Variable cam for old v8's !!!!!!

[Claus Moeller]

Found this ad in an old HOTROD Magazine from '68:


Anyone know why this cool idea wasn't developed further??

-Todays technology could surely make it more durable than 40 years ago..

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l272/clausdanger/varicamAD.jpg
this is for a chevy smallblock.. -anyone out there have a spare one?

The idea is sorta simple, -what might break (back in '68) would be the spring. -But as mentioned before, todays technology could beef durability up.

-I want one of these.

[SpeedZealot]

Yeah all the latest generation small block LSX motors use a variable ICL technology, great for moving the powerband as rpm changes

[squirrel]

Apparently they don't own the name any more, or else don't have the legal resources to topple Panasonic :)

[Claus Moeller]

Apparently they don't own the name any more, or else don't have the legal resources to topple Panasonic :)




LOL
I also noticed that.. -I searched the patent, and it was applied for already in 1966.

It could be cool to get ahold of one.. -talk about 'easy add-on power' .. -free low end torque, and free upper range HP.

Somewhere, somebody must have one of these..

-Could be fabricated from 2 cam sprockets. (or one, maybe).

Why haven't anyone made these as aftermarket ad-ons???? (proberbly because the spring broke back then.. -but now (40 years later)it should be possible..)

[TheSilverBuick]

Don't modern high compression motorcycles use something like this on their exhaust cams? Not so much for performance but to bleed of cylinder pressure for cranking, supposibly by 500rpm (well under idle) the cam timing is locked where it needs to be for performance.

Little weak spring, but there's more room to work with on a V-8.
http://www.hondaminitrail.com/GIFS/K139thum400.jpg

[Dynoroom]

The Dodge viper has a cam in block setup that is in production now.


http://www.sae.org/automag/technewsletter/070402Powertrain/04.htm

[Claus Moeller]

The Dodge viper has a cam in block setup that is in production now.


http://www.sae.org/automag/technewsletter/070402Powertrain/04.htm


I wonder if it's possible to use the same idea as 'mahle' for older blocks..

Although the 'varicam' is way simpler, -much like a distributor setup,- in theory..

Why hasn't 'Jesel' picked up this idea, and transform it to their beltdrive??

[JeffMcKC]

Because the belt tends to retard under High RPM already

[dieselgeek]

The Dodge viper has a cam in block setup that is in production now.


http://www.sae.org/automag/technewsletter/070402Powertrain/04.htm


I wonder if it's possible to use the same idea as 'mahle' for older blocks..

Although the 'varicam' is way simpler, -much like a distributor setup,- in theory..

Why hasn't 'Jesel' picked up this idea, and transform it to their beltdrive??




ever heard of VTEC? It's a little different, but same idea. I know a kid who built a retarding/advancing cam sprocket as part of his masters program in mechanical engineering school. It was for a 2.3 pinto engine. It worked too, widening the powerband a bit, and maximizing torque.

[Claus Moeller]

It just occured to me that it would work best with a crank-triggered ignition, as the timing would also retard.. -Don't know if that's a good thing.

Anyways...
I tried to have two hp/tq curves -one is 10 degrees advanced, the other 10 degrees retarded. -20 degrees in total.

-Used this on 'Desktop dyno 2000' ..

-While maybe not 100 percent accurate, it gives an impression of what's gonna happen:
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l272/clausdanger/DSC03123.jpg
sorry for the bad picture quality..

-Follow the non-dotted lines up until 5000rpm, then follow the dotted ones..

Now THAT's a flat curve..

[Eric68]

Neat idea but it would screw with ignition timing in an SBC -- seems to me you would have to use a crank trigger.

[Doug Odom]

I ran one of these on a SCCA A Sedan Mustang 289 race car back in 1968 or 69. It worked OK but never did have the time to dyno it back to back with a normal chain. Seems to me it made about the same power as the normal chain. As I remember you could adjust how much movement you wanted. I'm going back into a memory bank that is about 40 years ago so I might be wrong. Again. Doug

[Claus Moeller]

Cool.


Let's have a dyno test.... -C-mon..

[Huskinhano]

Recently I was reading an article about variable cam timing and apparently Fiat or some other European auto maker actually had variable cam timing in their production sport cars in the 70's as I recall. It's funny but if you dig around and look at some of the technology that was being used in WWII stuff that never made it into production after the war. It it had, boy we would be so far ahead in the auto industry. The technology used for propeller pitch could have been adapted to cam timing....but who would have paid for it?