Well I now own a set of secret cams, RK hi-flow cat and Pacesetter 4-1 header. I'm kinda dragging my feet on the instals, mainly due to lack of experience but I think I'm ready now. I have read a bunch of posts regarding the cams and the header but does anyone have any advice before I start either of these projects? I think I should have the cams cleaned before hand, but how exactly do I do that? How hard is the header REally? Should I really consider a bigger TB for this whole transformation or should I hold off until I decide about a Supercharger? Thanks to anyone who can give me a morale boos here!! Also, any idea as to what gains I could even expect with this stuff?
2001 Z24 Auto
RK motor mounts
BM shift +
AEM WAI
Front strut bar
the cams, i heard from a friend who does engine work that if your not a mechanic he wouldnt suggest doing it yourself because you need to fool with the timing gears and all that and could easily mess up the engine and the header is easy to put on but you need or i did anyway, to take off the dipstick to put the new header on because it was in the way. good luck
As j said, careful with the timing thing. If you're not sure it's right, get someone who can make sure. Of course, a Haynes manuel is a good buy.
However, the swap is possible, I'd never seen the inside of an engine before my cam swap, and though we screwed up my timing at first, we were successful. I'm not a mechanic, but I've done the swap a few times now, so I'd be glad to help if you have a question.
Oh, and if you wanna get a new TB, why not do the 2.3 intake manifold swap while you're at it? I'd say you're not in any immediate need for a new TB at the moment, but, hey, if you're gonna do it, might as well go all out.
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I would find a experience mechanic to help you with the cams, however you shoud be able to clean them with regular old carb cleaner if they are really dirty.
thanks a bunch guys, I just hate messing with such a strong reliable beast of a car like mine unless I know I can take care of it the Right Way The First Time....how is that mani swap anyhow, I have that on my to buy list as well but thought it wouldnt be worth the money or work!!
You would see some high end gains from a + sized throttle body, that is an easy swap, just make sure you don't damage the sensors when you are taking them off the old throttle body. Im not sure how people do this but I have seen it happen a few time so just be careful.
The header should be strait forward, but you might have to spend time monkeying around with it getting the old one out and new one in and into correct position. Just take your time give your self half a day to do it. Make sure your gaskets are in good shape too.
If you are looking for where to go next I suggest doing a full exhaust 2 1/4 setup, if you are sure your doing turbo soon you may want to go 2.5 on the pipe size (I wouldn't guess this since you just bought a header).
Otherwise the 2.25 setup would be good for a year or so until then or would be okay if you decided to go with the S/C kit.
jsunfireGT2000 wrote:the cams, i heard from a friend who does engine work that if your not a mechanic he wouldnt suggest doing it yourself because you need to fool with the timing gears and all that and could easily mess up the engine and the header is easy to put on but you need or i did anyway, to take off the dipstick to put the new header on because it was in the way. good luck
Just what he said...
You don't want to do a cam swap on a the 2.4 motor. The cam timing is VERY sensitive. Even professionals have a hard to installing them and takes them hours on top of hours just to install it. Save some cash and have a pro install it cause once you mess that timing up...your going to end up taking it to a pro to fix it.
As far as the header...it shouldn't be too hard, the tough part is that the header is behind the motor so it's MUCH harder for you to work on and see what your doing.
A bigger Throttle Body will help with throttle response (like BlackEco said). Also with the cam work, you'll notice a nice pull in your power band. I don't have the 2.4 motor, I have the ECOTEC and that's the difference I noticed.
Good luck with your modifications...
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Thank you all for the input. I think I'll go for the header pretty soon, shouldn't be too bad for me. I'll be having a shop weld up a 2.25" exhaust and cat as well As for Cam instal labor costs, what might I be expecting to pay here? I have been pretty worried about the timing and damaging the motor. At least I have the supplies I've been wanting and the patience to do things properly! I'll keep things updated!!
