Alright, so you've replaced your exhaust and intake, and didn't see enough power gains. You want more for your 2001-2016 Duramax, so you install injectors, a bigger turbo and get a tune. Still not enough, or maybe the power band from the factory just isn't where you want it and you want more out a tune. Time to talk camshafts. While yes, the air available for your truck starts at the intake, but it still has to make it into the cylinder. Camshafts control the length of time that your valves stay open and how far they open, dictating how much air and fuel can make it into the combustion chamber. By swapping out the camshaft, you can (within reason) change that duration and lift to a timing that better suits a mid to higher rpm range, or lower depending on the configuration.
PPE (Pacific Performance Engineering) presents the Stage 1 performance cam for the 6.6L Duramax in standard and alternate firing order configurations. Featuring a moderate intake/exhaust duration, and a .470" lift, this is an ideal camshaft to match with near stock or moderately tuned engines. With power production focused below 4000 rpm, you can expect low-mid range power increases, without sacrificing low end torque. Also, no modifications are necessary to the heads of your pistons unlike some aftermarket cams.
For trucks producing larger power numbers, or for those aware of the crankshaft failure rate at higher power production numbers, PPE also offers an alternate firing pattern version of the Stage 1 cam. For those not familiar, as you produce high power, there are little vibrations that develop and lead to failures of the crankshaft. One remedy for this is an old hot-rodders trick, of changing the firing order. The result is a change in the location of those harmonic frequencies, similar to moving a subwoofer away from a wall. With the resonant frequencies relocated, the forces and science that's happening in all that metal are redistributed more evenly, promoting reliability and less change of failure.
NOTE:
- When converting to an alternate firing order camshaft, you need to re-pin your injectors to correspond with the changes.