marks350Z

Wow this thread has been confusing. My short block is currently being rebuilt with forged internals. I'm getting a greddy TT installed. I am definitely replacing the cams while the engine is out. If I'm basically wanting power all the time and wanting my Z to run smoothly... which are the best cams to get? I'm also going to go for the UTEC. Thanks for all the help.

Z1 Performance

iTrader: (564)

forget the polls, and forget the hearsay

if you are getting your engine built, presumably by a professional machine shop, your best bet is to ask them what to use. Stock cam specs are easy to find, and from there, show them the lift and duration figures for the various aftermarket sets on there. Tell your builder what YOU are looking for out of the motor, and they will set you straight.

WSchli1672

+1 on that.... but I myself have the JWT Cams...talked with the garage first and a few others with cams in their cars that have APS TT's, which I'm putting in mine....

mchapman

iTrader: (1)

This is true for everything (not just cams) and it goes without saying.

If you want to hear a professional's opinion go ask a professional. But just because he's a professional doesnt mean his suggestions wont be bias towards some product they are used to working with it or they get more money from pushing it.

Professionals dont make polls, threads or forums void. You need both to determine whos bull****ting at any given time.

altimateone

It has been mentioned in this thread many times about "VTC" module or pulleys is needed to help control lowend torque. I guess that VTC means Variable Timing Control.. I have a Altima 3.5SE. I know we have the same basic engine but we run on a distributorless ignition and as far as I know cannot control timing seperately. Do 350Z have distributors? how are you guys controlling timing seperately from the ECU

Z350Lover

iTrader: (2)

the only way to control the timing is via the ECU... that's why a stand alone is needed for the new VTC operations or you will need to do a full reflash on the VTC operation mapping in the standard ECU to make it work (to the cam profiles that you are using)...

cheers,

richie

altimateone

what stand alone unit our you guys using to adjust the timing. I didn't know there was something available for our type of ignition

racin

iTrader: (1)

It is the timing of the CAMS. A mechanical thing, not ignition timing.

thezedsled

iTrader: (1)

Nismo is the way to go!

altimateone

ignition timing is directly related to cam timing.. but what your saying is your advancing the timing on the cam sprocket. I want to know if your adjusting the timing externally

racin

iTrader: (1)

I use our UECM to adjust our ignition timing. The VTC's do it by mechanical means on the cam timing.

Z350Lover

iTrader: (2)

racin:

with the VTCs, you still need the ECU to adjust them.... they aren't just running mechanically with the crank... you just leave the VTC operation to the OEM ECU to control solenoids to operate VTC pullys in your case.

cheers,

richie

racin

iTrader: (1)

Yes, I know, but the action of the cam timing change is a mechanical process, which changes from stock due to mechanical changes to the NISMO VTC pulley. The ECU continues to send the same signals to the solenoids.

My original response to this may have been to a question I thought was being asked about how/if we are controlling the VTC pulley timing by computer. It seems perhaps the question was about spark timing, which would not have fit in with the rest of the thread. Sorry if I was confused, and if I confused anyone. Or if I'm still confused...

Z350Lover

iTrader: (2)

I think altimateone wants to know this:

the cam timing change is a mechanical process... long theory short is that ECU controls solenoid operations, then solenoids affect VTC pulleys to result in change of cam timing... So if the ECU program is not re-written, even though with nismo VTC pulley installed, the standard program in the ECU will still be asking what stock vtc pulleys suppose to do and the cam timing will not be advanced via the benefit of just changing the VTC units... I am confusing anyone here???

cheers,

richie

altimateone

I think Racin has it right I think.. I know cam timing is mechanical and set when installing the cam. What I'm asking is ignition timing.. reading in some of the post I got the impression that there was a way you guys were advancing and retarding ignition timing and was wondering how you guys are doing it. I always thought it could not be adjusted that the dealer could only do it

I got another question.. Does anyone make an adjustable cam sproket for the VQ. has anyone experimented with adjusting lobe seperation angles with there cams.

