Flowbench Testing Basics: How "we" do it

Today we take a look back at some early Unity Motorsports Garage videos and dig into the basics of how we flow test cylinder heads. Using ‪@DavidVizard‬ s IOP program we enter as much info as we can get about the runners to be flowed. We CC the ports and combustion chamber to get the port Volumes, Measure the length of the port all before we begin testing on the #Superflow flowbench. once completed we use DV's IOP to then determine what needs to be done to the port. for this test we used a OLD TrickFlow Twisted Wedge head that belongs to my friend Eric Hester of M&E engine services (The official Machine Shop of Unity Motorsports
Garage)
#headporting #ford #Trickflow

[@mikecondoluci53]

ANDY YOUR SO LUCKY TO WORK ALONGSIDE DV , YOU COULDNT PICK A BETTER PERSON TO LEARN FROM , I WISH I COULD MEET HIM , HES A LEGEND

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

I'm really blessed in that regard Mike! I don't take it for granted Andy

[@bruce1816]

Thanks, Andy, i used to work in a performance shop back in the 90s. The owner bought a flow bench as well as a dyno. Nobody in the shop knew anything about either. I used to read all of David's books, and i tried to teach myself about the flow bench. i left there and went back to engineering school, but I still worked part-time. Unfortunately, when i finished college, the owner died in a car accident and the shop closed. Now I'm retired but have always been interested in cylinder head work. Thank you for this video and would love to learn more.

[@johnelliott7375]

I did , I learned that I have a good amount of learning and time to invest in myself. Thanks for sharing your time and your work with us. Have a great evening.

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

Thank you John! Hope all is well your way Andy

[@paulbruno8327]

Hi Andy, I hope the header situation is getting resolved with Casper. If not, it’ll get there soon! When I went to Automotive school, the teachers would sometimes ask us to come up with a way of doing something to get us involved or extra credit on a test. I came up with an idea along the lines of the subject of this video you just showed. I suggested putting duct tape over the port and put clay in the guides to seal them, then fill the cavity with water up to the valve seat. Then pour the water out into a measuring cup, and allow for a little bit for the water residue coating the surfaces.

[@jamesford2942]

Thanks Andy for the good explanation.

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

Im glad you enjoyed it james! Andy

[@johnelliott7375]

Good evening Andy I hope that you are doing well, I hope that you are enjoying your work now. Great day to you on Thursday. I will watch anyways I will probably learn something new. It could be worse so do worry about it.

[@curvs4me]

That IOP setup is the best information I've ever seen. I've researched the best of the best. Every winning big name, everything I could gather from pro stock guys like W Johnson etc. Nascar winning builders. F1 port design and methodology. You name it. DV has the clearest detailed explanation on why and how ports flow. For guys wanting to start epoxying port floors, his info will get you started on the road to better flow. I want to start casting aluminum as the next evolution. I have visualized very high port single overhead cam designs. With single cam can get the head weight, width, and height down. Stealing cam in cam design can give you the way to independently vary intake and exhaust timing. With near perpendicular to valve face ports, VE should be off the charts in a cloverleaf 4 valve canted valve chamber. Gotta get that casting down and experiment with a single cylinder test mule.

[@wlogue]

Thanks Andy, enjoyed as always!

[@lynnrunningdeer7364]

It's called making your band an orchestra.

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

That's exactly right Lynn Andy

[@theshed8802]

Good video Andy.

[@rlld23]

Is there a video on how to build a flow bench at home? Did David ever do a video on how to build one like his book says? Thanks for any info Andy and love your videos!!!

[@brokentoolgarage8609]

Nice!

[@dondotterer24]

I'm sure you seen DV'S book about building a floating pressure flow bench. But I built one with 4 motors rated at 97 cfm each and had a Hegelson calibration plate made for it. How many motors should I turn on and when. Thanks for the great videos and helping DV.

[@dondotterer24]

@@seanb250 Thank you very much for the valuable information. I really appreciate it. Yes I'm sure I made some mistakes. Here is what I did. Manometer is 2 yard sticks both slide up and down .3/16 hose mounted 20"down from the bore fixture.4' x4" pvc and put 1" plastic light diffuser screen going into elbow to 2'x 6" to the bench.i did not make valves to block off motors.the bores are only 4 " long, might be a problem? The box is 3/4 MDF sealed up with a removable top with alo of threaded 1/4 bolt inserts and made a gasket.i turn the box around to switch from intake and exhaust.

