HorsePower Builds
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Join the PowerNation Email NewsletterParts Used In This Episode
Airaid
Air Intake, SynthaMax MXP Series, Red Filter, Black Carbon Fiber Tube, Chevy, 6.2L, Kit
Design Engineering, Inc. (DEI)
Exhaust and Header Wrap, Fiberglass Composite, Black, 2 in. Wide x 50 ft., Each
Dupli-Color
Paint, High-Temperature, Engine, Enamel, Satin, General Motors Black, 11 oz., Aerosol Spray Can, Each
Dupli-Color
VHT, Paint, Flameproof Primer, High-Temperature, Flat Gray, 11 oz., Aerosol Spray Can, Each
Summit Racing
Header Flanges, Steel, 3/8 in. Thick, 1.84 in. x 1.54 in. Oval Port, Chevy, Small Block, Pair
Summit Racing
Header Weld-Up Kit, Long Tube, Steel, Aluminized, 1 3/4 in. Tubes, 3 in. Collectors, Chevy Small Block, Kit
Daytona Sensors LLC
WEGO III Wide-band Exhaust Gas Oxygen Sensor System with Methanol Calibration (includes WEGO III unit with 96" extended length harness, Bosch LSU 4.2 oxygen sensor, 18 x 1.5 mm weld nut for exhaust pipe, and software on CD)
RockAuto.com
Dorman Air Filter Housing 258-519
SuperFlow
Superflow SF-750 Flowbench
SuperFlow
Superflow SF-Powermark Engine Dynamometer
The Industrial Depot
Industrial Depot - Fasteners, Hardware, and Shop Supplies
Episode Transcript
(ANNOUNCER)>> ON TODAY'S
HORSEPOWER, DISCOVER HOW TO FREE UP HORSEPOWER ON THE
CHEAP WITH A SET OF HOME MADE EXHAUST HEADERS. PLUS THE SHOP GETS A HIGH
TECH ENGINE TESTING UPGRADE WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY
FROM SUPER FLOW.
(JOHN)>> A GOOD LOOKING SET OF HEADERS UNDER THE HOOD IS HARD TO BEAT. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, A NICE HIGH END SET OF HEADERS, ESPECIALLY ONES THAT HAVE BEEN COATED, THEY COST YOU ANYWHERE FROM $350 TO $550 DOLLARS. MOST OF THE TIME THEY STILL NEED A LITTLE BIT OF PERSUASION TO FIT. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT PUTTING HAMMER DENTS IN A BRAND NEW SET OF COATED HEADERS, WELL THAT'S KIND OF MY LEAST FAVORITE THING TO DO. SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA BUILD OUR OWN HEADERS, DO OUR OWN HEAT COATINGS OUR SELF, AND SAVE A BOAT LOAD OF CASH. AND PLUS IT'S THE PERFECT STARTING POINT IN CASE WE'VE GOT TO DO ANY CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS. NOW IT'S A UNIVERSAL WELD UP HEADER KIT FROM SUMMIT RACING. IT COMES WITH EIGHT ALUMINIZED STEEL PRIMARY
TUBES, TWO COLLECTORS, AS WELL AS A GOOD OLE SET OF INSTRUCTIONS. THE FIRST STEP IS GOING TO BE TO MOUNT THE FLANGE, WHICH YOU GET SEPARATELY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT PATTERNS IN THE CYLINDER HEADS. NOW IF YOU'RE DOING THIS IN THE ENGINE BAY, START WITH THE ONE MOST LIKELY NEEDING CLEARANCE, AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE GOING TO EXIT AT THE ANGLE THAT YOU WANT.
THIS 350 HAS OVAL SHAPED PORTS, NOT ROUND LIKE OUR TUBES. SO I'LL MARK THE SIDES FOR THIS, SOME SLOW AND CAUTIOUS PRESSURE TO FORCE THE TOP AND BOTTOM OUTWARD FOR A CLOSER MATCH. THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO GO FROM HERE. I'M SIMPLY GONNA SHOW YOU HOW I DO IT. CUT FOUR SHORT RELIEF SLOTS MAKING SMALL TABS CLOSE TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM. NOW WE CAN BEND THE NEW OVAL INWARD ALL AROUND. THIS ALLOWS US TO INSERT THE TUBE SLIGHTLY AND EVENLY TO THE FLANGE OPENING.
REPOSITION THE TUBE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. JUST TACK IT IN PLACE FOR NOW. NOW I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE SEVEN MORE TO GO. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THOUGH THAT YOU ALIGN THE ENDS AND THE PATTERN OF THE COLLECTOR. WE'RE EXITING PARALLEL TO THE FLOOR FOR THE DYNO, WHICH MAKES THE NUMBER EIGHT TUBE INTERFERE SLIGHTLY.
AND I HAVE NO PROBLEMS USING A BFH BEFORE WE COAT THEM. NOW PULL ALL THE ENDS TOGETHER, CUT THEM OFF EVENLY.
CREATE A PLUG FOR THE GAP IN THE CENTER AND FILL IT IN. GENTLY FIT THE COLLECTORS AND TACK IT ON. BACK ON THE BENCH I'LL HAMMER THE LIPS BACK AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE FLANGE. THEN STITCH WELD THEM TOGETHER FROM THE INSIDE. NOW THE FUMES FROM WELDING ALUMINIZED STEEL ARE
NASTY AND VERY TOXIC. YOU MUST HAVE PROPER VENTILATION. WHEN YOU'RE SURE THE TUBES ARE AIR TIGHT, SMOOTH THE WELDS OUT FOR BETTER AIR FLOW. WELD THE OUTSIDE WHEREVER IT WON'T INTERFERE WITH THE MOUNTING BOLTS AND SEAL UP THE COLLECTORS. NOW TO KEEP OUR BUDGET WE'RE GONNA COAT OUR HEADERS
OURSELVES, AND WE'LL START WITH SOME VHT HEADER PRIMER. THEN WE'LL COAT IT WITH OUR VHT BLACK CERAMIC COATING,
GOING OVER IT LIGHTLY EVERY 10 MINUTES.
THIS WILL HANDLE UP TO 2,000 DEGREES OF ABUSE. NOW YOU'LL NEED TO BAKE THE HEADERS TO REALLY
CURE THESE COATINGS. JUST WHEN YOU PUT THEM IN THE CAR, RUN THE MOTOR FOR A COUPLE OF HEAT CYCLES, LET THE ENGINE BAKE
THE COATINGS FOR YOU. AND WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS WRAP THEM WITH SOME DEI HEADER WRAP. NOW THIS WILL KEEP THE HEAT OUT OF THE ENGINE BAY AND
THE COOLER AIR WILL HELP MAKE MORE HORSEPOWER. PLUS IT'LL HELP HIDE ANY UGLY SPOTS LIKE THAT NASTY
HAMMER MOD I MADE EARLIER, OR ANY SCREW UPS YOU MIGHT WANT TO HIDE.
