Camshafts & Valvetrain
Camshafts, Lifters & Valvetrain — The Character of Your Engine
If the rotating assembly is the engine's heart, the camshaft and valvetrain are its personality. Cam selection shapes the entire power curve — determining where the engine makes its torque, how high it pulls to the rev limiter, and how it feels and sounds under throttle. Get it right and the engine comes alive. Get it wrong and you'll spend thousands of dollars chasing problems that could have been solved before the first bearing went in.
Billy's Speed Shop stocks over 275 camshaft and valvetrain products from trusted names including Brian Tooley Racing — one of the most respected camshaft specialists in the LS performance world — alongside Chevrolet Performance factory-specification units and precision components from Johnson Lifters and Morel. Whether you're building a mild street engine, a high-revving naturally aspirated track day weapon, or a stout forced induction combination, we have the right camshaft for your application.
Camshafts — Choosing the Right Profile for Your Build
Camshaft selection begins with an honest assessment of how the vehicle will be used. A street-driven truck or resto-mod that spends most of its time in traffic and on motorway runs needs a very different camshaft to a dedicated drag car or circuit track car. The ideal street camshaft produces strong vacuum for power brakes and transmission operation, builds torque through the low and mid RPM range where street driving happens, and maintains idle quality that doesn't attract unwanted attention. As you move toward performance applications, duration and lift increase, the power band shifts higher in the RPM range, and the rough idle characteristic of a race camshaft becomes an acceptable trade-off for peak power.
Our camshaft range covers the LS and LT engine families extensively — the most popular platform for both factory-sourced builds and engine swap projects into classic American vehicles. We also stock camshafts for traditional Small Block and Big Block Chevrolet applications, supporting the builders who are working with period-correct iron or who simply prefer the classic configuration.
Lifters — Hydraulic, Solid, and Roller
The lifter sits between the camshaft lobe and the pushrod, translating camshaft rotation into valvetrain motion. Lifter selection is inseparable from camshaft choice — the camshaft profile is designed around a specific lifter type, and mixing incompatible combinations produces poor results at best and engine damage at worst.
Hydraulic roller lifters are the dominant choice for modern LS-based builds and most high-performance street applications. They maintain zero lash automatically, require minimal maintenance, and the rolling contact between lifter and camshaft dramatically reduces friction and wear compared to flat-tappet designs. Our range includes stock-replacement hydraulic roller lifters and upgraded performance units with improved oiling, tighter tolerances, and stronger materials for high-lift, aggressive-ramp camshaft applications.
Solid roller lifters represent the top of the performance hierarchy — used in dedicated race engines where maximum power and the ability to set precise valve lash are priorities. These require periodic maintenance but offer unmatched stability at high RPM and compatibility with the most aggressive camshaft profiles available.
Valve Springs, Locators, and Retainers
A camshaft is only as good as the valve spring package holding the valvetrain in contact with the lobe. Insufficient spring pressure causes float — the valve fails to follow the cam lobe at high RPM, killing power and potentially causing valve-to-piston contact. Too much pressure increases valvetrain load, accelerates wear, and robs power through increased friction. Our valve spring range includes rate-matched kits designed to pair with specific camshaft profiles, with options covering both naturally aspirated and forced induction applications where additional spring pressure is required to maintain control under boost conditions.
Cam Gears, Timing Sets, and Positioning Tools
Precise camshaft phasing is fundamental to extracting the performance a quality camshaft is capable of delivering. Adjustable cam gears allow fine-tuning of cam timing to optimise for your specific combination, engine condition, and intended use. Our range of degree wheels, timing tools, and cam lock plates gives the engine builder everything needed to install and verify camshaft timing with confidence.