[@EJProMods]

I'm considering to buy IOP program, but there are very little information how to use it and interpretate different data. There are few videos on DV channel but most about specific heads but not about the program it self. Will be great to get video like this, but much more in detail.

[@johnflett2531]

I've been wondering, can the IOP program accommodate split intake port heads such as the early "B" 4.6l 4v heads? I have a boosted mustang using those heads that in my opinion put out very sub-par rwhp (considering the combo). I have multiple spare sets (of B heads that is) to experiment with and I want to poly quad a pair of them (if it's possible with split port heads).

[@twinturbocoyoteftw]

I wish i had one of your high compression solid roller hammer head windsors in my fox! Just cant quite fit it in the budget!

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

It took me two years to get MIXED UP BOSS finished and I did a bunch of horse trading to help save money.. I can't wait to finally make a pass with Casper! Thanks for watching Andy

[@hippiemiller]

👍👍

[@TheOfficial_InsaneStang]

Andy… I got bad news brother… as you know, I have “Mean Green” my big block 68 F100 drag/street truck… well, I’ve been keeping it at my dads place because it’s behind a 6 foot privacy fence, and so my dad needed the yard mowed and i recently had surgery and could go do it myself… well… those “boys” knowing my dad who’s on hospice and can’t get out of bed… stole the wheels, the carbs off the tunnel ram, the spare C6s I had, a lot of my tools, my floor jacks, and the battery out of my John Deer riding mower! …. I still have the big cam 390 engine I guess I can sell to get some wheels and maybe some used carbs… so I can bring the truck to my house… but dang man.. it’s even hard to find anyone around here that would want a Ford FE anymore! 🤦‍♂️ I’m freakin heart broken man… anyway, I hope to see Casper kickin’ butt soon!

[@____MC____]

Ah, yes, the boys and teens like to run amuck at that age.

[@JC-gw3yo]

I like your cap...

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

Thanks J C !

[@KompressorPete]

Thanks for sharing - I actually thought you were doing this for a living - well done 😊 Could you maybe talk about a flow plate or How to get cfm if you dont have a flowmeter and only a vacuum cleaner not quite strong enough to pull 28” water at say 0.5” lift? Best regards - Peter from Denmark - Europe

[@TheProchargedmopar]

👍💪

[@bilibonka]

How to buy that IOP program? Earlier I have seen it at DV site. But now his site is "under construction ".

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

DV's program sales have been paused until he gets logistics figured out Marvin his former partner handled the sales.. stay tuned Andy

[@bcbloc02]

I would like to see more detail on how the data is collected and measured and then entered into the IOP. Like is the port velocity measured or calculated? I have seen DV test velcity within the port but I didn't see anyway here to measure that so I assume it os a calculated value based on the port dimensions you put in.

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

It's calculated in the program but we do measure velocity with a pitot tube from time to time depending on what we are working on.. Andy

[@Comet-hn3gm]

I like it. Here is to making some income !

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

Thanks Comet!

[@blackdog7275]

Came from UTG, like sub share.

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

Thanks Blackdog! Andy

[@ArthurSperotto]

How could one get access to DV's cam program?

[@vrm86gt]

Thanks Andy! what valve job would you use to restore those low lift flow numbers?

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

One thing on these heads the valve had been sunken in the seat and the seat width itself was too wide. The solution was to install a 2.05 valve Thanks Andy

[@vrm86gt]

@@UnityMotorSportsGarage gotcha, even better!

[@jackwillson8099]

We're can I buy Mr. Viz flow bench soft ware

[@msk3905]

Question, you test at 28” Mg what is manifold pulling in an engine when running?

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

That is a good interesting question... It depends on the swept volume of the cylinder in the engine.. for example let's use a stock E7 Ford 302 head that flows 150ish CFM. The normal rule of thumb is you can make 2X the given CFM the head will flow. But if you install that same head on a 408 Windsor it will exceed the rule of thumb and make more power because the engine has a greater depression pull on the intake port. Years ago Smoky Yunick pretty much helped standardize the 28" as a rule that Cylinder head flow rates are based on. Hope this helps Andy

[@dondotterer24]

Do you you calculate the radius of the ports when you measure them or maybe not that important?

