Livernoise Camshaft Kit - feedback

MTF said:

Are you sure about that, don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying MMR didn't or doesn't make the cams.
And I understand MMR was involved with the Raptor R
And they make cams for the Mustangs in three stages,
Stage 1 is for stock engine, 2 & 3 are for pistons and/or heads modified engines.

I was told a different story from a few different places, never talked to MMR.
And you know how that goes, get it straight from the horses month. LOL

I called SVT before it was renamed to Ford Racing and was going to buy the racing cams for the Raptor.

They told me I can buy the cams but they won't fit on the production H.O. 6.2L
They said the Raptor R had special one off heads made to make the Raptor R produce 500+ HP at the crank naturally aspirated.
They also commented that is was quite a bit more than 500 HP at the crank.

Back in Dec. 2010 a month after receiving my truck.
I was very disappointed with the power and was seriously considering getting rid of it.

Then I read about Livernois making/or having cams, I called them up and picked their brain,
and they confirmed to me the Raptor R had special cams and heads.
I did find out through them that Supercharger kits are being made.
I did now about the Procharger but learned Henessey screwed all that up.
I then called Whipple and Roush
Wound up going with Whipple, pre ordered 5/2011 ​

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So, I just spoke to MMR and they did not make the cams.
They helped develop and test them, but that is it.
I guess the mystery will continue..lol

In the 11 years researching the SVT Raptors, It is still hard to find specific info on certain things especially the Raptor R
All I was able to read about is the engine was modified, to what extent is a mystery.
They had problems with the driveshaft and rear springs.

I have been thinking about sending my truck to Livernois and getting cams, valve train package, and new heads. Couple those with headers and an exhaust, you would be looking at 540-550 hp on a NA V8. That’s about as close as you can get to the Raptor R project.


@Marcus85 Have you driven your truck yet? I know you did the SC too, but I am curious your thoughts on what you think about your engine.

SVTFordRaptor said:

I have been thinking about sending my truck to Livernois and getting cams, valve train package, and new heads. Couple those with headers and an exhaust, you would be looking at 540-550 hp on a NA V8. That’s about as close as you can get to the Raptor R project.

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This is my long term plan. Once my warranty is out and I have another beater to drive to work. Unless I'm mistaken I like you believe this combined with their billet oil pump will bullet proof an already reliable system. Also for my purposes 400 RWHP is all I will ever need, and I really like the NA setup.

Well from a owner of the cams and heads and feed back from a owner that did the full 6.6 stroker with heads. Our experience has been less than stellar. Keep that in mind when purchasing the heads and or motor that you may end up with a can of worms. Also you will not get 500 RWHP even with the 6.6 stroker. Crank power yes, wheel nope.

m3dragon said:

Well from a owner of the cams and heads and feed back from a owner that did the full 6.6 stroker with heads. Our experience has been less than stellar. Keep that in mind when purchasing the heads and or motor that you may end up with a can of worms. Also you will not get 500 RWHP even with the 6.6 stroker. Crank power yes, wheel nope.

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Thanks, that is the exact reason I frequent this forum. I'll definitely research more heavily before spending that kind of money. If I can get similar results with a 93-octane 5* tune then that is certainly the more economical option.

m3dragon said:

Well from a owner of the cams and heads and feed back from a owner that did the full 6.6 stroker with heads. Our experience has been less than stellar. Keep that in mind when purchasing the heads and or motor that you may end up with a can of worms. Also you will not get 500 RWHP even with the 6.6 stroker. Crank power yes, wheel nope.

