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Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench (Read 284 times)
DragBikeMike
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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #30 - 10/01/18 at 18:56:10
 
For the budget bleed valves, use appropriate PVC adapters and caps to suite your application.  Lubricate the rotating coupling with silicone grease to make it smooth and easy to turn.  The hose clamp is used as a lever or handle to grab when you want to open or close the hole.

Use the DTec article and the Excel spread sheet to fabricate your inclined manometer.  Its simply a slab of plywood, some 3/16” nylon hose, a free syringe body from the drugstore, and a 14” strip of aluminum angle.



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DragBikeMike
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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #31 - 10/01/18 at 18:58:31
 
Sorry about the picture of the inclined manometer.  For some reason it got rotated 90 degrees and I don't know how to rotate it back.

Here's a closer look at the scale.

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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #32 - 10/01/18 at 19:01:03
 
Same problem.  It auto rotates.  Just turn it 90 degrees CCW in your head.  I'm sure you'll get the idea.


Here's a shot of the reservoir (syringe).  Hope it doesn't turn.



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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #33 - 10/01/18 at 19:02:44
 
I found that the snubber valve was pretty much useless.  I think you can leave it out.  The incline is 14” long and set to 30 degrees.   You need the syringe body to act as a reservoir.  The water column moves down and to the right as the flow increases.  This results in the syringe filling with water.  The distance between the graduations is critical but the spread sheet makes it very easy to mark off the scale.  Its not linear, so you must use the spread sheet data, but it really is simply plug & play.   The action is smoother and resolution greater than the u-tube.  

The u-tube is just a yardstick with nylon tubing wired to it.

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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #34 - 10/01/18 at 19:03:43
 
When everything is set up it looks crazy, but it works pretty good.

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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #35 - 10/01/18 at 19:06:14
 
Ooops! Another auto-rotate.

Normally the contraption would sit upright with the base of the cylinder head situated on top. There's a picture of that configuration in one of the earlier entries.  The head will be sealed with a foam gasket and I will utilize an appropriate plastic cylinder sized to simulate the actual cylinder that the head is intended to be used on (94mm, 95mm or 97mm).  The cylinder insert will be fabricated from a 3” x 4” ABS bushing inserted into the closet flange.


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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #36 - 10/01/18 at 19:07:11
 
For testing with the valve open at different increments, a soft checking spring needs to be installed along with a simple jack tool.  I used it with a dial indicator to position the valve exactly.  It uses a ¼”-20 UNC screw.  If you don’t have a dial indicator you can count turns.  Every turn equals .050”.

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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #37 - 10/01/18 at 19:12:48
 
Operation is simple.

-Zero out the inclined manometer by raising or lowering the syringe body.

-Zero out the u-tube manometer by adjusting fluid level.

-Select and install a trial orifice that you think will be close.

-Assemble the rig and mount the test specimen.

-If you are testing a cylinder head, set the valve to the desired position.

-Make sure all the bleeds are full open.

-Fire up the vacuum cleaner and start closing the bleed valve/s until you reach the desired test pressure on the u-tube.  Remember, the reading is the difference between the two columns.  If the left side moves down 3”, and the right side moves up 3”, the reading on the u-tube is 6” H2O.  If you are testing at 15” H2O, one side must move down 7.5”, and the other side must move up 7.5”, for a total of 15”.

-Read the percentage of flow off the inclined scale.  If that percentage doesn’t fall within the range of about 55 to 85 percent, its probably best to resize the orifice.  For instance, if the reading is 50% or less you probably need a smaller orifice.  If the percent is 95% or more, you probably need a larger orifice.

-If you are trying to test over a range of valve positions like I did, you need to fiddle with the orifice size until you find a size that lets you stay on the graduated scale for the whole test.  I ended up using a 66.7 CFM orifice to allow me to remain within to 50 to 100% range of the scale.  Anything under 50% or over 100% becomes a guess because there are no fine graduations in those zones.

