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Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHAnyone Using Chinese Cam Timing Tools? Good? Bad? Any info needed.
Reported or suspected cause
wrist pin tool
Reported cause
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Reported cause
Surprisingly of all the tools it was the wrist pin tool that worked best LOL.
Anyone Using Chinese Cam Timing Tools? Good? Bad? Any info needed.
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Leading evidence: 'wrist pin tool' (1 discussions report identifying this cause; no attributable repair resolution). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'wrist pin tool' (1 discussions; 1 report identifying it and 0 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Replace its status' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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I have a similar kit and its 4 sale used since i now have a gt3 motor.
Anyone Using Chinese Cam Timing Tools? Good? Bad? Any info needed.
Replace its status
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Suggestion
There is a reason why China is still classified as a 3rd world country with no near-term hope of changing its status.
Anyone Using Chinese Cam Timing Tools? Good? Bad? Any info needed.
Set doesn't make sense
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Suggestion
These tools are needed for those that DIY these engines in which case the rebuild shouldn't be 25k - for example 5k for the Nikasil process and 3-7k$ for the parts so paying 1k for a simple tool set doesn't make sense.
Anyone Using Chinese Cam Timing Tools? Good? Bad? Any info needed.
Set every one of my builders
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Suggestion
When these tools originally came out the cost was around 1,200.00 and I bought a set for every one of my builders, and for myself.
Anyone Using Chinese Cam Timing Tools? Good? Bad? Any info needed.
Set doesn't make sense
No successful repair reported for this finding.
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Discussions that contain suggestions
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Suggestion
These tools are needed for those that DIY these engines in which case the rebuild shouldn't be 25k - for example 5k for the Nikasil process and 3-7k$ for the parts so paying 1k for a simple tool set doesn't make sense.
Anyone Using Chinese Cam Timing Tools? Good? Bad? Any info needed.
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18 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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1 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Outcome without a verified action link
Surprisingly of all the tools it was the wrist pin tool that worked best LOL.
After seeing the high prices of the tools needed for camshaft timing, I went searching for alternatives and found the many Amazon and eBay versions which seem to be Chinese copies. Has anyone used these and had success or troubles with them? I'm specifically in need of the more complex set needed for the 5 chain engine.
I know there's a risk but just owning an M96 engine seems to be quite the risk. (Recent Boxster S owner learning all the tragedies of this engine....)
Many thanks for any info. The main concern I have is with the actual adjusting tool (9612 IIRC) since an error in tool dimensions could cause problems.
Pic of the set I'm referring to with 9612 in the lower left corner. Center wrist pin tools not needed for my work. Hopefully....
I've completed a rebuild with a Chinese knockoff kit like the above. Mine came in a red box but I'm not sure that matters. As far as everything "lining up" everything in my kit was fine. I ended up needing longer bolts for the cam bridges (top center) that hold the cams down because they are thicker than the official ones, apparently. (They are also not provided so you can save a step by buying about 10mm longer bolts than what is recommended in the manual.) Insofar as where the grooves for the cams are and where the holes for the bolts are - that was correct. The little lock tools to the right of the bridges, yellow-ish in color with the bolts going through them, I had to modify those bolts with a smaller size because the size they provided was too close in size to the bore at the end of the camshaft and they kept slipping out. Once I got the smaller diameter bolts they locked in much better. Again - everything lined up.
The tool you are asking about specifically - that tool was a solid C- in my opinion. I got the job done but I had to fiddle with the damn thing forever until I had a high degree of confidence that it would not pop out. This was the one tool in the whole kit I kept wishing I had an official version of, sadly. IT DID WORK... but barely.
Surprisingly of all the tools it was the wrist pin tool that worked best LOL. Greased it up and popped 6 in no sweat.
I have a similar kit and its 4 sale used since i now have a gt3 motor. The kit worked fine for my variocam pads. Ill also include an additional lock down tool for $100 plus the ride. Pm if interested. Would ship from 19810.
I work a lot with these cars and my rule of thumb now is to buy the good expensive tools. A set of these good tools is ... $400-$500 ish? what is that compared to a $25K engine build?
