Thread: I think I have a cam? Help. Lol

My mechanical boost gauge is reading about 20 for vacuum


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You do not need to pull the motor to take the cam out. In fact if you pull the harmonic balencer, power steering pump, and side cover off you are at the cam. To take the cam out you remove the tensioner and chain and then drop the subframe a foot or so. Cam slides right out. Dial on the pushrod would be easier though.

Dont trust vaccum pressure. Different cars and different idle speeds will cause wildly different readings.

Same goes for boost level unless you take altitude into effect. I lose 4psi just driving across my state.

Vacuum gauge is not the best indicator but I haven't seen 20" ever with a VS cam.

If it was me I would pull the timing cover off and pull the dam out to figure out exactly what you have and then take the time out to checking the timing chain/dampener etc

Originally Posted by l67ss

Is the car particularly quick? Be a good indicater

That's a terrible answer. What's fast to one guy may not really be fast in reality.

13.5 at 105mph on all season no traction radials. 2.2 60' time. Daily driver with safe tune.

Currently 207,000 on body.

Hard to say. It may not be a huge cam so it may be hard to notice.. Not to mention it's probably on a stock pulley so it might be hard to notice a different. Regardless instead of guessing or assuming I would dive right in and pull the cover and cam and make sure.

While you don't have to pull the motor to pull the cam (installed mine with the motor still in the car) It's almost easier to just pull the motor and the rear cover. Truly the easiest method would be to measure the lift with a dial indicator to be 100% certain.

As far as boost, with headers/3.8 pulley, cam I was making 7PSI.

As far as vacuum, stock idle with my cam, I ran 18-19 in-hg. Now with my IC and idle bumped up I run 19-20in-hg.

You really need a mechanical means of verifying.

this is a short clip of a cold start, some of you guys might be able to tell by listening to it i would think? check it out and let me know the rough idle starts right about halfway through the video

it does sound like it with the chop to it but ive had dirty maf's and skewed o2's cause idle issues.

spend 30$ at harbor freight for a dial indicator and pull a valvecover...only way to know for sure except engine teardown...

Thanks. Those are 3.5 inch dual tips from eBay lol. And yeah I remember a mechanic a while back telling me that I had a bad injector but then tried to charge me like $$1200 bucks to get a set of stock injectors and labor. I literally laughed and asked for my keys back lol. Think a sticking injector could cause that? It's weird


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Rule #1: Don't buy a modded car.

Well I was under the impression it was stock when I got it lol. And yeah injectors are super easy lol


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