Fidanza Cam Gears

[TNT500]

So whats the verdict on these, especially in relation to the unorthodox cam gears? I hear this is one of those mods that should be saved untill the end. However, $350 is a really good price. I also think that with alittle tuning, better results could be seen. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[smokinstorm]

I'm doing these plus cams next. I want a little more top end pull and this is one way to do it, even with the stock cams. Who's got them for $350 right now?

[TNT500]

I hear it the price of labor gets really expensive when you start going inside the engine. If your gonna open up the engine anyways you might wanna think about doing some other things while your in their (ie..bore, forged internals, raised compression ratio.....) If your interested in that I know Richard just got done doing a bunch of engine mods, I'd ask him.

Anyone else have an opinion on the Fidanza Cam Gears. Based on what I've read I cant decide if their a good buy or a piece of shit.

[smokinstorm]

Believe me, going into the engine and boring out the block and doing a complete rebuild isn't even close to just changing the cams. Unless I'm badly mistaken, all that has to come off of the engine to change the cams is the intake and vavle covers. No big deal really.

[TNT500]

"I'm doing these, plus the cams"
Sorry, you didn't specify what "these" are. I thought you meant getting the fidanza's plus getting all new cam shafts. That would require you opening up the engine and I know that gets expensive. Sorry, just got confused about your post. Yeah, you don't need to open the engine to get the cam gears off.

[973000GTSL]

i hope you are planing on cutting out the sheild that covers the cam gears then. The Fidanza Cam Gears don't fit perfectly, and the bolt rubs on the sheild, and will end up puting a hole in it. From what i have heard, your better off getting the unorthodox cam gears, they fit perfectly, and they are a very good company.

[smokinstorm]

Thanks for that info. That's the first time I'd heard anything negative about anything from Fidanza. As the Fidanza gears can be had for much less than half wha the Unorthodox ones can (and we're not just talking about beer money here) I wasn't even considering the UR ones. I'll at least look into this now. Thank you again.

[973000GTSL]

no prob, but what all do you have done to your car that you are getting the cam gears? I have heard they do not have much of a gain on NA's.

[smokinstorm]

I want to do the cams plus cam gears next. I already have a Fidanza flywheel, ACT clutch/pressure plate, UR underdrive pulley, a custom intake made from thinwall PVC, a 2 1/2" exhaust system from the O2 sensor back into a 3" Magnaflow SS muffler. As I cannot afford to do the entire engine at the moment I just want to get the cams and have the ability to degree them in the fuuture. 3kgt is claiming up to 45 horsepower from the cams on a stock engine with proper tuning. I assumed that "Proper Tuning" meant playing with the timing on a dyno to get the most power. Obviously I'm going to do a complete timing belt and related items change while I'm doing the cams. Once my money tree comes back to life I'm building a 12:1 engine with 93 or maybe 94mm pistons to further take advantage of the cams. I also want to have the intake manifold extrude honed and a larger throttle body fitted to it. I'm waiting for this whole header deal to shake itself out as there is another player lurking in the shadows that prefers to remain nameless at this juncture. This person has advised me to do everything to the engine that I want to do first and then put the headers on last. I have access to higher octane fuel here so the increased compression ratio won't be a problem for me. I also am the warehouse manager at an Ace Hardware and we sell Xylene and Toluene that I can use as octane boosters should I get caught without any of the 100 octane unleaded gas.

[973000GTSL]

sounds good to me, although i have never seen anyone who has gotten 45hp from the gears on an NA, not saying impossible though. Good luck and i want pictures:D

[smokinstorm]

Im not realistically expecting that either. It's not just the gears but the cams and gears together that are supposed to be able to get you that. You know the old saying "Believe half of what you see and even less of what you hear". Well, I'm a believer in that. The cams are claimed to be worth 80 horsepower on a fully built engine and I guess that's what I'm going to have when I'm done. A fully built engine, not an 80 horsepower gain. I just want to build a complete package. To be perfectly honest with you, if the cams alone get me anywhere near 80 mph trap speeds in the 1/8th mile, I'll be completey satisfied. I'm running 75.3 now.

[973000GTSL]

That would b nice to trap 80 in the 1/8. I am traping 73.3, would be nice to get that up:D

[detpac]

Hope it works. 80hp gain seems high. Who knows. Good luck.

[smokinstorm]

Hey 973000GTSL, how's your ET looking with that 73.3 trap speed. How about your 60' times? I ran a 9.55 with a 2.13 60'. I'm hoping I can run in the high 14.60s
in the 1/4 given my 1/8th mile time and mph. Oh, and the 80 horsepower gain from the cams seems rediculous to me. If I get half that I'll be completely satisfied. I really do want somewhere near 300 FWHP on the motor when I'm done though. I don't think anyone's gotten near that before without resorting to N20 or a little boost but these new headers that are coming out should open up a whole new world of possiblities for us.

[973000GTSL]

Rt-1.113
60' - 2.42
330 - 6.564
1/8 - 9.961
mph - 72.00
1000' - 12.898
1/4 - 15.359
mph - 92.73

That was my best ET time, that was also my first time at the track.

[973000GTSL]

I have heard from a couple people that headers for NA's are almost worthless. I have been told that our stock headers flow well enough for the amount of air we are bringing in and pushing out. They also said we would see like maybe 5hp gain. anyone elses opinons?

[smokinstorm]

There's probably another .3 to .4 left in that car with no increase in power. It just takes a lot of practice. Your first 60' are where you can find the biggest gains.


I have heard from a couple people that headers for NA's are almost worthless. I have been told that our stock headers flow well enough for the amount of air we are bringing in and pushing out. They also said we would see like maybe 5hp gain. anyone elses opinons?

I wouldn't listen to any more advice from the couple people that told you that. How would they know this information as there have never been headers available for our cars with which to comare against the stock exhaust manifolds. As just an aftermarket downpipe has shown gains on the dyno of 13 horsepower on a stock car with stock exhaust, I'm expecting 30 or more from a full set of headers and full exhaust. XERD got over 30 wheel horsepower from another V6 application but I forget which car at the moment. It's at their webite. I'll find it and report back.

[TNT500]

Damn, this post has kinda taken off while I've been gone. I haven't been on in a couple weeks and it seems like lots has happened. Whats this I hear about a T-shirt contest? Is that by the month?

I should be getting the cam gears in a couple days so I'll tell you how it goes. I am wondering how much cutting its going to take to make the gears fit properly though? It couldn't be too hard though. I think that people arent happy with the cam gears performance because they haven't been tuned properly. +1 -3 seems to be pretty universal but those settings are for the turbo cars. I just talked to eric at 3sx today and he said that in the next couple weeks they will dyno before and after and try and find a better setting for the NA cars. Hopefully that will clear up some confusion. Eric also said that they will be recieving a new design from fidanza in the relativly near future, so that might help them fit better.