I agree - I'm in the process of getting that same "official" kit but I guess we would need a one single source of truth to get these globally with a reasonable price - that ~500eur/usd is ok from my perspective - for example Baum is out of equation since it ships only US - also their pricing is too high because on top of that we would need to pay VAT etc so that would bring the price to 1000 USD which is absurd. I would rather pay that "extra" for some quality parts and not some simple tool.
ps. These tools are needed for those that DIY these engines in which case the rebuild shouldn't be 25k - for example 5k for the Nikasil process and 3-7k$ for the parts so paying 1k for a simple tool set doesn't make sense.
Maybe LNEngineering should start developing all the tools that are needed for the rebuild process? (And setup a LNEngineering EU branch to cater EU customers - from price perspective Hartech is not an obvious option because of Brexit - the cost level is comparable to US LNEngineering - but this is another topic naturally
)
ps. I'm getting mine from Mecatechnic (France) for about 500eur - not sure how long the delivery will take.
The kit looks good to me. Did mine twice with homemade ones that were janky as hell and those worked just fine so I see no reason why this wouldn't either.
I have developed a whole line of tools for LN, called "Faultless tools". Many of these are available on the LN site.
The reason I never did cam tools, or others was because this cheap China junk keeps purchasers from spending money on a high quality USA developed and USA made tool. All the tools that I have developed for LN thus far were very special, and varied from anything else available. The China tools are just knockoffs of the Baum tools, that Baum worked hard to make better than the factory did. It's a shame that people support this stuff, but its all about what is cheap, not what is worth ba damn, or what supports USA companies dedicated to building quality items with American resources.
Got all of 'em.
In my case you can assume ignorance before you assume malice. I could not find an "original manufacturer" of the cam timing tools. Whenever I looked for a set this stupid chinese set was all I could find. Now that I know Baum is the supplier of the real deal I'll be barking up that tree. Thanks as always, Jake.
Just thinking but I personally would happily support innovative work instead of that China copycat junk. But if there are no alternatives ? - another thought is that maybe the fact that there are no practical solutions out of US (like in Europe for example) that's creating a market for China junk (because there are no alternatives) and that global demand creates a large enough market for those China companies to create these copycat products and that then hurts also US companies because China companies are able to saturate the global market with their products. If there was a viable reasonably (and I don't mean cheap) priced products readily available globally from US companies maybe then the incentive to create these copycat products would be less tempting. That in general - what comes to the cam tool I doubt nobody would like to spend >1000 USD for that cam tool. Companies maybe but not DIYers. That's forcing me for example to find another solution which I don't like.
Baum tools made these kits beginning just after the time that we started working with the M9X engines. Baum is a USA company that has high quality tools. These existed before the China sets, and the China sets are a knockoff of them right down to the blue box, and the layout of the tools inside the box. The current cost of the Baum kit is around 750.00, while the Chinese variants of this are less than 200.00, with some as cheap as 117.00 on eBay.
When these tools originally came out the cost was around 1,200.00 and I bought a set for every one of my builders, and for myself. Later, when I started holding my hands- on classes I outfitted the training facility with 3 more sets of these tools.
These Baum kits have come down in price over the years.
Today all of my builders are still using their original sets of tools that I gave them. If we ever need a wear based item Baum sends us one. In my classes guys have broken handles and etc, and Baum replaces it, or sells me one for just a few bucks to replace it.
All of the tools that are used to build FSI engines are either our own design (Faultless tools) or from Baum, or Steve Stomski, and all of these are USA made.
Lots of people are using the Chinese stuff, and I guess it works. I have no idea what their cam deviations are when the job is done.
Do you think businesses in the US and developed countries have learned their lesson in China? Funny things happen when there are no property rights nor a viable legal system to enforce them. There is a reason why China is still classified as a 3rd world country with no near-term hope of changing its status. But what do I know. I am just an American wondering why there is a problem with our supply chain.
No one cares. Cheap, cheap, cheap.. That's all everyone wants.
Right now the supply chain issues haven't impacted us, because we don't use the imported products from developing countries. I am 18 months ahead procuring parts for our engines, and that has proven effective to stay on schedule.. Meanwhile, most everyone else is missing dates left and right, some by over 6 months.
