need help choosing cams and head gasket

[91-gsx]

hey guys, well i narrowed down the reason for why smoke comes out of my exhaust, and im pretty sure it is the head gasket. anyway, i am about to buy a set of comp 101200 cams, are they good, and reliable? i heard they made more power then the hks 272's on the top end, is this true? i am about to buy a set and want to make sure i am not making a mistake. i also need help choosing a headgasket that will take abuse and hold high boost, and ofcourse i am buying arp head studs. another thing about the comp cams, are they hard to make idle, or should an idle of 900rpm be enough for a smooth idle?
thanks for the help guys

 

[BaddAssGst]

hey guys, well i narrowed down the reason for why smoke comes out of my exhaust, and im pretty sure it is the head gasket. anyway, i am about to buy a set of comp 101200 cams, are they good, and reliable? i heard they made more power then the hks 272's on the top end, is this true? i am about to buy a set and want to make sure i am not making a mistake. i also need help choosing a headgasket that will take abuse and hold high boost, and ofcourse i am buying arp head studs. another thing about the comp cams, are they hard to make idle, or should an idle of 900rpm be enough for a smooth idle?
thanks for the help guys

I run a set of Comp 200 cams and they are awesome. They pull like crazy to 7800 (my rev limit) and I'm sure they have more in them. Mine idle absolutely perfect and have maybe a tiny lope under 900rpm. I had my ECU chipped to idle at 950 and I don't have it lope anymore. The cams were dropped straight in, no degreeing or shimming. Probably the best 400 bucks I've ever spent.

 

[91-gsx]

I run a set of Comp 200 cams and they are awesome. They pull like crazy to 7800 (my rev limit) and I'm sure they have more in them. Mine idle absolutely perfect and have maybe a tiny lope under 900rpm. I had my ECU chipped to idle at 950 and I don't have it lope anymore. The cams were dropped straight in, no degreeing or shimming. Probably the best 400 bucks I've ever spent.

sounds great man, just bought them. lets see how the 14b likes all the new mods i have done.
later

 

[larsrya8]

sounds great man, just bought them. lets see how the 14b likes all the new mods i have done.
later

My cam research hasn't brought up anything good regarding passing smog with big cams. The "largest" combo I've heard passing without too much effort is the 264/272 combo. As long as you don't mind putting the stock ones back in before heading to emissions it shouldn't be that big of a problem though. You could also put the stock exhaust back on, as the stock catalytic converter does a way better job of cleaning that stuff up than a high flow cat does. You can also try running lean, putting all sorts of stuff in your gas tank, changing plug gap, and everything else people have claimed to help them pass emissions.

Of course in California they have the portable smog machines... hmmm...

Or maybe it was all misinformation. Who knows? Good luck.

 

[BaddAssGst]

sounds great man, just bought them. lets see how the 14b likes all the new mods i have done.
later

You should see a difference with a 14b but as soon as you upgrade to something that pulls hard throughout the powerband, you will notice an even bigger difference.

 

[91-gsx]

well guys i might get a better deal on a set of hks 272 intake and 272 exhaust. but it depends on their condition. by the way, if i were to buy a set of used cams, how many miles should they have on them at most? i only ask because cams grind down after a while so i dont want to buy a used set of cams that are not performing to their full potential. the secong question i had was which headgasket should i buy for really high boost, i mean i dont want this headgasket to blow easily at all. they have some nice head gaskets on this website, do you recommend any of them? http://www.ongreenperformance.com/Products/Performance/1G/Engine 1GP.htm
thanks for the help

 

[T9S1i]

I bought the "dks" cams from ffwdconnection and im pleased with them. I got the dks1 set and they are supposed to mirror the hks 264/272. I noticed a pretty good hp increase from 4000-up and the car feels like it will just keep pulling. The cams are regrinds, so they look smaller than stock cams, but the lift to base circle ratio is the same as the hks so your lifters make up the difference. I get a little lope with a low rpm (750) but when i turn it up to 900-1000 the exhaust sounds awesome. Its slightly more of a blub blub blub and choppier than before, but i think it sounds great. Most people wouldnt know its cammed. I went to the track before i installed the cams, and ran a 14.0. I then installed the cams, and turned the boost up from 15 to 20 psi and with a bad boost leak the car would only hold 15lbs after the spike to 20. With just the cams and extra boost alone i ran a 13.5. I also replaced some clutch hydraulic parts so i could launch and shift a little better. That and the higher boost all helped, but in all i think the cams alone would have dropped .3 off of my 1/4.

