When it comes to timing sets for your engine, you can spend as much or as little as you want. You can purchase individual components, or a kit that includes everything you need for an all-new timing system. The team at Engine Pro knows this, because they manufacture a range of precision timing components ranging from basic stock replacements, to upgraded high-performance adjustable units.

Looking at the spectrum of features available in a timing set, let’s first look at what the timing set’s job is. At the most basic level, its job is to keep the camshaft and crankshaft in sync with one another. This can be accomplished through the use of a simple cast cam gear, along with a cast crank gear with half the tooth count, and a simple timing chain. For most stock or stock-ish rebuilds, that’s all you need. But, once you start upgrading there are three main point of improvement.

The first point of improvement is the adjustability of the components. Really, you only need adjustability in your timing set if you plan on fiddling with your camshaft’s timing, looking for every last horsepower from your combination. While the basic timing sets will have two dots to line up, to get your cam installed where it needs to be in relation to the crank, there is usually improvements to be had in adjusting the camshaft. That is usually accomplished through a multi-keyway crank sprocket. Simply choose from the available options and slide the crank gear on, lining up that setting’s particular keyway with the Woodruff key in the crank. For further fine-tuning, there are also adjustable cam sprockets available.

Here, you can see some of the features of performance timing sets. This is a steel double-roller cam sprocket, with a nine-way adjustable crankshaft sprocket, and offset bushings for the cam sprocket, allowing for even more adjustability.

The second point of improvement is in the materials of the sprockets. While most cam and crankshaft gears are made from cast iron, there are a multitude of materials and methods available as upgrades, all the way up to completely billet-steel sprockets. While your average rebuild — even a high-performance one — won’t need that level of strength in a gearset, it is an available option.

The third point of improvement is the chain. While the stock timing chain is perfectly acceptable in a stock rebuild, there are plenty upgrades available besides additional strength through improved materials, there are chains with larger rollers in the links — up to .250-inch in diameter — and of course, the option of doubling the number of links in the system with a double-roller setup.

As Alan Stevenson explains in the video, things are rapidly advancing in the world of timing sets, and the team at Engine Pro are working hard to not only stay on top of the advancements in the market, but actually be ahead of the curve.