Tom superflow question

[Mousehouse1]

What does the superflow 1200 use for a flow disk? I was looking at their website and it looks like it is some sort of plug. I am getting ready to install a couple of deck plates in my bench. What size would you recommend for the front like the superflow 1200?

[Thomas Vaught]

The Super Flow 1200 bench does not use a rotating flow disc. It uses a FIXED orifice plate with three different orifice holes with three stoppers like a Super Flow 110. It is Bullit Proof, leak proof, etc IF the machine is in good shape.
It is Harold Betties favorite bench.

Remove stopper number ONE: (200 cfm orifice)
you have a 200 cfm range.

Remove stopper Number TWO: (400 cfm orifice)
you have a 400 cfm range.

Leave both the 200 and 400 cfm orifices open and you get 600 cfm.

NO rotating disc.

Works great on a carb bench deal or a flow bench where you draw flow from the exhaust port on exhaust testing (like Ford Motor does).
No exhaust heat from the motors!

I used a 6" deck plate for the port hole shown in the SF 1200 ads.

Tom V.

[Mousehouse1]

I wonder what kind of stoppers they use? How do they stay in when you flow the exhaust side?

Does anyone have an internal picture of the super flow 1200 they could send me?

I ordered a few deck plates and plan on installing them if the ever get here. I need to order a couple more since I found two more locations for them.

Thanks Tom for the reply. I am trying to figure out how to get rid of the orifice disk or modify it so it is leak proof. Any ideas?

[Pesty]

Thomas, how is the superflow 110 routed so that the orifice plugs that sit on top of the flowbench actually connect back to the orifice where you place the heads??
I have seen some pictures that have been posted but they did not show how this was done.

Pesty

[Thomas Vaught]

The Super Flow 1200 bench is a SUCK ONLY BENCH GUYS!

If you flow exhaust ports the air goes into a bore sleeve bolted on the head gasket side of the head, through the exhaust valve and port, and then out ot the port into the mounting fixture on top of the bench. The stoppers are easily available from McMaster Carr and they have many different sizes. The stoppers seal well in a suck only mode being made of soft rubber.

The Superflow 110 bench is what many people call a blower centered bench. The bench has 4 motors in the older benches.
Two for intake testing and two for exhaust testing. The intake motors face one way and the exhaust motors face the opposite way.

Intake test:

Air goes from the tested mart into the bench. Travels past a control valve to the inlet of the intake motors. The air travels trough the motors to the orifice plate visible on the top of the bench. Depending on the range different stoppers let the air out of the bench. The delta P across the top orifice plate determines the air flow of the tested part.

Exhaust test:

Air goes through the orifice plate on the top of the bench. It travels through the "exhaust motors". It travels past a control valve to the mounting fixture on top of the bench. Depending on the range different stoppers let the air into the bench for exhaust testing. The delta P across the top orifice plate determines the air flow of the tested part.

In both cases you can see the vacuum motor is in the middle of the
flow circuit. Air Temp monitoring is critical for accurate readings.

With the SF 1200 bench the air is always cool as the vacuum motors always are the last part in the flow pattern. Cool air equals consistant readings without temperature corrections.

On the SF 300 and SF 600 benches the air might be cool or the air might be hot depending on the testing. One reason for different flow values on their flow chart but also the orifice edge is different too.

I have thought about a plate where the rotating orifice presently is installed with a receiver for a removable orifice disc. You flow intake, the flow through the disc goes one direction you have the back cut on the orifice downstream. You flow exhaust the disc gets flipped over. Back cut is still "downstream"

Different sized orifice holes with a common diameter to fit the receiver.

You can seal the plate in the receiver if you think about a snug fit o-ring deal.

Hope this helps.

Tom V.

[Mousehouse1]

Thanks Tom. I have a friend that has a SF 600 bench but I have never seen the 1200 series. Thanks for explaining it.

I might try and use a router to create a small channel for an o-ring to fit in and then install an aluminum or steel plate above it. Then the orifice plate/disk could slide in and out. Should seal as good or better then what I have now.

[gofaster]

On the SF-110, the only time I blew the stoppers out while exhaust testing was when I didn't remember to pull out enough for the range (Valve lift) I was testing.

Would this same thing hold true using an orifice plate and stopper system in a Mercdog/MSD style bench?

Or would it make sense to install a second access port so stoppers could be put in from the bottom of the plate when testing in the exhaust mode?

Anybody have any thoughts on this?

[Thomas Vaught]

I built a bench that basically resembled the SF-1020 in size and also the size of a members bench I believe in the forums.

The size was 4 feet long by 36 inches deep by 42 inches high.

In that bench I took an idea from a University of Miami Professor friend and mounted the orifice plate vertically. I have a plenum on the left of the orifice plate and a plenum on the right side.

I use two port holes and switch the stoppers from the left side (intake testing) to the right side (exhaust testing) when necessary. That way the airflow is always pushing against the stoppers.

The Tested part was on the left side of the bench and the motors was on the right side.

Yes, you can move the stoppers from one side to the other but with a horizontal orifice plate gravity might cause the stoppers to fall out.

On one friends bench we used stoppers with a center hole and used a bolt and plastic clamp
on the downstream side to securely hold the stoppers in place. The plastic clamp would not mar the orifice plate and because it looked like a -[--<
it applied some force on the stopper when tightened.

Hope this idea helps you.

Tom V.

[gofaster]

That is some serious food for thought. The rotating orifice plate looks like too big of a source for trouble and the stopper method is something I'm used to anyway from my experience with my SF-110.

Since I'm using electronic depression control, I think that there is no need for the flow control valves. Maybe just replace them with 4" deckplates that would be swapped back and forth depending on whether it's time for intake or exhaust testing.

This flowbench project is turning into a very interesting learning experience. Thanks for your input. I'm beginning to think that this may be flowbench project #1, and by the time it's done I'll know enough to build something that will be pre-planned a little better. When I jumped into this, I thought it would be something that could be knocked out in a couple of weekends.

[Thomas Vaught]

I have spent years "researching" how to build the cheapest, easiest to make, easiest to operate, most accurate type bench and the board has helped in several areas as far as different ways to do parts of that task.

Like learning how to make a car. Trouble is:
"Is it a hobby, a research project, a financial issue, or just for fun".

If you were running a business full time then just buying a SF type bench might be less effort in the long run, (a lot of people have gone down that path). David Vizard said the same thing.

But if you want to know how air flow and flow measurement works combined with some woodworking/ metalworking then this is the place to be. A lot of problem solving too.

I might post a new topic asking WHY you are looking at flow bench design and construction on this forum.

Tom V.