Thread: s2x cam, need opinions and experience

A little background... earlier this summer I picked up a blown L67 with plans to do a top swap. i tore everything apart, learned a tremendous amount, and cleaned everything as best as an 18 year old budding mechanic with the most basic of tools could. so i have all my top end parts, some are at my mechanic's getting cleaned and all that fun stuff, i just need a tuned pcm and gaskets/fluids/bolts/a few days to do it, maybe $350 or so away from getting it done.

now, here's where i think i'm getting in over my head. my mechanic, who's rebuilt more sbc 350's than i've seen in my life, has agreed that porting the blower, intake, and what he calls a "pocket port" on the heads is a good idea, and has been cool enough to do it pro bono. i'm thinking add a set of headers, 104's and a 180t-stat and i'm at a 3.5" pulley with a good tune. solid plan, right?

well, today i found the opportunity to pick up an s2x cam cheap. like, really cheap. cheap enough that i could afford it if i wanted to put this project off until next spring, which is probably going to happen anyways. i know an s2x is kind of a radical cam, intense says you need stronger springs and ported heads to run it, but can keep the stock rockers and i believe the stock pushrods.

so, what does the community think of this setup? what are some expenses that i'm not realizing at the moment? how drastically would the heads need to be ported? what would this do to the dependability of my car? how quickly could this launch my transmission across the state? also, what about tuning it? i don't have any software or knowledge about tuners, but i'd love to learn how to do it. any and all feedback is much appreciated. Thanks in advance

You don't have enough lift on the heads for an S2 cam. Max lift is achieved with 1.6 rockers (stock) and an S1X/XP cam. Going further would cause a clank, bang, boom issue.

Also if you run a 3.5 on a top swap without a on the spot custom tune.. expect more banging and clanking soon after driving it.

Get the valve guides milled 0.100" then presto clearance.

You almost need a custom tune for a top swap anyways so I'm thinking you should sort that out as well.

without reading anything you said, here is what i have to say:

literally no one runs the IS2. you either run stock heads with an s1x or you get clearanced heads with a little porting/polishing and run an IS3. an IS2 is a completely retarded intermediate step that you should not take.

It's like Nick staying around the WBody community and liking JDM.

Don't do it.

Bill: there will be custom tuning done with whatever setup i go with, i probably should have specified that

matt: is that really all that needs done to make it work?

bio: you would not read that essay i posted lol. the only reason i'm thinking about a cam is that this one is too good of a price to pass up unless i'd need to put a bunch of money into getting it to work. and my heads/intake/blower are being ported before i do anything

blue: i love the analogy

thanks for the info guys. this isn't the first time you've saved me a headache. getting everything ported and milled will probably put me at the price of an s1x anyways

I had mine milled for $20

Ya but not everyone lives in the sticks and is everyones father's grandparent too.

I paid like $10 a guide...and I still got a crazy awesome deal on my heads...they were about $600 and it was less than a grand for everything I had done with the block too.

so having the valve guides milled .100", ported everything, and some 105# springs and I'd be able to do this right? ignoring what bio said about it being not cost effective, because i'm getting that taken care of... luckily i am one of those people that lives out in the sticks where somebody is everyone else's father's grandfather haha

if youre getting milled valve guides and ported heads get a bigger cam...

I'm trying to work out a deal with this guy for the cam and a rebuilt blower snout for somewhere along the lines of 200 and a stock crank and cam. so there's a little motivation there to make it work

Meh...I wouldn't get the S2X...but that's me. I'd get an XP or S1X to be honest if you don't really know what your getting at. But...if you get heads done...go big. Your best bet is a big cam like the Thrasher (but its not a big power maker it just sounds epic)...or...a custom grind cam from PRJ.

I'd go the TEP/IS4 or Custom Route. Only way to get really good power numbers out of big cam cars...

A xp/L36 car pulled very nice up top with ported heads

Yeah If you can get it that cheap I say go for it.