Z350Lover

iTrader: (2)

altimateone:

Sorry to get it wrong or confuse you at the first place... With the ignition timing... we can advance or retard the ignition timing via either stand alone computer (motec, utec, f-con... etc.) or with the piggyback such as unichip computer. Stand alone computer which can be use to re-write any ignition timing that you want since it replaces the OEM ECU entirely, so that is pretty straight forward. Also generally speaking... piggyback is acting as an interceptor to those pulses sent to/from the OEM ecu and manipulates those pulses to achieve the ignition timing map that people desire... and that's what I understand about how the piggyback can alter the ignition timing (I might be wrong and if I am, people please correct me here!)

The ecu adjusts the cam timing already at the pulleys, so it is fully adjustable via programming if that's what you want to know?! As I know, I don't think there is any mechnical cam pulley that you can set a certain degrees like RB26DETT cam pulleys though... but I might learn something else from other members here!

cheers,

richie

altimateone

does the EU have this feature

thats also what I want to know.. so there is no degreeing our cams. There just installed straight up. The Nismo VTC pulley does anyone have them. I read they are pre-set so there is no adjusting with those either

Juztin

iTrader: (9)

When I first installed the nismo cams I was not impressed at all with the performance. Felt *slightly better than stock, but nothing like taking off the stock cats or the crawford Z plenum where I really felt those mods (did those mods before the cams). I'm at altitude so I know I'm already behind the curve (but I felt more performance improvement with no cats/crawford plenum than I did with the cams - bar none), but figured i'd chime in here with some hands on experience with the nismo cams. I also used to get a misfire code every once in a while P0301 which I had checked out and the dealer couldn't find anything wrong with cyl 1. I ended up changing from 91 octane to 93 octane and never got the misfire code again and the cars performance was definately improved when the weather was hot where it was usually slugish on 91 octane. If you go with cams I'd advise JWT (thought their cam profile differs slightly, or go with the more aggressive Tomei) and trying bumping up the octane if you can, but from my experience with the nismo's and the lack of performance improvement I'd rather of just kept the stock profile and invest that money towards FI. I'm going FI now and the cams will probably now be worth the money, but n/a wise i'd just keep the stock profile. Another aspect of it though is the tuning, or lack there of since my car is untuned with my mods - who knows maybe something like the UTEC would of gotten me more power. But for plug and play power upgrades, I dont think the nismo cams are something worth considering.

Z350Lover

iTrader: (2)

altimateone:

I have the Nismo VTC installed and they look exactly the same as the stock VTC... and they will need to be operated into different angles by the ECU, they aren't preset as you said.. that's why nismo gave out this graph, so the tuner can adjust the VTC angles (in the ECU mapping) to get the most out of those high angle/lift cams...



Juztin:

I think those cams that you installed are US spec nismo cams, they aren't the same cams as what I have in my engine which definitely need a stand alone ECU to tune, and with my cams + VTC + ecu, I get around 45rwKW which is around 61rwHP (10-15rwHP might be from the headers since I installed them together), but with a bit of lumpy idle when cold... I think the most important thing about the cams and HP gains are how you tune with the ECU...

cheers,

richie

altimateone

you have to bare with me as I'm trying to learn this animal the VQ engine!
and how it functions.. i'm very familiar with a Chevy engine which is nothing like the VQ. All my questioning about the timing and VTC is because I will be doing my own cam install soon and want to know if the cams can be degreed.
I'm now starting to understand what this VTC is and how it works.
I understand that it operates or engages with oil pressure fed by a solenoid to automatically advance the intake cam at lower speeds to help lowend power (torque). And shuts off at higher speeds which retards back to aids topend power basically... I know there are alot of inputs that the ECU reads to how much it advances..

Now what I mean by it being "pre-set" is I know the stock VTC can advance as much as 40 degrees so its pre-set to that point. Where the Nismo VTC can advance to 60 and its pre-set to that point. thats how I understand it..

So the VTC sprocket is something that can't be mechanically positioned for advance timing or would you want to since its a self advancing mechanism controlled by the ECU from multitude of inputs from sensors..

Like I said I'm very familiar with the Chevy engine and installed many cams in them. My knowledge of thinking that I can degree these cams in a similar manner which it can't. DOHC engines is completely different animal with this VTC. But since we do have seperate cams for intake and exhaust.. lobe seperation angles can be adjusted is something I am wondering can be done with our cams. Now since we have VTC which cannot be missed with.. what about the exhaust sprocket. What if we had a adjustable exhaust sprocket.
hum.. something to think about

if anything I said above is not right, you can correct me as I am learning this new animal!!