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I am not trying to minimize your frustration because I would be frustrated too. But this is what happens when you don't allow Livernois to do the install. Yes, it could still happen even if you took your vehicle to Livernois, but the difference would be that Livernois would fix the issue no questions asked because your vehicle was in their possession and the malfunction would fall under their warranty because such things do happen on occasion. Again, I am not trying to disregard your sentiments because I would feel the same way. A shop that installed my Rogue suspension damaged 3 of my KING shocks and did not say anything about it to me as I picked up the vehicle. I found out as I got underneath the vehicle myself and was inspecting everything—mind you, this was after I flew four hours to the shop to pick up my vehicle and then drove home 4 hours. I was beyond pissed and it definitely dampened how I felt about my suspension and truck for quite awhile. With that said, I have yet to hear any other negative feedback from someone that has used Livernois for their Raptor. And for the record, I am not using the analogy of my shocks getting damaged to imply that whoever installed your Livernois parts was at fault. Rather, it is an example of how frustrating aftermarket parts can be because there are an array of things that can happen when installing new parts on your vehicle: install errors and/or manufacturer defects.

I assume the 6.6 stroker owner you are talking about is @nick0331. It is funny that you posted this because him and I spent 30 mins on the phone tonight talking about his Livernois build—for the record, we talked before you posted this. Sure, he was pissed having an issue with the phaser and limiter. But the way he explained it to me, was that the phaser issue was due to Ford because it came from Ford that way. Maybe I misunderstood him, or maybe Livernois just said that as a cover. I don't know. Either way, Livernois stepped up and overnighted the parts and paid for labor—something they should've did for you! Nick didn't sound disappointed as we talked about his build nor did he discourage me in doing business with Livernois. Lol he did say what I noted above: take your truck to Livernois and let me them install everything.

Dr_Chooch said:

This is my long term plan. Once my warranty is out and I have another beater to drive to work. Unless I'm mistaken I like you believe this combined with their billet oil pump will bullet proof an already reliable system. Also for my purposes 400 RWHP is all I will ever need, and I really like the NA setup.

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I wouldn't be so quick to write off Livernois. Again, no one (or company) is immune from mistakes (mechanical or not). The Livernois build seems to sure up the weak points on the 6.2l V8: the valve train and the oil pump gears. With proper service intervals, the engine ought to last a very long time. And given how the Gen 2 motor has the potential to be a ticking time bomb and car manufacturers are investing heavily into electric technology, having a near bullet proof V8 engine is the way to go as it ought to age very well. I am actually surprised more guys haven't sent their Gen 1 Raptors to Livernois because it would be cheaper to do that than trade into a Gen 2 in some cases.

SVTFordRaptor said:

I wouldn't be so quick to write off Livernois. Again, no one (or company) is immune from mistakes (mechanical or not). The Livernois build seems to sure up the weak points on the 6.2l V8: the valve train and the oil pump gears. With proper service intervals, the engine ought to last a very long time. And given how the Gen 2 motor is a ticking time bomb and car manufacturers are investing heavily into electric technology, having a near bullet proof V8 engine is the way to go as it ought to age very well. I am actually surprised more guys haven't sent their Gen 1 Raptors to Livernois because it would be cheaper to do that than trade into a Gen 2 in some cases.

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That's the exact mindset I have when it comes to my Gen 1. I really think it may be the last truck I ever own. I have no less than $25k in mods planned over the next few years. Like you said though what vehicle could I possibly buy for even that money that would match what my truck will be after these planned mods. Also it will be uniquely mine.

I am not writing Livernois off, like I said I have quite a while before I make any serious power train mods. I fully intend on shipping my truck 1500 miles to let them do the full install and dyno tune if I do choose them. I have seen some really great builds come from Livernois! Thanks for the input I will likely reach out when it comes time to pull the trigger.

This thread is awesome. To my mind, a NA V8 is the best possible solution for combined power and long term reliability. Ford finished 3rd with the R first time they ran it. With the teething problems they were having and a wreck in the course, I’m lot sure what more could be asked for.

Taking a similar setup and applying it to an on-road vehicle (street legal), would be awesome.

I had a good chat with Dan and Dave at Livernois. I would not hesitate to add the cams etc if I was NA. I was on the fence about selling my truck and getting a stock Gen 1, but decided to keep my Roush and do the rest of the mods I wanted. The truck just works too good with a blower.