Finally figured it out!! Prototype underway!!

Matt,

I have designed animatronics and I can tell you that patenting anything that is basic mechanical design is not easy. Your best bet is to first do extensive searchs for existing patents that might relate to your idea. By your revealing that it is timing based we all are going to assume it is not spark timing related. So that leaves cam timing and we all know the sophistication that exists in modern engines. So if your idea is to provide variable valve timing for our good old pushrod motors then that could be interesting. But be careful to examine all existing patents on variable valve timing, because they might already cover your idea.