Why do you say the DOD lifters are junk? What has your experience been?

 

I just put a 3 bolt comp thumpr cam in my 08 5.3. I bought the 06 vette cam gear. It was $22 at my local dealer. make sure you get the one with 4sensor bumps. This is for the cam sensor. Autozone offered a cam gear for an 06 vette but it only only had 2x sensors. Truck ran like crap! I did not run the tensioner. You will get 50% of gearheads say you need to and others say you dont. You must remove oil pump to get to the tensioner. I hear removing the oil pump is a pain in the *** and alot of people screw it up! I have 4000 miles and no problems so far.

CAM GEAR part gm# 12586481

Search the trailblazer forums as well, there is a ton of info on this subject.

gb

 

I am going to replace the timing chain with an IWIS so the oil pump will be off anyway. I called Thunder Racing and they told me the TR224 is too much cam for a 5.3. He recommended the TR220. Then you can run a 2800 converter.