Cylinder heads & flow bench discussion

Fantastic thread.
David Vizard was **** on a flow bench - he tested anything that flowed: ports, headers, air scoops, air cleaners, carbs, mufflers, catalytic converters, manifolds. He especially was not a promoter of large valves and ports.
Joe Mondello, one of the great Oldsmobile head porters without using a flowbench, began a new learning curve when he was convinced he needed one.
Smokey Yunick's flow device connected directly to a specially modified oil pan on a sealed engine. It was of his own design, as were several of his tools.
I too started fabrication of a flow bench, back in the early '90s, but got side tracked with other stuff. Yes, it is difficult (in some cases impossible) to simulate wet flow, pulsating flow, cool flow into very hot zones, effects of reversion, effects of exhaust blow-down BBDC @ various RPM, etc.. However, it can still be a valuable tool in engine development once it is properly understood.

The more mental and physical input you engage in on any aspect of this affliction (addiction? hobby?) the more you are in control of the outcome. And a bonus shows up in your older age - you end up with lots of interesting stories for the younger ones - that is, if you still have most of your marbles.

 

Joe Mondello, one of the great Oldsmobile head porters without using a flowbench, began a new learning curve when he was convinced he needed one.

Very interesting comment. I remember when i first got mine going I was almost sick. A lot of what i had learned and practiced previously turned out to be wrong. After a couple of weeks of feeling sorry for myself I ****ed it up and told myself. "You can't change the past but you can improve the future." I sacrificed a few good heads on the alter of learning . I kept some of them. One a BB Mopar has every intake port ported in a different manner . One port even welded on. I will keep that the rest of my days to remind me of what i learned from it. It was tough at first but paid huge divendends down the road. When we ran the Charger all 4150 pounds of it ,with driver and were turning 11.40s at 119 with flat tops and iron heads on pump gas I was glad i had spent the time. Spent a lot of time on the head for 4CT vintage stock car as well (Now Four America Stock car just recently sold from west Florida to Daytona area. )
It was a 250 Chev six. Also used it on the Nascar Returns Lemans Project practice car engine for Christophe Schwarze's attack on Road racing in Europe with Dodge Chargers..
The results speak for themselves. Without it I would have been flying blind. It is though as you have suggested a whole new learning curve. You have to learn to trust it and you have to be able to let your prejuduces go when you discover on the flow bench they were actually wrong. That is not easy. Put another way to use a flow bench successfully you need to be MORE curious than stubborn.
Don

 

DOLM.............11.40's @ 4150 wt...........that is really good. I am shooting for low 11's at 2400lbs. I have some work ahead of me.

 

That's what I would say too. Any details on the build or where you worked on the heads the most? My big B-body only weighs 3700. I would like to hit 12's at least, but like I said, I think my self-ported 452's are slowing me down.

 

Flow benches are a priceless tool for a cylinder head porter!!!!! I port NHRA super stock heads (very difficult because you have to maintain stock port volumes) and I have spent HOURS flowing 1 head! You try something and then you flow it, try something else and then you flow it again and again and again. Very little changes can make HUGE differences in flow. Not only looking at the flow numbers but listening to the port as it is being flowed is important. When a port goes turbulent you can hear it.

Von Dyck, Mondello did develop a Wet Flow Bench. It is an impressive piece to see in action.

 

I cannot wait to baseline my car with stock camel humps.........then switch the heads......

 

