Flat Plane Crank

[Transmitter Man]

Leigh or anyone,

What's the deal here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROVER-V8-ENGINE-NEW-STEEL-BI...

Noticeably more expensive than any TVR crank so what's the advantage over my SEAC crank?

Phil
420 SEAC

[Grady]

Humm, the seller is Strategic Defence Initiatives, Ltd. Sound very Star Wars-ish so maybe made to milspec thus very cool and expensive.

[broadside]

Search flat plane crank on Wikipedia. Quite an informative article. All to do with balance and firing order....think 4.2 AJP V8 vs 4.2 Rover V8. Will give your engine better acceleration due to less mass etc. It will also make your engine sound more like an AJP rather than a rumbly Rover due to the changes in the firing order of the pistons to maintain balance.

The article explains better than I can.

[Transmitter Man]

Thanks for the comments.

I'll go check Wiki out.

I also heard that TWR used them and when Googled it took me right back to the same seller offering:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROVER-V8-ENGINE-TWR-GPA-RACE...

There's some nice parts out there for these prehistoric pushrod engines.

Phil
420 SEAC

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

Grady said:

Humm, the seller is Strategic Defence Initiatives, Ltd. Sound very Star Wars-ish so maybe made to milspec thus very cool and expensive.

He seems to change company name every 6 months.

[steviejasp]

Who does cams to go with that crank then?

[Boosted LS1]

TVRleigh_BBWR said:

He seems to change company name every 6 months.

LOL, somebody knows how to pick an exciting name. International man of mystery springs to mind. I doubt it's 007 though.

Eta, I had one that came from a MG race car. It was machined from billet and very heavy. It's weight put me right off it.

Edited by Boosted LS1 on Saturday 12th March 17:18

[Barkychoc]

steviejasp said:

Who does cams to go with that crank then?

That was also my thought

Guess you would have to have a custom one done?

[Transmitter Man]

I found a flat plane crank in...

http://www.youtube.com/user/SGRacing08?gl=GB&h...

I'm sure some of you have seen SG's Cortina and would agree it's arguably one of the best sounding RV8's out there if not the world.

Note the ET on the clocks

Phil
420 SEAC

[grahamw48]

I think you may have been hearing the other car's V8 Phil.

Listen to one of the other Vids, and it comes across more like ...well I'm not sure, but not an RV8 type sound.

Personally I think Cerbs sound rubbish, wonderful a car as they may be, otherwise I'd probably have saved up for one by now.
No offence intended to anyone or their cars.

[Transmitter Man]

Hi Graham,

I'm not so sure. If Steve is still running his 6 litre RV8 then you're going to have4 to come down to the pod later this year and listen to the car.

It really is unique in it's sound and does not remind me of a Cerb.

Another aspect to the car and one I never knew about is that the individual exhaust system primaries are connected to a 8:1 collector.

Ask anyone that's heard his car. It's a screamer with a relatively high frequency sound compared to any other high revving Rover lump.

OK, I found a much better vid of his earlier incarnated Tina before he took on John Woolf Racing sponsorship. At 44 seconds:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDI3UxLxoTg & in John Woolf colours:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc4FVqQNvRA

Now turn the speakers up although far better when you're standing trackside.

Phil
420 SEAC

Edited by Transmitter Man on Sunday 13th March 09:25

[clive f]

some usefull info here,

http://www.projectm71.com/Cross_FlatPlane.htm

[grahamw48]

Transmitter Man said:

Hi Graham,

I'm not so sure. If Steve is still running his 6 litre RV8 then you're going to have4 to come down to the pod later this year and listen to the car.

It really is unique in it's sound and does not remind me of a Cerb.

Another aspect to the car and one I never knew about is that the individual exhaust system primaries are connected to a 8:1 collector.

Ask anyone that's heard his car. It's a screamer with a relatively high frequency sound compared to any other high revving Rover lump.

OK, I found a much better vid of his earlier incarnated Tina before he took on John Woolf Racing sponsorship. At 44 seconds:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDI3UxLxoTg & in John Woolf colours:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc4FVqQNvRA

Now turn the speakers up although far better when you're standing trackside.

Phil
420 SEAC

Edited by Transmitter Man on Sunday 13th March 09:25

Pretty impressive Phil (I've probably seen it run at York, as I'm a regular there).

I suppose it's a matter of personal taste, but I much prefer a roar to a scream.
The increase in performance is undeniable though.

Supercharging would be my chosen route I think.

[Transmitter Man]

Clive,

Thanks for that link.

Noted the following re crossplane crank engines:

"Exhaust manifold design is not easy with the cross plane crank - cross over piping from side to side is required to improve scavenging - making this configuration unsuitable for racing/single seater applications. For road applications, balance pipes are often used to equalise side to side exhaust pressure, which helps scavenging somewhat at low RPM."

I'm not sure there's room for a crossover pipe on the Wedge.

Must look into that next time it's up on the ramp.

BTW, not sure where you are on the island. I went to school a million years ago in Sandown then Lake.

Graham,

OK on the roar. Not sure my other V8 car roars. A short vid of someone elses Ford V8 DT Longchamp:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xofRt3_bX4s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_YvNPA7sjw

You're right, it does kinda roar, even on tickover.

Phil
420 SEAC

[mike.williams]

Transmitter Man said:

Clive,

Thanks for that link.

Noted the following re crossplane crank engines:

I'm not sure there's room for a crossover pipe on the Wedge.

Phil
420 SEAC

Think we may have jumped subjects? Crossplane isn't the same as Flatplane is it?

[hallsie]

grahamw48 said:

I think you may have been hearing the other car's V8 Phil.

Listen to one of the other Vids, and it comes across more like ...well I'm not sure, but not an RV8 type sound.

Personally I think Cerbs sound rubbish, wonderful a car as they may be, otherwise I'd probably have saved up for one by now.
No offence intended to anyone or their cars.

No need to save for one Graham, the 13k white one in the classifieds has been put on gumtree today, for 5K!!

Stu

[clive f]

mike.williams said:

Think we may have jumped subjects? Crossplane isn't the same as Flatplane is it?

well if you are comparing a rv8 crank, which is a crossplane crank to a flat plane crank then I`d say its relevant



Phil, just up the road from sandown in brading mate.

[mike.williams]

clive f said:

well if you are comparing a rv8 crank, which is a crossplane crank to a flat plane crank then I`d say its relevant

Should have followed the link myself first...
Reading the link explained all.... well, the bits I could follow anyway!
Seems a shame that that lovely V8 burble is in fact a shout of inefficiency...
at least it produced a good sound!
Mike

[grahamw48]

I like a good old inefficient crossplane sound....especially like this one. Ideal for shutting up fking barking dogs or payback for noisy neighbours.

I want this on my drive so much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC0qMjuzrz0&fea...

[Boosted LS1]

Has anybody noticed the stroke? 1.586". rofl. Who says size doesn't matter.