Jim Wolf Technology VK45DE Camshafts

Dibs on both Humberto's and Pierce's FX45s if you get rid of them for the GT-R.

My son will need a car to drive...:rolleyes:

---------- Post added at 01:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:20 PM ----------
kieranlavin said:
Ed, I'm not ignoring you, sorry. I've been very busy at work. Hopefully I'll have some time to respond to this thread this weekend.
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No worries, it's still cold out here so I'm limited to what I can do=)

I'm hoping it'll warm up enough so I can put my lamin-x on that I purchased over the winter.
 
I am trying to plan this out so it is done correctly and in the proper order.
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1) Engine Port and Polish of the intake and exhaust ports. Cheapest quote I received is $675 here http://www.eddiesvalvegrinding.com/ Too bad it's in New Jersey. They estimate a 20 hp gain, but I realistically expecting 5-10 hp gain, if that? Maybe with all mods combined and tune, 20 hp maybe real?
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First of all, I'm assuming and hoping you'll have another car and you're not planning on doing this over a short time period and being under time constraints?! Seems like a decent price to port/polish. For sh*ts and giggles, I'd go on some other forums (probably a musclecar forum or something) and see what sort of reviews and feedback they have. They're sort of close to Englishtown so they're probably a drag race sort of shop and they *MAY* be a hack of sorts since the whole market in that area is flooded with "performance shops" ... some good and some bad. The website looks good but, on the web, you can certainly polish a turd up REAL nice.

2) Next is to install JWT S2 cams with JWT Springs and Shims. Eddie's Valve Grinding quoted at $475 installed vs $1,900 dealership and aftermarket tuning shops.
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You're probably receiving a decent price because they're already tearing the engine apart to port/polish anyway so there's some labor they're saving over the dealer or other shops because it's already apart. That ALMOST seems too cheap though. At a rate of $100 an hour (I don't know what the going rate is honestly) you're looking at one guy working on it for 4 hours or 2 guys working 2 hours. That seems a bit aggressive especially if they've never played with this specific engine. It just doesn't seem like they're being meticulous enough.

You're talking about 16 cam towers with 2 bolts each to remove and replace so 16 total towers and 64 bolts. They each need to be loosened and tightened incrementely so it's not just put a wrench on the bolt and completely remove it. Break it down and if you used the guy's complete 4 hours JUST on this task, that's 15 minutes per cam tower or 4 minutes per bolt. You haven't accounted for the valve spring removal/replacement, cam removal/install, or shims.

Looking at just the springs, you're talking about 32 valve springs so, if it was JUST the valve springs, you'd be looking at 7.5 minutes to remove and 7.5 minutes to replace.

I don't mean to scare you but I don't think it's enough time. For argument's sake, breaking down the 4.5 or so hours, by their schedule, it'd be something like:

Forgive my crude steps as I'm going from memory of doing cams on a 4 cylinder probably 5 or more years ago and I don't have time at work to fully review the FSM

- Remove valve covers - 0 minutes
- Support timing chain for cam removal - 0 minutes
- Remove 16 cam towers and shims - 45 minutes @ less than 3 minutes each
- Remove cams - 0 minutes
- Remove valve springs - 1.5 hours @ less than 3 minutes each
- Replace valve springs - 1.5 hours @ less than 3 minutes each
- Replace cams - 0 minutes
- Align and verify TDC
- Replace 16 cam towers and shims - 45 minutes @ less than 3 minutes each
- Replace valve covers & start/verify everything is ok

3) Also, at the same time, have VQ37VHR valve lifters installed. KIERAN -- would you be able to tell what size lifters I would need to get? I'm not sure if your friend has the specs/blue print of the VK45DE S2 Cam, they are custom ground from the VK56DE S2 Cams. This would be great as would save some down time of my car being out of commission as they would have to measure after they install then order the correct lifters.
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Unfortunately he's away on vacation right now. I'll call and see if he has time to check with JWT while he's laying on the beach. We should be able to get you the information. I'm sure they wouldn't want the information broadcast on the internet so I'll have to e-mail it to you

4) Replace pistons to a different compression?? I am going to stay N/A as I don’t want the headaches of a FI. 10.9:1 is already high, not sure on regular pump gas that you would want to risk going any higher for slight increase in HP.
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Yeah, I don't think going any higher would make sense. And if you're staying NA, no point in lowering compression "while you're in there"

6) AWD Dyno tune.
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Definitely do a before/after. Are you planning on driving/shipping the car out this way or just sending the head? If the entire car, I'd find a dyno close to the shop (maybe even the shop has one?) and do a before/after literally IMMEDIATELY before and after. You'll know if it was worth the cost/trouble AND if something's wrong, it'll show itself right away (skipped teeth on the chain, etc)

