How to identify KA24DE cams? (with out markings)

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VRoy
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I have been reading up on the cam swaps and still have a few questions I don't think have been covered. Is there anyway to easily identify any single intake/exhaust cam such as a 232 or 240 from each other with out measuring equipment? I am aware of the green, orange markings and pins, but some of the cams I have around are out of unknown KA's. Also would using a cam out of another car with different buckets/valve shims be of concern? Or is that valve specific? Thanks once again guys


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VRoy
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So upon further inspection of the cams we had at hand. We noticed they all have 53f stamped in to them and they all had a number stamped between the middle lobes. This is what we found on hand

1 - stamped 5 - exhaust pin - marked green1 - stamped 4 - intake pin - no noticeable mark2 - stamped 3 - 1 intake, 1 exhaust- both marked1 - stamped 2 - intake pin - no noticeable mark

Any ideas on what the stamp markings represent? or is this just a random cast number of some sort?

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VRoy
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Bump. Come on guys, nothing? Would this be better posted in the KA Forum Mods?

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DMan II-40
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Im actually really interested in this too. It would definatly be good information to have avilable.

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VRoy
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I've talked to one other guy on the 510 forums who has a cam with a 1 stamp also. I havent gotten a reply on any of the forums i have this posted on. I have to go by the machine shop tomorrow anyway. So i may see if they can measure them for me real quick. As a last resort i might just go by harbor fright and get a dial indicator. I was just hoping with all the knowledge on the NICOforums some had already done this. It seems like to much of a coincidence.

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VRoy
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Went by the machine shop today, and was told they didnt have the right equipment to measure the cams. So.....I think i am going to have to make a trip to harbor fright, but i need to figure out how to make some sort of rig to hold the cam for measuring? Still waiting for someone to just pop in with the answer

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DMan II-40
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VRoy wrote:1 - stamped 5 - exhaust pin - marked green1 - stamped 4 - intake pin - no noticeable mark2 - stamped 3 - 1 intake, 1 exhaust- both marked1 - stamped 2 - intake pin - no noticeable mark
There is 4 different cams. 232/232 (S14) and 240/248 (s13). You have three different intake numbers, and 2 different exhaust numbers.

On this line: 2 - stamped 3 - 1 intake, 1 exhaust- both marked

you said both marked, which colors are they marked?

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DMan II-40
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Ok i been digging and found several threads and now I have developed a theory for each number (yes baised on evidence):

E= exhaustI=Intake

5 = E2324 = I2403 = I232 or E248 (check gear pin)2 = I2401 = E248

I came up with these numbers baised on the fact that S14 gears 232 (orange) / 232 (green) and S13 240 (green) / 248 (orange). Then used your information, and the information from these threads:http://tinyurl.com/yk358zh (got e-mail confiriming pictures are from an S13)http://tinyurl.com/yh9rlchhttp://tinyurl.com/yka3orj

Then used process of elimination with the colors, and type of cam (intake or echaust) then matched them to the numbers the people said they had. Lastly the only ones I didnt have evidence on was #3 intake, and #1 exhaust. But I figured there wasn't another intake left and I232 was missing so I placed that there. And since there was two I240s I figured there would also be two E248 thus being #1. So there is only 4 cams (I232, E232, I240, and E248) and 5 different numbers (6 if you count two number 3s). This is all based on information I have found. If you have anything else you can find please post it, or if you can confirm the numbers let us know.
Modified by DMan II-40 at 3:27 PM 10/14/2009

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VRoy
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DMan II-40 wrote:
There is 4 different cams. 232/232 (S14) and 240/248 (s13). You have three different intake numbers, and 2 different exhaust numbers.

On this line: 2 - stamped 3 - 1 intake, 1 exhaust- both marked

you said both marked, which colors are they marked?
I'll have to check tomorrow when i make it back to the shop. I will be sure to post them though. Thanks alot for the research, you found more then i could. I found a dial indicator at harbor freight for 9 bucks and i have a trash head we are going to use for a rig. So i will hopefully beable to go back over your findings this weekend. Thanks again bro, this will be helpful for the whole forum.

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stagen
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Im not too sure about the number theory. I just cracked open my completly stock '96 s14 and both cams had 2 stamped on them. Intake was orange, exhaust was green.

And I just got some cams shipped to me that were supposed to be out of an s13. Intake cam was green and had 4 stamped on it and the exhaust is orange with a 5 stamped on it. The lobes on the exhaust cam are noticeably broader than the stock s14 cams too so Im thinking I did get the correct 240/248 combo.

Just a lil more info to add to this confusing mess :crazy:

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DMan II-40
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Interesting. Just a theory tho and was hard to find information of peoples cam durations and the number stamped. Had few data to work with, but I still agree that that number stamped on there has to mean something.

lbreevesii
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The first cam you mentioned(stamp 5, green, exhaust) has to be a 232 exhaust cam of course.

Look again at the ones that have no noticeable mark. Several of my cams are next to impossible to tell but if you look reeeeally hard in the right light you can tell.

My stock intake cam is almost impossible to tell which color it is. Its an S13 240 duration and has a 1 stamped on it. If you're still having issue si'll post up the numbers on my 232E and 248E cams when I pull the cover again.

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#1_Gun
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OK so this is thread is awesome btw, but i have a question.

I just took my head and cams to the shop to get cleaned and whatnot in preperation for my rebuild and i dont remember which is intake or which is exhaust? I have one thats green and has a 5 on it and one thats orange that has a 4 on it . Is this even a possible stock combo? according to the info ^ the 5 green is exhaust ? right?
:confused:

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#1_Gun
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:biggrin: ok so i called Jim Wolf and asked how to identify the difference between the intake and exhaust cams. They said that both have the alignment dowel on the front, for the sprocket.... the intake cam will have the dowel straight inline with the first lobe. On the exhaust, if the dowel is at 12'o clock the first lobe will be at 2'o clock ish.

I thought the colors would have something to do with it but apparently they dont :gotme ...

Anyway, that was my big problem with cams so i figured i would share it with you guys. hope it helps someone out :dblthumb:

lbreevesii
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Yup location pins are different. I don't know why that didn't get mentioned before. Or did it and I forgot?

The reason why color can be confusing is that they switched what color was what between S13 and S14.

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jt15833
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Hate to bring this back from the dead but I spent this lovely afternoon popping the valve covers off my S14 motor (in car) and an s13 motor (on stand). I was surprised to see a 4/5 (240/232) combo in the S14 and a 5/4 (232/240) in the s13. Atleast I think it's an s13, the valve cover has square corners in the back.

Are we positive that the stamps are a consistent measure across all cams? Neither of these combos is stock, right? I'm happy I've got 240/232 in the S14 which I have read good reviews of, just short of 248/232 maybe. If I want that, I just go to a junkyard and find a 3 or a 1 from an s13?

Thanks guys

Fastazz240
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there is no definitive way of know what cams you have unless you actualy measure them i have a few myself i hve taken apart 3 diff heads wound up with a set of 240's, 248's and a set of 232. the wasy it works from factory 240 cam is from the intake side of an s13 while the 248 is from the exhaust side of an s13. the two 232 cams one intake and one exhaust are from a s14 colors are a way to tell but i dont remember off the top of my head. the stamps are nothing good luck guys once i finally get home i will make a list of all the cams i have. 3 s13 motors and 3 s14 and you guys can decide from there


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