<VV> Squish area article in Pop Sci mag -Long -little Corvair

cash case cash.case@sbcglobal.net
Thu, 19 Aug 2004 09:16:53 -0500


Sorry for the double post on VV and FV, but I would like to here as 
many opinions on this as possible.

This is a very interesting article.

For those interested I'd go buy the sept 2004 issue.

Since some of our Corvair engines seems to have pre-detonation problems 
I read this with interest. After reading I wonder if modifying some 110 
heads this way wouldn't be an intriguing test.

What this fellow's doing seems completely wrong. He is cutting a series 
of grooves in the combustion area in the head. His thoughts were to 
cause even more turbulence then just having a squish area. They've got 
pictures in the article showing some of the modified heads. I don't 
know how the heads are not detonating all over the place.

He apparently has been trying for years to get some one in the 
automotive industry to notice his work. Usually he just gets blown off, 
but he finally got permission from an engine manufacturer to test his 
work on a dynamometer. The only engine manufacturer that would allow 
him to do the tests was Briggs and Stratton.
Apparently its very hard to get this kind of thing done in the middle 
of India, that's where this guy's from.

The fellow got his data back and and in the article claims the data 
says that from 2000 rpms to 2800 the modified engine used between 10 
and 42 percent less fuel and yet seemed to have no appreciable loss in 
torque or power then an unmodified twin motor running the same tests.

I bring this up because we usually try to get any sharp or semi sharp 
edges out of our Corvair heads. Some of the grooves this guy cuts into 
the heads are in a radial pattern emanating from the spark plug area.

Is there a peculiarity in the Corvair heads or engine that causes them 
to detonate more frequently then newer cars or is it just a compression 
problem.

Very cool article!

[demime 0.98e removed an attachment of type image/jpeg which had a name of cash face.jpg]
Cash Case
"Some people are like slinkies.
They're not worth much,
but you can't help but smile
when they tumble down the stairs!"