DOLOMITE SPRINT VERNIER CAM SPROCKETS

[SPRINTPARTS]

The SPRINTPARTS Sprint Vernier Cam Sprockets have been unavailable from us for some time and because the manufacturer requires a minimum order quantity well beyond our current annual sales volume we have been reluctant to tie up considerable dollars to just have them sit on the shelf.

However over recent days we have had multiple enquiries for the sprocket and we are trying gauge the current interest to determine whether we will commit to another batch.

If we were to have another batch of sprockets made is there ant TDC forum members likely to purchase a sprocket or (sprockets) in the next six months? Anticipated price is around A$300, but the more we make the better the price will be.

If you have a competition car or a car with a cylinder head that is thin from machining then you need a vernier sprocket to maintain cam timing, so why not buy one and put it on the shelf ready for the next rebuild.

Please post your interest on here.

Cheers
Philip Larmour

[xvivalve]

I have a Sprintparts vernier and can vouch for a quality product.

To save everyone looking it up, $300 translates to about £165 currently, plus carriage and any tax implications....though mine came back in a friend's luggage following a trip to Oz

[Jon Tilson]

Given the high costs of manufacturing labour down under I would have thought we should maybe consider getting them made up here
and send them to Oz when needed.

When I bought mine about 25 years ago it was available from Moss and cost about 30 quid...

We surely have a supplier up here who could do better than 165?

Does it fit anything else? It cant be the only car in the world with a sprocket that size.

Jonners

[tony g]

I am in the process of getting some made hence my request for a stock cam sprocket recently.

Tony

[lazeruspete]

considering the recent upturn in people building dolly engined track/race cars i know two people who would be interested in a set.

[Dolly racer 33]

I usually have them in stock. Why make your own or order from overseas. Mine are race proven over more than 25 years.

[tony g]

I usually have them in stock. Why make your own or order from overseas. Mine are race proven over more than 25 years.

Cost is the main reason I suspect that not many have them. Its not rocket science and not many bargains to be had in the sprint world I have recently found out. Performance engines are always more expensive of course but fitting and dialling in a cam with a vernier sprocket is easy and even stock engines that have been decked and skimmed will benefit from a properly dialled in cam (if even stock parts).

Not a hit at you here Ken but this forum lacks a "how to" section and a lot searching is needed to come to any conclusion of whats the correct way to do things on sprint engines.
I hope this makes sense and doesnt come across as a rant.

Tony

[Robert 352]

I think the question that Philip was asking was "is there a demand for a sufficient quantity to be made" for if you read what he was saying is that the price is likely to drop if the quantity was sufficient.

I would not have thought that the costs of manufacturing in Australia would be all that much different to those in the UK.

He has not stated what that quantity might be and I imagine that if the price was low enough then you folk in the UK might find that the export price from Australia plus the cost of the postage - and that is assuming that no VAT would be levied at your border - would be as cheap as anything you might get made in the UK.

Perhaps your tax laws are different but we here can import goods up to a certain value without having to pay GST, your equivalent of VAT. The VAT you folk normally pay, which we do not when we purchase from a registered VAT supplier, almost covers the cost of the freight from the UK to this part of the world.

Support Sprintparts if you can for they are our closest source of parts in this part of the world and in my experience do offer an excellent service.

How many on the Forum have Sprints? Would perhaps 10 or 20% of those Forum members be interested a vernier cam sprocket - at some fairly competitive price?

I certainly would.

Robert

[Neil907]

I will be in need of one from somewhere but not likely to be in a position to buy for at least 6 months to a year

[Henk]

Realizing that the last reply on this thread was nearly a year ago, I came to the conclusion that there's no progress on this subject.
I'd like a vernier for my 1850, so a even rarer species (single chain). Anyone has one available for me or anyone with an update on this subject?

[tony g]

What I did recently on my sprint build was use a degree wheel on the crank and a dti on the cam bucket to determine where full lift occurred. This then showed me the cam was retarded by 15° (of crankshaft degrees). I took the sprocket to my machine guy and told him to make 2 new holes at 90° to the old ones then advance the holes by 7.5° (half the crank degrees). Timing perfect and original marks line up

Tony

[lazeruspete]

Ingenious Tony!

[Henk]

Yep good plan Tony. And by far the cheapest solution. I thought it would be nice to be able to correct some stretch in the chain when the new was is installed.

[gmsclassics]

In May 2013 I ordered a new Kent S43 vernier sprocket from the UK for my Sprint. Cost was UKP102 plus VAT. I don't know whether they are still available or what minimum Kent would need in order to make any more.

Setting up a vernier sprocket accurately is one of the jobs I hate most of anything I ever do on a Sprint. I reckon it takes 6 hours to do properly. I think the full range of cam timings I have ever seen is only 102-108 so no point doing unless you get it absolutely right, and everything else on the engine must be spot on too.

I did consider modifying an existing sprocket as Tony describes above - you could do as series of holes representing 102, 104 and 108 as well as the standard 106 (I think).

While necessary on a race engine (STR139 timing is 102) I would question if you would ever tell the difference fitting with a fast road type cam.

Geoff

[Jon Tilson]

Yes you do....well compared with a std cam setting anyway.

Mine is set at 106 ATDC as per the book figure for the cam. Fitting the vernier pulley and timing it up with a dial gauge made the biggest single difference in performance I have ever encountered....

Jonners