FS: New Aluminum Cam Pulleys - $40, $80 Adjustable

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aaron at VAS

aaron at VAS

Covered in X1/9 Grime
Hey folks!
As some of you know, we've been reworking our cam gears for a little while now, and I'm happy to announce that we're expecting them to be finished up very soon! Further good news is that we are making them BOTH in fixed and adjustable versions.



These guys are all 6061-T6 Aluminum with hard anodizing for long-term corrosion protection. Both the fixed and adjustable gears have easily distinguishable timing marks for 1100/1300, and 1500. The adjustables also have 1-degree hash-marks designating cam timing advance or retard, and an upgraded five-bolt adjustment circle that is double bore-centric for greater stability.

We're offering these gears in your choice of Silver (Aluminum), Red, and Blue.



We're running a zero dollar pre-sale on these gears before we finish production, so all you have to do is place a web order to reserve this price. We're expecting to deliver before the end of next month.

Fixed - $40
Adjustable - $80

If you have any questions, let us know.

See the listing HERE on our website. Vick Autosports, the X1/9 Parts Source for 30 Years.
 
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Nice offerings at a good price. :thumbsup:

A few questions on these...

  1. Is the timing mark for the 1500 engines also stamped on the backside of the pulley, so it can be used to line up with the little metal "pointer" on the top/backside of the 1500 timing belt cover bracket?
  2. On the adjustable pulley you have shown, I see the red center hub has the handy degree measurements stamped/printed on it. Is there also a corresponding timing mark stamped into the silver outer pulley piece to be used in reference to the hubs' degree marks? (I don't see anything on the pulley in your photo)
  3. Do these pulleys also feature an integrated belt-guard (lip) on the backside (the side closest to the engine), like this?:
128alloypulleybeltguard.jpg
 
Jeff Stich said:
Nice offerings at a good price. :thumbsup:

Do these pulleys also feature an integrated belt-guard (lip) on the backside (the side closest to the engine), like this?:

128alloypulleybeltguard.jpg
Click to expand...


A quick q... if the OEM Fiat gears do not have the belt lip guard (other than the 74-75 double belt pulley), why do you find it important to have one now? Does the crank gear stops do a bad job of centering the belt on these engines, or are you looking for insurance against a wobbly tensioner?

BTW, $40 and $80 are very respectable prices. Good job, Aaron!
 
Thanks very much, everybody! I've been working on these for a good long time, so I appreciate your kind words.

To answer Jeff's questions:
1) Timing marks: No. To keep the price low, we're only milling them on one side. You can't do a timing belt or gear with the front cover on anyway, so just line it up from the front, no biggie. You're timing increment is one full tooth, so it's relatively easy to line up. There's plenty of gears out there without marks on the engine side.
2) Degree marks: Yes, though my crummy photo just doesn't show it very clearly. There is a corresponding zero mark, check out the other shots we've listed and you can see it.
3) Belt guides: No. I'm in agreement with Zonker that they have proven completely unnecessary. Fiat sent so many cars out from the factory without them, in addition to the fact that we've spent years running faster class SCCA cars without them. Everyone at Vick (myself included) prefer them without, and all of our cars here run without them. We've never had a belt jump, even on a hard-driven, high-powered street car.
 
Photo on website?

aaron at VAS said:
3) Belt guides: No. I'm in agreement with Zonker that they have proven completely unnecessary. Fiat sent so many cars out from the factory without them, in addition to the fact that we've spent years running faster class SCCA cars without them. Everyone at Vick (myself included) prefer them without, and all of our cars here run without them. We've never had a belt jump, even on a hard-driven, high-powered street car.
Click to expand...

Aaron, the photo on the VAS website shows a belt guide.

http://www.vickauto.com/newstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_7_75&products_id=3992

No?

Cheers,

Rob
 
That photo of this silver one is for a DOHC.

We did not get each gear photoed from the manufacturer so, some are of the wrong type.

As soon as the drop at our door we will have all new photos.
 
Well...

zonker said:
A quick q... if the OEM Fiat gears do not have the belt lip guard (other than the 74-75 double belt pulley), why do you find it important to have one now? Does the crank gear stops do a bad job of centering the belt on these engines, or are you looking for insurance against a wobbly tensioner?
Click to expand...

Besides the 2-3 versions of the double-belt cam pulley, there were a few other belt guard-equipped OEM SOHC cam pulleys, as well as aftermarket cast iron/steel or alloy ones.

In regards to my 128 engine, the crank gear has no stops, my aux. cam gear has a lip on the front & my cam gear has a lip on the back. With this particular mix of OEM gears, I've never even had to think about a "wandering" timing belt. My thoughts were that, if I were to replace my cam gear with this VAS alloy one (either type), I'd prefer it be like my OEM gear with the lip on the back.

If my engine had a wobbly belt tensioner, it'd be replaced asap!
 
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Umm...

aaron at VAS said:
To answer Jeff's questions:

2) Degree marks: Yes, though my crummy photo just doesn't show it very clearly. There is a corresponding zero mark, check out the other shots we've listed and you can see it.
Click to expand...

There are no "other shots" of this particular adjustable pulley, just the same single photo you posted here - that's why I asked. You had photos of a different pulley with the timing marks stamped opposite of this red/silver pulley & a belt guard on the front (obviously not for a SOHC engine). Mathew27 has now stated this silver pulley was actually for a DOHC (not SOHC), & the website photos of that pulley have since been replaced with a VAS logo.
 
