fixed orifice plate testing

[fcrcmach]

Hi everyone
To start I wanted to say thanks to everyone on here for all the information it is the only way I would have ever been able to get where I am with my bench.
Backgound on my bench. I pretty much followed the directions for a MSD bench. I have added the PT black box system and I have thier pro software. The bench runs 12 motors and I do all testing at 28" I built it before I ever knew of this forum and now I am changing designs to make things work better. I currently have the rotating orifice plate with the flow ranges they gave me in the directions for the MSD bench, 8 of them.
I want to eliminate this rotating orifice plate and install a fixed orifice setup using rubber stoppers. My main concern is I want to be able to flow test in both directions.
What methods do you reccomend for this setup in order to keep the rubber stoppers from coming out when flowing in the exhaust direction?

I am sure as you can tell I am having leakage problems around the orifce plate and in other areas. I have already ordered deck plates to replace my sliding side doors which leaked alot. I have ordered a third deck plate to install in the front of the bench for plug changes.

Any help in this matter would me much appreciated.
Thanks Shawn

[fcrcmach]

Also forgot to ask where everyone gets their rubber stoppers for the plugs? Thanks Shawn

[Thomas Vaught]

McMaster Carr

Glad you like the stopper/ port hole modification philosophy.

Some people have found that the stoppers do not come out under exhaust testing if they wedge them in place. That might be hard on the edge of the sharp edged orifice. I have found that if you buy some extra stoppers from McMaster Carr (the ones with the hole drilled in the center for glass tubing, etc) you can put a long carrage bolt through the small end and the stopper and then add weight to the stopper.
The carriage bolt head will not affect flow on the exhaust testing and the weight will keep the stoppers in place. You can use regular stoppers on the intake testing. My next bench will have stoppers with "o" rings so there is no "wedging" on the intake or exhaust and I can again add weight as required.

Hope it works for you.

Tom V.

[fcrcmach]

Hi Tom Thanks for the info.

I had an idea I thought I would run by you and everyone else on here. What if I were to mount a 6" deck plate where the orifice plates would normally be. Then purchase a number of extra 6" deck plates for the center sections. cut holes in these extra deck plates and mount a different size orifice plate to each, attaching them by gluing and sealing with silicone.
You would then have an 8" deck plate on the front of the bench you could reach thru and change the deck plate out for the size orifice you would need eliminating any problems of plugs coming out under pressure during exhaust testing and make a simple universal testing setup. You could mount two deck plates in there if you wanted to enable you to combine multiple hole sizes for more flow ranges.

Let me know what you think .
The reason I am thining of this is it will be difficult for me to get into the top chamber on my bench to mount the 5 or 6 different orifice plate that I would be plugging due to the bench having already been assembeled and sealed etc.

[Thomas Vaught]

If you can't easily get to the rotating orifice plate how will you remove the old system and install the new removable deck plate system? Just thinking out loud.

Tom V.