Cam gears questions

[gsr355]

Ok, correct me if i'm wrong... cam gears are used to dial out the overlap in our engines, so with our force induced engines, well get more hp because the extra air will not go straight out the exhaust. Okay, now when we dial out the overlap, won't it cause higher boost and higher temps? So what's the differnce between getting a set of cam gears and tuning it, and simply just turning up the boost?

[gsr355]

anyone?

[lundgren]

Cam gears can dial out overlap, but that may also mean more problems. Before you get cam gears, make sure you have a dyno and a J&S Safegaurd to protect you when you play with cylinder pressures. Less overlap isn't always good.

[gsr355]

Well, less overlap, higher cylinder pressure, more hp... I have turbo, so can't i just turn the boost up 1 or 2 lbs to get the same thing without having to get cam gears? If turning up the boost will give me the same affect as messing with camgear settings, my brand new AEM cam gears will be up for sale.

[vtec4gs]

you're mixing up more boost wiht more cylinder pressure and less turbo spool, i.e. from colder exhasut gasses resulting from too much overlap and unburned gases simply escaping because the exhaust valves are open while the intakes valves are open and flowing air. Most turbo applications use adj gears ont he exhaust side by retarding and reducing excessive overlap.
There are other factors involved, but the questiona t hand is more to explain the difference between creating (and burning more) cyl pressures vs. pumping up boost. It's a mix and wash where the more boost = more airflow = more gasses escape and a slightly higher amt of air is burned more whent he boost is turned up. The counter effect nets more quicker spooling from hotter complete burned gasses and less overlap from higher cylinder pressure; the latter two being inter-related.

Greg

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94 Civic FROG
435HP/289 lb-ft. torque.
11 Second Club.