cam question
 

hey guys where is a good place to pick up a good exhaust and intake cam? Do you think I should get a new exhaust system first? Cam install was going to be my first mod, a good place to start?

I'd probably start with an intake/header/exhaust combo before cams. I recommend contacting Kargoboy about all 3 of those. He offers great quality products at awesome prices, much much cheaper than anywhere else on the market. After that, if you wanna pick up some cams look up www.corksport.com for the intake cam .. I really don't know where to pick up an exhaust cam though.

SR Motorsports carries both the cams. I had them. They were $400 and provided a 15whp 18lb-ft gain. Don't forget that unless you can install them yourself you'll pay labor as well.

Also, while you're in there put in a new water pump and timing belt REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR.

Def. get the intake cam from corksport, its about $40 less through corksport than at srmotorsport, exhaust cam is a little harder to find but srmotorsports does have them for 260.

Personally I did the intake cam before I did anything else, now I have header and exhaust and the exhaust cam is on the way from canada, which I plan to install when I do my timing belt.

If you have a manual I would buy a shortshifter before anything else, the stock 6 ft long robo shifter is rediculous. You will be really happy with this purchase.

If you end up buying the cam, talk to a DSM guy about doing the install, they have some great tricks that will allow you to do it without retiming the thing, I managed to get mine install in about 45 min using some bungie cords and duct tape. Need any help hit me up, I'm in Fort Collins.

awsome! Thanks for the help guys. I'll post with my mods.

FYI, I am in a Group Buy of sorts on msprotege for some custom cams with fairly agressive profiles.
Since it looks like I am the only one from this forum in on it I will definitely report and hopefully dyno.
I am sure there will be a few sets for sale after the GB is over, since there won't (probably)
be another run of these.

I've been watching the thread at msprotege, I'm just broke right now so I couldn't get in on the GB. Hopefully they will make good numbers and there will be enough intrest in them to do another...

i wish I had the resources to dedicate more of my time to it and finish what I started. I'll be happy to see what comes of it but I'm going to throw my pessistic spin on it right now...


the problem isn't the cams...it's the head.

Gary make sure whatever you do INSTALL THE EIBACH VALVE SPRINGS!! The extra lift and duration is going to burn up your stock springs pretty fast

Thanks for the advice. I will def do that, since I will probably wait until spring anyway. I still have the P-garage intake mani unistalled. So now the goal is, intake mani, cams (and valve springs!) and an EMS installed and tuned all at once.

I know N/A is the less-bang-for-buck way to go on this engine but I just can't resist.
N/A is sexier than turbo to me.

if you REALLY want an NA engine you should consider picking up where I left off on my NA package.

new head, new intake manifold, j-spec cams, distributor, MSD ignition, weber (or delorto) side draft carbs. Who needs an ECU when you have carbs and a dizy??

p.s. You can even leave the ECU plugged in so you retain your airbags, ABS, etc etc etc.

you'd get that nice ITB sound but the catch is you have to come up with a custom hood because it wont fit under a stock hood the way I've got it laid out.

OK, here's where the nOObness still sets in: how the hell do you get around the stock ECU air/fuel settings? Wouldn't you be throwing CELS all over creation? Not to mention, how would the car even run?

Anyway, what you suggest is a lot like what I would love to do if I can get my hands on a well-maintained Cosworth Vega. That 2.0L shares a lot of the FS-DE characteristics.

Quick couple of questions for you all:

1) Gary, What cam GB are/were you running? For the 1.8 and 2.0 liter guys?

Because I don't see my F/I coming anytime soon, Im stickin with N/A right now. What kinds of gains would I be looking at with the following:

Ported-Polished Head and Intake/Exhaust manifolds, Port-match everything, 3 angle valve job, ZL-VE intake and exhaust cams, SR Motorsports adjustable cam gears and maybe a UDP kit.

Are the Eibach valve springs necessary when new cams are installed? What would having a new ignition installed do? Sorry, thats probably a really bad "newb" question, but I never really understood how installing that (ignition) and a distributor would help with HP....

steve,

you are the forever-newb...haha !

spend a couple of dollars to get the parts installed you already have instead of piling up more parts

ignition isnt an issue...we have DIS ignition(distributorless ignition system)

it provides strong enough spark to support PLENTY of horsepower

on a traditional distrubutor ignition, stock systems just AREN'T very efficient at delivery spark energy.... Especially on modified engines pushing a lot more fuel and air...You need a stronger spark to blow that more fuel and air up !!!

I'm guessing all that work is not gonna give you more than 50-60 HP ... that's just my guess tho. And to add to what Mac said, the ignition pretty much just helps create a stronger spark ... gives the coils more juice. But according to the master :patriot: there is no need to upgrade on our cars so I guess that's money you can spend somewhere else now.

Steve, ya know Mac speaks the truth. Plus I have never seen a pic of your car.

Anyway, it wasn't my GB, it was twilightprotege's and only 2.0s--he had several sets run with his personal specs and some others with more FI-friendly specs.

Andrew (twilightprotege) is running the stock valve spring, but Matty recommended that I use them and I think I am going to take his advice.