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

That is a very good question and to answer that we do calculate the radius!

[@dondotterer24]

@@UnityMotorSportsGarage great

[@andrewburlock2653]

Hi Andy. This is a bit off topic but related to another video you did. You and D.V mention that you shoot for 1.4 lb/ft per cuin which is supposed to be very good. My question is this; is it possible to achieve that with a lower rpm engine like one built for towing or is that more for a street strip engine? My second question is are some bore stroke combinations better at making torque than others thus more likely to achieve 1.4 lb/ft? Ok that was two questions my bad. I'm relating this to an FE towing engine build. I don't think the FE engines are very efficient and I'm not sure that 1.4 lb/ft is possible with them. Thanks Andrew

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

It can be done on a FE what size FE do you have? Andy

[@andrewburlock2653]

@@UnityMotorSportsGarage Hi Andy. I have a 390 almost finished right now but am considering a stroker kit. There are not many aftermarket cylinder heads available for the FE and my fear is that the stock heads will be the downfall of the efficiency and limit potential torque. Andrew

[@NotSure723]

I have an IOP question. Is the throat diameter just the inner diameter of the valve seat insert, or is it the narrowest part of the port? And if it's the narrowest part, what do you do, if it's not round?

[@NotSure723]

@@seanb250 How is it measured? Do you have to make a mold, and section it apart? Just to clarify, you are saying the throat diameter, is also the _same as_ minimum cross sectional area?

[@seanb250]

@@NotSure723 the throat diameter CAN be the minimum cross sectional area but it doesn’t have to be and generally isn’t, the pushrod pinch is generally the min area point. Making a mould is an excellent way to do it otherwise it’s a case of careful measurement and putting those measurements into a cad program that can calculate it for you or draw it on grid paper and start counting 😂 The one thing I did notice Andy not do when measuring the port opening is take the corner radius’s into account, it’s amazing how much area is to be accounted for in the radius corners.

[@NotSure723]

@@seanb250 "The one thing I did notice Andy not do when measuring the port opening is take the corner radius’s into account, it’s amazing how much area is to be accounted for in the radius corners." -I noticed that too. The IOP program has corner to corner inputs, presumably for that purpose.

[@cassandraclark8568]

Isn't it inconsequential what cc's the runners are, I mean in a BBC application you have 1 long runner & 1 short runner, I alike Matt Bieneman, Darin Morgan & others don't see the actual relevance in it

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

The problem is, with the BBC you will never get those two different length runners to do the same thing.. But if can close the gap between the two then it's a win. Andy

[@johnshackelford6965]

Cam & load 1970 340 374 hp Tommy Bosher look in the mirror say Dodge Chrysler Plymouth DART 3 time's.

[@johnvegar9098]

Can you repeat what you were saying about the…um…thing?

[@glennmanchester5696]

I dont understand why youd open the valve past .060 or 070 thousandths and check flow who's gonna run anything with a 100 thousandths valve opening ? All cams are advertised at fifty maybe im wrong idk maybe im misunderstanding what you did here and why

[@v8packard]

Not sure if you mean .600 or .700 valve lift. While duration at .050 is one spec (of many) often published for camshafts, typical street cams are .450-.600 lift these days, race cams can be much much more lift. And while you may have a point that one cam or another doesn't reach .700 lift, testing at higher lifts does reveal aspects of the port like stability, tendency to reversion, and so on. The bigger picture is often very revealing.

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

@@v8packard that's exactly right! It's about understanding the results you see so that you can make changes in the proper places to improve the ports efficiency Andy

[@glennmanchester5696]

Yeah I wasnt thinking straight i put the bong down and I was ok later on my bad man I apologize it was just one of those nights I dont usually partake in such things but last night was one of two or 3 a year when I did so yeah I should have just kept my mouth shut pervebally

[@glennmanchester5696]

Yeah that lol

[@johnnypenhale5743]

Hi Andy can have a contact for via email as I have some work if you're interested or able maybe you or David

[@UnityMotorSportsGarage]

We aren't taking any work at this time.. I'm helping DV get caught up on existing projects in his shop and due to his health we decided it would be best to stop all incoming work

[@johnnypenhale5743]

Ok bro thanks for taking the time to get back to me👍