Cam Choices/Head Work

[Deeken]

Hey guys, recently got myself an ae71 csx 5spd manual, completely stock apart from twinky wheel and seat

Before I even bought the ae, I had bought myself a 16v bigport.

I have started learning how to drive rwd (owned a h22a civic for a while ) and decided I wanted to build myself a decent car..

Atm I have bought a pair of 86 coilovers and some good springs/shocks for the ass, adjustable panhard rod and the car came with a whiteline upper strut brace in the front.

I have a little money left over ($2k~) and have decided I might redo the head in the 4age/check out the rings and bores before I got ahead and do the conversion.


QUESTION: Sorry for droning on just trying to get as much info on what I have and what I'm doing.

I would like to know what would be the best cam to bang into the 16v.. supposedly stock and had new rings/bearings 5,000km~ ago. It came with trd replica 4-1 equal length headers and a 2 1/4" ??? exhaust with 2 lukey mufflers.

Going to look at cleaning up the ports in the head as my dad has done alot of head work with toyota and other engines in his life.. but will it be worth buying a drop in cam? Read up alot on cams and people saying they have seem stock ecu's running 272's but with a comp they wont get the full power out of them..

Even wondering if just buying a microtech and getting it wired/tuned will improve the power?

Have never driven a 4age powered corolla, apart from a st20v sprinter with trumpets.. no idea how that would compare to an ae71.. and how much power this 16v i got will make..


Cheers,
Deeken.

[McLEVIN]

Disclaimer: i may not no what im talking about
well from owning a bigport i can tell you they suck! it has hks 265 cams, i'm using an apexi safc to run them and a custom 4-2-1 headers.
from what i read 4-1 headers are good for top end power at a sacrifice at low end and as bigports are terrible at low rpm i don't know how well thos headers would perform
but i don't know how it would go if you put 272 cams in
but you'll prob be better off with a standalone ecu if you run them as i think 265 cams is about the max you could go with standard ecu

as i said i could b wrong

[Matt]

Bumping up the CR ratio will see the cams work better... For 2k if you are assembling the engine yourself, you should end up wtih a clean healthy but relatively stock motor.

[TODA AU]

I'd say use a 264deg intake camshaft together with a 256deg exhaust camshaft.
With lobe centre angles set between 108deg & 115deg (so you'll need adjustable cam pulleys too)
Will work fine with std comp but for best results the comp ratio should be 11.5:1.

As above, you'll pretty much need an aftermarket ECU to get the most out of them.
Also you mentioned using a Microtech,
FWIW, the Haltech Platinum sprint 500 is a much better ECU choice & on par with the Microtech for pricing.

[Deeken]

What makes the haltech so much better than the microtech? also my mate said I could get a second hand microtech lt8 which is what he used for his st20v for like 700~ his sprinter made 120hp atw with the microtech.


I found the haltech platinum sprint 500 on ebay for like $1000 delivered.

[TODA AU]

The key the difference is resolution & the tune-ability that affords. The Haltech has user definable sensor, set-up & tuning tables, whereas the Microtech has fixed tables.
So as far as aftermarket ECU’s with no idle speed control go, the Haltech is the better unit.
Take it as advice or not.
In either case, they should be fitted as piggy backs over the top of the factory ECU so you do have decent idle quality & cold start.