93 z28 Cam question

[93z]

Hey guys brand new to the forum and I'm posting 4 my brother/ me. He has a 93 z28 with intake and exhaust. What would be a good cam choice for him? Looking for good low end power but still a good top end. Nothing too extreme. I also found a 93z for sale with a blown head gasket that I can get a good deal on. How bad can that problem get on these motors? I dont know the LT1 very well. Be nice I'm a noob to these cars :embarassed:

[Fastbird]

As long as there'd not internal damage or warping to the head, it's just a few hours of labor to change the head gasket.

Need a little more info for your brothers car. Off of what you gave I would say that a Hotcam, 218/224, CC305, or CC503 would all make the grade.

[93z]

Sorry I didnt want to write a huge thread. My brothers car has SLP intake, Flowmaster exhaust and is a 6-speed. Other than that it's all stock. Well the guy with the car says it will run for a little bit then overheat, typical of a head gasket. Is there any way to know if the head is warped without tearing everything apart? If it still runs does that mean there isnt much internal damage?

[93z]

The guy also said there is no water in the oil, but there is water in the exhaust after a while. Does that mean anything? I'm pretty embarrassed asking these questions cause they seem so simple and I'm decent with cars, but I know nothin about the LT motors. Thx for the help

[slowdime]

Sorry I didnt want to write a huge thread. My brothers car has SLP intake, Flowmaster exhaust and is a 6-speed. Other than that it's all stock. Well the guy with the car says it will run for a little bit then overheat, typical of a head gasket. Is there any way to know if the head is warped without tearing everything apart? If it still runs does that mean there isnt much internal damage?

Mine ran like SHIT when the headgasket went. Gotta pull the heads and put a straight edge to em to see if theyre warped. If its not knocking and the car hasnt been this way for very long it may be safe.


The guy also said there is no water in the oil, but there is water in the exhaust after a while. Does that mean anything? I'm pretty embarrassed asking these questions cause they seem so simple and I'm decent with cars, but I know nothin about the LT motors. Thx for the help

Either the dude doesnt have a clue, or it may not be a headgasket. Headgaskets cause sludgy/milky oil, that could possibly be a cracked head allowing a water jacket to leak into an exhaust port.

[StangeatinZ28]

i run a Comp XE 224 cam which made the car go from 13.0's/12.90's with boltons to 12.1-12.0's on the stock heads. make sure you throw on longtubes and full exhaust. and a good tune will allow you to idle perfect. mine idles fine in gear with the a/c on. and if your auto go with a nice stall, i run a vig 3400. hope that helps

[CamaroZGuy]

i would get it just because its a 93 :D

as for the overheating and water in the exhaust, check the cat, that could cause the overheating and condensation build up. but is it water our coolant coming out? a bad cat can also smell like rotten eggs.

[93z]

Strangeatin, What bolts ons do you have?

[Spartan7]

If there's no coolant in the oil it may be ok. Coolant will fry rod/main bearings. The only problem with a bad HG is it's always due to something else, not the gasket itself. So you could be getting a good deal, or a big paperweight.

For your brother, talk to Lloyd or the guys at AI about a custom grind. It's a little more than an off-the-shelf cam, but you get exactly what you want out of the car.

http://www.elliottsportworks.com/lt1.html
http://www.advancedinduction.com/

[93z]

What else could be wrong that would cause it to blow a head gasket?

[lt1-xjs]

i would get it just because its a 93 :D

as for the overheating and water in the exhaust, check the cat, that could cause the overheating and condensation build up. but is it water our coolant coming out? a bad cat can also smell like rotten eggs.
Like he said , it's a '93.

[sinistr]

What else could be wrong that would cause it to blow a head gasket?




well its a 93 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, an lt1 ..... and stuff :shit:

[93z]

well its a 93 ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, an lt1 ..... and stuff :shit:

Wow that was so helpful...any useful comments?

[Speed Density]

Overheating, normal wear, bad installer etc.. lots of things can blow a head gasket.

Good luck on the cam selection, I would also stick with Sean (Fastbird) and go with a true off the shelf cam, they work and work well.

[warnerTA]

i bought my 1994 ta with a blown headgasket for 1800 dollars, it was bone stock, and the head gasket just blew all i did was replace the head gaskets (and the rest of the gaskets) and it runs fine now.

[warnerTA]

how much is he askin for the 1993? how many miles?

[Spartan7]

A blown HG can be from improperly prepared deck or head surfaces, warped head, or improperly torqued or installed head bolts. The right thing to do would be to have the head checked by a machine shop for flatness and replace all the head bolts.

[93z]

A blown HG can be from improperly prepared deck or head surfaces, warped head, or improperly torqued or installed head bolts. The right thing to do would be to have the head checked by a machine shop for flatness and replace all the head bolts.

He's asking 1000 with 140,000 miles. What do ya'll think?

[roadrocket]

Being new to the LT1 can be confusing. It can be easy if you have general knowledge of the small block. LT1's are rev cooled and have external coolant lines you must be careful of.
This is one link I find useful for LT1's http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#adjust_valves

This will take you to all the info you're looking for: http://www.scfba.info/phpBB3/viewforum.php?f=62

most of it anyway.

This is a link to the Speed Denisty site that is particular for 93's: http://www.speeddensity.org/

Cam selection is wide for what you want. CC305, ZZ9, HotCam, etc. Whatever the choice be sure to get the recommended Springs and set them at the correct inst height.

