isosceles

I'm getting ready to buy a camshaft kit. I've got an L48 with a good Qjet, recurved dist and true duals through manifolds, running 15.2 1/4 mile before the recurve. The tranny is a TH350 with 3.55 gears, stock convertor. I am thinking of a Comp XE268. I'm planning on a 200r4 with a higher stall converter, but that might be a year or so before I get to that.

The car is a daily driver and I like to race it. Fuel economy is somewhat of a concern, but if the perfomance increase is susbstantial, I'll tolerate a few less MPG.
I'm going to replace the timing chain and gears anyway when I take it apart to do the cam. I'm trying to keep the cost down, so I'm wondering if I can get away with a cam/lifter kit, and a separate timing chain and gasket kit. Or should I order the whole kit with the springs? I just put new valve seals in so that's not an issue. Also, does this sound like a good cam choice? I don't mind a lumpy idle, as long as the car will still idle with my stock convertor. Opinions please! :D

Fevre

Think the lift on that cam is going to be a little much for the tired old stock springs. If the spings where new and rated just a little under (like mine are :)) I would say give it a try but in your case I would not recomend it. Might as well do it right, you can even change them with the heads still on.

Matt Gruber

the whole xe series has ramps too fast for stock springs.
What rpm will you shift?

isosceles

So far I have been just stuffing the gas and letting the TH350 shift where it wants, usually around 4800-5200. It's kind of a dog out of the hole right now, 2.18 best 60ft times, having trouble lighting the tires up during a powerbrake without the fronts sliding. We'll how the recurve kit affected that tonight at an 1/8 mile track :D

Matt Gruber

should do a head/cam swap. http://community.webtv.net/MATTGRU/M...tic/index.html

gkull

the Crane PowerMax 272 is a good choice for lower compression motors because it boosts the pressure. The cam and kit is relatively cheap.

JoeC427

I would yank the heads, do a valve job, change the springs, (now you have new head gaskets) and your good to go. It's gonna rev harder and basic build more power. Piece of mind for a few extra bucks and time. Just my .2
Good luck

427Hotrod

Change the springs for sure. At least install a cheap set of the $29 Z28 replacements if nothing else. That cam is going to need a better spring. Just about any cam is going to need better than what you have on there now.

JIM

joe73vette

I tried to cheap out and reuse springs; after three broke I bought a set of Z28 springs at a Chevy dealer for hardly any money, and never broke another. Joe

fst_c3

Ya know, every time i tried to save a $1, it ended up costing $10. I just went through that replaceing just the heads,cam,lifters,timeing chain thinking thats why it was smoking. WRONG!! It was a broken piston. So after i got it all back together I had to start all over again. Now she runs real sweet. Look at the Isky cams. The guy that did my machine work highly recomended them, and im satisfied.
http://www.iskycams.com/

tnt76vette

I think the general rule of thumb here is that stock L-48 springs are good out to a max. of .460 lift, IF they are in good shape, which takes them out of play with the cam you want to use............. :eek:

Les

This is a "no brainer" if you ask me. You'll get less than your cam's potential(maybe alot less) by running mismatched springs, not to mention the possibility of hurting your motor as mentioned by some of the other guys. I'd get the matching springs from Comp Cams, or at least springs that are rated the same as they are. Not that much more $$$ to spend to make sure you haven't wasted what you spent on the cam. Good luck. :cheers:

redwingvette

Not only shou;ld you change the springs but you will need to change the rocker arms as well. The higher lift will cause them to wear different then what the stock cam did. Go to roller tips at the very least.

BSeery

If it were me, I would change the heads to something with better flow and either 62 or 58 CC to bump up some compression too.

At the least, those springs need to be changed.

mountainmotor

Yes, use good motor oil with those cams :yesnod:

Matt Gruber

another topic might be:
WHAT CAM WILL WORK WITH STOCK SPRINGS?
CC 260H :yesnod:

Ganey

Yes for that cam.
HE268H is max. for stock springs & probably max. you want for your current setup.

redvetracr

New cam=New springs.
...redvetracr