NOW THERE'S NOT A THING WRONG WITH THESE. FOR $225 BUCKS, I LIKE THEM EVEN BETTER. NOW I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY BUILT A SET OF HEADERS BEFORE, SO IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO IF YOU'RE WILLING TO TRY.
(MIKE)>> THE THING SOUNDS PRETTY MEAN.
(JOHN)>> IT'S GOT A LITTLE RUMBLE TO IT.
(MIKE)>> YOU GOOD?
(JOHN)>> I'M READY.
(JOE)>> IF YOU'RE A FAN OF HORSEPOWER, YOU'VE BEEN
WATCHING US UP THE ANTE ON PROJECT ENGINES WE BUILD HERE.
(MIKE)>> 389, 401 BABY!
(JOE)>> FROM SMALL BLOCK TURBO POWER PLANTS, BLOWN
HEMIS, DURAMAX, EVEN ENGINES WITH POWER ADDERS LIKE NITROUS AND WATER METHANOL INJECTION. ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR HAS BEEN MEASURING ALL THE POWER AND TORQUE ACCURATELY IN OUR ENGINE DYNO CELL. WE'VE EVEN USED IT TO TEST RATE SPECIFIC FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS. WELL THIS DAY IN THE HORSEPOWER SHOP IS ALL ABOUT UPGRADING OUR ENGINE TESTING CAPABILITIES. LIKE WITH A SUPER FLOW FLOW BENCH WE CAN USE TO TEST AND MEASURE CYLINDER HEADS AND INTAKE MANIFOLDS. BUT THE BIGGEST UPGRADE IS CONVERTING OUR DTS WITH SUPER FLOW'S LATEST STATE OF THE ART SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE TO GIVE US EVEN MORE PRECISE DATE.
(MIKE)>> OUR SUPER FLOW PACKAGE ALSO INCLUDED MIKE
GILES AND BRETT WILLIAMSON, WHO'S BEEN INSTALLING THESE UNITS FOR YEARS, AND WILL GUIDE US THROUGH THE UPGRADE OF OUR DTS.
(MIKE G.)>> DTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN FOR A BULLETPROOF MECHANICAL SYSTEM. THEIR DYNO NEVER BRAKES, AND SUPER FLOW'S ALWAYS
BEEN KNOWN FOR TOP OF THE LINE ELECTRONICS. SO WHEN WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MERGE IS WAS REALLY A PERFECT MARRIAGE. WITH THE NEW WIND NINE CONVERSION SYSTEM FOR YOUR POWER MARK YOU ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF NEW FEATURES. 139 CHANNELS OF DATA ACQUISITION SO YOU CAN INTEGRATE MORE SENSORS, A NEW CONTROL CONSOLE. YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEMS SOONER, YOU'RE
GONNA BE ABLE TO FIND MORE POWER IN YOUR ENGINES. IT'S GOING TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE DYNO BETTER.
(MIKE)>> YOU ALL KNOW WHAT A DYNO DOES, BUT HERE'S A QUICK CLIP OF EXACTLY HOW IT WORKS. THE TWISTING AN ENGINE MAKES IS CALLED TORQUE, AND TO MEASURE ACCURATELY A DYNAMOMETER ACTS LIKE A GIANT WATER BRAKE. NOW THE ENGINE'S CRANK SHAFT GETS CONNECTED TO THE DYNO'S IMPELLER HOUSING.
WATER INSIDE THE HOUSING CREATES RESISTANCE, MAKING IT HARD TO TURN THE CRANK SHAFT. NOW THIS HEATS UP THE WATER AND PUTS A SERIOUS LOAD ON THE IMPELLER HOUSING AS IT LITERALLY TRIES TO ROTATE OFF OF THE DYNO'S FRAME. NOW A FORCE TRANSDUCER BOLTED BETWEEN THE HOUSING
AND THE FRAME MEASURES THE ROTATIONAL STRAIN, WHICH THE COMPUTER TRANSLATES INTO TORQUE AND HORSEPOWER. NOW THE HOT WATER GETS PUMPED BACK TO THE MAIN STORAGE TANK FOR REUSE. WHILE MOST OF THE DYNO'S WATER IS USED TO ABSORB TORQUE, SOME OF IT REGULATES ENGINE TEMPERATURE. NOW ALL OF THIS MAKES FOR AN ACCURATE, EFFICIENT, AND CONSISTENT DYNO TEST SYSTEM. AND THE CONVERSION WILL TAKE PLACE IN OUR EXISTING INDUSTRIAL NOISE CONTROL DYNO CELL.
(JOE)>> THE TEST CELL REDUCES ENGINE NOISE UP TO 40 DECIBELS. IT ALSO HAS A ROOF PLENUM WITH A POWERFUL FAN THAT
DRAWS IN FRESH AIR AND EVACUATES HEAT AND EXHAUST GAS THROUGH A SILENCED EXHAUST STACK. IT'S A HIGH FLOW VENTILATIONS SYSTEM THAT
EXCHANGES ALL OF THE AIR IN THE ROOM EVERY SIX SECONDS.
(MIKE)>> THE DTS DATA ACQUISITION BOX HAS 50 CHANNELS TO MONITOR THE ENGINE. IT'S THE FIRST THING TO BE REMOVED IN THE CELL. NEXT THE BOOM WILL BE REPLACED WITH ONE FOUR INCHES TALLER. THIS WILL ALLOW THE NEW SUPER FLOW DATA BOX TO FIT ABOVE THE DYNO CHASSIS. THE HORIZONTAL BOOM THAT HOUSES THE WATER HOSE WILL BE SWAPPED TOO, AND THE NEW SETUP USES A MANUAL THROTTLE, NOT AN ACTUATOR TYPE LIKE BEFORE. UP NEXT IS THE BRAIN OF THE SYSTEM. THE NEW DATA ACQUISITION BOX THAT TRANSFERS ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE ENGINE TO THE CONSOLE MONITORS. NOW WE HAVE A NEW ONE PIECE CONSOLE TABLE GOING INTO PLACE THAT HOLDS THE NEW MECHANICAL THROTTLE, THE CONSOLE, TOUCH SCREEN, AND TWO 22 INCH MONITORS TO VIEW ALL THE DATA IN REAL TIME. WITH ALL THAT IN PLACE WE'RE READY TO RUN CABLES AND START MAKING CONNECTIONS TO THE NEW COMPONENTS. THIS WATER VALVE HAS BEEN USED FOR SEVEN YEARS WITHOUT A FAILURE.
TO INSURE WE GET ANOTHER SEVEN OUT OF IT MIKE IS GOING TO REPLACE THE GASKETS AND SEALS. NOW THIS IS WHAT CONTROLS THE AMOUNT OF WATER SUPPLIED TO THE BREAK, WHICH ADJUST THE AMOUNT OF LOAD ON THE ENGINE. THE VALVES CAN GO BACK ON THE DYNO NOW ALONG WITH NEW SERVO MOTORS TO CONTROL THEM.
