Uncle John happened to mention cams in another post recently, and I have seen cams advertised in sites for Saturns...have you or anyone you know ever swapped-out the cams for a higher-performance pair in a Saturn, and was there a noticeable difference? Did it change the idle much, and was it still smoggable in California?

 

Keeping mind that some Saturns or maybe all of them after the initial S series model were one form or another of a corporate platform or otherwise stated a Badge Engineered variation of some GM based car. Those probably have a number of cam alternatives available for them. The S series seem to be extremely limited in option.
As to Smogability or idle or other forms of drive-ability problems, that is going to depend on how aggressive the cam actually is. Or, depending on the application, how good you are at tuning around them come smog time. A mild cam of which there are many generally has been advertised as smog compatible. That is it will make no difference to the smog testing whether it is there or not. The more aggressive performance cams when sold are sold as off road only which means if you install them in a street driven car and expect them to pass smog, it is your problem not any one elses. So the bottom line is really that it is up to the person installing the cam to see to it their car runs when said and done as it should.
And the owner defines should.
If it won't pass smog or idles as you think crappy, it is up to you to figure it out before you spend money on it.
As for me? I have done enough of them that before I start I have a pretty good idea what it is going to end up as OR I know a pretty sure fire way to get around it.
And I figure if I can find the right cam or have one ground to specifications that I define which would probably cost me about $200.00 to have done I can get about 15 more hp out of my S series Saturn and still have it pass smog with out my having to fool with it. And that includes California or any other state.

 

So on our dual-cam dohc 1.9 motors, would both the intake and exhaust cams have to be changed-out at the same time to realize this 15 hp gain? I know for sure that I would not be doing the mech work, how much labor cost do you think would be involved, and would I have to modify the exhaust to accomodate a better-flow situation? Still assuming I would want to keep it smog-legal in California, that is...

I'm sorry to have to ask this stuff, you can tell I have absolutely no knowledge of mechanics and am fishing for info, I'm sure...but where better to try and pick people's brains of good knowledge on a certain subject?

Aaaaagh.....I forgot we had a performance section in our forum, should have gone there first and looked....I apologize. Found this thread there: https://www.saturnforum.com/forum/engine-internal-16/gude-performance-cams-7304/ , and am wondering if Unc J was ever able to come up with the stock cam grindings to tell if Gude had something good there for 5 bills or not? Reading the accompanying literature about his knowledge base and reasoning is a good read, maybe he's the real deal?

 

Timmerz Says:
So on our dual-cam dohc 1.9 motors, would both the intake and exhaust cams have to be changed-out at the same time to realize this 15 hp gain? I know for sure that I would not be doing the mech work, how much labor cost do you think would be involved, and would I have to modify the exhaust to accomodate a better-flow situation? Still assuming I would want to keep it smog-legal in California, that is...

