[TPR] "We don't want Aussie Heads Mate!"

Mon May 28 09:13:09 PDT 2012

Dear Mr. Instigator,

                 See responses below.

From: Mad Dog Antenucci [mailto:teampantera at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2012 8:56 AM
To: Charles Engles; 'Asa Jay Laughton'; tpr at teampanteraracing.com
Subject: "We don't want Aussie Heads Mate!"

Hey Doc,

Since I do it so well let me play devil's advocate here from half way around
the world.

Why use Aussie heads that only produce 375 to 400 Hp in street form when you
can run closed chamber Cleveland heads that someone has thrown away or 302B
and/or any similar alum heads that make so much more Hp (475-525 at the REAR
wheels)?! ;-]>

$$$$$$$   In my case, I used the Aussie heads because I had expectations of
a street engine and was impressed by the reports of more low end torque with
the Aussies.  I also used Aussies because I was a rank rookie engine builder
and had modest hopes for the engine.   They were my  "beginner" engine
heads.   In short order, I became more ambitious and moved on to 4V quench
heads.    

If the answer is, "because I don't have cool 302B alum heads like you
dawg"....or its, "the Aussie heads are just better"...then I gotta say since
I am IN Australia now and I am hearing from the boys down under who want to
seriously go fast that they all want quench or closed chamber heads. They
will pay YOU to take their Aussie heads!!! Yea even in street modified
weekend race engines that get driven on the street.  ;-]>

$$$$$$$$   I am confused.   You are saying that the Aussies don't want the
Aussie 2V heads and that they want 4V quench heads??   They're giving away
2V Aussie heads, figuratively speaking???

Working for sheep herders wages down under I'll take a Aussie BLOCK if I can
find one cheeep ecause I know they gotta be special because Jack keeps
telling me that like he keeps telling me someone is gonna make a NEW
Cleveland block to replace my 10 over Cleveland magic jack block I got from
JB but I don't think thats gonna happen. I suspect in September when I come
back to the States to kick some bow tie ass at Silver Sate it will be
driving that  same stock Pantera averaging somewhere around 150 Mph then
driving to the Green Lantern to shame all the bow tie slackers pretending
they are real 

racers ;-]>

$$$$$$$      The commonly available Aussie block is a bit better perhaps
than the increasingly hard to find American Cleveland block.   They can
certainly be used with proper sonic testing evaluation.    IIRC they have a
different distributor shaft diameter that must be noted and fixed by the
machine shop before engine assembly begins during the block preparation
phase.      The New Cleveland *aluminum* block from MME is reported to be
for sale at $4500.   Iron blocks are to follow and that price is to be
determined.

Okay rant over. Is it too soon to mention who won the Indy? ;-]>

$$$$$$   Somebody..I can't remember who.   I have pretty much have only
superficial interest in the Indy and the Indy Racing League.

PS  did the Drewster ever get his engine running again?

$$$$$$$    *I think so*.    IIRC, he and Lori decided to bring only one of
their Panteras to Phoenix and I don't think Mike was completely confident in
the fresh rebuild to take it, so I think they took Lori's Pantera.

                Warmest regards,  Chuck Engles

Aussie Dawg Down Under

Team Pantera Racing

"No One Gets Out Alive" 

<www.teampanteraracing.com>

  _____  

From: Charles Engles <cengles at cox.net>
To: 'Asa Jay Laughton' <asajay at asajay.com>; detomaso at list.realbig.com;
tpr at teampanteraracing.com 
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 1:06 PM
Subject: Re: [TPR] Piston Ring Rotation.

Dear Asa,

            The first and second engines I built were done with the standard
ring positioning protocol.  I then learned the truth: the rings *move*
during engine operation.  They do not remain permanently in place.    The
first two engines were with Aussie heads and made 401 and 385 hp.

            The next two engines were built with 4v heads and absolute
carefree disregard for the prime ring directive.  Dyno testing showed 440
and 485 hp.

            I am about to begin the next engine and I will continue with my
laissez-faire piston ring assembly.  It doesn't seem to hurt engine
performance.....!

                  Scientifically yours,  Chuck Engles

Original Message-----
From: tpr-bounces at teampanteraracing.com
[mailto:tpr-bounces at teampanteraracing.com] On Behalf Of Asa Jay Laughton
Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2012 1:59 PM
To: detomaso at list.realbig.com; tpr at teampanteraracing.com
Subject: [TPR] Piston Ring Rotation.

Most of us are aware of the proper ring positioning when assembly an engine:
http://www.351c.info/gallery2/d/218-1/ringspacing.jpg
The two compression rings should be spaced about 30* (or about one inch)
from the front centerline of the piston, one on either side.  The oil ring
segments are the same on the opposite  side of the piston toward the rear.
The illustration above shows this quite well.

But do the rings rotate after assembly?

A few years ago at the POCA Fun Rally, Jack had an expert who was familiar
with pistons.  He said indeed the rings do rotate, so in the end it doesn't
really matter where you index them to start with... 
they're going to move.

Today I recorded the ring locations on my forensics engine.  I had been
careful not to turn the rings on the pistons when I removed the pistons/rods
from the engine previously.  Because I can't insure they didn't move at all,
the relationships below are rounded.  Here are the results.  My "timing" is
from the -front- of the engine, moving clockwise.  The piston position at 12
o'clock is the part facing front, the position at 6 o-clock is at the rear.

The first compression ring is at the top, the second on the bottom.

Piston    1st Comp    2nd Comp    Oil/Oil
#1        8 o-clock  4 o-clock    4/2
#2        10          11          12/3
#3        10          2            10/1  (probably the only one closest 
to installed)
#4        8          8            8/8  (All ring gaps were lined up)

#5        9          2            5/5
#6        12          9            5/5
#7        5          4            6/5
#8        9          3            3/7

As you can see, they are all over the place.  I'll work up a good
illustration and post it later.

Does this mean I won't index them the next time I assemble and engine?  
Actually, I'll most likely still index them when assembling, only because
I'm anal about those things and I do believe spacing them does assist with
initial break in.  If they are spaced the same, I look at that as an easy
path for compression gasses to get past.  In other words, gases might get
past the lower tension oil ring segments and past the gap in the bottom
compression ring but then they'll have to travel around the edge a while
before they meet up with the gap in the upper ring.  In the end, it may not
really matter.

Asa Jay
Pantera Research Institute, Pacific Northwest

--
Asa Jay Laughton, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
&  Shelley Marie
Spokane, WA
******************************
http://www.racingagainstautism.com
http://www.teampanteraracing.com
http://facebook.com/racingagainstautism

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