BEN ALAMEDA RACING "D" PORT FOR SINGLE CYLINDER MOTORCYCLE ENGINES:
SOMETIMES THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS DARING TO DEFY THE ESTABLISHED NORM IN ALL THINGS...
LIFE AS WELL AS IN RACING!
IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVE THAT AFTERMARKET PARTS ARE ALWAYS SUPERIOR TO STOCK PRODUCTION PARTS. IT MAY BE FOR THE MOST PART!!!
BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS EXCEPTION TO ANY RULE.
NOT LONG AGO I WAS THIS EXCEPTION, TURNING THE 4.6 & 5.4 RACING WORLD UPSIDE DOWN!
AT THE TIME LOOKING & OBSERVING SEVERAL 4.6-5.4 LITER ARTICLES ON MAGAZINES AND THE RACETRACKS.
ALL THE RACESHOPS "IGNORED" WHAT I SAW WAS A BOTTLENECK PREVENTING ADDITIONAL POWER OUT OF THIS ENGINE.
LATER ON, I MODIFIED THIS FACTORY "INTAKE PLENUM" AND TESTED THEM AT THE RACETRACK PRODUCING SOLID AND RELIABLE POWER FROM THE TEST SESSIONS.
EVENTUALLY I CALLED FAMOUS MAGAZINE AUTHOR>
HOT ROD MAGAZINE "HALL OF FAMER"
BOB McCLURG AND WE PROCEEDED TO DYNO TEST MY MODIFIED PLENUM.
LO AND BEHOLD 10HP & 14.9 FT/LBS OF TORQUE @ THE WHEELS!
THIS IS ABOUT CLOSE TO 13-15 HP @ THE FLYWHEEL!
THE FACTORY FORD ENGINEERS NEVER SAW THIS AND EVEN CALLED ME!
THIS IS WHEN THE HOOPLA GOT STARTED....
BELIEVERS AND HATERS CAME OUT OF THE WOODWORK FROM ALL OVER AND EVENTUALLY I WAS PROVEN RIGHT WHEN UP TO A DOZEN MANUFACTURERS FROM EDELBROCK TO TRICK FLOW PRODUCES PLENUMS UTILIZING THE IDEA I STARTED AND LIKE I SAID TIME WILL PROVE ME RIGHT....
THE SINGLE CYLINDER "D" INTAKE PORT:
I AM NOW FOCUSED ON THE SINGLE CYLINDER MOTORCYCLE RACING THAT IS WILDLY POPULAR IN THE PHILIPPINES AND IN ASIA.
AFTER COUNTLESS HOURS OF LOOKING AND ANALYZING DOZENS AND PERHAPS HUNDREDS OF PHOTO'S OF PORTED STOCK HEADS AND ALL OUT RACING HEADS FROM MILD TO WILD BEING OFFERED FOR A GOOD PRICE TO WILLING CUSTOMERS...
ONE THING COMES ABSOLUTELY CLEAR EVEN THOU I AM THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY.
AFTERMARKET CYLINDER HEADS SOLD AND OTHER PORTED HEADS OUT THERE CAN BE BEATEN!!!
JUST LIKE MY PLENUM INVENTION!
THE STOCK HEADS CAN BE PORTED WITH OR WITHOUT BIG VALVES TO BEAT THE COMPETITION!
MY OBSERVATIONS POINTS TO THE RATHER BASIC AND UNSOPHISTICATED PORTS OFFERED BY THIS MANUFACTURERS AND OR "PORTING" RACE SHOPS.
I DO NOT KNOW THEIR CREDENTIALS OR THEIR MECHANICAL OR RACING BACKGROUNDS, BUT I DO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT A ROUND PORT IS NOT THE BEST PORT FOR THIS APPLICATION.
IT HAS "DEAD ZONES" PRIMARILY ON THE FLOOR OF THE PORT (SHORT SIDE RADIUS).
THERE IS FLOW "INACTIVITY" HERE THAT JUST TAKES UP SPACE BUT DOES NOT HELP MASS FLOW RATES OR VELOCITY>A BIG ELEMENT IN A CYLINDER HEADS POWER & EFFICIENCY.
