I'm in the process of repairing damage done by a loose crank pulley on my 2000, 1.6, 5 speed Protege. The end result is similar to the Miata short snout crank problem. However, in this case the fault is mine (not the design) as I didn't get the crank bolt tight enough.
Since I'm already "in there" for the fix I won't be wasting my time advancing the cam as I need to replace the crank key anyway. I realize with a DOHC engine the cams are often adjusted independently. And I realize there are adjustable cam sprockets and performance cams etc. but I'm not looking to go that route.
In my case I'm just looking to move the existing torque curve a bit lower in the RPM range. This is no race car, I'm only looking for better response at lower RPMs as I drive in a somewhat hilly area. I have a machinist son who can cut me an offset crank key to advance the timing.
So, Yes, I understand that changing the timing on a stock cam usually doesn't show much change. And, Yes, I understand the best results are found by changing the timing independently on each cam (at a cost).
I'm not here to argue those points. The bottom line is my son can cut the offset crank key in short order (we have already done the math). And, I need to replace the key anyway. So, there is virtually nothing invested. I'm not looking for a horsepower gain I know isn't there. I'm only looking to find a bit more torque in the idle to 3,000 RPM range the car spends 99% of its time in.
That all said with a stock cam can anyone make a recommendation regarding the amount of cam advance I should limit to? I've often heard 4 degrees is about the limit - in general. Thank you for your time.
Since I'm already "in there" for the fix I won't be wasting my time advancing the cam as I need to replace the crank key anyway. I realize with a DOHC engine the cams are often adjusted independently. And I realize there are adjustable cam sprockets and performance cams etc. but I'm not looking to go that route.
In my case I'm just looking to move the existing torque curve a bit lower in the RPM range. This is no race car, I'm only looking for better response at lower RPMs as I drive in a somewhat hilly area. I have a machinist son who can cut me an offset crank key to advance the timing.
So, Yes, I understand that changing the timing on a stock cam usually doesn't show much change. And, Yes, I understand the best results are found by changing the timing independently on each cam (at a cost).
I'm not here to argue those points. The bottom line is my son can cut the offset crank key in short order (we have already done the math). And, I need to replace the key anyway. So, there is virtually nothing invested. I'm not looking for a horsepower gain I know isn't there. I'm only looking to find a bit more torque in the idle to 3,000 RPM range the car spends 99% of its time in.
That all said with a stock cam can anyone make a recommendation regarding the amount of cam advance I should limit to? I've often heard 4 degrees is about the limit - in general. Thank you for your time.
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