Will an LS2 or LS7 cam work in an '05 5.3L engine? I know the LS6 cam would work, but I don't have access to one of those. I can get a stock LS2 or LS7 cam for little or nothing. Specs on either look to be forced induction friendly.

 

I'm almost 100% positive the answer to your questions is no.

The GENIII engines have the cam sensor at the back of the motor and it senses off the reluctor or whatever it's called that is ground into the back of the cam.

The GENIV engines have the cam sensor in the timing cover and it senses off the cam gear. The GENIV cams do not have the reluctor ground into the back of them.

If you were swapping a GENIII cam into a GENIV engine I think it would work, but you can't go backwards.

 

you are 100% correct.

 

Ahhhhh shoot. When it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Guess I'll start looking for an LS6 cam on the cheap.

 

you can do it, you just have to get all those extra parts...making you spend a bunch of extra money.

 

Swap to the new style front cover with the cam sensor in it (as well as the extension harness to make that move) and run an LS2 timing set. Not too difficult, but again, with the extra parts needed to do so....it's not really cost effective.

 

At that point you're halfway to an LS2 swap. That might be easier.

 

Is there a difference between the early (05 06) LS2 cams and the later ones?

 

Not to the best of my knowledge! The difference you're likely thinking of is the crank reluctor wheel....it changed from 24x to a 58x wheel right in there!