BUT LET ME CAUTION EVERYONE AND I AM NOT SAYING THEY DO NOT WORK, THEY PROBABLY DO! BUT THE GAINS ARE MORE LIKELY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE "OVERSIZE" VALVES.
THE INTAKE PORTS HOWEVER ARE ORDINARY AND NOT AS EFFICIENT AS IT CAN BE!
( Ever wonder if this things were produced with stock diamter valves like the stockers if they would really have an advantage??? )
BEFORE WE MOVE ON> SOME AFTERMARKET HEADS WITH SMALLER COMBUSTION CHAMBERS WOULD BE IDEAL FOR RACING USE DUE TO THE FACT THAT A HIGHER COMPRESSION NEGATES A NEED FOR A BIGGER DOME!
LIKE WISE IF I WOULD HAVE DESIGNED THIS HEADS, I WOULD HAVE NARROWED DOWN THE VALVE PITCH ANGLES SO IT WILL BE COMPACT AND ELIMINATE THE HUGE DOME THAT REALLY HAS NO PLACE IN A MODERN RACING ENGINE REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF CYLINDERS..
NOW IF YOU INSTALLED BIG VALVES ON YOUR STOCK HEADS YOU MAY SEE A POWER INCREASE AND THE LIMITING FACTOR NOW IS BORE SIZE AND PORT VOLUME.
SETTING ASIDE BORE SIZE>
VISUALIZE A PORT THAT IS "SHAPED EFFICIENTLY" AND RESULTS IN AN INCREASE IN FLOW?
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT A GOOD PORT REQUIRES SMALLER VALVES!
THIS BEING THE CASE THE MAJORITY OF THIS HEADS ARE "BIG VALVE DEPENDENT" AND NOT A COMBINATION OF EFFICIENT PORT AND EFFICIENT VALVE SIZING.
REMEMBER A BIGGER VALVE MAY INCREASE FLOW BUT ALSO LOWERS MAXIMUM RPMS DUE TO THE ADDED WEIGHT ON THE VALVETRAIN.
SO WHAT MUST YOU DO?
FIRST WE "MUST" MAKE THE PORT CONFIGURATION AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE!
A "D" PORT SHOWN AND COPIED LIKE THE PICTURE ABOVE WILL FLOW AND BREATHE DEEPER FOR ANY GIVEN VALVE LIFT RANGE.
-THE REASON IS THE "WIDER WIDTH" ON THE SHORT SIDE EXPOSES MOST OF THE VALVE FACE.
THE WIDER AND ROUNDED SIDES GIVE AMPLE SPACE FOR THE AIR TO TURN ON ITS DOWNWARD DIRECTION TO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS!
-WHEN THIS SIDE IS WIDER, IT TENDS TO SLOW THE VELOCITY OF THE MIXTURE @ THE SHORT SIDE RADIUS, "ENABLING" FLOW TO TURN DOWNWARD AND "HUG THE RADIUS" ON ITS WAY TO THE VALVE SEATS.
THIS RADIUS WHEN GENTLE AND SLOPING WILL RESULT IN FLOW ACTIVITY THAT IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT IN A ROUND PORT!
WHERE THE FLOW EVENTUALLY JUST "JUMPS ACROSS" THE SHORT SIDE RADIUS UNABLE TO TURN DOWN AND SLAMS STRAIGHT TO THE OTHER SIDE WHICH IS THE LONG SIDE OR HIGH SPEED PORT WALL.
THIS SCENARIO SHOWS CLEARLY THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PORT FLOWS DIRECTLY TO THE OTHER HALF OF THE VALVE ONLY!
AND A "D" PORT FIXES THIS FOR THE MOST PART.
STEPS:
1. WIDEN AND CUT AT THE CORNERS "ONLY" !
2. "NEVER" CUT AND DROP THE CENTER HEIGHT OF THE PORT FLOOR! YOU MUST "MAINTAIN" A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF SHORT SIDE RADIUS HERE.
