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COBB Tuning Socal Grand Opening
Posted by Cosworth USA on Friday, December 02, 2011Cosworth Performance Dealer COBB Tuning is proud to announce the Official Grand Opening of its latest retail facility, COBB Tuning SOCAL. COBB Tuning SOCAL brings customer focus, professionalism, and attention to detail to Southern California in this freshly outfitted 10,000sq/ft facility. The new location features an open and inviting floor plan, a comfortable customer lounge, accessible product displays and private sales offices. COBB Tuning SOCAL is equipped as a one-stop-shop for nearly all of an auto enthusiast's needs, including retail sales, a Mustang AWD dyno and professional dyno tuning, four service bays, product installation, project build planning, custom fabrication and vehicle maintenance services.
Everyone is invited to the COBB Tuning SOCAL Grand Opening party on Sunday, December 4th from 11am to 4pm. Activities will include:
- Beverages, food and snacks
- Local vendors and displays
- Car show
- Discounted services scheduled at the event
- Facility tour
- Staff meet-and-greet
- COBB Tuning Nissan GT-R 2010 Time Attack Champion
If you are available on December 4th, come visit us at the COBB Tuning SOCAL Official Grand Opening. If not, COBB Tuning SOCAL will also be hosting 1st Thursdays, monthly meets on the first Thursday of every month, where car enthusiasts of all makes and models can eat, talk cars and have fun. Either way, we would love the chance to meet you and show you around our new Southern California location!
COBB Tuning SOCAL
10591 Bechler River Ave.
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Cosworth Performance Cylinder Heads
Posted by Cosworth USA on Wednesday, September 14, 2011For over 45
years, Cosworth has been the leader in innovative multi-valve cylinder
head design for both racing and high performance production engines. As
one of the pioneers in the design of modern pent roof combustion chambers and
four valve cylinder head technology, Cosworth continues to define cylinder head
development with CNC machined port bored cylinder heads with advanced port
shapes, coupled with superior valve seat and valve head profiles engineered to
extract the best in gas flow while maintaining excellent velocity and torque. Available for many applications, read on to find out how we develop and manufacture the best performing and developed cylinder heads available.
Cosworth
CNC Ported Big Valve Cylinder Heads.
Cosworth CNC Ported Big Valve Cylinder Heads for automotive applications feature dyno tested and flow bench proven ports, engineered for maximum usable power. Each new cylinder head is ported on a 5 axis machine to ensure consistency and perfect port shape every time. Additionally, larger intake (+1mm) and exhaust valves (+1mm) are utilized to help increase flow. Cosworth CNC ported Big Valve cylinder heads come complete with a performance valve job, hi rev valve springs with titanium retainers and are ready to install. Cosworth CNC Ported Big Valve Cylinder Heads have been engineered for high performance and race applications and used by top the teams worldwide.
Cosworth ProMax CNC
Ported Motorcycle Cylinder Heads.
Cosworth ProMax Cylinder Heads for 250cc and 450cc motorcycles are the latest advancement for single cylinder four stroke applications. Modified from new OE castings, substantial gas flow improvements offer superior performance and response, Cosworth ProMax CNC Ported Cylinder Heads have been highly developed to take performance to the next level. As many top riders know, a Cosworth ProMax Head is the vital link in achieving the ultimate potential from your engine!
Cylinder Head development.
Cosworth cylinder head improvement and development is a
multi-step process that couples various aspects of modern technology with an
empirical approach and over 50 years of race engine intellectual knowledge. One
of the first steps to new cylinder head design is to baseline test the original
equipment cylinder head for air/gas flow volume on our SuperFlow SF-1020
Professional Computerized Flowbench.
Having access to this data will allow us to benchmark improvements, enhancements and modifications required to meet our determined performance and air/gas flow target. Testing a new cylinder head for the first time typically involves designing and manufacturing a variety of custom tooling and fixtures that will allow our engineering team to mount the cylinder head on the flowbench as well as install any gauges or measuring devices required for testing.Taking the extra step to design precision fixtures ensures accurate and repeatable test results.
The next procedure is to develop the enhanced intake and
exhaust ports. The first step in this process is to digitize the original ports
shape for use in a CAD program. The most accurate method of modeling the port
is by replicating the port shape in silicone and digitizing the shape using a
3-D laser scanner.
This provides a complete
and accurate surface model of the cylinder head port that we can manipulate in
a CAD program. Once the original factory
port shape has been determined, the cylinder head ports are then hand finished
and configured to a specific shape and size.
When the first attempt at
reshaping the ports is completed, the cylinder head is retested on the Cosworth
Flowbench to determine the improvement in both air flow and velocity. Cylinder
head port enhancement can be challenging while attempting to improve air flow
without sacrificing air velocity and may require many attempts at reshaping the
port to achieve the desired results. Cylinder head port improvements are typically
validated on the flowbench and engine dyno.
