I'll just say here, JWT camshafts are full of crap. I have 3 sets already and 2 sets snapped on the long intake camshafts at the dowel connection. I am suspecting a weak timing chain tensioner to cause this problem, but come on, camshafts that cost this much shouldn't even snap. After I put the stock cams back, no snaps whatsoever...

Just for your info, I bought the 1st set from someone, long intake snapped. JWT wouldn't just sell me that broken intake cam. So I bought a brand new set from JWT directly. Then the car ran for a week, then the long intake cam snapped again. This time, JWT sold me that particular long intake cam for half the price of the whole cam set (yeah, they've cleaned up my pocket pretty good, greedy). Well, third install lasted only 2 weeks when the short intake cam snapped. I gave up, I totally gave up on their cams.

I was going to post pictures of the snappers up on the org, but I didn't feel like scarring a seller who's been selling stuff to this maxima community. But now that Travis has given so much credit to JWT, I'd just wanna give you guys second thoughts about JWT. They are rippers, and their ECU's take forever to be done. I'm glad GReddy EU's are coming through now. I have the JWT 7200ecu, but I still bought the GReddy EU with map sensor; that should tell you how pi$$ed off you may be if you start dealing with those guys.

-Peter-

 

Godfather,
Do you think there might have been a problem with installation of these camshafts ? Of all the cams I have seen installed on SR20s, and ones that failed- it was due to installer error. I'm not saying you do not know how to install these, but I dont know your mechanical ability.

 

Lol, I hired mechanics to do all my cam installs, it would take too long if I have to do it. And I'm a mech engineering student in LSU, I do have a good grip of what I was dealing with. I didn't just say, "hey, let's install cams and see". I did my research and paid my dues...

first set was installed in a friendly mechanic shop, it failed, then waited 3 months because they never had time to put the new set in. So I had to ship the car to this other shop. The motor guy in the new shop had over 20 years of motor building experience, and all he does over there at that shop is building motors. All other repairs are done by 9 other mechanics. This guy, I trust his work because he is well known for working on motors for many years.


I watched him torque the camshaft bearings 3 rounds to specs, there's no way it's wrong according to my knowledge of the instructions. And we installed the cams twice with this guy. and they still snapped like a bicth. Like I said, my main timing tensioner was going out, and that could be the cause of the problem, but with it going out, stock cams hold out just fine.

It's after I did everything that I go back and replace that main timing tensioner. I also took the cams to my university's machine lab and took a good look at the grains of the breakage. I have an extra set of stock cams, and as I was trying to clamp it and hammer off the dowel pin section to compare, that thing just wont' break. So after all, I can't really compare.

 

If you're snapping cams... it's from improper installation.. Especially if you're telling me that you snapped 2 cams in a row. Either you're not torquing them down properly, or out of sequence.. or, something is wrong with your head. JWT's cams are ground on stock blanks from Nissan. So, there's no difference in material from your stock cams, to JWT's cams. I've checked thier cams before on a lathe, with a dial indicator, and found them to be accurate within a nat's ***. I have NEVER broken a cam, in my 5 years of dealing with JWT.. And, I base my claim of thier work, on the gains/profiles that they use. Thier stuff that they call "race cams" can be made to idle and run on the street, better than most of the stuff out there. They put a lot of time into ramp angles, and matching that with available springs. That's the key to having a smooth cam that makes good power.

I understand if you want to bash them for thier ECU's.. I have 2 ECU's that have been sitting there for a very long time, that I'm still waiting on. But, thier cams are top notch.

Travis

 

car to share the pics of the failure?

What did JWT do about the failures?

If you post something of this nature, you either need to show proof or not post it

I HATE defending JWT. But I will on this instance. You are the 3,297,561,3870,983,026person on an internet forum to claim something. All I ask is proof that the cams failed and wher ehtey failed and how JWT failed to satisfy you as a customer.

 

I can vouch for peter(godfather). I have the box of broken cams at my house. One of them broke right in half. I also think it was due to improper installation, but who knows.

I looked them over and there were some scuff marks on the lobes which leads me to think they were not lubed before installation and were scuffed because of dry initial startup.

 

Yeah.. you have to be VERY careful when installing cams in a OHC head.. I have a set way that I do it, and it's never lead me wrong.

 

Ok... that proves that the cams were jacked up, but not why. Did JWT send new cams? blame the installer? etc..

You suggest that JWT is OK... which is my point. If JWT sells quality cams, then don't bash them.

Like I said, I bash JWT about the ecus ALL the time. I will bash them about thier cams, if indeed they are POS.

 

jwt's cams are ground from factory cams, according to s13...so how would they be any weaker than a stock cam, the only person to blame would be the installer. but take this to another thread i dont wanna have to dig through 5 pages of jwt bashing before any updates

 

Stock cam blanks arent designed to have the extra lift and duration that performance cams have. Shouldnt you have a stronger blank made up?

 

And the penny drops. Clearly the forces acting on the camshaft will be different in many ways with a different profile.

Here's hoping this "prototype grind" is somehow stronger than stock...

 

Nah.. As a matter of fact.. 90% of all aftermarket Nissan cams are ground from factory blanks. If you're snapping cams in half, especially right at a journal, you're installing them incorrectly, or you have a bad head.

Travis

 

No offense... but, you obviously have no idea about cam design..

This is how misinformation spreads.. someone who doesn't know the facts, goes off of another's opinion, and spreads that around. Before you know it.. you've got a game of Telephone going on.

Stock blanks are uncut. Meaning. the base circle is a large, round circle, that the cam grinder must cust to whatever spec he/she wants. JWT doesn't cut them in house.. they have a VERY big camshaft company do it for them. The cam journals are factory... So, if there's a problem with runout/binding, it's most likely from being bent, from improper installation.. or, it's binding in the head because of warpage.

Travis

 

the next update will be when the project is done.. if you read frosty's post.

Sit down and have a sandwhich and a warm glass of milk... I am trying to get to the bottom here and end any future he said she said.

 

Yeah.. unfortunately, Bryan has barred me from showing any more pics until we have dyno numbers and track times/video's. I can tell you, that the engine is complete, though.. I just slapped the oil pans on last night. It's a thing of beauty!

 

i understand that it wasnt directed towards you, im just saying that the cam issue should be brought up in a different thread so we keep this just for his engine build

 

After thinking about it more, you make a very vaild point. And I am following your suggestion, which I should have done in the first place, and making another thread