Thoughts on the old Thrasher cams?

Rent Free

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Found a pretty decent deal on a set of CNC heads and Thrasher cam pretty cheap on GPF.net.

Last I looked and compared the Thrasher cam is slightly bigger than the IS3 cam.

Thoughts? Anyone else used this cam?

Would replace the S1X cam that's in the Gen5 E85 setup....

Think I could make 350whp with that Thrasher cam and CNC heads pretty easy.

That's only asking to pick up 20 whp over the S1X cam but I'd like to try a different cam so........
 

10sec

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Jul 26, 2008
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Well, you're probably just doing it so you can have a meaner sounding cam, yes? Otherwise the S1X can make the same power as that shitty ass cam without all of the driving issues a high lift useless cam has. Especially if you're just using CNC heads. Save your money and just keep driving the setup you have now.
 

Handsome Jesus

A V6? What a ripoff...
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the heads could be worth it, thrasher crap probably isn't. Bigger means higher peak power, but usually less under the curve power because bottom end sucks.

With a roots supercharged car this isn't so noticeable when you really have your foot in it, but driving around town will be kinda crap.

I feel like the S1X is a good all around cam, wouldn't change it. The Thrasher will sound mean though.
 

Rent Free

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This is going in a Gen5 2.8 pulley setup on E85 not like Im running piss gas and a dinner plate pulley.

The S1X E85 car is a Daily. I can switch back to pump gas with the 2nd pcm.

Also I do have a turbo kit and the caged car sitting in the garage too.

The S1X E85 car will never see a turbo.

3800 Junk cheap fun and ive got a mountain of parts already.

Other thing is the 500 bucks for heads AND cam seems decent enough no? :dunno:

The car I have now may some day if I grow a pair get the zex kit put on it though......


SOOOOOO indecisive.
 

jdredd

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Jan 29, 2014
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if could run a 2.00" pully with an overdrive without making lava, then may start
getting close to utilizing it.

Save yourself a headache from running the wrong cam for wrong setup.

There is a reason no one really ran anything worth while on the cam. Not ment for the piddly output of the m90.
 

Rent Free

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its pretty compareable to the IS3 cam I didn't expect there to be this much against the Thrasher cam.

Surprised me.

So if not the Thrasher then IS3 the biggest to go on a E85 Gen5 2.8 setup?

Might as well just stick with the S1X along with better heads and maybe add the zex kit.
:dunno:

Edit you can check on the GPF.net FS section MikerGP iirc is the dude selling.

Says he went low 12s on the Thrasher cam and them CNC heads. Was intercooled and built trans but I believe it was on pump gas too.
 

jdredd

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I went 12.4's on a baby cam. Lot of duration, stock lift.

Heck PRJ went 12.34 on a stock cam.

TEP cam has always been in debate since I can remember the first one being
installed in early 2000's... they sounded great, but no one could get anything worth
a crud out of em.

Its a cam built for a Whipple/Blowzilla and big boost numbers... M90 just
does not cut it.
 

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I feel like you're just not getting the point... If you want the stupid sound and probably just about the same gains (which is nothing, IF you can even tune it...?) get an NIC cam. It is very difficult to tune those cams, which is probably why they're all so slow. You have the best cam on the market already installed in your car, why change it? :dunno:

I've seen bolt-on turbo cars run faster than most heavy build blower cars, which, if I'm honest, still wonder why anyone wants to build a blower car and actually spend money doing it. You can toss a turbo kit on a stock ass car and make more power than a gen v, cam, intercooled, etc, car all day.
 

Rent Free

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Its not that I don't get it...... :rofl:

I'll stick with the S1X surprised the backlash on the Thrasher and appreciate the info from the long time 3800 guys.

I do have a turbo kit laying in the basement I just have ZERO intent on putting it on this car. I'll put the turbo kit on the stupid light caged car.

