installing cams in the max is a PITA and not worth the $$. just get some headers for 600 and get the 25+whp you want.

 

ic, i already got headers...so was wondering if cams are easier than what people say...but i guess not...i'll listen to people like u becuz you've done many installs on your car...and yer a knowledgeable person

 

cams are a Bia*** to install, i've changed the cams in all my hondas and it was a walk in the park, no problem!! i did my buddy's Cobra, we threw a set of comp cams and springs and it was a massive PITA. Not only that, i cant imagine what pain it is to change the cams in the back of our motor!!! I'de say between bolt ons and tunning you can deff achieve great power. i would leave the cams as a last resort!

 

well for me it would be damn near inpossible but my buddy's dad rebuilds engines for a living, thats really what he specializes in and my buddy has been working in his dads shop since he was 10 yrs old and has rebuilt literally hundreds of engines so I think if we do some research first and talk to people who have done it before than it shouldent be that bad.

Alone I deff couldent do it. I'm still a noob

 

The only reason i decided to swap in Nismo R-tune cams in my 3.5L is because we had the motor out of the car and it was already required. Otherwise i would say nevar evar mess with them if you are NA. Now if you have FI like me you can see + 30whp gains from what i have seen on my350z.

Its not that it is impossible or that technical, it is just a very space limited area to work.

 

They are pretty easy to install with the engine out, but with it in I wouldn't even try. Taking the timing chain covers off with the engine in takes patience I don't have.

 

Did you mean phenolic gaskets?

 

I meant the plenum spacer that goes between the upper and lower Plenum. I think a couple guys are working on making them for our cars right now. I think word is now that only the smaller spacer will work because of clearence with a FSTB.

 

Spacers wont do much for our cars with the FWD IM. It will make the intake runners longer... and some of us don't want that.

Upper and lower plenum = elbow + associated VIAS assembly with runners... IM (LIM for most of us) = small piece between heads and lower plenum.

So which pieces are you referring to...since the FSM names things a little different than some do here on the org, just thought I'd see if we're all on the same page...

 

so you're sayin the gaskets would benefit more than spacer?

gasket = 1/4th thick

spacer = 5/16th thick

IIRC

 

Gasket is to prevent heat flow, spacer is to increase air flow.. Thats what it means to me anyhow.

 

Longer intake runners will add more high RPM power I believe, am I correct? Which is good if I did some internal work on the motor and raised the redline slightly. Which I am thinking about doing if I start autoX because I have an auto tranny which right now will do about 43 mph in first gear. If I can raise the redline slightly I could do most autoX courses and never have to shift out of first gear which would give me an advantage or at least keep me even with the manual guys cause I wouldent have to think about shifting. Plus to me I really want more top end out of my VQ35 where I feel it is VERY weak right now. On the highway my car feels slow as molases, which really has more to do with the 4sp auto's gearing but having relativly little power above 6k - 6500doesnt really help either.

 

Unless you know something I don't, I'd say you're wrong.

 

I am asking you. Because thats the assumption I was under but I'm not sure.

But if I didnt do the spacer I would still probably take a good look at the thermal gaskets that I know at least one guy is about to dyno and see if they make any gains on our cars.

 

from what I know, the longer runners add torque...but compromise high end power somewhat.....if you want incredible top-end, go with the short runners

 

So everyone gets this straight.

The spacer that is most talked about in the VQ35DE community is for RWD versions with the clamshell IM design. The early (non rev up) RWD versions were designed to where the 2 front cylinders were 'starved' of air. So companies decided to remedy this by adding a spacer in order to equalize the air intake volume to the front cylinders.

On OUR FWD manifolds, this problem does not exsist. So in our world, a phenolic spacer, or as I prefer to call it, gasket, would benefit more. So unless you have a Z33 IM on your car, a mechanical spacer will not do anything. If someone can prove me wrong, feel free.

For us phenolic > adding 'space'

 

Want to share more on how the phenolic spacer works as I'm not familiar with that term

 

it basically cools the air temperatures down...doesn't necessarily "give" hp...but releases the hp that was being robbed by heat..

 

.

 

I am just responding to Sciff again because the plenum spacer was not what this thread was about. No more fighting about the IM and Plenum spacing...everyone has their opinions on that topic, and I have ALOT of personal research under my belt...

Sciff,
I got them installed because I wanted to go with the professionals on that job. I COULD have done it myself, but then again I COULD have positioned the cams wrong, cranked the car over and killed the timing on the car...I understand that you have budies that do this every day, and thats a HUGE benefit for you because it saves on the labor I was never really one to try to cut corners on cams by buying Ebay knockoffs. IMO ONLY!!! You get what you pay for and just because the cams are the same size and position the "eggs" in the same spots, it does NOT mean that the materials used are the same or manufacturing. All I can tell you is personal experience. I DID see gains in the car, but not to the tune of 3000.00 like I stated before. If you can get the job done with the same 15WHP from 850.00. GOD BLESS YOU!!! If you ever plan on SCing your car the cams are a must anyway. I watched the Infiniti Techs do it to my car and I will tell you this..It NOT a HONDA motor that you are dropping two cams in and calling it a day. The position is very difficult and requires pulling the motor up from the mounts. I wish you the best of luck with the job, but don't cut corners on the internals for this motor. It is not worth a swap if anythign goes wrong.