MazdaSpeed Cams

[Pro5OnSpeed]

i have mazdaspeed cams and am planning on installing them. is there anybody who would be able to tell me how many degrees advanced i need to go with them. also i know i need adjustable cam gears, but i dont know what the correct timming would be with these cams. please need much help!

 

[Greensleeper]

Great question, also want the answer please!

 

[Gen1GT]

Install the camshafts at straight-up timing(as it says in your service manual). Then, the only one who can tell you how to time them to your needs is Mr.Dyno. Find a good shop with a dyno, and spend a couple hours making adjustments, and go with whatever's best for you. A normal 'performance' adjustment is +2 on the intake and -2 on the exhaust, which will create more overlap, helping high RPM scavaging. You could also try 0 on the intake side, and -4 on the exhaust side to aid in that scavaging, and retarded cam timing favours high RPM power too. Maybe even try -2 and -6. If you want to torque, do the opposited.

 

[akhilleus]

I highly doubt you will need to do much adjusting on those cams. I am guessing that u have the JDM intake and MSP exhaust. I had my intake advanced 4deg+- and it was too much. maybe 1-2deg at most so u don't lose your top end too much.

 

[viVid]

Pro5OnSpeed, thanks for asking this question... it will probably be my next mod.

So akhilleus, are you saying that 1-2 degrees of overlap at most (by advancing the intake cam only)?

akhilleus/Gen1GT, I am not looking to get every ounce of HP out of my cams and don't have the time or money to dyno tune. With the common bolt on's (I/H/E, etc.), what are some good numbers to be at to gain a little up top and still maintain drivability?

I highly doubt you will need to do much adjusting on those cams. I am guessing that u have the JDM intake and MSP exhaust. I had my intake advanced 4deg+- and it was too much. maybe 1-2deg at most so u don't lose your top end too much.

 

[twilightprotege]

with stock cams, maximum gains came from 4 deg retard intake, 2 deg retard exhaust (i think) - will check tonight when i get home from work

the j-spec would probably be similar

another idea would be to try and work out some sort of system where you can easily get to the cam gears to adjusting doesnt take 20 minutes each time.

 

[twilightprotege]

close.

2 hash marks advance (clockwise) for the intake cam (ie 4 degrees)
1 hash mark retard (anticlockwise) for the exhaust cam (ie 2 degrees)

 

[Gen1GT]

There ya go, Andrew's car makes huge high RPM power, and his car is fast, even if he traded it for some power down low. If you don't plan on making that sacrifice, then there's no point in even getting cam gears.

 

[Greensleeper]

Thank you all!!!

 

[SOLO Proto]

im assuming you guys are runnign vernier pullies to adjust your cams...or does the stock sys. proved adjustment??? (glare)

 

[viVid]

I wish the stock system was adjustable! No, we have to get aftermarket adjustable cam gears from someone like SR Motorsports or Tri-point Engineering... at about 3 bills for the set.

im assuming you guys are runnign vernier pullies to adjust your cams...or does the stock sys. proved adjustment??? (glare)

 

[viVid]

Thanks twilight, this is where I will set mine then. How much low end did you lose with these settings?

close.

2 hash marks advance (clockwise) for the intake cam (ie 4 degrees)
1 hash mark retard (anticlockwise) for the exhaust cam (ie 2 degrees)

 

[twilightprotege]

i havent dont those settings on mine actually. i have 0,0. those settings above apparently yield maximum power on the stock cams. they'd be pretty close to max power on the j-spec/mazdaspeed cams as well.

for me i need to retard my intake cam if anything i guess

 

[Gen1GT]

I have UR Ultra TRs.....

 

[Pro5OnSpeed]

hey thank you all for answering my guestions!

so.... just so i understand, instead of getting adjustable cam gears i could probably use the stock gears then just move the gear a tooth or so? or would that be way to much. how many degrees is one tooth? or was the hash marks you were talking about?

 

[viVid]

I figured it out when I installed my cams... I think it worked out to be about 8 degrees per tooth or something like that. Way too much for the fine adjustments we need to make.

hey thank you all for answering my guestions!

so.... just so i understand, instead of getting adjustable cam gears i could probably use the stock gears then just move the gear a tooth or so? or would that be way to much. how many degrees is one tooth? or was the hash marks you were talking about?

 

[Gen1GT]

Yes, moving the position one tooth is way too much. One tooth is equal to something like 15 crank degrees, which is way too much.

 

[Gen1GT]

I figured it out when I installed my cams... I think it worked out to be about 8 degrees per tooth or something like that. Way too much for the fine adjustments we need to make.

Ya, 8 CAM degrees, which rotates at half the speed of the crank....

 

[twilightprotege]

yes 1 tooth is way too much - ask akhilleus

 

[akhilleus]

yeah...it definately was too much... but not as much as it seems. In some ways it was good cause i had a a very nice low-mid, which had been lost from other mods. However the top end never recovered, which i thought it would just through addtional mods. I was wrong. W/O cam gears or some adjustment though your low/mid end will suffer.