Building a Flowbench

[a4]

Has anyone ever built a flowbench from any of the many designs and satisfied with the results?
wi50's head project is what I would like to try on my 6 cyl Deere.

 

[wi50]

A friend and I built one years agoe. I won't do it again, not that one can't build a good unit, but the time and cost just isn't worth it, not only the building, but the testing of the unit itself and learning and fixing it's flaws. I'd rather work on my projects, than work on something to do my projects. I bought myself a nice Superflow SF600.

I see a $1000-1500 electronic unit that is avaliable to use with a large shop vac. But one really needs something capeable of pulling a fair bit of depression. I feel that it would not be the best choice, better than nothing but you get what you pay for.

I know it's a pricey piece of equipment, but the ownership cost of a commercialy produced unit isn't that high in the end. Find a decent deal on one and it won't cost you much to own it. Spend some money up front running around and testing, if you're lucky your money will buy knowledge, ideas, experience and not just a simple test. Some people will work with you, some just plain are only interested in a small block chevy. If you find one who knows everything, go somewhere else.

The best money I spend is hireing a fella to do some testing, I can do it on my own, but it's nice to double check some things. He shares some ideas and information and sends me home with more than I came with allong with some interesting pieces to test.

What 6 cyl deere head?

 

[MH49]

Lots of information and a discussion forum at the link below. . The owner is into Garden Tractor Pulling so he at least understands what you are up to
Flow Bench Tech

 

[Anonymous-0]

Thank you for your reply It makes alot of sense.I have someone in mind it will just take many trips back and forth.

The Deere head is a 55 series nat gas. Basically a 55 series Diesel with factory spark plugs.
I has been worked over but only flows around 228. The man said the swirl damns were the big factor in its poor flow.

al

 

[wi50]

that's interesting. I've got a 55 series head in the back of the shop from a compressed natural gas engine I bught from an irrigation engine out of Copland Kansas years agoe. I've been saveing it for a project. Those swirl dams are really in the way. I need to test it someday and then start cutting them out of the way and see what increases there is. That head has some nice features, the chamber is shaped verry nice to help the vlave flow coeffieient better than earlier heads. The way the bowls are cast one could really take advantage of a large bore and a large valve if the swirl dams were cut out. I think in stock form they are not that impressive but if someone really works one over it's going to be rough on the competition. We'll probably find out sooner or later.

The early 55 series heads are said to be a bit better than later ones as far as being cast a bit different and able to port the right areas. Or so I've been told. Mine is an early one and weighs in quite a bit heavier than later ones.

 

[Anonymous-0]

He had a device to measure casting thickness and said we would be into the water by taking the swirl damns out. Ive done some pretty crazy things with a pre heat oven and cast iron before so that is where I'm at,It's no good to me in this form. He made it into a 6 individual round intake port with epoxy, actually lost some on the cfm but gained in velocity.

 

[brucepts]

A good home built flowbench can be built in a home shop I've had many people build my flowbench from my flowbench forum and it rivals if not is better than a commercial unit. My bench design can be built to flow 600cfm @28" using 220v 50amps can't do that with a SF600 it's rated for 600cfm @25"

For a full blown 600@28" digital gauges electronic speed control flowbench will cost around $2500, if you need less cfm capacity you can do it for less. Build your own water gauges and it drops even further down in price. Cost depends on the vacuum motors you get which in my opinion is the main thing not to cut costs on.

And yes I pulled Garden Tractors but now concentrate on flowbenches.

PS Don't be hypnotized into thinking you have to Buy "Big Blue" might be surprised into what professional shops use something other than a "Big Blue" flowbench