Delta Cam
Delta Cam
Finally I have installed my Delta cam and I am very pleased with the results. Now the car feels more powerful through out the hole band but more on the low end. The engine sounds different, more roaring and now I CAN hear when the Mivec kicks in. The bad part is that I just found out that my Mivec kicks in at 4500 RPM instead of 3500. Is it because it's automatic???
The guys at Delta were very professional and quick on doing the job. First I sent them an email and then I called them with a bunch of questions and they answered me every single one of them. After receiving my core, they finished it within a few days and shipped it back to me. The entire process took 2 weeks including the time it spent being shipped.
Thank you Delta, great job!
The installation was pretty straight forward. I did it myself with the supervision of a professional mechanic. It took me almost 6 hours but that's because a few times I had to wait for the mechanic since he was working on other cars as well.
Here are the steps:
1. Remove the battery to have more space
2. Remove the timing belt cover
3. Remove air filter/box
4. Remove the spark plugs coils
5. Remove the valve cover
6. Remove the camshaft positioning sensor
7. Align the cam pulley to the mark
8. Zip tie the belt to the pulley
8. Unbolt the cam pulley from the cam
9. Remove the rocker arms. You really don't have to remove them, just to loosen the bolts but to remove and put back the cam, you have to be careful and slowly rotate the cam as you pull/push it as well as pushing down the rocker arms to create clearance. It was much easier with them out of the way and it takes only a couple of minutes to remove them and reinstall them.
10. Unbolt the fuse box that's behind the battery
11. Pull cam out. Now it's good to have an other pair of hands to pull the fuse box up
12. Prepare the new cam. Lube it really good as well as lube the internal where the cam will seat ( sorry don't know how it's called)
13. Push the cam in slowly and carefully not to scratch anything
14. Reinstall the rocker arms
15. Bolt in the cam pulley. This is a tricky one. If you don't push the hydraulic tensioner in, like I did, it will require a little muscle to align the pulley with the cam to screw the bolt in
16. Reinstall the cam positioning sensor
17. Adjust the valves.
18. Put back the valve cover and spark plug coils
19. Reinstall air filter/box
20. Start engine and idle at 2000 rpm to break in the new cam. This is very important to idle it like this and not at it's usual rpm, at all times has to be at least above 1500rpm. Do not let it idle not even for a few seconds below 1500rpm. Let idle like this for 15-20 minutes
21. Turn off engine and readjust the valves. On our cars the adjustment has to be done on a hot engine(see How to: Valve adjustment in the how to section)
Since I had the battery off for so long it took a good 30-40 miles for me to start seeing the improvements. The car pulls so much harder. I was on a big bridge and half way up I punched it and it was accelerating like it didn't care it was going up lol.
Sorry but I didn't take any pictures, I got to excited about the install since it's been siting in my room for a long time.
My old cam will go for sell later on today when I get home.
Now to my next mod....
The guys at Delta were very professional and quick on doing the job. First I sent them an email and then I called them with a bunch of questions and they answered me every single one of them. After receiving my core, they finished it within a few days and shipped it back to me. The entire process took 2 weeks including the time it spent being shipped.
Thank you Delta, great job!
The installation was pretty straight forward. I did it myself with the supervision of a professional mechanic. It took me almost 6 hours but that's because a few times I had to wait for the mechanic since he was working on other cars as well.
Here are the steps:
1. Remove the battery to have more space
2. Remove the timing belt cover
3. Remove air filter/box
4. Remove the spark plugs coils
5. Remove the valve cover
6. Remove the camshaft positioning sensor
7. Align the cam pulley to the mark
8. Zip tie the belt to the pulley
8. Unbolt the cam pulley from the cam
9. Remove the rocker arms. You really don't have to remove them, just to loosen the bolts but to remove and put back the cam, you have to be careful and slowly rotate the cam as you pull/push it as well as pushing down the rocker arms to create clearance. It was much easier with them out of the way and it takes only a couple of minutes to remove them and reinstall them.
