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Thread: 4.8 with LS6 cam....thoughts?

  1. #1
    Tuner in Training
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    Oct 2016
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    4.8 with LS6 cam....thoughts?

    Good morning all.

    So I have decided on a 4.8/4L60E combo for my Mustang project. Bear with me as I'm an old Ford guy and new to the LS world. In fact, I don't even own HPTuners yet, just DL'd the demo version and have been poring through tunes I find here to try and learn what I am up against. My plans are simple....

    4.8 DBC (pre-2005 I would imagine)
    LS6 cam
    rebuilt stock bottom end
    LS1 or LS6 intake
    Multec truck injectors
    3.27 open Ford rear (for now)

    Wondering if anyone would be kind enough to attach a stock 4.8 tune that I could look at to get a baseline, and if anyone has done a simple LS6 cam swap and needed a tune, if I could check it out to see what areas needed adjustment. Or is the LS6 cam mild enough that I may not need one? What say y'all?

    Thanks in advance,

    Matt

  2. #2
    Tuning Addict 5FDP's Avatar
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    You'll need to run a 01-02 computer to use a drive by cable setup with no real possible hiccups. Everything from 03-06 in the GEN 3 trucks came with drive by wire. The 01-02 computer come with the better operating systems for tuning, no silly secondary VE tables to deal with. You can get any 4.8 from those 00-06 years but I'd find a stock intake/cable TB and a 01-02 DBC computer to control it.

    LS6 cam is very mild and to me will be very boring, no idle chop and a very mild power increase. If the cam was free I'd maybe use it but going to a 212/218 with a 112-114 LSA camshaft will gain more power. Go with a LS6 intake, the LS1 flows worse but if it's all you can get it should be okay as you aren't trying to make gobs of power.

    Try and find some vortec 8.1 stock injectors or maybe even some flex fuel injectors to give you a little extra head room over the stock 25lb/hr injectors those 4.8's run stock.

    You don't really need a base tune to go off of because every vehicle is different, not everything is the same tuning wise for every motor. The VE table and MAF curve will need adjustsments, fueling and timing too. If you are removing sensors and emissions stuff those can all be truned off/deleted.

    Find the tune repository on your customer page to get yourself a stock tune file to browse at.
    2016 Silverado CCSB 5.3/6L80e, not as slow but still heavy.

    If you don't post your tune and logs when you have questions you aren't helping yourself.

  3. #3
    Tuner in Training
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
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    40
    Thank you sir! I'll certainly look into your cam and injector suggestions. This is going to be my daily driver so I'm not shooting for the moon....just something that is a bit more fun than the 3.8 that lives in it now lol. Unfortunately I don't own HPTuners yet so I have no login.....I'm just getting started so it may be a while before I get to the point where I purchase it.

  4. #4
    Advanced Tuner
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    764
    Quote Originally Posted by 5FDP View Post
    You'll need to run a 01-02 computer to use a drive by cable setup with no real possible hiccups. Everything from 03-06 in the GEN 3 trucks came with drive by wire. The 01-02 computer come with the better operating systems for tuning, no silly secondary VE tables to deal with. You can get any 4.8 from those 00-06 years but I'd find a stock intake/cable TB and a 01-02 DBC computer to control it.

    LS6 cam is very mild and to me will be very boring, no idle chop and a very mild power increase. If the cam was free I'd maybe use it but going to a 212/218 with a 112-114 LSA camshaft will gain more power. Go with a LS6 intake, the LS1 flows worse but if it's all you can get it should be okay as you aren't trying to make gobs of power.

    Try and find some vortec 8.1 stock injectors or maybe even some flex fuel injectors to give you a little extra head room over the stock 25lb/hr injectors those 4.8's run stock.

    You don't really need a base tune to go off of because every vehicle is different, not everything is the same tuning wise for every motor. The VE table and MAF curve will need adjustsments, fueling and timing too. If you are removing sensors and emissions stuff those can all be truned off/deleted.

    Find the tune repository on your customer page to get yourself a stock tune file to browse at.
    Most if not all Express/Savanna vans from 2003-2006ish had DBC setups and the newer style PCM.

  5. #5
    Senior Tuner
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    It is a pretty poorly suited cam to a low comp 4.8 with a late valve closing. If it had enough comp in it for the IVC Id say it would turn aaround 7500 rpm but it doesnt and the intake manifold doesnt want to go there anyway. Get a correct cam
    Factory Stock 97 SS M6 13.51 @ 104.3 mph
    Stock Longblock LS1 w/ 233/238 P.S.I. Cam
    10.81 @ 126.9 Full interior, six speed on 275 radials, a decade ago

    '99 TA trunk mounted 76mm 6 Liter
    9.0s in '09 @ 153 MPH

    Turbo 5.3 Volvo 740 Wagon
    32psi and still winding out 5th on the highway somewhere