(BRETT)>> SO WE'RE CHANGING OUT THE SPEED SENSOR. THE OLD ONE WAS A TWO PIN AND THE NEW ONE IS A HALL EFFECT SENSOR, REQUIRES AN EXCITATION VOLTAGE, AND THE ADVANTAGE TO IT IS AT VERY LOW SPEEDS IT'LL BEGIN TO GIVE A SIGNAL THAT'S JUST AS STRONG AS IT WILL AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE MAG PICK UP WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PICK UP SPEEDS AT SUCH LOW FREQUENCIES. SO IT'S A BETTER SENSOR OVERALL, AND THAT'S WHY
WE'RE CHANGING IT OUT.
(MIKE)>> THIS DAYTONA SENSORS WEGO THREED DUAL CHANNEL WIDE BAND OTWO SENSOR INTERFACE PLUGS DIRECTLY INTO THE SUPER FLOW AUXILIARY INPUT CABLE. NOW IT GETS POWER FROM A POWER SUPPLY WE WILL MOUNT ON THE BACK OF THE DYNO CHASSIS. THE SUPER FLOW DATA BOX HAS OUTPUTS TO POWER THE STARTERS AND IGNITION.
I AM WIRING THEM IN AND ALSO GETTING RID OF ANY EXCESS COMPONENTS WE DON'T NEED. NOW IT MAY LOOK LIKE A CHALLENGING TASK, BUT EACH SYSTEM IS WIRED INDIVIDUALLY AND ONLY HAS A GROUND AND 12 VOLT POWER SOURCE TO CONNECT. THAT'S IT FOR THE CONVERSION. NOW IT'S TIME TO ROLL IN THE ENGINE AND
DO SOME CALIBRATION. THAT'S COMING UP NEXT.
(MIKE)>> WE'RE BACK AND READY TO TEST OUT THE NEW CONVERSION. NOW WE'RE USING AN OLD SMALL BLOCK CHEVY 350 MULE ENGINE WE HAVE HAD FOR SOME TIME. WITH IT ATTACHED TO THE DYNO CHASSIS, THE FINAL STEPS INSIDE THE CELL ARE A FEW EASY CALIBRATIONS.
(BRETT)>> WE'RE GONNA NEED LIKE SIX OF THESE.
(MIKE)>> THE FIRST IS CALIBRATING THE BRAKE. NOW IT REQUIRES ATTACHING AN ARM TO THE BRAKE, HANGING TO 254 POUNDS OF WEIGHT TO IT, WHICH REPRESENTS 508 POUNDS
OF FORCE SINCE THE ARM IS TWO FEET LONG. THE SECOND THING TO CALIBRATE ARE THE DAYTONA'S SENSORS' WIDE BAND. NOW IT COMES WITH TWO BOSCH LSU FIVE WIRE OXYGEN SENSORS. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO CALIBRATE THE SENSORS IN FREE AIR.
NOW THIS WEGO THREED SYSTEM PROVIDES THE SAME LEVEL OF
ACCURACY AS LAB SYSTEMS COSTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE.
(BRETT)>> SO A QUICK TOUR.
(MIKE)>> THE NEW SOFTWARE IS USER FRIENDLY AND IT SHOWS. I SPENT A FEW OURS WITH BRETT TO LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE NEW SOFTWARE. NOW THERE'S A LOT MORE TO LEARN THAT WE'LL SHOW YOU IN UPCOMING SHOWS, BUT FOR NOW HERE'S SOME OF ITS FUNCTIONS. YOU USUALLY SEE US BREAK AN ENGINE IN BY MANUALLY APPLY THROTTLE AND LOAD TO CHANGE THE RPM
POINTS, 120 DEGREES. BUT NOW WE CAN SET A PREDETERMINED BREAK IN CYCLE AND THE DYNO DOES THE WORK FOR US. HERE'S HOW WE SET IT UP. WITH THE WINDOW OPEN WE ENTER OUR LOW ENGINE SPEED, WHICH IS THE STARTING POINT OF OUR BREAK IN CYCLE, OUR UPPER ENGINE SPEED, WHICH IS WHERE THE CYCLE WILL STOP, THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE WANT THAT CYCLE TO LAST, 15 SECONDS, AND HOW MANY FULL CYCLES WE WANT THIS WHOLE THING TO REPEAT, LETS SAY 25 FOR THE WHOLE BREAK IN.
DURING THIS CYCLE WE ARE NOT RECORDING DATA, JUST BREAKING IN THE RINGS AND GETTING A GOOD HEAT CYCLE IN THE ENGINE.
NOW THIS IS A STEADY AND MORE ACCURATE WAY TO BREAK AN ENGINE IN. PLUS IT ALLOWS US TO NOTICE ANY LEAKS OR ISSUES BEFORE WE MAKE A FULL RPM PULL. THE NEXT TEST I WANT TO SHOW YOU IS THE ACCEL TEST. THIS IS THE BIG TEST WHERE WE GET ALL THE HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE NUMBERS FROM. THIS MIMICS HOW YOUR ENGINE BEHAVES DURING ACTUAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. NOW IT'S DONE BY SETTING A STARTING AND ENDING RPM POINT. WE CAN ALSO SET HOW MANY RPM PER
SECOND IT WILL ACCELERATE. THE NEW GRAPH IS A LOT EASIER TO READ. NOW MORE INTERSECTING LINES AND EACH PARAMETER HAS ITS OWN COLOR DESIGNATION, EVEN IF WE GO AND ADD SOMETHING LIKE OIL PRESSURE. HERE'S SOMETHING NEW WE'RE GONNA DO A LOT OF THIS YEAR. THE NEW SOFTWARE MAKES IT A LOT EASIER TO DO STEP TESTS, WHICH IS WHEN THE ENGINE IS STABILIZED AT A SET RPM POINT FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, USUALLY IN 200 TO 500 RPM INCREMENTS. THE DYNO CONTROLS THE ENGINE AT EACH STEP AND INCREASES TO THE NEXT AFTER THE DATA IS RECORDED. NOW STEP TESTS ARE HARDER ON THE ENGINE, BUT GET MORE ACCURATE AND REPEATABLE DATA. NOW THIS TYPE OF TEST IS GENERALLY USED FOR TESTING INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS LIKE HEADERS, CARBS, SPARK PLUGS,
OR ANYTHING YOU NEED REPEATABLE PROVEN DATA FOR. THIS SUPER FLOW UPGRADE IS A WINWIN FOR US AS WELL AS YOU. WE CAN TEST MORE PARAMETERS MORE ACCURATELY, GIVING YOU THE RESULTS AND INFORMATION YOU DESERVE.
