[WooMach1]

I just got a nice Christmas bonus and gunna spend the money for more power in my Mach 1, I see 96-98 cobra cams all over from $100-$200, I would be installing them myself but I don't know how to dial in cams.
So my question is this how much wheel horsepower would I gain if I just replaced the cams "dot to dot". And also let's say I were to shuffle out the money to have someone professionally dial them in, how much would it cost and would the amount of wheel horsepower I would gain from doing so be worth the price. I would also be getting a custom dyno tune after words.

[BMR Tech]

I gained exactly 20 rwhp, D2D method.

You wont gain any substantial amount more by degreeing them. BUT you will acquire a better power curve if degreeing them properly.

I will see if I can find an example for ya...the low/mid range benefits greatly from degreeing.

[BMR Tech]

[WickedSnake00]

Originally Posted by WooMach1 I just got a nice Christmas bonus and gunna spend the money for more power in my Mach 1, I see 96-98 cobra cams all over from $100-$200, I would be installing them myself but I don't know how to dial in cams. So my question is this how much wheel horsepower would I gain if I just replaced the cams "dot to dot". And also let's say I were to shuffle out the money to have someone professionally dial them in, how much would it cost and would the amount of wheel horsepower I would gain from doing so be worth the price. I would also be getting a custom dyno tune after words.

Are you installing them yourself? If so, you can degree them yourself. I am an idiot and I degreed mine. It's not difficult at all, and some have claimed errors of up to (and some even more) 4 degrees just going DTD. Since we've got 4 bumpsticks that could possibly be up to 8deg off from ICL to ECL.

If you have any questions about degreeing let me know and I'll do my best to help.

Originally Posted by BMR Tech I gained exactly 20 rwhp, D2D method.

20 rwhp just from the 96-98's? Damn, I mostly heard closer to 10rwhp. That gets my hopes up for what I'll gain from my FR500's at 111/117. I might need to pulley it down more and get a single blade but I want to crack 550 so badly.

[BMR Tech]

Final Numbers, 346/331
[IMG][/IMG]

Before Cobra Cams, After Cobra Cams....Untuned. Just drop in and go.

[WooMach1]

Sweet, thanks a bunch, what all was done to the Mach 1, I'm shooting for 340+rwhp so it would put me in the 400 crank horsepower range, I threw mine on the dyno in the summer and with JLT intake, Mrt o/r h-pipe, Borla stingers, 4.10s and a X3 tuner with a preloaded tune and it made 297 rwhp and 310 rwtq. A few months later I desided to do a little tune up by getting some NGK Tr-55 plugs(old ones were still stock), replaced the old fuel filter(looked very old) and even threw in a 90mm MAF in. I'm hoping that put me at least at 300rwhp. So with cobra cams, a php intake spacer, and an electric water pump Im hoping I'll hit 340rwhp. I just want 400 crank horsepower really bad being NA.

How hard would it be to dial them in myself or at least get them close enough to be happy.

[WickedSnake00]

Originally Posted by WooMach1 How hard would it be to dial them in myself or at least get them close enough to be happy.

Are you installing them yourself? If you can do that, you can degree cams. Just have to make sure you get the right tools beforehand.

OTC cam replacement set, Crane piston stop, a solid lifter, a generic degreeing set (wheel and dial basically) and a bigass C-clamp will do the trick.

The OTC kit isn't required but it makes life much easier.

[WooMach1]

I have 2 options of itstall, I can do it myself or I'm can have my friend/mechanic do it at his house, he charges me $40 an hour, he has a garage that he has his own hydraulic car lift and a shit ton of tools. He's been working as a mechanic for a GMC/Chevy dealership for 32 years.

[B's04gt]

Do you want the expierence of doing it yourself? Do you have the patience to learn? Answer those questions first..

If you say no for both questions then have your friend do it if you can trust him.

[WickedSnake00]

Originally Posted by WooMach1 He's been working as a mechanic for a GMC/Chevy dealership for 32 years.

I just picture him going "The cams are in the cylinder head? And there's 4 of them? What kind of dark magic is that???"

But I agree with B's04. You'll need to be a patient and mechanically apt.

[B's04gt]

^

[WooMach1]

I'd love to be able to do it myself, just so I can say I did it myself. But then I'm also a little afraid if i were to mess anything up something might happen. I do trust my friend he did my 4:10s for me and I watched him do it, took him 9 total hours for both the gears and the bearings and he went above and beyond, making sure everything was perfect a fit correctly double, triple and quadruple checking everything before moving on even used 4 cans of brake cleaner to clean out the my whole rear end of old oil and grease before putting the new in. And he only charged me $300. Like i said, I watched and helped him as much as I could and learned alot, sometimes I just feel more comfortable having an expert with me just so if anything were to go wrong he would catch it and know how to fix it right away were i would have no idea. I'm really not sure how hard or easy this but when a expert only charges you $40 an hour and let's you watch and work hands on with him, as well as doing really good work, it's kinda tempting, you know what I'm sayin?

[WooMach1]

Exactly how hard is it to this swap

[DickH]

id have your friend do it and be there with him to help and learn.

[ModdedMach]

Originally Posted by WooMach1 Sweet, thanks a bunch, what all was done to the Mach 1, I'm shooting for 340+rwhp so it would put me in the 400 crank horsepower range, I threw mine on the dyno in the summer and with JLT intake, Mrt o/r h-pipe, Borla stingers, 4.10s and a X3 tuner with a preloaded tune and it made 297 rwhp and 310 rwtq. A few months later I desided to do a little tune up by getting some NGK Tr-55 plugs(old ones were still stock), replaced the old fuel filter(looked very old) and even threw in a 90mm MAF in. I'm hoping that put me at least at 300rwhp. So with cobra cams, a php intake spacer, and an electric water pump Im hoping I'll hit 340rwhp. I just want 400 crank horsepower really bad being NA.

I feel you there, i would love to crack the 400 at the crank mark
Mine has JLT, 1/2" Plenum Spacer, American racing LTs w/ or 3" X pipe, Borla stingers and was custom dyno tuned at amazon performance in SC.
Mine did 310rwhp. I would really like to get another 20-30 out if it. I was thinkin throttle body, U/d pullies but ive been told ill barely get a gain from those. Cams and a getting the heads ported would probably be the best way to stay NA and get some whp. Ive heard of bolt on machs with ported heads makin 360rwhp, that would be NICE!

[na svt]

Originally Posted by ModdedMach Ive heard of bolt on machs with ported heads makin 360rwhp, that would be NICE!

That's not gonna happen, but 360rw with bolt-ons and cams is easily achieved. Ported heads add very little hp but cost a lotta cash.