I have a 97 4.2 v6 with a MAC intake system and a Flowmaster catback exhaust system. I am planning on adding a high lift cam, JBA shorty headers and a Superchips Custom Tune. I am wondering if anyone knows or has a ballpark estimate of the horsepower numbers I could expect with this setup.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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That is really going to depend on the cam - there's just no way of guessing what power it's going to make without being familiar with that particular camshaft, so I'd talk to the cam manufacturer first about that - talk to them *directly*.

Your current mods have added 10-15 HP (rear wheel) at most with the intake & exhaust you're using to that 205 Hp V6, so you're maybe as much as 225 HP at the flywheel right now - and that is *assuming* that everything is new on the vehicle - new ignition, new fuel filter, the motor is lower miles & healthy and doesn't have an original timing chain with 80K miles on it, etc., etc. Then if *we* do the custom tuning, with the stock cam it's going to gain anywhere from 16-23 HP or so depending on fuel quality. Then it's a matter of whatever the cam does, and what tuning changes it requires (if any) that will determine your final power output including the new camshaft (and valve springs).

So it really gets down to the health of that motor & how fresh everything is, and the camshaft itself.

One other thing - make sure you install larger fuel injectors, you're going to need them immediately. The stock 19# units only support about 245-255 Hp (flywheel) at most on the 4.2 V6, and with a good cam & custom tune you are going to easily exceed that. The stock MAF meter will handle those power numbers no problem, so I'd keep the stock MAF meter for right now, but your stock fuel pump and fuel injectors will *not* support those power numbers - so count on a set of 24# injectors and a 190 l/hr in-tank fuel pump being needed to keep it safe and allow it to make the power it will be capable of with a nice cam & good tune.

Call us for any details on this, & good luck with your project!

 

Thanks for the reply and information. The new cam will be a 210/218 duration. I'm at 57000 miles and I was wondering with that amount of power I will be running I also want to upgrade the ignition system, so will your complete ignition system work with this setup or will I need to order the Iridium IT 20 and new wires separetly.

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