-Each time you take a reading you must readjust to your desired test pressure first, then take the reading.  For instance, if testing flow for increasing valve open positions (say from .100” to .400” in .050” increments) start at .100”.  Adjust the bleed valve/s to achieve test pressure as read on the u-tube (15” H2O worked good for me).  At steady test pressure, read the inclined manometer and record the reading.  Proceed to the next increment (.150”).  You will note that the test pressure drops off.  Readjust the bleeds to the desired test pressure before you take your reading for .150”.  Once test pressure is steady, read the inclined manometer and record the reading.  Continue in this manner, always reestablishing test pressure before you take the reading.
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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #38 - 10/01/18 at 19:15:59
 
Like most things done on a budget, this thing has limitations.
 
As I’ve already mentioned, it’s not going to provide accurate flow data in CFM.  It will provide conclusive performance info related to changes you make, and that information will allow you to consistently see how your changes perform (better, worse, no change, etc.).  It will allow you to collect numerical data that can be compared from one test to the other.  It will allow you to display your data graphically to permit better interpretation.  It will allow you to take measurements under identical conditions which ensures repeatable results.  If you have a yearning for accurate data, you can take your orifice plates to an establishment that has a known accurate flow bench and have them test your orifice plates.  The DTec article has additional info regarding orifice calibration.

The vacuum cleaner limits flow capacity.  Best as I can figure, its only going to pull around 100 CFM and that’s with only 0.75” H2O test pressure.  With the test rig open ended (4” to 2” reducer installed with no test specimen, end of reducer fully open), an orifice rated at 139.5 CFM, test pressure on the u-tube at only 0.75”, and all bleed valves closed (i.e that’s all she’s got), the inclined manometer read 71%.  That works out to around 99 CFM.  Testing at only ¾” H2O would result in velocities that are way too low to replicate real world conditions.   So, I’m thinking that testing at valve lifts of more than .150” will have to be done on a single valve rather than both at the same time.  That method will not test the flow characteristics when the two flows converge.  I will cross that bridge when I come to it.
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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #39 - 10/01/18 at 19:17:48
 
I also want to mention that while I was working on this project I stumbled across a new book by David Vizard.  I have several of his books and this latest one, “How to Port & Flow Test Cylinder Heads”, discusses the advantages of using a “Floating Pressure-Drop” method of testing.  This method essentially recognizes that a typical port/valve is subjected to high pressure differentials at low lift and progressively decreasing pressure differentials as the valve opens farther.  Hence, just sucking on it with a vacuum cleaner, letting the test pressure degrade, and not reestablishing test pressure before taking a reading, more closely replicates real world conditions.  I agree with that concept.  But in my opinion, having the ability to always test at the same pressure allows me to more closely monitor and evaluate my progress (or lack of progress).  It certainly is an interesting argument and I intend to explore it further.  
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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #40 - 10/01/18 at 19:18:39
 
I want to thank Armen and Fast 650 for all their help.  Without their assistance I could never have come up with my contraption.  It’s been a great learning experience and now I have a cool tool to help me better understand what’s going on in my engine.  This thing has the potential to test all sorts of components.
 
I hope you find this report beneficial.  
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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #41 - 10/01/18 at 21:24:42
 
This is well worth the tech section.
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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #42 - 10/02/18 at 04:24:38
 
As usual......great research and analysis.

Early engines had blunt valve guides, at some point Suzuki changed that and the guides got a taper on later models.

The valves heads are very thin at the outer edges and have a hardened surface - and the valve wearing surfaces cannot be refreshed by grinding.  I wonder if the back cut for improved flow is permissible - will the exhaust valve still be reliable?  (The failures I have seen on the Savage are from the head coming off the stem.....not from any burning of the valve edges).
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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #43 - 10/02/18 at 17:51:07
 
Awesome!
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Re: Valve & Guide Test - Budget Flow Bench
Reply #44 - 10/09/18 at 03:11:53
 
Fantastic effort!...well done
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