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Rb20 Cams.... Any Power Gains With Lightly Modified Engine?

chalky

By chalky,
in Engines & Forced Induction

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chalky Community Regular

chalky

Posted
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hey guys just looking at a few cams for the RB20... iv seen Tomei mostly and they are around the $1000 mark but CAMTECH CAMS make them for a bit cheaper.

Wondering what you guys think on putting a bigger cam on a lightly modifed motor?? Will i see many gains??? Im not to good on cams lol

Any help will be appreciated

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STATUS Grand Master

STATUS

Posted
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hey guys just looking at a few cams for the RB20... iv seen Tomei mostly and they are around the $1000 mark but CAMTECH CAMS make them for a bit cheaper.

Wondering what you guys think on putting a bigger cam on a lightly modifed motor?? Will i see many gains??? Im not to good on cams lol

Any help will be appreciated

Not on a mild rb20.

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R31Nismoid Grand Master

R31Nismoid

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Power gains? Nope.

All you will do is shift the power band, and that is only going upwards most likely... so not doing a street RB20 any favours unfortunately :)

Pretty sure Troy tried some Tomei cams - He went back to factory cams if memory serves me correct

Check the RB20/260rwkw thread, it should have the details in there either way in far more detail :huh:

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boostn32 Mentor

boostn32

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unless you want to push 300hp+ i would be upgrading other area's of external bolt on's and having spent a fortune on a RB20 i would

advise anyone, the money is better spent on a 25 conversion or 25/26/30 combo. The money it cost me to get over 400rwhp

could of got me over 500rwhp in a RB25 and a more usable power band, but in saying that i still like the little 20.

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Roy Grand Master

Roy

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Cams on std engines with little turbos with small A/R hotsides dont seem to like cams. Now a built RB20 with a big 0.86 A/R 500hp turbo....cams may help....nobody can reliably tell me which is making me nervous about building up an RB20, nobody can give you a tried and proven recipe :blush:

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bcozican Experienced

bcozican

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Cams on std engines with little turbos with small A/R hotsides dont seem to like cams. Now a built RB20 with a big 0.86 A/R 500hp turbo....cams may help....nobody can reliably tell me which is making me nervous about building up an RB20, nobody can give you a tried and proven recipe :bunny:

roy i got 321hp = 240 rwkw outta rb20 with 264 in / ex cams and hks 2530 0.63 at 19 /20 psi

would you not agree most rb20 with just straight 2530 + 20 psi = 230 rwkw? if so then approx 10 rwkw gain ?? ( I know very very simple comparison and every dyno is diff etc)

Not saying this is what id do on a mild engine as bang for ur buck is not really there

same cams i think make big diff with the rb22 on 2835 use more of the rev range where the rb20's love to be

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Roy Grand Master

Roy

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Things is i made 260rwkws with std cams, installed 260/8.8mm cams and lost response and 10rwkws, even with tweaking the cam gears and tune for about 75 dyno pulls. Could not get it back, too much bak pressure from the tiny 8cm housing i run

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Wheezy Mentor

Wheezy

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260-280rwkw 1.2-1.4bar standard rb20 here. The 280 was with a boost leak too :bunny:

same turbo as Roy's but different plenum.

I'm thinking about giving Status' cams a go when I have the time. But I wouldn't think you need cams till about this power level.

Correct me if im wrong but any mild or more serious cams on an rb20 is only going to shift the curve and fatten it up while it is there. But it wont do a whole lot for low down.

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SimonR32 Grand Master

SimonR32

Posted
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roy i got 321hp = 240 rwkw outta rb20 with 264 in / ex cams and hks 2530 0.63 at 19 /20 psi

would you not agree most rb20 with just straight 2530 + 20 psi = 230 rwkw? if so then approx 10 rwkw gain ?? ( I know very very simple comparison and every dyno is diff etc)

Not saying this is what id do on a mild engine as bang for ur buck is not really there

same cams i think make big diff with the rb22 on 2835 use more of the rev range where the rb20's love to be

didnt you make that power with 2530 on ALLSTAR hubber, its known to read 5-7% higher which would be around 20hp... Which would mean around 300rwhp on roller which is pretty much dead on normal

Edited by Cerbera
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bcozican Experienced

bcozican

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didnt you make that power with 2530 on ALLSTAR hubber, its known to read 5-7% higher which would be around 20hp... Which would mean around 300rwhp on roller which is pretty much dead on normal

yeop yeop ... cool was just trying to give some comparison coz no one seems to run cams in their 20's

as said im in agreeance, doing it again i wouldnt bother, spend the extra $$ on other performance mods

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Roy Grand Master

Roy

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Yeh i know two people in Melb with 2530s and Poncams and they dont feel that different to an RB20 with a 2530. Sound better but thats about it :banana:

I cant remember the settings other then retard the hell out of the exchaust cam (from memory about 4 deg)

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Roy Grand Master

Roy

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What about Poncams with cam gears? Is it possible to get, to a degree, stock like response with the benefits of aftermarket cams?

What benefit? The two 2503 powered RB20s with Poncams drive like a RB20 with std cams. There isnt a tangible improvement in my eyes. Could be wrong though. They both make power where you expect, they both make about 220odd rwkws. They both have boost drop off at high revs. I think it comes down to the fact that eveb though the engine is happy enough to breath with std or aftermarket cams, with the lil 2530 and other 320-350hp turbos they simply have too mcuh back pressure in the exhaust housings and choke the engine up.

I had a friend with an R33 with Greddy plenum, HKS cams and a 2530. It made 230rwkws and came on like there was no tomorrow. but i dont think the cams did anything for it either until he got the 3040, T66 and other setups on it

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STATUS Grand Master

STATUS

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yeah im fairly sure it's just +2 inlet -4 exhaust, just need someone to confirm

to be honest even with a gt2530 cam gears are a waste, the inlet does near nothing and the exhaust frees up a bit with a bit of retard but again minimal. The rear housing is the restrictrion not the head (cams etc)

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STATUS Grand Master

STATUS

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What about Poncams with cam gears? Is it possible to get, to a degree, stock like response with the benefits of aftermarket cams?

refer Roys post it is bang on

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Roy Grand Master

Roy

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Thats why i am going back to the 10cm housing, Plazmaman plenum...will see if cams work for it then. Need to beat that R31 fella making more power then me :)

Come on Trent, give me the specs of something you have seen work. :) I am torn between installing my solid lifters with some 260/10.25mm cams to go with the 10cm housing and 2.4L bottom end or just keep my money in my pocket and keep reving the crap out of the lil std motor and see how it goes. I am so hot and cold about all this :( Its safer to go with a known RB26 or RB30 setup, but.... :)

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SimonR32 Grand Master

SimonR32

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to be honest even with a gt2530 cam gears are a waste, the inlet does near nothing and the exhaust frees up a bit with a bit of retard but again minimal. The rear housing is the restrictrion not the head (cams etc)

As if im going to use a pissy little 2530 :)

I've got a ATR28G3 with 0.63 rear... Same turbo as you tuned for Stao a while ago and made 500nm of torque, so my question still stands :)

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