Casting my own aluminum head

1941 - 1945, MB, GPW modifications, sugestions, and ideas, official MWO's and unofficial WWII field mods NO EBAY or COMMERCIAL SALES.
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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Seff » Thu Nov 26, 2015 1:15 am

2/14Marine wrote:It woud be cool to have a lower compression aluminum head with the markings of an original MB or GPW head. Once painted you would have the extra HP with the looks of an original.

Javier
I'm not sure you'd get the HP increase if you don't raise the compression. As stated, I can put whatever markings on the head I so desire.
tamnalan wrote:I think a small turbocharger would offer more performance for less effort. Something like the unit from a 1.6 or 2 liter ecoboost motor. Sure would NOT look stock, though.
I don't doubt that, but it won't make my jeep terribly realistic for the reenactment uses I have in mind.


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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Wolfman » Thu Nov 26, 2015 5:46 am

Melt down old pistons ?? What a concept.
Not sure what grade aluminum pistons are made of, but if they can stand the heat and pressure of combustion on the cylinder side, makes sense the same aluminum could work for a head.
One more thought. Seems I remember seeing ribs on the inside of the aluminum heads I have been around. In the combustion chamber area. For added strength ??
Turbo charger ? That would certainly improve volumetric efficiency. At higher RPM when the boost is up. We started out looking for low end torque. A whole lot of work and I doubt it would provide the desired result.
My next thought is the head bolt threads in the block. Notoriously weak. Get carried away with the boost and I could imagine the head being lifted off the block. A waste gate would be a great idea.
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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Boyso » Thu Nov 26, 2015 6:02 am

Maybe a turbo from a diesel, since they're made with low-end torque in mind?

Interesting thread, I would consider 3D printing as well, we have one at work (300 000$ machine) and it is certainly impressive!
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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by lt.luke » Thu Nov 26, 2015 6:43 am

Boyso wrote:Maybe a turbo from a diesel, since they're made with low-end torque in mind?
Incorrect assumption. You're kinda backwards unless you are talking about step turbos.

Diesels and certain gas engines build sufficient low end torque so that turbo lag doesn't really effect their ability to move stuff. Old in-line motors do this too. The engines generate torque at low end, then the turbo boost assists with the upper end of the low-end and mid end torque, as well as on the top end. Speed is almost all gearing.

Now, a step turbo (a little one and a big one in use together) works more or less by having a small turbo which doesn't lag as much that creates power while the big one is spinning up. The result is a smooth, increased power band throughout the range.

Yes, a waste gate would be essential, I'd guess 2-3 (4 tops) pound spring would be nice. Some carb work to open up flow would likely be necessary to maximize a turbo. The last one I fooled with we stepped up from a 1 barrel to a 4 barrel.

I would think a dual carb set up would help more with high end power too?

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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Boyso » Thu Nov 26, 2015 6:45 am

Good to know! Mostly played with gas engine VW/Audis.
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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Seff » Thu Nov 26, 2015 7:18 am

There are ribs over the combustion chambers on the stock head as well, inside the water jackets. About 10mm tall and 2.5 mm thick.

Good ideas all around. I agree that it's the easiest way to make power on a flathead, but the low-end torque needs to be improved anyway for the desired result, which is why we're still talking about raising compression and improving flow. ;)

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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Marty, SoCal » Wed Dec 02, 2015 4:21 pm

I posted an article a few years ago when I installed a "Chuchua" aluminum 8-1 compression head on my GPW and ran it on a chassis dyno before and after.

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=166161&hilit=chuchua+head

The Chuchua head was sold by a SoCal Jeep Dealer, "Brian Chuchua Jeep", in Placentia California, probably in the 70's, it's the same head as the Hickey head with a different name cast on it. Possibly Chuchua bought the rights to it when Hickey went out of business, not sure on that.

It's still on my jeep, running very well, made a definite difference in power and economy.
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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Seff » Wed Dec 02, 2015 8:50 pm

That shows good promise in relation to the gains of this venture!

