ok so im having the 3.8 SII rebuilt in the camaro in a week or 2. im trying to figure out what grind i should use on the cam. i dont know much about them but i want the power around 3-4krpm i was thinking a .50 110/112 but im not sure if that is possible with this engine. i have been looking online and talking to people i know but it seems nobody has any experience with the 3.8 and this has to be the place to get advice. Also i have been looking into headers but am not sure what type of headers to get or what i should expect from them ive been told up to 30 hp. not really sure on that figure tho it seems really high to me. another question ive been trying to find is what is the stock compression ive found 3 differnt figures 8, 8.5 and 9 : 1 if i am running it NA how far can i take it reasonably and what should I do to get it there.im not lokin to boost or supercharge it. ive been told when u do u want lower compression so im assuming runnin na u want higher. The engine is getting redone from the oil pan up so now is when i want to knock it al out. thanks again for your help guys and gals

96 camaro RS convertible
148k miles
bout ready to get a new heart

 

There are a couple of threads here that will answer just the questions you are looking for.

Darling Reject's build that is very similar to your project

https://camaroforums.com/forum/93-02-projects-109/sofies-official-engine-rebuild-thread-51944/

Music Man's Extreme build

https://camaroforums.com/forum/showt...light=Musicman


Here is a thread I put together to assist people with finding a new engine. There is a link in the beginning that goes to an engine builder site that can tell you alot about the 3800 engine.

https://camaroforums.com/forum/93-02-v6-tech-14/3800-series-ii-iii-engine-replacement-info-57568/

I hope this helps you get the information you need to build a great new engine.

Massey