Jeff Stich said:
Besides the 2-3 versions of the double-belt cam pulley, there were a few other belt guard-equipped OEM SOHC cam pulleys, as well as aftermarket cast iron/steel or alloy ones.

In regards to my 128 engine, the crank gear has no stops, my aux. cam gear has a lip on the front & my cam gear has a lip on the back. With this particular mix of OEM gears, I've never even had to think about a "wandering" timing belt. My thoughts were that, if I were to replace my cam gear with this VAS alloy one (either type), I'd prefer it be like my OEM gear with the lip on the back.

If my engine had a wobbly belt tensioner, it'd be replaced asap!
Click to expand...

Cam belts can be a funny thing. I've had my share of trials and tribulations on the Ford DOHC zetec motors. There was a number of people having the cam belts work their way to the outside of the pulleys and start to shred their belts inside against the upper cam belt cover.

It was found that Ford made a running change on their belt idlers, they went from a slightly concave tensioner bearing surface to a flat one, and the flat bearings were no longer centering the belts as well as before. I found out about this problem because when a flat idler was used with an aluminum underdrive pulley, the cam belt would chafe so much on the back of the udp that it would start making it's own cam gear right in the back of the pulley.

This would allow the belt to move to shred position :mad: . The only solution to the problem was to source a now discontinued/superceded part number idler bearing to fix the issue, or go back to a steel pulley an d wait 40k miles for the inferior idler pulley design chafe the belt.
:mad2:

To fix my particular problem, I wound up machining the back of the pulley and added a steel beveled washer between the crank cogged pulley and the aluminum crank pulley. :thumbsup:
 
We can now see you concern

We see you concern for the fitment to a 128. All your other pulleys and gears make it understandable that you want what you want.

That all being said.... It's need first and there are a lot more X1/9 owners in the US than 128 guys. So the gears need to be catered to them.

We did try to make them as useful as possible by have all the additions put on (that no one else has done before) but sadly a belt guide just isn't in the picture for the US market.
 
One minor clarification...

Jeff Stich said:
In regards to my 128 engine, the crank gear has no stops, my aux. cam gear has a lip on the front & my cam gear has a lip on the back.
Click to expand...

The more I thought about this, I remembered that I when I put this particular engine together, I installed a late X1/9-Strada crank gear that has a belt guard on the back, not the one with no guards. So as far as belt guards on the gears/pulleys go, it's crank:back, aux cam:front & cam:back. Not that this has anything to do with the VAS offering...sorry.
 
Yeah...

Mathew27 said:
We see youR concern for the fitment to a 128. All your other pulleys and gears make it understandable that you want what you want. That all being said.... It's need first and there are a lot more X1/9 owners in the US than 128 guys. So the gears need to be catered to them.
Click to expand...

I see your (sales) point, but FYI: the pulleys/gears I am using on my current 128 engine are not 128-specific, they were sourced from the same OEM "parts bin" that the 128 & X1/9 engines originally shared. My cam & aux. cam pulleys were used on both cars/engines, my crank gear was used on the X1/9 & Strada 1500 engines (but fits on the 128 w/o issues).

Also, whether these are for an X1/9 or 128, it doesn't matter - it's the same engine design & the cam pulleys fit the same. While I won't argue on the issue of a lesser number of 128 owners than X1/9, singling me out just because I'd be using this on a 128 & not an X1/9 makes no sense if the entire "family" of 128-X1/9-Strada-Yugo SOHC engine owners can benefit by using the same lightweight &/or adjustable camshaft pulley.

My question concerning the belt guard was simply because I (we?) needed more info on the pulley design than what was shown in your single photo. Some people prefer a guard, some don't, for others it doesn't matter. It's not the end of the world! :)

The question about the rear (1500 location) timing mark was more half-question, half-suggestion. While the front timing marks are great for when installing a new belt/pulley/etc., having a timing mark on the back of the pulley makes it easier for the SOHC owner to quickly check/verify cam timing whenever necessary using the small window & "pointer" on the top/back of the 1300 or 1500 timing belt cover bracket, without having to remove the timing belt cover to see the front marks (or peer through the tiny hole on the front of the cover & "guesstimate" how close the timing is). Many owners just punch a mark on their cam pulley there themselves &/or highlight it with white/colored paint, which is probably what I'd do if I bought one of these pulleys.

Having that handy mark already there on back? That's being innovative. :wink2:
 
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wow

When y'all said you wanted these you weren't kidding.
Over a dozen pre-orders in just a couple days, I'm delited. :italia:

Well don't worry we had hundreds of the gears made so if you haven't ordered yet there are still plenty. :cool:

Just wish shipping didn't take so long :wall:

We can't wait to take better photos of them when they arrive.

Thanks for all the kind words and spreading the news!
 
Timeline - VERY SOON

Our enormous order of cam gears (adjustable & fixed) are in customs hands right now. Which means we should have them very soon.

Probably not this week, but very likely the week after.

Thanks

Matt
 
Anyone know?

Does anyone know what happened with these?

I've emailed Vicks twice and had no response.

Cheers,

Rob
 
Rob,

Mine was delivered June 9th. It is now at the machine shop with the head and manifolds.

HTH
 
Pulley

I was speaking to VAS last month and there was a cock up with the pulleys and they needed to have them re machined.
said it would be another 6 to 8 weeks :(
 
I got mine

But was asked to send it back. They were hoping for 3-5 week turn around then, but that has passed.

I'm just trying to find out if:
1) it is still happening,
b) expected ETA.

If it isn't happening I need to explore alternative sources.

Cheers,

Rob
 
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