6/30/02 7:56 AM EST - Report from inside the NJ Skunkworks
Third-world nightmares force me into the consciousness of a post-drunk haze. The day's heat is already entrenched and my garage and car are prepped, together looking like a Chuck Yeager ride waiting in the center of a hangar. I remove the passenger-side wheel and splashguard, get the throttle cable out of the way, remove the distributor and plug cables, pull the valve-cover hoses, and remove the valve cover.
8:56 AM - Waiting.
11:06 AM - Sicko shows up on cue as I'm sucking down my cola-caffeine fix. We go to work.
We put the motor to TDC, remove the tensioner, zip tie the sprockets, try to tie the sprockets to the hood (more on that later), remove the caps over the intake VE cam, break the cam free of the sprocket bolt, and remove the cam (not in that order). In order to get a "too-thick" wrench to the fit on the cam hex between the last lobe and the end of the cam, I use a bench grinder to grind it to a thinner profile. After we get the cam sprocket bolt loose, we find the wrench is jammed on the flash of the cam casting. We tap the side of the wrench and crank backwards to free it.
The Cam Hex
I take my retard-proof (digital) calipers and verify that the base circles on the VE intake cam are identical to the base circles on the VET intake cam. They match perfectly. I recall an e-mail exchange with a "Nissan expert," the subject of which was the impossibility of successfully installing SR20VET cams into an SR20VE motor. I laugh myself silly.
We use string to suspend the sprockets in order to keep the chain in place on the teeth of the crank. DON'T DO THIS! Do yourself a favor and use bungie cords instead. There was too much slack in the string and the sprockets dipped more than once.
12:00 PM - I call Mike Smith for assurance since I'm such a candy-ass. We repeat the procedure again for the exhaust cam.
2:48 PM - We lube the cams, button-up (we use the sequence and torque specs from the 1993 SR20DE NX manual), replace the valve cover/seal the gasket, verify the base timing, unplug the exhaust VE solenoid and go testing. The car is LOUD. It was loud before but now it's balls-out obnoxious. The exhaust note really conflicts with my clandestine nature but you won't hear me bitching (you won't hear me period). The exhaust note is also deeper than before. Idle is smooth and there are no hiccups and no valve clatter. Low-end torque is much improved. We hit Rt. 22 with butt-loads of traffic and heat. I try a couple of runs in low boost mode and am mildly impressed at the hp increase. We try a run w/the VE VVL exhaust solenoid connected and a run with it disconnected. According to the butt dyno, the run w/the solenoid disconnected was noticeably faster. I kick it up to high boost and
POP!!!! PUUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH......... lope, lope, lope, chug, chug - no power and the car wants to die when I open the throttle more than halfway. FUCK!!!! DAMN! BASTARDS! DID WE DETONATE?!! DID WE BLOW THE MOTOR?!?!?
3:20 PM - We pull into Bennigans and call Mike. While I'm on the phone, Sicko finds the intercooler has separated from the silicone-hose coupler that connects it to the BPV piping. The week before, I must have neglected to tighten the hose clamps sufficiently when I removed the air conditioning system. I call the wife for tools but we secure the coupler's hose clamps with the flat end of the jack crank before she gets there. Note to (idiot) self - NEVER GO TESTING W/OUT TOOLS.
Disconnect your SR20VE exhaust VVL solenoid. This
will keep the duration of the VET exhaust cam within
spec and keep the valve overlap where you want it to
be. Leaving the solenoid connected won't do any
damage but it will sap hp.
4:30 PM - We retighten the couplers' hose clamps at home and head to the Sun Tavern to binge.
7/1/02 8:23 AM - Time for a real test. No traffic, the car is cool, and the outside temp is 76F. I open up on a deserted stretch.
SWEET JESUS!!!WHO'S FUCKING GODDAMN CAR IS THIS!?!?!
The boost hits like a charging rhino and the acceleration is just as brutal. Note to self - Point car straight when stomping gas to avoid wrestling Minotaur. The car is more of a monster now with the boost controller off than when it had the VE cams and set to high boost. This thing is gobs of fast.
It feels like this
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V
on high
boost.Bottom line - The SR20VET cams work well in a boosted SR20VE. If you want a Nissan motor w/boost and variable valve timing and lift, go for the SR20VET. If that's impossible, swapping the VET cams into a VE motor is a good alternative. The procedure is essentially the same as a DE cam swap that doesn't require a spring change-out.
YOU WILL NEED
SR20VET cams (part numbers - 13020-8H600, 13020-8H610)
zip ties
timing light
bungie cords
silicone gasket maker
inch/lbs torque wrench
bench (or other) grinder
27 mm wrench for cam hex
up to ~200 ft/lbs torque wrench
a new valve cover gasket if yours is old
assembly lube (we used synth engine oil)
28 mm socket for crank, w/ratchet of course
basic tools (smaller wrenches, sockets, ratchets)
for the tensioner and the other odd bolts that will have to be removed.
1-2 inch micrometer (best) or caliper (OK in a pinch) to verify base circles
24 mm socket, breaker bar & pipe (floor jack handle will do) for cam sprocket bolt
Anyone need a set of used OE SR20VE cams?
Check out the VIDEO
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The video is in Quicktime format. Quicktime works on all of your Windblows based PCs. Download it here for free.
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