Ive got a Lm-7 5.3 with 38000 miles on it. I was looking at an LPE cam, but I also found a alternative made by thunder racing. It is the 220/220 .553/.553 with the 114 lobe seperation. Is this too much of a cam for a stock 5.3, anyone running the same cam? What would the idle be like?

 

you will get sick of the stalling out with no tuning done. You will lose a lot down on the low end to. My 216/220 cam still pissses me off to this day.

 

Seems like that cam is a little too big. I would go with the LPE 205/512 540/540. But the lobe seperation is 116* which seems to be a tad bit high. But would it stil be a good performing cam. In other words what could I expect from 116* lobe seperation in that cam?

 

A buddy of mine has that cam in his 03 silverado 5.3 truck. There was a nice increase in power up top, but the gains at the track were minimal with the stock torque converter. The fast ramp rates of the thunder cam should help to preserve idle quality.

 

are you running stock exhaust?

i could see with running a good flowing exhaust, the TR220 being a pretty decent cam choice on a 5.3L. a converter would definetly help, but from dyno charts i've seen, Thunder puts out pretty nice under the curve power. get it on a 112lsa though. you'll need some tuning i'd guess

 

I have a Borla exhaust

 

The TR220 114 will idle and run perfectly with the right tuning. There will be NO LOSS of bottom end torque that you'll be able to feel. Anything above 1000 rpm anyway. I've got personal experience with several bigger cams in the 5.3L. My buddy's 2003 truck idled perfectly with stock tuning and stock torque converter with the 220. Once we added a lighter torque converter, then we had to make some idle adjustments.

 

You are the reason I'm getting a TR220 as soon as I can locate a used one.

 

[QUOTE]The TR220 114 will idle and run perfectly with the right tuning. There will be NO LOSS of bottom end torque that you'll be able to feel. Anything above 1000 rpm anyway. I've got personal experience with several bigger cams in the 5.3L. My buddy's 2003 truck idled perfectly with stock tuning and stock torque converter with the 220. Once we added a lighter torque converter, then we had to make some idle adjustments.

Was their a considerable amount of horsepower and torque gained with this cam?