Running a different cam - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

Brent79 · 11-29-2002, 18:16

Hey guys... ive got an ED XR6 cam sitting here but i want too get
some advice before i install it. The cam will be part of a chip upgrade and although i dont have the $$$ for the chip atm, i want to know if i should install the cam before i get the chip.
Ive heard that u MUST get the ECU upgraded when running the cam or else it will run lean?? Is this true? Would it help if i ran 98 octane all the time?? Will it damage my internals if i run the cam for a month without upgrading the ecu? Thanx guys

Brent

NZ · 11-29-2002, 18:55

You'll probably find the car will run a bit worse than the normal cam since you dont have the timing alterations to match. I tried an EF cam which is similar to the ED XR6 cam and it wasnt too good without the right ecu. By all means try it - it doesnt take long to change a cam.

Bass Crazy · 11-29-2002, 21:35

I agree with NZ, Give it a go, it might work well, ya never know.

11-30-2002, 00:14

Hmmm... I've put XR6 cam into my car and it seems to run real sweet now. I doubt that putting an XR6 cam in will need a change in the ECU cos it's only slightly lumpier then standard.

Oh yeah, one thing I did do with mine however was put in XR6 valve springs on the advice of others here. The reason is they are stiffer which is needed cos being a larger cam opens and closes the valves quicker meaning your valves will "bounce" if your springs aren't hard enough. Well I did mine anyways just incase, plus it means I can put in a ruff-as-guts body shaker cam in later on and not have any problems(except ECU)

Brent79 · 11-30-2002, 19:42

Hmmm... yea, from the feedback ive got... i reckon there would be an improvement over the standard cam with the same ECU... but would need to get the ECU chipped to gain full advantage over the new vavle timing. Even if the improvement is only slight, i think its worth it... the chip should come str8 after xmas..
Thanx for the feedback guys..

Brent

rextus · 12-01-2002, 17:56

Does anyone know how the XR6 cam compares with the std one. (duration and lift)? Donuts, did you notice any sort of power increase or does it just seem to run better? One of the problems I've found with modifying cars bit by bit is that they never really seem to be getting any quicker till you have to drive an unmodified example of the same breed.

12-02-2002, 06:27

I'm still ironing out my problems with my car, which I haven't been able to do due to university exams/money/other jobs/scorching heat and so haven't been able to drive it much.

Anyways as I've said in other posts, I've noticed it revs up really easy now the XR6 cam is in. The throttle feels like it is 3 times more sensitive then it used to be, and just a soft touch of the pedal makes the revs fly up. Normally the engine would take a second or two to build up revs when you give it gas as you might know, now the cam has made it like instaneous. It also revs drop down faster too when you take your foot of the pedal.

Also I haven't one any intake-exhaust mods either, this is a stock EA S-Pac, but power would be improved even more with a bigger exhaust.

Anyways after I get some dosh, fix up a few things on the car, I'll take her out for a thrashing and tell you how much more power it has with the cam.

Brent79 · 12-02-2002, 17:27

Hey donuts... how does it idle with the standard ECU??? Im thking mine would stall out, due to the fact i have a faulty auto that likes to overshift to higher gears when i take ma foot off the gas.... Im gonna out the cam in on thurs. If I have trouble with the ECU adapting then i'll just have to Credit Card the chip nad work hard to pay it off@! :) Ive got the intake and exhuast done so i hope i get some good results... i like the fact that u said yer engine is more responsive coz thats what im looking for!

Brent

12-02-2002, 18:02

She runs real sweet at idle, doesn't run rough or anything. I still think you shouldn't worry about the ECU, seems like a big waste of money and really won't give you any better performance. Whack a bigger exhaust on that should increase your performance more, the standard ECU jobbie can easily handle the cam as it knows how to adapt to an extent.

Rollin · 12-03-2002, 02:31

gm destroya has a 3.9 with a standard computer and a big cam, extractors and intake mods, it runs sweet as 99% of the time, but idles a little wierd on occasion, but thats more than made up for by how fast the thing goes, i have been in the car, along with another passenger, while we SHAT on a 5.0 VN with extractors and exhaust!!