Cam install question

Kronos · Feb 15, 2006

my friend and i are thinking about putting a cam in his 94 cobra.
and we were just wondering how tuff the install would be and if its worth it(i know it is but i just want opinions)
Also if the cam will affect emissions and what not we live in virginia near DC (Quantico for those familiar) but he has new york tags.
I have access to a shop with every thing i need here on base. i don't have that much experience with cams and that sort but i have manuals and i think with a few other friends we can figure it out.
any help or advice would be great thanks!

buddyf87 · Feb 15, 2006

subscribing...

legalize420 · Feb 15, 2006

its not that hard. if you have the tools and the time go for it. as far as emissions, you will have to pick a cam based on that. e-cam is emissions legal. many people will talk bad about it, but i bet 9 out of 10 that do, are just going by word of mouth. not personal experience.

Kronos · Feb 15, 2006

what about trickflows or steeda cams

95snoozer · Feb 15, 2006

dont stick an ots piece of junk in there

the stock cobra cam is nice, you might try just retarding it 4 degrees so it pulls higher and makes more power. It will stay emissions legal and no headaches.

if you get a cam, get a good custom grind from any reputable cam grinder, or a nice comp piece. my cam will work quite well. You will need to upgrade your valve springs.

95snoozer · Feb 15, 2006

I have seen the stock cobra cam make 303/340 with a set of afr 165s and a ported cobra lower intake
it was retarded 4 degrees of course

Kronos · Feb 15, 2006

were still interested in gettin a cam and were interested if there were any good custom grinders in the dc area

Kronos · Feb 15, 2006

how do you retard a cam we have very limited engine tuning experience.

earleys94gt · Feb 16, 2006

If I am not mistaken, the stock Cobra cam has lifts of 0.4797" for intake and exhaust. You should be able to get decent power from it with the right set of "bolt on's."

To adjust timing, first make sure your engine is warmed up to operating temprature.

You will also need a Timing Light, you can get one at almost any parts store if you don't have one.

Before you adjust your timing, you have to remove the spout connector. This is located between the air intake tube and the fender, just behind the MAF. It is a little grey plug in a connector.

Turn the car on, put it drive and chalk the tires WITH the parking brake also on.

Next, you have to loosen the bolt down at the bottom of the distributor. Just loosen it enough to be able to move the distributor.

Then, turn on your timing light(have it already connected the battery and #1 plug wire) and aim it at the crank pulley. If your timing has not been adjusted, the pointer wil be right on the timing mark on the pulley.

All you have to do is turn the distribtor COUNTER CLOCKWISE till the mark has gone 4 marks to the left of the pointer(timing retard.)

Once that is done, turn off the car, tighten down the bolt, start car again and check to see "mark" didn't move. If your good, turn off the car, plug in the Spout connector, and go for a drive. IF YOU HEAR ANY PINGING OR KNOCKING, DRIVE "SLOWLY", COME BACK, AND ADJUST TIMING TILL IT IS GONE.

Kronos · Feb 16, 2006

thanks alot so you all think we should just keep the stock cam.
Well we have some extra cash flow what do yous guys suggest we buy we already have full exhaust plus a cai and tb/ we are going to buy ud pullies but we have another chunk of change to throw down on mods and we are looking for something with the best bang for the buck
Thanks again

brnxman · Feb 16, 2006

373 gears.

nmcgrawj · Feb 16, 2006

legalize420 said:
many people will talk bad about it, but i bet 9 out of 10 that do, are just going by word of mouth. not personal experience.

The biggest problem i think with e-cams is when guysjust throw them in "straight up" and dont degree it in. They can vary in terms of where the actual valve events happen that without degreeing it in...u really dont know whats going on. I think thats why they seem so hit and miss...cause some are on a good grind and others are not.

VibrantRedGT · Feb 16, 2006

I'd keep the stock cam. With the Cobra 1.7 rockers its a decent combo at this point. Now if you were tearing the motor down for head swap then I would suggest doing the cam while your right there.

