Ok. I know what they do. But I've never installed or removed cams before. I'm seriously considering getting a set, but when emissions test time rolls around, I worry about the hassle of having to switch them out.

Now, I've got a UTEC. I was wondering if a tuning map could be made to keep things at an acceptable level, without removing the cams. Or would that just make the car run really terribly?

I figure getting them swapped back and forth would be a huge pain in the ***, so this is why I ask.

 

You need to clarify whether you are talking about cam gears of cam shafts. I have heard of many guys passing smog with cam gears. As far as cam shafts go, I am have not heard of anyone posting smog results as of yet...

 

Yeah, for many of us we haven't been required to get a smog test done yet. However with the UTEC, you should be able to program a map that would pass emissions, in closed loop operation the factory ECU should compensate ok, I think the key may have to do with reducing cam overlap with adjustable timing gears. But at settings under load, you can do a low emission map with low boost and fairly lean and close to stock timing. I'll know early next year when I have to go through it.

FWIW the tuning map I had done with the utec and a fairly stock engine did pass when we tested it for the hell of it.

 

Yeah, right now I'm pretty close to stock. I do have a Buscher turboback with the highflow cat, and a K&N drop in, but that's it. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens when people's 03's start having to get tested.

When I said cams I meant shafts more or less, with regard to emissions. I don't see myself doing one without the other, though, really. Still, I've got my fingers crossed for a non-swapping workaround. I don't want to have to blow a whole weekend for an emissions test that takes 10 minutes, otherwise.