Input or advice from others on cam swap for 6.2L 2011 Yukon Denali

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JPS0284

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Depends where you are. I am way up in Canada, no way I can do it for ya. Where you at? So many good tuners all over the states these days. It's a basic tune.
I’m in south west Michigan, I googled it and there isn’t much around here I’ll probably have to email it to black bear or whoever does it remotely. Im assuming if I ordered hp tuners I can download my trucks oem tune and send it to them before I start doing the work then load it once I’m finished?
 

JPS0284

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It sucks, but we don't have anyone backing us if something goes wrong. It's full labor, full new gaskets, and if a lifter fails, usually new cam at best. They can spin and wreck the block. It stood out to me that you said how towed and went places, so that is also a factor. I would be more open to some weekend warrior that treated his vehicle like a toy, but yours is not that. Just look at the 400 dollars you are saving by buying the tsp long tubes and y pipe as a wash on the extra lifter price. Vehicles require positive energy, or it isn't fun.
That’s very true, I’m a mechanical contractor (hvac) so I often have this same conversation with clients I completely understand where your coming from and appreciate the advice.
 

hagar

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I’m in south west Michigan, I googled it and there isn’t much around here I’ll probably have to email it to black bear or whoever does it remotely. Im assuming if I ordered hp tuners I can download my trucks oem tune and send it to them before I start doing the work then load it once I’m finished?
Yep! I think he has a thing he sends that does something more simple than buying your own hp tuners cable though.
 

hagar

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That’s very true, I’m a mechanical contractor (hvac) so I often have this same conversation with clients I completely understand where your coming from and appreciate the advice.
Lmao!! Being and HVAC guy in Michigan of all places, I am positive you get it!
 

hagar

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Lmao!! Being and HVAC guy in Michigan of all places, I am positive you get it!
BTW, my number one trade of customers is HVAC guys, there must be some sort of correlation there if a guy thought hard enough about it.
 

91RS

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I have done a few more since, still love them. I have never in my life had a spring fail on any of the supplied tsp PAC springs. I use them on cars pushing over 7 thousand rpms as well. I have personally installed traditional delete cams in 6.2s, and stand solidly by my statement that the vvt Cams are super awesome for the heavy trucks.

Agreed. I'm still very happy with my Comp VVT cam. I'd almost love to change it to the TSP cam since theirs should make more power but I don't feel like taking it apart to do it and pay for a retune.
 

Geotrash

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This thread is a great resource that I wish I'd had when I did mine a couple of years ago. I'm still happy with the setup I landed on though. Cam Motion Stage 2 truck cam (3-bolt), Chevrolet Performance LS7 lifters with BTR beehive springs and moly pushrods. Just finished a 2500 mile camping trip through the northeast pulling our 7500 lb camper, and never ran short on power anywhere. On a few long grades when I had to downshift to 3rd, I had to keep my foot out of it or it'd keep accelerating.

Side note: I have never been able to find a chart or performance data for VVT vs non-VVT at lower RPMs where it's supposed to be most effective, so I'm still skeptical of its benefits outside of fuel mileage. I also have a 2007 XL Denali that still has the stock cam and VVT and the 2012 with the 3-bolt cam will outrun it off the line pulling the same camper, all the way through the rev range. On the same highway entrance ramp near my house, I'm 10 mph faster merging onto the highway with the 2012 than I am with the 2007 when towing. The only significant difference is the cam. And both are Black Bear tuned for premium fuel.
 

j91z28d1

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I'm pretty sure I've seen a dyno graph somewhere, but I'm not sure where. maybe Texas speed site?

that Richard Holden guy on YouTube did a video on advancing and retarding a cam in a 5.3 I believe it was. mechanically with the adjustable bushings and if I remember right he couldn't get anything out of it. I don't 100% agree with his videos. he seems to have an agenda going into it and then pulls up saved dyno runs from years past to prove it. it feel like it lacks 100% objectivity. like if he's showing you something he wants to look good he'll show you results from it on a 427ci full out race build. if he wants to show it doesn't work, he'll show those parts on a stock 5.3.

so yeah, no clue what to believe. it sounds good in theory but not sure it works enough for the hassle it causes.
 

hagar

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I'm pretty sure I've seen a dyno graph somewhere, but I'm not sure where. maybe Texas speed site?

that Richard Holden guy on YouTube did a video on advancing and retarding a cam in a 5.3 I believe it was. mechanically with the adjustable bushings and if I remember right he couldn't get anything out of it. I don't 100% agree with his videos. he seems to have an agenda going into it and then pulls up saved dyno runs from years past to prove it. it feel like it lacks 100% objectivity. like if he's showing you something he wants to look good he'll show you results from it on a 427ci full out race build. if he wants to show it doesn't work, he'll show those parts on a stock 5.3.

so yeah, no clue what to believe. it sounds good in theory but not sure it works enough for the hassle it causes.
There is a reason you don't put a non vvt cam into a vvt controlled system. If it was as simple as advancing and retarding a normal cam, it would be one thing, but there are many many hours spent on development of the l92 vvt cams to take advantage of the technology.
 

Geotrash

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There is a reason you don't put a non vvt cam into a vvt controlled system. If it was as simple as advancing and retarding a normal cam, it would be one thing, but there are many many hours spent on development of the l92 vvt cams to take advantage of the technology.
I hear you, but that’s exactly what I did, and it’s working great for me. I’m not trying to debate anyone here. I’m just saying that I have never seen any evidence of what the actual power gains are for VVT at lower RPMs. I hear lots of hand waving and wows, but there seems to be two sides to this issue, and no clear resolution with data.

I searched for a few weeks when I was making my decisions a few years ago and came up short.
 
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