01 rcsb with 5.3 3.73's,magnaflow catback and upd. Would like to put a cam in to make a little more power. Would you recommend a headers before the cam or could I go ahead and get the cam first. I will probably not get a converter or if I do it will be on down the road. Would like to make it a little stouter without giving up much bottom end. Would the 212/218 low lift work alright or would a custom ground like a 208/212 554/558 on a 114 be better. Would like to keep it real torquey. Will also get a nelson tune if I put a cam in.

 

Crane does a 208/216 .500/.500 114 that can use stock valvesprings.That grind should do well with stock tuning and loose very little bottomend.A Nelson tune would probably wake it up a little more and headers wouldn't be as important.

 

I would like to stay with a comp cam if I can even if I have to get a custom grind. I am really not big on cranes cams even though that is a pretty mild grind. Would also like to have a little more lift than .500.

 

I've got a Comp in my new motor 228/234 .588/.598 115+4,but I wouldn't suggest putting that in a nearly stock 5.3.I'd go with the 212/218 low lift Comp cam in your setup.

 

I think the 212/218 you mentioned would be well suited. I would use some 02 ls6 springs and call it done.

 

I just put the cam you mentioned in my truck this past weekend. I haven't gotten a new tune from Allen yet, hopefully by Friday. I don't think that it has lost any low-end, but from 3,000 and up it pulls great! I'm sure it will be even better with an updated tune. It doesn't want to idle exactly right...even my wife noticed today while she was riding with me.

I think the 212/218 would be a good choice, some would even say to go a little bigger.

Jay

 

With the stock converter, your 208/212 554/558 on a 114 choice would be near perfect. It should pull to 6200 or so, so you could get away with just your hypertech for tuning.

If you think you'll so a converter, then you could go bigger. Whatever you do, go with the XE High lift version of comps cams. That gives you the .55x lift numbers instead of .52x, but its real benefit is that the aggressive lobe will really boost low and mid range torque.

 

This is what I will probably go with. Thanks everyone.

 

With that added aggresion in the lobes though you will shoot your spring reliability in the foot. I went with low lift for the simple reason I could use a very proven spring, the LS6 springs.

 

Comps 918 springs will run for a long time on that relatively low lift cam. They will cost a few bucks more, but the real pain is having to change them. Go with 918s and they'll last longer. I ran LS6 springs in my last truck. I know I was getting valve float with them after 20K miles on the mild .525 lift of my cam. Up top, it just didn't pull like it did when the cam/springs were new.