Hey guys looking for a good cam and exhaust to run, as I'm getting ready to install a volant cai arh long tube headers, and thinking about swapping to a set of ls3 heads and intake since I have them just laying around. Truck doesn't get driven much but I am getting ready to buy a 28' enclosed trailer to pull my 4000lb. Street car and our x275 car. Looking for something that will pull good but also be decent of gas and have a lil pep to. I know I need three different cams to do all that but that's what i have to work with!! Lol thsnks

 

I will preface this by saying I have no personal experience related to what I am about to say but I hope it will spark some discussion and eventually get you some good suggestions.......

From what I have researched the ls3 heads and intake may not be the best thing to swap to for a towing application, even if they are free. The heads have larger rectangular ports and intake runners that tend to lose velocity over the smaller cathedral port heads such as the 243 and 317 heads which in turn loses torque down low. The intake makes good power up top but lacks power down low as well over a comparable TBSS or NNBS truck intake. Remember, the ls3 was never designed for a truck or towing application.

If it were me, I would keep the 317 heads, maybe have them milled if you want to bump up compression a little, and I would keep the truck intake as well or upgrade to a TBSS or NNBS intake if you like. For a cam I would be looking at the 210-215/215-220 duration range with an LSA of 108 or 110.

Hope this helps get you pointed in the right direction and maybe others with personal experience with these parts will chime in. Good luck!

 

There is a lot of info in that last post that is spot on. I love the LS3 heads, but in your application its not worth swapping to them. Keep the 317's.

Is the truck purely for towing? What are your goals? tell us a little more and I can help you with a cam.

 

I was thinking the same thing and I was actually gonna stay with the L92 intake truck intake like of an escalade. The truck isn't gonna be used just for towing it'll probably only be used 6-8 times a year pulling a 28' enclosed car trailer or my 20' open deck car trailer just looking for something to wake it up a bit towing as the enclosed will probably come in around 10-11000lbs. Id also like a little better fuel mileage along with a little more pep just cruising around. I understand that your not gonna get one cam for all those but something in between!!! Lol