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chatwin

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Re: Cam Gears

I want to buy a set of Cam Gears but not sure if they are worth it? I was looking at the ones Focus Sport sells I have bought a lot of stuff through them and seems like they make a quality product. Are Cam Gears a good mod? and what do I set them at after installing them? Thanks again for the info guys. Right now I have a Focus Sport intake, full cat-back Focus Sport stealth exhaust, edelbrock header and SCT flasher thanks guys again.
 
#3 ·
cam gears are a good mod and you can pick up some good power on the dyno tuning them, you might also want to look into a long tube header, the edlebrock shorty you are using does next to nothing as far as power.
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
Cam Gears

I know the shorty headers don't do anything for power but I need something smog legal ( I live in southern california or emissions suck) I got the pretty much everything I put on the car for free my buddy got hit by a drunk driver and gave me everything he had on his car. What else does anyone recommend installing? Money is really non-option so if some has knows of a good mod that is worth the money let me know. Does anyone know of someone who can install the Cam Gears? I live in Huntington Beach, CA. Also should I install a set of camshafts with the gears? Once again thanks guys.
 
#6 ·
hey, i live in laguna niguel. i installed my cam gears in my car. they are not that hard to do, you just gotta make sure u do it right. i have all the tools to do it. and could do it in about 20 hours. personally they are worth it. and whatever u do you DO NOT set them at 0/0. you set them at -4 on both intake and exhaust.

also if you want a power increase i could sell u my high flow cat. it will mate right up to your header and make good power and keep you smog legal. let me know.

you seem to have a good start with your mods. personally i would do the high flow cat, TB, and cam gears. i have the MAC ones and thye are awesome. i havent had a problem. the are all pretty much the same. i didnt do cams when i did cam gears. so its not necessary.
 
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Discussion starter · #7 ·
Re: Which one

BestThatICouldDo:
Which throttle body due you recommend? I thought if you change the throttle body you can't stay smog legal? Also I was thinking of changing my intake with a MAC intake what do you think of that? How much for the high-flow cat? And you said the MAC cam gears are good? Thanks again for the information. I will probably just pay someone to put them it might be easier that way you said it took 20 hours or did you mean 2 hours how simply are they to install?
 
#8 ·
chatwin said:
BestThatICouldDo:
Which throttle body due you recommend? I thought if you change the throttle body you can't stay smog legal? Also I was thinking of changing my intake with a MAC intake what do you think of that? How much for the high-flow cat? And you said the MAC cam gears are good? Thanks again for the information. I will probably just pay someone to put them it might be easier that way you said it took 20 hours or did you mean 2 hours how simply are they to install?
Click to expand...
i have the focus central throttle body and i love it. but i dont know that they still make em. the CFM throttle body is nice. i passed smog with everything on my car. intake, exhaust, cam gears, throttle body, hi flo cat.

i have a steeda short ram tube with an SVT box, snorkle, and K&N filter. i could sell u both that and the cat for 270. because your close you can pick them up. it was 2 hours to install. haha. its not that hard i misspoke. its just you need to be very detail oriented. i could do the install for you if you bought my stuff, but itd have to be done on a sunday because i work everyother day. let me know man.
 
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#9 ·
Do you have to take a bunch of other pieces out to get to the cam gears? It really took 20 hours of work to do it? Or was that 20 hours start to finish?
 
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#11 ·
hEaT said:
Why would you not set them at 0,0? I've always been told to set them to the factory timing, then when you get on a dyno you tune. Why go -4/-4 when you have no idea how it's affecting power?
Click to expand...
i can tell you that the AEM instructions say -4/-4. the factory timing is terrible. when i had it at 0.0 the car was missing like a crazy. the timing at -4/-4 is amazing. there is a power difference. if you put them at 0,0 the car will run like shit. trust me on this. look up under the how to sectin and you will see that -4,-4 is better.


it was 2 HOUR INSTALL. not 20. i misspoke sorry, there are a couple parts to get out of the way. but nothing major. its a good install.
 
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#13 ·
besthaticouldo said:
i can tell you that the AEM instructions say -4/-4. the factory timing is terrible. when i had it at 0.0 the car was missing like a crazy. the timing at -4/-4 is amazing. there is a power difference. if you put them at 0,0 the car will run like shit. trust me on this. look up under the how to sectin and you will see that -4,-4 is better.
Click to expand...
Every car is different. Ford did not have them all timed exactly the same from the factory so -4/-4 might be great for your car, but not for mine or anyone else's. The best, and only real way to tune cam gears is on a dyno.
 
#14 ·
have you installed these on your car? because if you had and put them at 0,0 youd know exactly what i was talking about. the car WILL run like shit. ive done this on 3 different zetec motors.

Our Final Impression
At the end of the instruction sheet there are instructions on how to time the car without a dyno. We were planning on taking it in for tuning in a few weeks so we figured it would be fine at 0 degrees on both cam gears. We ended up setting them to 4 degrees retarded on the intake and exhaust cams as the car ran much better here than at 0 degrees. This was a suggested base setting from AEM and it was much closer to correct than 0 degrees. My friend that was helping with the install was amazed that 4 degrees could affect the car so much. We cannot wait to get it fully tuned in a few weeks.

that is taken directly from this install. http://www.focusfanatics.com/howtos/aem_camgears/

i tried a couple different retardations of the timing before i set on -4,-4. it makes more power according to the butt dyno. car runs smoother. idle is nice. everything is better at that setting. trust me on this one bud.

true the BEST way to do it is a dyno. however a dyno tune is just going to change them and do passes till u get it right. thats exactly what i did, i just didnt use a dyno. i used my head and ass to get a good feel. it might not be exact, but it works damn nice, and the car feels mucccccccccch better!

leave it at that man.
 
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#15 ·
ohnestly unless youre good at installing things and have alot of mods, cams or FI, theyre not worth it unless youre going to get them dyno tuned, also there are probably cheaper brands that are just as good as the FS
 
#16 ·
How much are we looking at? In a general area that is.
 
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#18 ·
it is different for every car in the end but i can almost assure you if they are at TDC and centered for the rearbar at 0,0 it will run like shiite heh
 
#19 ·
besthaticouldo said:
hey, i live in laguna niguel. i installed my cam gears in my car. they are not that hard to do, you just gotta make sure u do it right. i have all the tools to do it. and could do it in about 20 hours. personally they are worth it. and whatever u do you DO NOT set them at 0/0. you set them at -4 on both intake and exhaust.

also if you want a power increase i could sell u my high flow cat. it will mate right up to your header and make good power and keep you smog legal. let me know.

you seem to have a good start with your mods. personally i would do the high flow cat, TB, and cam gears. i have the MAC ones and thye are awesome. i havent had a problem. the are all pretty much the same. i didnt do cams when i did cam gears. so its not necessary.
Click to expand...
High flow cats are NOT legal in Cailf. The cat most be a stock factory unit.
 
#20 ·
hEaT said:
Alright, we'll drop it. I still don't agree, but no use getting into a pissing contest here online about it.
Click to expand...

Agreed every vehicle TDC is different. But, most (i say most) of zetec can get away with -4,-4 as a starting point than tune from there.

My sweet spot was -5 exhaust, -2 intake. Mine an oddity but still. (It was tuned on a dyno). Only way to really know is a dyno otherwise your just guessing.

Also you say is it worth it hell yea. 4whp for 250 bucks seems good to me? I put an i/h/e and got about the same. The stock timing on this things is about as bad as it gets.

That my .02 cents and not a darn penny more !!!!!!!!! [burnout]
Anthony
 
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