2.9 with a cam

just truckn · Sep 10, 2011

hey guys i just got my new motor done and in and running its a 90 rang 2.9 i put a camcraft cam in it got it running broke in the motor i go for a ride and this thing cant get out of its own way i thought with a cam a little bigger than stock it would have a little more pep it ran faster with the stock cam in it so anyway is there anyone out there with a 2.9 thats got a cam in it have any tips for me i got the timming at 10 should i take it up to 12 what r your thoughts on this other than being slow the motor runs smooth i even put a hipo coil and cap and rotor on it .any help will be greatly appt

Psychopete · Sep 11, 2011

I ran 14 BTDC, but 12 should be safe to try. If it pings, bump it down. Things I might check off the bat would be that the timing is advancing with the SPOUT in, fuel pressure, and engine vacuum. Hard to say what was all done, and if it's something mechanically that's causing it or something electronic.

just truckn · Sep 11, 2011

hi pete thanks for replying yea i did check the fuel pressure its 38 with key off its like 33 with it running i di happen to find a vacum leak on the trans the hose that goes to the modulator was bad so i fixed that it seem a little better but i still think it should runjust a little more snappeyer than stock i will take the timing up to 12 and see what that dose thanks again .

volrath · Sep 13, 2011

hi pete! glad to see you again. lol

i never had a problem with my cammed 2.9. just trouble finding a good computer tune

Psychopete · Sep 14, 2011

good to hear from you man. haven't heard anything new about your engine, how is everything going? Are you still running the speed density / map configuration?

How about you just truckin? you get any further on the issue?

just truckn · Sep 15, 2011

whats up pete i changed the timming to 12 it runs fine no pinging or anything i am just starting to think the cam i got must not be a hipo cam it just runs like its a stock cam i mean the truck runs nice and smooth no codes or vacuum leaks it just runs like it has no balls i just figured it will have a little more pep but it dosent so i just wasted 300.00 for a cam and lifters that work like stock.l

volrath · Sep 15, 2011

Psychopete said:
good to hear from you man. haven't heard anything new about your engine, how is everything going? Are you still running the speed density / map configuration?

the engine runs good. but with out a computer tune i dont really drive it much. i wanted the Tweecer RT for my computer tune but they cant do it with the old procesor very easily. but yeah im still running the speed density map systems. so this winter i am thinking about doing the maf swap. i just like how clean the engine bay looks with out a maf in their. oh well. the maf would be a lot nice in many ways. i have 19lb injectors in it right now which seam to feed it plenty. i would love to buy some 17lb injectors for it though. we will see once it is tuned

a pic before final assembly.

love my aluminum spacer. notice it's a Mahle head...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZTg4KI54ZI
a link to a video of it idling. i took it with my iphone this spring. so don't mind the poor quality

volrath · Sep 15, 2011

just truckn said:
whats up pete i changed the timming to 12 it runs fine no pinging or anything i am just starting to think the cam i got must not be a hipo cam it just runs like its a stock cam i mean the truck runs nice and smooth no codes or vacuum leaks it just runs like it has no balls i just figured it will have a little more pep but it dosent so i just wasted 300.00 for a cam and lifters that work like stock.l

what else did you do to the motor?

just truckn · Sep 16, 2011

volrath i guess you r asking me right i just did a stock rebuild on the block and had the heads checked out they cut them and adjusted the spring pressure thats all that was done and i put the camcraft cam in part number h39-0206 its suposed to b thier popular cam for the 2.9 the guy told me i will surley feel the differance in power but its not what they tell u i think its just a stock cam what i should have done was have it measured out before i put it in i dont know what else to do i might take the timming up to 14 and see if that dose anything . i also put autolite platinume spark plugs dose anyone think i should change them out

just truckn · Sep 16, 2011

hey volrath what cam do u have in your 2.9 i liked the way u truck sounded mine dose not sound like that you have that sound that says you have a cammed motor mine is so dam smooth thats why i think the cam i got was a stock cam but was charged for a hipo cam

RustedRanger · Sep 17, 2011

Most times your not gonna get a "big cam sound" with a cam for a computer controlled engine. Sounds like you have other issues that's keeping the motor from running right regardless of what cam you have. If you can afford it have it put on a diagnostic computer (not a code checker) and see what is really going on.

