How to Install a Comp Cam in a 5.3L LM7 Part 2

[APBcamaro]

lucky bastard, with my luck that valve would have dropped onto a piston at bdc and fell completely through the valve guide. Its also fun to see another guy my age that still knows how to work on his vehicles

[matthew20061]

@APBcamaro Haha yeah I was lucky!! The valves where being held up with the air pressure fitting in the cylinders so it was unlikely to drop a valve. The lifters however could have dropped if I didn't get the cam in quick enough!!

[adamdta1990]

Where exactly did you run the air? Still missin that part.

[matthew20061]

@adamdta1990 Air goes into the cylinder to hold the valve up, you can't change the springs without this tool.

[ahall1970]

Great job. Very knowledgable young man, wish I was still stationed in AK I would have you install one in my 55 Chevy Truck. Again great job.

[matthew20061]

@ahall1970 Thanks!

[stefan2meter]

Very nice video, I'm just about getting myself into the 'V8 adventure' (I'm nowhere near the US, and don't know many people who run American V8's), and this helps me understanding the engine quite a bit. I never realized that even the newer GM V8 were this simple, it's awesome! Suddenly makes a lot of sense why this engine is so hugely popular worldwide when more compact and sophisticated, smaller displacement engines deliver similar performance (bone stock that is). In other words; thanks! :)

[danos9622]

what year motor is this and is the 22ft lbs for the rockers a chevy specific or cam specific

[matthew20061]

@danos9622 Thats a GM specific torque rating.

[muszyngr]

beautiful truck, you seem to know your stuff and you are still very young, I am impressed, wish you would have shown us how to replace them valve springs, as I have never seen it done on the car, what did you use to compress them down with

[matthew20061]

@muszyngr Thanks, ya I used a valve spring compressor to compress them and used the air adapter to put compressed air into the cylinder to keep the valve from dropping.

[Chasemanuti]

what did you use for the wire harness and ecm and fuel pump?

[matthew20061]

@Chasemanuti

Wiring Harness: 2002 Truck Harness Completely Modified

ECM: 2002 Silverado 1500 PCM

Fuel Pump: Walbro 255 External Inline pump with Aeromotive Regulator

[BupKing]

I'm honestly concerned because you didn't oil/lube that cam at all before install. I would've made sure that thing was good and slippery before putting it against any other metal, whether or not the oil was changed...just sayin.

[matthew20061]

@BupKing YES THE CAM WAS SOAKED IN FRESH OIL RIGHT BEFORE INSTALLING IT!!! The cam has been removed now and disassembled and it was in perfect condition. The engine was replaced with a 6.0L HO LQ9.

[vocalone23]

is that lifter noise

[matthew20061]

@vocalone23 Yes, it went away once it warmed up and never came back, seems that all LS engines do this after a cam swap, the lifters just need to pump up is all.

[MrMonkeylaugh]

is it smoking really bad? or is it just cold out?

[matthew20061]

@MrMonkeylaugh Extremely cold out with no cats.

[bmxman242]

Hey man how did you get the crank pulley back on?

[matthew20061]

@bmxman242

Just slip it on as far as you can then I used a mallot to pop it back on most of the way until the bolt would thread in and then I used the impact wrench to get it on the rest of the way.

[bmxman242]

@matthew20061 you did use a new crank bolt right? same length one? how much lbs does your impact make? i only have an electric one good for 240 ft lbs. my cam swap is done though.. TR220 with 918 springs.. chromoly pushrods

[matthew20061]

@bmxman242 Yup new bolt, I'm not sure what my impact gun does for lbs, I torqued it pretty good. On LS1howto.com it says the first pass is 240lb, then 37lb, then 140 degrees. I just used the impact and called it good, I removed the harmonic balencer a few weeks ago when I sold the 5.3L and replaced the cam with the stock one. Now it's got a LQ9, L92 heads, and LS3 Intake.

[meandragon04]

I'm no pro but I'm pretty sure you were supposed to lube up the cam before installing.

[j20062006]

@meandragon04

he used clear assembly lube on it. You do know that they have more than 1 type of assembly lube right? No need to use the messy Grease style assembly lube like everybody and their uncle uses on old small block engines.

You don't even have to use assembly lube, some guys just pour a quart of regular motor oil all over the camshaft before you install it into the engine, this is perfectly fine unless you plan on storing the engine for a long time before cranking it up.