About the HG, if it were me id just buy the mitsu mls gasket. Next time i have to pull my head thats what im throwing on there. If you feel like going crazy or dropping a little extra money, ffwdconnection.com has this new o-ring head gasket that has a crazy compression o-ring in the gasket. I havent really looked too deep into it but im sure you can check out the site or give darren a call and he can better explain it for ya!

Hope this helps, sorry for the long response.

 

[sweet97]

Danny for your motor the cams from www.ffwdconnection.com would be just fine. Comp 200's didn't work well for me. Had HKS 272's also and they were decent. Now I have what I consider to be the best. Crower stage 4's. A step above the HKS 272's. I use the mitsu MLSS gasket. The headgsaket that ffwdconnection will be carrying will not be ready for 4-6 weeks. Mark

 

[chicagoavenger]

Danny for your motor the cams from www.ffwdconnection.com would be just fine. Comp 200's didn't work well for me. Had HKS 272's also and they were decent. Now I have what I consider to be the best. Crower stage 4's. A step above the HKS 272's. I use the mitsu MLSS gasket. The headgsaket that ffwdconnection will be carrying will not be ready for 4-6 weeks. Mark

All I hear is FFWD laterly for 350 I think I may try a set. I'm thinking there 272/272 combo. Just in case I ever upgrade to a big boy turbo.

 

[Boosted98gsx]

FP2's and a cometic HP headgasket.

 

[jott5555]

fp2's and cometic hg... and some arp studs and itll be a nice combo..

 

[Dark_Horse]

I'll take it one step further. Fp2x cams (you won't lose much, if any, low end), Cometic HG, ARP studs & Supertech dual valve springs FTW.

 

[staticbrainwash]

Don't you need to o-ring the head and block to use an o-ringed HG? Thats the impression i was under.

For cams I personally am going to go with comp, but i get an at cost deal on them through a friend. And i just need a little more cam for the street anyway, nothing crazy.

I hear awesome things about the FP cams. FP 2X if you have upgraded springs and retainers. But fp2's or 3's would probably do well.

Go for the Mitsu mls HG or the cometic. And ARP's if you need them with a MLS HG, i don't remember.

 

[jott5555]

i persoanlly use the comp stage III's 280 duration w/ duel springs and titanium retainers

 

[91-gsx]

the mitsubishi 4-layer head gasket looks good right now. they say that they are yet to blow one on 35psi, are they truely that strong. if they are that strong then i might as well get that one. by the way, i know when a headgasket is thick, it drops the compression a little. does the mitsu 4-layer drop the compression much?
thanks for the help guys, i really appreciate it.

edit: the other headgasket that is o-ringed seems to be really nice, holds 43psi right out of the box. it costs about $50 more then the mitsu 4-layer and the cometic gaskets. do you think i should go with this headgasket or will the mitsu work well, im not planning on pushing either 35psi or 43psi anytime soon, but it would be nice if i had a head gasket that could take a really good beating without going.
later

 

[djmixerx]

just go with the mitsu one. plus i know a place around here you can get it kinda cheap. no shipping just CA tax. if your interested pm. hopefully he'll hook you up.

 

[T9S1i]

yeah if you check out ffwdconnection, go to the head gasket page, the gasket im referring to is the second one from the top. Its called a SCE Titan ICS head gasket (ICS meaning internal combustion seal). I thought it was pretty neat. I came across it when i was browising the website. 91-GSX you saw it, thats the same one im talking about. FOr me however, i think the mls gasket on that page is all i will ever need. I dont think my motor will ever see 35+psi.... maybe like 25 when i get my pte 5031e.

Anyways, good luck with the cam and gasket choice. If you want the ffwdconnection cams, check out extremepsi, they have free shipping. I ended up getting my cams for $365 shipped. i have no complaints after about a month of use.

 

[91-gsx]

yeah if you check out ffwdconnection, go to the head gasket page, the gasket im referring to is the second one from the top. Its called a SCE Titan ICS head gasket (ICS meaning internal combustion seal). I thought it was pretty neat. I came across it when i was browising the website. 91-GSX you saw it, thats the same one im talking about. FOr me however, i think the mls gasket on that page is all i will ever need. I dont think my motor will ever see 35+psi.... maybe like 25 when i get my pte 5031e.