10. Unbolt the fuse box that's behind the battery
11. Pull cam out. Now it's good to have an other pair of hands to pull the fuse box up
12. Prepare the new cam. Lube it really good as well as lube the internal where the cam will seat ( sorry don't know how it's called)
13. Push the cam in slowly and carefully not to scratch anything
14. Reinstall the rocker arms
15. Bolt in the cam pulley. This is a tricky one. If you don't push the hydraulic tensioner in, like I did, it will require a little muscle to align the pulley with the cam to screw the bolt in
16. Reinstall the cam positioning sensor
17. Adjust the valves.
18. Put back the valve cover and spark plug coils
19. Reinstall air filter/box
20. Start engine and idle at 2000 rpm to break in the new cam. This is very important to idle it like this and not at it's usual rpm, at all times has to be at least above 1500rpm. Do not let it idle not even for a few seconds below 1500rpm. Let idle like this for 15-20 minutes
21. Turn off engine and readjust the valves. On our cars the adjustment has to be done on a hot engine(see How to: Valve adjustment in the how to section)
Since I had the battery off for so long it took a good 30-40 miles for me to start seeing the improvements. The car pulls so much harder. I was on a big bridge and half way up I punched it and it was accelerating like it didn't care it was going up lol.
Sorry but I didn't take any pictures, I got to excited about the install since it's been siting in my room for a long time.
My old cam will go for sell later on today when I get home.
Now to my next mod....
Now I'm having a weird issue. When I'm at WOT in 3rd gear, at around 6000-6200 RPM I loose power and it doesn't shift into 4th. It just stays there, it doesn't accelerate nor it doesn't decelerate, unless I release the pedal a little bit and then it shifts.
Anybody ran into this or can give me some pointers?
Thank you.
Anybody ran into this or can give me some pointers?
Thank you.
Evolving Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: Gettysburg, PA
Wow thank you for this! I'm getting ready to install my cam soon, and my mechanic (Father-in-Law) Hasn't actually done any cam installs so he was a little hesitant on the install. But now that I have some steps it will make it easier.
I'm not to good on auto's but maybe the ecu is still learning a little? Or possible something with the transmission itself. I know my wife's stang does weird things when its about to shift. My ralliart is a 2006 and my mivec point is set differently its like 4,100. But 2004-2005 should kick in at 3,500. Yours probably still kicks in at 3,500 but maybe you don't feel all the power till 4,500? For mine its a little weird, but it feels like I have 2 stages of activation. I gain more power at 3,500 then it kicks hard at 4,100.
I'm not to good on auto's but maybe the ecu is still learning a little? Or possible something with the transmission itself. I know my wife's stang does weird things when its about to shift. My ralliart is a 2006 and my mivec point is set differently its like 4,100. But 2004-2005 should kick in at 3,500. Yours probably still kicks in at 3,500 but maybe you don't feel all the power till 4,500? For mine its a little weird, but it feels like I have 2 stages of activation. I gain more power at 3,500 then it kicks hard at 4,100.
Last edited by Darewood; Jun 15, 2011 at 02:07 PM.
I'm stating that my Mivec kicks in at 4500 rpm because that's when the sound of the engine changes, and it happens every time at exactly 4500 RPM.
I don't know if the ECU is still learning, I already have 200 miles since the install and this happens only at wot.
I did some research online and I think this happens because of the different size cam, the RPM/speed relation changed, in other words before in 3rd gear at 6000rpm I was at 95mph and now I'm at 100mph and the ECU is confused.
I am trying to get in touch with Hackish to get the reflash and hopefully that will fix this issue but he is so hard to find...
I don't know if the ECU is still learning, I already have 200 miles since the install and this happens only at wot.
I did some research online and I think this happens because of the different size cam, the RPM/speed relation changed, in other words before in 3rd gear at 6000rpm I was at 95mph and now I'm at 100mph and the ECU is confused.
I am trying to get in touch with Hackish to get the reflash and hopefully that will fix this issue but he is so hard to find...
I did some research online and I think this happens because of the different size cam, the RPM/speed relation changed, in other words before in 3rd gear at 6000rpm I was at 95mph and now I'm at 100mph and the ECU is confused.
Unless you changed your transmission gear ratios, your rpm/speed will be the same as before. A different cam will not change that at all.
