I thinking about getting a cam for my 99 5.3 . Would like to know what would be best toget .

 

is your truck ext cab? 4x4? big tires? Do you have alot of weight to get moving, or do you have a fairly light RCSB 2wd and want more top end?


They make cams for good low end as well as top end power... the ls6 cams scream up top, but they kinda suck down low in a heavy truck

most like the 210/218 or 212/218 cams...

a good small cam from what I see with some low end is the 206/212

when i get mine, im gonna go with the VHP 210/218 114 cam to have some torque and upper rpm power also..
With any cam though, you will need a tuner or tune to raise your shift points to make the most of the cams power.. just raising the shift points on my 04 ecsb 4x4 made a HELLOVA difference in mine... more rpms to get the heavy pos moving

 

well it depends on what ls6 cam you go with the 01 works great the 02 is a little slow on the bottom end.I think some people are getting the 01 and 02 cams confussed,they are not the same.they act completely different.

 

i know the 01 is 116 lsa... the 02's and up are 117-118 lsa?

but given the stock is 114lsa you are gonna loose low end with that 116lsa 01 cam.. big tex gained like 30hp up top, but he said his truck sucked azz down low.. espically on a 5300 pound 4x4 ext cab.. now in a 4500pound or lighter 2wd shortbed its totally different.. im turning 8ply 285's and that cam would kill my truck down low with all i need to get moving

i found a bunch of 01 ls6 cams for 100bucks shipped... just didnt wanna risk loosing all my bottom end tq

 

I will let you know soon enough. I picked up an 02 LS6 cam, and should be here next week or the week after. The I need to pick up springs and pushrods, and then I am going to do the install that following weekend. My truck is CC 2wd. Everyone is telling my I am going to lose some down low, which we'll see how much, but I figure for $100, cheap way to know for sure, instead of relying on some else and their SOTP results. I am taking my truck to the track after EVERY mod I do...so we can see EXACTLY what I lost or gained with that mod. I ran my truck BONE STOCK for a baseline 3 times....now I have just a muffler, and I am taking to the track this Sunday or next Wed for results and see if gained/lost/nothing...then the cam will be next, and will do the same for it. We'll see soon enough!

 

just keep the DA factored into your tests.... you could go back and the DA might be 500 higher and you go a tenth slower atleast with nothing different done

 

Stock or aftermarket torque converter?

 

well we put the 02 Z06 in an 99 5.3 with heads shaved and 3 angle valve job,e-fans,custom tune,4.56 gears with a 1.98 60' ran 13.38 @ 101. then turn around and put the 01 Z06 cam in and no other changes went to track ran 13.26 @ 102 with a 60' 1.92.

 

Stock converter ,Magnaflow , k&n cold air

 

With a stock converter, anything significantly larger than the cam I have in my sig will have a loss of power down low with a 5.3L. If you have a light truck (i.e. 4000-4200 lbs), you might be able to get away with a 208/214, a 210/216, or maybe even a 212/218, but you would be taking more of a chance the larger you go.