Revisit of Franco Cam Gear

["Gary G. Erickson" <erickson@teleport.com>]

A week or so back, I wrote (and now correct myself):

> > This leads me to believe that the variable cam sprocket, assuming it
> > starts the camshaft slightly advanced and then retards it as the rpms
> > increase, would keep the engine at this peaky point of its powerband
> > (try saying that 5 times fast).
> 
> As I recall the Franco gear went from 8 degrees of advance to 4 degrees
> of retard, but don't quote me on that.

It's actually 7 degrees of advance to 3 degrees of retard.

(I hope this settles that little argument about advance vs. retard!) 
;-)

> I've never used one, but I do know that it uses a spring and
> centrifigual weight setup.  As the cam spins faster, the weights
> (somehow) cause the gear to retard the cam timing, and as the cam slows
> down, the springs pull the gear back into an "advanced" state.

I know it's been a week or so since we talked about this, but for those
of you who were looking for more info, I stumbled across George Franco's
website this morning while I was trying to find something else.

http://pegasus.adnc.com/~websites/figf/

Still looks like it could be a fun addition for those turbo cars that
take their timing pulse off the flywheel.  But for $300 . . . . 

HTH!

Gary

-- 
Gary G. Erickson         Secretary -- NW Quattro Club
 503-618-1232                  erickson@teleport.com