Installed Cam

**oharam** · 03-22-2011, 01:29 PM

Is there a way to tell if a car has had a new cam installed in it? Or, is it something you can only find out by removing the cam? I am interested in finding out what has been done to my car. The previous owner stated they only swapped the M6 into it, and a thermostat/waterpump. He stated that the first owner had used it for weekend track runs, but was not really told what was done to it. The obvious is the SLP airbox lid, and exhaust, other than that, I have no clue.

thanks

**redbird555** · 03-22-2011, 03:22 PM

If it has a new stock cam in iit then no if its has a performance cam installed then you should be able to hear a lope even if the cam is small in the exhaust note something like this... [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x0OjqWRlnE[/ame]

**splitfinger09** · 03-22-2011, 05:48 PM

^^^that sounds pretty obvious to me that has a cam in it. I think you would def hear it in the exhaust note.

**oharam** · 03-23-2011, 05:44 AM

Redbird:

Thanks for the video, I did just fire it up and listened to mine. I can hear faintly something, but not as obvious as your car. But as anal as I am about my cars, I will be adding what I want to it anyway! Thanks again for the info, much appreciated!

**oharam** · 03-24-2011, 04:57 PM

Red:

Not sure why my car sounded soft the other day, but let it sit idleing, and I can now tell it has had a Cam installed in it, but only wish I could find out (without removing) what kind it is.

Thanks again

**redbird555** · 03-24-2011, 06:11 PM

can you post up a video of it? why not as the previous owner if he knows abt the cam

**oharam** · 03-24-2011, 06:26 PM

If it was done, it was done by the first owner. I did ask the guy I bought it from if, and what he did. All he had done was the tranny swap out, water pump, and thermostat. The exhaust, and anything else was performed by first owner. I will get the video either tomorrow night, or saturday and post it.

**pajeff02** · 03-24-2011, 06:40 PM

You can always pull a rocker cover and check your cam specs with a dial indicator. Not that difficult to do.

**INMY01TA** · 03-27-2011, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by pajeff02

You can always pull a rocker cover and check your cam specs with a dial indicator. Not that difficult to do.

If you have dual coil valve springs then it's obviously had a cam swap too.

**pajeff02** · 03-27-2011, 07:42 AM

Originally Posted by INMY01TA

If you have dual coil valve springs then it's obviously had a cam swap too.

Good point.

**rajiv1998** · 03-29-2011, 07:43 AM

Originally Posted by INMY01TA

If you have dual coil valve springs then it's obviously had a cam swap too.

Take your valve covers off and see if it has aftermarket springs. If it does, then I'm almost posotive it has/had a cam

**ls1wallen** · 03-29-2011, 11:56 AM

check and see if the back coil pack bolts are missing. almost no one puts them back on after they took them off.

**Speed_kills_WS6** · 03-30-2011, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by ls1wallen

check and see if the back coil pack bolts are missing. almost no one puts them back on after they took them off.

**Speed_kills_WS6** · 03-30-2011, 06:16 PM

If you had an aftermarket cam, you'd definitely know it. Doubt you do, especially considering you still have exhaust manifolds.

**INMY01TA** · 03-30-2011, 08:06 PM

Originally Posted by Speed_kills_WS6

If you had an aftermarket cam, you'd definitely know it. Doubt you do, especially considering you still have exhaust manifolds.

I know someone who sold his car and put it back almost to stock. Put the whole stock exhaust back so it would pass inspection, left the aftermarket cam in cause he didn't feel like changing it again. I also doubt if there were say a 224/114 cam in there that you'd be able to tell with stock manifolds and cats on it imo.

**1999slpss** · 03-31-2011, 03:50 PM

I'm going through the same thing as the OP. I had a buddy look at my pcm on hptuners and the tune has been altered in favor of a cam. Mine does have a small but noticeable lope especially with the cutout open. It has shorty headers, no cats and 2otl catback w/ cutout.

Not to hijack the OP's thread but here is a video of mine which may help him out too. I don't know what cam is in mine either.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahriTE1n5h0[/ame]