French automotive supplier Valeo SA has been working on camless engine technology for quite some time and they expect to have their system on the street by 2010 or 2011. Valeo is working with several automakers to implement the camless technology. Eliminating a traditional valvetrain is expected to yield a 20% fuel consumption and emissions reduction along with a 20% increase in performance.

Photo by valero

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...24/PROMOBLOG01

Quite the system. This will allow them to optimize the timing for each cylinder individually. I can see increased engine efficiency and reduced mechanical complexity. Just think, no cams, cam drive gears or chains. Reduced rotating efficiency. Allows higher rpm without valve float.

Red

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2005 Titan KC SE, Helwig, True-Track, ARE MX Canopy

I read about this system some years ago. According to the article I read, it was developed for the automotive industry primarily by Sturman industries in 1995. The original purpose was to be used in retro rockets for the Apollo spacecraft. I think Bosch was planning on getting in on the system as well.

It's sad to think that someday in the near future, young hotrodders will never know the joy of floating their valves ..... floating valves was the only thing that stop me from granading my '72 Buick Skylarks 350 ..... and them valves floated between 1st and 2nd gear thousands of times ..... I miss that car .... qualudes and Southern Comfort took it away from me and deposited it into the junkyard.

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'04 SexySilver KC XE ....120k miles....the usual mods.

"Whiskey bottles and brand new cars, oak tree you're in me way!".......eh?

Ever notice how we've seen the passing of several internal combustion engine features?

Oil bath air filter
Manual Choke
Carburetors
Cam in block
Timing Gears
Distributors
Vacuum or Mechanical Advance
Generators
Points
Rotors
Hydraulic Lifters
Push rods
Flat Heads
Mechanical Throttle Linkage

I'm sure there are others and just to set the comparison, I using the Titan's engine as the modern example.

Remember when you could do a complete tune-up with a pair of pliers, a spark plug gap gauge, thickness gauges, a couple of combination wrenches, a screwdriver and a timing light?

How soon before the entire internal combustion engine goes away? Fuel Cells? Electric Motors?

Red

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2005 Titan KC SE, Helwig, True-Track, ARE MX Canopy

A small piece of sand paper was in the top drawer of my tool box to sand down the points on my Buick .....which for some reason seemed to eat points.

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'04 SexySilver KC XE ....120k miles....the usual mods.

I still own 3 vehicles that I still do all of the above (incliding the oil bath filter on the 56) and don't forget setting the float and jetting the carb. The cool thing about this kind of knowledge is like when I got the 56 for $500 because the kid thought the engine was shot. I drove it around the block got out with the timing light, tweaked the timing and I was screaming down the highway 5 minutes later at 60 MPH with a big ole grin on my face.

I sure do remember! Especially the sandpaper part. Changing spark plugs every 3-5000 miles, I think..... Like Squid said, setting the timing, etc, etc..... THANK GOD FOR PROGRESS!!! (The down side to this is when something DOES go wrong, it costs a fortune)

But really, how often do modern engines break down these days? Under some conditions, engines can do 100k between major tuneups or even replacing the plugs.

Using my last engine, a '91 Accord 4cyl in the 13 years and 107K I put on it never and I mean never had a engine related failure of any kind. Fast forward to '05 Titan engine, I expect similar longevity.

Red

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2005 Titan KC SE, Helwig, True-Track, ARE MX Canopy