The Mad Scientist Crossflow

[ando76 4,354]

Thanks team but the shop ute will be a good test bed.  Looks like I just scored another XF ute from the pricey some of one carton of Corona.  It has a bench seat (which I need) and actually has less rust than the current ute.  Never mind I will get what I need from it and probably fix it and flog it as well - although my other nephew is just about to start driving so maybe a good first car/ute. 

 

Was actually supposed to be picking up a very rusty XE ute on Saturday for $200 it had a cracker bench seat, good tailgate and surprisingly rust free bonnet. Might still get it as well - they are starting to breed.  Damn. 

 

If the XF (Corona) ute motor runs good it might be going straight into the shop ute with a Holley carb - aussiespeed manifold and set of extractors.  Just as a baseline engine while I sort this Mad Scientist engine out.  Oh and the Clevo will be here Friday/Monday.  Gotta get my finger out.

[ando76 4,354]

Well its started to seriously piss with rain here just now.  Looks like panel work stalls and the Mad scientist crossflow is back on. 

 

Oh and wet roads for buggy sliding on Saturday arvo.  Yahoo. 

 

Bloody TC Nathan - wish he would make his mind up - come in and then piss off. 

[ando76 4,354]

And as quick as the rain came - its gone.  Think Saturday will be attempt no.2 to get the bottom end together.  Yahoo.

[ando76 4,354]

Zero work on the mad scientist crossflow today.  I bought the XE ute I was looking at for $200 and I spent all day pulling bits and pieces from it.

 

I turned out to be a good score - lots of good bits and pieces and I sold the XE bonnet for $100 so I am winning already.

 

I'm thinking next week I am just going to have to go back into the shed after home time and get this thing assembled. 

 

Thing is the XF ute I scored for a carton of corona is a 91 model and it has just 122000k's on it and runs as sweet as a nut.  I may end up in the shop ute first up after all with headers, manifold and carby.  should be a good baseline - Yeah - think I will do that. 

 

sorry for the off track - but that is really how my life is going at the moment. 

[ando76 4,354]

Not so much engine work in the coming days. I started to repair what I thought was just a bit of rear 1/4 damage;

 

 

and ended up with this thanks to some freak thinking he needed to add 10mm of bog to the whole side and fuck up the whole shape of the ute.

 

 

Never mind I will use the whole side off the rusty XE ute I have. It's rusty in the usual spots but at least it is not full of bog. Seriously I have no clue why people do this. Never mind - onwards and upwards. If the ute was not so so good in the plenum and sills and I had not pumped so much time into getting the passenger side arrow straight and rust free I would have ditched the whole ute.

 

These things are set to test us. Hopefully Saturday will actually bring some further work on the actual engine.....

[tpak addict 1,909]

oh wow!!!

[ando76 4,354]

Don't stress - by Friday it should be all zipped back up and looking like a ute again.  Look on the bright side - I have great access to the minimal rust in the inner panels now.  lol.

[ando76 4,354]

 

All the rust in the inner panels has been repaired as well as the usual rust around the rear 1/4 windows.

 

Had to re-bush the driver door hinges and hang the door so that I could make sure that all the character lines met. They came up a treat. Had to deal with a bit of surface rust on the inner of the new panel as well. It has all been converted now and has a nice coat of industrial black. Should outlast me now.

 

Will finish welding the panel in tomorrow and then the Clevo heads are off to the flow bench. I think I need a break from rust work and with Easter coming up and a short week next week I reckon I might do some work on the engine. Since that is the purpose of this thread. Damn I wish I could stay on track.

[winton 399]

Umm the fuel caps on the wrong side

What's with that?

[ando76 4,354]

Well spotted mate.  Someone's attempt at a long range fuel system on the previous car.  Sadly their welding skills leave a lot to be desired.  It's bogged heavily and will be going.  I need to get the bottom sections repaired first then I will cut it out and fab up a piece in the folder to replace it - or maybe cut a piece from one of the other utes lying around this place. 

[slydog 7,873]

Already got skid rims on it bruz

[ando76 4,354]

Yeah BA 15 inch.  they tuck in a bit hey.  helps with welding the edges of the guard.  LOL.  Nah they were the only ones in the shed that were holding air so on they went.

[ando76 4,354]

Okay time for an update.  I tried the turned main cap on the .030 block but there is something seriously bad going on in the tunnel of that block.  It needs a line bore and that is money I do not have for this build, SO....

 

In comes the new Mad Scientist crossflow plan.  Not really that much of a deviation really and very close to Jason Stoodley's old combo that Sly listed in Nathan's thread.

