OPEN CHAMBER HEAD MOTOR LIVES!

[rick m]

Here it is! The 2275 open chamber motor lives! It has an interesting sound to it. I will get some road trip video later this week when I can get someone to follow me and shoot some footage. For now, enjoy.

The new combo has a ton more bottom end power than it had with the K8 cam in it. All the power is from 1500 to 5500 where I do most my driving. Bottom end torque improved dramatically.  The final numbers on compression were closer to 9.0 static and 7.6 dynamic. The changes have made this a much more driveable and enjoyable motor.

Some of the things I did on the heads was reduce the spring pressure too. I toned it down from 165 on the seat to 140. Backed the pressure at total lift down on the nose from 320 to 280 as I will not be drag racing the motor and taking it over 5500 to 6000 rpms. All these type reductions will help on cam and valve train wear. I use Valvoline VR1 oil due to the ZDDP content along with a ZINC additive during the 500 mile break in period. Put over 120 miles in it yesterday with a few 100 mph road blasts.  Has incredible pull in 4th gear from 55 to 95. Surprised a couple V8s yesterday.

Current jetting in the IDAs is 60 idles, 165 mains and 190 air. I was able to back down the timing from the 34 degrees I was running with the old motor combo to 30 degrees.  The motor seems to love it. The tighter quench area has really livened the car up and there is NO DETONATION.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/oCQkmowJBKs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/oCQkmowJBKs</a>

Rick Mortensen

[DKK Ted]

What cam are you running??

Ted

[rick m]

Ted,

Because of the cam specs, most people will find it hard to believe my cam choice. I am running 1.45 rockers with an ENGLE FK65.  Keep in mind I am not about drag racing....just street driving. I was looking for cam timing that gave me quicker valve closing and less overlap and this was the one I landed on.  I don't plan on driving above 6,000 rpms so I did not care about the extra cam and lift.  My heads, which flow enough for drag racing still work efficiently at these lower rpms, which I found out while testing it out this past Saturday. Still packs a punch from 1,000 rpms to 5,500rpm.  Had fun fooling around with a few V8 cars. The real benefit I hoped for and seemed to have achieved, was a completely docile motor that comes off the lower rpms and seems to pull harder there. With the K8, it didn't start pulling till about 1500-2000 rpms higher.

For what I was planning on achieving, I am very pleased with the outcome and docile nature of the motor, while still pulling very hard at the driving rpms I will see the most. What I will be playing with next is the best  jetting for improved mileage, even with the IDAs.  A friends IDA motor achieved 24mpg on a road trip.  That is my next test.  For now, I will keep enjoying the very well mannered characteristics of how these open chamber heads are working with the combination. I was able to back off my timing 4 degrees from the typical hemi chamber heads by setting it up with a tighter deck and quench area.

I have 37 vents in the IDAs, 160 idles, 165 mains and 190 air. I am going to start leaning it out to see how far I can drop it down on the idles, mains and air jets over the coming week.

Rick M

[andy198712]

Good on ya! seems very responsive from the video too! congrats & enjoy!

[rick m]

Thanks Andy.  Will be posting some other video of actually driving it when I get a passenger to do some filming for me. Stay tuned!

Rick M

[andy198712]

Thanks Andy.  Will be posting some other video of actually driving it when I get a passenger to do some filming for me. Stay tuned!

Rick M

nice one! so this set are polished and not coated is that right? (from following your thread)
and your on standard fuel.

be nice to see what gains in MPG you make with the power band in a more drivable daily rev range

[rick m]

Andy,

I took the idea of giving them a high polish to mainly help create a denser finish in the chamber and on top the pistons.  There are V8 forums I read about this on where a lot of guys stated it was a great aide to creating a more reflective heat characteristic. The chambers and tops of the pistons (including the stainless valves) were polished. When you polish aluminum it reduces the porosity. Obviously they will get carbon deposits but the V8 guys stated the  build up is less because of the smooth finish vs a cast finish.

For now, the results seem to be contributing to keeping the motor cooler or having a faster recovery from a temp build up down to a relatively cool operating temperature. Before I would do a 90-100mph blast messing with someone and the motor would not cool down. Now, between the chamber design, the mods I did and the different cam timing, the motor may reach 205 but recovers to 180 with normal driving in the 2800 to 3200 rpm range just cruising.  Before it may climb to 220 and stay there.  I am actually running more compression than before too.  Compression is up from 8.4 to almost 9.0.

I am running 91 octane right out of the pump with no additives.  Motor is set on 30 degrees total advance at 2000 and higher.

