While cast iron timing sets can still be purchased and used, the vast majority of performance sets have gone to better quality materials for obvious reasons. “Things started out with cast iron cam sprockets or ductile iron cam sprockets, and with time, we moved to billet and induction heat-treated billet for cam and crank sprockets.” OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA “From there, we kept making advancements in the material,” Thompson says. Roller chain timing sets allow the chain to roll across the teeth of the cam and crank gears with little effort for negligible horsepower loss and improved friction characteristics. “The concept was applying a roller bushing to the chain itself, so you had roller engagement between the sprocket and chain. “What was the game changer for us and the race industry, when it comes to timing drive systems, was the introduction of True Roller in 1970,” says Jason Thompson, VP of product development for Cloyes. The shortcomings of the link belt systems inspired manufacturers to develop better timing sets, which were ideally suited for performance applications. The broken nylon teeth, which usually wound up in the bottom of the oil pan, also got easily sucked into the oil pump pick-up, restricting oil flow and causing serious engine damage. The nylon gears supposedly provided quieter engine operation, but after the engine ran a number of miles, the nylon teeth would crack and fall off, causing slack in the chain and eventually the engine would “jump” time. Link belt sets earned their bad reputation when automobile manufacturers began using aluminum camshaft gears with nylon or nylon-coated teeth. The design created a significant amount of heat due to friction and wear occurred rather quickly in performance applications. That’s exactly why for the past 50 years, performance and racing timing sets have been innovated upon and features have been added to eliminate issues and to make timing adjustments much easier.Ĭonventional link belt timing sets, for years the standard of the auto industry, employed a multiple link chain secured by a series of small diameter pins.
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