3. MATCH AND EQUAL THE HEIGHT OF THE PORT SIDES TO THE UNTOUCH CENTER OF THE PORT FLOOR!
4. PUT A GENTLE RADIUS WHERE THE NEW WIDER FLOOR MEETS THE PORT SIDE WALLS LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES. ( This is where the floor meets the side walls)
5. LOOKING FROM THE CHAMBER SIDE>
APPLY A GENTLE AND SLOPING RADIUS FROM WHERE THE PORT FLOOR TRANSITIONS TO THE SHORT SIDE RADIUS JUST ABOVE THE VALVE SEATS.
CUT JUST ENOUGH TO ELIMINATE THE SHARP OR JAGGED EDGES.
WHEN THIS IS FINALLY DONE OBSERVED THE PORT BEFORE AND AFTER.....
BEFORE>
THE VIEW OF THE VALVES ARE COVERED AND OBSTRUCTED.
NOW>
THE VALVE FACE IS EXPOSED MORE AND OBSERVED WHEN YOU LOOK DOWNPORT....
THIS MY FRIENDS IS CALLED BASIC
"LINE OF SIGHT" PORTING WITH AN EFFECTIVE SHORT SIDE RADIUS!
BEFORE WE END THIS ARTICLE.
MY APPRECIATION TO PABLO KHO, WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE TESTING AND PROVING MY THEORY OF A "D" PORT FOR ANY SINGLE CYLINDER ENGINE LIKE THOSE USED IN UNDERBONE COMPETITION. I HAVE NO WAY OF TESTING THIS PORT CONFIGURATION TILL I MET PABLO AND I GUIDED HIM FOR MANY HOURS OF PICTURES AND CORRESPONDENCE TILL WE HIT THE JACKPOT AS I PREDICTED ALL ALONG....
GOOD JOB AND EXCELLENT TESTING SKILLS PABLO!
OUR LAST PART TESTING WAS EVALUATING THE "D" PORT ON THE EXHAUST AND THIS MY FRIENDS WORKS JUST AS WELL!
PLS. CHECK NEXT PAGE FOR THE EXHAUST PORT "D" SHAPE.
RACE SAFE FRIENDS....
BEN ALAMEDA @ BEN Alameda Racing & PARA TECH.
Article dedicated to Mentor & Friend
Charles "DC" Stevens.
SOMETIMES THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS DARING TO DEFY THE ESTABLISHED NORM IN ALL THINGS...
LIFE AS WELL AS IN RACING!
IT IS GENERALLY BELIEVE THAT AFTERMARKET PARTS ARE ALWAYS SUPERIOR TO STOCK PRODUCTION PARTS. IT MAY BE FOR THE MOST PART!!!
BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS EXCEPTION TO ANY RULE.
NOT LONG AGO I WAS THIS EXCEPTION, TURNING THE 4.6 & 5.4 RACING WORLD UPSIDE DOWN!
AT THE TIME LOOKING & OBSERVING SEVERAL 4.6-5.4 LITER ARTICLES ON MAGAZINES AND THE RACETRACKS.
ALL THE RACESHOPS "IGNORED" WHAT I SAW WAS A BOTTLENECK PREVENTING ADDITIONAL POWER OUT OF THIS ENGINE.
LATER ON, I MODIFIED THIS FACTORY "INTAKE PLENUM" AND TESTED THEM AT THE RACETRACK PRODUCING SOLID AND RELIABLE POWER FROM THE TEST SESSIONS.
EVENTUALLY I CALLED FAMOUS MAGAZINE AUTHOR>
HOT ROD MAGAZINE "HALL OF FAMER"
BOB McCLURG AND WE PROCEEDED TO DYNO TEST MY MODIFIED PLENUM.
LO AND BEHOLD 10HP & 14.9 FT/LBS OF TORQUE @ THE WHEELS!
THIS IS ABOUT CLOSE TO 13-15 HP @ THE FLYWHEEL!
THE FACTORY FORD ENGINEERS NEVER SAW THIS AND EVEN CALLED ME!
THIS IS WHEN THE HOOPLA GOT STARTED....
BELIEVERS AND HATERS CAME OUT OF THE WOODWORK FROM ALL OVER AND EVENTUALLY I WAS PROVEN RIGHT WHEN UP TO A DOZEN MANUFACTURERS FROM EDELBROCK TO TRICK FLOW PRODUCES PLENUMS UTILIZING THE IDEA I STARTED AND LIKE I SAID TIME WILL PROVE ME RIGHT....
