i have a 90 DX HB with 92 DX MPFI with I/H/E. i still am using the stock DX cam. my question is should i just get a stock SI cam, or an aftermarket DX cam, or aftermarket SI cam? i want more power but not so much where im gonna blow the motor. ive heard that crane cams have really good hp gains because of the lobe/dur/lift but its too much for stock internals and the last thing i want to do is blow my motor. so im looking for a cam with good gains but at the same time, isnt going to hurt the motor.

 

Well, it kinda all depends how much you want/got to spend. If you are on a tight budget, just pick-up a Si cam. If you can spend some money, go with an aftermarket one, and upgrade your valvetrain as well. JMO.

cyber13

 

a friend of mine is running your same setup with the lowest crane cam and a 89 'teg ecu. he revs it out to about 7000 rpm and has no problems what so ever. he is also using the stock valve train. i'm sure that he's gonna kill his motor eventually however... and what's this you've heard about crane cams being hard on stock valvetrains? crane recommends using new valve springs when you install the cam... that's it tho...

 

yea i read your previous post. i dont just mean the valvetrain takes a beating, i mean the whole motor, the stock D15B2 bottom end is not the strongest so with that in mind i may just get a stock SI cam but still not totally sure yet.

 

You guys repeatedly recommend an Si cam for the 4th generation DX D152B but you fail to specify which Si cam. What year Si cam do you recommend for a 1989 DX motor AND, in your experience , where is a good source for such a cam and what are the average prices?

Thanks for your help!

 

it doesnt matter what year as long as its between 88-91. all the motors from that year are the same, meaning a 88 SI motor is the same as a 91 SI motor, and an 88 DX motor is the same as a 91 DX motor.

 

correct me if I'm wrong but the 90-91 cam is better than the 88-89

 

could be, i wouldnt rule it out. i havent read anything official on that but i have heard other people say that too.

 

dont forget about the EX cam thats the best one of all the ef.
DX-R? what's so "R" about it. o must be that d15.

 

You are WRONG and being corrected.
88 Si cams are ground on the 1.5L index and require not cam timing tuning.
89-91 cams move the keyway 4.75 (1/2 tooth) and require a cam gear to get proper setting.

 

Mista is right, I did a mpfi conversion on my 88 dx with 88si intake, injectors, and cam, it timed in correctly without an aftermarkedt cam gear. works great and I have 215k and have had no engine problems with the different cam, and been beating my car to death. I am still curious though about if a 92 - 95 EX cam would have more power. right now power doesn't come in till about 4000-4500 and pulls strong till limeter. not that I ever hit the limeter or anything

 

92+ EX cam is for a different head, aka VTEC.

 

da, my bad, what about dx lx etc.

 

88-91 DX and 92-95 DX/LX all have the same cam grind.

 

MistaBone, et.al.,

I realize my questions are extremely elementary but I am learning this stuff from scratch.

You recommend an 89-91 Si cam for my 89 DX as an accompanying upgrade to an MPFI system.

Question: Always keeping in mind that I am not operating on a finite budget and I most likely will be doing my parts shopping at a salvage yard, how can you tell if a used cam has outlived its best years and/or how many miles are too many to consider using a pre-owned cam?

And, if the tooth fairy visits soon and an aftermarket cam purchase becomes possible, who is a trusted maker or supplier of such parts or would you just seek an 89-91 cam from the Honda dealer?

And finally, the cam gear degree difference you speak of with the Si cam upgrade ... must that be accomplished with an aftermarket adjustable cam gear? If so, what brand do you recommend?

Thanks!