Take some time and see what works for other folks. A wealth of knowledge on this site and the above links.....and "knowledge" my friend is power. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
It isn't so much a particular Cam or Exh or Electronics so much as it is how well the particular parts works with the each other that will determine if you have a winning combo.

My car for example does well on the track and still gets 26 mpg hwy with the following mods:

Car..............................1993 Camaro Z28 1LE
Engine..........................350 ci LT1
Heads.......................... Ported w/ comp 3 angle, Port Matched,.039" head gasket.
Valvetrain.....................1.6X1.52 Roller Rockers, 7/16" studs, Hardened Push Rods and Guide Plates.
Camshaft......................ZZ9
Throttle Body................52mm
Engine Management........Custom EPROM
Fuel System..................24 lb Injectors , Hypertec Adj FPR
Ignition/ Battery............ Digital 6, MSD 8.8mm Plug Wires, MSD Coil.
Cooling.........................160 T Stat, Programming
Inertia..........................U/D Crank Pulley
Exhaust........................Hooker LT's, Y pipe, Flowmaster cat back
Induction......................Ram Air Hood w/ K&N Filter
Transmission..................M29 6 spd
Shifter..........................Hurst Competition
Clutch..........................Centerforce Dual Friction
Rear end.......................3.23 w/ T/A cover, Axel tubes welded
Front Suspension............QA1 12 way adj Struts w/ Pro Rate Springs
Rear Suspension.............QA1 12 way adj Shocks w/ stock 1LE Springs, Lower Control Arms.
Chassis.........................Sub Frame Connectors, Strut Tower brace.
Brakes..........................1LE
Wheels.........................17X9-1/2 F1/ZR1
Tires.............................F - 235/40ZR/17 Falken, R - 275/40DR/17 BFG Drag Radials



hope this helps a bit, good luck!

[LT1RUNNER]

i DON'T KNOW ABOUT HIM BUT YOU SURE HELPED ME!! :shiner:

[IronOutlaw]

I warped the heads on my old car when my radiator was stopped up. It was barely even using coolant but it wasnt getting into the oil.
That motor was toasted a few times, and after machining the heads ran like a champ. These Lt1 motors are tough.
Id try to get him down to around 800 if you could. Even if the motor is bad you can find another one for really cheap these days.
What kind of shape is the car in? If the car needs paint or the interior is shot I wouldnt buy it.

[93z]

So what type cam do yall recommend? I have CAI, catback, chip, and 6-speed. What all would I need with the cam without getting heads. What kind of prices am I looking at for Cam, springs, PR's, RR's, etc. A guy said a Comp XE 224 could get about a sec faster in the 1/4. What kind of performance can I get out of what cams? Thanks for your help, just lookin for personal experiences with diff set ups.

[KissMyWhtSS]

So what type cam do yall recommend? I have CAI, catback, chip, and 6-speed. What all would I need with the cam without getting heads. What kind of prices am I looking at for Cam, springs, PR's, RR's, etc. A guy said a Comp XE 224 could get about a sec faster in the 1/4. What kind of performance can I get out of what cams? Thanks for your help, just lookin for personal experiences with diff set ups.
It's up to you what you want to replace, but I'd recommend at least doing Valve Springs, Retainers, Locks, Rockers, Cam, Oil Change, Timing Chain, Mail Order Tune. If your just looking for a little more power throughout the powerband I'd recommend a hotcam (http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-12480002/) just because it's cheap and comes in a kit. It's proven to be pretty good, extremely drivable, and any mail order tuner can provide you with a pretty good tune for it. A hotcam'd full bolt-on (headers, throttle body, etc.) car should be good for 330 rwhp and run mid to high 12's at the track with decent traction.

I'd offer the guy $800 and tell him your mechanic quoted you pretty high for a head gasket swap and see if he takes it. Worst case scenario you could buy a used LT1 for $400-600 and throw it in the car. Personally I'd pull the heads, have them ported/shaved and spend a little money checking everything out and building it up so you can beat your brother. :cool:

A solid rolling body with a good title is worth $800 so even if the motor is completely trashed, you still got a decent deal.


Hope this helps, sorry if I wrote a book.

[93z]

I have heard the hot cam is very mild and almost not worth it? What do you think?

[KissMyWhtSS]

I have heard the hot cam is very mild and almost not worth it? What do you think?

You said you weren't looking for anything too extreme. It's a comparable cam to the cc503, cc305, etc. Is your brother looking to do anything more in the future? I was going to put a hotcam in my car and drive it until I got out of college (at which time, I'd be building my motor and changing the cam out assuming I keep the car) but decided against it. I thought it was perfect for what I wanted at the time. I simply wanted a bit more power throughout the powerband and a bit nastier sounding idle, while retaining great driveability. You may make a couple more horsepower with a cc503, but it's not worth the extra $$$ IMO.

[93z]

How much difference in performance do you think there is between the CC305 and the CC503

[93z]

The 305 would be more of a nastier cam and the 503 more street am i right?

[KissMyWhtSS]

hotcam 218/228 112lsa .525/.525 (w/1.6rr)
cc305 220/230 114lsa .544/.544 (w/ 1.6rr)
cc503 224/230 112lsa .535/.544 (w/ 1.6rr)

IMO, cc503 is the best choice if your purely looking for the best power output. But if price comes into play, I'd buy the hotcam just because I'd personally spend an extra $200 in parts with the cc503 (lt4 valve springs are good for a max lift of .550, some people don't like running them on the hotcam w/ 1.6rr) and $200 isn't worth an extra 8-10rwhp IMO.