Flow testing?

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Long story short, I'm planning on building a turbo charged 300. I'm still in the early stages, but have the head work just about done (except rockers). I have a Clifford intake and stock fuelie manifolds with a mild port and gasket match. I think I know the answer to this question, but how helpful is having the flow numbers? I like the RPM range of Isky's "turbo-cycle" cam, it will work well with my planned rear gearing. I'm shying away from a custom grind because I'm trying to keep costs down where I can. How helpful will it be to have these numbers when it comes down to theoretical flow for turbo setup and needed carb (plan is blow thru)? TIA
 
Just note that cam selection is critical only at the wild hairy edge of a race engine. On a streeter any cam no larger than 280 degrees off the ramp duration shouldn't hit the dreaded surge point on a properly sized turbo.

The sizing of a turbo is quite easy, and it's more based on cubic inches and revs rather than cfm airflow through each port of the cylinder head. The 'before turbo but at stock compression' power curve can be rasied by the propsed boost ratio, and this will give the theoretical maximum power.

So if your engine is stock with about 120 hp, then with a 9 psi turbo-charger, the best power boost would be (9+15)/15, or 1.6. The power then hikes 1.6 times 120hp, or to 192 hp if all is the same and there is no heating of the intake charge. Of course, just a cam and intake and carb change could lift that to 150 hp with ease.

The normal things that help power, a lo-restriction exhast, a better intake manifold, a better, multiple carburation or better EFI, a more suitable header, more lift, and, to a limited degree, more duration, optimised ignition, will all yield more power as long as the turbo doesn't hit a surge condition.

Unless you have the flow maps of each perspective turbo you're looking at, then I'd just use revs, cubic inches, and likely flywheel hp power before boost. To use head flow figures, you'd have to run a specilised program, like the Engine Analyser, and then look for a turbo module to the program. If you talk to someone here who has flow figures on a stock head, then you'd be able to run a very good approximation of the likely peak power.
 
Thanks for the reply X. It seems the flow numbers are bit meaningless unless I decide on trying a custom grind. The only flow numbers kicking around are for a stock head. Mine has 1.94/1.60 valves and some port work. I do intend to compare compressor maps, but a dyno run maybe the best info to use once I get the general setup running. I'd rather shift the $$ to pre turbo dyno than flow bench data. Thanks again.
 
With a mildly ported head. The Isky Turbo cam has a max power peak at about 5000 rpm.
That is with a T4-B, with a T-3 super 60 it's a little lower.

Since you are porting the head, don't get crazy with the boost. I wouldn't ever go over 7 psi with a daily unless I was 100% sure I was not having ANY detonation.
With the stock head, the breathing is so bad, that you could run some fairly high boost and not be conserned. But with it ported with bigger valves, you will be over boosting at the same boost level.
It's just easier to push it in.

If you build it right you can SPANK Lightnings with 7 psi. :D

John
 
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