Billman's TCT
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by pauln' timestamp='1455773755' post='23883925
I would do mine if he would ship to new Zealand !
PM him.
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 7,907
Likes: 3,436
From: Foothills East of Sacramento
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 15,526
Likes: 19
I just replaced my OEM TCT with a Billman TCT last weekend, and my only regret is not doing it sooner. I've had to replace my TCT more than once, so I knew there wasn't much to the job. However, the TCT fixes that I used in the past didn't really last that long, so I built up a tolerance to the noise. Of course, that may have contributed to my engine failure on the dyno 14 months ago (spun main bearing).
When the TCT on my "new" motor (from an '04 AP2) started making the TCT noise last month, I started looking for a better TCT replacement. It didn't take much reading to figure out that Billman's TCT was the best choice. The lifetime guarantee is nice, but more important are his improvements to the design. Billman's experience with so many aging S2000's has given him knowledge that nobody else has (including Honda), which thankfully resulted in him offering an improved TCT!
Here are some pictures.
Also, since I have an oil pressure sensor and a digital oscilloscope, I decided to capture the "noise" in the oil pressure before and after replacing the TCT. Basically, I used the oil pressure sending unit as a microphone. As you can see, there was a lot more "noise" (bouncy oil pressure) with the old TCT.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6o1wk3b0jw[/media]
When the TCT on my "new" motor (from an '04 AP2) started making the TCT noise last month, I started looking for a better TCT replacement. It didn't take much reading to figure out that Billman's TCT was the best choice. The lifetime guarantee is nice, but more important are his improvements to the design. Billman's experience with so many aging S2000's has given him knowledge that nobody else has (including Honda), which thankfully resulted in him offering an improved TCT!
Here are some pictures.
Also, since I have an oil pressure sensor and a digital oscilloscope, I decided to capture the "noise" in the oil pressure before and after replacing the TCT. Basically, I used the oil pressure sending unit as a microphone. As you can see, there was a lot more "noise" (bouncy oil pressure) with the old TCT.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6o1wk3b0jw[/media]
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 4,953
Likes: 25
From: 17 ft below sea level.
A big BIG plus to Gernby here.
Finally some images and data that show something.
The OEM TCT has a 3-step cylindrical part (where the o-rings are), IOW there are 3 diameters to measure.
The top with the o-ring groove, the middle with the oil inlet and the bottom with the o-ring groove, those have 3 different diameters.
Billman's TCT appears to have 2 and that makes sense.
The middle diameter, where the oil inlet is, is now the same as the top diameter, creating more space for the oil to flow into the TCT.
As I have mentioned more than once its about the oil flow INTO the TCT, not about the shape of the worm or any other design flaw in the TCT internals.
It's the combination of TCT, cylinder head and position of the oil outlet channel in the head that creates the TCT issues.
A small burr left behind at the end of the outlet channel after machining the TCT bore in the head is allready enough to create oil flow differences.
More room for oil to flow around and INTO the TCT will solve all of this.
The oil pressure data is very very nice!
Is shows on a screen what I've been saying: it's about the oil flow.
A resonance in the oil, creating pressure waves in the oil limits the oil flow into the TCT creating chain noise.
A standing wave could even stop the oil flow but I don't think that happens.
Another thing I saw: the cylindrical part is a bit longer what makes the piston stick out less out of the TCT housing when in operation.
That's not a bad idea, it creates more guide for the piston when timing chains wear and make the piston stick out more.
It won't hurt but IMO not absolutely necessary.
Finally some images and data that show something.
The OEM TCT has a 3-step cylindrical part (where the o-rings are), IOW there are 3 diameters to measure.
The top with the o-ring groove, the middle with the oil inlet and the bottom with the o-ring groove, those have 3 different diameters.
Billman's TCT appears to have 2 and that makes sense.
The middle diameter, where the oil inlet is, is now the same as the top diameter, creating more space for the oil to flow into the TCT.
