Grooving Heads for increased efficiency??

But wait, there's more! Order now and we'll double your order. 40% fuel savings + 50% more power. I think somebody ought to get Toyota on the phone ​

 

haven't tried it but i think port matching (not grooving) is better since the airflow will be smoother and unobstructed. that is if it really needs matching.

 

is there a reason auto mfg's wouldn't do this in the factory?

 

i'm not sure.. but there are instances where the intake ports don't exactly match with the ports in the head. It wouldn't be the case for high-performance cars, i guess, since the engineers would've taken that into account. But for normal mass-produced cars, the there might be slight unevenness when the parts left the casting process. And for economies of scale, the intake runners might even come from a different supplier which could share the same part with a different type heads as long as they generally are within the volume tolerances set by the engine designers. lots of sample images from the web.

 

Answered my own question

 

I'm certainly, going to pay attention. I tip my hat those brave souls that try it.

 

...directionally sounds like some of the advantages that a hybrid (Prius) naturally gets via use of the Atkinson cycle ICE engine design.

 

So there's this epic thread showing a Spanish "tuner" making a dangerous modifications on a Mitsubishi Eclipse with a 4G63T. It's discussed here: Car Lust: When tuning goes horribly, horribly wrong and here: Spanish "tuner". Enjoy - Page 14 - Mitsubishi Lancer Register Forum

He puts "sin" grooves in the head. Based on discussion about this, I've gathered that the grooves are meant to improve the distribution of fuel/air in the chamber. However, this is unlikely to be effective in modern engines which have much better characteristics (and no longer run on carburetors - that's how old this idea is).

tl;dr version: Don't do it. Send pictures of your blown engine if you do.

 

Like my favorite book that was never written,
"Genius Mods for Prius Dummies"
by Hugo First!
LOL

 

Yes.

Notice that they don't do this? There's your answer.

 

...grooves not the path to zero emissions either, I am sure

 

Operators are standing by for this special offer! But, only if you order in the next ten minutes.

Seriously, in order to groove the heads, the most pronounced improvement would be decarbonizing (IE: cleaning the heads) of the built up crude in the combustion chamber. That would help improve easier starts, slight increase in mpgs and more pep. The grooving is something that I never heard of in all the engines I have rebuilt over the years. Porting and polishing the heads can help with more power as well as milling to raise the compression ratio.

If this grooving is so wonderful, it would have been incorporated in many vehicles on the road today. It probably would have first started on the racing circuits, then expanding into production vehicles. I have not seen any of this grooving.

DBCassidy

 

I think combustion / air flow would be hampered by these grooves. Combustion chamber design today is about getting the most power, using a little fuel as possible, and meeting emissions.

DBCassidy

 

Another thought, grooves introduce sharp edges (thermal issues) and cavities the can capture and hold carbon buildup.

DBCassidy

 

Oh brother...lol

 

you are kidding right, I cant imagine who would have been the first to think of that and why.
granted combustion chambers are shaped for a purpose, I cant see in on this "groove"

 

It gets better... the guy took a pipe tap to the intake ports!

Grooved Metro number 2

I think this is a testament to the Geo 3cyl engine. If it can take that kind of abuse and still run as well as is claimed, that's some solid design!