N/A cams and turbo cams

turboguy327

New Member
Sep 11, 2009
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Rochester ny
I bought a 90 turbo with a rebuilt engine. The PO told me he put N/A cams in the car because it was worth 10 hp. Well looking around the site and from racing another stock 89 supra and once I hit about 3800 rpms he took off and i seemed to slow down I know this not to be true. I am wondering how I can tell without taking them off if they are N/A cams on my car or if there is something else wrong with my car. We are both running 9 pounds of boost. My engine is supposedly .040 over as well. I know the engine was out and rebuilt from looking at it. Just dont know about the cams. No codes present either.
 

gofastgeorge

Banned
Jan 24, 2008
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Texas
I doubt that it is the cams......
Have you checked the timing of both the cams & the ignition?
(simple things that get screwed up by newbies on a rebuild)
Did both cars have the same rear gear ratio & transmissions?
Do you have an Air/Fuel ratio gauge to see how much fuel your getting?
And last but not least, seeing how some bargin boost gauges are far from accurate,
even though both boost gauges said 9 psi, one could be actually 10 psi (his), and the other actually 8 psi (yours).

Bottom line, learn how to tune that mother,
and you will be better off than just going by what someone says here or there....
 

turboguy327

New Member
Sep 11, 2009
63
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Rochester ny
How do I tell rear gear ratios?? Sticker anywhere?? His was a stock 89 turbo and I have a stock 90 turbo. I have a narrowband the PO put in. Just havent taken it out yet. Havent checked cam timing but ignition timing is fine. Fuel pressure is good. We both have autometer gauges. Some have said they are dead on and others have said they are junk. And they are both 5 speeds. Both running stock rims and tire sizes as well. Its a powerful car just seems to fall on its face around 3800- 4200 rpms. And on up from there the power just falls off. No boost leaks either. Just hits a wall and looses power.
 

gofastgeorge

Banned
Jan 24, 2008
944
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Texas
turboguy327;1466502 said:
How do I tell rear gear ratios?? Sticker anywhere?? His was a stock 89 turbo and I have a stock 90 turbo. I have a narrowband the PO put in. Just havent taken it out yet. Havent checked cam timing but ignition timing is fine. Fuel pressure is good. We both have autometer gauges. Some have said they are dead on and others have said they are junk. And they are both 5 speeds. Both running stock rims and tire sizes as well. Its a powerful car just seems to fall on its face around 3800- 4200 rpms. And on up from there the power just falls off. No boost leaks either. Just hits a wall and looses power.

There is an axle/trans code stamped in the car's ID tag,
and someone just posted (like yesterday or today) what those codes mean, so check some of the other threads.
 

turboguy327

New Member
Sep 11, 2009
63
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Rochester ny
I know. Im not asking what the performance difference is. I am wondering if I take my valve covers off how would I know if I have a N/A cam or a turbo cam. I have read a ton of threads. Just want to know how to physically tell the difference so I know if its the cams causeing the power loss or if I have other problems somewhere.