Weslake or Arden 8 port

[Astro]

Hi,

just digging out this old thread for I had both heads in my Mini. Here I found no real answer, therefore I will try it once more. The Weslake head seems to breathe better. You need no choke to start the engine. You only need standard valves and pushrods for it’s as small as a five port. It works with an Aldon Yellow quite good. - But my one stops working after about ten minutes and I got no better one from Weslake heritage. The Arden is more difficult. Other pushrods, other Valves and a very special distributor. But, you can run it for hours, you can repair it, for the aluminium is quite better to weld and it may fit a bit better under the minis bonnet. I speak about Webers for these Amal seems not to be very reliable. But there remains a question. My problem is the ignition. The FIA does not allow a programmable distributor and therefore I am trying with welder and file. But I am not happy with the result. Have anyone experience with this topic? How much adjustment for the centrifugal correction, how many degrees at 3500 rpm?

Thank you very much!

[mk1coopers]

I know theses are switchable between curves, but does that really count as programmable ?, might be worth checking

http://www.swiftune.com/Product/1091/sw ... s-23d.aspx

[Astro]

thanks, but Nick himself says: "Not for FIA use"

[almondgreen]

I would do a dyno session, check what curve is needed and ask a dizzy builder to make one fro the demanded curve....

[mk1coopers]

I've also used this company before, perhaps they could custom build a distributor with the right sort of characteristics for your engine

http://www.distributordoctor.com/

[Astro]

I would do a dyno session, check what curve is needed and ask a dizzy builder to make one fro the demanded curve....

Hi,

First I have been in on a Rolling Road. They made a mistake and the Head gasket broke. . The best dizzy builder can only build something when he knows what to do. Today there is not much experience with mechanical distributors for Arden heads with Swift cams.

[pad4]

MBE engineering

Mick barrett built my arden 8 port, its spot on and im sure he will be able to sort ypur dizzy out.

pad

[Astro]

MBE engineering

Mick barrett built my arden 8 port, its spot on and im sure he will be able to sort ypur dizzy out.

pad

Thank you, but this is too far away for us. I was just hoping anyone had experience with our configuration. That means a 1293, CR 11.5:1 with an Arden head, DCOEs and a SW23 cam.

[mk1]

Given the cam characteristics & the CR http://www.distributordoctor.com/ would be able to tailor you a dizzy that was as close as makes no difference.

[Astro]

Tank you! We will probably try. This weekend I will look how the frozen adjustment will behave in the rain.

[lisian_1275]

Hi Astro
Just off your specs. and from memory your cam is around 300deg Duration, your ignition timing would be around 16 deg idle advance and total advance all in at 3500 rpm should be 34 deg give or take for that style of combustion chamber.
I usually use an advance timing light so I can work backwards, as in I set the total advance all in at 3500 rpm so then the idle advance will be what it will be.
Hope this makes some sense.

Thanks

Ian

[Astro]

Hi,

it seems to be more difficult. The producer of the cam told me to take 28° at 6.5. Really, when we were first on a rolling road beginning with 32° at 5 the motor was ringing and the head gasket broke at once. Later on trying with an Aldon yellow I learned that more advancing makes the motor not to deaccelerate. Less advancing there was no power below 4000rpm. Now with fixed 28° the motor is starting, accelerating from low revs and has power. But this could not be the final solution. OK, now we leave for a hillclimb of the german championchip and try it.

[lisian_1275]

Hi
Ok, well good luck in the hillclimb.
Do you know what deg. the cam is timed in at?
Also what octane fuel are you running?

Thanks

Ian

[Astro]

Hi,

practice is finished. The motor works not bad. OK, the cam is timed at 0 degrees, the fuel has 102 octane.

Thank you very much and best regards from Germany.

Astro.

[Astro]

Hi,

When a well prepared five port head with a 45 Weber reached 107 km/h at the finishline, the Arden head did 122 km/h. It seemes to work.

[guru_1071]

Hi,

When a well prepared five port head with a 45 Weber reached 107 km/h at the finishline, the Arden head did 122 km/h. It seemes to work.

[ivor badger]

Hi,

When a well prepared five port head with a 45 Weber reached 107 km/h at the finishline, the Arden head did 122 km/h. It seemes to work.

When an expensive 8 porter finishes behind a 5 porter on SUs, it's time to throw away the 8 porter.

[mk1]

When an expensive 8 porter finishes behind a 5 porter on SUs, it's time to throw away the 8 porter.

Or the driver

[Astro]

same driver, same car, same hill

[mini13]

or the engine builder.