contemplating disassembly

[JRM]

I spoke with audie tech today and their flowquick sounds very interesting to me. Im really comtemplating parting out my MSD clone bench.
I havent made up my mind yet because i need to figure out what i can get $ wise if i part out my bench.

Has anyone tried the flow quick system.

[larrycavan]

What parts do you have and what are the prices?

[JRM]

larrycavan,
I havent checked recent pricing on new parts yet.
ill keep the vacc motors. but the dwyer incline mano will go
so will the perftrends black box and software.
I know i paid over 700.00 for the perf trends electronics but i cannot rhember what the incline mano was or what the software cost was.

I still havent made up my mind on what exactly I want to do yet. Im going to spend this weekend remaking an ori plate and reassemble the bench one last time.
I was talking with one of the techs from a flow bench supplier and he is going to send me a fiew calibration plates and see if we can get the bench in spec if it works im gonna use the bench. If it becomes too much aggrivation im gonna scrap the project and try the flowquick. I hate having to rush but I have 3 sets of heads here that customers want flow checked, ported and checked again the typical routine.
And if i dont get it done ill be loosing more $ then just buying the flow quick, using my vacc motors and going on with the program.

[larrycavan]

JRM

I can understand where you're coming from. Hang in there. I'll bet anything you can solve your calibration issues with a little patience and persistence.

I've just finished calibrating after making changes to my bench. At this point, I've got one problem to resolve but the calibration seems to be coming together. Here are the numbers I got today from calibration tests.

I decided to test at 6 different pressures and compare the results of three ranges at each of the pressure intervals. I felt this would be the most accurate way to compare ranges on the overall.

Also take note. I discovered that my coefficient is higher than what Superflow holes seem to calculate out to. I also found in searching through the archives of the forum that others have found that as well. My flow disk is 1mm thick and the holes are punched from the top side.

MSD calls this 180 CFM
Range % CFM Pressure
161.00 50.0% 80.5 3.00
161.00 58.5% 94.2 4.00
161.00 66.0% 106.3 5.00
161.00 72.5% 116.7 6.00
161.00 84.7% 136.4 8.00
161.00 95.0% 153.0 10.00

MSD calls this 255 CFM
242.00 34.0% 82.28 3.00
242.00 39.5% 95.59 4.00
242.00 44.0% 106.48 5.00
242.00 48.0% 116.16 6.00
242.00 56.0% 135.52 8.00
242.00 63.2% 152.94 10.00

MSD article misprint for 345 CFM [2] 1.5" holes & [1] 2" hole
I blocked off one of the 1.5" holes with duct tape. I calculated the flow at 345. It was higher in real life.

386.00 21.0% 81.06 3.00
386.00 24.3% 93.80 4.00
386.00 27.5% 106.15 5.00
386.00 30.2% 116.57 6.00
386.00 35.0% 135.10 8.00
386.00 39.5% 152.47 10.00

Here are some other things I tested for as well. Hopefully someone else can gain some useful information from it. I put a lot of effort into this and tried things that have raised questions in my mind for a long time.

After installing a new top with a baffel I found that no matter where i located the static pressure pickup, [just not directly under the discharge hole] my readings did not change in terms of % flow. I tested with it in several locations and pointed it in several different directions as well.
I found that if I got it too far away from the flow I could not dial up as much test pressure. When that happened I dialed up what I could reach and recorded the % flow. After settling on a spot that allowed me to read the test pressures I want to be able to test at, I compared the readings and they were identical to the readings of the other location where I ran out of test pressure.

I personally don't feel that putting the test pressure probe in the cylinder adapter is the way to go. Back when I first did that, I could move it back and forth in the cylinder and my pressure would change.

Next I hooked up a piece of 1/8" id clear tubing to the manometer probe in the top plenum. I left it long enough to move it anywhere in the top plenum. I tested every possible location inside the plenum and again found that it really didn't matter where I put the end of the hose. The readings never varied by more that 1/2% on the inclined manometer.

Next came my greatest suspect for flow inconsistency, the flow disk itself. With my new top design I can run the bench with the top off and reach down to the flow disk. [not measuring any test pressure] I found that it leaks air underneath it in the lower ranges. It's not perfectly flat. I could push down on the disk, effectively sealing it on the pie shaped opening and watch the manometer pick up 4% in the 28cfm range. It's leaking air past the holes for the 56cfm range on the bottom side of the flow disk. Fortunately, only the 28 & 56 cfm ranges were affected to any degree by this. My other ranges showed no more than a 1% change so they do seal much better and i trust their readings.

In any case, that situation can be resolved. It would be fairly easy to prevent if starting from scratch.

Larry

[JRM]

thanks for the hang in there, kinda needed the kick in the butt lol.
I just finished off remaking the ori plate and board the plate sits on. I was going to post picts but the bam dig camera just went doa tried to download the picts on 3 diff computers and none of them recognise the dang thing even being hooked up.

Anyhow heres what i did. I redid the bottom board instead of using the pie shaped cut i cut a 4 1/2" round hole. Then got some rubber and glued it to the board. cut a new ori plate and used the outer ring from the xtra metal to make a seal ring that sits outside to plate. Then took anothe rpiece of metal cut a 4 1/2' hole in that and glued rubber to it also. My theory is to have the ori plate samwitched between both pieces with a rubber seal on both sides.

[larrycavan]

JRM,

That's sounds like a good setup. How much of the bench did you have to rip apart to replace the plenum divider?


Larry

[JRM]

fortunatly I only had to remove the top to get down to the ori plate. I mounted all of the controls on the back board so the only thing i had to do was disconnect the handle that controls the oir plate. The other work was remove the side cover screens to clean out the dog hair and cob webbs. lol