DIY KA24DE adjustable cam gears

[glacier985]

Picked up my 91 240, 248 exhaust cam today time to get to work. I'm not sure if anyone has ever done this to an altima before.

[DjPantsSpecR]

yay, and i think its great how many people have been waiting for this.

and how long i put off doing this. it took me a total of two hours to make the template to scale, drill the gear, swap cams, and make the write-up.

not bad for two hours work

[DjPantsSpecR]

hey i just wanted to tell everyone what i thought about my newest cam gear timing.

i redrilled another cam gear for 2.5 degrees of retard. i used this on my exhaust cam, so the set up is 248(+5(which is actually only 2.3 over stock))/248(-2.5)

obviously this set up is supposed to throw midrange to the wind and go for top end. now, i really wish i had time and funds to hit up a dyno, and eventually i will, but until then i can only butt-dyno....

so with this increased overlap it idles even ****tier. When the car isnt warm its not going to idle until the temp is about 130F. When you get to operating temp, it loops like a half a small block. I poly'd my mounts so it shakes the **** outta me, but i obviously knew this was going to happen, and i actually like it alot. i'm sure anyone who knows anything can tell this car has cams, and everyone else jsut thinks my car is a huge pile that cant idle.

now on to the impressions: it seems like i actually have small gains at around 3k. it was wet yesterday but the car was sliding around corners at 1/4 throttle, which didnt happen before. I do however, know for a fact that there is a slight loss in midrange. you dont really notice it until the heat soaks into the car more, but then again, you wont really notice at all....

i'm not sure if there is any gain in peak horsepower, although im sure there is. Because you are actually getting more gains in the RPMS i never touched before. the power from about 5500-7000 is pretty linear, and i really like the gain ive found.

im not sure this swap is going to be for everyone, unless they are already used to a car that idles like ****. additionally i know alot of KA people dont rev the **** out of their motor, and not all of you can reach 7k. i'm getting ready for my high compression pistons and my new intake manifold, so i'm going to be shooting for peak horsepower first.

next up is 248(+2.5)/248(-2.5) should be better for a little midrange and a little less peak.

also i heard that Ivan is using +10 degrees with his V3s on the intake side..... for that small block idle, and obviously he's found something in it

[mmm240]

you rock! with all the info on this, but it's not a good thing to rev to 7k because of the off balanced crank. correct?i shift before 6.5k because of this. am i wrong? it just doesn't feel right to take it to 7kif we only wanted top end out of our ka's why don't we just go turbo?

[DjPantsSpecR]

excellent questions sir.

should we be revving to 7k? probably not. i never spec'd the bearings on this motor, and it just so happens i could care less what happens to the bottom end. i have four KA's and ive been beating the **** out of this one for two years straight. its going to be rebuilt for high compression this winter, but i'll check the bearings, but probably not replace.

i think the reason why you shift before 6.5 is because power falls off so bad. however, you gear ratios always allow for maximum acceleration by shifting at redline. if you could rev to 8k but power fell off by 50hp, you would still be at an advantage by shifting at redline. when you start making more power you do this alot less as you know you can compensate with torque in the next gear.

i know it doesnt feel right to shift at 7k yet, but it will. plus i wish you had felt the intake manifold i made. that thing breathes so much new life into top end KAs, it'll make a believer out of many. you will most likely be able to purchase my intake manifold design by the end of winter as ive recently hooked up with a new shop.

Now, its really nice to be making top end power for this reason. say you run to 7k in first gear, which almost always happens. If you shift early you wont get as muhc MPH out of that gear, and when you hit second you'll be further down in your rpm range. now thats all fine and dandy if you're making low end torque with power adders, but when you shift into third by shifting early you'll feel th effects even more. i really really like the new set up with 2.5 retard on the exhaust side. after you shift at redline you're already right back into the power band, for every gear.

so its not so much that we are just making top end, but im trying to put the power band right where you are after a shift, and anything after 4K is golden with this swap.

if youre a road racer, you'll love the linearity of N/A, and you cant beat the response. the torque is great too, right after a shift you can feel the subframe twist (****ty bushings) and since 7k is the factory limit, i trust Nissan did enough homework to let me do it everyday on my 13 yearf old motor.

so to answer your question: getting a fully counterweighted crank would make me feel good about reving to 8500. i'm not scared to take this stock bottom end to 7200. Maybe if i can afford some ARP fasteners i would have a 7500 rev limit. So the crank is a big deal, but not for the rpm ranges we are shooting for, im more concerned about the piston accelerations at these RPMS, and stretching rods/ fasteners.

thanks for the inquery

[mmm240]

i know it doesnt feel right to shift at 7k yet, but it will. plus i wish you had felt the intake manifold i made. that thing breathes so much new life into top end KAs, it'll make a believer out of many. you will most likely be able to purchase my intake manifold design by the end of winter as ive recently hooked up with a new shop.

if youre a road racer, you'll love the linearity of N/A, and you cant beat the response. the torque is great too, right after a shift you can feel the subframe twist (****ty bushings) and since 7k is the factory limit, i trust Nissan did enough homework to let me do it everyday on my 13 yearf old motor.

thanks for the inquery

i haven't yet figured out how to post in between quotes so please bear with me. i have separated my replies by the paragraphs that i have made to your quotes

1) excellent stuff! i'm extremely excited!!!

2) road racing is what i'm going for! mmmtorque!!!

3) you're very welcome sir! and i thank you!!!