The term "my backyard" was a slight exaggeration. It's my father's workshop. I have a rough plan now, but no work has been done on THIS project yet.

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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by W. Winget » Thu Dec 03, 2015 11:10 am

Why not put a small curved diverter fillet on the head causing intake flow to curve in a circular motion, then place a swirl (small winglets milled in a curved pattern ) atop the piston so as it pushed the expended gases up it swirls them in the direction of the exhaust valve while the intake diverter sends the expended gases away from the intake helping to improve the flow?
Just a thought since your experimenting, might increase combustion and power, but would perhaps suck for carbon build up. Plug placement in the intake flow pattern might also help.
V/R W Winget

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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Seff » Thu Dec 03, 2015 11:28 am

Could you draw these ideas? :)

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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by W. Winget » Thu Dec 03, 2015 3:36 pm

Follow-up 17 Oct 17, The Achates Power Opposed-Piston Engine which the Army has asked for production of a small diesel will use pistons that swirl the gasses to improve efficiency...go figure..not the same design, no patents anyway, but this was along the right track scientifically. WAW


Would that the internet be so easy to post drawings... Sigh.
I'll try again for a description in the mean time.
Cast into the head (piston side) cresent shaped ridge starting where the valves are (possibly in between them if there's room) seperates the fuel from the exhaust side, the curvature rolls toward the front of the engine as it approaches the cylinder (this would mean the intake was on the front of that cylinder) it tapers off into the head to provide piston clearence. (could go into the cylinder area if there was clearence atop the piston)

Atop the piston (modified or replaced) is another set of (say 10 each) cresents (or grooves milled in) starting at the center and working outward (like a spinning galaxy? or rifling of a barrel as you look down it) but these rotate in the same direction as the intake diverter is pointing (so the effect of swirling the exhaust or air/fuel mix is always rotating in sync with the intake flow) basically trying to make a mini tornado effect within the cylinder as it rises and falls. The exhaust gases hitting the backside of the diverter would be forced toward the exhaust valve, while the intake side is pulled due to the swirling effect (vacuum) into the cylinder (enhancing flow and improving the mixture process)
I suppose there should be an opposite cresent on the exhaust side which assists in guiding the flow that way as well, so seen from above it would be a stick figure "bird" "vee' shape with the base of the Vee seperating the valves and spreading as it approaches the cylinder wall.

Hope it's clearer, if you really want a drawing I could make one on .PPT or such. Just a thought on trying something different with inthe cylinder for flow dynamics.
V/R W. Winget

PS: if you want to cast a 4 sparkplug Standard B 1918 Liberty truck head, I have one as an example...it takes two (front and rear cylinder banks) and the gentleman in Arizona with one he uses as a paperweight :shock: :oops: doesn't want to let it go :roll:
Last edited by W. Winget on Tue Oct 17, 2017 7:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

Seff
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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Seff » Fri Dec 04, 2015 1:46 am

A curved V with the bottom/small end between the valves will make it hard to make a swirl pattern on the piston face, since it can only swirl one way and will thus be disruptive to either the exhaust or the intake processes. My impression was that swirl isn't a problem in flatheads due to the long and complicated path the fuel/air mixture takes.

How does this relate, if at all, to Singh grooves?

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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Marty, SoCal » Fri Dec 04, 2015 5:51 am

Singh grooves may work well on a flat head, in case some have not heard of them, this is what they look like on a flathead (Lawn mower engine):

Image
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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by Seff » Sat Dec 05, 2015 2:08 am

Singh did a test for Briggs and Stratton on their flathead lawnmower engines, showing as much as 40% less fuel consumption. The company weren't interested since emissions were worse.
This is purely anecdotal evidence of course, but it would be interesting to test two identical heads, one with grooves and one without.

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Re: Casting my own aluminum head

Post by sawbuck » Thu Dec 31, 2015 4:17 pm

This outfit does custom cam grinds and all kinds of special pistons including "high compression" model T pistons.
Maybe they could make a custom piston for a reasonable price.

https://egge.com/


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