01-12-2007, 08:26 AM
HAULN-SS Wrote:So - this might be off topic, but there arent any engines that have electronic actuators that move the valves back and forth instead of cams are there?
No.
Not yet. The first place we'll probably see it is in road tractors. BMW has been working with Valeo, Ricardo, and Lotus...but so far we haven't seen any real-car applications. The biggest hurdles are, obviously, the computer control, but also being able to set the valve gently back in its seat. Electronic solenoids aren't known for their fine control, and alot of them are either "on" or "off" which wears a valve pretty quick.
My guess is we'll see it on the road by 2010. The downside, of course, is that everything will be computer controlled. The throttle plate will be eliminated altogether, so the only control you'll have over the engine is nicely asking the computer for some more power, please.
On the other hand, once people figure out the mapping software, you might see some extraordinary power gains from chips.
1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442