The Point

The point is not simply to build powerful engines or even cool engines. The point is to learn about what factors influence the various aspects of an engine's performance and to understand both how they influence each other and how to use these factors to make an engine do what I want.

There is no end to how much I could learn about this. Sometimes this makes it hard to dig in, because the deeper I dig the more things I discover that I don't really understand.


I started looking for an engine project wanting to experiment with really long connecting rods. Not only do longer connecting rods reduce how hard the piston is forced into the side of the cylinder, thus reducing friction and thereby increasing power output, but they keep the piston still longer at the top and bottom of the stroke. This means that the combustion chamber is more stable at the top of the power stroke. It also means that you can get better cylinder filling at the bottom of the intake stroke. This is not an exhaustive list but what little research I have done indicates that longer rods can help flatten out the power curve. My thinking was to take a 350 or 400 block, find the longest rods available for a SB and put in a crank with a short enough stroke to accommodate it. I think that an engine like this would be well suited to high RPMs.

However, the project that I have decided on is not one where I need to build a high revving engine. My goal is to build and engine with good low end torque, reliability, efficiency and flat torque curve.

So back to the point. I have been spending part of today learning about the Lotus Engineering Engine Simulation Program. I have heard that it is a good simulation program but you need to really know your stuff before you can get meaningful results from it. They have a free version that is, I believe, fully functional in all respects but limits you to one cylinder. You can get it get it here:

http://www.lesoft.co.uk/

Since I am mainly interested in the dynamics of engine performance right now it doesn't matter to me that it is only one cylinder.

I should mention that I heard about this program at Eng Tips a site for engineers. The automotive section is very interesting. The automotive section starts here:

http://www.eng-tips.com/threadcategory.cfm?lev2=6

I'm looking forward to getting this simulation program figured out. You won't get very far without the tutorial. This is a separate download and essential if you want to learn how to use it.

I am really curious about the effect of connecting rod length and on how heat absorption into the cylinder head and pistons affects engine performance and efficiency.

Shoot. This thread was supposed to be about David Vizard. I guess it will have to wait.

Builder

Project #001 - Getting Started

I'm wanting to construct a purpose built engine right? So I need a purpose. For cost and parts selection reasons I've decided that my first engine will be a Chevrolet small block V8. I'm not stateside yet and when I am I will be broke. I don't really feel like building a hot rod. The engine is only about a quarter of a well built hot rod and everything I want to do is going to be "well built." I don't really want to buy a vehicle just to build an engine for it. The idea feels contrived. I need to find a vehicle that could use a small block.

After thinking about it for a bit I thought of my buddy with a Willys Jeep. It currently has an unremarkable 350 in it. It is a rig that is for going down trails and off road. It seemed like a good candidate. Its focus was narrow so that should help minimize compromises. I emailed my friend and asked him if he'd be interested in running my engine. The deal is that it is my engine and I take care of everything on the engine except for the exhaust after the headers. He helps me pull his old motor out and put the new motor in. He has to keep records of the mileage and do all the maintenance. I figure that by the time that he is done doing all the other stuff he wants to do (Widening and lengthening the body, new frame, new suspension, etc.) that I should be ready with the engine. He said yes. So I asked about the requirements. He wants:

• Good low end torque (What is good?)
  
• Absolute Reliability
  
• Good gas mileage

He has a dream of an engine like that getting 25 MPG cruising at 70 MPH. I'll see if I can make it happen. His Jeep is hardly aerodynamic and at 70 MPH he'll be pushing a lot of air. Using the right gears are going to be vital to achieve the mileage goal.

I threw in a few more requirements, somewhat arbitrarily, just for fun.

• 400 HP
• 6,000 RPM Redline
• Flat power band throughout the RPM range
  

These are absolutely negotiable if they interfere with the first three.

Not having done this before I'm not sure what the next step is. I'm pretty sure that thought and research are a big part of it. To bad I left my Vizard books in the States.

Builder

Beginning

I am currently living in China. It is not my first time living here and like before it has provided me with the time to evaluate my life and priorities. During my time here I have come to see, quite clearly at times, that life is short and that death is certain.

"So what does this have to do with building engines?"

Good question. I have wanted to build an engine for years. I have loved engines since I was a kid. This led me to go to school to become a mechanic (Automotive technician sounds so pretentious) and have worked as one for several years. In this time I have assembled engines but I never built one. I had always felt like it was too expensive and too impractical but I have come to realize that I will die and it would suck to die and never have built an engine. So now I am doing it.

"What is the difference between assembling and building and engine?"

Assembling an engine taking the supplied parts and putting them together. This is no small feat and there is plenty to know about assembly. Building an engine is the process of assessing the requirements of the engine's intended application and then selecting the parts that are best suited. That is what I want to do. I want to create purpose built engines.

I created this blog as a place for me to record my thoughts and as a form of structure and accountability. I doubt very much many or even any people will want to read this. . .but the might! And if someone does I don't want to have a bunch of crap down here that makes me look like an idiot.

If I really get into this I may begin learning things that other people might find useful. Jack's Machine Shop does great work or Fuzz Flow air filters are crap. Perhaps this kind of information is already out on the net but there is nothing wrong with multiple sources of good info. After reading some articles from some of the automotive magazines on this subject, I am struck with how they read like advertisements. We have got to make full use of the Internet to spread the straight info.

You may call me Builder.