Cam gears for V6. Add power AND mpg

I would help you but I’m probably just as far the other way.

 

Just fuckt. Doesn't look too challenging.

 

I did mine solo. Took me some time, and a couple questions here. The guides are helpful. Fully doable.

 

I say it really isn't that challenging. This guide really covers the install and trouble shooting well.
With that said- I have had to help people with this who have really messed it up by just throwing the timing of the exhaust cams vast amounts off.
If you follow this guide, have basic mechanical skills, and understand engine basics- you should be golden for this project.
On top of that- post on this thread if you're lost or confused. We got a community of people here that have now done it and are willing to help.

 

Hell ya! I'll have a helping hand too

 

@Kidwidataco if you're keen to be part of it, feel free to hmu - I'll be tackling a few other truck projects too

I bought the redline hood struts, I'll be installing those, oil changes, maybe a couple of other maintenance items

I'm more than happy to make a day of it if you're down, we can tackle some work on your rig too

 

Appreciate the offer! I currently don't have anything to do to my truck haha. With gas prices as high as they are I'm not trying to drive too far out of my way. Let me know how the install goes! I'll probably drag @crashnburn80 into installing them with me lol

 

And done... HUGE HUGE HUGE shout-out and thanks to @gpdx for giving me a hand (I still feel like I owe you, lol)

It took us a little bit, but we got through it! Hardest parts imo was getting that stupid SAIS off and fighting with the clips in the very back. A little trick I learned/he remembered is accessing the lower bolts through the wheel well. Worked like a charm. It also didn't help how tall my truck is and not having one of those handy platforms to stand on... but I had just installed the hood struts, so it was nice not having to fight around the hood kick-stand.

TL;DR: ANY LOWER BOLTS, ACCESS VIA WHEEL WELL

 

Ooof, glad I don't have the SAIS. Should make mine easier. What are your initial drive thoughts?

 

Happy to help and share the knowledge!

Way less intimidating to get in there for the second time. It had been long enough that I couldn’t remember exactly how to remove some clips and tricky bits. But we got through it with the help of beer and pizza and breaks to pet dogs.

I only took one photo. Ha.

 

I did some driving around last night, but I was pretty beat; I helped my friend move on Saturday and then tackled this Sunday. I did drive it into work today, I'm ngl, I can't tell an immediate difference, but I also wasn't sure if there was a break-in period; add to the fact that fuel is $5/gal - I didn't hammer the throttle. I'll be sure to do some skids and holding lower gears on my way home tonight and give more feedback then. But, that said, 101k miles, and we're pretty sure I had OE spark plugs and PCV, so I'd imagine she's gonna be a lot happier with less fuel now, and at the very least, more responsive!


EDIT: I'm glad that was the photo you took @gpdx and not of me literally laying on top of my motor trying to fight those damned clips off the back of the intake LOL

EDIT2: Quick update @Kidwidataco did some more driving (just my daily commute really) but I will say, it does feel more responsive. Not like a real night and day difference, but noticeable. That said, it does feel like it's hunting gears a lot weirder, but it for sure pulls MUCH smoother. And that hunting gears bit could just be the ECU trying to attune for the change timing. Another odd, but not wrong side effect I've noticed, exhaust braking isn't as "hard" if that makes sense... it's not as abrupt. Like before pulling it down a gear was akin to putting your foot on the brake pedal, but now it's less jarring and more gradual of a slow-down

TL;DR: They're subtle differences, but for sure noticeable

EDIT3: Would I do this mod again/recommend it? Sure, I've not seen any real negatives to this. It wasn't really "complicated" just a few spots that proved to be more annoying than necessary.

IMO - if you're pulling your intake off to change spark plugs, PCV or really any other reason, it's a cheap mod (I think all up I spent like $400, gears/gaskets/beer/pizza). There's a few items to be attentive to, obviously covering your intake slots on the head, and stuffing rags in front of the cam gears to prevent losing your bolts....

I'd rate it on the entirely made up and subjective "difficulty" scale of DIY projects maybe a 4/10 (I've had sedan strut towers/control arms put up a bigger fight).

The hardest part I think for us was the SAIS and clips on the back of the intake manifold. >2012 = no SAIS = less PITA; and those clips weren't TERRIBLE, just needed to get my face right up on it to figure out how the fuck they come off LOL (hence my laying across my engine bay and atop my motor lol)

 

One more quick update, did some more pulls on SR-14 and I-5, it definitely feels like it's hitting the power band a bit sooner; usually it feels like it hits around 3750rpm but now it's feels more around 3000rpm and it's definitely more linear instead of incremental (if that makes sense). I would still recommend it so far, if you're already stripping off your intake. I'll be putting down like 260 hwy miles at the end of the month, rented a cabin out in Packwood. I'll update this post after that

 

Just got a decent pay raise, I'll be ordering it tomorrow! Pretty stoked. Then I'm getting some lighter wheels/tires. By my calculations I'll be losing about 14 pounds of rotating mass per corner. Pretty excited to have a more responsive truck.

 

if you have a friend, I will say it'll make it easier/faster... I can't imagine all the people that had to break those cam-bolts off by themselves... I ended up grabbing a 5ft pipe for leverage... but I'm also not the strongest dude around...

 

I have a few people willing to help lol.

 

Okay just because I'm bored. But, since I have "supporting" ""mods"" i.e, AFE intake, and a decent exhaust (cat back only) that I might see a bigger benefit from these gears than somebody with stock everything? Obviously having a full exhaust would help better but, it's a v6 sooo

 

So a buddy and I installed a set of the URD sprockets on his truck over the weekend and had a catastrophic failure today. I installed the passenger side and he installed the driver side. Everything with the install went smoothly. I've installed them on my FJ and had zero trouble. He drove it around a couple days and today started it up and got about 20 feet up the road and carnage happened. Pushed it back into his drive and started tearing into it. Somehow the bolt backed out on the driver side sprocket, blew up the tensioner, and snapped the chain. I personally double checked to make sure the sprocket was seated properly before he installed the bolt and torqued it down. I watched him torque that bolt down. We're both baffled by it. He's currently hunting for a replacement engine.

 

This is when we need the mods to add a dislike button.
That really sucks

 

Yeah, not fun at all. We've swapped an engine before so it isn't the end of the world but it's still going to cost a few grand to replace the engine.

 

Damn, that sucks man. I'm sorry to hear that. The upside is that you can mod the motor in a stand before dropping it in now!