GSC S1 IX Cams Vs HKS IX Cams
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GSC S1 IX Cams Vs HKS IX Cams
I'm trying to figure out which cams to go with for my IX. I've tried searching and read alot of threads but only could come up with Dyno sheets that were for GSC that were pretty good but also read that HKS 272 are great for torque and they idle well.
Let me know what would you guys go with. Thanks This well be really helpful.
Let me know what would you guys go with. Thanks This well be really helpful.
The IX cams are very well suited to the IX turbo. On a good MIVEC tune, the stock cams make a solid torque curve...
That being said... both the GSC S1's and HKS 272's are mildly aggressive, and will gain some power. More and more, people are over-camming the IX, especially with the influx of meth injected, high boost vehicles, and high flowing turbos.
If you are staying mostly stock, either the GSCs or HKSs will have marginal gains that will probably satisfy you (expect a consistent 10-20whp across the powerband).
If you went with a more aggressive cam such as the GSC S2, Cosworth M2, or Brian Crower 280, coupled with other high flowing bolt ons and a high boost tune, you would likely see a much larger gain. The downside to these more aggressive cams is the lift profile calls for a valvetrain upgrade... it can get expensive to purchase a $400-$600 set of cams and a $400-$600 valvetrain, plus in some cases pay for installation, and of course tuning.
That being said... both the GSC S1's and HKS 272's are mildly aggressive, and will gain some power. More and more, people are over-camming the IX, especially with the influx of meth injected, high boost vehicles, and high flowing turbos.
If you are staying mostly stock, either the GSCs or HKSs will have marginal gains that will probably satisfy you (expect a consistent 10-20whp across the powerband).
If you went with a more aggressive cam such as the GSC S2, Cosworth M2, or Brian Crower 280, coupled with other high flowing bolt ons and a high boost tune, you would likely see a much larger gain. The downside to these more aggressive cams is the lift profile calls for a valvetrain upgrade... it can get expensive to purchase a $400-$600 set of cams and a $400-$600 valvetrain, plus in some cases pay for installation, and of course tuning.
Last edited by recompile; May 7, 2008 at 10:32 PM.
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Read Martins cam thread alot of good info. I would go with a set of s2's. S1's are a great choice. I have driven evos with almost every cam choice you can imagine and the cars with gsc cams always seem to stand out.
Unfortunately this test was done on an Evo VIII. But I think there is still some good stuff to learn from the thread. What I take away if that the HKS 272 cams are a nice and safe upgrade as they will not loose power anywhere and will gain a decent amount throughout the power band.
The GSC s1 is like the HKS cam sacraficing very little down low but gains even more up top. The s2 seems to trade a bit more down low for a nice bit up top. There are tons of other cams in that thread but it seems that the trade off between low end loss and high end power is greater with some of the other cams. While the results from that test don't really mean anything when it comes to the Evo IX, I now feel that GSC does very good testing and creates products that gain good power with little loss.
Personally I think I am gonna go with GSC s2's for my IX. But I will be on a green turbo and 30psi.
What kind of turbo and what kind of boost will you run?
The GSC s1 is like the HKS cam sacraficing very little down low but gains even more up top. The s2 seems to trade a bit more down low for a nice bit up top. There are tons of other cams in that thread but it seems that the trade off between low end loss and high end power is greater with some of the other cams. While the results from that test don't really mean anything when it comes to the Evo IX, I now feel that GSC does very good testing and creates products that gain good power with little loss.
Personally I think I am gonna go with GSC s2's for my IX. But I will be on a green turbo and 30psi.
What kind of turbo and what kind of boost will you run?
I was not impressed with the GSC S1 cams on my IX. They made like 10 more whp in the mid-range and pulled a little longer past 6000rpm than the stock cams, but actually lost some low-end torque and spool... 
Since then, I swapped in the Cosworth M2's (272's) and felt an immediate difference everywhere in the powerband (this is with only 5 minutes of quick tuning). My low-end torque was back and then some, better spool, and pulled MUCH harder through the mid-range and ALL the way to the top-end. I was like -- holy ****, I just got cams in!!! 
*** Many Evo's in my area have swapped from the S1's to the Cosworth's with great results. Don't know of anyone going back the other way.
My personal experience with both cams points toward the Cosworth's as the clear winner here for stock and Green turboed Evo's (the stock IX cams are so good after some good MIVEC tuning, that a mild cam like the S1's -268's?- just doesn't make enough of a difference IMHO to justify the $$$ and labor.
Since then, I swapped in the Cosworth M2's (272's) and felt an immediate difference everywhere in the powerband (this is with only 5 minutes of quick tuning). My low-end torque was back and then some, better spool, and pulled MUCH harder through the mid-range and ALL the way to the top-end
. I was like -- holy ****, I just got cams in!!! *** Many Evo's in my area have swapped from the S1's to the Cosworth's with great results. Don't know of anyone going back the other way.
My personal experience with both cams points toward the Cosworth's as the clear winner here for stock and Green turboed Evo's (the stock IX cams are so good after some good MIVEC tuning, that a mild cam like the S1's -268's?- just doesn't make enough of a difference IMHO to justify the $$$ and labor.
