stage 1 or 2 cam effect on fuel economy for LS3 manual ssv

[VFSSVfan]

Hi ,
Please comment on your experience on fitting a stage 1 or 2 cam .I have a series 2 manual ssv & plan to improve its performance with headers linked to standard bi modal & cai plus tune. I've read that a bigger cat back is mainly for extra noise rather than extra performance on the road.

Does a cam on top of these mods make a significant difference to performance & does it greatly increase fuel use? I don't mind extra fuel thirst when I'm having a fang but don't want it to guzzle when I'm driving mildly.
Please share your actual consumption changes before & after the warmer cam.
Thanks very much for your responses.

 

[panhead]

What’s a stage 1 or 2 cam?

It’s like the old days of I’ve got a full race cam or a 3/4 race cam, it doesn’t mean much.

Who is the cam manufacturer and what are the specs otherwise any answer can only be speculation.

The upside of most aftermarket tunes is not just a power increase but you'll also get better fuel economy during sedate driving but when you add a cam to the mix there is every chance your fuel usage will also increase and that usage will depend on the size of the cam.

I’ve had some cams where I could only drive from one servo to the next but if it’s just a mild setup than yes you’ll probably use more fuel but it may be worth it if you are chasing power.

The cam specs will determine where you start and finish making power in the rev range and if you are going for a larger cam than it will need to be capable of breathing, so air in and exhaust out is important.

You’ll only get the basics here so what you need to do it speak to a performance shop and tell them what you want to achieve and they’ll be able to recommend a cam and the type of exhaust that will give you the most efficient setup.

They’ll also be able to give you alternatives as well.

Drive to a shop near you and have a chat and jump on Google and have a read up on cam specs before you go so even though you won’t necessarily be an expert, you’ll at least understand the terminology and with a bit of luck also the basics on how a cam works.

 

[VFSSVfan]

Thank you for your helpful post,much appreciated

 

[Mike Litherous]

Technically some cams if tuned correctly can make the engine more efficient and improve fuel economy depending on how good the tune is.

You will probably have similar experiences that I have when I changed the diff gears to 4.11. Around the city with light driving there is bugger all increase but now the upper rpm range is so more accsessable in first and 2nd gear that u find yourself driving the engine harder just for the simple child like pleasure it gives you.