Update on 280SL / 3.0 performance engine

[Shvegel]

Tom,

 Assuming that you are using an electronic ignition and you do run into a knocking issue Saab used an ignition controller on there normally aspirated 900's pre 94. This system was called EZK and was a standalone system with it's own harness. Basically it used a knock sensor to sense knock and retarded the ignition accordingly. As I recall it was a fairly small box and it could be hidden under the dash fairly easily.

[ja17]

Hello tom,

I ported and polished the head on my M130 rallycar engine, and it made a noticable improvement in power at higher rpms. I also expect that doing some work with the head on a flow bench could improve things quite a bit. I would also be inclined to extrude hone the intake manifold and have the fuel injected pump set up for maximum power output.

Quite an interesting project. You can also do a volume check on the cylinders and combustion chambers to see how far you are from stock compression. Those heavy rocker arms will float the valves at about 7,000 rpms, lightening them (as AMG does) will allow more rpms which a good healthy and balanced M130 engine should be able to take.

[Naj ✝︎]

quote:Originally posted by ja17

.

Those heavy rocker arms will float the valves at about 7,000 rpms, lightening them (as AMG does) will allow more rpms which a good healthy and balanced M130 engine should be able to take.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=i_NpzU4pGjc&feature=related

naj

[Tom Colitt]

Thanks Joe

I will get into the modifications you've done a little later, since these first steps were to explore the increase in displacement.

I am currently looking at installing the Euro spec cam after some promising hp tests on the 3.0 engine using the stock US (01) cam. Here is what I recently posted in another thread. Do you have any further information than what you've listed in your cam chart, Joe?

Quote: "I was going to install the Euro specification cam that I had reground using an original 02 cam as the master. The problem is, I measured the lift of the re-ground cam and the numbers are slightly less than the Euro (02) cam for both intake and exhaust lobes. They are also slightly less than the lift I measured on the "01" US spec cam that was originally in my engine.

I have the camshaft chart that Joe Alexander put together, but unfortunately it does not show any maximum lift values. My question is, does anyone have the specs. for the lift of an 01 (or 05) and an 02 (or 09) camshaft? The new factory 02 euro cam that I have measures about 7.2mm lift on the exhaust lobes and 7.65mm on the intake lobes. The 01 cam measures slightly less at 7.5mm for intake and 7.0 for exhaust lobes. Of course the timing and duration for these camshafts would contribute to the performance differences as well.

My re-ground cam also delivers 7.5mm on the intake side and 7.0 for the exhaust lobes. The camshaft specialist argues that the engine would never know a difference of only 0.2mm. I am not sure I want to go to the trouble of installing it in my test engine to find out whether there is a change in performance (any change could only come from the different timing of the lobes, since the lifts are more or less the same.)

Does anyone have any number, either from literature or accurately measured, that can help me get an understanding for the expected differences between the 01 and the 02 cams?

Thanks, Tom"

[jeffc280sl]

Hi Tom,

Just measured my 02 cam with a micrometer and confirm the lift dimensions to be about 7.10 for the exhaust and 7.60 for the intake.  I don't know if this helps much but it is close to your measurements of 7.2 and 7.65.  

I'm enjoying your thread.  Thanks

[Tom Colitt]

Thanks Jeff

That confirms the lift on the Euro cam, but I'd still like to hear from someone who might have an answer to the question whether that re-ground cam, with slightly less lift than the US spec 01 cam, is nevertheless likely top produce more power if it has the the timing and duration specs of the Euro spec cam?.....

Tom

[Tom Colitt]

Hi Joe

Now that you planted the seed, I probably won't be able to stop myself from doing a little weight savings on the rocker arms. I don't even foresee raising the RPM limit on the 3.0L, but I am now developing a slightly higher lift and duration cam together with Isky racing cams. A lightened valve train certainly won't hurt to counter the higher acceleration that my valves will see. Did you do your porting yourself? Did you change anything in the combustion chamber? Do you see extrude honing the intake manifold as more important than the head? What about the exhaust manifold?

Best, Tom