(JOHN)>> THE DYNO IS MOST IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS HUNTING FOR THOSE TWO MAGICAL NUMBERS, MAX HORSEPOWER AND MAX TORQUE. NOW WE USE THE DYNO A LOT FOR RESEARCH, TUNING THOSE CARBURETORS OR FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS, AND SOMETIMES JUST FOR PLAIN SHOWING OFF. NOW YOU CAN'T JUST GO THROW A BUNCH OF PARTS IN A BOX, SHAKE IT UP, AND EXPECT IT TO RUN GOOD ON THE DYNO. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET ALL THOSE PARTS TO WORK IN UNISON TOGETHER TO MAKE BIG POWER, AND THE BEST POWER TO BE FOUND IS BETWEEN THE CYLINDER HEAD AND CAM SHAFT COMBINATION. NOW THE CAM SHAFT ALWAYS COMES WITH ITS OWN SPEC SHEET, AND THERE'S NOT A LOT YOU CAN DO TO CHANGE IT OTHER THAN ADVANCE OR RETARD THE CAM TIMING ONCE IT'S INSTALLED IN THE ENGINE. BUT THERE'S ALWAYS WORK TO BE DONE ON HEADS FOR MORE POWER. SO THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW DO WE KNOW IF THE CYLINDER HEADS WE PICKED ARE GOING TO WORK THE BEST ON OUR COMBO, OR IF ANY IMPROVEMENTS WE MADE ARE GOING TO END UP BEING IMPROVEMENTS. WELL WE'RE GONNA HAVE DYNO THE CYLINDER HEADS, AND TO DO THAT WE USE THE FLOW BENCH. BUT INSTEAD OF A HORSEPOWER RATING, WE GET A CUBIC FEET PER MINUTE NUMBER, OR OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CFM.
(BRETT)>> WE KNOW THAT AN ENGINE IS A SELF DRIVEN AIR PUMP AND GETTING AIR INTO THE ENGINE. MORE AIR, MORE FUEL, MORE POWER! SO THE FLOW BENCH IS A TOOL THAT ALLOWS US TO GIVE US SOME MEASUREMENT OF THAT AIR FLOW THROUGH THE CYLINDER HEAD.
(JOHN)>> FOR DEMO PURPOSES PACE PERFORMANCE SENT
US TWO CYLINDER HEADS. NOW THIS WAS A STOCK CNC PORTED LS SEVEN CYLINDER HEAD. IT'S ACTUALLY RATED AT 352 CFM AT SIX HUNDRED THOUSANDTHS INCH OF LIFT ON THE INTAKE RUNNER. NOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE USED OR MODIFIED CYLINDER HEADS, HERE'S HOW WE ACTUALLY FIND THAT NUMBER OUT. NOW OUR MEASURED AIR IS EITHER FORCE OUT OR IN OUR CASE SUCKED IN THROUGH THIS HOLE. WE'LL START OFF BY INSTALLING OUR GASKET,
FLOW STAND, AND THEN BOLTING IT DOWN. THEN WE CAN INSTALL OUR MASTER BORE. NOW THIS ONE IS FOR A FOURONE-55 INCH BORE,
THE MINIMUM BORE SIZE THAT WE CAN FLOW
OUR HEADS WITH TODAY. NOW WE CAN LAY DOWN OUR SLIDER PLATE. NOW THESE ARE ENGINE SPECIFIC AND ALLOW YOU TO SLIDE FROM ONE CYLINDER TO THE NEXT EASILY. THEN ON GOES OUR HEAD GASKET AND WE CAN FINALLY LAY DOWN OUR HEAD THAT'S BEEN SWAPPED WITH CHECKER SPRINGS. THEN WE CAN SET UP OUR VALVE OPENER AND PUT ON OUR CLAY AROUND THE INTAKE RUNNER ENTRY. THIS WILL JUST HELP THE AIR STAY OFF THE SHARP EDGES.
WHAT WE DO IS OPEN THE VALVE AT ONE HUNDRED THOUSANDTHS INCREMENTS, AND EACH TIME YOU MOVE UP YOU'LL GET A COUPLE OF NUMBERS THAT YOU NEED TO WRITE DOWN. ONE IS FOR CFM, WHICH HIS HOW MUCH AIR IS MOVING THROUGH. AND THE OTHER IS FOR VELOCITY, WHICH IS BASICALLY
HOW FAST THE AIR'S MOVING. HERE'S THE RESULTS AT 600, PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, BUT AT 700 NOT SO GOOD. SO WHAT WE JUST LEARNED IN A FEW MINUTES OF FLOWING THE HEAD IS THAT A 600 INCH LIFT CAM IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THE MAX THAT WE WANT RUN ON THIS HEAD. THAT'S KIND OF THE SWEET SPOT. NOW LETS TEST THE LSX HIGH PERFORMANCE HEAD. AT SIX HUNDRED THOUSANDTHS LIFT, A 43 CFM GAIN, BUT IT MAXED OUT AT 750 THOUSANDTHS LIFT WITH 395 CFM. NOW THAT JUST LET US KNOW THAT THIS HEAD'S GONNA LIKE THE 700 TO 750 INCH RANGE. NOW THAT'S GOING TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF HORSEPOWER INCREASE. AND USING ONE OF THESE WE CAN FLOW ANYTHING FROM CARBURETORS, INTAKES, EVEN MUFFLERS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, AND THAT'S THE BENEFIT OF USING A FLOW BENCH. SO DON'T TRUST ALL THOSE NUMBERS YOU SEE ON THE INTERNET. ACTUALLY TAKE YOUR PARTS DOWN TO YOUR LOCAL MACHINE SHOP AND HAVE THEM GIVE YOU THE FACTS.
(JOE)>> HERE'S SOMETHING FOR YOU GUYS WITH LATE MODEL SIX POINT TWO LITER CAMAROS. IT'S AIRAID'S LATEST SYNTHEFLOW MXP INTAKE SYSTEM. NOW IT COMBINES THE BENEFITS OF AN ALL NEW, LESS RESTRICTIVE CARBON FIBER INTAKE TUBE WITH AN OILED
OR UNOILED PERFORMANCE FILTER INSIDE THIS BOX. THE RESULT, WELL MORE HORSEPOWER, AIRAID CLAIMS UP TO 16. PLUS MORE TORQUE AND FUEL MILEAGE. NOT A BAD DEAL FOR $600 BUCKS.
(JOHN)>> HERE'S A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM THAT'S BEEN
PLAGUING '05 TO '07 FORD FOCUS OWNERS. ACTUALLY TO CHANGE A DIRTY AIR FILTER IN ONE OF THOSE CARS YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE AIR FILTER HOUSING. WELL AN OE REPLACEMENT CAN COST OVER $500 BUCKS.
SO ROCK AUTO DOT COM OFFERS AND ACCESSIBLE AIR FILTER HOUSING THAT ALLOWS YOU TO REMOVE AND REPLACE JUST THE FILTER ELEMENT, AND IT ONLY COSTS $120 BUCKS.
