Cam gears for V6. Add power AND mpg

I don’t want to change this thread to a gas mileage thread but here’s what my truck has been up to since install.
I’m a 6mt and if left in gear and let off the gas I do feel the compression braking. Although I don’t think that’s any worse than after gear install. I just put it in neutral if I need to coast.
Yes, my mpg dropped off but it’s now come back up again. I don’t think it’s related to to the gears, at all, just to be clear.
It’s confusing the shit out of me though. Initially I got around 17mpg after install. Then a couple tanks later I had the ECU flashed. Started to see numbers around 15.5 mpg and chalked it up to the ECU. Then I recently had a major shift downwards to the 13mpg range, but now…after a few thousand more miles my last two tanks have hit the 16.5 and 17.5mpg numbers again. Now, I did change spark plugs (after only 25k and they looked fine). I ran a few ounces of sea foam in the oil before changing it and 2 bottles through the gas tank then ran 93 octane for a handful of tanks. Air filter was changed (again, clean but trying anything).
I think I’m going to run more seafoam just as a preventative measure for a little bit.
if I get a big drop again I think I’m going to change bank2 OCV and look at coil packs and o2’s.

that’s where I’m at, so maybe give those things a try and see if it helps you too.

 

Duh

 

So you installed yours back in August and now you're seeing the P0022?

Are you supercharged? Do you have a tune? What other mods do you have?

 

N/A, Justin tuned it,18mm spacer below the surge tank and URD headers. I think I installed them around late June 2020. Also ordered the Red Bullet VVT valves from the group buy. My EVAP canister always throws a code but today is a slow day at work and I checked the codes for shits and giggles. So not sure how long it’s been popped up. At least a few months since I checked. I recently broke my Elocker rear with 4.88’s and swapped back to my stock Sport diffs and gears so I probably wouldn’t notice and mpgs or power loss thinking it’s due to that.

 

Time to check the chain tensioner.

 

I did not locktite my tensioner bolt. I found out after I put mine down. Truck has 205k now so things could be starting to get worn.

 

At 205k your chain is probably stretching/stretched some. You can clear the code and just run with it but ideally- new chain might be the ticket.

 

It’s probably time to tear it apart. I have a oil seep somewhere above the A/C too. I cleared it and have the week after Christmas off so I’ll dig into it then.

 

No I'm talkin the main tensioner, for evidence of stretch.

 

Speaking of which, when is a good time to replace the chains? I have about 180,000 on mine, and hope to get my gears installed in the next couple of weeks.

Should I replace the chains and tensioners as well?

 

That answer will vary based on driving habits etc. What I believe PhoS is saying is to look at the chain tensioner on the main chain for evidence of chain stretch. . This tensioner can be viewed through a little ~3.5"x3.5" access panel on the top front passenger side.

 

Yup should look like this..



If it looks like this, you're in for a bad time.

 

Installed on a customer's vehicle along with URD spec U headers. Motor sounds damn good now.

 

Nice! I wanna pair a set of those equal length headers on mine at some point too.

 

I have gotten this code twice now in the last 4 months

 

Had no idea what that was for. Thanks for the info. I found it. I’ll snag a gasket for it tomorrow and peek in there. Looks like I can sneak my phone down in there and get a pic. Is there a measurement I’m looking for or is it an eyecromener visual thing.

 

Love my spec u headers. I get alot of compliments and people ask how they can get the same sound all the time. I point them to URD's website and recommend the cam gears on here.

 

Thank you.

I will check when I install my gears.

 

Correct me if I’m wrong, P0022 is the code for the intake cam correct?

I got that code a couple times as a pending trouble code, but I haven’t for awhile. It always cleared itself. Gonna tear into the OCV solenoids once the red bullets show up from the GB.

 

Passenger side header slipped right in no problem. Driver side I had to throw quite a few curse words at.

And they look super cool too being all twisted the way they are.