Anyways, good luck with the cam and gasket choice. If you want the ffwdconnection cams, check out extremepsi, they have free shipping. I ended up getting my cams for $365 shipped. i have no complaints after about a month of use.

what would make more power, the ffwdconnection cams or the comp 200's? i only ask because i am paying about the same for a used set of comp 200's, but i heard they out did the hks 272's.
later

 

[T9S1i]

Call Darren at ffwd. He also has the other two sets of cams the L1 and L2 that could offer you more. I just bought the 264/272 because im running a 16g and have seen the time tested and proven results with this setup. I just went the safe route, i do plan on upgrading to a 50trim later on, but i will still retain these camshafts.

 

[sweet97]

Tony, Darren just regrinds the stock cams to HKS specs and offers a 1 year warranty so I would go with his 272's. I have had the comp 200's and the HKS 272's and preferred the HKS 272's. The Comps I have would be way too big for you and even the 272's will have your 14B running out of steam, maybe dropping boost in the higher gears depending on how much boost you are running.
The MLSS gasket is good but you need SMOOTH surfaces for it to seal well. I just put one on this afternoon. Be sure you have your head surfaced smooth as possible. Really the composition gasket would be the better choice for you and is half the cost as the MLSS. I would do the MLSS on an engine rebuild but it's your dollar:>)
The difference in cc's between the 2 gaskets is minimal so don't worry about compression. They are within about .010".
If you do use the MLSS I would use copper spray from Permatex but that is a matter of choice also. It fills any imperfections in either the head or block. I'm doing a new timing belt too even though I have only 7,000 miles on the one I am taking off. Good idea to get it done if it has not been done yet. Mark

 

[TSIMonsteR]

I would go for the FP2x and Upgraded Valves and Retainers from Extreme PSI

 

[91-gsx]

Tony, Darren just regrinds the stock cams to HKS specs and offers a 1 year warranty so I would go with his 272's. I have had the comp 200's and the HKS 272's and preferred the HKS 272's. The Comps I have would be way too big for you and even the 272's will have your 14B running out of steam, maybe dropping boost in the higher gears depending on how much boost you are running.
The MLSS gasket is good but you need SMOOTH surfaces for it to seal well. I just put one on this afternoon. Be sure you have your head surfaced smooth as possible. Really the composition gasket would be the better choice for you and is half the cost as the MLSS. I would do the MLSS on an engine rebuild but it's your dollar:>)
The difference in cc's between the 2 gaskets is minimal so don't worry about compression. They are within about .010".
If you do use the MLSS I would use copper spray from Permatex but that is a matter of choice also. It fills any imperfections in either the head or block. I'm doing a new timing belt too even though I have only 7,000 miles on the one I am taking off. Good idea to get it done if it has not been done yet. Mark

hey mark, i dont really care if these cams drop the boost on my 14b because i will still be making more power then before. plus i am buying the cams so that i dont have to do this again later.

about the head gasket, if i buy the mitsu 4-layer with the stock head and block without machining anything down will it work well? i really dont have the time or money right now for machining man. which composition gasket are you talking about? will it hold really high boost or is it a stock replacement? i want something that will without a doubt hold 30psi.
thanks for the help

 

[Boosted98gsx]

I would go for the FP2x and Upgraded Valves and Retainers from Extreme PSI

Why go through a different dealer? Just get them from FP...

 

[T9S1i]

you should really get your head milled flat. If its smoking and what not it could be slightly warped and putting a new gasket wont fix the problem because the head isnt flat.

Its pretty easy for me to say this b/c my good friends dad owns a machine shop and he will do work for me for next to nothing so its a no-brainer to get it milled. ($10)


Boosted98gsx, sometimes extremepsi is cheaper than the original dealer. They have great customer service and usually ship the same day FOR FREE. I know i got a better price on my cams from extremepsi than i would have from ffwdconnection. I did however, get the last set of cams that they had b4 they started asking for a core, so maybe thats why i got a good price.

 

[sweet97]

Tony if you had a turbo that made good power in the 30psi range you would need almost sraight race fuel. I would use the MLSS then. Crower springs are good for 85-8800 but I would not take them higher. mark
PS: Tony I thought you had a blown gasket? Why chabge the gasket if it's not blown and if it is you MUST get it machined. Mark