"Any details on the build?"
440 030 over L2355F pistons at .000 deck. 214/181 valves in 452 heads with comp 928 springs on stock 440 retainers. Cut down guides for positive valve seals and a bit more retainer to seal clearance at full lift. Racer brown STX 20 cam solid lifter. Crane cast adjustable rockers. Homebrew intake top on wiend SS bottom. (Ran 11.51 at 4250 (me driving I weigh #306 as opposed to my regular driver who weighs 200) with a severely Modified Team G carrying a reworked 850. Have that run on video . will post a link shortly. Steel crank, 7 Qt pan with windage tray Hi volume oil pump. As you can see nothing special just a lot of hard work and experimentation . Have run some 23 cams in these motors This is a real good one for a budget racer who wants to embarr*** the Hi $ guys. Ran 4:30 gear. 10.5 X 30 X 15 Mt Slicks with a Frank Lupo Dymanics 5100 Stall converter. (The real secret weapon. ) Car was an unlightend full interior with wipers etc 74 Dodge Charger. The build was published in Chrysler Power magazine in a series of articles and later became a book (Old Reliable) It is sold out now from its seventh and last printing. Last book shipped a week ago.
The biggest problem is sticking to the build. It seems too simple and basic and lots of folks who havent built it have lots to say. RE beng one of the worst. Those who have though have had good success and very similar to mine. i have built street versions of this engine too. Hp is in the mid 500s (race engine version) (550 to 560 range) at 6150 RPM. It is absolutley brutal. Best report was from the owner of Pacific Coast Trans. He said his ran 10.29 I believe in a 69 Dart with 3.91s. Someone must know him and could verify that as i am going from memory of a letter he sent me.
I did a virtual porting job with a mopar guy in sweden. I drew on his photos where and how to grind. I might still have them somewhere on this computer if that would help.
Marty Algrim from Pamona ran the Old Reliable build in his blue Challenger in Street cl***. He was well in the 11s first p*** and I believe was one of the first if not the first to actually stepout and build it.
Marc Merril in Portland Maine (Autohaus) built one for the Doc (DR Bruce ???)in the wheelchair (70 GTX) Marc said it was brutal. I will never forget when he phoned here and said "listen to this Don , your child has been reborn" and fired the Docs up that he had just built from the articles. It did too sound eactly the same as mine.
Don
Here is the old video.
http://www.dropshots.com/Dolmetsch#date/2009-01-06/17:55:57
The camaro in the far lane is a G***er (about 3 /5ths the weight with a BIG motor and was running in the 9s. Good racer Dave Benn (Former Gentle Benn race car owner) from Luskville Drag strip. PQ

 

That sounds similar to my build, which is making me think even more that my lack of power is in the heads. And, although it would probably be fun, I don't know that I can run that 5,100 torque converter on the street. Do you know the specs on the Racer Brown cam? I would be interested in the virtual porting photos is you get around to finding them.

 

I really really hesitate to give the specs for the cam. The reason is the people often take Racer Brown specs and find something that looks similar spec wise. Racers cams are fast ramped and make huge power in Mopars. Cams of equivalent numbers can be down as much as 70 Hp over this cam. However just for you .540" @ 268 @050" 108 LC
Too much lift (over .540") reduces flow huge in iron head engines. Dan Dvorak told me he would be even harder than me and say over .530"
It is hard to get a cam with enough duration without too much lift. Racer b makes them . Not many others . I run a 3800 Lupo on the street. It is not noticable unless you ask it to stall . Then it will give the whole 3800 and launch like a bullet but the 5100 was so hard a launch (as you can see) i had one drver who had to give up driving it because of neck problems. It ran 1.52 short times in this car. I would phone Frank (or Sean) tell them your predicament and do what every they suggest. I have been told by folks all over the world that if you say Don sent you from the Old Reliable book it saves you money with them. Might stilll be so. I dont know. I have learned over the years that whatever Frank or Sean say ist in stein geschnitten. (Carved in Stone) They really know their business.
Don

 

This afternoon I will search for those virtual porting pictures. I will attach them to this note.
Don
I only have one pic left and it is here on my website. No wonder i couldnt find it!
http://seniordragster.bravehost.com/PORT.html

 

Hi
Just about finished my homemade flowbench. It uses 4 vacuum cleaner motors and own design box. Mixing bowl air bleed valves ( from the old magazine article ) and single oriface metering plates. Just need to get metering and calibration plates flowed now. I'm planning on using this in the work I am doing on a flathead, plan is to pipe to block using large hose sealed into bottom of individual bores . Pulls 28 inchs of water with a 40mm calibration plate.
Grant