Could use some help! I have been impressed with this site and all the people dedicated to the Chevelles. I hope someone out there can help a fellow Chevelle fanatic. My name is Gutz and I own a 66SS with a LS-7 GM crate motor. It had the TR2X Tunnel Ram on it and a flat hood that was cut. I pulled the tunnel off and want to put the SS Hood back on. The single carb is the 1050 Dominator so clearence is the major issue. The LS-7 is rated out of the crate with 465-500 HP without the induction setup. Would like to keep the performance level up to its potential. Any thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks,
Gutz

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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

I run a brodix HVH P.N.2001 intake and it works very well.but I also run a set of brodix BB2 heads with a LS7 bottom end and a big comp cams roller.along with a 1050 dominator. its hard to say which intake for you to run until I know the whole combo that you have. it sounds like you have a pretty healthy setup. running a tunnel ram and now a dominator. on previous engines that I've run. I had a Edelbrock victor 454-O and a dart single plane. they both work pretty much the same.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

Thanks Bottlerat,
My LS-7 is a 12.25:1 Compression, 4 bolt, 5140 forged-steel crank w/cross drilled mains, 4340 forged steel connecting rods w/ 7/16-in. bolts for pressed pins. Forged high dome pistons, racing mechanical camshaft #3959180, open chamber cast heads #482. Engine suffix XCH
This engine was made to run in the 70'Vette's but GM scratched it and sold them as a GM crate (drag) motors.
I do need to keep it as low profile as possible due to hood clearance.
As the Chevelle sits now, it has a prepped Muncie 4 speed with a 12 bolt 373 rear.
Moster torque! Love the RAT

Thanks,
Gutz

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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

Me again,
Hoping to get some more info after I posted the engine specs. Any suggestions would be helpful. Any thoughts Bottlerat?

Thanks,
Gutz

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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

Gutz, it all depends on what you intend on doing with your car. if you are going to mostly street drive it. then go with a dual plane intake. edelbrock performer rpm airgap with a holley 850 to 950 HP should work real well for you. If you are going to drag race it. and have alot of cam and rearend gear. then i would lean toward a single plane intake. you could go either way with a carb for this route. but unless you run a very large cam and high flowing heads. and plan on spining the engine at 7000+ rpms. i would stick with a 4150 style carb. 850 to 950 holley HP carb will e.t. better.A dominator will m.p.h. better. but it all depends on what you want to do with your car. i hope this has been of some help to you.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

oh yea, if you are going to run a ss hood then you can forget the single plane intake.i'd stick with a dual plane and a 4150 carb. after reading all of your specs. i honestly believe that this setup would be the best way to go. a dominator and single plane setup is going to kill your bottom end. and you won't spin the engine fast enough. to take advantage of the single plane dominator setup.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

Bottlerat,

I will be putting the SS hood on, so the first concern is hood clearance. My SS will see street duty mostly. The cam is a Comp Cams Stage I, spec's are valve lift .520 and duration at 310, solid lifter, roller rocker setup along with factory LS-7 heads. I still have the original cam. Looking for maybe a hydraulic cam with same lift and duration someday. Less maintance. I am going to look around for a 950cfm and dual plane aftermarket but will keep and eye out for a GM aluminum. If my cam is right for it. What do you think?

Thanks,
Gutz

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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

I think a 4150 and a dual plane is the way for you to go.i used a 163 casting GM intake in the 70 i used to have...with a 825 demon carb.and the car ran 11:70s.in street trim. also i would think about a little mare cam. I've got the specs on a real nice street cam at home.its a comp hydralic. but i'm not sure of the lift and duration. i'll have to look and see what it was. this cam with your engine setup ran 12:50s in a 66 Belair land barge. In street trim.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

Hey Gutz66,
I'm running an LS-7 with a Victor SR manifold with a Dominator carb. I just ordered a air cleaner through Comp cams which will hopefully clear my Factory Cowl Induction hood. For the street I would recommend like Bottlerat said and get an HP series' 850 or 950 Carb. My Dominator works on the Street but you got to rap on the throttle a lot to clear it out.I heard the HP series flows Like a Dominator but also has good Idle circuits.

1970 SS468/TH400

Thanks Guys, I am going to go with the dual plane and the 950. If you could get the specs on a better cam that would be great!
Can't wait till the weather gets better around here. Just itchin to cruise.


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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

Gutz, i ran a comp cam in my 70 and i was very happy with it.you'll need a 2800 to 3000 stall converter.and it's a solid flat tappet stick.but i think it would be a nice cam for your set up.It's a 11-604-5,.580 .605 lift 256 266 @ .50 duration. on 110 lsa. i was able to drive my car any where and still click off 11:70 times in street trim. If you what to go hydralic then P.N.11-254-4 would be a good choice. it's 588/593 lift and 250/256@.50 duration. on 110 lsa.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

Bottlerat, I am going to look into the cams you recommended. I am running a 4speed though. Does that make a difference with the cams you mentioned?

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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

Gutz, No.. as a matter of fact that's even better.no converter to mess with. I think one of those sticks will wake your mean one up.let me know if I can be any more help.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

Thanks Bottlerat, I will check them out and when I get it all firgured out I will let you know.