I'm sorry to have to ask this stuff, you can tell I have absolutely no knowledge of mechanics and am fishing for info, I'm sure...but where better to try and pick people's brains of good knowledge on a certain subject?
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First Never be sorry about asking a question. A question is a request for information. Now answers? That can be something to be sorry about because you are going to have to determine whether the answer is any good to you. It will be some ones opinion right or wrong, good or bad. It my be factual it might even be sound. However it might also be worthless.
And you are going to have to sort that out.
Yes Both cams would have to be changed. one of those cams runs the exhaust valves the other runs the intakes. Usually anyway and that is what I expect to find out when I play with a dual cam engine. Now if I discovered for some reason or another that one cam ran 2 cylinders of a 4 cylinder engine, that is both exhaust and intake and the other ran the other 2 cylinders it would surprise me but I would be prepared to expect that.
The last 16 valve 4 cylinder engine I had only had one cam with a weird rocker arrangement that each rocker ran 2 valves.
The point.
I'd have to look at one to figure it out but yes it would still take changing both cams.
As to the need of changing the exhaust system?
California emissions have nothing to do with the answer.
The exhaust system when you take into consideration that you also want it to be smog legal the exhaust must contain certain elements to pass the California visual inspection and in addition treat the engine in the proper manner to satisfy the smog requirements of a test and also be adequate to meet the needs of a performance rated engine.
There are any number of ways to do that.
One thing that I would do if I still lived there would be to go down to the DMV and purchase the Automobile Code book which when I lived there cost $2.00 and then look up emissions codes and rules and find out what the emission standards say must be there and see to it they are IF you change the exhaust system in any way.
As far as the stock system being able to get the job done, the odds are that it is.The cost of changing the exhaust system around to be much better than it is could run another 5 bills or more just for that.
The question becomes is it worth it.
My answer is that it is not.
So don't bother with it.
$500.00 spent on an exhaust system to buy and install parts that run the chance of doing nothing useful to me is not a good investment.
Most motors are undercammed. Most motors can support a better cam selection with little or no change in the exhaust.
And most people will argue with that answer. Arguing is free. T.V. shows are based on that premise. Watch a couple of shows like American Chopper, or pimp my ride or any number of them. Half the show is spent pissing at each other.
Reality shows on the whole run on that format.
And no amount of arguing is going to change my answer.
I have built a number of healthy street motors, all would pass smog and all used an exhaust system that was either very close to stock or was stock.
Why?
Because changing an exhaust system is expensive and for a street motor, largely ineffective. So if it ain't broke? Why spend money fixing it. When you can use that money to buy parts that actually do something.
And a high flow catalytic converter has some value and is smog legal.

As to that URL and the $500.00 cams? It seems to be legit. I don't know.
You have to supply the core which means you have to take your motor apart and then send the cams to them.
Or obtain a parts motor with good stock cams and send them.
I have never paid anywhere near that kind of money for a cam.
So what I see is something way over priced.
Whether it is or not I don't know. That needs to be checked.
And if I remember correctly the cam specifications were not given. So before I would deal with that I would have to check out whether they will give them to me or not.
Then again there are any number of cam shaft grinding companies out there.
Very rarely are cams listed for low volume applications. In the year 2012 it is hard to find anything much lower in volume than a Saturn S series 1.9L application. So that needs to be checked out also.
Can other places actually grind cams for the Saturn and if so what do they need in terms of cores or not and what cost.
My first call would be to Iskenderian as all my engines use Iskenderian cams.
Also cam grinders usually have an extensive file on cam grinds that are doable and what they do. So that needs to be asked.
Or I can look up cam specs for GM's ECOTEC performance applications on parts you can purchase and they have cam specs for a twin cam ECOTEC application. The part does not fit a Saturn 1.9L Saturn engine but the specs will work on a cam grind. And when I do that the specs given look as if they are a workable spec based on my knowledge of what cams do and whether I can expect to get the following.
1. Some where around another 15 hp our of a 2L engine
2. The existing fuel injection system will compensate for the different uses with out having to make any changes to it. Which means it will manage the increase in out put under STREET driving conditions and also pass smog when asked to do so.
3. The exhaust system will do pretty much the same thing.

Possible inexpensive mods to consider.
A high flow catalytic converter about $150. Installed
An a performance muffler about anothe $200.00 installed.
Although now that I have a welder and can use it I can cut installation costs down.
And my expectations are that I can have custom cams ground for half that $500.00 and until proven otherwise that is my expected parts cost.
I also will do the install. Because it is labor intensive.
And I want to get the 15 hp power and to my way of thinking the cams will give it to me. And be cost effective doing it.
in essence. My expect cost is roughly $350.00 in exhaust expense. And roughly $400.00 in Cam costs including gaskets and misc. materials to install things with and have it end up clean when done. For $700.00 the expect 15 hp is a real objective.
If I have to pay some one to do all of those things it could easily double that cost. And frankly to me a 100 dollar a hp for an increase of 15 is not worth so I will not go that way. Others will think differently.
You pays YOUR money and you takes YOUR chances.

But each person has to make their own decision.