could this be the end of cam belts !!!!!!!

[K Walker]

Talking to guy a work today and he was telling me about a fiat engine that will use electronic inlet/outlet valves , thought he was winding me up until i did a google !! have a look , seems it will happen someday

http://www.italiaspeed.com/2004/cars/alfa_romeo/09/uniair/1109.html

Kind regards,


K Walker

 

[Tom]

Why does the picture still show a cam?

 

[K Walker]

Tom Hi,

Yes it does show a cam but not as we are used to i think.
The cam is operated by means of solenoids rather than being driven/timed by a cam belt.
Well thats how i understand it.

Kind regards,

K Walker

 

[Tom]

You will still need a cambelt to drive the cam.

Fiat patented this concept ~30+ years ago. ECUs have moved on a bit since then

 

[steve]

honda used Gear driven cams on certain models of bike (vfrs 400 and 750s mostly) way back in the late eighties and up until 2005/6

More expensive than cam belts....but no tensioners, no belt breaks and a lovely high pitch gear whine that instantly marks out a VFR whazzing past.

 

[Tom]

Many cars still use camchains.

Cambelts actually give a power advantage. Lower losses and less vibration transferred to the camshaft which gives a couple of % power increase over a camchain.

 

[Anonymous]

perkins diesels have used timing gears for yonks

 

[Andy]

my alfa has a cam chain, as alot of other alfas do

Andy_sx

 

[J]

This does NOT eliminate the timing belt. The engine works exactly the same. UNIAIR is used to give better control over the inlet valves to keep an even better stoichiometry. It is a better engine management system using solenoids to control valve movement. In my opinion it is an upgrade to current VVT systems meaning better performance, emissions and economy etc.. however it another thing to go wrong and knowing FIAT a new part will be worth more than the car.