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Re: RE: Aluminum heads

To: MGSMGBGT@aol.com
Subject: Re: RE: Aluminum heads
From: "Scott Gardner" <gardner@lwcomm.com>
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 02:13:59 +0000
> I did not know about regular aluminum MG heads.  Are these the Cross flow
> heads?  If so, better breathing with better compression would be very hard to
> beat!  Seems like a natural.
> 
> Bob Shaw
> contemplating the next engine rebuild
> in Lincon., NE

I'm still waiting to hear anything solid about those MSX aluminum 
crossflow heads.  I went to Steve Darby's (the maker) page on the 
web, and the results he advertises were less than convincing.  Most 
of the horsepower gains were on the order of 3-5 hp.  The bigger 
gains were above 5500 rpm, with a specially-designed race cam and 
dual Weber 45DCOE carbs.  I don't know about the "better breathing" 
or the increased heat dissapation due to the choice of materials, but 
I figure you should get 3-5 hp just from the increase in compression. 
 I'd love to play with one in person, but considering it's $1150 for 
the head (bare), plus extra for the manifold, and beaucoup $$$ to go 
to the dual Webers, it seems like way to much buck for the bang to 
me.  Maybe it would be a different story for a race-only car, but 
Steve seems to be pushing for the MSX as an everyday replacement for 
the stock head.  Not worth it, as far as I'm concerned, unless the 
numbers on his page are drastically conservative.
        BTW, I just went back to his page (http://www.Pinon.com/sportscar/) 
to check the numbers, and it turns out he no longer has the tables 
comparing the stock engine to one equipped with his head.  The only 
table he has now is one comparing a full-blown race engine equipped 
with his head anda Canon racing cam to the same engine with a 
custom-designed cam.  It doesn't break 100hp until 4500 rpm, and the 
peak is 124 hp at 6000.  Considering that the specially-designed cam 
actually makes LESS power than the Canon D-9 racing cam below 5000 
rpm, I'm even more convinced this is really a racing-application 
part, and not the best alterntive to the stock head for a daily 
driver, costwise.

Scott Gardner
gardner@lwcomm.com
Scott Gardner
gardner@lwcomm.com
www.lwcomm.com/~gardner

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