(JOE)>> WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR EXHAUST, THE IDEAL MUFFLER'S ONE THAT FREES UP HORSEPOWER AND SOUNDS GREAT. CORSA'S STAINLESS STEEL PERFORMANCE MUFFLERS HAVE AN UNRESTRICTED STRAIGHT THROUGH DESIGN TO REDUCE BACK PRESSURE. THEY ALSO USE REFLECTIVE SOUND CANCELLATION TECHNOLOGY, WHICH MEANS UNWANTED FREQUENCIES ARE SHED THROUGH THESE CHANNELS WHERE THEY
GET CANCELLED OUT. NOW THE RESULT IS A DRONE FREE SOUND WHEN YOU'RE OUT
CRUISING, AND A SWEET AGGRESSIVE SOUND WHEN YOU'RE UNDER ACCELERATION. NOW YOU CAN FIND CORSA'S AT PART STORES AND ONLINE. AND YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND US NEXT WEEK, WE'LL SEE YOU THEN.
Show Full Transcript
(JOHN)>> A GOOD LOOKING SET OF HEADERS UNDER THE HOOD IS HARD TO BEAT. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, A NICE HIGH END SET OF HEADERS, ESPECIALLY ONES THAT HAVE BEEN COATED, THEY COST YOU ANYWHERE FROM $350 TO $550 DOLLARS. MOST OF THE TIME THEY STILL NEED A LITTLE BIT OF PERSUASION TO FIT. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS, BUT PUTTING HAMMER DENTS IN A BRAND NEW SET OF COATED HEADERS, WELL THAT'S KIND OF MY LEAST FAVORITE THING TO DO. SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA BUILD OUR OWN HEADERS, DO OUR OWN HEAT COATINGS OUR SELF, AND SAVE A BOAT LOAD OF CASH. AND PLUS IT'S THE PERFECT STARTING POINT IN CASE WE'VE GOT TO DO ANY CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS. NOW IT'S A UNIVERSAL WELD UP HEADER KIT FROM SUMMIT RACING. IT COMES WITH EIGHT ALUMINIZED STEEL PRIMARY
TUBES, TWO COLLECTORS, AS WELL AS A GOOD OLE SET OF INSTRUCTIONS. THE FIRST STEP IS GOING TO BE TO MOUNT THE FLANGE, WHICH YOU GET SEPARATELY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT PATTERNS IN THE CYLINDER HEADS. NOW IF YOU'RE DOING THIS IN THE ENGINE BAY, START WITH THE ONE MOST LIKELY NEEDING CLEARANCE, AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE GOING TO EXIT AT THE ANGLE THAT YOU WANT.
THIS 350 HAS OVAL SHAPED PORTS, NOT ROUND LIKE OUR TUBES. SO I'LL MARK THE SIDES FOR THIS, SOME SLOW AND CAUTIOUS PRESSURE TO FORCE THE TOP AND BOTTOM OUTWARD FOR A CLOSER MATCH. THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO GO FROM HERE. I'M SIMPLY GONNA SHOW YOU HOW I DO IT. CUT FOUR SHORT RELIEF SLOTS MAKING SMALL TABS CLOSE TO THE TOP AND BOTTOM. NOW WE CAN BEND THE NEW OVAL INWARD ALL AROUND. THIS ALLOWS US TO INSERT THE TUBE SLIGHTLY AND EVENLY TO THE FLANGE OPENING.
REPOSITION THE TUBE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. JUST TACK IT IN PLACE FOR NOW. NOW I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED THAT BECAUSE YOU'VE SEVEN MORE TO GO. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THOUGH THAT YOU ALIGN THE ENDS AND THE PATTERN OF THE COLLECTOR. WE'RE EXITING PARALLEL TO THE FLOOR FOR THE DYNO, WHICH MAKES THE NUMBER EIGHT TUBE INTERFERE SLIGHTLY.
AND I HAVE NO PROBLEMS USING A BFH BEFORE WE COAT THEM. NOW PULL ALL THE ENDS TOGETHER, CUT THEM OFF EVENLY.
CREATE A PLUG FOR THE GAP IN THE CENTER AND FILL IT IN. GENTLY FIT THE COLLECTORS AND TACK IT ON. BACK ON THE BENCH I'LL HAMMER THE LIPS BACK AGAINST THE EDGE OF THE FLANGE. THEN STITCH WELD THEM TOGETHER FROM THE INSIDE. NOW THE FUMES FROM WELDING ALUMINIZED STEEL ARE
NASTY AND VERY TOXIC. YOU MUST HAVE PROPER VENTILATION. WHEN YOU'RE SURE THE TUBES ARE AIR TIGHT, SMOOTH THE WELDS OUT FOR BETTER AIR FLOW. WELD THE OUTSIDE WHEREVER IT WON'T INTERFERE WITH THE MOUNTING BOLTS AND SEAL UP THE COLLECTORS. NOW TO KEEP OUR BUDGET WE'RE GONNA COAT OUR HEADERS
OURSELVES, AND WE'LL START WITH SOME VHT HEADER PRIMER. THEN WE'LL COAT IT WITH OUR VHT BLACK CERAMIC COATING,
GOING OVER IT LIGHTLY EVERY 10 MINUTES.
THIS WILL HANDLE UP TO 2,000 DEGREES OF ABUSE. NOW YOU'LL NEED TO BAKE THE HEADERS TO REALLY
CURE THESE COATINGS. JUST WHEN YOU PUT THEM IN THE CAR, RUN THE MOTOR FOR A COUPLE OF HEAT CYCLES, LET THE ENGINE BAKE
THE COATINGS FOR YOU. AND WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS WRAP THEM WITH SOME DEI HEADER WRAP. NOW THIS WILL KEEP THE HEAT OUT OF THE ENGINE BAY AND
THE COOLER AIR WILL HELP MAKE MORE HORSEPOWER. PLUS IT'LL HELP HIDE ANY UGLY SPOTS LIKE THAT NASTY
HAMMER MOD I MADE EARLIER, OR ANY SCREW UPS YOU MIGHT WANT TO HIDE.
NOW THERE'S NOT A THING WRONG WITH THESE. FOR $225 BUCKS, I LIKE THEM EVEN BETTER. NOW I'VE NEVER ACTUALLY BUILT A SET OF HEADERS BEFORE, SO IT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO IF YOU'RE WILLING TO TRY.
(MIKE)>> THE THING SOUNDS PRETTY MEAN.
(JOHN)>> IT'S GOT A LITTLE RUMBLE TO IT.
(MIKE)>> YOU GOOD?
(JOHN)>> I'M READY.
(JOE)>> IF YOU'RE A FAN OF HORSEPOWER, YOU'VE BEEN
WATCHING US UP THE ANTE ON PROJECT ENGINES WE BUILD HERE.
(MIKE)>> 389, 401 BABY!
