OzVMX Forum

Clubroom => Tech Talk => Topic started by: mainline on August 30, 2009, 06:50:12 pm

Title: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: mainline on August 30, 2009, 06:50:12 pm
the other week I was looking at an old MXA (the issue with Hannah doing his Superman impersonation on the cover) and they had an article on some White Bros mods for the 79 YZ's, part of it was to do with the rear shock, the other was a reed spacer.

Yesterday I was talking to Trev (worms) at the QVMX practice day and he recommended pretty much the same reed spacer mod.

Now I've done a search for Reed spacers, and the great lord humongous Lozza mentioned in the post I found, that reed spacers are more aimed at top end power, while the MXA/White Bros Article were talking about torque gains.

So firstly, do the spacers effect different engines configurations in different ways? The '79 YZ125 was apparently rather peaky anyway so I don't want to add to my woes.

Secondly, does the spacer always go on the cylinder side of the reed block?

Turdly, does this mod effect my already not-quite-right jetting?

and lastly, just out of interests sake, what are the technical aspects of this mod, ie what is it doing that makes the change to power delivery

thanks ever so much ;D

 
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: oldyzman on August 30, 2009, 09:25:20 pm
Hey Mainline, I have heard that it can give a better midrange, Do you currently have YZ250F? As I would like to know waht jetting you are running and pipe etc. I have just done a ground up rebuild on one... First race was a disaster
OLDYZMAN
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Lozza on August 30, 2009, 09:57:41 pm
Quote
great lord humongous Lozza
??? Take a look at where the spacer goes in the article and get back to me, before the veins in my head start pulsing :o
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: mainline on August 31, 2009, 06:15:24 am
I had another squiz at the article and the only info they give you is that it costs $12.95 ;D, no pics unfortunately.

5mm was the width of the spacer that Trev was using on his 250.

BTW, the humungous thing was because I keep remembering Doc's pic of you and stu in the pits with the tm400 where you're referred to as Lozza the Giant and Stu the Brave ;D
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: oldmxracer on August 31, 2009, 08:54:37 am
I used aa Moose spacer on a 92 YZ125. Just moves the power down in the rpm range while you lose some rpm off the top. Makes it FEEL like a gain in midrange/bottom end. I liked it.
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Lozza on August 31, 2009, 10:20:11 am
Then the spacer goes between the manifold and the reed cage. Some aluminium plate would be enough to experiment with.
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: mainline on August 31, 2009, 05:08:31 pm
fair enough, I'l pick up an offcut tomorrow and make something up. Just for interests sake though, what is it that this mod is doing that changes the power characteristics?

Thanks for your help
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Lozza on August 31, 2009, 06:30:09 pm
Your actually tuning the inlet tract length and moving it into phase when you want it to, at best you will be looking at a 1% gain.You maybe in fact lessening the good work the stuffers on the manifold do(if you have them).
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Freakshow on August 31, 2009, 08:26:16 pm
IIRC we used to want to get the reeds as close to the cylinder as possible with the moded barrels, then again it was a 350 Rd cage into a 125 , but i do recall the go was to get it in there as close as we could.

question .....Wouldnt just adding a block create a dead space behind the petal stops and make a still air void as your not maintaining the same tapered profile ?  id save your time unless its a known fault of that model or barell and a proven fix for that specific problem.
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Lozza on August 31, 2009, 09:01:59 pm
A lot depends on the crank case volume, I have used large spacers on Karts and Rgv's and raised the on-pipe rpm.
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Freakshow on August 31, 2009, 09:06:52 pm
more horses or just rpm ?
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: ChrisACT on August 31, 2009, 10:27:07 pm
Here's how my feeble brain interprets it all.

If you space the reed block away from the cylinder, you have essentially increased your crankcase volume.  This lowers the crankcase compression ratio thereby reducing the loss in horsepower created by the pressure in the crankcase acting against the bottom of the piston on the downstroke.  BUT .... it also slightly reduces the positive transfer port velocity which means you get a slightly more diluted combustion mixture seeing as it won't necessarily scavenge the chamber as well at certain RPM.

So, in a nutshell, it should allow the engine to rev a little more freely, but the combustion chamber gets a slightly more diluted charge.  So, overall cylinder pressures go down (reducing torque and power) but powerband broadens making it a little friendlier to ride.

Is that kinda on the right track?
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Lozza on August 31, 2009, 11:31:43 pm
Miles off.
A common fallacy is that the decending piston creates 'pressure' in the crankcase. It's dwarfed by the pressure above the ring.
Case volume is a bit like a trumpet players cheeks, larger volumes have more for the pipe to 'draw' on.
Both Freaky, the Kart rules are very strict so sneaky stuff must be employed, we needed more punch off turns, got that but it lost 500rpm off the top, add spacer we had our low end punch and restored the top end rpm.
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Freakshow on September 01, 2009, 12:11:02 am
Obviously not the rotax as they got that class locked down. you working on unlimited karts
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Lozza on September 01, 2009, 07:58:24 am
Yep was on a Rotax and is completely legal.
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Mick22 on September 01, 2009, 08:50:58 am
Miles off.
A common fallacy is that the decending piston creates 'pressure' in the crankcase. It's dwarfed by the pressure above the ring.

Hey Lozza can you explain what you mean by this, is it that the vacuum created above the ring draws the charge up instead of being forced up by the piston?
Do the after market reed cages for later model bikes offer any real improvements or are they just a marketing exercise?
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: ChrisACT on September 01, 2009, 09:52:57 am
Miles off.
A common fallacy is that the decending piston creates 'pressure' in the crankcase. It's dwarfed by the pressure above the ring.
Case volume is a bit like a trumpet players cheeks, larger volumes have more for the pipe to 'draw' on.
Both Freaky, the Kart rules are very strict so sneaky stuff must be employed, we needed more punch off turns, got that but it lost 500rpm off the top, add spacer we had our low end punch and restored the top end rpm.
I'm pretty sure that a trumpet does not suck air out of the player's cheeks.  ;)

But I take your point.  The resonance and shockwaves in the pipe scaveng the mixture into the chamber thus it is actually sucked into the chamber rather than being "blown" into the chamber by the piston.  Although, that only happens when the engine is "on pipe"  If the pipe isn't working, then the piston has to do more of the work.

The result is the same though.  Larger crankcase volume = slightly less cylinder pressure but a wider powerband and will rev a little harder.
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Lozza on September 01, 2009, 02:02:28 pm
Sure about that Chris ;D Yeah a shocker analogy.Remind me to email you some SAE papers.
Mick no vaccum above the ring that's below, there is much more pressure above the ring(even before the spark event) for anything to be 'forced' out the transfers from a descending piston.
NO V-Force are probably the best and cheapest bolt on HP out there.
Title: Re: Reed Block Spacers
Post by: Freakshow on September 01, 2009, 03:01:04 pm
errrrrr.