 

So now the block is an 80DA (still and old rope seal block) that is .020 over and had not seen to many oil changes.  Yes I spent the best part of a day cleaning out sludge from everywhere including the oil galleries. 

 

Pistons will be .020 ACL race with 8.5cc dish on balanced 250 rods - standard rod bolts.

 

The deck on this block has had a good hair cut so with the 47cc chamber big valve D head I will be at 10.83:1 comp. 

 

I'm tipping that this thing will be a very grunty little pig now. 

 

I didn't take any photos of the new block.  It has had the exact same prep as what I did to the .030 block.  I'll clean up the pistons tomorrow, hone the block and then after a good clean it will be assembly time.  Hopefully no tunnel issues this time and I can actually get a short motor assembled. 

 

I am going to try and keep this thread on track with just the engine stuff and no more panel work photo - well not until the Mad Scientist engine gets swung into its new home. 

 

Photos tomorrow - I promise. 

[LJDB 103]

Mine had a little over 11 comp and i had issues with pinging and couldnt run any timing. My unmarked hf4 has been machined a fair bit and has around a 47cc chamber. If you get a chance can you post a pic of your cylinder head chamber, I ended up lowering the comp with a head saver shim to around 10.3 to make it more friendly on the street. I've read others running high comp on 98 ect but mine didnt like timing.

[ando76 4,354]

What camshaft mate?  10.8 is a bit different to over 11.  I still have to re-check the deck height when I get the 8.5cc dish piston in.  I checked the deck height with the stock pistons and I used those figures with when I did the compression calculations.  No biggy as I can take a bit more out of the chamber if needed and I will probably pick up a bit more flow as well - winning. 

 

I'll take a photo of the chamber in the AM.  It is nothing special - just the usual inlet lay back and swirl edge removed.  I know it is bang on 47cc as I measured it. 

 

I run all my petrol stuff on 98.  The other crap is just not worth the hassle up here. 

[LJDB 103]

Its not a crow but these are the specs. I couldn't run more than 28 degrees locked with a tfi and street fire msd, or regraphed XE dizzy using 98 with octane booster. The TFI definitely feels better and im spewing I didn't get a programmable 6al. Even now with the lowered comp I can only run 30 locked without booster.

[matt_lamb_160 252]

Great info mate, it is helpful for others looking at pushing the comp boundary.

 

The inlet profile on that cam is not super aggressive for 10+:1 and is probably the issue. You are only giving up 2-4deg of timing so possibly not a huge issue. If the inlet was more like the exhaust, I would aim at 10:1.

 

Programmable, would have been the go but oh well I guess (Sly loves his fixed). When do you have pinging issues (revs, etc.)? What does it start like with that locked timing

[slydog 7,873]

Cantech have this covered by shorter lobe sep to dump comp down low and still ulp friendly.

 

I did run 11.7 comp on 98 and nulon booster with 650lift 270 @50 on 106 lobe sep. Only rattle in high gear at part throttle with 32-34 degrees timing, everywhere else it was fine.New engine has 12.3 comp on AvGas with more camshaft and it never rattles.

 

But back to Andos engine.

[LJDB 103]

It turns over ok with a au starter but you can tell its got some comp. It will only ping when im being lazy, being 4 speed with 3.7 sometimes going back to 2nd is a bit much for cruising around town and 3rd pulls pretty good for overtaking. I also have another cam laying around which is very similar

[matt_lamb_160 252]

Yes Sly, shorter lobe sep will help (not that 109 is too wide), so will all the extra cam. On a big custom cam I would use 106 lobe sep as Camtech selected for you.

 

That's not a bad looking cam that one LJBD.

 

Looking forward to seeing seeing that chamber Ando.

[ando76 4,354]

LJDB - as already said that inlet profile is causing the pinging issue with your comp.  I'm at .529 & .548 on 110.  That and your locked timing.  This really highlights the advantages in a street application of being able to alter timing. 

 

Anyway back on track;

 

Chamber

 

 

Porting

 

 

Yes I need to fix that gasket overlap. Its just glued on there at the moment. I will trim the gasket tomorrow.

[ando76 4,354]

Block

 

 

Bit more so you can see the results of today's quick hone

 

[Lord_fahrquhar 2,580]

Hot as fuck

[ando76 4,354]

Pistons and 250 rods (balanced) with stock rod bolts

 

 

Shot of the dish

 

 

These are ACL Duralite RA4102 from memory. Looking at the dish beside my .030 200 rod piston 8.5cc dish, I think these have a bit more dish. Might have to look them up. Never mind a drop in comp will not stress me.

[ando76 4,354]

 

 

Yes I have a serious crossflow addiction.