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LS3 Camshaft Install - Resistance Is FutralA Futral Motorsports LS3 camshaft brings our AntiVenom Fifth-Gen Camaro to the next level From the September, 2011 issue of GM High-Tech Performance By Justin Cesler Photography by The Author
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Of all the tech we do here at GM High-Tech, there are few moments more exciting than firing up a car with a new camshaft for the first time. It doesn't matter how old, young or jaded an enthusiast may be, the sound of a healthy V-8 banging away brings joy to even the most cynical critic and, unlike some other aspects of our hobby, nothing remains as refreshing as a nice lopey idle coming from a properly outfitted muscle car. So it should come as no surprise that our 2010 Camaro project, which is owned by Greg Lovell of AntiVenom EFI, "needed" a nice camshaft before we did any further testing, for both aural reasons and, obviously, for the major power increase that only a properly cut stick can provide. But, for all of the great things that a camshaft can do for a car, it can also ruin one if improperly spec'd for the application. We've all had friends (or personal cars!) that have had a mismatched, oversized camshaft stuck in the block and the surging, bucking, lack of low end power and Supra-esque dyno queen power delivery really ruins the entire experience, even if the camshaft sounds like a top-fuel car idling around the parking lot. Not wanting to go down that path, we hooked up with Allan Futral of Futral Motorsports in Walker, Louisiana to spec us a healthy camshaft that would deliver excellent power, good mid-range torque and a nice idle, without compromising the 2010 Camaro's mature demeanor. After a quick conversation, Allan settled on a 228/242 duration, .629/.620-inches of lift bumpstick cut on a 112 lobe separation angle. If that split looks large, remember that we are dealing with an LS3 here, which prefers a bigger split than an LS1 due to differences in the intake and exhaust ports in the stock LS3 cylinder heads. Of course, you can't just drop a .629-inch camshaft in a Camaro with stock valvesprings, so Allan also set us up with a set of Manley fully polished Nextek valvesprings (good to .660-lift) and the necessary titanium retainers, spring locators and valve stem seals to make everything work harmoniously. With the parts in hand, we stopped by AntiVenom EFI in Seffner, Florida, and put Greg Lovell to work. When the dust finally cleared, the entire shop was filled with the sweet sound of a lopey idle flowing through a nice exhaust. It was truly music to our ears and Allan clearly nailed the camshaft profile. As for the power, well...you're going to have to keep reading to find out!  1 We’re going to jump headfirst...  1 We’re going to jump headfirst into this camshaft install article, so please excuse the lack of a pretty engine bay picture to get us started. Here, you can see that Greg Lovell has removed both coil pack brackets, the valve covers, the fuel rail and is in the middle of pulling the stock rocker arms out of his LS3 engine bay.  2 With the rockers out of...  2 With the rockers out of the way, Greg broke out his tried and true More Performance valvespring compressor tool and got to work pulling the stock, single springs out of the heads. We planned on reusing the stock valve locks, so Greg took extra caution not to loose any or mess them up during disassembly.  3a Futral Motorsports included...  3a Futral Motorsports included new Manley spring locators for the new valvesprings, along with a new set of valve stem seals, which was a nice touch...  3b ...In a pinch, you can...  3b ...In a pinch, you can use an old socket to seat the valve stem seals in place, just make sure you do it gently.  4 You’re looking at Manley’s...  4 You’re looking at Manley’s fully polished Nextek dual valvespring and titanium retainer set, which is good to .660-inches of lift and installs at 155-lbs of pressure at 1.810-inches and runs 405-lbs open with a linear spring rate of 379-lbs/inch. In short, these are an awesome spring for anyone running aggressive lift on the street or track.  5 The Nextek springs installed...  5 The Nextek springs installed easily into the stock LS3 heads, with the valve spring compressor and a deft hand being the only tools needed. Sometimes, especially towards the rear of the motor, it can be a bit tricky to get the valve locks in place, but take your time and don’t get frustrated...you can do it!  6 With all of the springs,...  