Well i got the cams in the car last week friday finally had a chance to tune the car today. Things went alright. Its runs rich at idle(anyone know the fix?) I put 60#s in it.
The car doenst want to start randomly. I need to do the crank shaft variation learn that could be my problem, im hoping it is. Other than that the car has the sound of a wrx in the ehxuast. It sounds like its suckking TONS AND TONS of air but now cant get out fast enough. Im going to go with a catless downpipe and see if that will free things up. Im just hoping it doesnt sound like crap. I hate the high pitch sound but it seems like the car is starving for more flow now.
It picked up a pound of boost. From asking around i was told its because of restriction aka cant get out fast enough. I have stage2 pulley on the car it was always 14.5-15ish now it for sure goes to 16.

Anyway not sure how much some of you guys are on following these cams but they have been nothing but bad luck for the other 2-4 guys that hve them. Cars have been down and not running basically since they had them in. I did the install myself(im a gm tech) so i know i did it right. I am using stock vavle springs 7k redline still. The other guys were running JBP springs a suposive upgrade but seems they all had broke at least 1 and of course put the car out of service.

Ill keep you updated with how things go. But i was out beating on the thing today with my buddies ls4 monte. It ran great.

Kyle

 

I'm glad your car is running. Let us know if you make any more progess tuning it...

 

Glad to hear your up and running man! Please keep us updated with any new info you get. Quick question, what exhaust do you have? Stock?

 

when i first posted up about my cam install the one thing I stated was "get a DP" why? cause the intake cam is way more agressive than the exaust cam.it sounds like you are runnin fine as Iam just stay with the stock springs cause they seem trouble free

 

Sounds like the cam position sensor is installed incorrectly. Might wanna check that.

 

I didn't see you recommend that before I got them. Must've been in the million pages on your cam thread. I don't think a DP is a possibility for me right now, though. How much trouble do you think a stock exhaust is going to give me?

I concur...

 

I had that problem with my car, sometimes it would start and run fine, other times I would have to crank it 4 times to get it to start. I finally took the sensor out and moved it myself until I got it right. There are only 6 sides, but there are no marks to make sure it goes back in right.

 

I have the gm manifold xtc downpipe with high flow cat and gm toruing exhaust. I think im going to try the catless downpipe. But im affraid its going to sound like a$$.

Im going back to work in a few minutes to do the crank shaft sensor relearn that should fix it im hoping.

Ill keep ya updated

 

Hey ItalianJoe1 which cams do you have?

 

Im not calling you out but I looked today and there is a way to properly install the sensor. If you take it out and look there is a mark on the part sticking out. You line that up with the mark that is on the body of the sensor then. Take the serp belt off and on the crank pulley there is a little cut on the inside(side against the cover) like that up with the mark on the timing cover. Then insall the sensor and toss the belt back on.

To add more drama to these cams. I did just that procedure figureing this was my problem. Well needless to say i still had a p0017. I was going nuts couldnt figure it out. The code will not clear either. I finalyl sayed f-that im taking the vavle cover off it takes all of 5 mins. Rip the cover off and on #2exhaust side the lash adjuster is broken and the lifter is just chilling in the head. Needless to say yet another broken car. Not one of these cars that has these cams has got to acutally run.

On a good note my valve springs are all intact. I guess this explains how i also picked up a pound of boost. And why the car souned like a WRX. Also lossed tons of low end. And couldnt get the fuel trims to come clean at idle they were at -13ish usally. This should solve about 4 of my problems. Just have to hope it takes care of the crank shaft variation learn problem now!

Ill keep you up dated im sure ill have to order parts to fix it but but im hoping by wensday it will be ready to rip.

Kyle

 

So, you're a GM Technician...

...in your expert opinion, are more valvetrain parts going to break after you put this thing back together or do you actually think you'll be able to get this thing running properly?

 

Dont know hard to say to be honest. I have been telling alot of peole about your guys experiences. My opinion is this. The stock vavle springs SHOULD hold these cams for this reason. 6500 is stock., 7000 is optional if gm will warranty 7k redline the springs are good for more. There not going to max out there valve springs. So on that issue I feel stock is fine.

As for other valve train idk. Not many people have done alot of mods to these cars. Im big into the ls1 scene as i also have a 2002 camaro. You dont see many cavaliers/sunfires/and so on with ecotecs come in modded. I had a ecotec j-body but i never really got into modding the thing as far as cams and such. Anyone know how those cars are holding up vavle train wise?

I guess were somewhat the ginie pigs here. some one has to be.

 

A tiny little correction to that. If you use the crank pulley, you have a 50/50 chance of getting the sensor in the right position. The crank makes two revolutions for each revolution of the cams. If I remember right, when the cams are in the dead area (no valves open) the marks on the cam sensor should line up. This is the top of number 4 piston's compression stroke if I recall correctly.

Also, do the cams have the triflow staggered lobe thing on the exhaust side, or is it intake cam or both?

 

the triflow is only on the intake cam.

as for the valve train, and these cams:
I ran my car for a year with the stock valve train, (without tune- so 6500RPM) and had no issues with the valve train.
my issue has always been tuning. can't get it to lean out the top end

 

Hmm player 1 i never thought about that nor does it tell you that in the gm service manual.


I came to work this moring and really looked the motor over and i noticed that the cam id FUBAR! I left right away yesterday because i was pissed. So now I have to get a exhaust cam. It groved the living hell out of it.

 

If you are seeing richer A/F numbers at WOT, theres an airflow restriction somewhere.

 

I dont have cams. I had the cam position sensor replaced under warr due to a code I was getting. Turned out it was loose, but the tech went ahead and replaced it anyway. I used to work there so I was helping, we saw the notch on the drive when we pulled it out, figured there has to be some kind of mark on the cam, so we changed the sensor and re-installed it. Car wouldn't start. It was about 6pm on a friday, my car had been in the shop for about 3 weeks I was gonna take it home that night. I let the car sit, tried again, fired right up. Still had a CEL though. I drove it like that friday night and saturday, sometimes it would start, other times it wouldnt. Finally sunday, I took it out and moved it one notch, which corrected the problem. We didn't have the whole car apart to use the crank pulley or valves for reference.

 

Well finally today I got JBP to call me back after i called them 2 more times today. Long story short the cams are out of the car and the car is running on its own 2 STOCK cams.

I just want to give Jeff at Colt Cams 100% A+ for going above and beyond!

But JBP SUCKS hopefully they like the money i unfortunatly gave them and they will never see any more from me again.

For right now if anyone needs a intake camshaft i got one forsale!

Good luck to the rest of you guys i wish you luck with these things.

 

Sorry to hear that. So you don't plan to get another exhaust and put the cams in? What did Geoff at Colt do for you?

 

^^^x2. Sorry to hear about your misfortune man. Hopefully things work out for you and evryone else who plans on putting these in.

 

goddamn... haven't heard one good experience with these...

 

Ljavy17 and my car dont have cats and they sound like lightening lol

So is there any other place you would recommend to get cams? I was thinking about buying some blank cams and having them custom grinded I just dont know where to go.

 

Damn, I thought I was the only one down here with no cat. I love the sound at WOT, but it does sound a little funny driving around town sometimes. We need a vid of the three of us doing a fly-by. That would sounds sick.

 

that would scare the **** out of the spectators

 

Hopefully DTM and myself will have good news soon...

I don't think it's the cams that are the problem. I think there are quite a few issues with the manufacturer though....