95snoozer · Feb 16, 2006

retarding the cam timing is NOT the same as retarding the ignition timing

You will pribably want to get someone to degree it for you and retard it... or at least do some research on it.

Retarding a cam moves the power band higher. Your power band will move up a few hundred rpm so it will peak higher and when the motor is spinning faster it can draw in more air and make more power of course. The only place your hp will be reduced is out of your racing RPM. same will happen when installing an aftermarket cam... but it will actually lose more low low end than retarding the stock cam.

Classes that are limited to stock cams use this technique as well as getting new cams ground to the maximum factory tolerances. They stretch their setups to the limits and run 11s with stock cams in fox bodies.

There is no reason why you shouldnt be able to get intpo the 12s with the stock cam and the right boltons, geras and traction.

for n/a 4.10s all the way, a pair of slicks or drag radials. you will be amazed

work on the other boltons right now like this, long tube headers, pullies

Zero Signal · Feb 16, 2006

If you are going for the 4° advance (lining up the dots @ the sprocket), it's pretty much pointless to degree it. If you find that the ICL is off, what are you going to do . . . return the cam a try again? The sprocket doesn't have enough adjustability to tune the cam in perfectly anyway. The worst you would do is find that you totally reversed the cam on install. Then when you get it right and it's off a degree, oh well that's life. If you actually want to retard the cam, or you have a $700 adjustable belt drive, it's a different story.

nmcgrawj · Feb 16, 2006

Zero Signal said:
If you are going for the 4° advance (lining up the dots @ the sprocket), it's pretty much pointless to degree it. If you find that the ICL is off, what are you going to do . . . return the cam a try again? The sprocket doesn't have enough adjustability to tune the cam in perfectly anyway. The worst you would do is find that you totally reversed the cam on install. Then when you get it right and it's off a degree, oh well that's life. If you actually want to retard the cam, or you have a $700 adjustable belt drive, it's a different story.

So you're saying its pointless to degree a cam in without a $700 adjustable belt drive?

My timing chain has a 9-key way sprocket. Back when i as degreeing my custom cam in for the first time...i was all over the place lol. But once i figured out what to do, Mike Curcio told me that if its within 1-2 degrees...then its fine. You wont get much closer than that. And that while an engine is running, the timing can vary that much anyway.

And Jay Allen was the one who told me it was a MUST especially with E-cams...since they can be wayyy off of what they are supposed to be. Thus giving guys the huge range of good performance to terrible.

Another thing, not sure which way you are referring to when degreeing the cam. If you degree it in, and want the intake to open at 4*BTDC and close at 44ABDC...and u see its doing it at 0*BTDC and 40*ABDC then u know which way u have to go. Same goes for exhaust. This is at .050" lift. So its my assumption that the 9-key way sprockets will allow for the adjustment to get it where you need it. Within 1-2* on intake and exhaust. This is using the valve timing events and not the intake centerline methods...the asymmetrical design of the lobes on cams wont allow for the intake centerline to be accurate.

Zero Signal · Feb 16, 2006

Well if there are real problems with the e-cam grinds then I guess it's justified.

I degreed my Comp and it was dead on 106° ICL.

A lot of sprockets only have one keyway, mine has 3. It is set for 4° Advance or retard and 0°. You won't be able to change it since the teeth on the big sprocket will change in increments of ~10°+ per tooth.

Anyway, I guess it's not something worth arguing since it takes an astronomical 5-10minutes and $15 wheel to do it

Zero Signal · Feb 16, 2006

the asymmetrical design of the lobes on cams wont allow for the intake centerline to be accurate.

Yeah that's true. I never got into the other methods since I went with a sym. cam. So I'll only comment with the ICL method in mind.

final5-0 · Feb 16, 2006

One method is an off set bushing in the cam gear that will +A or -R the dowel pin a degree or two

Grady

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