**** Major Issue with the 3sx Adjustable Cam Gears - Zero is not Zero****

in a perfect world, what i want is a threaded discussion with a SINGLE 3SX employee. when i found out i had improperly manufactured cam seals, i emailed, and called and they denied it up to high heaven, and i dealt with 3 different people who i had to explain the situation to again and again. all i wanted was a $30 refund so i could buy OEM gaskets. what i got from them was a $30 gift card to their store.

I want a refund on these gears. yeah i could set them to 0, but adjusting them becomes impossible because the adjustment becomes maxed out. and who knows if +1 -3 would even work any more?

drgonzo, the other thread with the wrong sized gears - check your picture. the timing mark is a proper 8 teeth off.

so the older gears were timed properly but the wrong size

now the new ones are sized good but the marks are wrong.

You COULD adjust the other way, put a new dot on the tooth, then you will have enough room......but that's not "right" either.

Somehow I feel like I've been here before.

you are right. the video over complicates the solution.

the timing dot just needs to be at 8 teeth instead of 9 teeth. then everything will line up perfectly. I annotated the video with this information


but that's a ghetto solution. it should have been right to begin with

In for updates.

Hello,
First, thank you for contacting us regarding this...

Second, after looking at different gears on an engine on a stand, it looks like the rear bank exhaust gear (the 1 different one with the 4 screw holes for mounting the timing trigger blade) does in fact have the timing marks imprinted on them about 2-3 degrees off - seems they are imprinted slightly counter-clockwise from where they should be. The other 3 gears that are the same for the front head and rear head intake cam appear to be pretty close to dead on from what I can see.

That being said, thank you for being this to our attention. We will defintily get with the manufacturer to make sure the timing indicators on the center hub is corrected with regards to its orientation.

Furthermore, we always recommend that you properly degree your engine/cams (which requires adjustable cam gears) to ensure optimal settings.

Also, note that if you deck your heads, that will throw ALL FOUR cams "off" to some degree as the heads are closer to the engine and the tensioner takes up the resultant "slack", thus the overall timing of front bank vs back bank vs crank will change if you are using stock cam gears. Adjustable cam gears give you the ability to counter that change by degreeing the engine.

I put together an animated GIF showing the 4 cam gears mounted on an engine. Camera was on a tripod to ensure the pictures were taken from the exact same angle - watch the center pin to see it doesn't change - then watch the outer edge of the cog to see any variances.

ALSO, let it be noted that I checked the Fidanza cam gears and it looks like they display the same 2-3 degree imprint error, which all 4 are the same on the Fizandas so all 4 cams would be "off" by said amount, and those have been available since about 2002 or so.

http://www.3sx.com/store/catalog/cam...28-ani-800.gif


As for the alignment of the alignment dowel pin versus stock, those are dead on. Like the OP, I bolted the 3SX gear hub to the factory gear (didn't have long enough bolts so removed the outer cog to get the face to face - well back-to-face) and the cam alignment hold is exactly the same - see the 4mm driver slid through both gears as they are bolted together.

http://www.3sx.com/store/catalog/cam...228-03-650.jpg
http://www.3sx.com/store/catalog/cam...228-04-650.jpg


Thank you,
3SX

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Keyan

you are right. the video over complicates the solution.

the timing dot just needs to be at 8 teeth instead of 9 teeth. then everything will line up perfectly. I annotated the video with this information


but that's a ghetto solution. it should have been right to begin with

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Hello,
Responding to you separately as what you are seeing is a new one... Yes, your "dot" is actually marked a full tooth off from where it should be. I checked cam gears here and they are all correct (see the images and ani-gif above). Are all 4 of yours this way or just one? Please email me your info and I'll get a replacement gear sent out.
Thank you,
EricB

In a perfect world everything would 100% bolt on, but like Eric said anytime you are changing parts like this you should be degreeing your cams.

the 3 similiar ones are all off a dot. I will need to check the cam sensor gear tomorrow. I purchased these during the recent chrismtas sale.

what is your email, eric?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alan92RTTT

While your intent is informative some in the 3S community enjoy bashing 3SX for any reason they can find. Others will jump on the bandwagon for their own gain.

Shooting one of the 3SX guys a note about the issue would at lest have let them research and respond.

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I see what your saying because I am one of those people but for the most part keep my opinions to myself.
The problem is that 3sx probably wouldn't respond anyway.. (much like my sway bar thread) they may give an initial response back to the individual but I'm sorry to say I honestly feel like they would never make it right. People who have purchased these gears need to be aware there is potentially an issue.