ok fellas, well i would say i know a few things about trucks, u know, enough to have a conversation with, but when things start getting really technical, i get lost quick, anyways this brings me to my point, i hear everyone talkin about cams and there kikass and all this stuff, which has made me want one badly, so now, what do i get? i got a silverado 5.3 v8, ext. cab, so what kinda cam do i get and from where? how much HP will i be looking at gaining? i just dont get all the numbers and stuff, i just hear it makes u get a lot more hp, so i figure i should get one, but i dont want to get something that i have no clue about, so if yall can fill me in and let me know what would be the best for my truck plz give me sum opinions and facts, thx, the only mods i got now are edelbrock shorties, slowmasters, and a volant intake, thx again

 

First are you willing to get a stall converter?

Second are you goign to the GTG out at HRP on the 20th?

And 3rd are you looking for sometihng with alot of top end or do you want down low torque?

 

i think you should keep it simple. Dont get anything big cause the more you get away from stock the more problems you get, if you want to get a cam just get the ls6 cam and some springs. if you want to get a stall go with the TB converter. it is a good size and youll be safer then installing a 3K stall. When i first got my truck 3 yrs ago i didnt know anything, i just keep reading and use the search at the top to help get all the info. good luck

 

i want more down low torque, i want it to jump off the line, but then i still want it to pick up hard too, and whats a GTG and a HRP, and whats a stall converter?

 

GTG get to gether HRP houston race park check the southern regional part at the very bottom of the home page.

 

ya im going to HRP on the 20th, where is everybody gonna meet at first? wasnt it at some wings place?

 

A torque converter is a type of fluid coupling, which allows the engine to spin somewhat independently of the transmission. If the engine is turning slowly, such as when the car is idling at a stoplight, the amount of torque passed through the torque converter is very small, so keeping the car still requires only a light pressure on the brake pedal.

If you were to step on the gas pedal while the car is stopped, you would have to press harder on the brake to keep the car from moving. This is because when you step on the gas, the engine speeds up and pumps more fluid into the torque converter, causing more torque to be transmitted to the wheels.

 

If you get a 2600 rpm torque converter, your motor will (if you hold the brake or just floor it) wrap up to 2600 rpm before your brakes are over powered and the car moves. Basically it gets the car into a useful power band much more quickly.

 

A torque converter is pretty much a clutch for an auto.

 

How much are you wanting to spend. If you want to get alot of power right away and with basically one mod, get a radix supercharger. Im not sure how technical of an explanation you want but maybe i can help some. A cam basically opens and closes the exhaust and intake valves at certain times and for and how much it will open and how long it will stay open for. Typically with a cam, the larger you go you will sacrifice low end power for more power up top..With some of the milder cams, you can get a good amount of power up top, say 30rwhp, w/out hurting to much bottom end( such as comp cams 212/218. If you start going much bigger, you will need a stall converter, which basically allows you to bring you engine higher in its rpm range to help the truck move off the line quicker in drag racing and just driving around it helps. If you do a cam, you will also need valve springs, pushrods and retainters(optional).. Headers are definitly recommened, and i would do them first or at the same time. As well as a cold air intake..As with basically all of these mods, you will need a good custom tune, which is a good bang for the buck anyway on these trucks. I would do bolt ons first, then look for a cam later. And like the other guy said, a tq converter acts like a clutch for a auto.