sargeek1975

Ok, here's the story. Please help cause I sure need it!

Yesterday I installed my dc sports header and aem cold air intake. BTW this is on my 90 crx si with the stock d16a6.

I could tell a HUGE difference with the intake and header. I was lovin' it!

Installed my aem cam gear today. I was top for both the pully and cam. At zero it feels advanced a bit and at about 3 retarded it feels normal.

Here's my problem: why does advancing the cam make me loose ALL my power after about 3-4 grand? My engine just gets louder past that point; but no power. At about 3 retarded it seems pretty much stock.

I did notice however that at about 5-6 grand and rising it seems to not be smooth in acceleration. It kind of lopes as it gets up that high in rpms. Not allot. But enough for me to notice.

Now what do I need to do? Do I need to advance my ignition timing and retard the cam for max performance? Who has done this before? Some advice would be great!

Also: what's the best shop around here now? I need a cat back!

axis45

i just put one on my d16z6 and it does the same thing. retard the timing and the valves stay open a little longer giving you top end while sacraficing low end. advance it and your motor will become very responsive at low rpm while not doin much but making a lot of noise as the engine gasps for breath at high rpm. mine was real loud when i advanced it 5 degrees. so tune it how you like it, youre not really gaining any power, just putting it where you want it. i have mine advanced a little it to make a little more low end for daily driving.

axis45

oh yeah and you need to reset your ignition timing every time you change the cam timing

litlespic

Cam gears wont add hp, as axis said you are mearly putting the power band where you want it..

As for ignition.. advance it until you hear the engine ping, then back it off 2*.. that "should" give you the best results as your engine sits.. if you spray or boost you need to put your timing back at base and re start the advancing process..

RatedV

This cats good.....

sargeek1975

Ya, I'm gonna mess with my ignition timing tomorrow. What about this "re-setting" my ignition timing any time I mess with the cam gear?

litlespic

If you change how the engine is gion to act, boost, NNNAAAWWWSS something like that then you need to redo the timing.. set back to base and advance until you ping...

with out boost you can really advance the timing...

Lets say the base on my car is 10* and with out boost I advanced it to 17* and that was as far as I could go...

Then I slap a fat turbo on there pushing 300* air into the intake... well if I leave the timing where it is.. I am just gion to sit there and ping off the wall.. so I would have to go back to 10* which is base timing.. and up it slowly until I found the new sweet spot...


I do not know if changing the cam degrees needs you to redo ignition.. ... ???


Thanks shinobi

IthinkI1

Yes, like litlespic said, you will be mainly just changing where peak power is acheived. The only way you can pick up power really with a cam gear is in the assumption that based on factory specs and tolerances, the ignition and cam timing is a bit out of spec factory, and a cam gear after degreeing and adjustment will correct this. By out of spec factory i mean that not every part is exactly the same, an example being two identical factory cars race, with hypethetically the same driver. Most times, one will be the winner because the other one will lag behind, regardless of the fact that they are the same car. Some motors are built tighter, with more exact parts. The ones that dont have the close-to-perfect factory parts and assembly will be the ones to benifit the most from a cam gear.

axis45

in case some of you didnt notice the distributor is on the other end of the camshaft. its not rocket science, you change the cam timing- you are also changing the ignition timing, if you want to keep your original ignition timing setting you have to advance/retard the ignition back to what you had it originally. timing "by ear" works but you are not goin to hear your honda it ping sitting there at idle. but are goin to here it ping when you overadvance it and you are driving up a hill on a hot day. thats not something you ever want to hear so i use a timing light

litlespic

even with a timing light how you goin to know when enough is enough?? does it flash in bright RED instead of the normal???

and I dont know what kind of engine he has.. other than its a honda... so I didnt know the dist was on the cam shaft, my bad