Author Topic: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build  (Read 161220 times)

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Offline Scottie J

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My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« on: December 04, 2013, 08:36:42 AM »
Hi there everyone!    :-)

My name is Scottie and I'm new to the forum and LSR, but here's what I got!

A few months ago I was looking for a second motor to build up and drop in my '58 Enfield/Indian Trailblazer that I restored last year.  Upon my searches, I ended up coming across a nearly complete '59 Chief for a smoking deal, I basically got the whole bike for the price I was hoping to pay for just the motor and trans.  The motor had spun a crank bearing and the PO didn't want to invest the time or money into the bike.  I made him an offer over the phone and the next thing I know I have a 7' crate full of bike parts showing up at work.  Which brings me to my first serious question......  Has everyone on this forum told their significant others just what exactly they are building and what speeds they are attempting?  My wife is clueless, and I have no idea how to tell her I plan on breaking 200mph on a 54 year old motorcycle.  Anyways.....

I started researching doing a performance build on 1 of these Enfield 700cc twins since I picked up the Trailblazer last year.  From what I've been able to research, the weakest links is the factory connecting rods and low valve lift coming from the heads/cams.  The crank itself, from what I've read, is actually one of the beefiest motorcycle cranks ever built, particularly at the time of production.  It is a 1-piece forged crank with massive 45mm main journals (which was unheard of at that time) with roller bearings.  Unfortunately the connecting rods were made out of some experimental "pot metal" which were notorious for grenading under serious load which then gave these motors a bad reputation for having a weak bottom end, when in fact it was just crap connecting rods.  That should not be an issue for me as I am going to have custom CP pistons and Carrillo rods made and then I am having the entire rotating assembly balanced at Falicon Cranks to 10,000 RPMs and plan on actually redlining somewhere between 8500-9000 RPMs.  The pistons are going to need to be pretty damn big, somewhere around a 16:1 static compression ratio, so I can get dynamic compression up to around 13.5:1.

I sent the heads to Tom Lyons at Ace Cafe in Tennessee.  He specializes in building performance Enfield Bullets and works closely with the guys at Mondello's.  I'm hoping they will get a chance to flow the heads sometime this week and get the baseline flow reading.  We are also talking about fabbing some custom built high ration rockers to get some more valve lift out of the heads, but were not exactly sure how to as there is limited room in the vlave cover/rocker area.  But, based on rough figures, Tom is pretty confident that we can achieve what I'm hoping to accomplish, and that is to break 200mph on a single engine under 1000cc on a Royal Enfield bike.  I know one gentleman did 205mph on an Enfield, but that was with 2 - 750cc Interceptor motors chained together in the same chassis.  I would REALLY like to hit 210mph so I can crush every Enfield record out there, plus earn the bragging rights to The World's Fastest Indian.  Plan on reading a lot of "dumb" questions from me in the upcoming year or so as I put this beast together.  As far as I know,  NO ONE has ever attempted to build an Enfield motor as wild as I am building this one.  Hopefully a little luck will be on my side.    ;-)











Scottie


Offline SPARKY

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #1 on: December 04, 2013, 09:12:39 AM »
I know next to nothing about bikes but that crank sure looks massive---I look forward to following your SALT JOURNEY!!

On the "wifey thing"  :-o
   I think you need to convince her that " The Worlds Fastest Indian"  is really a chick flick,  buy wine and roses every time you get her to watch it with you, when the moon is full in front of a fireplace on a fur rug!!  :roll:     good luck with the wife you may need it!   lol
« Last Edit: January 04, 2014, 01:03:29 PM by SPARKY »
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

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Offline sabat

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #2 on: December 04, 2013, 10:03:34 AM »
Welcome to land speed racing Scottie. Going 200 at Bonneville on an unfaired motorcycle is an ambitious goal, but to do it with near-vintage technology is a tall order. Do you plan to run normally aspirated? Will it burn nitromethane? Will you use a land speed fairing? best of luck, and I look forward to following your progress. -Dean

