Yeah the cam itself will run about $400..But you'll need new springs,gaskets at the very minimum..
Most change the timing chain,lifters,knock sensors and push rods also..

A cam or headers are both worth the time WITH a tune to follow,other wise its just wasted $$..

An aftermarket converter(stall) lets the engine rev higher to get in the power band quicker..
The stock converter flashes at about 1800-2000rpm..Then say you get a 3200 stall converter it will flash to about 3000-3200rpm..
A good investment to get a heavy truck off the line
I and many others run the Circle-D 3000-3200 converter which runs $400..

 

oh i see. if i buy a decent performance cam would i be able to run it without too much stress on my engine. i'm not trying to build a drag truck or anything but i do want it to beat all of my friends, which shouldnt be hard since most of them have pretty crappy trucks ha.
and how much of a power increase can i expect with a $200-$300 cam?

 

oh that seems like a pretty good investment since my 5.3 does seem pretty sluggish in the lower rpms. seems like it would help with towing too, which i do occasionally. did it hurt your gas mileage any?

and to everybody that replied to this thread, thanks so much for the great info and your patience since im obviously not the most informed person on this forum

 

For towing you need to use a multidisk converter, which is a bit more pricey. Circle D's runs about $1050-1100. That's the only reason I don't have one

 

Nothing is going to make as much difference as the 6.0 swap if you want actual, usable power.

 

Circle D rates their 278mm single-disk converter to tow 4000lbs with the aftermarket cooler. Which they also sell.

 

Oh really? Hmmm. My truck is rated to tow 10k, but will I need to do that anytime soon? That makes things a little harder to decide. How much does that run?

 

Okay for your purposes and trans this converter is perfect. Pick the stall speed you want and go
http://circledspecialties.com/p-50-g...converter.aspx

 

And here is your cooler
http://circledspecialties.com/p-80-tru-cool-40k.aspx

Now I just need to see if they offer something similar for my combo (6.2 6L80E) or if I just need to save up for the triple-disc.