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Old 02-05-2009, 11:01 AM   #6 (permalink)
ncs
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Idaho
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RockMagnet - '04 Subaru Impreza wagon WRX
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There's a patent on it, but it looks like it's ok.

Centrifugal control assembly for camshaft advance and retardation and suppression of cyclical vibration - Patent 5609127

Going by the pictures, that cam gear is huge. I suspect there's only enough gear space on single overhead cam belt driven engines for a mechanism like that. Chain driven cam gears are much narrower, and belt driven dohc gears are smaller. To make a smaller version, the weights would have to be made out of a heaver metal which could drive the cost up too much. Lifespan of the springs might be a problem too.

Also, it only provides 7 degrees of variation. Modern active cam timing has 35-40 degrees.
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