Colt Ls Cams - Review

arw321 · September 15, 2002, 4:47pm

Well, I spent most of yesterday installing my new cams into my b18a.

Before I get started, my current set up is basically as follows:

Untuned HKS Afr (set at ZERO)
Untuned AEM cam gears (set at ZERO)
Head milled 20 thou and port polished
3" dia. CAI
DC 4-2-1 header
B&M FPR
Erik’s Racing ECU
Carsound 2.25 Cat
2.25 exhaust
Msd blaster coil/wires/cap

That’s about it, motor wise…

After the installation was finished I ran my car between 2000 and 2500 rpm for about 15 minutes. The car died out on me twice (my AF gauge shot right to lean and the car started hesitating… I let of the gas and it died).

After a quick reset of the ECU I tried it again and everything was fine.

So, a buddy and myself hop into my car for the first road test.

Immediately the car felt more responsive. It took me about 5 minutes before I decided to really beat on the car, (I was still listening for valve noise, etc.) After everything seemed alright, I really got on it.

The car feels as though it has gained considerable power throughout the entire RPM range and after a quick upshift the car really seemed to “leap” forward. I didn’t take my car much past stock redline, although my ECU cuts off at about 8500 (stock valve train… ).

All in all, I’m EXTREMELY happy with these cams. Also, Colt’s service is excellent, and their prices are the best around.

Keep in mind my car hasn’t been tuned, either. I’m expecting even more gains once my car is tuned.

If anyone is looking for cams I highly recomend Colt.

www.coltcams.com

Adam

MySlowTeg · September 17, 2002, 6:40am

how high do you plan on revving to? im trying to figure out what i can do on my stock valve train.
also what was the price? in US $'s

arw321 · September 17, 2002, 12:00pm

My valvetrain is stock.

I won’t be revving much past 7200 or 7300, with the exception of a 7500 shift every so often.

Email Geoff. geoff@coltcams.com

I’m not sure what they will charge in US but I’m sure he can work something out for you.

Adam

jonsteR · September 17, 2002, 4:37pm

how’s the idle?

E-DA9 · September 17, 2002, 4:57pm

I have the same cams, 12.4:1 compression, lightened flywheel and PERFECT idle.

Stock valve train with these cams are good for 7200-7500rpm.

arw321 · September 17, 2002, 5:45pm

As Max said, surprisingly the idle is very good.

I’d say it’s slightly more rough, and slightly lower, but not to the point where my car feels like it will stall. They are very streetable.

Adam

jonsteR · September 17, 2002, 7:01pm

hmmmm sounds tempting hehe. Are you guys with colt cams gonna hit the dyno soon?

arw321 · September 17, 2002, 7:17pm

I’m planning on it soon, well probably next year sometime as the winter is coming quick.

I also want to get rid of my AFR first, get an SAFC (which should be in a couple weeks).

I also have some other things I want to do beforehand… whenever I think I get close to “finishing” my car there is always something else I want to do. Oh well, i guess that’s how it works.

Adam

XDEep · September 22, 2002, 2:10am

hm 300CAN=191US. whats the turnaround? are there any downsides to regrinds? wouldnt you want new cores so you have more lobe to work with, which is what youd want for more performance isnt it?

arw321 · September 22, 2002, 2:45pm

They had my cams for about 2 or 3 days.

Email geoff@coltcams.com

and ask him whatever questions you have about regrinds, I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to answer them.

He is the owner and the only guy there that does the custom grinds, as well as all import and motorcycle cams.

He actually called me at work this past week to see how I like the cams.

That’s the kind of service that makes them such a good company to deal with.

Adam

Ben_Ogle · September 24, 2002, 4:23am

Originally posted by arw321
[B]They had my cams for about 2 or 3 days.

Email geoff@coltcams.com

and ask him whatever questions you have about regrinds, I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to answer them.

He is the owner and the only guy there that does the custom grinds, as well as all import and motorcycle cams.

He actually called me at work this past week to see how I like the cams.

That’s the kind of service that makes them such a good company to deal with.

Adam [/B]

Little companies are always the best. I’ll have to look in to these when I get the b18 in eddy.

