Aidoneus

I'm working on the package to put into my 1990 L98 and the camshaft selection is making me crazy . It either already has or will have with this upgrade: 3.73 rear end, custom burned chip, catback exhaust, RamAir cold air intake, cnc ported stock heads matched to CNC ported SuperRam, ceramic coated headers from TPIS and either the LT4 hot cam or LPE219.

I think the LPE219 is definately higher performance, but also about 4 times the price of the LT4 hot cam. The LT4 hot cam includes everything for around $250 while the LPE219 is going to run around $1000. Is there going to be a sufficient performance gain from the LPE219 over the LT4 hot cam to justify the cost difference? Opinions?

The LPE219 specs are found at: http://www.lingenfelter.com/instructions_cam.htm There are three different camshafts here, but the 219 is the last set.

The Lt4 Hot cam specs can be found at (last one on the page): http://www.gmgoodwrench.com/perfpart...387&section=ep

Thanks in advance for any input.

Nathan Plemons

I'm curious on your reasoning that the LPE 219 is "definitely higher performance."

It has a slightly higher lift than the hot cam and one degree more on intake duration but it has 9 degrees less exhaust duration.

Being said depending on the rest of your components, these cams could both make very good power. Personally I don't buy into the theory that everything LPE makes is made of gold. You could buy the Hot Cam, or ANY other camshaft really and spend the extra money on other parts. I'm sure the LPE is a nice piece, but really it's just a camshaft. There isn't any sense in paying a ton of money just for a name.

95PoloVert

I agree with the "made of gold" comment.

I'd speak with the folks who did your heads and intake. They should be able to point you at the most effective cam for your combo based on the actual flow #'s of your heads, intended use, etc.

Caboboy

I wouldn't say the 219 is "higher performance" either......those two cams are just intended for motors of different approaches. The 219 was developed by Lingenfelter specifically for the intake you plan to run, whereas the Hot Cam needs the extra duration to dispell exhaust at higher RPMs (ie an LTx motor)......an area the SR just isn't going to get to. The 219/SR combo has been proven over and over again so heck,why reinvent the wheel? Now, if you were going to run a mini ram, then I think the Hot Cam would match up better

I'm very curious on the price difference though. Forget about lifters, etc and just compare the sticks themselves. Doesn't a 219 cost around 300-350 from LPE itself? I bought mine new on E-Bay from Rick at LPE for 250 bucks as I recall, and you can get an Erson 219 for about 250 as well. That Hot Cam has got to be at least a couple hundred I would think........???? Maybe the rest of that thousand dollars is made up in the famous LPE tax on the rest of the stuff (kinda like our Corvette tax)

Good luck, it sounds like a fun build!

Nathan Plemons

From the right vendor a Hot Cam can be had for around $180. Likewise you can get nearly any custom cam from crane or comp for $250 or less.

The Hot Cam probably isn't the best cam for his particular combo, but there isn't any sense in paying the LPE tax because of it. There are LOTS of other choices.

vader86

I would either get the 219 or have a grind made to match 219 specs.

Aidoneus

First, thanks for the input. The $1000 is including everything you get with the LT4 Hot Cam, but for the 219 from Lingenfelter. I do realize this isn't exactly comparing apples to apples, which is where my headache worsens trying to determine what can be substituted without too much compromise.

The itemized list of parts from Lingenfelter are as follows:

1.6 roller rockers 1102-16: $364.95 (these are actually comp cams stainless steel rockers)
Valve springs LN0018DBLAS: $119.84
retainers LN0025-16: $149.92
locks 611-16: $26.95
spring seats: 10185066: $55.84

The camshaft itself is $339.95 compared to $218 which is the cheapest I found the LT4 hot cam. As for the higher performance, I should have phrased that differently. The LPE219 was built for the SuperRam, so for my specific setup, I think there is definately a performance gain to be had over the LT4. Sounds to me like I should go with the 219, but shop out the other components.

Caboboy

Aidoneus, check out the 219 grind by Erson. I paid about $250 for mine on a small base circle (usually an upchage) a year ago. It's the same cam except for the advance ground in, but you just install it on a 112CL anyway.....

tjwong

Gee Nathan do you know someone at Crane? The last custom grind I got that was ground on one of their billet cores with a cast gear cost me over $300 And I went through my warehouse. Maybe I got hosed but I wasn't suppose to get bent over, at least that is what my rep says

As for $1000 for the 219 cam kit with all the bits and pieces. I bet that you can get that 219 ground from Erson or Comp, yes Comp has a grind for the 219 cam as well. You should be able to get all the parts, springs, retainers, locks and the works from Summit for a lot less than $1k.

As far as performance goes. The old venerable 219 cam has been around for a long time. It's a well round and proven design that "WORKS" well in most applications such as the L98 with a super ram. A lot of people run this cam and it does work well. However there are lots of other cams out there with better lobe designs, from Comp, Crane and Crower, you can get a custom grind that would most likely offer equal or better performance than the old 219. Several people have used the LT4 HOT cam in L98 engines with good results. It too is a well proven design, while it was originally designed for the LT4. It has been used with excellent results in other GM crate engines, such as the ZZ4 series engines with the GM Fast Burn heads and also their newer 383 crate engine as well.

jodyeastman

I'm going to chime in here too. If you look at the Ling. page your will see many things are often over priced for that special corvette tax. Also, those who sell the air foil to me at least losses some of their performance luster.

Nathan Plemons

No, but I knew a guy at a local shop. He could get me any Crane or Comp fro about $250 so long as the lobes were existing. Now when I asked about my 220/230 .600/.600 112 with 1.5 rockers it would have been some $2000.

Red Tornado

Nathan, $250 is a good deal for a "custom" grind (ie, lobes exist in their library).

When you buy direct from Comp Cams they charge about $300 as tjwong said.

Nathan Plemons

Right, but their custom was not custom enough as they didn't already have the lobe I wanted. They would have had to make it from scratch which they really wanted way too much money for.

Red Tornado

agreed what you were looking for they should call a "custom designed grind"......which is a true custom cam. i guess it would be easy for one on the outside to misunderstand what companies like crane and comp cams refers to as "custom"......i know i did, about 2 years ago someone mentioned "custom grind" and i immediately thought it would costs thousands $$ too!