No life (a.k.a. DattoMaster)
Joined: 2003/6/27 14:53
From Southern Tablelands N.S.W. Australia
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Well, i must say thank you to those who have added their own thoughts to this debate, but more importantly, i will offer an apology to L10_B110 if you feel that i have decended to a level of personal attack. It was not intended.
I was thinking only this morning that this was good as i'm sure we all enjoy a good "robust debate" as long as we don't decend to the level of abuse & name calling, but you gotta admit, anyone who asks if they can modify a crank with an angle grinder has got to be a bit suss.. I, like you, can quite happily become very passionate about some subjects, but i don't wish to make outright enemies over it.
OK, to clarify,... I am well aware of just about all the points raised,[yeah, i know, i'm a tease] as i ran my own engine development sideline business when i lived in Sydney. It was known as MoPower Engines & i specialised in street legal, improved performance small block Chryslers, although the odd Big Block & Polysphere came through. I worked in conjunction with Riverstone Engine Reconditioning when it was part owned by a friend who was trying to develop an air cooled V8 made from an assortment of parts, including a '52 Ford 8BA crankcase. He was bored some days & was doing this just to see if it could be done. It was well advanced & mostly assembled when the business was sold due to the severe ill health of a partner & the project was junked. They were imaginative, resourcefull, & great people to work with.
It was Riverstone that did all of the machining on the first version of my 1200GX engine, including the flywheel work & rod little-end boring too. I did all the assembly work in my airconditioned & filtered assembly shop. Does that make me an "engine builder?" I'll leave that to you.
I had a lot of research & reference material on all of this stuff, I probably still do, but it's been packed away for years. I also learned many years ago about the point where maximum piston speed is reached too, & why it is so,... so now you know of someone who will support you on this point.
Many of the points raised are particularly valid in a maximum performance engine, but in something that runs at more liveable rev limits, these limits of efficiency are normally never reached, & are therefore, as i said, somewhat moot. In this particular application, it's all a bit of a yawn really. The existing Datsun 1200 /1434cc engine that we have here has, as i said, performed adequately, & well, for a year or more, [so far,] & is being flogged just about every day.
However,...... if i was on a tight budget, then swapping a used A14 into my chassis is cheaper, & if i was looking for a cost-no-object, balls-to-the-wall 1400cc engine, then the A14 is definately the way to go. But neither of these things apply, & my little experiment will fill MY criteria quite nicely. It even has novelty value at a barbeque, & now, it would seem, has become a pivot for a good old debate on engine design. I love it.
Oh yeah, we knew that the static compression ratio was somewhere between 9 to 1 & 10 to 1, which was in the zone for me. Feral was kind enough to accurately calculate it for us. It's very close to 9.5 to 1. Not too far off for the finger-counting maths we did. It's all good
I accept that the points that you have raised are most valid, however, i also feel that you have missed the very point that some others have picked up on in the last few posts. [bless their little molly lubricated hearts] It's not for racing,... it's for fun. Why?... Because i can.
D I had a chuckle when i read your post as you must be reading my mind. The GX head now has larger valves, but the ports are mostly unmodified. They're big enough for street duty.[Thanks Feral] I have a Bosch electronic distributor for it [Thanks Feral] I have Iridium plugs that are indexed [Thanks Feral] I have an adjustable cam sprocket so as to help optimise engine efficiency. It's a tuning aid. [Thanks Feral] I have roller rockers Not for ultra high rpm, but for a little more valve lift with the relatively modest cam timing that i plan. It's the extra "cam" you have when you don't have much cam. Two custom harmonic balancers are currently in use here, but mine will have a standard pulley size. I will run factory [based] EFI if i can get one at an affordable price.
It's all good fun.
Posted on: 2005/4/7 12:37
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