The X-flow head was listed (with pictures) in the Appendix J homologation
papers filed with the RAC in 1963 for the Morgan Super Sports. The intent
was to follow up on his 1962 Le Mans success.
The bore was listed at 83 mm and the stroke at 92 mm (1995 cc) Volume of the
combustion chamber was listed as 56 cc and compression ratio at 10:1
Inlet valve heads were 43 mm (42 mm seats), Lift 10.35 mm. Valve opens 42
degrees BTDC, closes 75 degrees ABDC.
Exhaust valve heads were 37 mm (35 mm seats), Lift 10.16 mm. Valve opens 76
degrees BBDC, closes 43 degrees ATDC.
Two springs coil per valve.
Inlet ports were 45.5 mm and exhaust ports 37 mm.
The pictures show inclined valves at an angle to the transverse axis of the
block and the combustion chamber was both domed and oval.
The weak link of the cross flow head was sparking plugs.
I remember having a conversation about the head with Chris when he was
living in California. He said that to get the plugs into the combustion
chamber with the big valves, he had used 10 mm spark plugs. He felt that,
while the head had great potential, 10 mm plug technology was not so good
at that time and he had trouble with fouled plugs. Before he could solve
the problem he got side tracked onto the Deep Saunderson project and
development of the cross flow head ceased.
Gerry
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net]On
Behalf Of BillDentin@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 7:54 AM
To: Rikrock@aol.com; fot@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: X-Flow head
In a message dated 03/30/2001 7:38:43 PM Central Standard Time,
Rikrock@aol.com writes:
> Yep, the book I am reading (Triumph TR Maintenance Modification & Tuning)
> doesn't go in to all the details, but it does suggest that the x-flow
head
> is designed to be used along with the large bore kit sold by Lawrencetune.
> They offered two oversize kits that required machining of the block and
> yielded either 2480 or 2598cc.
>
> In 1967 the price on the x-flow alloy head was 195 Pounds. The 2598cc
> liners and pistons cost 65 Pounds.
>
>
Amici:
My first inclination is that all this talk about a cross flow head for the
TRIUMPH TR engine has been generated by our close proximity to APRIL FOOLS
DAY.
A cross flow head would provide opportunities to make things less
complicated, and thoughts of getting that exhaust header on the other side
of
the block and away from the carbs is certainly a turn on.
As with every racing upgrade, you tend to expose the next weakest link, and
history tells us...it did not happen. Why not? Problems? Was the next
weak
point the block?
Love to hear some input from people with hands on experience.
Bill Dentinger
|