(JOE)>> FROM SMALL BLOCK TURBO POWER PLANTS, BLOWN
HEMIS, DURAMAX, EVEN ENGINES WITH POWER ADDERS LIKE NITROUS AND WATER METHANOL INJECTION. ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR HAS BEEN MEASURING ALL THE POWER AND TORQUE ACCURATELY IN OUR ENGINE DYNO CELL. WE'VE EVEN USED IT TO TEST RATE SPECIFIC FUEL CONSUMPTION AND EMISSIONS. WELL THIS DAY IN THE HORSEPOWER SHOP IS ALL ABOUT UPGRADING OUR ENGINE TESTING CAPABILITIES. LIKE WITH A SUPER FLOW FLOW BENCH WE CAN USE TO TEST AND MEASURE CYLINDER HEADS AND INTAKE MANIFOLDS. BUT THE BIGGEST UPGRADE IS CONVERTING OUR DTS WITH SUPER FLOW'S LATEST STATE OF THE ART SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE TO GIVE US EVEN MORE PRECISE DATE.
(MIKE)>> OUR SUPER FLOW PACKAGE ALSO INCLUDED MIKE
GILES AND BRETT WILLIAMSON, WHO'S BEEN INSTALLING THESE UNITS FOR YEARS, AND WILL GUIDE US THROUGH THE UPGRADE OF OUR DTS.
(MIKE G.)>> DTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN FOR A BULLETPROOF MECHANICAL SYSTEM. THEIR DYNO NEVER BRAKES, AND SUPER FLOW'S ALWAYS
BEEN KNOWN FOR TOP OF THE LINE ELECTRONICS. SO WHEN WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MERGE IS WAS REALLY A PERFECT MARRIAGE. WITH THE NEW WIND NINE CONVERSION SYSTEM FOR YOUR POWER MARK YOU ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF NEW FEATURES. 139 CHANNELS OF DATA ACQUISITION SO YOU CAN INTEGRATE MORE SENSORS, A NEW CONTROL CONSOLE. YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DIAGNOSE PROBLEMS SOONER, YOU'RE
GONNA BE ABLE TO FIND MORE POWER IN YOUR ENGINES. IT'S GOING TO MAKE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE DYNO BETTER.
(MIKE)>> YOU ALL KNOW WHAT A DYNO DOES, BUT HERE'S A QUICK CLIP OF EXACTLY HOW IT WORKS. THE TWISTING AN ENGINE MAKES IS CALLED TORQUE, AND TO MEASURE ACCURATELY A DYNAMOMETER ACTS LIKE A GIANT WATER BRAKE. NOW THE ENGINE'S CRANK SHAFT GETS CONNECTED TO THE DYNO'S IMPELLER HOUSING.
WATER INSIDE THE HOUSING CREATES RESISTANCE, MAKING IT HARD TO TURN THE CRANK SHAFT. NOW THIS HEATS UP THE WATER AND PUTS A SERIOUS LOAD ON THE IMPELLER HOUSING AS IT LITERALLY TRIES TO ROTATE OFF OF THE DYNO'S FRAME. NOW A FORCE TRANSDUCER BOLTED BETWEEN THE HOUSING
AND THE FRAME MEASURES THE ROTATIONAL STRAIN, WHICH THE COMPUTER TRANSLATES INTO TORQUE AND HORSEPOWER. NOW THE HOT WATER GETS PUMPED BACK TO THE MAIN STORAGE TANK FOR REUSE. WHILE MOST OF THE DYNO'S WATER IS USED TO ABSORB TORQUE, SOME OF IT REGULATES ENGINE TEMPERATURE. NOW ALL OF THIS MAKES FOR AN ACCURATE, EFFICIENT, AND CONSISTENT DYNO TEST SYSTEM. AND THE CONVERSION WILL TAKE PLACE IN OUR EXISTING INDUSTRIAL NOISE CONTROL DYNO CELL.
(JOE)>> THE TEST CELL REDUCES ENGINE NOISE UP TO 40 DECIBELS. IT ALSO HAS A ROOF PLENUM WITH A POWERFUL FAN THAT
DRAWS IN FRESH AIR AND EVACUATES HEAT AND EXHAUST GAS THROUGH A SILENCED EXHAUST STACK. IT'S A HIGH FLOW VENTILATIONS SYSTEM THAT
EXCHANGES ALL OF THE AIR IN THE ROOM EVERY SIX SECONDS.
(MIKE)>> THE DTS DATA ACQUISITION BOX HAS 50 CHANNELS TO MONITOR THE ENGINE. IT'S THE FIRST THING TO BE REMOVED IN THE CELL. NEXT THE BOOM WILL BE REPLACED WITH ONE FOUR INCHES TALLER. THIS WILL ALLOW THE NEW SUPER FLOW DATA BOX TO FIT ABOVE THE DYNO CHASSIS. THE HORIZONTAL BOOM THAT HOUSES THE WATER HOSE WILL BE SWAPPED TOO, AND THE NEW SETUP USES A MANUAL THROTTLE, NOT AN ACTUATOR TYPE LIKE BEFORE. UP NEXT IS THE BRAIN OF THE SYSTEM. THE NEW DATA ACQUISITION BOX THAT TRANSFERS ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE ENGINE TO THE CONSOLE MONITORS. NOW WE HAVE A NEW ONE PIECE CONSOLE TABLE GOING INTO PLACE THAT HOLDS THE NEW MECHANICAL THROTTLE, THE CONSOLE, TOUCH SCREEN, AND TWO 22 INCH MONITORS TO VIEW ALL THE DATA IN REAL TIME. WITH ALL THAT IN PLACE WE'RE READY TO RUN CABLES AND START MAKING CONNECTIONS TO THE NEW COMPONENTS. THIS WATER VALVE HAS BEEN USED FOR SEVEN YEARS WITHOUT A FAILURE.
TO INSURE WE GET ANOTHER SEVEN OUT OF IT MIKE IS GOING TO REPLACE THE GASKETS AND SEALS. NOW THIS IS WHAT CONTROLS THE AMOUNT OF WATER SUPPLIED TO THE BREAK, WHICH ADJUST THE AMOUNT OF LOAD ON THE ENGINE. THE VALVES CAN GO BACK ON THE DYNO NOW ALONG WITH NEW SERVO MOTORS TO CONTROL THEM.
(BRETT)>> SO WE'RE CHANGING OUT THE SPEED SENSOR. THE OLD ONE WAS A TWO PIN AND THE NEW ONE IS A HALL EFFECT SENSOR, REQUIRES AN EXCITATION VOLTAGE, AND THE ADVANTAGE TO IT IS AT VERY LOW SPEEDS IT'LL BEGIN TO GIVE A SIGNAL THAT'S JUST AS STRONG AS IT WILL AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE MAG PICK UP WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO PICK UP SPEEDS AT SUCH LOW FREQUENCIES. SO IT'S A BETTER SENSOR OVERALL, AND THAT'S WHY
WE'RE CHANGING IT OUT.