[kennithboehmer]

thank you for the info i have been conseidering getting the jet performance spectrum custom tuner i have been a tech for a about 4 years and have had a hard time finding out how big of a cam can go in before it needs to be retuned i know a stock ls1 cam can be but that was all i was sure about

[kennithboehmer]

did you have to reprogram the pcm to run properly on the cam and how big of a cam can you use before having to do so i have had little to no luck finding this out

[matthew20061]

@kennithboehmer Yes to make it run properly you must have the pcm reprogramed even with the engine stock getting a tune makes a big difference. There are many people that can tune your PCM. I used Zippy Performance, but just to name a few: Wheatley's Custom Tuning (I've heard there very good), Black Bear, Nelson, and many more.

[sosotightt]

your really supposed to do a break in. keep the engine revd above 1500 to 2500 rpms for about 20 minutes but if it works it works =]

[matthew20061]

@sosotightt

Hydraulic roller cams DO NOT require break in. New valve springs need to be heat cycled a couple of times.

[bmxman242]

@sosotightt this isn't flat tappet

[sergsrt8]

where did u learn how to install all this?

[DieselMechanic09]

Ouch! It hurt me when u where first installing that there new cam! Slow and easy, Slow and easy.....Not a virgin are you?

[matthew20061]

@DieselMechanic09 No I've done some others, but for some reason it got stuck there right at first and I didn't mean for it to go in like that....

[03sto]

@matthew20061 damn, that sucks i did kinda the same thing taking mine out haha. I wouldve prolly pulled that thing out to make sure u didnt damage a lobe. but obviously it didnt cause it runs good

[matthew20061]

@03sto LOL ya the motor's getting pulled pretty soon here in favor of a 6.0L with L92 heads and LS3 intake

[03sto]

@matthew20061 ahh nice, my buddy has a vortec max with a 6.0l and its about the same quickness as my c10 with a mild 355 so it should haul ass in your truck haha

[IChristian92]

ok so the cam im gonna install is Duration 293/309, Lift .624/.624. would you recommend changing lifters due to how extreme it is?

[matthew20061]

@IChristian92 Wow that is quite the cam I've never even heard of one with 309 duration? But yes I would say change the lifters just to be safe. Is it a comp cam or a custom grind?

[IChristian92]

you didnt have to change the lifters?

[matthew20061]

@IChristian92 No, the stock ones work fine with a new cam, although they should be changed if your building a nice motor.

[matthew20061]

@jayguy173 haha, no problems with it yet.

[krboer]

1st great job with the video! I am looking at this cam for my 2000 s10 with a 5.3 swap. I think it suits my power/torque goals but I am worried about valvetrain life. What can you tell me about spring life etc with this cam?

[matthew20061]

@krboer Thanks, ya its a great cam from what I can tell works good! Really woke it up, as far as valve springs go I would go with a spring that is rated above 610 lift I'm running comp 918 springs on it and they seem to work fine but the truck doesn't get driven to much. I think you should get pretty good spring life out of springs that are rated for above the cams lift.

[Eightbanger]

You made it look easy!......is it? be honest.

If you made another vid installing a comp cam in a 454 BBC I could follow it blow by blow.

[jmecrg]

so at 22lbs the the rockers need no more adjustment?

[smiller225]

@wayfastwhiteguy dude thats a gen 3 motor pulling the intake wont do any good the heads have to be pulled to get to the lifters however some guys insert dowel rods throught the front of the motor to hold the lifters up

[matthew20061]

@dnl5649 The computer has been professional retuned for the specific cam by Leading Edge Performance. There was no problem just the first start with a new cam and tune has a high idle until it lowers it leans it for the first time.

[wayfastwhiteguy]

makes me wonder if maybe i can devise a method to always be successful that way. i guess just some of those cheap 99 cent extendable magnets would do the trick. where at in ak are you? i have a friend who used to live in wasilla and his parents still do

[matthew20061]

Cool I'm in Anchorage, ya those magnets are a good cheap way to do it I only used one and the rest stayed up lol.

[matthew20061]

Thanks, ya its a pretty nice truck! I was hesitant about the lifters but I got lucky I guess.....

[IareDallas]

Why was the truck smoking so much after the install?

[matthew20061]

Because the air temperature was 15 degrees and there was lots of moisture in the exhaust system.

[matthew20061]

Roller Camshafts do not require break in.