Psychopete · Sep 17, 2011

volrath - MAF system would be a lot better, bet your vacuum readings are pretty twitchy. going to mess with the MAP sensor readings. I didn't even try and just installed a MAF computer when I did the cam change. The grinder specifically told me that it wasn't going to be compatible.

just truckin - it's a custom ground camshaft from Colt Cams. It's a street/drag grind and good for higher RPM use, so it's performs under heavy foot conditions. I think CamCraft does custom grinds also, but they do list their 2.9L cams as a computer friendly RV camshafts. Usually good to work with them on the grind, they will make it how you want to perform. Gearing could have some impact on the feeling of low power also, but I would expect a noticeable increase. Maybe a second look might not be a bad idea. Even if the valve train wasn't set up right, that can even make a difference in performance.

just truckn · Sep 20, 2011

hey pete i think i may have found my problem both headgaskets r leaking antifreeze i never had this problem with brand new gaskets before i only got 30 miles on this motor and i got to tear it apart for bad gaskets so hopefully this was the problem

volrath · Sep 21, 2011

just truckn said:
hey volrath what cam do u have in your 2.9 i liked the way u truck sounded mine dose not sound like that you have that sound that says you have a cammed motor mine is so dam smooth thats why i think the cam i got was a stock cam but was charged for a hipo cam

i got the cam from pete. .435" lift intake @ 50 and .455 lift exhaust @ 50 with 111 duration if i recall right. but thanks. i love the way it sounds at an idle. and that most non motorheads just it runs funny just makes me smile.

Psychopete said:
volrath - MAF system would be a lot better, bet your vacuum readings are pretty twitchy. going to mess with the MAP sensor readings. I didn't even try and just installed a MAF computer when I did the cam change. The grinder specifically told me that it wasn't going to be compatible.

just truckin - it's a custom ground camshaft from Colt Cams. It's a street/drag grind and good for higher RPM use, so it's performs under heavy foot conditions. I think CamCraft does custom grinds also, but they do list their 2.9L cams as a computer friendly RV camshafts. Usually good to work with them on the grind, they will make it how you want to perform. Gearing could have some impact on the feeling of low power also, but I would expect a noticeable increase. Maybe a second look might not be a bad idea. Even if the valve train wasn't set up right, that can even make a difference in performance.

i was rereading the maf conversion last night lol. sounds easy enough. im sure your right about the vacuum being twitchy. i wonder if a vacuum canister would temporarily help. the that would also delay vacuum reading to the map under acceleration. hmm. maybe ill try that.

pete would you happen to know what the processor code is on the uce for the maf conversion? i would like to find out so i can see if i can run the tweecer rt on my truck.

just truckin. i wouls suspect a any computer friendly cam to sould smooth at idle cause the 2.9 map ecu is trying to run it the same as stock. i think that would limit some power also. the tech section here outlines how to convert our 2.9s to mass air flow. which i would think would allow you to see all the power out of your cam to.
sorry to hear about your head gaskets going. at least the 2.9 is easy to work on(imo) good luck. while you have your motor apart you could look into some 4.0 stock exhaust manifolds. once you look at them you can easily see how much bigger they are inside to exhaust flow. might be a good idea on your cammed 2.9 and a heck of a lot cheaper then headers. ii ran ported manifolds on my 2.9 before i built it up.

just truckn · Sep 22, 2011

volrath will the 4.0 manifolds fit on the 2.9 its a good idiea i will look into that when i get a chance to hit the junkyard i am going to change the throttlebody out with the early one as for the head gaskets just my luck i am fighting with napa since the head gaskets r new and come with a 1 year warranty the guy from napa is giving me a hard time telling me i put them on wrong i told u can only put them on one way they r marked for top left and top right i just told him when i get the heads off i will know what went wrong i am just hoping its the head gaskets because when i had the block donenthey told me everything was good now i just got a bad feeling that i will be taking the whole motor out if the new gaskets leak .

2.9 with a cam

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