No more cams in 2009 (read this)

[ripper]

A company called Valeo working along with Ford has developed a production engine with no cams at all. Each intake and exhaust valve are operated by an actuator that is placed on the upper surface of the cylinder head, directly above the valve guides. Each actuator is linked to an engine-mounted valve control unit and provides the power drive function for the actuators.
This system is called Smart Valve Actuation. Testing has shown a 20% reduction in emmissions and fuel consumption. It is scheduled for use in 2009.
Now before you go off on a rant saying there goes ford screwin up our motors again to save some fuel or air polution think about this.
The valve control units are controlled by your computer. You control your comp and can set different duration, lift, and overlap. You can drive to the track with stock cams. Take out your xcal2 and flash stage2 in and your ready to race LOL. Might come in handy when you go to inspection also

 

[Red96GT]

I'm really interested to hear more about this. Thanks stevo.

 

[MeanGrn Gt]

very interesting.... but sounds VERY expensive

 

[95-stang]

Valeo are big over here for oe and aftermarket products ie: headlamps , wiper blades , distributors, etc etc.
A french company, i know they dabble in a lot of stuff, but thats a very interesting idea they have going on.

 

[ripper]

I was washing the car yesterday and was flipin thru my modified mustangs magazine and ran across that article. Wash a little,beer read, wash,beer read. ^-^ Being a French company makes sense being that the mustangs are mostly produced in Canada. I dont think producing actuators and valve controls will be as hard or as exspensive as machining cams. It will be a win win situation. You will be able to set your duration and lift as easy as it is to set your timing. The tree huggers get less pollution. The auto industry gets the mpg advantage. Oh wait thats 3 wins lol.

 

[slow-six]

very interesting. O0

 

[95PGTTech]

lotus has had this technology working for years already, but have been having problems with it...the engine is a tough environment to live in/on/around, especially for electrical/electronic devices. if one of them should fail in an open state, the valve would be square dancing with the piston before the engine computer would even know that the actuator/solenoid failed. these only work on non-interference motors.

 

[95-stang]

I forgot about Lotus, your right, they have tried that and vvt long before many others, but at least computers have moved on a long way, if the engineering is up to it. I doubt i will be buying the very first one though.
Its like Honda with their oval piston motorcycle, i read Triumph tried it in the 20's [or around then] and could'nt get it to work properly, Honda managed it on the NR500 racer in 1979 but there were no real benefits, but they got it to work.
Maybe now could be the time of the actuator.

 

[95PGTTech]

it would be really, really cool. variable cam maps. :dancing6:

although I am sure companies like SCT will realize how valuable this could be and how tightly Ford is going to lock it up so they are going to charge you like a trillion dollars for a tuner.

 

[9psi 98]

I'm in love with this idea! The only thing that I don't like is that it's going to be just like any other electrical part on anything, no warning and then you're on the side of the road.

 

[ripper]

Yea like 95stang says you dont wanna be the first one with one. Let them work all the tweeks out first.

 

[drifts14x]

I read about this 2 years ago, Lotus was supposed to release it for Toyota or something by 08, yeah, no progress on that front. If you ask me, it's going to take a lot of skill out of motors, and make you just that much more dependent on dealerships when they first come out to fix them (look at hybrids). I must say however, the only replacement for displacement is technology, so a retrofit for my 5.0 would be really nice, I sure could use an extra 50 ponies with 25 mpg city and 35 highway.

 

[9psi 98]

I read about this 2 years ago, Lotus was supposed to release it for Toyota or something by 08, yeah, no progress on that front. If you ask me, it's going to take a lot of skill out of motors, and make you just that much more dependent on dealerships when they first come out to fix them (look at hybrids). I must say however, the only replacement for displacement is technology, so a retrofit for my 5.0 would be really nice, I sure could use an extra 50 ponies with 25 mpg city and 35 highway.

Being able to retrofit our older cars with this new technology will be sweet, but will take the true mechanical beauty that these cars have. Basically, fuel injection is the way to go as far as tuning and efficiency go, but if you have an old GTO with a 6-pack carb setup and put in a FI system, you really have taken out the soul (and value) of that car. I'm all for retrofitting kits, but look how long it takes the aftermarket to catch up as it is.

 

[jareds98gt]

im pretty sure they use that in F1 cars. sounds like a really good idea!!

 

[CanaryGT]

Is there an Article link I can get?

 

[ripper]

Is there an Article link I can get?

It was in the Feb issue of modified Mustangs magazine.

 

[Steven]

LOL you know whats the funny part about it all.. is it'll be just like door actuators opening your valves.. we all know how reliable those are after 10 years :ass3:

 

[Shocker98GT]

I've thought about it before myself, wondering why you wouldn't design a setup such as this. I do question the longevity, but realistically it wouldn't cost terribly too much to manufacture.

What Ford REALLY needs to focus on is designing a V8 engine with a big enough bore so the valves aren't so shrouded. There's no telling what kind of power these engines would make from the factory with everything else being equal except for a larger bore, say even with something like the 3V head. It'd steal the GM LS platform's thunder, that's for sure. Of course, this setup could help even more in that area considering you could have a field day in R&D with the valve location

 

[Sir Charles]

A company called Valeo working along with Ford has developed a production engine with no cams at all. Each intake and exhaust valve are operated by an actuator that is placed on the upper surface of the cylinder head, directly above the valve guides. Each actuator is linked to an engine-mounted valve control unit and provides the power drive function for the actuators.
This system is called Smart Valve Actuation. Testing has shown a 20% reduction in emmissions and fuel consumption. It is scheduled for use in 2009.
Now before you go off on a rant saying there goes ford screwin up our motors again to save some fuel or air polution think about this.
The valve control units are controlled by your computer. You control your comp and can set different duration, lift, and overlap. You can drive to the track with stock cams. Take out your xcal2 and flash stage2 in and your ready to race LOL. Might come in handy when you go to inspection also

Awesome I would like to see some pictures of this.