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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

sound's good to me. talk to ya later.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

Gutz66, You will be much happier changing that cam. With that cam you will have to run nothing but racing gas or itll ping itself to death. I ran that cam in a 396 with 11.25 comp and it did the same thing. I run an LS6 with an 11-605-5 comp cams solid. It runs 12.10@115 with 2.01 60' times. Should run 11.70s or so with traction. Its a good cam, and it bleeds off some of the comp so you dont have to run so much racing gas. On the street i can run 92 amoco and a mix when racing it. I also run an HP950 and weiand stealth sq port int. Works great. Good luck...CHRIS

i ran pump gas, when i had that cam in my 70. it never pinged. i drove that car to tenn. twice a year. and even drove it to panama city fla. and back on pump gas.over 1600 miles. you have to watch how much timing you run but it ran fine on pump gas. the only time i ran racing fuel was when i ran the car at the track. 11:73@ 115 in STREET TRIM. Full exsaust to the back bumper all steel. full interior. M/T E.T.Streets just run about 36 to 38 degrees total timing on the street and you'll be fine. when you go to the track then bump it up to 40 to 42 degrees total.then hang on.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

Thanks for the info. I do want to keep the octane requierments as low as possible. That is going to be hard with this setup. If I can get it to run safely on pump gas then that would be great. I don't want to change pistons and such. Would like to keep the factory setup as original as I can. Which cam would be the best to obtain that goal?
Thanks both of you as it helps to have some experience with the different setups.
Gutz

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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

so your saying you want to run a factory style cam. how you want the car to idle? and where do you want your power curve (rpm)? let me know and we'll go from there.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

Gutz, yeah dont discount the GM intakes, I believe them to be quite similar to the RPM.

With 12.25:1 and 3.73s you have a sticky wicket there. Not enough gear to run a true "bleed off" type cam, but enough compression so you have to. Old L88 ( or the bigger ZL1/LS7) cam is nice for the bleed off but man, you need gear big time. Plus they dont come on until 4000-7500.

Crane makes a nice hydraulic with .595 lift and 240( @0.050) duration that may work OK. Those are the kind of specs I'd be looking for. Their smallest solid roller is nice too, as is the Comp 288. Mint grinds.
EDIT, oh and BTW, if my small cam L88 does 530hp, your LS7 will show 550 or more. With that nasty ZL1/LS7 cam, I have no doubt whatsoever, that mill does 600+ at 7000 rpm.
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Gene Chaas
Gold Member 62/ACES
67 SS 427 (http://www.chevelles.com/feature/october2000.html)

[This message has been edited by 427L88 (edited 02-13-2001).]

This makes for an interesting thought. What rear gear should be right for an LS-7? I want to run the engine as it came with the exception of the cam. Unless I can run it on pump gas!The literature tells me I can't if I leave it as is. The car had been running 488's but I thought that was too much for the street and some distance runs. Does the 373 hold the car back that much? Can easily switch gears. Just not sure at this point till I get the motor set up. Out of the cams you guys have mentioned which one will allow me to run on pump gas and still perform. Don't want to blow motor. I am going to get a dual plane low profile intake and a HP950 carb. Not sure which cam will work the best.

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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

[This message has been edited by Gutz66 (edited 02-15-2001).]

Gutz,I'd go with a 4:11 gear. and as for the cams.L-88 is probably right on cam selection.reason being is my 70 mill was only 11:2-1 CR so i could get away with more duration. a ZL-1 stick would be the best chioce. but if you have the LS-7 cam that came in the engine you could get away with that one.

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Don Edmonds
T.C.Member 1033
1969 Chevelle
2000 Harley softail deuce
www.bottlerats69.homestead.com

Bottlerat, Can you tell me what octane I would need to run if I install the LS7 cam back in? I was told by the original owner that I will have to run 110-112. As far as the intake goes I am going to have to find a low profile due to clearance. My ignition is a Vertec Mag. I am going to switch that to something on the lines of a Mallory setup. Car shows and swap meets start in April around here so I will be searching for the parts that I don't want to spend the bucks on new.

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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402

A VERTEC! Man our local ignition man Dale @ The Mag Shop would love that!

The other question I'd like to answer is this lobe separation angle deal. I cannot tell you why, but the man at Crane cams who seemed quite knowledgable ( Joe), said it would not affect ability to run more compression, ie. 114 v 108 in my case.

12:1 is radical. I dont think you can "cam down" that kind of compression. You'll end up setting timing back no matter what. On pump.

Don, yeah, this is one of those time the old long duration pieces might work best. But that L88 cam is nasty. DOnt do anything until 4300 and then BAM like someone hit the nitrous. Hard street cam. thats my recollection of 15+ yrs ago anyway.

This is how I found this 66SS. 454 LS7, dual tunnel ram w/660 center squirters,vertec mag,electric fuel pump,fuel line cooler can,radiator sprayer and all of the other 70's race stuff. Drove all the way to Texas to bring it home. Made it through Oklahoma just hours before the big Tornado hit. Scary ride but got the SS home safe. Hoping to get the beast setup to run the streets again. Not interested in Drag racing much. Will do some from time to time. Just to experience the thrill of the BB. By the way 427L88, you have a very nice ride!!!!!


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1966 SS Chevelle LS-7
1971 RS Camaro 402