Michrider

Cam/lifter questions.

Any links anyone can point me to for swapping lifters/disabling AFM on a 5.3?

Have an 09 5.3 ext cab. Love the truck, hate the AFM/DOD, and a couple lifters seem to tick sometimes at idle.

Plenty of power stock for my needs, so not really looking to put a big performance cam in it. I want a dead smooth idle, and a quiet valvetrain.

Any suggestions on a non AFM cam? Or should I just leave that cam in there and just change the lifters? Since the heads have to come off, just thinking I may as well go to the next step of swapping the cam if there is something a little better out there. Maybe even an OEM cam that was in some other non-AFM application. How about the HO 5.3 from a few years ago, did that have a decent cam?

I need to be able to return to 100% stock. Will probably trade it in a few years down the road, and will put it back to stock then. When disabling AFM, any unreversible drilling and tapping to the block?

Will probably also do a cat back and CAI. Will a mail order tune be able to handle the non AFM cam/lifter swap and minor intake and exhaust mods?

Priorities: dead smooth stock like idle, quiet non ticking valve train, mild performance exhaust rumble, no loss in low end grunt - a little better performance everywhere... might do headers down the road.


Thanks for any advice.

m3srt

iTrader: (2)

wow , well if youre going to be returning it back to stock in a couple years kinda dosnet make any sense to rip the motor apart , twice , ... to answer your question

the best cam for you will be a 212.218/522/529/114+2

you will have to change out your springs and pushrods , the lifters are alright BUT you have to get a mailorder or a live tune before you start up that cammed motor , youre gonnna need headers and supporting mods if you put a cam also ...

Michrider

I don't mind the work, I use to be a tech and can zip out a H/cam swap pretty quick. Just haven't kept up with what is popular on the truck motors.

And who knows, if it turns out real nice - may keep it more than a few years or sell it to a friend or brother 3 - 4 years down the road with the mods left as is. If I do trade it in though, I'd put it back to stock just so someone doesn't get surprised by non stock stuff if they need a repair. Plus much easier to trade in a stocker.

I did that to my last truck, an 03. Put a cam, headers, spare ECM w/tune, lift kit, wheels and tires.... Put all the OEM stuff away in the basement. 4 years later, couldn't give it away modded. Spent a weekend returning it to perfect stock condition, and then traded it in and the dlr gave me $14,500.

So anything I do, I like to keep the possibility of going back to 100% stock.

Performance wise, this stock cam in the 09 5.3 is fine for me. I just hate the AFM and a few lifters seem ticky. I want to put a decent cat back on it too, and it will probably sound like crap in 4 banger mode.

Could I just put LS7 lifters on this cam? Plus of course tuning with the AFM disabled.

blackjack325

iTrader: (1)

yes, im gonna be going with the LS7 lifters for my cam swap. i would say get a local tuner to remove the AFM and tune your cam. I already took it off, the noise from when it goes from V8 to V4 got to me.

Michrider

Thanks.

So, LS7 lifters sound like the way to go.

On that cam - 212.218/522/529/114+2 will that idle stock smooth in a 5.3? Wife has put her .02 cents in that she wants a nice rumble to the exhaust when stepping on it, but zero idle lope. She is going to be driving this truck a lot and doesn't like some of my other toys that lope and shake at idle. So I have to keep this truck smoooooth, but roar at bit when stepping on it.

Is that a Comp Cam, TR...? 3 or a 1 bolt?

I might get to what I want by just putting LS7 lifters on the stock cam, CAI intake, headers, catback and tuning.

But since I'm taking the heads off anyway for the lifters, I might as well think about a better cam. I think I have 1 ticking AFM lifter on my right bank, which I could have the dealer replace. But I'd rather get a root canal, then let a dealer tech tear into my engine trying to beat flat rate.

Will that cam go in an '09 without having to lower the oil pan? I've heard of some issues when mixing gen III and IV cams of having to lower the oil pan.

lucky77

iTrader: (4)

...no need to lower the oil pan / no problems with running genIII on our genIV engines.. You need a 3 bolt cam + ls7 sprocket/ that's it* our 1 bolt cams that GEnIV come out with, we dont have much options on our 1 bolt.. that's why u need to get a 3 bolt cam.

that 212/2128 cam sounds good for ur needs/ but I would go with a bigger lift atleast 55X.

Michrider

Anybody know the specs of the stock 5.3 LMG cam?

The only thing I can find in the service manual is the lift at .488 and .491

Looks like the lift is different on the AFM lobes. I'd like to find a near stock non-AFM cam, with just a hair of improvement across the board and a dead smooth idle. Stock valve springs.

What does anyone think of the TR 206/212 ? Looks like their smallest LS cam.