timing schrick camshafts

[wkd928 0]

im having schrick cams and manifold fitted to my car this week by my local mechanic, id attempt to do this myself except i cant keep the car off the road for the time i might spend doing it especialy if i ran into a problem.

i just wanted to check that the schrick cams are fitted in the same way as stock cams - there are the registration slots on the back ends of the cams which are aligned with the special tool and the engine at TDC.

my only other experience with non standard cams was that the valve lift needed to be measured with a dial gauge and then this was set to a certain number of degrees of crank rotation.. this wasnt in the VR6.

id be gratefull if someone can confirm that installing the schricks is as straightforward as standard cams and that the timing dosent need to be dicked around with.

im also hoping that the car will run ok to drive from a to b without needing a remap.

[FishWick 21]

Yes they bolt right in like the stock cams with no special procedures.

Don't forget to replace the cam sensor trigger wheel (it's on the rear cam) if it's a coilpack engine.

The cam sprockets are tightened 100nm and if your mechanic hasn't done VR6 cams before, warn him the rear cam's sprocket bolt can be a real b1tch to remove because of the washer on the trigger wheel.

I've had to take a few rear cams down to a local tyre place to wind the sprocket bolt off with an air gun before, so yeah, if it's a daily car, it can go horribly wrong.

The engine will run OK without a remap, but a map would give better results.

[wkd928 0]

bastard car... mechanic has just sent an email showing the tensioner without any plastic covering. how much is a new clutch, im figuring while we are in there..

[FishWick 21]

Yep. Further proof that the old myth that if the engine is quite, the chains are fine is complete bollards!

Clutch is about £85 from a dealer....

[wkd928 0]

kev, thanks for the info on the cams and clutch. my vr6 was/is a real shocker in terms of its overall condition so its been difficult justifying spending money on it especialy as its done 159k miles.

i thought the chains had probably been done, figuring the clutch will have been done and it was quiet. like you say a quiet engine is clearly not a garuntee of anything.

all i can say is that i will be quite upset if the headgasket goes or it drops a valve after all of this so far, i just spent £££ getting an mot (mind you it does stop a little better now that both rear callipers work - i wondered why it had a strong urge to rotate previously, thought it was just my demonic braking:)) !!

[wkd928 0]

just got the car back today - definitely more tourque and power, especialy fat between 3-4k but also noticeably more go from 5k onwards. this is with shcrick cams and manifold, no remap as of yet.

two other points of interest: the lower cam chain had destroyed its tensioner/guide and had eaten through two dowells that normaly hold the guide in place. and for anyone fitting a schrick manifold - there is more than one green/black wire in the ecu harness so check that you are tapping into pin 22!

[craggsy 91]

There are numbers on the ecu so you should no which pin you are tapping into. Thats if I remember coreect as i put my schrick on 2 yrs ago now

[wkd928 0]

craggsy, are you making over 200 bhp with just intake manifold and exhaust? did you get it re-mapped? im wondering how much more i might gain with a re-map.

[craggsy 91]

The 202bhp was on a dyno demon rolling road so a bit optimistic in my eyes compared to the other ones ive been on

[VR6_Absy 0]

I made 203.2 at Stealth after remap of 268 cams but have also had very nearly 200 at TSR. Looking forward to seeing what effect my manifold has made

[craggsy 91]

mainly the torque Gary....bhp will go up a bit tho

[wkd928 0]

absy, have you fitted a schrick manifold after fitting the cams? as far as i can tell the manifold is responsible for the slug of torque between 3-4k rpm. even as a stock engine there is good midrange but the manifold seems to improve on this by quite a bit.

after collecting the car and driving home its harder to notice the differences from 4k till redline, at least for the first little while - simply put the fat torque down there distorts perspective but im absolutely certain there is noticeable more go from 5k than before as well - from all acounts this is the cams.

all i need now is a 2.9/big bore throttle body and then i will think about a remap.

ps. absolutely no problem with idle or running the cams/manifold with the stock ecu. the engine note has changed slightly, a little more off beat and higher pitched.

[VR6_Absy 0]

Yep manifold has only just gone on :-)

Mine was mapped with BMC CDA, De Cat, 6 Branch, Custom Exhaust, Larger throttle body, heavy duty springs and 268 cams

Mines OBD1 ;-)

[wkd928 0]

its definitely thirstier than before, anyone else notice this? also there seems to be a bit of a flat spot just after 4000 rpm when the flappy valve opens.. i might try setting the opening point a bit higher - maybe 4400. there is a definite rush from 5800 all the way out to redline, but the flat spot/hole in the tourque between 4-5k is really noticeable compared to how everything else is beefed up.

its definitely faster than before, more tourque steer when driving out of corners:) anyone know where to get a 2.9 throttle body?? what about some glass fibre body panels? my doors have knackered hinges and the bonnet weighs a ton.

[VR6_Absy 0]

i reckon mine is more economical not by much. i have no flat spot, my flap opens about 3900 i think