Re: Snapey's 1935 Racing Biposto

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2011/6/22 0:56:10

Snapey,

Just read your blog, and enjoyed it very much. Looking forward to more.

A question about reworking a flathead as you spoke of earlier. It could elicit a really obvious "yes" or "you're off your rocker" answer, but, here goes: Can a flathead be reworked to allow for a cross flow, with intake as is, and exhaust relocated to the left side of the engine?

I have long had an interest in how to make a real honker out of a flathead without retrofitting to OHV, because, of course, it would no longer have the elegance and simplicity of the valve in block configuration. Turbocharging or supercharging went through my mind long ago, leaning toward the turbo. With the Exhaust/Intake on the same side of the engine, it would make for a very short route from the turbo to the intake, which I believe is the holy grail for reducing single turbo lag to a minimum.

In my dreams I have imagined how a flathead could be converted to 2-cycle, with ports in the cylinder walls instead of valves and, of course, a blower. No valves, no lifters, no cam, no pushrods, no rockers... how many moving parts could be eliminated? Of course, this would require from-the-ground-up engineering, not a modification of anything in existence, or....?

As I say, in my dreams, but I've already gone on far too long past the original question: Cross flow in a valve-in-head engine?

Finally, do you have a pic of that TS3 2-cycle diesel engine? Does the TS stand for Tough Sh**? And please, for us ignorant stateside blokes, what the heck is a Commer Knocker?? Since it is an English vehicle, I suppose it is actually called a "lorry" not a truck, and is some kind of abomination.