New Cams in my bimmer

[adrean8j]

Dont know if this is the correct thread for this since they have changed but here goes: I recently(last week) got my cams changed from stock to sport cams. I was told there should be up to a ~30+hp difference over stock once there were added and the ECU modified. Now my questions are: is this 100% true? Shouldnt that much of an increase be immediately noticeable?
I have driven the car since last friday and cant really tell yet. Mind you I was told not to go over 5000rpm for my first 500km and then to bring it in again to make sure everything is ok. The check engine light has not come on so I dont think the timing is off. My DSC and ABS light are on, they were on before, and he mentioned that my ECU mod might be for nothing if there was a problem with that...any input from my fav. semi-pros???!

 

[jonnyk]

from my small knowledge of this it should be noticable difference 30bhp is quite a chunk but they do allow the car to rev harder wait till they have run in. what make cams did you get?

 

[adrean8j]

I cant remember the exact make but my mechanic(www.digit-power.de) has an inside connect with the people that make the actual Cams that go in all bmw's so they are OEM i guess...i think they might be Schricks but i am not sure..i will ask him tomorrow and keep you posted....

 

[Big Daddy]

Schrick is not the OEM supplier for BMW cam shafts, Schrick is the best aftermarket high performance cam supplier for BMW's!

A 30 hp gain should be immediately noticeable, assuming you are within the RPM power band of the cams. Check here for E36 M3 Schrick cam information: Schrick

 

[adrean8j]

Who is the oem supplier then? Is it different stateside than here?

 

[epj3]

More than likely the cams don't come on till about 4500 rpm, instead of stock 3500 (or around there) When you can take it above 5000 rpm you'll definitely notice a huge difference. Keep in mind when they say 30hp gain they mean the highest gain at any rpm is 30hp, so the engine might've gained 5 hp over the top horsepower figure, but at a certain rpm it might be 30 horsepower higher than it was before. The chip for e34 535i's is a 43hp gain, but its not over the stock highest horsepower (208, which is at like 5600 rpm), its at redline or something, which because of the curve is around 170 stock.

 

[jrt67ss350]

Who is the oem supplier then? Is it different stateside than here?

Umm, OEM supplier should be BMW. Most manufacturers have their own foundries where they cast and grind things like blocks and cams.

 

[Kirby]

The mechanic should be able to get you a hp/torque curve that compares the new cam to stock. You would then be able to see where/when the cam kicks in. I would expect that you should notice a difference at 4500-5000 rpm, maybe 10 - 15 hp. It would be an odd cam that would run virtually stock until 5000 rpm and then kick in with a 30hp peak gain.

Also, to get the best gains from a given cam, other mods MAY be necessary - Cold Air Intake, larger Mass Air Flow meter, intake manifold, valves, exhaust system, etc. I hope the mechanic knew what the cam manufacturer recommended before he installed it.

Was the chip modded specifically for your cam, or is it a generic chip mod?

 

[epj3]

The mechanic should be able to get you a hp/torque curve that compares the new cam to stock. You would then be able to see where/when the cam kicks in. I would expect that you should notice a difference at 4500-5000 rpm, maybe 10 - 15 hp. It would be an odd cam that would run virtually stock until 5000 rpm and then kick in with a 30hp peak gain.

Also, to get the best gains from a given cam, other mods MAY be necessary - Cold Air Intake, larger Mass Air Flow meter, intake manifold, valves, exhaust system, etc. I hope the mechanic knew what the cam manufacturer recommended before he installed it.

Was the chip modded specifically for your cam, or is it a generic chip mod?

Ever drive an E30 with a more aggressive cam? Idle's like crap and is near stock if not below stock till about 4500 rpm. That's why people swap transmissions or rear ends to keep revs up high (Think of the dogleg transmissions...its why they made 'em)

 

[adrean8j]

Yeah they are Schrick....and schrick makes the stock cams for BMW for those of you who dont know.....at least my sources in Germany say this.....anyway he said they are like ~260/~285...i couldnt get the exact data from him on the phone cause he was busy working on a Z8 (before that he had just finished a Ferrari F430) but i will go over there tomorrow and get a detailed answer from him......

edit: Today i drove it about 30miles up the road to my Stereo guy to get my entire speaker system redone and when i got to the shop it was running funny. I called my tuning guy and put my bluetooth headset up near the exhaust so he could hear it...LOL.... he said it sounded like a software problem. I hope this is the only problem because i have read somethings about the improper angles and improper computer programming and the such.....got my fingers crossed.....

p.s. it seems i lost some low-end in first and second gear...havent really been able to test it out at higher rpms in 3-5 gear yet.....

 

[Big Daddy]

Your source is incorrect, Schrick states; "We develop and manufacture, from single prototypes, special constructions for racing, to camshafts for small production runs." I would not consider making the stock camshafts for BMW a small production run. Schrick is much like Dinan, AC, and others who make high end performance upgrades.

 

[adrean8j]

That statement doesnt mean they dont make them for manufacturers.....but i dont know so i cant say.....if noone knows who makes them or if they are FOR SURE made by BMW themselves with solid proof to back it up then we just DONT know....not doubting anyone just looking at the facts i have at the moment....

 

[Big Daddy]

Here is what John G. Burns of "unixnerds.com" says about them after I asked him; "I've had OEM camshafts in the past, can't remember who made them but it wasn't Schrick." Here is what Mahle says about them, "MAHLE in Wustermark currently only supplies the Bavarian car manufacturer BMW"

Every source I can find even those who cannot say who makes them agrees that it is not Schrick. I believe it is Mahle and BMW who make BMW production camshafts.

 

[adrean8j]

Good stuff big daddy....thats what i am talking about! I like it when someone has GOOD backup for their arguements. I guess its a moot point now anyway since he told me they are schrick cams