New Tomei pro cam cams

[erikoberdorfer]

Hello,
I recently have been looking at a new set of cams for my 1g awd. I currently run a set of forced performance fp5r cams (intake / exhaust). I was wondering if a switch to the new Tomei pro cam 282 units would yield any spool / power improvements from anyones experience? Also, how would these compare to other cams like the GSC S3, Kelford 280 or TX288, or STM650 cams? I have been researching this, but the Tomei's are quite new and I cannot find anything on these. Their approach to the lobe design seems unique and I wonder if it would yield any real benefits.

Thanks
Erik

 

[erikoberdorfer]

Does anyone have any information on these?

 

[fourgsixty3]

Are these the ones that Buschur was talking about or something else?

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[erikoberdorfer]

fourgsixty3 - Yes these are the cams I am talking about. I saw what you pasted above from Buschur recently and that is why I am asking here. To my knowledge they are the new Tomei 282 pro cam for the dsm and evo 1-3 platform. I wondered how they have performed in testing / in the real world .​

 

[fourgsixty3]

fourgsixty3 - Yes these are the cams I am talking about. I saw what you pasted above from Buschur recently and that is why I am asking here. To my knowledge they are the new Tomei 282 pro cam for the dsm and evo 1-3 platform. I wondered how they have performed in testing / in the real world .​

I haven't seen anything from Buschur yet. Looking to see some numbers. When they did the cam shootout back in the day Tomei did very well so I'm looking forward to the results.

 

[erikoberdorfer]

Agreed on the results in past cam testing. It looked like their 290 cams for the evo at that time took the overall power numbers in the D sport cam test. My understanding is that these new ones are a '282' duration, not the '290' duration. Also these new ones are for the dsm and evo 1-3 engines, not the evo. It will be interesting to see how they do.

 

[DSMPT]

When they did the cam shootout back in the day Tomei did very well so I'm looking forward to the results.

This Tomei is not the Tomei you are talking about. There is some backstory over a decade ago though.
The Tomei 282 is by Tomei USA which is a totallly different company from the Tomei Japan that is wellknown as JDM company since long time ago. The original Tomei don't sell Procam as 282. Their original procam is 260/270/280/290.
I guess this 282 should work closely or similarly to the original Tomei 280 since it's probably made based on the original. I don't say it's completely copied but like you see their cam gears is the same as Tomei Japan gears, except the logo.
I have no idea about the material quality but it seems that's one of reasons why Tomei Japan finished the contract with them.

 

[fourgsixty3]

This Tomei is not the Tomei you are talking about. There is some backstory over a decade ago though.
The Tomei 282 is by Tomei USA which is a totallly different company from the Tomei Japan that is wellknown as JDM company since long time ago. The original Tomei don't sell Procam as 282. Their original procam is 260/270/280/290.
I guess this 282 should work closely or similarly to the original Tomei 280 since it's probably made based on the original. I don't say it's completely copied but like you see their cam gears is the same as Tomei Japan geas, except the logo.
I have no idea about the material quality but it seems that's one of reasons why Tomei Japan finished the contract with them.

Good to know. So the two have no current relationship whatsoever? Interesting.

Edit. Just looked it up. I guess Tomei USA quality hasn't been the best.

 

[curt-s]

This Tomei is not the Tomei you are talking about. There is some backstory over a decade ago though.
The Tomei 282 is by Tomei USA which is a totallly different company from the Tomei Japan that is wellknown as JDM company since long time ago. The original Tomei don't sell Procam as 282. Their original procam is 260/270/280/290.
I guess this 282 should work closely or similarly to the original Tomei 280 since it's probably made based on the original. I don't say it's completely copied but like you see their cam gears is the same as Tomei Japan geas, except the logo.
I have no idea about the material quality but it seems that's one of reasons why Tomei Japan finished the contract with them.

Sometimes your knowledge about certain more "obscure" topics is.. freaky.
Even if it's godlike capabilities to search, it's still crazy (in a good way).

 

[DSMPT]

Good to know. So the two have no current relationship whatsoever? Interesting.