Trending Topics
I will post a video tomorrow.
Regarding the rpm/speed this is what I found in other forums like LS1 engine.
I am trying to find what the problem is, it bothers me a lot. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Regarding the rpm/speed this is what I found in other forums like LS1 engine.
I am trying to find what the problem is, it bothers me a lot. Any help is greatly appreciated.
No matter what the engine is, the cam has nothing at all to do with the gear ratios of the transmission. The input shaft in the transmission is still driven directly from the engine crankshaft. The various gears in a manual transmission are fixed ratios, as is the final drive gear. Don't believe everything you read on car forums.
The problem is not really a problem. It was a feature designed by the engineers who programmed the ECU. Seamless MIVEC switchover where the two profiles cross (3500), then if you're still in it at 4500 rpm, they figure you must really want to accelerate, and they lean it out a bit to give it a kick in the pants.
If it bothers you that much, the only good, permanent solution I know of would be a reflash that remaps the ECU's target A/F ratios for that part of the rpm/load range. Hackish would be better able to tell you if it's possible, I don't know for certain.
The problem is not really a problem. It was a feature designed by the engineers who programmed the ECU. Seamless MIVEC switchover where the two profiles cross (3500), then if you're still in it at 4500 rpm, they figure you must really want to accelerate, and they lean it out a bit to give it a kick in the pants.
If it bothers you that much, the only good, permanent solution I know of would be a reflash that remaps the ECU's target A/F ratios for that part of the rpm/load range. Hackish would be better able to tell you if it's possible, I don't know for certain.
Thank you Myszkewicz, that makes sense. I am trying to get in touch with Hackish, sent him a couple of emails but no response. Besides him there is no one else that can reflash the ECU?
I've kind of figure out all the problems and now I have to come up with solutions.
I meet this morning with Lanzerralliart and we compared the Mivec sound on both of our cars. The sound is exactly the same but as I stated, my Mivec kicks in at 4500 rpm and his at 3500 rpm, this where the sound starts(he can confirm it).
I spoke with Ken at Delta(very nice and helpful guy) and he said that the valve lash should be adjusted 2000of a inch more then factory recommended. Also he said it would be a good idea to put shims under the springs to increase a little the stiffness.
About my shifting problem he said that, because of the increase in lift and duration there is not enough vacuum for my transmission at wot. He said I can fix this either by adjusting the vacuum in the transmission or add a vacuum canister with a one way valve.
Now the questions:
1. What size shims do I need?
2. If I would go to put a vacuum canister how and where do I connect it?
3. What other options do I have regarding the vacuum?
I meet this morning with Lanzerralliart and we compared the Mivec sound on both of our cars. The sound is exactly the same but as I stated, my Mivec kicks in at 4500 rpm and his at 3500 rpm, this where the sound starts(he can confirm it).
I spoke with Ken at Delta(very nice and helpful guy) and he said that the valve lash should be adjusted 2000of a inch more then factory recommended. Also he said it would be a good idea to put shims under the springs to increase a little the stiffness.
About my shifting problem he said that, because of the increase in lift and duration there is not enough vacuum for my transmission at wot. He said I can fix this either by adjusting the vacuum in the transmission or add a vacuum canister with a one way valve.
Now the questions:
1. What size shims do I need?
2. If I would go to put a vacuum canister how and where do I connect it?
3. What other options do I have regarding the vacuum?
unless they know what size shim to use for your valve springs. Seems like a lot of work and money just to shim the valve springs, keeping in mind you'll need a head gasket, among others, valve stem seals are not a bad idea...and then of course the hassle of pulling the head, cause then you should have the head machined as well.
That and i'm not sure what vacuum source the transmission uses, not familiar with automatic transaxle.
That and i'm not sure what vacuum source the transmission uses, not familiar with automatic transaxle.
it's not as complicated as that crankswick, RalliartonLSD already has the shims on his head, I still have my stock head from my p&p swap. you don't have to machine the head or even remove it to install the shims.The valve seals are like 1 dollar each, I even think they were less than that. There is some work involved I'm not saying there's not but not that much it could easily be done in a day. Although getting that Canadian beer will be had to come by down here in Miami 