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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-
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Selecting cam for stock bottom end, good OTS?

  • Thread starter Thread starter 281pony
  • Start date Start date Jan 19, 2010
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Tanus

New Member
Dec 11, 2009
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A to the Z
Jan 26, 2010
#21
  • Jan 26, 2010
  • #21
I have the systemax kit, but with the Z cam. I have 325 RWHP, the TF heads are better than the holley heads, so with a Z cam you'd probably have like 340HP. I have no complaints of the Z cam at all, idles great, pulls to 7k, power comes in low, like 2,500. Im gonna swap to the TF stage 2 to see if I can gain any power (since the Z is ****, according to everyone on this site at least)

stock bottom end, square decked with stock style pistons.
 
J

jka

5 Year Member
Jan 17, 2010
339
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Jan 26, 2010
#22
  • Jan 26, 2010
  • #22
You put a z-cam in a stock block with stock pistons with no problems.
 

281pony

Active Member
Aug 31, 2003
2,681
2
46
Oly, WA
Jan 26, 2010
#23
  • Jan 26, 2010
  • #23
Tanus said:
I have the systemax kit, but with the Z cam. I have 325 RWHP, the TF heads are better than the holley heads, so with a Z cam you'd probably have like 340HP. I have no complaints of the Z cam at all, idles great, pulls to 7k, power comes in low, like 2,500. Im gonna swap to the TF stage 2 to see if I can gain any power (since the Z is ****, according to everyone on this site at least)

stock bottom end, square decked with stock style pistons.
Click to expand...

i made like 292 rwhp +/- a couple. i forget where i ended up after we tried a few tricks at the end. supposively on a low reading dyno, it was a mustang dyno. apparently i'm around 310 rwhp on a dynojet. i'm not about numbers per-se, just looking for x gains over what i dyno'd at.

if im at 310 rwhp on a dynojet, i'd like another 30 rwhp if i can get it. he claimed i'd gain 20 rwhp from a better cam. i made peak power at 5500. he told me to rev it to 6k and i would get that much more.

do stage 2 tfs cams clear stock bottom end? i didn't think a Z cam would either. my issue is lazyness at this point. i dont want to pull off my heads and go to a bare shortblock to check p-v clearance. that adds my $30 dollar header gaskets, $50 head gaskets, time and bs for something that isint permanent.
 

281pony

Active Member
Aug 31, 2003
2,681
2
46
Oly, WA
Jan 26, 2010
#24
  • Jan 26, 2010
  • #24
i'm just gonna install my systemax this weekend and leave the tfs 1 cam. i'm expecting it will be a little softer from 1500-2000 over my tfs intake. however, past that it should pull harder to where it peaks.

does anyone see a giant failure of me switching the street/track heat out for the systemax? tfs heads, stage 1 cam are the other 2 pieces. 4:10 gear, manual.

i have someone to buy my tfs intake for $250 waiting. so i don't want to lose an easy sale unless i will really hate driving the car afterwards.

edit; found a guy using my same combo id have (tfs head, stage 1 cam, systemax). doesnt complain about it, so i guess ill go that route and kiss my giant ass tfs intake goodbye. unless someone begs to differ?
 
J

jka

5 Year Member
Jan 17, 2010
339
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29
Jan 26, 2010
#25
  • Jan 26, 2010
  • #25
Which trickflow intake do you have the street/burner intake or the track/heat intake.If you have the street/burner intake it makes power from idle to 5500rpm or if you have the track/heat intake it makes power from 1500-6500rpm and the truth is when you use the holley which makes power from 2000-6500 it may help because that's were the power band of the stage1 cam starts but you could lose power down low but gain more power up top.I would try it but i would not sell the trickflow stuff untill i see how the other intake does.You could make ten extra horsepower with the swap.
 

Tanus

New Member
Dec 11, 2009
847
1
0
A to the Z
Jan 26, 2010
#26
  • Jan 26, 2010
  • #26
281pony said:
i made like 292 rwhp +/- a couple. i forget where i ended up after we tried a few tricks at the end. supposively on a low reading dyno, it was a mustang dyno. apparently i'm around 310 rwhp on a dynojet. i'm not about numbers per-se, just looking for x gains over what i dyno'd at.

if im at 310 rwhp on a dynojet, i'd like another 30 rwhp if i can get it. he claimed i'd gain 20 rwhp from a better cam. i made peak power at 5500. he told me to rev it to 6k and i would get that much more.

do stage 2 tfs cams clear stock bottom end? i didn't think a Z cam would either. my issue is lazyness at this point. i dont want to pull off my heads and go to a bare shortblock to check p-v clearance. that adds my $30 dollar header gaskets, $50 head gaskets, time and bs for something that isint permanent.
Click to expand...
yeah dyno #s are kinda pointless because, like you said, they differ between different dynos, my car makes 325hp according to my trap speed and the weight of my car(that metheod of calculating HP is much more acurate than dyno #s

I your case (looking for a good temporary cam that's cheap and will have plenty of clearence) Id recomend the X cam. Almost everyone one this site hates on the letter cams but I think its mostly bandwagon hating, IDK.the X and Zs both have nice wide powerbands


as for the systemax killing low end power, I disagree, my low end is so strong that when a f-body or vette pulls along side me at 50mph, I dont even bother to downshift to 3rd, gassing it in 4th at 40-50mph is enough to take stock ls1 cars.
 
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