Franklin Cam Services has been operating under its current owner, Adrian Healy, since 1997, however his tenure with the business has been longer than that, having managed it for 10 years prior.
The company specialises in the repair and modification of camshafts, and has developed a formidable reputation for the excellence of the service it provides. The core business is in servicing the automotive trade and in particular the engine reconditioning sector. A large market has however developed in recent years with the advent of the importation of a large number of used cars from Japan. High performance cars are now able to be purchased at a very reasonable price, by a predominantly youth market, which is prepared to spend a considerable amount of money on improving the performance of it’s cars. Those with a lesser budget are finding that the older Japanese cars are very reliable and also able to be “hotted up” very successfully. Much of the work on these cars is being done by the owners and as a consequence a large retail market in repairing and modifying camshafts has developed.
The essential ingredient of a high performance motor is to get the fuel into the motor efficiently, and to get the exhaust gases out quickly after it has been exploded in the combustion chamber.
This is the task of the camshaft as it operates the inlet and outlet valves. To rev higher, a motor needs to expel the gases quickly so that it does not “suffocate” itself. Franklin Cam Services are experts in profiling camshafts to gain optimum performance. Franklin Cams provides the restricted cams for the HQ Holden series, while supporting a wide range of motor sport competitors. One of Adrian’s lads, Jason, is an enthusiastic motorcycle racer and as a consequence is an expert on motorcycle camshafts. He also does a lot of work on camshafts for the TQ midgets that race at the speedway. Such is the strength in the performance market that it accounts for 60% of the work at Franklin Cam Services and is growing.
At present there is an epidemic of camshaft failures in Nissan SR20 motors. The motor itself is a superb unit that produces considerable power but it does suffer from clogging of the lubrication system that supplies oil to the camshaft. The result is that the oil does not get to the camshaft and lobes get knocked off. One man is kept fully occupied at Franklin Cam Services building up the lobes so that they can be ground back to the correct profile. Prior to that, Mitsubishi Pajero camshafts provided a steady flow of revenue.
Three years ago the company acquired some unique welding equipment that uses hydrogen converted from water. The flame burns at a very high temperature, which melts both the base metal and the metal being applied to the camshaft so that they combine to form an extremely strong bond. It is believed that Franklin Cam Services is the only company in the world using this process.
This specialist equipment not only produces an excellent end result, but it also halves the time required to complete the job and operates at a fraction of the cost of a conventional welding system. This process, combined with the computer measuring software that provides up to date information on the cams to be worked on and provides an overlay to show the desired profile, allows Franklin Cam Services to provide a superior quality of workmanship.
Franklin Cam Services work on all sorts of camshafts. They have even repaired camshafts from the RNZN’s frigate Te Mana! Work on camshafts for vintage motors often takes a lot of research, to find out information such as the direction the engine turns, the followers used, the rpm the motor will run to and the type of prings used, before the process can be started.
Not content to limit themselves to repairing and modifying camshafts, Franklin Cam Services also prides itself in having the ability to create new products. A recent landmark development, done in conjunction with Hans Verbiesen who is a tutor of engineering at Uuitec. Hans designed a roller camshaft for the type 4 VW motor, which is popular with off-road competitors and at the speedway, and Franklin Cam Services manufacture it. Such a camshaft was considered impossible to build, despite many attempts in the USA, a testament to kiwi innovation.
Such is the reputation of Franklin Cam Services that top motor sport competitors, such as the late Possum Bourne, uses its camshafts, and the demand is international with camshafts being sent to customers in automotive strongholds such as Japan and Detroit.
Franklin Cam Services has become so busy that it has outgrown its current premises and needs to make a decision about larger premises. Can’t be all bad can it?
If you need work done on a camshaft or you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us or simply fill out an order form
With the experience of more than 25 years in the Cam Shaft industry, We are sure to bring you the best results in New Zealand.
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