocker arms and you having the later year Composite valve covers. Cam lift isnt going to be a factor there. Its the rockers. GM used a weird rocker arm setup on 98-up Vortecs. Changing rockers to even the same 1.5 ratio using aftermarket rockers and studs will result in clearance issues for the covers.
That being said, you could keep the same cam, add 1.52 or 1.6 rockers in place otf the stock 1.5 ratio units, and get more cam lift. If you know the stock cams lift spec, then there are online calculators to tell you what the end result will be.
EXAMPLE :
stock W cam 1998-2005 4.3L
Lift = .415 I and .427 E
Dur = .191 I and .195 E
LS = 112

Stock rockers are 1.5 and the specs above reflect the *lift at valve using the stock 1.5 rockers. Add a set of 1.6 rockers and you now have a Lift of .443 I and .458 E or add a set of 1.52 rockers and you have .421 I and .435 E

So thats how that works.
Having a 'radical' cam is saying to a car/motor guy that its going to have a rough idle and a lope to it. Unfortunately, the drawback to that is if you have an auto...you need a high stall converter which equals poor street manners ans poor fuel milage. With a manual you just need to up the idle more and it equals poor econoly still. Plus the lack of engine vaccum makes the PCM unhappy and tuning very difficult....much less running and drivability. And lack of vaccum plays havoc on power brakes. The fix for that is either a Vacc Resivoir which is a band-aid or a Hydo-Boost from HammerHead. Plus I dount a *radical cam is needed for a boosted application.
Next issue. If you read up on the 4.3 cams, you will find that some require more machining or different pistons. Suposedly in CompCams ID system there is a 260, 266, 270 and 280 cams for the 4.3L. The 260 is a basic upgrade and most say not really worth doing. A 266 is the most ideal. A 270 requires some work thats doable *on truck* or may be OK with some years. The 280 requires more work to make work and is a stiff cam. Im not the resident expert in the 4.3 cam swap area. RAT would be the best source IMO for exact details. But I take in what Ive read over the years in this area.
Id talk to Al AFTER I researched and familiarized myself more if I were you on the cam specs and theory. Then find out more about what he recommends for a boosted application in the cam department.
Hope this helps

[boosted_4.3]

thanks so much mike. that helps a bunch. i would love to have a lope to my truck, but im guessing its not practale for a DD S/C vehicle.