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 Posted: Aug 30, 2013 07:21PM
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CA

Thanks Russ the car was a complete redo complete with the body on a rotisserie, the plumbing on the driver side is just a catch can and filter for the crankcase breather, the plumbing on the passenger side is a remote oil filter and oil pressure pickup. 

 Posted: Aug 30, 2013 07:01PM
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yan6:

Did you recently go through your whole car? It looks good.

I have a fiber glass front on mine. I put the stock radiator in the front with an electric fan also. I did all that 35 years ago.

I had changed the cam, put in 1.5 ratio rockers and lcb exhaust years ago.  All of those mods made it difficult to get good fuel mixture.

I did the one piece front to have access to the empty space under the fenders (wings). I have sheet metal inner fenders that fit the edge of the tire opening
 and keep the space under the fenders dry and fairly clean.

What is the plumbing in the right fender well?

I did not put braces on my front sib frame and have never had a problem. My car has the rigid sub frame mounts which make a difference.

I studied the SC efi but I found a secret to U.S. factory Injection systems that should make them easy to use.

I bought the seven port after reading what the europeans did with theirs.

The seven port head and fuel injection should make it easy to solve fuel mixture problems on a modified engine.

Have fun with it!

Russ

 

 

 

 

 Posted: Aug 30, 2013 05:36PM
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Hey Russ, I built it as per SC specs, a 1380 with a RE13PP cam. The cranked was wedged, lightened flywheel, orange diaphragm with a rally clutch disc (all balanced) and straight cut drops. I don’t have an intake as I have the supplied throttle bodies that bolt directly to the head, I'm not sure what size the throttle bodies or the injectors are, they are both the ones supplied by SC. As for power I don’t have much to compare it too, nor have I measured it yet. But from the seat of my pants, it seems really quick.

I havent had any flow work done on my head, but I did know someone who had. He is a racer and am sworn to secrecy on most of the details. But I can say that a lot of work went into the exhaust side of things.

 

 

 Posted: Aug 30, 2013 04:58PM
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yan6:

I have a seven port head also.

I have not done anything with it yet.

It is such a pretty jewel I hate to put it on the car where it will get dirty.

It cost enough to go well in my wife's jewelry box!

Did you do any flow work on yours?

Wat size engine do you have?

What are you using for an intake (manifold, plenum or four throttle bodies)?

What size throttle body are you using?

What size injectors?

How much power do you expect to get out of it?

Thanks,

Russ

 Posted: Aug 30, 2013 01:43PM
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I have the SC 7-port & ECU setup running on my wagon. I can answer some specific questions for you if you keep in mind that I have only had it on the road for about 3 weeks now and havent completely sorted it out yet.

 

Ryan

 Posted: Aug 30, 2013 05:59AM
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That would be great I'd like a pic of the damaged side of that one. Steve CTR)

 Posted: Aug 28, 2013 12:48PM
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Well said Steve!  How much air can be shoved through static ports won't necessarily tell you how well it really works when there are valves opening and closing 50 or 60 times a SECOND!!  And you are correct.... some simple arithmetic shows the average sewer pipe flows more than 4 IDAs on a big-block Chevy!

I might be able to take a quick photo of Todd's "modified" old piston!

 Posted: Aug 28, 2013 12:23PM
 Edited:  Aug 28, 2013 12:24PM
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Steve yeah I'll get a pic when I go up to MM this weekend and pick it up.  Jemal said they were really old 4-ring.

It had cracked the 12G938 too, which sucked cuz it was a good one.

 Posted: Aug 28, 2013 12:10PM
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Hate to ask but I never got a picture of the side of the burnt piston. I'd still be interested in seeing it. Steve (CTR)

Don't get confused flow numbers don't tell the whole story. I sewer pipe has high flow numbers.

 Posted: Aug 28, 2013 11:26AM
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US

"...Nevada City police called me this morning, apparently MM had a break-in and my head is missing..."

 

Have you checked up your arse? ;-)
Just joking... Give me a straight line & I can't resist....  

