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TSP 235/240 Initial Impressions

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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 07:39 PM
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Default TSP 235/240 Initial Impressions

Well finally got the cam in along with my home-ported heads, Comp lifters and new Comp 918 springs. Full specs on the new TSP cam are 235/240 .602/.598 112 LSA with 2 degrees of advance.

Previous setup was TR224 114, stock heads and QTP long tubes. PCM tunning is for the TR224; I haven't started retuning for this cam yet. Since not many people have this cam, thought I would post up some comments on it. I haven't went above 4500 rpm yet because I'm heat cycling the springs.

Wow this is a way different cam than the TR224! Exhaust note is louder at all rpms. Idle at 950 rpm is very rough, and at 1150 rpm is just as rough, only with a faster lope. I can drive around as low as 1200 rpm, but anything below 2000 rpm makes it surge and buck like mad. Careful throttle control minimizes this to a tolerable level. From 2000 rpm to 3000 rpm it runs very smooth and has surprisingly good torque, maybe more than the TR224 did. At 3000 rpm the power suddenly kicks in, and the engine quickly spins up to 4500 rpm, pulling much harder than the 224 cam did. When starting from a dead stop, there is a fine line between bogging the engine and spinning the tires. I don't think this cam is for the average daily driver, but it could be if you like race car manners. I'm loving it!

I'm getting the wide band hooked up tonight. Can't wait to rev it to 6500 rpm tomorrow and see what the high end is like.

Last edited by Cal; Feb 10, 2005 at 08:55 PM.
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 07:42 PM
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nice, nice. I'm guessing from your sig and avatar, that you are going to road race?
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 07:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Grimes
nice, nice. I'm guessing from your sig and avatar, that you are going to road race?
Yes, Road race, AutoX, and Land Speed racing. Never been on drag strip yet, but I have a Spec 3 clutch waiting for the day I do!
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 08:08 PM
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Sweet Cal!
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 08:33 PM
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im very interested in the mid range tq compared to the tr224. i'd imagine the power band more suited to open track racing then autocross.

whats the adv. duration, are these cut on XE-R lobes?
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 08:46 PM
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Yeah I was surprised how good the low end and mid range torque is. Below 2000 rpm it runs rough but pulls well anyway. Just off idle it falls on it's face though. To make a smooth start, I can rev to 1600 rpm and feed in the power slow with the clutch.

We AutoX on a big variety of tracks here. But I think it will help me on all of them, becuase the small tracks are very slippery and I always spin; the big track is concrete with great traction and I get to the top end of 2nd gear all over the course, and sometimes shift to 3rd. I hit 75 mph on this course last summer.

Not sure about the lobe design. Valvetrain noise is the same as with the TR224; not bad at all. 2 degees of advance ground in.
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 08:49 PM
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our courses are usually set up for small cars, your rarely get to open your **** up. do you have a graph of the old to overlay with the new when you dyno?

i cant wait to hit up willow springs myself
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 09:00 PM
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good stuff Cal, I was waitin to hear your impression...don't think anyone else has it installed yet that could compare much. when are you gonna get this thing to a dyno? can't wait to see how she does with some tuning done.
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 09:03 PM
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No unfortunately I never dynoed it with the TR224. I will be for sure with this cam, though. I could probably overlay with some one elses though since the TR224 is such a popular cam.

Yeah we're lucky out here, our AX courses are pretty big and open. We have space, and a lot of senior members with vettes. One AX venue is very small though, but has good traction, and I found I do better staying in first gear for that one.

They will be building an open track venue here year after next. Right now the closest one is Spring Mountain near Vegas, about a six hour drive for me.
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by cyphur_traq
good stuff Cal, I was waitin to hear your impression...don't think anyone else has it installed yet that could compare much. when are you gonna get this thing to a dyno? can't wait to see how she does with some tuning done.
I'm going to have to look at the Utah fbody club scedule and see when the first dyno day is. But I have a wideband, and with the TR224 I had it burning at about 12.8. So tomorrow I'll have the wideband back in the car and make some WOT passes and see where it's at now.
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 09:14 PM
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How much fly cutting was required?
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 09:21 PM
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Originally Posted by JoeyGC5
How much fly cutting was required?
None for me since I have stock heads. But if you mill anything at all off them, you will have to fly cut. TSP said thats why they don't push this cam on the web. It isn't even listed on their site.

When I called them, I was going to order the Torquer, but they said this one pulls much harder and is ideal for someone that will never mill their heads. I'm not at all above flycutting if I ever need to, though.
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Old Feb 10, 2005 | 09:54 PM
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yep this cam is going into my car next week on bone stock heads , i will let you guy know how it is on an A4
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Old Feb 13, 2005 | 02:37 AM
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Default Loving the new cam but . . .

I've made some full throttle runs to 6700 rpm now, and I must say the performance is very impressive! The power comes on early and doesn't stop right up to my 6750 rev limit. The more I get used to it, the more I like it.

Did some idle and part throttle tunning and improved the driveability some. I'm still getting some pretty severe bucking any time the rpm is below 2000 and at light load though. I tried reducing spark timing everywhere below 2000 rpm at low air flow, and that helped a bunch with the bucking, but made the car fall on flat on it's face trying to pull away from a stop. So I had to put about half the spark advance I took out back in.

I've noticed on EFILive that the spark advance bounces up and down a lot when the car is bucking, but I don't know if this is the cause or the effect. Lugging the engine a bit makes the spark advance back off and hold steady, then the bucking nearly stops.

Any sugestions welcome.
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Old Feb 13, 2005 | 08:29 PM
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Just thought I would add that I have my tunning issues mostly under control now, and this is one killer cam! Incredible how it explodes at 3500 rpm and pulls to redline, yet can still be lugged to 1100 rpm now that my tune is in order. Thanks TSP!
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Old Feb 14, 2005 | 01:43 PM
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your running that high of lift on 918's?
scary
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Old Feb 14, 2005 | 03:20 PM
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Originally Posted by southern98ta
your running that high of lift on 918's?
scary
Exactly what I was thinking.
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Old Feb 14, 2005 | 03:25 PM
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do you have the cam card?
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Old Feb 14, 2005 | 03:31 PM
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I need to give Jason a call to see if this cam will work with the PP Stage II 5.7l Heads that I'll be installing. The guy I bought the 231/237 and heads off of said he installed the 233/239 and it wasn't going to work so I'm probably out of luck even though the Intake lift is slightly higher (only .001) with the 233/239 than the 235/240.
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Old Feb 14, 2005 | 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by southern98ta
your running that high of lift on 918's?
scary
I was told the 918's are easily good up to .600 lift, since they used to be rated at .625. I like keeping the valvetrain light, and I'm using this with stock valve sizes.
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