As far as I know, long time ago yes, now no.
There is a guy who used to be the president of Tomei Powered Japan but he left Tomei Japan about over a decade ago and he started his own shop in Japan called "Real Speed Engineering", and also started to own Tomei USA. Before that, Tomei USA was Tomei Japan oficial dealer in North America but after this guy bought Tomei USA, it seems he started selling his own shop's products with Tomei brand name and who bought the product sometimes claimed to Tomei Japan directly about the quality. Then some years back finally Tomei Japan officially announced that any of Tomei USA products are not licensed by Tomei Japan.

 

[blue90GSX]

@DSMPT very interesting, so are you saying RSE is part of Tomei USA or Tomei Japan? I recently picked up some cam gears while I was in Japan a few months back, looks like RSE also updated their website with the newer cams.

https://www.rs-e.co.jp/2025/04/evo1-3-evo4-6_camshaft/

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[DSMPT]

@DSMPT very interesting, so are you saying RSE is part of Tomei USA or Tomei Japan? I recently picked up some cam gears while I was in Japan a few months back, looks like RSE also updated their website with the newer cams.

https://www.rs-e.co.jp/2025/04/evo1-3-evo4-6_camshaft/

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RSE and Tomei USA are now owned by the same guy's company. And Tomei Japan has nothing to do with Tomei USA anymore.
I don't know the details but it seems like it's basically the owner of Tomei USA/RSE (The ex-CEO of Tomei Japan) continues to use the Tomei powered name value to sell his own products in North America or outside of Japan since he can't use that name in Japan.
Those are some news feed in Tomei Japan.

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[We're on Boost]

I recently picked up some cam gears while I was in Japan a few months back, looks like RSE also updated their website with the newer cams.

I'm starting to get it pretty messy stuff.
Anyway yes, according to the Tomei USA About page, "R.S.E. Real Speed Engineering targets the Asian and Oceanian markets" and "In the Americas and Europe, it operates as TOMEI The Engine Specialist."
Then at the bottom of that page is a link to a History page for more info.
The only Tomei USA object I've had a good look at so far is the titanium exhaust system a friend of mine here put on his 2022 Subie WRX and it is beautifully made, perfect fit everywhere, and nice sounding.

 

[DSMPT]

I was wondering about the difference between Tomei Japan and Tomei USA when I started my store around 2011-2012. Because my supplier in the States carry Tomei products but they are direct with Tomei Japan, not via Tomei USA. And then many years later I saw the news feed from Tomei Japan.

 

[erikoberdorfer]

Wow, thanks for the information about Tomei. I was unaware of any of this. It will still be interesting to see results of these cams once they are tested.

 

[jesse12345]

So the adjustable cam gears I bought were probably the Tomei USA, because when they arrived they were in a cardboard box and bubble wrap, that's it. So I decided to try vms racing cam gears and they actually tell you to torque the bolts to 15ft lbs before running the engine, they also came with the lock washer underneath the bolts. I guess I was pretty pumped to throw the red Tomei gears on until I unboxed the 2 and immediately was sold on the vms. I'm sure if I had purchased real authentic Tomei cam gears from Japan my experience would have been different, maybe? I'm definitely not bashing just stating my experience.

 

[DSMPT]

So the adjustable cam gears I bought were probably the Tomei USA, because when they arrived they were in a cardboard box and bubble wrap

If it's Tomei USA gears, you would see the Tomei USA logo instead of the Tomei Japan original logo and actually the box and the label on the box should be the same as the RSE. Tomei Japan cam gear should come in a black box. Please refer the pics below. (I borrowed from Real Street Performance listing page)
One  big difference is, in Japan, most of people call it as Cam Pulley including Tomei Japan, HKS etc. You may realize that the one from Tomei USA and RSE is calling it as Cam gear, because it's more common outside of Japan.

Personally I have never used the Tomei USA or RSE products. So I can't judge anything on their products quality. Here I am talking only about the differences in appearance.