THE SINGLE CYLINDER "D" INTAKE PORT:
I AM NOW FOCUSED ON THE SINGLE CYLINDER MOTORCYCLE RACING THAT IS WILDLY POPULAR IN THE PHILIPPINES AND IN ASIA.
AFTER COUNTLESS HOURS OF LOOKING AND ANALYZING DOZENS AND PERHAPS HUNDREDS OF PHOTO'S OF PORTED STOCK HEADS AND ALL OUT RACING HEADS FROM MILD TO WILD BEING OFFERED FOR A GOOD PRICE TO WILLING CUSTOMERS...
ONE THING COMES ABSOLUTELY CLEAR EVEN THOU I AM THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY.
AFTERMARKET CYLINDER HEADS SOLD AND OTHER PORTED HEADS OUT THERE CAN BE BEATEN!!!
JUST LIKE MY PLENUM INVENTION!
THE STOCK HEADS CAN BE PORTED WITH OR WITHOUT BIG VALVES TO BEAT THE COMPETITION!
MY OBSERVATIONS POINTS TO THE RATHER BASIC AND UNSOPHISTICATED PORTS OFFERED BY THIS MANUFACTURERS AND OR "PORTING" RACE SHOPS.
I DO NOT KNOW THEIR CREDENTIALS OR THEIR MECHANICAL OR RACING BACKGROUNDS, BUT I DO KNOW FOR A FACT THAT A ROUND PORT IS NOT THE BEST PORT FOR THIS APPLICATION.
IT HAS "DEAD ZONES" PRIMARILY ON THE FLOOR OF THE PORT (SHORT SIDE RADIUS).
THERE IS FLOW "INACTIVITY" HERE THAT JUST TAKES UP SPACE BUT DOES NOT HELP MASS FLOW RATES OR VELOCITY>A BIG ELEMENT IN A CYLINDER HEADS POWER & EFFICIENCY.
BUT LET ME CAUTION EVERYONE AND I AM NOT SAYING THEY DO NOT WORK, THEY PROBABLY DO! BUT THE GAINS ARE MORE LIKELY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE "OVERSIZE" VALVES.
THE INTAKE PORTS HOWEVER ARE ORDINARY AND NOT AS EFFICIENT AS IT CAN BE!
( Ever wonder if this things were produced with stock diamter valves like the stockers if they would really have an advantage??? )
BEFORE WE MOVE ON> SOME AFTERMARKET HEADS WITH SMALLER COMBUSTION CHAMBERS WOULD BE IDEAL FOR RACING USE DUE TO THE FACT THAT A HIGHER COMPRESSION NEGATES A NEED FOR A BIGGER DOME!
LIKE WISE IF I WOULD HAVE DESIGNED THIS HEADS, I WOULD HAVE NARROWED DOWN THE VALVE PITCH ANGLES SO IT WILL BE COMPACT AND ELIMINATE THE HUGE DOME THAT REALLY HAS NO PLACE IN A MODERN RACING ENGINE REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF CYLINDERS..
NOW IF YOU INSTALLED BIG VALVES ON YOUR STOCK HEADS YOU MAY SEE A POWER INCREASE AND THE LIMITING FACTOR NOW IS BORE SIZE AND PORT VOLUME.
SETTING ASIDE BORE SIZE>
VISUALIZE A PORT THAT IS "SHAPED EFFICIENTLY" AND RESULTS IN AN INCREASE IN FLOW?
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN PROVEN TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT A GOOD PORT REQUIRES SMALLER VALVES!
THIS BEING THE CASE THE MAJORITY OF THIS HEADS ARE "BIG VALVE DEPENDENT" AND NOT A COMBINATION OF EFFICIENT PORT AND EFFICIENT VALVE SIZING.
REMEMBER A BIGGER VALVE MAY INCREASE FLOW BUT ALSO LOWERS MAXIMUM RPMS DUE TO THE ADDED WEIGHT ON THE VALVETRAIN.
SO WHAT MUST YOU DO?
FIRST WE "MUST" MAKE THE PORT CONFIGURATION AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE!
