Abstract: A partial assembly process for a vane-type cam phaser. A pulley/sprocket is loaded onto a first camshaft-shaped fixture with a cam nose extending beyond the length of an actual cam nose such that a phaser rotor containing a locking bolt, when mounted onto the cam nose, is displaced axially from the pulley/sprocket by an amount sufficient to set the axial engagement of the bolt upon final assembly. A stator is loaded onto the pulley/sprocket and is rotated clockwise until it contacts the rotor, thereby removing all rotational and radial lash from the system. One or more axial holes are bored through the pulley/sprocket and stator and a locking pin such as a roll pin is inserted to permanently pin the stator to the pulley/sprocket.

Abstract: An improved method for manufacturing diesters of polytetramethylene ethers involving the polymerization of tetrahydrofuran (THF) optionally with one or more comonomers (e.g., 3-methyl THF, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, or the like) utilizing a solid acid catalyst (e.g., Nafion.RTM.) and a carboxylic acid with carboxylic acid anhydride (e.g., acetic acid with acetic anhydride) as molecular weight control agents wherein setting the pressure of the reactor while simultaneously achieving removal of the heat of reaction by operating under solvent/monomer evaporative reaction conditions effectively controls the reaction temperature. Such a process is useful in producing high purity commercial grade PTMEA that advantageously avoids problems caused by the high heat of reaction when such a process is scaled up to commercial level.