Pic 1 : Tomei USA gear.
You see it has the same box and label as the RSE gear as the pic of @blue90GSX above. Just the logo and the color are different. (The pic is not 4g63 cam gear though)

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Pic 2 : Tomei Japan gear with the original black box.

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[jesse12345]

Okay that makes sense. I'm pretty sure mine are from Japan then since they came in the black box and have the Tomei on them. I'm definitely not bashing the quality, they look good and I'm sure they work great and I don't blame them for the packaging since they were affordable. I guess we can just discard what I said since they are actual Tomei cam gears.

 

[DSMPT]

@erikoberdorfer
Sorry we went a bit off topic. Let's back to the original topic about the cams.
Since I have never used those Tomei USA cams, only I can tell is my guess as I mentioned above that probably the Tomei USA 282 cams should work closely or similarly to the original Tomei 280. Comparing with the Kelford TX280R, it's milder and probably a bit more street friendly.
As for the Kelford TX280R and TX288, it would depend on the engine setup. If the enogine is 2.0, I would go with the 280. If 2.3 stroker, the 288 may be better. That's what my Kelford rep told me before. I personally used the Kelford TX280R (280/288) before. I now have Keiford 282/288 solid cams.
I don't know how you want with your car but if you would like to squeeze out even a little bit more response. Or if you want to try something different from common hydraulic cams, maybe the solid cams could be an option. Theoretically the lobe design would be more aggressive/direct than hydraulic cam's lobe design with the same duration cams. Just sharing my opinion.

 

[erikoberdorfer]

Hiroshi,
I would be looking to get improved mid range and top end power with my setup, as compared to the fp5r cams. I run a 2.0 liter long rod 4g63 engine. Switching to a solid lifter setup is not a preferred way to go in my opinion (for my setup). My inclination is go to with the gsc S3 cam. The Tomei 282 (new) looked interesting due to the unique lobe profile and the potential for what that can do on the ramp rate of the cams. If there was any testing / real world results supporting this I would consider running them. The GSC S3 seemed to perform on par with the fp5r's in an old evo cam test I saw. Perhaps even showing some midrange gains over the fp5rs. I think the Kelford 288 is technically bigger than the fp5rs but that may shift things too far to the right (I rev to 9600) for me. My setup is already pretty laggy. The Kelford 280 may be a bit smaller so I may gain a bit in the lower rpm range but potentially lose power up top. Any thoughts on this?

 

[Ludachris]

And it's threads like this, which will come up in Google search results (and more and more in AI citations), that make forums so valuable when people are researching stuff like this. Thanks for all the info Hiroshi.

 

[DSMPT]

I would be looking to get improved mid range and top end power with my setup, as compared to the fp5r cams.

My setup is already pretty laggy.

My inclination is go to with the gsc S3 cam

This is just my opinion and everyone has different opinion. According to your cam selection, I guess the turbo is something about 64~67mm or similar. If so, the turbo is large and that anyways won't let you to get noticeable earlier spool even switch with the GSC S3.
If I were you I may try to play with the valve timing first if you haven't done yet since you already have a good cam set for the turbo. And you have 2.0 long rod, probably because you want to rev higher, but like you said, if you get more mid by changing cams or valve timing, you may lose top end.

The Kelford 280 may be a bit smaller

I guess the Kelford TX280R (280/288) is actually similar to FP5R/GSC S3 or maybe even more aggressive than them. And IMO probably Tomei USA 282 is a bit milder than those three. But we can't simply comprar them since every manufacturer has difference lobe design even the advertised duration or 1mm duration is similar, and each car has different setup.

TX288

As for the Kelford TX280R and TX288, it would depend on the engine setup. If the enogine is 2.0, I would go with the 280. If 2.3 stroker, the 288 may be better. That's what my Kelford rep told me before.

I think the Kelford 288 is technically bigger than the fp5rs

P.S. I just realized that you probably meant by the Kelford 288 as the TX288R (288/292). What I was referring to is the previous 288/280. Yeah I am positive that the TX288R would be a bit too much if comparing with the other three.