Ben

XDEep · September 24, 2002, 5:42am

ok ill shoot him an email. any ideas on what info i should include? goals? idle? of course current mods… any extra grinding techniques or specs i need to provide? maybe ask to replicate certain lifts or durations from other model cams?

and what do you guys think of sending him my old b18a cams as opposed to the current 95 b18b ones? that kinda makes me think of the ‘lack of lobe’ to work with. ill include it

ok i was just looking around and it seems the general concensus is that regrinds suck as far as reliability? they actually weld on metal for more area? ive already been told to stay the hell away from them cuz they will eventually wear down based on driving conditions. i only plan to keep basic boltons and especially with an automatic i doubt ill put as much strain as most, but id still want a reliable product even if i have to pay a little more…

system · September 24, 2002, 9:50pm

I’m sure the Colt cams are good and all, but you guys should consider Crower 403’s as well. If the Colt cams idle well without tuning, then they aren’t as aggressive as the 403’s. And if you’re gonna get new cams, I’d suggest getting something that will help a lot, like the 403’s. Just a suggestion…

arw321 · September 24, 2002, 10:48pm

G2Integrity, I have the specs on the Colt Cams and they ARE in fact more aggressive than the 403’s.

They usually idle well in my car… although they are slightly lopey, (you can hear it in the exhaust, and feel it on your ass) and there is the odd time, in my car at least, where the idle gets pretty low at stoplights (i mean like 200 rpm), and the car almost feels as though it will stall (but it doesn’t.) It’s really odd, but it almost seems as though my ecu has adjusted to the cams.

When I first put them in, the car wouldn’t idle at all. It would just die on me when I let off the gas. After an Ecu reset it was much better.

I can’t explain why the car idles fairly well now (at most times)… it just does.

I’ll post the specs on the cams and you can compare them to the 403’s if you’d like… I’m at work right now, so I’ll post the specs up when I get home.

Xdeep, if you tell Geoff at Colt you want the same grind that Adam from Ontario had done for his b18a, I’m sure he will know what you mean. He has a number or spec written on my bill, I can post that as well. I would send him your b18a cams… I was actually going to send b20 cams to him but he said that he couldn’t guarantee that the installed C/L would be the same, although I’m sure it is. But it’s better to be safe.

As far as his regrinds being reliable, he gaurantees them for 5 years. I don’t know if other cam manufacturers (regrinds or not) even offer that.

When I bought my cams, I didn’t really buy them because the price was good. I bought them because after a conversation or two with Geoff from Colt and a couple conversations with Max (e-da9) I was convinced. I make decent money (I work for an Engineering firm) and I don’t cheap out on my car, by any means. My car still isn’t “finished”, but it’s mainly because I’m saving for a house and I guess my priorities are shifting.

Anyway, if you guys lived anywhere close to me I’d be happy to give a demonstration of the cams… unfortuneately I probably won’t get my car dyno tuned until next year as it will be going away for the winter before I know it, so I won’t have a plot anytime soon.

Adam

E-DA9 · September 24, 2002, 10:59pm

Originally posted by XDEep
[B]ok ill shoot him an email. any ideas on what info i should include? goals? idle? of course current mods… any extra grinding techniques or specs i need to provide? maybe ask to replicate certain lifts or durations from other model cams?

and what do you guys think of sending him my old b18a cams as opposed to the current 95 b18b ones? that kinda makes me think of the ‘lack of lobe’ to work with. ill include it

ok i was just looking around and it seems the general concensus is that regrinds suck as far as reliability? they actually weld on metal for more area? ive already been told to stay the hell away from them cuz they will eventually wear down based on driving conditions. i only plan to keep basic boltons and especially with an automatic i doubt ill put as much strain as most, but id still want a reliable product even if i have to pay a little more… [/B]

U do that and ask him. And his answers, can you please post them up here. Nobody seeems to belieevee in regrinds when in somee ways theey aree better than stuff likee Crower and thee like.

system · September 25, 2002, 5:33am

Ok, well I don’t see how the Colt cams can be more aggressive than the 403’s and idle better. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Do you live in a cold climate, cause that would make the car idle a lot better. Also, are you running stock valve springs?

Obivously I’m biased because I have the 403’s and they have done nothing but good for me. Turned way better times than I expected and still get gas mileage.

E-DA9 · September 25, 2002, 6:08am

Originally posted by arw321
[B]G2Integrity, I have the specs on the Colt Cams and they ARE in fact more aggressive than the 403’s.