Camshaft

[HIM]

Im looking to buy a camshaft for my 99 4.3 but I dont know what cams are good and what cams are ****. Im looking for about a 30 horse power gain if that seems plausible with for a v6 cam. Anyone know of any good equipment? Also is it a ***** to put a cam in? The people Ive talked to said it wasnt bad at all when they put their cams in but then again theyve all been v8s and or pulled engines. Do you have to jack the engine up to get the clearance or pull it completely?

[JROD©™®]

hmmm...don't know much about the install. i have seen lots of people talking about Crane cams...they sell them at stylin concepts... (http://www.stylinconcepts.com/parts.cfm?categoryid=28&subcategoryid=134&partfamilyid=1471&brandid=0)

oh wait i think thats just a programmer!?!?
your really working your way up to that 25 huh? lol...

[fletcher]

go to summit racing and put in your rides make model and year and it will show you the cams avaible for it. From mild to wild. Put it in is another story that requires removal intake valve covers waterpump timing chain radeator condencer lifters and pushrods.

[bvr775]

crower.

[bvr775]

http://www.crower.com/misc/m_cat.shtml

[Rhansen]

Call the cam manufacturer and be prepared to tell them your CR, gearing , trans/stall, etc... Most people over cam when they pick from a catalog, there's no easier way to turn your truck into a dog. Bigger is not necessarily better.

original link doesn't work anymore but here is another relevant site
http://www.newcovenant.com/speedcrafter/tech/camshaft/1.htm

[Supercharged-ZQ8]

Crane makes some decent cams for the 4.3. But installation is a ROYAL pain. You don't need to pull the motor, although it does make the process easier.

You need to pull all the accessories off the front of the engine; remove the grille, A/C condenser, and radiator; pull the waterpump, timing chain cover and timing chain. To remove the timing chain cover you need to drop the oil pan, but you can't because of the crossmember running under the engine -- so you need to loosen the motor mounts and jack the engine up a little (but not too far because you will put stress on the transmission) and then drop the oil pan. The intake manifold also needs to come off and the distributor needs to come out. Valve covers need to come off also and you need to loosen the rocker arms and remove the pushrods and lifters.

After you get all that out/off of there, then you can pull the old cam and install the new one. And you've got to be careful of the camshaft bearings -- they get knocked loose easily. After all that, you make what adjustments you can and put everything back together, except the valve covers -- those you keep off so you can re-tighten and adjust the rocker arms.

All in all, it's a LONG process, but worth it. As Rhansen said, though, you need to contact the manufacturer because overcamming it will kill most of your power or put the powerband in an rpm range WAY beyond what you can plausibly use.

[Rhansen]

yeah, I can swap cams in my carbed 350 in around 3 hrs, but on a late model 4.3 it would probably take all day.

[ZR1 S10]

Im looking to buy a camshaft for my 99 4.3 but I dont know what cams are good and what cams are ****. Im looking for about a 30 horse power gain if that seems plausible with for a v6 cam. Anyone know of any good equipment? Also is it a ***** to put a cam in? The people Ive talked to said it wasnt bad at all when they put their cams in but then again theyve all been v8s and or pulled engines. Do you have to jack the engine up to get the clearance or pull it completely?

What do you have for a trans and other mods?

For a mild to stock engine with an auto i'd go for the 260ahr but have comp custom grind it for .490 max lift!

For a more wild setup with a manual or higher stall converter setup the 270ahr is hte way to go!! That the one i have and it rocks to say the least.

As for cam install. Its fun, you gotta remove the intake manifold along with the radiator and ac condenser! It's not hard or challenging, just time consuming. Also on 96+ we have the retard timing cover that hooks into the oil pan! Altough some say you have to remove the oil pan, you dont. But it does take some work to get it in there.

[Krazny]

Tagged.

If I do a cam, I am going to buy a motor to rebuild and then just swap it with the one in my truck. Allows me to have a functioning truck while I rebuild the motor, and it'll be much easier in the long run.
I think. . .

[HIM]

Sounds like it is alot of work for an inexperienced motor builder. Im thinking I might just have it put in by a lil shop around the corner from my house. Hes pretty cheap and he does good work. Idk that much about building motors but that is all hopefully gunna change this summer. Trying to find a 327 small block and buy an engine building book and put one together. Ohh and yes JROD im trying to get to the 25 posts. I figured I can ask the same questions here and get the same answers here as opposed to anywhere else and still work up to my 25 posts.

[OBI WAN]

I'm gonna expand on what Rhansen said here a bit since I see it going to where my sig line states.
First off a cam isnt a easy swap nor is it for someone whom has never torn a motor down before. Motor building for a newbie should be done in a spare motor kinda way. This way you have time to question others as you go, since once you've layed your hands on what we speak of, only then will any of whats said make sense. You'll be full of questions by that time! Dont rush it, dont hob cob it and dont guess.
Next you need to know what your building the motor for like was mentioned with tranny type, rpm levels and limitations of the motor itself.

Now I'm gonna piss a few off expanding on Rhansens statement. Dont bother with a comp cam. Comp cams are set in old school thinking of lift is everything. Back before Vortecs head became the norm, head flows sucked and needed high lifts in order to create a pop vacuum flow to help the heads create air flow. Cams were ground to hit high lift fast, then slam fast to create this pop. This pop disturbs vacuum which confuses the ECM to what the air flow is doing and load detection problems. There really not street cams nor friendly to ECM controls and also not made around Vortech heads. Comp cams sell there stuff upon the premise of the weekend warrior who doesnt care about all this street stuff etc.

OK now the Vortec head part. Vortec heads are some of the best heads ever produced by the factory. There designed after circle track head properties where you are all over the RPM band, but in a narrow RPM band. They have to run constantly, not 1/4 mile at a time. Its not 100% WOT shots etc etc etc. I wont get into why not to waste money trying to rework the heads and destroy the Vortex's in which they create, but I will tell you this. A Vortec head will not flow in any decent increasing percentage once .450 lift is hit. The heads as they are untouched will flow more air then you injection system as is could handle. They have a .470 MAX limit of allowable lift. They flow 10 fold better than older heads and from 1500-5000 is there RPM band. There flow properties dont like nor need lift, they need duration, so pick a cam or a grind according to that.
.470 max lift, longer duration, not a quick pop open and shut cam so not to disturb vacuum. You run a comp cam and you'll need to have the guides machined and if you dont, they'll will just clear, but trouble will be down the road. Also the added cost of machining when a head wont flow over .450 lift to well doesnt justify the cost!

[Rhansen]

The link I tried to post earlier is working now - check it out.
http://members.uia.net/pkelley2/DynamicCR.html
even if you can't do all the calculations it sheds some light on the cam selection process.

[Hammer]

96+ need duration
not lift.

[nomaboy]

http://www.crower.com/misc/m_cat.shtml u think this cam will fit my 01 4.3?

[rat]

No, that is probably for the non ballance shaft motor. Don't forget you have to machine the guides unless you get less than ~.470" of lift.
One of the bottom three would work:
http://www.compcams.com/Technical/CurrentCatalog/HTML/124-127.asp

Or one of these:
http://www.cranecams.com/index.php?show=browseParts&lvl=2&prt=5&Vehicle_Type=Auto&Cylinders=6&Engine_Make=CHEVROLET&Year=2001&Engine_Size=4.3%20L