Cam gears for V6. Add power AND mpg

They are gimmicks, I’d go new OEM if yours are clapped out. Same with RIPP coils, gimmicks.

Most worthwhile mods short of turbo or supercharger are the cam gears and URD headers and a tune.

 

A tune would be up on the list too

 

It was… last word of the post you quoted

 

I want to get the urd headers and y pipe. But I'm not trying to make my truck loud as shit either

 

For those of you who have installed the cam gears, can you help me wrap my head around the install and getting all the different timing marks aligned?

I'm handy, I can reason about systems and how things work together, but I've never gotten into the internals of an engine. The closest I've come was installing a bolt on supercharger (much like the 1GR-FE blower kit), but never into the oiled surfaces of a motor.

After reading the install instructions and watching the videos, it seems to me the purpose of getting all the different marks lined up is so you can put the new cam gears in -3 degrees from the stock gears. Does it matter what position the stock gear is in when it comes out as long as you put the new gear in -3 degrees from it?

The URD gears have the dot and the camshafts have the pin that the gears are notched for. Can you not remove the stock gears in whatever position and install the URD gears in the right position by aligning the pin and notch (and "FRONT" facing to the front of the truck)?

All the alignments and "don't f*ck up your timing" has me nervous, but it doesn't seem like it's that complicated. Am I oversimplifying or am I underestimating?

 

Yoo, I just did cam gears and had a lot of the same questions you have.

Obviously you don't want to screw up the timing, which is why aligning all the timing marks and crank is important. I think it is insurance, and best practice. If you do screw it up, you may be able to figure it all back out if your marks all lined up. Buuuuut I think that you technically could just open up the valve covers and do it where ever the gears are in their rotation.

However, I would NOT do it that way. It's so easy to put a wrench on the crank and get things lined up, I think it's worth the extra 5 min or whatever per side, if even that much time, to get everything lined up.

Set yourself up for success. The hardest thing is isn't aligning timing and marking the chain and gears, it's getting to the valve covers, and breaking the gears loose off the cam. Here's my tips for a 2015 with 77,000 at time of install.

- Get a paint pen, for marking all the things
- Have a good quality wrench for the camshaft. Mine was meh, and it wanted to flex and strip the camshaft.
- A wrench extender was godsend. Put these on both the bolt and the cam and it's easy.
- A narrow or shallow wrench for the cam gear, also extended and low profile enough to fit there, not a lot of space between the head and the bolt. Crows feet could also help
- Patience for removing all the SAIS BS. I would advise getting an E torx to remove a few studs on the system at the valve cover. This will greatly reduce frustration when you try and flex the pipes, steady the metal gaskets, and install the box on the valve cover in place...

If you can install a supercharger kit, and keep track of all the pieces and steps. You can probably do the same for all the pieces and steps that need to come off the top of the engine to get to the valve covers. Other than that, it's just following instructions. If I remember correctly, one gear was MUCH easier to get on than the other. This had to do with how the tensioner was oriented relative to the cam gear and chain.

 

I mean, technically you could just mark the chain link where the timing mark on the exhaust sprocket lines up and put the new sprocket in the same spot without actually lining up all the timing marks. Setting the timing, though, really isn't that difficult of a task to do and it is well documented how to line everything up, so you might as well set everything to TDC. It's a good opportunity to verify your timing is correct as well. You don't have to align the factory paint marks on the chains with the timing marks on the sprockets. Just make sure all the timing marks on your crank and camshafts all line up.

 

Thanks @PNW15 and @VoodooBlueATL !

I agree, lining up all the timing marks is a good idea to do just for peace of mind if something doesn't look right when I open up the valve covers. It also helps to know that I'm not overcomplicating the whole timing thing, with painted links and paint pen marks, etc. The goal is to get the new cam gear on at the same position as the stock one and the teeth will be -3 degrees from stock.

I did read that some people found their timing was off from the factory. Wouldn't that trash the motor?

 

Remember that you'll be rotating the cam back slightly to make the sprocket fit in the same spot. I don't think one tooth off from factory would wreck the engine but it won't run at its full potential.

 

It would run like trash. Depending on if it's both sides, exhaust or intake... If it was too retarded on the exhaust stroke, you could have contact? But too advanced and it would probably just run really bad?? I don't know how many degrees one link/tooth is...

 

I concur. First set I did I lined everything up perfectly. That being said if you can wrap your brain around what’s really going on you can definitely short cut and just line up the cam gear mark with the top mark and mark the link. That’s how I’ve done the last 3 sets. Hardest part for me is finagling the gear back into the chain. I’ve had them drop right in easy peasy and also had to walk away for a few minutes after a struggle snuggle.

 

Thanks, guys! Lots of good info. Also feel confident that I can get this done in the garage.

 

Mine ran great for a while and then hard starting and low compression readings told me timing was off. After a year no issues and a year of issues I opened it back up a couple weeks ago and everything was lined up perfectly. I flipped them back to the normal cam side and now my truck is running normal again. Starts fine etc. I checked and re read the directions and my 3 degrees were fine so I don’t know what happened but it’s back to normal. Any ideas besides timing off?

 

Wouldn't low compression come from intake side of timing. The exhaust valves and the accompanying timing should be nowhere near open (ie completely closed) on your compression stroke. Regardless of exh cam gears.

So if we're talking intake side, I'd consider VVTi issues, solenoids, etc. Maybe just a simple unlearn for the computer by unplugging the battery? (Which you probably did when undoing cam gears)

Hard starting could be a number of things...

If your compression miraculously came back, I still contest this is intake cam/valve/timing related.

Disclaimer, I have no idea what I'm actually talking about.

 

I just though this was funny.

 

Hahaha that's some serious savings there.

And it vetos the discount code to boot.

 

I just installed my timing gears and intake spacer today.

She fired up first crank same as she has always done.
2007 4.0 with 120k miles.
I've only driven about 35 miles since the install.
I've always had the Toyota tick on my driver's side, it wasn't really loud. Now I have a louder almost knocking sound on both sides. You can only hear it when the hood is up or your head is in a wheel well. I was alone and cannot hear it from inside the truck, nor can I tell if it gets louder or goes away with RPM. I'm hoping this is due to having been opened up and cleaned\worked on and is learning

Anyone else experience this? I don't feel anything was questionable during the install, everything went smooth.

 

#mightytacoman Planning to install the gears after working up a bit of courage. You still available for looking over pics, etc???
Thanks

 

You bet. Post up here if you have any questions or concerns