performance camshaft

[TeflonTom]

hi folks....

changed the timing belt today on the felicia so i thought i'd pop in the new cam from the other engine so i can 'break' it in ready for when i do the swap....

trouble is, the car wont run with that cam in... i've tried just about everything i can think of... it starts but it wont idle, and it runs kinda like it's got a missfire, i've checked all the ignition timing too and it all seems ok...

any ideas anybody??

[Lummox]

What kinda duration is the cam?

[TeflonTom]

i think it's listed as a 285 cam but those figures tend to be a bit misleading

[Lummox]

Thats a fairly long duration, will it work on std management? I would have thought at least you will need a vernier pulley to set it up right. Is it runing at all? Got a pulse from the hall sender?

[TeflonTom]

yeah i was thinking the same thing ross, it's got a fairy big overlap so maybe with the standard speed density injection gear it's getting funny reversion waves at the map sensor...

there is a signal form the hall sender and i measured the advance at about 12degree btdc with a timing light but it is fluctuating a bit as i would expect..

it is running yes, but only with the throttle open, as soon as you lift off the throttle it just dies off

the valve timing is all correct, number 4 intake opening and number 4 exhaust closing at TDC (equal lifts)

[KenONeill]

Aaaaggggghhhh!

Nice idea in theory, but there's cam timing, duration, lift, and wearing out 2 sets of cam followers!

[Lummox]

With such a long duration maybe the valve springs arnt strong enough to get the valves closed quick enough??

Compression ok I assume.

[TeflonTom]

i think i've solved it, put the original camshaft back in now

it's a problem with the ignition timing reference points, i allways thought there was something odd about this camshaft right from the start..

basically the spigot that drives the distributor is a slightly different angle, so when i need to advance the dizzy but it wont go far enough (and also the rotor arm will have passed corresponding contact in the cap) so i either need to figure out a way of putting the cap on a slightly different angle or i need to put the rotor arm on at a different angle

[Lummox]

Or maybe have the dist fixings different so it can be rotated more?

Happens by accident on the 1.8 16v KR engines as there are two sets of holes for the dizzy bolts.

[TeflonTom]

that's a good idea ross!!! why didn't i think of that

the only potential problem i can think of is the trigger ring for the hall effect switch. but the emerald ecu can cope with virtually any timing reference point, so i think i should be ok

[Lummox]

I only thought of that due to the KR issue, as I found that out when fitting a KR to my mates Driver.