Adjustable Cam Gears?

[FlatBlackTerror]

Yeah i know, but i wanted to know what are some basics retard/advance on the exhaust/intake, otherwise what are some basic settings that i can get started with and what would be a good point to start with.
I just need a some rough estimate on where to get started...
Advance exhaust does...
Advance intake does...
Retard exhaust does...
Retard intake does...

Its different for every motor. Depends on if your head or block deck is shaved, what kind of cams you have and all that good stuff.


Brian

 

[chicagoavenger]

Dyno is the only way unless you find someone with your exact set up that has been to the dyno.

 

[architechnik]

So from this discussion, it seems the adjustable cam gears are worthless without a dyno. Good to know that! They never really tell you any of that when they're trying to sell you those damn things.

 

[daren_p]

This will get you started:

http://my.prostreetonline.com/t117.htm

 

[xxraptor660xx]

What setting do most people use, and why don't alot of DSM's advance intake only?

 

[1LE]

Mine ended up both set at 0.

 

[dsm-onster]

What setting do most people use, and why don't alot of DSM's advance intake only?

Answers to these questions are not relavent to increasing performance. . .

It's just not as popular. Most don't muck w/ 264s. They muck w/ stock cams to get the most out of them. Or they muck w/ 272s which usually yield better spool w/out loosing much top end. . .

 

[dsm-onster]

So from this discussion, it seems the adjustable cam gears are worthless without a dyno. Good to know that! They never really tell you any of that when they're trying to sell you those damn things.

On the contrary, Anyone w/ fp2x cams that retards the exhaust cam about 3 degrees will ALWAYS yield an increase in spool speed and basically have a set of fp3s. As the only difference between fp2x and fp3 is the overlap (exhaust cam timing).

I saw great results retarding my exhaust cam on my fp2X cams regardless of turbo: 60-1, 18g, or small 16g.

 

[Thor06]

I was curious if adjustable cam gears are really worth the money. I have FP2's waiting to go in this summer and as I understand the centerlines are good enough where they wont need to be degreed. The block and head havent been overly molested either, the head has been planed once but I dont think the block has been touched so I shouldnt need to account for that. Also, I dont give a rats ass what my gears look like, so that leaves one thing... potential performance advantage. I did read the cam basics tech article so I know how advancement/retardation can result in shifted power curves and potentially more power, but how much more power could it be? If we're just talking a couple extra hp here, then I really dont care but if its going to make a significant impact on my hp/tq numbers then I would really consider getting some. Thoughts? Thanks all.

 

[90laserRSfwd]

There are a lot of different variables. You can make 2 more HP with the gears or you can make 22 more, depends a lot on how much time your willing to spend working *tuning* the car...

 

[Thor06]

Ok. I should also say its going on a car with a big 16g (will upgrade to 18g if/when the 16g goes), FP2's, and various other support mods on, coming, or being saved for.

I guess the way I see it is this: the car will not be a high horespower car, nor will it be a track car. I will primarily drive this for fun on nights and weekends. I, like most DSMer's, am on a budget. I dont have a fixed value, but if I can get away with a made, used, or cheaper product and still be ok I will. Tuning will be with the good ol' butt dyno on the streets via DSMlink this summer. $175+ and dyno time at what like $100 per hour required to get a decent amount of power is not a good use of money.

If it were pretty easy to get an additional 20-25 hp I'd probably do it, but I'd be pretty pissed to spend an hour diddling with my $175 gears on the dyno and only getting an extra few-15hp. Any other comments welcomed, but I think that pretty much answered my question.

 

[snowborder714]

I would just stick with stock cam gears. I haven't read anything about adjustable ones being easy to dial in, especially for the average DSMer. Most people recommend zeroing them out until they can get a tuning session in with someone who knows how to adjust them. If you're just using the butt dyno, you probably won't be able to adjust them to their full potential. And if it's for a night/weekend fun car, your money is better spent elsewhere.

 

[Drift_SM]

What if you have an FP1 intake and an FP2 exhaust...would you recomend retarding the exhaust gear 2.5 degrees?

 

[dsm-onster]

Only experimenting can tell for sure. I've had no experience with the fp1/fp2 combo, but they do have the same overlap. Retarding the exhaust cam will help spool speed and when you go to a stroker, this timing will likely be better for the piston velocity.

 

[redline7]

ok i have a 6 bolt 4g63 and I just put the head back on the block. Now I have adjustable cam gears and they have 4 lines on each gear. one line has a circle on it with the marks for cam adjustment. I lined the cams up with the dowels pointing up but it doesnt look right because you can see that the exhaust and intake valves on cylinder 1 and 2 are opening at almost the same time. I crank the car up for a compression test and I got 50 psi out of 1 an 2 but 150 psi out of 3 and 4. hmm i was wondering if the last owner could of put the wrong cams in? like a intake cam in a exhaust position or something like that.

also if someone could look at some stock cams and tell me what position clockwise is the cam lobes pointing when the dowels are point up and the marks are lined up on the cam gears.

 

[Bohrn]

I have done some reading and frankly, I am more confused now than before. Some say one thing, some say another etc.

I figure if you can get the intake valve open a bit sooner, you can stuff more air in, but then its also going to close sooner too. Duration is the same, but in relation to the piston movement, you may gain.

With the exhaust side, these cars need all the help they can get when you start making some power. But if you open that too soon, you end up closing it when its still got some left in the chamber as piston speed at bdc is quite slow.

From practical experience, I find that the car idles nice with bigger cams when the exhaust cam is advanced 4 deg. I read that it makes more top end power this way too. Guys with large turbos like to retard the exhaust cam to promote spoolup, but I found that it just runs crappy like that, and spools the same.

Now of course, retarding the exhaust and advancing the cam seems ideal because it will open the intake valve sooner, and stuff more in, and if you open the exhaust valve later, you should be able to extract the last of the energy from the charge.

But if you open the exhaust a bit sooner too, you might get more of the intake charge pushing out the exhaust charge due to overlap. N/A cars like longer overlap, not sure if it applies here.


Discuss? Please?

 

[Red97Avenger]

Hey everyone . I recently purchased a set of adjustable cam gears . Just wondering if anyone has made any power gains by advancing/retarding the gears, and to what degree of timing was used . I dont expect much gain of power, just looking for a lil more top end . TO ANYONE WHO CAN HELP I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND TIME !

CURRENTLY USING STOCK CAMSHAFTS . upgrading to crower stage 2 shortly ...

Engine Mods are : I/H/E , Howell AFX race ecu , bored .020 , p&p head , egr delete , 60mm throttle body , light weight crank pulley