Is that a degree course in Cambridge? You can't be blamed if that is your first thought, but no, it's not about an education program in the UK.

Certainly, most of us have heard the saying, “Timing is everything”? This is as true when making money in the stock market as when it comes to making power in your engine. It doesn’t matter if your stable of horses under your hood is showroom-stock or after market-modified, but precise cam timing is the key to maximize your engine performance. A bad cam timing will inarguably rob you of your precious ponies no matter what other power-adding gadgets you have put in place.

Could the cam timing become out of sync, even in a new car? Unfortunately, the answer is a plain yes. This can happen because the engine parts are manufactured with certain tolerances and there is bound to be some run-out in the assembled engine. Although this kind of variance is acceptable under engineering specifications, it means that the engine performance will also vary from one to another. So, you may get a top performer or you may get a slightly less than average performer. However, most of the reasons for inaccurate cam timing are repairs and modifications done on the engine, for examples, after a cylinder head overhaul job where the head deck has been skimmed, fitting in an after-market high performance camshaft, or using a different thickness head gasket.

How then can we ensure that the engine will perform to its top form? The replacement of the original cam pulley with an adjustable one is the simplest way to regain performance. For fine-tuning the stock camshaft or tuning for performance modifications, an adjustable cam pulley is the only way to enable the required adjustment to be made. Apart from setting the cam timing to the original factory specs to get optimum engine performance, we can also increase low-end torque for better throttle response by advancing the cam timing a few degrees forward. Or we can shift the torque curve upward for better top-end power by retarding the cam timing a few degrees back.

With the adjustable cam pulley, we can accurately degree or dial-in the required cam timing easily, with the right know-how, of course. Having said that, always engage the service of professional tuners to set the cam timing with proper equipment. Doing it “by hand” is nothing more than a guess work and a wrong setting can ruin the engine. Even a small movement as “seen by the eye” on the cam pulley can change the timing by as much as five or six degrees. Too much advance or retard and the piston will hit the valves. Be forewarned!

Among the trusted and well-known tuners in town is NS Performance Tuning Sdn Bhd. Their PowerZone branded adjustable cam pulleys use steel hubs to withstand the fluctuating torsional stress that cam pulleys are subjected to. If you prefer aluminum pulleys, make sure they are machined from 6061T-6 aluminum or better. The common aluminum found in many locally made after-market pulleys is too soft and may fail, risking the life of your engine. So, when in doubt, pick a steel hub pulley.