"Beginning with the premise, ‘Trust nothing and nobody,’ I sent the Swiftune #SW2307 camshaft to Elgin cams to be reverse engineered. We discovered the camshaft provided was much closer to a streetcar/autocross design instead of the full-on road race cam we requested.”
What's advertised and what it is aren't always the same number.
Of course, once you've INSTALLED IT and discovered either no change or a decrease in power, it's not returnable.
ALWAYS CHECK CAM SPECS.
Mark checked the specs on the Piper Cams we put in the K. They were spot on.
It's always preferable to send a camshaft back with a printout of the factual dimensions compared to the fairy tales offered up in the brochure. It makes it easier to shove it up their deuterostome blastopore.
And seeing as Nick Swift of Swiftune has the fastest racing Mini Coopers on the planet, is it any surprise that he's not sharing the good stuff?
I find it "helpful" to follow the instructions of the engineers who manufacture the parts I use, but hey, that's just me and you should do whatever works for you.
Fordboy
So, ahem, a certain dichotomy in those quotes . . . . . . This is the part where I digress into a perspective of insight, (I think), into my character and values. SO, if you aren't a fan, skip this post . . . . .How I got to where I am, what I do, and the methodology I use, and recommend . . . . . .A/ I am a man who embraces science above all else, simply for the cogent explanations science provides. About MANY things, not just racing engines.
2/ This did not "happen" by accident. While young, much of what I did was by the "trial & error" method, which, understandably now, gave a resulting poor percentage of positive outcomes.
d/ In the quest for "better outcomes" and better percentages, if you will, I bit the bullet and bought a SuperFlow 100 flow bench. Based on the success with this "truth-o-meter", thus I began my downward spiral of technological
acquisition, and my upward spiral of successful results. Co-incidence? I think not . . . . .
Have you ever noticed that a LOT of Hollywood productions are "remakes"? Not really a lot of original thinking going on. Why? Because it requires EFFORT, and IT IS HARD. The same is true in racing and many other things. As my generous mentor opines: "If it was easy, everybody would be setting records."
And then there is the "trust" thing. YES, there are folks in the business you can trust. They are few and far between. BUT, remember, they are NOT mind readers. If you can not DETAIL what you need, do NOT expect them to conjure a "miracle" for you. YOU need to know, or at least have some idea of what you require, AND, you have to be able to communicate that to the proper person at the manufacturing end. These folks are good, dedicated engineers, they are NOT magicians. AND, they do not "resent" you checking their work. Good ones welcome the double check, because, humans can make the occasional error. People I deal with KNOW I am going to check with a jaded and critical eye. I believe that that knowledge keeps them "on their game".
And if you check everything thoroughly, you will no doubt eliminate most of the "stupid sh**". Does this create extra work and expense? Well, it depends on how you look at it, doesn't it? So, with the idea that inevitably, errors will be made, why not attempt to err on the side of good judgement and/or good engineering? Just a thought. And your mileage may vary . . . . . . .
Practical example to follow soon . . . . . one that will give insight into why we went through a MASSIVE gyration with the lower end oiling system for the K16. Stay tuned . . . . .
(Hey! Time for Oktoberfest, my favorite time of year . . . . )
Festyboy
P.S. Thank you Harold, for the thought, the guidance, and the introductions. You have been generous in your willingness to "pay it forward". I will do no less to uphold the tradition.
Topic: Milwaukee Midget (Read 3583773 times)