(MIKE)>> THIS DAYTONA SENSORS WEGO THREED DUAL CHANNEL WIDE BAND OTWO SENSOR INTERFACE PLUGS DIRECTLY INTO THE SUPER FLOW AUXILIARY INPUT CABLE. NOW IT GETS POWER FROM A POWER SUPPLY WE WILL MOUNT ON THE BACK OF THE DYNO CHASSIS. THE SUPER FLOW DATA BOX HAS OUTPUTS TO POWER THE STARTERS AND IGNITION.
I AM WIRING THEM IN AND ALSO GETTING RID OF ANY EXCESS COMPONENTS WE DON'T NEED. NOW IT MAY LOOK LIKE A CHALLENGING TASK, BUT EACH SYSTEM IS WIRED INDIVIDUALLY AND ONLY HAS A GROUND AND 12 VOLT POWER SOURCE TO CONNECT. THAT'S IT FOR THE CONVERSION. NOW IT'S TIME TO ROLL IN THE ENGINE AND
DO SOME CALIBRATION. THAT'S COMING UP NEXT.
(MIKE)>> WE'RE BACK AND READY TO TEST OUT THE NEW CONVERSION. NOW WE'RE USING AN OLD SMALL BLOCK CHEVY 350 MULE ENGINE WE HAVE HAD FOR SOME TIME. WITH IT ATTACHED TO THE DYNO CHASSIS, THE FINAL STEPS INSIDE THE CELL ARE A FEW EASY CALIBRATIONS.
(BRETT)>> WE'RE GONNA NEED LIKE SIX OF THESE.
(MIKE)>> THE FIRST IS CALIBRATING THE BRAKE. NOW IT REQUIRES ATTACHING AN ARM TO THE BRAKE, HANGING TO 254 POUNDS OF WEIGHT TO IT, WHICH REPRESENTS 508 POUNDS
OF FORCE SINCE THE ARM IS TWO FEET LONG. THE SECOND THING TO CALIBRATE ARE THE DAYTONA'S SENSORS' WIDE BAND. NOW IT COMES WITH TWO BOSCH LSU FIVE WIRE OXYGEN SENSORS. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO CALIBRATE THE SENSORS IN FREE AIR.
NOW THIS WEGO THREED SYSTEM PROVIDES THE SAME LEVEL OF
ACCURACY AS LAB SYSTEMS COSTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS MORE.
(BRETT)>> SO A QUICK TOUR.
(MIKE)>> THE NEW SOFTWARE IS USER FRIENDLY AND IT SHOWS. I SPENT A FEW OURS WITH BRETT TO LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE NEW SOFTWARE. NOW THERE'S A LOT MORE TO LEARN THAT WE'LL SHOW YOU IN UPCOMING SHOWS, BUT FOR NOW HERE'S SOME OF ITS FUNCTIONS. YOU USUALLY SEE US BREAK AN ENGINE IN BY MANUALLY APPLY THROTTLE AND LOAD TO CHANGE THE RPM
POINTS, 120 DEGREES. BUT NOW WE CAN SET A PREDETERMINED BREAK IN CYCLE AND THE DYNO DOES THE WORK FOR US. HERE'S HOW WE SET IT UP. WITH THE WINDOW OPEN WE ENTER OUR LOW ENGINE SPEED, WHICH IS THE STARTING POINT OF OUR BREAK IN CYCLE, OUR UPPER ENGINE SPEED, WHICH IS WHERE THE CYCLE WILL STOP, THE AMOUNT OF TIME WE WANT THAT CYCLE TO LAST, 15 SECONDS, AND HOW MANY FULL CYCLES WE WANT THIS WHOLE THING TO REPEAT, LETS SAY 25 FOR THE WHOLE BREAK IN.
DURING THIS CYCLE WE ARE NOT RECORDING DATA, JUST BREAKING IN THE RINGS AND GETTING A GOOD HEAT CYCLE IN THE ENGINE.
NOW THIS IS A STEADY AND MORE ACCURATE WAY TO BREAK AN ENGINE IN. PLUS IT ALLOWS US TO NOTICE ANY LEAKS OR ISSUES BEFORE WE MAKE A FULL RPM PULL. THE NEXT TEST I WANT TO SHOW YOU IS THE ACCEL TEST. THIS IS THE BIG TEST WHERE WE GET ALL THE HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE NUMBERS FROM. THIS MIMICS HOW YOUR ENGINE BEHAVES DURING ACTUAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. NOW IT'S DONE BY SETTING A STARTING AND ENDING RPM POINT. WE CAN ALSO SET HOW MANY RPM PER
SECOND IT WILL ACCELERATE. THE NEW GRAPH IS A LOT EASIER TO READ. NOW MORE INTERSECTING LINES AND EACH PARAMETER HAS ITS OWN COLOR DESIGNATION, EVEN IF WE GO AND ADD SOMETHING LIKE OIL PRESSURE. HERE'S SOMETHING NEW WE'RE GONNA DO A LOT OF THIS YEAR. THE NEW SOFTWARE MAKES IT A LOT EASIER TO DO STEP TESTS, WHICH IS WHEN THE ENGINE IS STABILIZED AT A SET RPM POINT FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, USUALLY IN 200 TO 500 RPM INCREMENTS. THE DYNO CONTROLS THE ENGINE AT EACH STEP AND INCREASES TO THE NEXT AFTER THE DATA IS RECORDED. NOW STEP TESTS ARE HARDER ON THE ENGINE, BUT GET MORE ACCURATE AND REPEATABLE DATA. NOW THIS TYPE OF TEST IS GENERALLY USED FOR TESTING INDIVIDUAL COMPONENTS LIKE HEADERS, CARBS, SPARK PLUGS,
OR ANYTHING YOU NEED REPEATABLE PROVEN DATA FOR. THIS SUPER FLOW UPGRADE IS A WINWIN FOR US AS WELL AS YOU. WE CAN TEST MORE PARAMETERS MORE ACCURATELY, GIVING YOU THE RESULTS AND INFORMATION YOU DESERVE.
(JOHN)>> THE DYNO IS MOST IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS HUNTING FOR THOSE TWO MAGICAL NUMBERS, MAX HORSEPOWER AND MAX TORQUE. NOW WE USE THE DYNO A LOT FOR RESEARCH, TUNING THOSE CARBURETORS OR FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS, AND SOMETIMES JUST FOR PLAIN SHOWING OFF. NOW YOU CAN'T JUST GO THROW A BUNCH OF PARTS IN A BOX, SHAKE IT UP, AND EXPECT IT TO RUN GOOD ON THE DYNO. YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET ALL THOSE PARTS TO WORK IN UNISON TOGETHER TO MAKE BIG POWER, AND THE BEST POWER TO BE FOUND IS BETWEEN THE CYLINDER HEAD AND CAM SHAFT COMBINATION. NOW THE CAM SHAFT ALWAYS COMES WITH ITS OWN SPEC SHEET, AND THERE'S NOT A LOT YOU CAN DO TO CHANGE IT OTHER THAN ADVANCE OR RETARD THE CAM TIMING ONCE IT'S INSTALLED IN THE ENGINE. BUT THERE'S ALWAYS WORK TO BE DONE ON HEADS FOR MORE POWER. SO THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW DO WE KNOW IF THE CYLINDER HEADS WE PICKED ARE GOING TO WORK THE BEST ON OUR COMBO, OR IF ANY IMPROVEMENTS WE MADE ARE GOING TO END UP BEING IMPROVEMENTS. WELL WE'RE GONNA HAVE DYNO THE CYLINDER HEADS, AND TO DO THAT WE USE THE FLOW BENCH. BUT INSTEAD OF A HORSEPOWER RATING, WE GET A CUBIC FEET PER MINUTE NUMBER, OR OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CFM.
