FE Power Tunnel Port Cylinder Heads

[482supersnake]

I remember a few years ago someone talked to Buddy Barr and they said that they still had a bunch of the tunnel port molds. It would be nice if they cold do a run of manifolds.

There was another guy on here who had said that they were close to a finished tunnel port head, I'm not sure what happened to his project.

Very cool that you are doing this for people Jay. I know if I was in the market for heads I would be putting a deposit down.

[c-reed]

If someone has a pair of used trick flows they want to sale to upgrade to these I'd be interested. Jay's heads are awesome but out of reach for me right now.

[1967 XR7 GT]

Hi Jay

Some Questions:

What valve sizes will be used ?

With the SE exh port, you mentioned about a 250 cfm flow rate, Question: Is that as cast or will they need to be ported ? And if that flow rate is as cast, about how much more if ported ?

Also, with the SE exh port design, what if any decrease in shock tower clearance would there be in say a Mustang or Cougar, not that there's that much to begin with.


And I read where you said the Tunnel Port valve spacing will be used, thinking out loud, bore dia min would be 4.230". Also, the wider rocker stands will be required.

[frnkeore]

A little food for thought:

At the MR spacing, the valves could be 1.75 x 2.35, with a 4.16 bore and 1.75 x 2.40, with the 4.23 bore, leaving .025 - .050 between valves.

[jayb]

Hi Jay

Some Questions:

What valve sizes will be used ?

With the SE exh port, you mentioned about a 250 cfm flow rate, Question: Is that as cast or will they need to be ported ? And if that flow rate is as cast, about how much more if ported ?

Also, with the SE exh port design, what if any decrease in shock tower clearance would there be in say a Mustang or Cougar, not that there's that much to begin with.


And I read where you said the Tunnel Port valve spacing will be used, thinking out loud, bore dia min would be 4.230". Also, the wider rocker stands will be required.

You can use any valve size up to 2.300" on the intake and 1.75" on the exhaust, based on the valve seat sizes that I'm using.    Common valve sizes are 2.25" on the intake and 1.75" on the exhaust.

The SE exhaust port flows 250 cfm with just a good, 5 angle valve job and a cleanup under the bowl.  No porting or enlarging of the port is required.  I haven't ported a set so I don't know what they are capable of, but that is enough flow on the exhaust to support 900 HP, which is quite a bit more than the intake port can support. 

Shock tower clearance would be the same as for any FE head.

Reducing the valve sizes would allow you to go to a smaller bore size than a stock 427, but the chamber is designed for a 4.25" bore so you would have some overhang at the top of the cylinder if you went smaller than that for bore size.

[frnkeore]

Jay, are you saying the valve sizes I suggested won't clear a 4.16 bore?

[blykins]

I don't think I'd worry about how big of a valve you can cram into a 4.160" bore.   A 2.190" intake valve will support almost 675-700 hp on the right head and a 428 block would have split in two before that point.  Shrouding would be an obvious problem as well. 

Valid discussion for a large bore though.

[70tp]

Jay, is this going to be a one run of castings and done, or is this going to be something that you are going to be offering on a somewhat regular basis as demand permits? 

[jayb]

I will only guarantee one run of the castings.  However, if everything works out OK with them (meaning that costs are in line with what I am estimating, and I don't run across any unexpected delivery issues from the foundry), then I would expect to offer them regularly for the foreseeable future.

[Ford428CJ]

That’s Awesome Jay! So nice to see some of this stuff to be made again with more modern updates done to them. As the iron stuff is all beat up. To include intakes. Anyways… Very Nice work Jay!!! As always

[1967 XR7 GT]

Hi Jay

Some Questions:

What valve sizes will be used ?

With the SE exh port, you mentioned about a 250 cfm flow rate, Question: Is that as cast or will they need to be ported ? And if that flow rate is as cast, about how much more if ported ?

Also, with the SE exh port design, what if any decrease in shock tower clearance would there be in say a Mustang or Cougar, not that there's that much to begin with.


And I read where you said the Tunnel Port valve spacing will be used, thinking out loud, bore dia min would be 4.230". Also, the wider rocker stands will be required.

You can use any valve size up to 2.300" on the intake and 1.75" on the exhaust, based on the valve seat sizes that I'm using.    Common valve sizes are 2.25" on the intake and 1.75" on the exhaust.

The SE exhaust port flows 250 cfm with just a good, 5 angle valve job and a cleanup under the bowl.  No porting or enlarging of the port is required.  I haven't ported a set so I don't know what they are capable of, but that is enough flow on the exhaust to support 900 HP, which is quite a bit more than the intake port can support. 

Shock tower clearance would be the same as for any FE head.

Reducing the valve sizes would allow you to go to a smaller bore size than a stock 427, but the chamber is designed for a 4.25" bore so you would have some overhang at the top of the cylinder if you went smaller than that for bore size.

A few more questions:

The SE exh port flows 250 cfm, but at what valve lift and what size valve, are there port flow numbers available ?  Which should help giving those buying heads a reference on choosing valve size. 

Recently, there were a set of cast iron Tunnel Ports up for sale, which showed port flow numbers for a raised floor Tunnel Port, and these were with a 2.250" valve that showed 360cfm @ .600" lift

Ported/Assembled Tunnel Port Heads 

[jayb]

Flow numbers and valve details for the exhaust side of the SE head are shown in the link below:

https://fepower.net/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=7336.0

Also, no reason that the tunnel ports I'm making wouldn't flow in the 360 cfm range with some porting.  But my info for stock tunnel port heads is that they flow around 330 cfm, and that is what I'd expect mine to do. 

[1967 XR7 GT]

Flow numbers and valve details for the exhaust side of the SE head are shown in the link below:

https://fepower.net/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=7336.0

Also, no reason that the tunnel ports I'm making wouldn't flow in the 360 cfm range with some porting.  But my info for stock tunnel port heads is that they flow around 330 cfm, and that is what I'd expect mine to do.

I saw where it was said stock Tunnel Ports flow in the  320 to 330 range, and  the ported version in the link I provided in my previous post was ported but had a raised floor to reach the 360 cfm, and I don't think the ports were made larger to achieve that flow.

It showed 360 cfm was reached with a 2,250" valve, I wonder how much more can be achieved with a 2.300" valve, and room restraints may require a 1.675" exh valve, with still 240 cfm @ .600" without porting. I am using the .600" range for my self, I would run a cam around .600 to .650" lift for the street.

[frnkeore]

Stan Weiss, has a site that gives stock and ported flow rates for most engines. This is what it has for ported TP heads.

Int/Exh    Valve Size Int/Exh    Comb. Cham. Vol  .200    ----.300    ----.400    ----.500     --.600    --.700    
Tunnel Port Mild Port Jim Iron   2.25/1.75
-
No Pipe   N/A   -   -------------------------------------177/115---240/153--279/179--306/190--326/197--342/201   
Ford 427 Tunnel Port Ported Iron   N/A   2.25/1.75
-
No Pipe   N/A   -   -   -   -   -   -   -   -----------------------------------------------------------------383/256

It also list, DOVE TP heads with 2.25 x 1.73 at 370/230 @.700. It doesn't indicate that they are ported

[blykins]

I have numerous sets of TP heads out there that have been worked that flow 360-380 by making the port opening smaller.   This is done with just a 2.250” valve and by raising the intake floor about 1/4” and working the short turn that is absolutely horrible from the factory.

In stock form, a TP head will flow anywhere from 300-330 cfm.