I have aftermarket cams and the motor was half pulled apart by someone who didnt know what they where doing. now when i put the car back together, i just left the cams in the spot they where, even though they were just layin there.

so loong story short i just pulled them and noticed a "I" marked (hand written) on the exhaust cams sproket, and no other markings on them. how do i tell which one is exhaust and which one is intake?

Now the car has always idled like ---- real bad, but runs half decent and pulls real good (turbo). Will a car run at all with the intake and exhaust cams mixed up?

How do i tell them apart by looking at the lobes?

 

Both cams are identical as far as distributor side goes, obd0 with cam pos sensor.

 

if i hold them straight up, (arrow pointing up) and imagine they spin counter-clockwise, the intake valves will open first right?

 

i would look at the "intake" cam and see if there is an e on it for exhaust. that would be kind of funny if it was backwards.

opp - other people's projects

 

no, they only go in one way. sometimes aftermarket cams just idle like ----, depends on the specs.

 

yeah put them in the way you think then try to lash them. if there in wrong you will def know right away.