Variable valve timing retrofit?

[quillc]

I have been reading a lot about variable valve timing lately. Advance the cam to help low speed cylinder pressure (torque) and retard the cam for high speed breathing and so on. All of the systems out there use either a hydraulic or electronic means of changing the cam phasing. What about a mechancial system for retrofit to a modified cam gear? It could be based on a design similar to an old mechanical advance mechanism for a distributor. The weights and springs would control how fast the mechanism wound up. You could go from say 10 deg advanced at idle to 10 deg retarded at 6K.

thoughts?

[crazy0000]

First thought would be, search, this has been discussed and designed for our engines already. But not produced

Second thought would be that is the one thing that is constantly brought up is that the cam gears have a really high failure rate in their current design.

[Karl Buchka]

This already exists. Someone (don't remember who) has produced a version for an 8v redblock.

[aussyvolvo]

This already exists. Someone (don't remember who) has produced a version for an 8v redblock.

realy? cool, who?

I was thinking of doing something similar with flyweights

[JohnMc]

I know somone is supposedly working on one, but I've never seen anyone post up that they've got it working.

It's a somewhat risky proposition on an interference engine.

If someone came up with a pretty solid looking 16V gear I'd buy one.