I guess I could go full retard and take the cage out of the other shell and put it in the nicer bronzemist body (under 100K miles on it!) Swipe the coilovers off the caged shell and turbo that one..........

Ive got quite a few options just figured maybe I'd try a different cam since Ill be pulling the S1X engine when I get home since I don't know why it pushes the rear valve cover gasket out by the EGR delete. Rear bank corner closest to the master cylinder.

Maybe after compression test, new gaskets for the valve covers, and toss 2 valve cover breathers on it maybe it'll be fine? :dunno:

I just ran out of time to investigate any further before I left for Afghanistan.

Im not really after the sound, or trying to turbo the daily car. Could if I wanted I guess have the kit and ST5 cam if I decided to use that too.

On the plus side I wouldn't have to mess with either of the tunes (pump gas and E85 pcm's) by sticking with the S1X cam although I do have HPTuners so that's not a concern either.
 

10sec

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Man, driving around a turbo car is SOOOO much more fun than driving around an m90 car. I would totally toss that turbo kit on your car with the S1X (which is an awesome turbo cam, hella torx) and build a bigger better turbo kit for the caged up car. I had 2 turbo'd grand prixxxxx's at one time, one with a big build, one with just a turbo kit on it (everything else was stock, including the exhaust) and I have to admit, driving the turbo'd one daily for just about ~1.5yrs was so much more fun than the built up one. Ran it on 93 and E85, tuning is a breeze with a stock cam.

Just putting that out there, you won't regret it one bit. You'll be all... :fy:
 

PANDA

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I went 12.4's on a baby cam. Lot of duration, stock lift.

Heck PRJ went 12.34 on a stock cam.

TEP cam has always been in debate since I can remember the first one being
installed in early 2000's... they sounded great, but no one could get anything worth
a crud out of em.

Its a cam built for a Whipple/Blowzilla and big boost numbers... M90 just
does not cut it.

people went faster than that on a stock cam. :io:

My opinion... I don't think any car did anything worth a shit with a thrasher cam.
 

jdredd

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people went faster than that on a stock cam. :io:

My opinion... I don't think any car did anything worth a shit with a thrasher cam.

Yah.. It was fun to watch PRJ run a 12.34 on stock cam, stock blower,
stock heads, stock rockers, stock TB ....

Just trans build, intercooler, headers, pulley, e85, and tons of tuning.

He probably had a little bit more left in maybe... 1.72 60 foot, and
that was with old ass drag radials at our local hill billy track on a
test and tune night where they don't prep for shit.
 

Rent Free

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Man, driving around a turbo car is SOOOO much more fun than driving around an m90 car. I would totally toss that turbo kit on your car with the S1X (which is an awesome turbo cam, hella torx) and build a bigger better turbo kit for the caged up car. I had 2 turbo'd grand prixxxxx's at one time, one with a big build, one with just a turbo kit on it (everything else was stock, including the exhaust) and I have to admit, driving the turbo'd one daily for just about ~1.5yrs was so much more fun than the built up one. Ran it on 93 and E85, tuning is a breeze with a stock cam.

Just putting that out there, you won't regret it one bit. You'll be all... :fy:

Sooooooo basically your saying stop being a wuss? LOL thanks quite possibly the most encouraging comment ever directed at me from this site. :bowdown:
[MENTION=517]10sec[/MENTION]. Basically saying quite hoarding parts and use the shit? That is such a foreign idea to me..... This boarder lines on crazy talk here. :rofl:

Thanks people this is a useful thread.
 

Mattstrike

Random Crazy Custom Car guy
Feb 13, 2014
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ST5 cam needs 130 or 140# springs, and you have to watch out for the 'race only' springs, so you have to run a double roller, the modified retainers, etc.

Otherwise, mine idles at 900rpm fine, kinda, smooths out around 1200. And it sounds really good. I'm seeing about 12" vac at idle, enough to run the HVAC and brakes, so good enough for me.

ST5 is a big cam, you need good headers, head work, big injectors, to make the most out of it.
 
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