Rick M

[andy198712]

Andy,

I took the idea of giving them a high polish to mainly help create a denser finish in the chamber and on top the pistons.  There are V8 forums I read about this on where a lot of guys stated it was a great aide to creating a more reflective heat characteristic. The chambers and tops of the pistons (including the stainless valves) were polished. When you polish aluminum it reduces the porosity. Obviously they will get carbon deposits but the V8 guys stated the  build up is less because of the smooth finish vs a cast finish.

For now, the results seem to be contributing to keeping the motor cooler or having a faster recovery from a temp build up down to a relatively cool operating temperature. Before I would do a 90-100mph blast messing with someone and the motor would not cool down. Now, between the chamber design, the mods I did and the different cam timing, the motor may reach 205 but recovers to 180 with normal driving in the 2800 to 3200 rpm range just cruising.  Before it may climb to 220 and stay there.  I am actually running more compression than before too.  Compression is up from 8.4 to almost 9.0.

I am running 91 octane right out of the pump with no additives.  Motor is set on 30 degrees total advance at 2000 and higher.

Rick M

Cheers Rick,

yeah i thought the same pointers on polishing, closeing the pores of the metal and reflecting better

gotta feel good for it to be working so well for you!

[65bug]

Rick,
      Congrats on the new motor. It sounds very docile and idles really nice! Keep us posted and take us for a virtual ride............................PLEASE!

[Shane Noone]

Congratulations on your motor project Rick. Sounds smooth and crisp.

Quick question if I may on the VR1 you are using. Is that their mineral 20/50 or are you on the synthetic 10/60 ?

Cheers,

Shane.

[rick m]

Shane,

I use the mineral 20/50 VR1.

RM

[Dominick Luppino]

I like it when people build things outside of the box! Sounds good Rick!

[Torben Alstrup]

For now, the results seem to be contributing to keeping the motor cooler or having a faster recovery from a temp build up down to a relatively cool operating temperature. Before I would do a 90-100mph blast messing with someone and the motor would not cool down.

Rick. That was also one of the downsides I experienced when I was messing around with SH. If a "simple" polish can make that much of a change,........ well interesting.

T

[rick m]

This is a really bad video...done with my cell phone while on a drive this evening. When I can roust up a passenger, we will take my digital camera with me. Still, give a little idea on the accelleration with the smaller cam, IDAs and Salzberg type combustion chamber.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/mup_kkzvCkw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/mup_kkzvCkw</a>

Rick M

[rick m]

Have over 300 miles on the motor now.  Will be doing some re-jetting to richen it up a tad.  Can't keep my foot out of the throttle it runs so nice! :-) Another 200 miles and this baby will be ready for a big road trip!

Rick M

[rick m]

Torben...I think one of the real keys to the motors performance is the quench....I run the .040 deck and really get the piston as close to the chamber as possible.  It has no problem with throttle response and yet idles like a stocker and comes on hard right from 1200 rpms.  You saw the pictures of the chambers...they are as open as you can make them....like the Salzburg Motor.  Very fun to drive with the IDAs on it!

Rick M

[richie]

Have over 300 miles on the motor now.  Will be doing some re-jetting to richen it up a tad.  Can't keep my foot out of the throttle it runs so nice! :-) Another 200 miles and this baby will be ready for a big road trip!

Rick M

Rick do you have any idea on gas milage? it seems to me that the jetting is a little large for that combo already and with you mentioning jetting it up more it made me wonder if the milage was suffering?

cheers richie

[rick m]

Richie....MILEAGE?? Who builds these motors for mileage?  I am having so much fun sticking my foot in it that I have not driven it sanely enough to figure out mileage. 

Just kidding.  Right now, with me blasting the throttle in every gear, it get's 16 mpg.  I am going to back down on my idles one step and make some other changes and try to drive it sanely and see if I can get it closer to 20.  I will let you know after the next couple tanks of gas (petrol).

Rick M

[richie]

I know,I know   milage isn't important,but knowing you like to drive some decent distances and have built it with that in mind,having to stop for gas every hour or so because its getting low would be a real pain, be interesting to see what you do get with combined fun and freeway driving

cheers richie

[rick m]

Richie...will let you know how it goes after the first couple hundred mile trip where most of it is on the freeway (motorway).  That will be the best test.

Rick M

[Donny B.]

I was having a serious mileage problem with my 2165 and put a wide range AFR meter on it to find it was totally fat.  I have been playing with the jets since, but have gotten side tracked.  Will get back on it soon.  Howard Washington wrote a good article for Hot VWs about jetting and I am using that as a guide.  I am getting closer.

[leec]

That's a lovely sounding motor. Well done

Lee

[rick m]

Thanks Lee.  It is very responsive.  I am running 4 degrees less timing than it had before. The effectiveness of the combustion chamber is contributing to that as the flame travel has improved requiring less timing. Some of the things I tried are obviously working.  Will get some better video footage when I get my little roll bar mount made for the video camera.

RM