As I have mentioned more than once its about the oil flow INTO the TCT, not about the shape of the worm or any other design flaw in the TCT internals.
It's the combination of TCT, cylinder head and position of the oil outlet channel in the head that creates the TCT issues.
A small burr left behind at the end of the outlet channel after machining the TCT bore in the head is allready enough to create oil flow differences.
More room for oil to flow around and INTO the TCT will solve all of this.
The oil pressure data is very very nice!
Is shows on a screen what I've been saying: it's about the oil flow.
A resonance in the oil, creating pressure waves in the oil limits the oil flow into the TCT creating chain noise.
A standing wave could even stop the oil flow but I don't think that happens.
Another thing I saw: the cylindrical part is a bit longer what makes the piston stick out less out of the TCT housing when in operation.
That's not a bad idea, it creates more guide for the piston when timing chains wear and make the piston stick out more.
It won't hurt but IMO not absolutely necessary.
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 22,386
Likes: 1,838
From: Long Island, New York
Thank You very much to Gernby for this review, and to all those who have contributed
Hi Spitfire, trying to follow your comment about the 2-step vs 3-step. All the comments you've made about my TCT, how it works, oil channel position in the head, oil flow and such are completely inaccurate. No one has to worry about burrs in the head, and my TCT is not machined to allow oil room for said burrs.
The middle diameter with the oil inlet of my TCT is unchanged aside from surface polishing. The stabilization in oil pressure is due to the anti-cavitation function, which is internal.
**There is no addition oil room added or space created around the TCT at all. What you are saying is machined is not, it is OEM diameter.
Gernby and anyone else running my TCT or getting one in the future can confirm.
I THINK I see what you are seeing. There appears to be a recess on Gernby's stock TCT (the portion between the O-rings), making it look like the factory TCT is 3-step and mine is 2-step. Maybe Gernby can wipe that part off to reveal, but the factory TCT is also 2 step, and that surface is not recessed. There are also plenty of OEM TCT pics around the site to confirm.
In other words, what you call the top portion (piston end of TCT) and the middle portion (portion in the middle with oil inlet) is the same size on my TCT and a stock TCT. They are also the same size diameter to each other (top and middle).
The OEM TCT has a 3-step cylindrical part (where the o-rings are), IOW there are 3 diameters to measure.
The top with the o-ring groove, the middle with the oil inlet and the bottom with the o-ring groove, those have 3 different diameters.
Billman's TCT appears to have 2 and that makes sense.
The middle diameter, where the oil inlet is, is now the same as the top diameter, creating more space for the oil to flow into the TCT.
**More room for oil to flow around and INTO the TCT will solve all of this.
The top with the o-ring groove, the middle with the oil inlet and the bottom with the o-ring groove, those have 3 different diameters.
Billman's TCT appears to have 2 and that makes sense.
The middle diameter, where the oil inlet is, is now the same as the top diameter, creating more space for the oil to flow into the TCT.
**More room for oil to flow around and INTO the TCT will solve all of this.
The middle diameter with the oil inlet of my TCT is unchanged aside from surface polishing. The stabilization in oil pressure is due to the anti-cavitation function, which is internal.
**There is no addition oil room added or space created around the TCT at all. What you are saying is machined is not, it is OEM diameter.
Gernby and anyone else running my TCT or getting one in the future can confirm.
I THINK I see what you are seeing. There appears to be a recess on Gernby's stock TCT (the portion between the O-rings), making it look like the factory TCT is 3-step and mine is 2-step. Maybe Gernby can wipe that part off to reveal, but the factory TCT is also 2 step, and that surface is not recessed. There are also plenty of OEM TCT pics around the site to confirm.
In other words, what you call the top portion (piston end of TCT) and the middle portion (portion in the middle with oil inlet) is the same size on my TCT and a stock TCT. They are also the same size diameter to each other (top and middle).