 Posted: Aug 28, 2013 10:42AM
 Edited:  Aug 28, 2013 11:12AM
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Image Gallery

mbruskin I wish I could tell you, have really been looking forward to my Minimania 5-port.

They are more popular with the Spridget guys who claim they flow up to 30% better than stock - getting into Longman GT5/GT6 territory.

The attached flowbench compares:

  • BMC Works Cast iron Westlake design 8-port x-flow cylinder head tested by David Anton at APT in California
  • Ken Elder aluMINIum 8-port x-flow
  • Pierce Manifolds aluMINIum 5-port
  • Mini Sport modified 12G940 stage II
  • David Vizard data from 'well ported' 12G940

Initially the Pierce looks the worst, but this is an out of the box, as-cast 5-port.  The rest are either 8-port or are heavily worked - so I still think bang for buck-wise, a few hours spent porting the Pierce gets you into the big leagues.  As Jemal says the valve spacing, heat and weight savings make it a great longterm proposition to drive now and open up later as the wallet permits.

But Nevada City police called me this morning, apparently MM had a break-in and my head is missing.  An inside job they think.

Somebody has been stealing specialty parts, taking them home and fondling them - and god knows what else - under the pretense of "polishing".  Disgusting - my 5-port isn't anywhere close to 18 years old.

 Posted: Aug 28, 2013 10:27AM
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I do like the aluminum head for a number of reasons. The weight savings alone is not insignificant. that's a big lump of cast iron right over the front wheels!  As to performance, the as-cast state of these with the standard 1.3" intakes and 1.15" exhaust render the head as a lightweight alternative "replacement head".  The comparison charts I have seen posted do not detail the build-level, so one can assume the "Peirce Head" is tested right out of the box!

The big advantage of the aluminum head is when BIG valves are needed on a big bore engine. The valves are cast further apart which allows valve sizes impossible with the stock castings without expensive off-set guides.  My own Cooper Road Mini 1380 runs one specially built by me, running 1.44" Rimflow intakes, and 1.22" exhaust valves.  These would OVERLAP in the stock 12G940 castings!  

Of course, another big advantage is the ease with which the aluminum casting can be cleaned up and/or ported.  In just a couple of hours last night, I chased all the rough edges and blended the shape of all the ports for the head we are installing on the 1330 we are building for our friend Air2Air. That would be MUCH more painful and time consuming on cast iron!

 Posted: Aug 28, 2013 09:00AM
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No comment here on the head- but if you really want to get wild-  Go with a Megasquirt.  

Dump the entire MEMS ecu sytem and go stand alone... FUlly programmable  - Can change ever aspect- Timing, dwell - and even drives Fuel injectors if you take that route.

Fully customable to any need.

 Posted: Aug 28, 2013 08:39AM
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They do allow higher compression ratio before detonation. It takes some calculation to get it right. You might try a Sprite/Midget or even MGB forum where they tend to have more experience with the aluminum heads.

Kelley

"If you can afford the car, you can afford the manual..."

 Posted: Aug 27, 2013 02:35PM
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the testing of aluminum heads that has been posted here before, as I remember, shows they don't do much for performance, other than reduce some pounds

a ported alu head flows the same as a ported iron head

Not much point, other than for bling factor.

Norm

 Posted: Aug 27, 2013 01:34PM
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Thanks for the link.

 

Murray

 

 Posted: Aug 27, 2013 01:27PM
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US

Wow...  Nobody?  Used to be several folks who had them and could post on them.

You might try the TurboMinis forum, mbruskin.  There might be some folks over there with experience.  Definitely folks there with alternative ECU experience.

**Dr. jinG**

"I tell you and you forget. I show you and you remember. I involve you and you understand." ~ Eric Butterworth
"The true charter of liberty is independence, maintained by force." ~Voltaire

 Posted: Aug 26, 2013 12:59PM
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I have a stock 1275 SPI and want to put on an aluminum head. My plan would be to change to a Specialist Components (SC) ecu that will use a laptop for tuning on a dyno. I would like to get some feedback (pros and cons) from anyone that has converted to an aluminum head. It's interesting to read about the 7 port heads, but I would probably stay with a 5 port head.

Thanks,

 

Murray