Offline bak189

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #3 on: December 04, 2013, 10:42:15 AM »
I have build a couple of Enfields in my time........and yes, do replace the rods.....200mph?????? It certainly would be the World Fastest "Indian"....are you making a new frame/chassis?????  I got to see the twin engine Enfield run many years back....the chassis/frame was made out of alum. plates...nice work
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Offline bak189

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2013, 11:02:18 AM »
As a addition to my last post......the Enfield engine was (back in the 1960's) a great power unit for road racing sidecars...lots of low end power and no oil tank was needed. I believe Barnett Tool and Eng. still has a after market clutch for the Enfields......you will need one once you make some power........................
Question authority.....always

Offline Scottie J

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2013, 11:46:59 AM »
Sparky - Great idea!  Love it!

Sabat - I plan on running methanol for fuel.  I'll be running dual 34mm Mikunis naturally aspirated in hopes of flowing about 160cfm per head.  And I was thinking of using a fairing.

Bak189 - I'll be using the factory chassis with modern wheels, suspension, brakes and an extended swingarm.

Scottie

Offline sabat

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2013, 12:08:05 PM »
Great, a fairing will make it easier to go 200. The current MPS-F record is 223mph, held by Joe Amo.

How much horsepower do you think you can make?

Dean

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2013, 12:10:44 PM »
Scottie, think "dummy receipts".  "Honey, I see you've found the receipt for the $7 set of connecting rods I got down at the local Auto Zone."

Get to be good friends with the countermen at the various local parts stores and you'll be a happier fellow. :roll: :roll:
Jon E. Wennerberg
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 Skandia, Michigan
 (that's way up north)
2 Club member x2
Owner of landracing.com

Offline Scottie J

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2013, 01:24:24 PM »
QI'm shooting for 80-110hp at the wheel, factory was 40hp at the block.  Ironically I was an assistant manager at Advance Auto Parts for 2 years and an still good friends with everyone I worked with.

Scottie
« Last Edit: December 04, 2013, 02:15:23 PM by Scottie J »

Offline sabat

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2013, 01:46:36 PM »
You're going to need a pretty small package and a very slippery fairing to go 200 with 110hp.

http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/aerohpcalc.html

Offline Scottie J

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2013, 02:25:25 PM »
How do I come up with the Cd# ?

Offline JimL

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2013, 02:35:13 PM »
Heres a pic of a 750 Enfield that ran fuel.  I seem to remember 150-160 speeds?...bike on the left.

http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5202.0;attach=9060;image

Here is his other fuel bike, which I heard was the first open bike over 200 (one way).  It ran a little over 190 the day I took this pic; he was right ahead of me in staging (it was running APS that year...we talked about putting my full fairing on his bike, but I ran all week and it was gonna' need too much fabricating anyway.)

http://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5202.0;attach=9058;image

JimL

« Last Edit: December 04, 2013, 02:55:49 PM by JimL »

Offline Tman

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2013, 02:35:38 PM »
Good luck, shooting for ANY of Joes records is a tough feat! :cheers:

Offline Stan Back

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2013, 03:02:54 PM »
Help!

Whose was the dual Enfield fuel bike that ran 200+ at El Mirage in the 70's?
Past (Only) Member of the San Berdoo Roadsters -- "California's Most-Exclusive Roadster Club" -- 19 Years of Bonneville and/or El Mirage Street Roadster Records

Offline sabat

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Re: My '59 Enfield /Indian 750cc Chief High Compression Build
« Reply #14 on: December 04, 2013, 03:32:20 PM »
How do I come up with the Cd# ?

Either by backward-calculation, or in a wind tunnel.

I would guess that the new Catalyst LSR fairing is around .30 - .35 ?  Maybe 6 sqft frontal area?

http://www.scta-bni.org/Bonneville/SpeedWeek%202013/Photos/Aug13/DSCN1275.JPG