Anything else? Port/Polish, JWT S2 Cams, JWT Intake, HKS Exhaust, OEM e-Fan, then Dyno-tune. It would be huge to see close to 300 AWD WHP N/A. With the parasitic loss, I don't think it's possible, but I'm hoping close enough. At least the power change will actual be able to be felt throughout the entire band.
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I don't think it's totally out of the question. Taking some WAG's, 210 or so stock I think? Cams are 40-50, port/polish let's say 15, exhaust 15, e-fan 10, intake 5... so it'd be real close. I'd be very interested in following this progression. Not that I'd want to butcher yet ANOTHER one of my cars but I'm curious
 
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Chedman13 said:
kieran -- very interesting! Thanks for looking into this, great information here.
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No problem. I forgot to mention that if you want and you don't have already I can PDF the cam section of the FSM. You'd probably like to have it if you don't already and I'd DEFINITELY share with the shop so they understand what's involved. As you get closer and more serious about it, I can dig into the FSM and read up a bit more on what's involved. I just skimmed so far

Also if you'll be out to the shop, let me know. It's a little over an hour drive from me
 
kieranlavin said:
No problem. I forgot to mention that if you want and you don't have already I can PDF the cam section of the FSM. You'd probably like to have it if you don't already and I'd DEFINITELY share with the shop so they understand what's involved. As you get closer and more serious about it, I can dig into the FSM and read up a bit more on what's involved. I just skimmed so far

Also if you'll be out to the shop, let me know. It's a little over an hour drive from me
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Your comment on the Dyno tune really makes sense and worth the extra $$. I think I'll end up just going here:
http://www.grdperformance.com/dyno_tuning.php?osCsid=81b2e3e336d8aa8234935bc349ce7f42

They have a dynapack (i.e. no wheels) that will give a very accurate dyno. Since they said they'll install the cams, I'll have them do the dyno baseline and after too.

I'm not sure what makes sense but baseline:
jwt intake
hks exhaust

after mods:
e-fan
cams
(no port/polish - i'm going to cancel this one)
dyno tune.

I'd love to do individual dyno tunes for intake/exhaust as I have OEM, but not going to put out the $$ for the extra time it'll take.

---------- Post added at 12:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:20 PM ----------
kieranlavin said:
No problem. I forgot to mention that if you want and you don't have already I can PDF the cam section of the FSM. You'd probably like to have it if you don't already and I'd DEFINITELY share with the shop so they understand what's involved. As you get closer and more serious about it, I can dig into the FSM and read up a bit more on what's involved. I just skimmed so far

Also if you'll be out to the shop, let me know. It's a little over an hour drive from me
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The shop GRD, is a known VQ35DE shop I believe. They haven't touched a VK45DE as far as I know though, besides maybe a dyno tune. So I'm hoping they can do this right with their Nissan know how. But yes, any additional information would be helpful.

No rush on asking your friend. If he could find out when he gets back from vacation, that would be great.
 
FYI-My stock Dyno read W/no mods on a Mustang AWD was 229WHP, (maybe a bit more generous than a Dynapack) 210 WHP seems a bit low as a starting point....

You setting up for this Ed? If you go for it leave a trail of breadcrumbs for myself and my performance shop!
 
Logan said:
FYI-My stock Dyno read W/no mods on a Mustang AWD was 229WHP, (maybe a bit more generous than a Dynapack) 210 WHP seems a bit low as a starting point....

You setting up for this Ed? If you go for it leave a trail of breadcrumbs for myself and my performance shop!
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Planning everything out that I possibly can.

I also have something else in the works... which might delay this project... but that's a secret=)

---------- Post added at 12:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:47 PM ----------
Logan said:
FYI-My stock Dyno read W/no mods on a Mustang AWD was 229WHP, (maybe a bit more generous than a Dynapack) 210 WHP seems a bit low as a starting point....
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Wow 229 WHP???? That's only a 27% parasitic loss from the crank (315 supposed). I was thinking actual WHP was more closer to 35% loss, so around 205 WHP.

But 229 WHP sounds awesome!
 
FX45Chicago said:
You can get a nice Aston Martin for 68,000 prices are cheap now-a-days. Whats better Aston or GT-R aka GODzilla
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Upkeep on an Aston probably isn't too cheap, but then again GT-R isn't cheap also.

I'd personally get a 1st year NSX for $20k=) Even I can work on that thing.
 
Yes, a shop more familiar with Nissan (even if it *IS* a different engine) might be more suitable. I don't think stock intake/exhaust is necessary. They're not going anywhere and staying on the car so it'll still give you an idea of a before/after.

Mustang dynos are always pretty high. I have a bone stock run with 800 or so miles on the car and I think I got like 208. I have to find the sheet but it was somewhere around 210 wheel
 
Chedman13 said:
Upkeep on an Aston probably isn't too cheap, but then again GT-R isn't cheap also.

I'd personally get a 1st year NSX for $20k=) Even I can work on that thing.
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Yea, I don't trust the maintenance costs on those babies, especially if it used and out of warranty.
 
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