130,000 Miles...Speed Density, to cam or not to cam

[Lynx331]

Im thinking of putting a cam in my 87 GT this winter. But the thing thats stopping me is that i would be putting a new cam on 130,000 mile bearings. I realize i cant go with a real radical cam because i do not have Mass Air. What do you guys think, would i throw my bearings.. or something else if i put a new cam in on those old bearings. If i was to put in the cam i would go with everything, Cam lifters, pushrods, and maybe roller rockers. What do you guys think, should i?

 

[5spd GT]

Im thinking of putting a cam in my 87 GT this winter. But the thing thats stopping me is that i would be putting a new cam on 130,000 mile bearings. I realize i cant go with a real radical cam because i do not have Mass Air. What do you guys think, would i throw my bearings.. or something else if i put a new cam in on those old bearings. If i was to put in the cam i would go with everything, Cam lifters, pushrods, and maybe roller rockers. What do you guys think, should i?

I really doubt your cam bearings are messed up or grooved...I added the mods in my sig on a 143,000 mile motor (144k) now...and have experienced no problems...

When installing a new cam you definatly want to put on new lifters and it would be a good idea to get the correct pushrod length and like you said you mis' well add some RR's...1.6RR seems to be a good all around RR...

Convert to MAF if possible for future "radical" mods...

Good Luck

 

[DMAN302]

I would seriously consider mass air upgrade to save the headaches of bad idle and fubar A/F ratios. Also should consider head upgrade cause stock heads will muffle the cams performance and 130,000 mile valve springs will not enjoy the cam in there at all.

 

[bgjohnson]

you don't need to spend the money on new lifters, just check em out and look for any grooving on the rollers, and the play in the rollers, and the overall condition of them.even the rebuild books say you don't have to unless they are worn, but since they are rollers i wouldn't worry about em. just trying to save you 200+ bucks.

and i would say a yes on the RR's, the stock ones flex to much, and when you put that cam in with more lift they will flex even more and specially at high RPM's.

also, what does your oil pressure usually sit at at hot idle? that's a good indication of how the cam bearings are doing.

 

[Lynx331]

im at school right now, when i get home i have a picture of my oil pressure gauge and where it sits at hot idle ill post it when i get home. It used to sit really really low, showing almost no oil pressure, but i changed the sending unit and now it moved up alot

 

[bgjohnson]

yea the stock one is a dummy gauge, it's not very accurate, see if you can rent oil pressure gauge or borrow one, the lowest i think it should be is 25 or maybe even 20, but definetly nothing under that, if it were 20 i'd think about replacing the bearings.

 

[5spd GT]

I would strongly suggest getting new lifters...they are like 120-130 bucks...cheap insurance

Some (in fact pretty much all) cam company's and grinders will void warranty on their cams if you don't use new lifters with a new cam...they have their reasons...you want a new surface to "roll" on a new surface...not old on new...

Good Luck

 

[bgjohnson]

yes they will void them if they aren't replaced when it is a non-roller cam or lifters, with a flat tappet lifter you will have to replace them, but with rollers, if there is no scoring then they are perfectly fine to reuse. you just have to check roller play, if they check out fine, they will be fine. but if there is pitting or scoring on the cam surface, don't reuse them.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Roller lifters last forever, it's not necessary to replace them after only 130,000 miles

 

[5spd GT]

Like I said...it is cheap insurance...(120 bucks)...my comp cam (FTI custom) said that the cam's warranty will be voided if you don't use new lifters...

If your are just really pressed for cash...don't get them...if you got some that you don't mind spending...get them...

 

[Lynx331]

whats a good street legal cam, with a little bit of the "cammed up" idle but still the low end torque?

 

[Lynx331]

would the trick flow stage 1 cam be one of the better cams i can put in my car?

 

[bgjohnson]

i like my trickflow stage one cam, has a pretty nice idle, sounds beefy and a little pissed off. and it's a split duration cam, it uses different timing for the intake and exhaust to give it more low end and all around power, but it does scream up top pretty good too. 4.98/5.12 lift

 

[Lynx331]

would the tfs stage 1 work with speed density?

 

[bgjohnson]

hmm, forgot you had SD. sorry couldn't tell ya, but i don't think you are going to get the lope you want with SD, it won't like it very much, you might have to go with a more mild cam. hopfully sombody with SD can help you out on this one.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Just bring your idle down to about 450rpm....that'll give the lopey cam sound.

 

[ls1beater4eva]

A tfs 1 cam will work with a speed density car so will the e cam . I have gone through this doing my old car befor i swaped to maf well i know several people still running the non maf cars with the tfs1 cam and have no problems just some surgeing at idle other then that its fine, fyi you can allso run a 1.7 roller rocker on this cam with the cam being advanced or not.