Camshaft assembly and method of making same

Abstract

A lightweight composite tubular camshaft having an array of cams positioned therealong and method of making same wherein an array of blind predrilled holes into an outer surface of a hollow camshaft tube keyway. Each cam has a keyway groove opening to one side of, and to the inner surface of, a cam through-bore preformed for mounting close fitting on the tube at a preselected tube hole cam location to provide a desired angular orientation timing of the cams upon assembly on the tube. One end of a timing pin key is inserted in each blind hole and the opposite pin end protrudes therefrom. Each cam is slid into its axial location with its groove engaging the pin protruding end to locate the cam in its desired angular orientation. The cams are then permanently locked in position by permanent deformation expansion of the tube into interference engagement with the respective cams. Preferably, both the tube and cam keyways as well as key pin are cylindrical, and the key is a hollow resilient sheet metal split sleeve. The key pin sleeve is circumferentially compressed to fit one end of the key pin in the camshaft tube keyway hole and is self-retaining therein.