XFI Cam installed tonight and WOW!!!!

[Johnny Mullet]

If I were to do the swap, I would definitely add "XFi" to the end of my logo, but it would not look factory at all, hell, mine's a 1998!

Or, "XFi cam" or "XFi modified" would be sweet also!

[Hacksaw]

I'm considering doing some freehand work...Maybe, "XFi'd" or "XFi'ed", and would like to add the HP below it. Which sounds good to you all?

Congrats to all who have made the cam swap. I've been pleased with my XFi grind also, and continue to track my increase before permanently adding any mods or changing ignition timing. Factory spec for timing is 5 degrees advanced for my '95 and I kept it there after the XFi swap. Taking into consideration that there is 6 degrees advance ground into the baseline of the XFi cam already, where should my ultimate sweet spot be when I finally do advance the ignition timing? Any proven settings on otherwise stock engines?(no advanced cam gears..)

Anyone considering this swap should just dive right in...I did it the long way, meaning I removed the crank pulley and timing cover, and it was only a two hour job. I couldn't bring myself to cut a perfect condition Timing Cover in half. Anyways, 2 hours...most of us waste that much time in front of the computer each night. I would be more than willing to talk people through it, if that's what it takes to motivate someone. Just PM me.

Parts You'll Need:
One XFi cam regrind (Through Superfly or Delta Cams)
One Valve Cover Gasket set that includes the 4 grommets (about $16.00)
One new O-ring Seal for your distributor that has been leaking anyway.
One Gasket for between the distributor adapter block and #3 cam cap. (take heed, there are TWO bolts that hold the adapter to the head and cam cap...one bolt is revealed once you pull the distributor.)
One camshaft Lip Seal that resides in #1 cam cap (behind the cam gear)
One Timing Belt if yours is near the serviceable mileage limit.

Tools You'll need:
One 10mm socket (I used a deepwell 3/8 drive
One 10mm combination wrench
One 8mm six-point socket with long extension to remove the 4 or 5 crankshaft pulley bolt through fenderwell in 5th gear (neutral to rotate engine)
One 17mm? 1/2 drive w/breaker bar and metal dowel to break loose the cam bolt (cam has hole for dowel to keep it from rotating, pad the valve covers' sealing surface!)
One Center Punch and Small Hammer to rotate the steel/rubber grommets that are under the acorn nuts holding the valve cover on. (tap in CCW direction to spin off. I would think a small, electric, handheld engraver would work perfect here, but didn't have mine handy at the time.)
One Induction Timing Light and a Paper Clip to jumper the diagnostic terminal when setting your ignition timing. (located on firewall behind driver's strut tower with rubber boot over it. Sticker on hood diagrams which two connectors to jumper.)
Some camshaft "break-in" lube would be ideal for cam lobes and lifters.
20 minutes at about 2000rpm!!! Tach would be nice here...

Loosening the alternator isn't necessary to remove the alt/water pump belt, just remove the water pump pulley bolts and tip it off its' pilot. When installing it, just stretch it back onto the pilot of the pump.

This is by no means an exhaustive guide...I'm sure I've forgotten something. Just trying to help you visualized the project to some extent.

EDIT: I wanted to add, that when I marked my timing belts' position, I used a black Sharpie. I made a mark on one tooth of each gear (cam & crank) and also colored the engaged teeth of the belt that meshed on ither side of the gear mark I made. Start by disconnecting the negative battery terminal!!! Also start job with sparkplugs out and #1 cylinder at top dead center with timing tag mark lined up. Have at it!!!

Hacksaw.

[pint]

Does anyone sell new XFi cams? Sorry if this is a dumb question! Just researching everything I need to buy/build a great Metro.

[MetroMPG]

Member "superf1y" (Mike) at teamswift.net sells them or re-ground "efficiency" cams with the XFi profile.

[Will]

Hacksaw-

Nice write up and good details. I may have to give it a go sometime, but I am sure I am not getting all I can out of what I got.

[Hacksaw]

Originally Posted by Will

Hacksaw-

Nice write up and good details. I may have to give it a go sometime, but I am sure I am not getting all I can out of what I got.

Thanks Will, If you need any help just give me a holler...

