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Got started on my Big Stick III install a couple weeks ago. This cam is comparable to Hamilton "tow" cam 178/208. Mine came out of my 96 which I Colt reground. Pulled it at 494,400 miles, but they said it was good to go and gives me the mechanical lobe if I decide to convert to mechanical lift pump. During the project I did a couple things on the side- installed a block stiffener from Cummins, modded the water pump, and threw in a different set of injectors. The block stiffener is one they use on their Tata engines in India (Tata Cummins are a bit of an amalgamation of Cummins parts, built out of 2nd Gen 24V blocks with early CR pistons and VE injection pumps). It is part number 3941556 and around $300 if you shop around. Clipping water pump vanes is a thing these days, because of the pressure they build in the cooling system at high RPM. I blew a heater core once redlining my truck racing someone from a light. Supposedly it reduces stress on the 53 block. But I decided to give it a try. I didn't clip nearly as much off as you see guys doing on YouTube. But I also took a piece of heavy PVC and fit it over the pulley to reduce RPM a little. By calculation, it increased from 3" to 3.5" diameter, pi says that is a 15% reduction in RPM. Don't know if it's worth the effort but figured it wouldn't hurt. When clipping the vanes I set up the water pump in a vise and mounted the grinder so I could ease it into the vanes while turning it by hand. That ensures even grinding. I went with Colt's tappets. They recommended them over refaced 24V tappets or brand X, since they have seen issues going with either route. When it came to replacing the tappets I took a different approach. . .jacked up the engine and pulled the oil pan. It was pretty fun popping out the dowels and hearing the tappets hit the floor, lol. Actually I let them land in a box to prevent damage. Sticking in the new ones was real easy. Overall, this approach was probably more involved, but this is a good alternative for those not interested in fiddling with hooks and strings. I had to loosen the bolts on the motor mounts and remove two trans mount bolts, and then disconnected the downpipe from the turbo. It took close to 4" to gain enough clearance to wrestle the pan in and out. Overall not too difficult. When removing the oil pickup tube you remove 4 bolts, 2 for the connection and two support bolts. I am ready to reinstall the cooling system, intercooler, and bumper. Hope to get it wrapped up by middle of next week. Here's some pics.

I need help with tuning my quadzilla 4K for my truck. Truck has 188/220 cam,103 springs,7x13 injectors, pushrods and studs and t4 manifold but I can’t figure out tunes for my setup it pops at higher rpms and sometimes even shuts the truck off. I have a brand new fass 165 set to 20psi and 15 at wot. Any help will be appreciated.

Please feel free to add or correct this list.Put the cam in the freezer over nite.First with the key out, turn windshield wiper on slow speed. Turn the key on so the wipers start moving, turn the key off when the wipers are full up. This will help you get the pushrods from 5 and 6 out without hitting the wiper arms. Remove the plastic cowl and the 2 rubber grimits.Disconnect batterys if you want (i dont)Remove the valve cover. 10mmI like to get small plastic bags with zip ties mark all the bags 1,2,3,4,5,6 ,start in front remove the rockers, 14mm nut on the pushrods.10mm on the rockers.Some like to remove the side cover to see the dowl rods into the tappetsTap the wood dowls into the tappets. Tie the intake and exhaust together for each cylinder. Some like rubberbands,i use zip ties. You will have to remove them later on one at a time if you replace the tappets and you should with a new cam.Unplug the wire harness under the bumper.remove the bumper.18mm The ac condenser will swing out of the way.Remove the tranny cooler.Drain and remove the radiator.Unhook the intercooler boots and remove the intercooler.Remove everything in front on the front cover.Take a pc of cardboard make a dot on the cardboard to represent the bolt pattern of the front cover,take a small screwdriver and punch holes in each one. The bolts are not all the same they need to go back on the same place you removed them.Be care ful with this step here. remove the cam retainer bolts 2 of them DONT drop them in the front cover.Make sure all the dowl rods are up because the tappets sit on the cam, and tied.Real slow and steady keeping the cam shaft centered best you can,pull it out.DONT bang it on the soft cam bearings.Remove the gear. Put it in a press to remove. Save the keyway You should get a new one with the cam, i could be wrong it has been a long time. Clean it off with soap and water. Put in the oven for 45 min on 300* (My wife loved that part)Grab the cam set the keyway in get the gear it should drop on of it only goes on a little use a press to finish the job DONT hit it with a hammer. Slide the cam tray in the cam hole lift up on one of the dowl rods. Use the hook in the kit to bring it out.After they are all out, drop a string down the tappet hole, use the hook to get it out put the cork in the new tappet.Put lube on the tappet and from the top pull the string until it is home,now turn the cam tray 180* so it holds the tappet in place then pull on the string out, put another dowl rod in the new tappet and tie down with zip tie.

I just put a hamilton cam in my 01. I can not say enough about it. It made my paint look fresher and the seats smell better. Girls smiled at me more. Oh yea, the truck runs soooo much smother now as well. The turbo is super loud through the exhaust. I don't think you would recognize the sound of the truck as a 24v now. It get almost instant spool, lower egts, better mileage, it revs to 3500 almost instantly. This will pay for itself in a month the way we drive the truck. I am definitely getting one one in my 05. That will be the first non trans mod I get in that truck.

I broke down and ordered a Cam. Its a Colt Cams Stage 1. Its their mildest grind, but since I dont have big power plans I am not worried about bigger grinds. It also is the same cam that PDR sells with their name, and it gets good reviews, espeically with stock turbo's and exhaust brakes. Should be good for 100-200* EGT drop, 200-400 rpm quicker spool, and 1-3 mpgs. Its getting installed on the 26th. I'll be sure to do a good review post once I get a few miles on it.