A "D" PORT SHOWN AND COPIED LIKE THE PICTURE ABOVE WILL FLOW AND BREATHE DEEPER FOR ANY GIVEN VALVE LIFT RANGE.
-THE REASON IS THE "WIDER WIDTH" ON THE SHORT SIDE EXPOSES MOST OF THE VALVE FACE.
THE WIDER AND ROUNDED SIDES GIVE AMPLE SPACE FOR THE AIR TO TURN ON ITS DOWNWARD DIRECTION TO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS!
-WHEN THIS SIDE IS WIDER, IT TENDS TO SLOW THE VELOCITY OF THE MIXTURE @ THE SHORT SIDE RADIUS, "ENABLING" FLOW TO TURN DOWNWARD AND "HUG THE RADIUS" ON ITS WAY TO THE VALVE SEATS.
THIS RADIUS WHEN GENTLE AND SLOPING WILL RESULT IN FLOW ACTIVITY THAT IS ALMOST NON-EXISTENT IN A ROUND PORT!
WHERE THE FLOW EVENTUALLY JUST "JUMPS ACROSS" THE SHORT SIDE RADIUS UNABLE TO TURN DOWN AND SLAMS STRAIGHT TO THE OTHER SIDE WHICH IS THE LONG SIDE OR HIGH SPEED PORT WALL.
THIS SCENARIO SHOWS CLEARLY THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE PORT FLOWS DIRECTLY TO THE OTHER HALF OF THE VALVE ONLY!
AND A "D" PORT FIXES THIS FOR THE MOST PART.
STEPS:
1. WIDEN AND CUT AT THE CORNERS "ONLY" !
2. "NEVER" CUT AND DROP THE CENTER HEIGHT OF THE PORT FLOOR! YOU MUST "MAINTAIN" A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF SHORT SIDE RADIUS HERE.
3. MATCH AND EQUAL THE HEIGHT OF THE PORT SIDES TO THE UNTOUCH CENTER OF THE PORT FLOOR!
4. PUT A GENTLE RADIUS WHERE THE NEW WIDER FLOOR MEETS THE PORT SIDE WALLS LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES. ( This is where the floor meets the side walls)
5. LOOKING FROM THE CHAMBER SIDE>
APPLY A GENTLE AND SLOPING RADIUS FROM WHERE THE PORT FLOOR TRANSITIONS TO THE SHORT SIDE RADIUS JUST ABOVE THE VALVE SEATS.
CUT JUST ENOUGH TO ELIMINATE THE SHARP OR JAGGED EDGES.
WHEN THIS IS FINALLY DONE OBSERVED THE PORT BEFORE AND AFTER.....
BEFORE>
THE VIEW OF THE VALVES ARE COVERED AND OBSTRUCTED.
NOW>
THE VALVE FACE IS EXPOSED MORE AND OBSERVED WHEN YOU LOOK DOWNPORT....
THIS MY FRIENDS IS CALLED BASIC
"LINE OF SIGHT" PORTING WITH AN EFFECTIVE SHORT SIDE RADIUS!
BEFORE WE END THIS ARTICLE.
MY APPRECIATION TO PABLO KHO, WHO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE TESTING AND PROVING MY THEORY OF A "D" PORT FOR ANY SINGLE CYLINDER ENGINE LIKE THOSE USED IN UNDERBONE COMPETITION. I HAVE NO WAY OF TESTING THIS PORT CONFIGURATION TILL I MET PABLO AND I GUIDED HIM FOR MANY HOURS OF PICTURES AND CORRESPONDENCE TILL WE HIT THE JACKPOT AS I PREDICTED ALL ALONG....
GOOD JOB AND EXCELLENT TESTING SKILLS PABLO!
OUR LAST PART TESTING WAS EVALUATING THE "D" PORT ON THE EXHAUST AND THIS MY FRIENDS WORKS JUST AS WELL!
PLS. CHECK NEXT PAGE FOR THE EXHAUST PORT "D" SHAPE.
RACE SAFE FRIENDS....
BEN ALAMEDA @ BEN Alameda Racing & PARA TECH.
Article dedicated to Mentor & Friend
Charles "DC" Stevens.
Comment Box is loading comments...