Richard Holdener is back in another installment of, “Back to Basics,” a series compiled by COMP Cams in an effort to provide you, our readers, some quick tips on simple engine modifications. In the last episode, Richard gave us some tips on measuring pushrod length. Now he’s back with a step-by-step how-to on installing an aftermarket camshaft into your LS!
If you’ve spent any reasonable amount of time around somebody who knows their way around an LS engine, you’ve probably heard it all about how it would be in your best interest to buy a higher-lift camshaft to compliment your LS powerplant.
When you get down to the nuts and bolts, a camshaft is one of the cheapest and most effective modifications that there is to get your LS-powered vehicle rolling. It also is probably one of the easiest engine-related procedures that you’ll get into, depending on who you ask. Best of all, according to COMP, your car could pick up as much as 60 rwhp with nothing more than a cam and valvespring package!
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th a cam for every application, there is bound to be one that will fit your needs and for a few hundred bucks, you can’t really go wrong. But is the process really as easy as they say?
This video goes head to toe on what’s necessary to replace your camshaft with an aftermarket application. After watching the video once or twice, pretty much everyone will feel like a master of the small block LS. The process truly is as simple as removing a few covers and accessories, then sliding that bad boy straight out of the front of your engine to be replaced with an even more aggressive thunder stick! That’s not to say that you don’t have to be careful in what you are doing; working to fast or aggressively can cost you anything from damaged lobes to a runnier engine, if you don’t follow the procedure accordingly. Oh, and always, always, always, torque everything down to spec.
Check out the video for a more detailed explanation of exactly how this process works. Keep in mind that you may need to account for a few more busted knuckles and greasy finger nails as we’re sure your LS probably isn’t a crate engine, nor is it out of the car in most cases… you get the idea. Maneuvering your way around that fourth generation F-body may be a little bit of a chore, but with the proper knowledge, a DIY mechanic can accomplish anything!
Jesse is currently a senior at the University of Delaware and has been around cars his entire life. From a GTO and a C5 Corvette, to a CTS-V and a C6 Z06, he’s always seemed to have his fingers in LS performance. He is a student by day and a YouTuber and automotive journalist by night!