Switching to a solid lifter setup is not a preferred way to go in my opinion (for my setup)

Yeah I understand that solid cams/lifter setup sounds pretty PITA to maintain, I just mentioned as an option. But actually not that PITA. No need to maintain the clearance that often like people speak in the internet. And it's good if you rev high or hit hard rev limiter often.

 

[erikoberdorfer]

Hiroshi,
The turbo is a bit bigger than a 64/67mm. It is a PTE next gen 8085 (1.1a/r divided). The reason I was looking to go with other cam options is because my fp5r exhaust cam sustained some damage when a roller rocker split some time back. The sides of the cam lobe were worn a bit due to the rocker breakage. The lobe itself seems to be ok but i would like to jsut replace it or both cams at some point. I am still running this cam but am exploring what other options are out there. Forced Performance and COMP no longer offer the 5r cams or else I would just get a new exhaust cam.

If I could swap to something that spooled better, and potentially offered more power I would be interested.

When I was talking about the kelford TX288 I was referring to the one with a 12mm intake lift and 242 duration at 1mm and 11.5mm exhaust lift and 238 duration at 1mm (see below). Part number is TX-288.
https://www.extremepsi.com/store/Kelford-288-280-Camshafts-Mitsubishi-Eclipse-1990-1999-4G63.html
The kelford 280 I think you meant is the TX280R. This one has 11.5mm intake lift / 238 at 1mm duration and 11.5 exhaust lift / 242 at 1mm duration
https://www.extremepsi.com/store/Kelford-280-288-R-Camshafts-Mitsubishi-Eclipse-1990-1999-4G63.html
The GSC S3 looks a bit milder in that the intake life (11.7mm) and duration @1mm of 238 degrees. Exhaust cam wise it has 11.7mm and duration of 238 degrees at 1mm as well.
https://www.extremepsi.com/store/GS...ts-280-280-Mitsubishi-Eclipse-4G63-90-99.html
Referring to the old D sport cam test on the evo and the ams cam test on the evo it seemed like the gsc s3 was a very close match to the FP5R set, although on paper the gsc s3 is "smaller".

I have played with cam gear settings on mine. It is currently set to +2.5 advance intake and -1 retard exhaust.

 

[DSMPT]

The reason I was looking to go with other cam options is because my fp5r exhaust cam sustained some damage when a roller rocker split some time back. The sides of the cam lobe were worn a bit due to the rocker breakage. The lobe itself seems to be ok but i would like to jsut replace it or both cams at some point.

Oh so they are damaged I see the situation.

When I was talking about the kelford TX288 I was referring to the one with a 12mm intake lift and 242 duration at 1mm and 11.5mm exhaust lift and 238 duration at 1mm (see below). Part number is TX-288.
https://www.extremepsi.com/store/Kelford-288-280-Camshafts-Mitsubishi-Eclipse-1990-1999-4G63.html

Yes, that's the one I was referring to at the beginning, the one I mentioned that suits better with a stroker. This is 288/280. But this set is discontinued. So I thought maybe what you referred to was the TX288R which is 288/292.

The kelford 280 I think you meant is the TX280R. This one has 11.5mm intake lift / 238 at 1mm duration and 11.5 exhaust lift / 242 at 1mm duration
https://www.extremepsi.com/store/Kelford-280-288-R-Camshafts-Mitsubishi-Eclipse-1990-1999-4G63.html

Yes that's the one I used to have, that's 280/288. That's quite aggressive.

The turbo is a bit bigger than a 64/67mm. It is a PTE next gen 8085 (1.1a/r divided).

I now know why you are saying your setup is laggy and are looking to use the switch ignition retard/cut. You have a big one
According to this size of turbo and turbine housing on a 2.0L, I think this is most likely the reason why it's very laggy even it's the next gen model and it's something unavoidable. My honest opinion is even you would go with a bit milder cam set from the cams you selected, I don't think it would make a significant difference in the mid range.
I don't know what your hp goal but going with a bit smaller turbo or spray some nitrous at lower rpm until the turbo starts to spool up wouldn't be an option?