Adjustable Cam Gears Options

[black92_tsi_awd]

I got to thinking about optimizing my 14B setup and what could be added/changed to get there. One thing I came across is adjustable cam gears. Now I realize alot of people running them probably have them set "straight-up" and are just looking at the bling factor. I'm don't care about bling, I'm interested in the performance.

I saw these that are pretty reasonable Fidanza Gears

From this ARTICLE it explains the basics:

Advancing Intake and Exhaust : This will provide the car with more bottom end power, and will decrease top end. Advancing both cam gears will move overlap earlier but will not increase it.

Retarding Intake and Exhaust : This will increase the cars top end, but will decrease low end. Retarding both cam gears will move the overlap later and but will not change the amount of overlap.

Advance Exhaust Only : This will help the cars top end, and it reduces overlap.

Retard Exhaust only : This will help the cars mid range power, very useful for cars with big turbos / big cams. By increasing overlap, It decreases lag significantly. Doing this will bring the boost on all at once. Very common DSM modification.

Advance Intake only : This will increase overlap and helps the cars bottom end and mid range power. This mod will bring the turbo on all at once, although isnt a very common mod for DSMS.

This ARTICLE explains how to use the adjustable gears to degree in your cam to make sure them set up correctly for a starting point (ie match the cam card)

What I'm looking for is:
1) People's experiences in using adjust cam gears and what engine/turbo setups benifit from these adjustments.

2) Any hard data on timing adjustment (ET differences or dyno numbers). Kick's, I think you used some cam adjustment last time on the dyno right?

3) Any gears to stay away from-quality wise

[awd4kicks]

I bought the Fidanza gears for AMS...Just because ti was an after thought, I needed them fast and they were actually the lowest price at the time.
I did some research and the Fidanza's have 5 locking nut's per gear which is more than some. I don't think I found any gears with a bad name. But Fidanza's name was good especially considering the price!

That particular Dyno day that I turned 453/457 was really only to find the best cam gear setting. I went both ways on both gears and found 2 degrees advanced on the intake made the most difference with the least knock. Keep in mind this is with far from stock cams, but I was able to up my initial HP from like 420 to 450ish with this small 2 degree adjustment.

I'm not sure it will do much on a stock cam. I did read there were some people doing it on DSMtalk, but since it was not my set-up I don't remember the turn-out.

If it were me again, I would follow the 10second FWD, 14b guy's method. Except I would try AWD without all the crazy lightening, using the mods you have in place...use straight race gas, maximise the 14b boost which you may have already done and then crank the timing until you see knock again. It wont run 10's like the light FWD but you already have more potential in your set-up.