(BRETT)>> WE KNOW THAT AN ENGINE IS A SELF DRIVEN AIR PUMP AND GETTING AIR INTO THE ENGINE. MORE AIR, MORE FUEL, MORE POWER! SO THE FLOW BENCH IS A TOOL THAT ALLOWS US TO GIVE US SOME MEASUREMENT OF THAT AIR FLOW THROUGH THE CYLINDER HEAD.
(JOHN)>> FOR DEMO PURPOSES PACE PERFORMANCE SENT
US TWO CYLINDER HEADS. NOW THIS WAS A STOCK CNC PORTED LS SEVEN CYLINDER HEAD. IT'S ACTUALLY RATED AT 352 CFM AT SIX HUNDRED THOUSANDTHS INCH OF LIFT ON THE INTAKE RUNNER. NOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE USED OR MODIFIED CYLINDER HEADS, HERE'S HOW WE ACTUALLY FIND THAT NUMBER OUT. NOW OUR MEASURED AIR IS EITHER FORCE OUT OR IN OUR CASE SUCKED IN THROUGH THIS HOLE. WE'LL START OFF BY INSTALLING OUR GASKET,
FLOW STAND, AND THEN BOLTING IT DOWN. THEN WE CAN INSTALL OUR MASTER BORE. NOW THIS ONE IS FOR A FOURONE-55 INCH BORE,
THE MINIMUM BORE SIZE THAT WE CAN FLOW
OUR HEADS WITH TODAY. NOW WE CAN LAY DOWN OUR SLIDER PLATE. NOW THESE ARE ENGINE SPECIFIC AND ALLOW YOU TO SLIDE FROM ONE CYLINDER TO THE NEXT EASILY. THEN ON GOES OUR HEAD GASKET AND WE CAN FINALLY LAY DOWN OUR HEAD THAT'S BEEN SWAPPED WITH CHECKER SPRINGS. THEN WE CAN SET UP OUR VALVE OPENER AND PUT ON OUR CLAY AROUND THE INTAKE RUNNER ENTRY. THIS WILL JUST HELP THE AIR STAY OFF THE SHARP EDGES.
WHAT WE DO IS OPEN THE VALVE AT ONE HUNDRED THOUSANDTHS INCREMENTS, AND EACH TIME YOU MOVE UP YOU'LL GET A COUPLE OF NUMBERS THAT YOU NEED TO WRITE DOWN. ONE IS FOR CFM, WHICH HIS HOW MUCH AIR IS MOVING THROUGH. AND THE OTHER IS FOR VELOCITY, WHICH IS BASICALLY
HOW FAST THE AIR'S MOVING. HERE'S THE RESULTS AT 600, PRETTY IMPRESSIVE, BUT AT 700 NOT SO GOOD. SO WHAT WE JUST LEARNED IN A FEW MINUTES OF FLOWING THE HEAD IS THAT A 600 INCH LIFT CAM IS GOING TO BE ABOUT THE MAX THAT WE WANT RUN ON THIS HEAD. THAT'S KIND OF THE SWEET SPOT. NOW LETS TEST THE LSX HIGH PERFORMANCE HEAD. AT SIX HUNDRED THOUSANDTHS LIFT, A 43 CFM GAIN, BUT IT MAXED OUT AT 750 THOUSANDTHS LIFT WITH 395 CFM. NOW THAT JUST LET US KNOW THAT THIS HEAD'S GONNA LIKE THE 700 TO 750 INCH RANGE. NOW THAT'S GOING TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF HORSEPOWER INCREASE. AND USING ONE OF THESE WE CAN FLOW ANYTHING FROM CARBURETORS, INTAKES, EVEN MUFFLERS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, AND THAT'S THE BENEFIT OF USING A FLOW BENCH. SO DON'T TRUST ALL THOSE NUMBERS YOU SEE ON THE INTERNET. ACTUALLY TAKE YOUR PARTS DOWN TO YOUR LOCAL MACHINE SHOP AND HAVE THEM GIVE YOU THE FACTS.
(JOE)>> HERE'S SOMETHING FOR YOU GUYS WITH LATE MODEL SIX POINT TWO LITER CAMAROS. IT'S AIRAID'S LATEST SYNTHEFLOW MXP INTAKE SYSTEM. NOW IT COMBINES THE BENEFITS OF AN ALL NEW, LESS RESTRICTIVE CARBON FIBER INTAKE TUBE WITH AN OILED
OR UNOILED PERFORMANCE FILTER INSIDE THIS BOX. THE RESULT, WELL MORE HORSEPOWER, AIRAID CLAIMS UP TO 16. PLUS MORE TORQUE AND FUEL MILEAGE. NOT A BAD DEAL FOR $600 BUCKS.
(JOHN)>> HERE'S A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM THAT'S BEEN
PLAGUING '05 TO '07 FORD FOCUS OWNERS. ACTUALLY TO CHANGE A DIRTY AIR FILTER IN ONE OF THOSE CARS YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE AIR FILTER HOUSING. WELL AN OE REPLACEMENT CAN COST OVER $500 BUCKS.
SO ROCK AUTO DOT COM OFFERS AND ACCESSIBLE AIR FILTER HOUSING THAT ALLOWS YOU TO REMOVE AND REPLACE JUST THE FILTER ELEMENT, AND IT ONLY COSTS $120 BUCKS.
(JOE)>> WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR EXHAUST, THE IDEAL MUFFLER'S ONE THAT FREES UP HORSEPOWER AND SOUNDS GREAT. CORSA'S STAINLESS STEEL PERFORMANCE MUFFLERS HAVE AN UNRESTRICTED STRAIGHT THROUGH DESIGN TO REDUCE BACK PRESSURE. THEY ALSO USE REFLECTIVE SOUND CANCELLATION TECHNOLOGY, WHICH MEANS UNWANTED FREQUENCIES ARE SHED THROUGH THESE CHANNELS WHERE THEY
GET CANCELLED OUT. NOW THE RESULT IS A DRONE FREE SOUND WHEN YOU'RE OUT
CRUISING, AND A SWEET AGGRESSIVE SOUND WHEN YOU'RE UNDER ACCELERATION. NOW YOU CAN FIND CORSA'S AT PART STORES AND ONLINE. AND YOU KNOW WHERE TO FIND US NEXT WEEK, WE'LL SEE YOU THEN.