[kimer6]

I went ahead and put in my reground XFI cam. 3 hours from start to finish. It was as everyone described above. Torquier, better in lower rpm performance, smoother, suited to short shifting, and less throttle opening across the board. I like it!

The cam holds 2 valves open if you install it with the timing marks in line with the crank. This means that if the 3 cam bearings are not pulled down evenly, you are bending the cam. I noticed that if you turn the cam sprocket counterclockwise 1/6 turn, the cam lays almost flat and the hold down caps can be more easly pulled down evenly. Then turn the sprocket back to line up the marks for timing belt installation.

I put Redline Assembly Lube on the lobes and the cam journals for good measure. It started right up and I ran it at 1500 rpm for a few minutes to seat in. I also tweaked the ignition timing a little and dumped out the 90 weight transaxle oil after the first freeway test, and put in Mobile1 synthetic ATF. It shifts normally even though it is much thinner than 90 weight oil.

I got the reground cam from Delta Camshaft in Tacoma Washington (253) 572-2474. They said they are making a lot of cams for Metros. Mine came looking like brand new, hard to believe it was ever in an engine.

Somebody should make a short video "How To" for those back yarders who are nervous about changing cams. The hardest part was digging out the 4 little valve cover washers so I could see my cam!

[wwelder]

Hi, I just got my regrind cam from delta cams. I wanted to change the cam drive sprrocket to the 8 degree offered by 3tech but they didn't recommend the change saying they didn't know what the cam specifications are. Compatability of after market parts is comming in to play I guess. I didn't realize that I should have bought both new parts from the same outfit. Now what? Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[kimer6]

I would install it with the stock timing to begin with and try driving it. See how it responds. Once you get the hang of taking the timing cover off it is easy to change out a timing sprocket. Loosen bolts for water pump pulley and crank pulley first to avoid hassle later. Remove belts, water pump pulley, crank pulley, then remove all bolts from the timing cover (lots of them, some almost hidden). We changed the timing belt on my son's Metro with 3 Tech sprocket in 2 hours in the driveway in the dark a week ago and did oil change as well).

Tip: I marked the 3 Tech sprocket with a sharp punch to identify the timing alignment mark after installing it. It most certainly came in handy the other night. The 3 Tech sprocket is a new stock unit turned 180 degrees and a new hole is drilled. It may lead to later confusion if you don't mark it EXACTLY (scribe or punch a new alignment mark) in the metal as the sticker fell off that marked the new timing mark. The 3 tech sprocket gives you the ability to bolt it up 180 degrees and get stock settings, too. You can install it either way, 8 degrees or 0 degrees.

Consider this a nice time to put in a new timing belt. They fail by losing teeth...like my son's did after 145K miles. Don't forget to loosen the 2 nuts on the timing belt tensioner and use the spring to reset the tension. The FRONT length of timing belt should have zero slack as the engine and cam turn in the same direction as the tires going forward.

Temporarily slap the plastic timing cover on and the crank pulley again to make sure you still have zero degrees, Top Dead Center, before blessing the whole thing. You should turn the crank backwards (CCW) and bring it back to zero to make absolutely sure the forward side of the timing belt is in tension.

OK, on my Delta cam, I made my own 8 degree pulley by filing the side of the cam sprocket alignment pin hole with a needle file. It doesn't take much (likje maybe .006 inches). Then I put a spot of braze on the opposite side of the hole to take up the backlash and gently filed it to make a snug fit. I would have bought the 3 Tech but found myself changing the cam one sunny morning without pre planning. That's why I made my own.

Somewhere on this board I read that a timing sprocket tooth width is 18 degrees. I drilled a hole in a sharp ended piece of scrap aluminum and double nutted it to the valve cover hold down stud. It served as a pointer very close to the sprocket tooth so I could do my handiwork. I also turned the cam and sprocket backwards 1/6 turn from the alignment mark to find that natural low spot where all the valve springs send the cam on ts own. At this point I aligned the pointer and filed the timing locater hole and guestimated where 8 degrees was.

Don't forget the top alignment mark is now 8 degrees off and the cam sprocket needs to be turned slightly to make the belt fit. That's where you mark the new timing alignment mark as mentioned above. Saves confusion later.

If you get in a bind or want to talk it thru first, send me a private email and we'll get 'er done. ...Kim

[C3Killer]

Good post.