6 With all of the springs, retainers and seals in place, Greg turned his attention to stripping down the front of the motor, so that he could access the camshaft. This starts by draining the coolant, pulling the hoses out of place and removing the factory dual fan assembly.  7 With the fans out of the...  7 With the fans out of the way, Greg dropped the factory thermostat housing out of the way, removed the serpentine belt and unbolted the waterpump from the LS3 engine. If you’re doing this in your driveway, a thin drain/catch pan under the car is recommended… coolant seems to spill everywhere no matter how hard you try to contain it.  8a At this point the stock...  8a At this point the stock radiator can be removed, although you mustn’t forget to remove the stock transmission cooler lines found in both the six-speed manual and automatic fifth-gen Camaro...  8b ...If you’re quick with...  8b ...If you’re quick with a set of vacuum caps, you won’t lose much transmission fluid in the removal, so make sure you have a set handy.  9 A cam swap in a fifth-gen...  9 A cam swap in a fifth-gen can easily be done without a lift (or even a jack), but it is much easier if you have access to an air compressor and a quality pulley removal tool. With the factory crank bolt removed, Greg pulled the stock crank pulley off of the engine using an air ratchet.  10 The front cover on an...  10 The front cover on an LS3 is a bit trickier to remove than on other applications due to two annoying issues. One, the stock alternator/idler mount blocks one of the lower cover bolts and two, the factory battery cable runs directly below the two oil-pan to front cover bolts and makes removing them very difficult.  17 Valve covers, coils, fuel...  17 Valve covers, coils, fuel rail, coolant, new plugs and a final once over were all Greg needed to do before firing up the Camaro for the first time. Now that doesn’t mean turn it on and go wide-open; Greg recommends at least three heat cycles on the new valve springs before putting any real RPM in the motor and at least a base tune before hitting the dyno, street or track.  18 468.04-rwhp and 425.45...  18 468.04-rwhp and 425.45 lb-ft of torque! That is a peak gain of almost 48-rwhp and 14 lb-ft, without sacrificing any mid-range torque or horsepower. In fact, our mid-range (3,000-4,500) torque is up anywhere from 15 to 20 lb-ft across the board, while the gains grow exponentially above 5,500, where the fun really begins. Another plus is the 6,000-6,500 rpm extension, which will help us carry through the gear for gains on both the road course and drag strip.  11 Once Greg had the cover...  11 Once Greg had the cover out of the way, he made sure to line the timing gears up dot-to-dot and pulled the chain tensioner out of the way, sliding a piece of welding wire in place to keep it off of the timing chain. Finally, he removed the single large bolt that holds the LS3 camshaft to the timing gear.  12 Four bolts hold the cam...  12 Four bolts hold the cam retainer plate in place and then the stock LS3 camshaft can be slid out of the block. Unfortunately, the camshaft can’t be slid all the way out with the A/C condenser in place so you can either remove it (and have to refill it with Freon after the install) or have a helper pull it above the motor, making sure not to kink any of the existing lines.  13 Finally, with the stock...  13 Finally, with the stock camshaft out of the way, Greg Lovell slid the Futral Motorsports 228/242 duration at .050, .629/.620-inch lift camshaft in place. Make sure you take your time on the install; you don’t want to mess up any of the cam bearings or journals on the way in or out.  14 The Futral Motorsports...  14 The Futral Motorsports camshaft is cut on a three bolt core, which means we had to ditch the stock timing gear and install a new GM 3-bolt unit in its place. Along with the wheel (PN 12586481) you will also need a set of three cam bolts, which you can get from GM or ARP, like we did.  15 Putting the front cover...  15 Putting the front cover back in place can be a tricky job, as the lower vertical bolts must be properly aligned or you can damage both the cover and the oil pan. Greg has an OEM alignment tool, since his shop specializes in this type of work, but if you’re doing this at home, take your time and make sure everything is lined up before tightening anything down.  16 After buttoning up the...  16 After buttoning up the front of the motor, installing the crank pulley, water pump, radiator and other components, Greg bolted the factory rocker arms back in place and torqued them down to spec. Now is a good time to roll the motor over by hand to confirm that everything is moving properly in the valve train and there are no issues.
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