[LayNLow240]

i haven't yet figured out how to post in between quotes so please bear with me.

well heres how.say you quoted john doe on something.(quote=john doe) blah blah something or another(/quote)(quote) blah blah blah (/quote)just replace ( with [ and ) with ].

wish i could tell what cams i have on my car now, and what my other set of cams i have laying around on my spare head. because my spare head i forgot what year it came off of, and the one in my coupe is a junkyard motor so no clue what year that is either. only if nissan would mark them from the factory.

[ORL240]

lol im not gonna take your 5 bucks. maybe you'll buy my intake manifold when it comes out....

u can put me on ur mani waitlist.

great write-up DJ

[DjPantsSpecR]

LayNLow240:

sometimes its pretty easy to figure out what cam you have by the colors.

i think ive finally realized why nissan changed the colors of the cams when they switched to 232s:

well, with the exception of 98s (and 94s, because i cant remember off hand what colors they are)cams are identified as follows:

if the pin on the front of the cam is in line with the first lobe: ie 12 oclock and 12 oclockGreen: s13 240deg intOrange: S14 232deg int

if the pin is about 90 degrees (not really 90) to the left of the first cam lobe: ie 12 oclock lobe 9 oclock pinGreen: s14 232deg exhOrange: s13 248deg exh

some people will argue not to go off the paint colors, but all you need to know is if the pin is in the line with the first lobe, then its an intake cam, if it doesnt, its an exhaust. easy enough

[d3vilskid]

hey dj i know it has nothing to do wit cams but you were talkin bout an intake mani are u done wit it yet

[1sikS13]

definatly gonna play around with this when i do my timing chain next weekend great write up man

[DjPantsSpecR]

No, my fabricator is really backed up. he should have been done over a month ago, but both meand him have run into serious problems tht have nothign to d with the manifolds unfortunately.

so, soon.

[matt4pl]

you're my hero

[d3vilskid]

ok well when you get ur intake mani done, hit me up ok. anyways i was rereading the tread again and you mentioned somthing about the 248(+2.5)/232 and you havnt tried it yet, rite. Well is it better then the 248(+5)/232? And what if you use the 240 on the exhaust side? or can that be done?

[DjPantsSpecR]

yep, you can use the 240 on the exhaust side, but its up to you and a degree wheel to get it in the correct position. ive done all the math, but honestly, i cant remember.

if you can get 248s i say use them, the half lift duration is much greater.

unfortunately i havent driven the car since january. Its actually dead. im lookin at the next one on friday or so

[d3vilskid]

ok just wondering just wondering about that I am actually going to be using the 248/232, since i cant find my other 248 exhaust dont know what happen to it.

[d3vilskid]

after i drill holes into the gear how am i suppose to advance it?

[DjPantsSpecR]

oh my.....

you match the numbered or lettered tooth on the gear to the numbered or lettered hole on the gear.

if you need further instruction go to the jim wolf technology website. Dont bend any valves either.

[neverlift]

hey dj what up?

I'm going de(this week I hope), I'm not sure of the year of the motor but I idi already get some cam gears drilled out to tune the car some. It will be on stock tune and basic bolt ons for the time being. Once I find out what year/cams are in it I'll be bugging you to help me.

[DjPantsSpecR]

ha, no more SOHC love?

its all good, i got you, you know that.

[neverlift]

no still have mad sohc love just kinda made a big mistake the other day.... temp gauge said all was fine but I was at the light and heard a slight tap/knock.... pulled into my driveway(1 mile away) and opened a masive cloud of smoke coming from everything but the exhaust manifold then my friend said he had a dohc for sale but has to wait so IDK what I'm gonna do now.

but I plan to go dohc anyways now as the parts out are more vast... your manifold, and turbo manifolds galore so I'm following the trend...

[d3vilskid]

well i finish the adjustable cams n already put them in. pretty straight forward. didnt realize it was just the same way putting the cams in and just putting the cam in the hole u want it to hahaha stupid me. So far I love it low to mid range has increased i think well to me. tahnks alot

[DjPantsSpecR]

Sweet man! what set up are you using?

[d3vilskid]

so far im using a 248(+2.5) and a 232 exhaust. Im looking for another 248 but i couldnt seem to find my other. Excellent low to mid power. I can finally make my tires chirp on first gear!!!

[neverlift]

well dj my de is still not in/in my possession,but I have a projected date... 20~21 of may... dood is suposed to have it pulled on the 19th so I may have it in on that day if he is an early riser.... I am so I just call his *** early...

got one cam gear drilled but my cordless died out so I have 8 more(maybe 9) holes left and a swap and I can test it out woot woot...s13 with stock cams whats that 248 232? any suggestions for the top end gains? intake exhaust is all for now

[d3vilskid]

Yea 248 to 232 on my S14 great low end. Problem now is that i hav to clean my throttle n something else around my intake manifold. It shakes lik crazy n my gas pedal is stiff. Know the problem but havnt got to it yet. Wen Im finsih wit it n it runs better, ill tell u more on the result of da cam swap, since i know i am losing some kind of power

[d3vilskid]

No, my fabricator is really backed up. he should have been done over a month ago, but both meand him have run into serious problems tht have nothign to d with the manifolds unfortunately.

so, soon.

almost forgot to ask, is there any low to mid horse pwer gains from ur intake manifold? or is it only for top end?

[DjPantsSpecR]

i wouldnt actually know yet. from the prototype it was mainly top end gains, but im sure there might be some mid range?

you certainly can't have it all on an intake manifold, so i wont know where the comprimise is until my guy gets off his ***, hands me my mani, and i slap it on another members KA

[d3vilskid]

oh yea dat is rite lol. well hope he do get off his @#$ n get it done

[neverlift]

just send me one dood I'll be kade on the 20THwoot I hope still....I'll wideband and gtech it