We use to build Chrysler Industrial Hemis (no joke) and 391 CID Fords for wind machines in and around the areas where we lived. These had the engines 45 feet up on a rotating tower swinging a 66" prop at 2900 propeller RPm and 4800-5200 engine rpm. There was a local wind machine company that built the engines, and they were having a lot of failures, so a local grower - whom we supplied with stock car engines - asked dad if we would build a wind machine engine for him that would hold up.
We approached this like any other endurance engine that we built. Correct clearances, excellent quality parts, zero-decked block, correctly jetted and total timing held to 34° to 36° BTDC. We used Shell Rotella T for these engines in a 15w/40 grade which worked well in the sub zero temperatures.
I designed the camshafts for these engines to be very easy on the valvetrain. The camshafts featured 444"/.454" lift and 207°/211° @ .050" on a 111.5° LSA . they were custom ground for us by Iskenderian, who was our sponsor at the time. Valve spring pressures were held below 300 lbs open pressure and 110 pounds seated. Everything was coated with black moly paste during assembly as was the SOP for all our engines.
Once we got the engine built, we took it out to the grove and had it hoisted into place. Once everything was ready, I donned ear muffs and fired the engine, bringing engine RPM to 2200 until we had 180°F coolan temps. As soon as we hit 180°, I took the engine to WOT several times to seat the rings, then up to 4800 crankshaft rpm and held it there for 1 hour. The wash off that 66" prop was over 100mph and you had to stay strapped onto the tower or it would blow you off of it.
That's how we broke them in. Several are still running that we built years ago, although most groves are using electrics now - we never lost an engine and we broke them in exactly as they were to be used.
No quarter...
We approached this like any other endurance engine that we built. Correct clearances, excellent quality parts, zero-decked block, correctly jetted and total timing held to 34° to 36° BTDC. We used Shell Rotella T for these engines in a 15w/40 grade which worked well in the sub zero temperatures.
I designed the camshafts for these engines to be very easy on the valvetrain. The camshafts featured 444"/.454" lift and 207°/211° @ .050" on a 111.5° LSA . they were custom ground for us by Iskenderian, who was our sponsor at the time. Valve spring pressures were held below 300 lbs open pressure and 110 pounds seated. Everything was coated with black moly paste during assembly as was the SOP for all our engines.
Once we got the engine built, we took it out to the grove and had it hoisted into place. Once everything was ready, I donned ear muffs and fired the engine, bringing engine RPM to 2200 until we had 180°F coolan temps. As soon as we hit 180°, I took the engine to WOT several times to seat the rings, then up to 4800 crankshaft rpm and held it there for 1 hour. The wash off that 66" prop was over 100mph and you had to stay strapped onto the tower or it would blow you off of it.
That's how we broke them in. Several are still running that we built years ago, although most groves are using electrics now - we never lost an engine and we broke them in exactly as they were to be used.
No quarter...
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