However, Cosworth does not simply
address the intake and exhaust ports but valve seat shape and contour is also
evaluated and improved to optimize the cylinder head package. Valve seat
development is carried out on the Cosworth NEWEN CNC Fixed-Turning Valve Seat machine. The NEWEN
Fixed-Turning process results in a valve seat with precise shape free of
chatter marks and undulations. The final valve seat shape is then programmed
into the NEWEN Valve Seat machine
for production use.
Finally, the cylinder head is step cut through the modified ports to examine the port wall thickness making sure it is within the required specification. Once the port shape is finalized, it is digitized with a 3-D scanner and converted into an electronic file that will be used by a 5 axis CNC machine to mill or machine the ports and combustion chambers to the required shape. Of course valve size selection and valve train specification are also considered during the port and valve seat development ensuring a complete high performance cylinder head package engineered to perform.
Cosworth Big Valve and ProMax Cylinder Head Production.
Cosworth CNC ported cylinder heads are the results of many
hours of development and testing. To manufacture and assemble the developed cylinder
heads, various production and assembly procedures are carried out to ensure
quality and performance are maintained.
Each Cosworth CNC Ported Big Valve or ProMax Cylinder head begins
as an original factory casting. The cylinder head is inspected before the
required port and combustion chamber shape is machined on a 5-Axis mill
providing uniform and precise control of the port shape and wall thickness.
Machine porting offers many distinct advantages compared to traditional hand
porting including consistent port contour and surface finish. After the machine
porting is completed, the cylinder head is then de-burred and hand blended to
remove any surface irregularities in the valve seat to port transition area.
Previously raised valve guides are pressed back into place once the hand
blending is completed. Each cylinder head fire face is then hand lapped on a
granite slab providing an optimized surface finish.
The Cosworth CNC Ported Big Valve Cylinder
heads include upgraded Cosworth high performance valve train with larger
stainless steel intake and Inconel exhaust
valves. Cosworth cylinder heads feature
an ultra high performance valve job finished on a NEWEN CNC Fixed-Turning Valve
Seat Center.The NEWEN process is like no other and results in a valve seat that optimally seals thereby helping to maintain cylinder pressure and thus superior performance. 
Unique valve train assembly fixtures are utilized for each
cylinder head version allowing for precise and controlled quality. Cosworth
also offers several Big Valve cylinder heads complete with camshafts and valve
lash set to specific clearance thereby eliminating the hassle of camshaft set
up.
Once the cylinder heads have completed the
manufacturing process, they are fully inspected, serialized and then carefully
packaged to ensure safe arrival and installation. Cosworth CNC Ported Big Valve and ProMax Cylinder Heads offer tremendous value and proven performance and are the key to unlocking the potential in your engine. More details can be found here.
400th Subaru engine completed
Posted by Cosworth USA on Sunday, May 22, 2011We build Subaru engines for racers all over the World and last week we completed our 400th! So in celebration of this momentous occasion, we decided to gather around the dyno before the engine test for a group shot of the Cosworth USA staff.
This particular engine includes our 81mm billet stroker crankshaft, Cosworth 9.2:1 compression ratio forged pistons, Cosworth Forged Connecting Rods and Cosworth High Performance Bearings , Cosworth Big Valve Cylinder heads, Cosworth Intake manifold and a BorgWarner EFR Turbocharger, basically the entire catalog of Cosworth Subaru parts and components. More information on our Subaru engine assemblies can be found here
Watch one of the dyno runs as we test engine number 400.
This particular engine includes our 81mm billet stroker crankshaft, Cosworth 9.2:1 compression ratio forged pistons, Cosworth Forged Connecting Rods and Cosworth High Performance Bearings , Cosworth Big Valve Cylinder heads, Cosworth Intake manifold and a BorgWarner EFR Turbocharger, basically the entire catalog of Cosworth Subaru parts and components. More information on our Subaru engine assemblies can be found here
Watch one of the dyno runs as we test engine number 400.
EJ257 testing and validation
Posted by Cosworth USA on Wednesday, August 18, 2010The Cosworth USA Dyno is humming with the sound of our Subaru EJ257B (Dual AVCS) engine as we test and validate a few recently developed ...but....yet to be announced performance parts. For maximum reliable performance, we run our prototype components through a range of tests for selected periods of time. During the testing and validation phase of product development, data is gathered and reviewed to ensure the products meet our strict quality standards. Testing and validations is carried out on one of our two test cells that are equipped with a wide array of data logging and monitoring capabilities.
Our USA facility is equipped with two Froude Water Brake Engine test cells with the following specifications.
Cosworth USA Engine Test Cell Specifications
- RPM and Torque Capabilities
- Maximum RPM: 16,000
- Maximum Torque: 1000
- Maximum Power: 1000 hp
Test Cell Layout
Our test cells are designed to allow for ample work and engine installation space.
Exhaust ducting on both sides of the test bed allow easy adaptation to most exhaust systems.
Engine air inlet comes from either outside the cell or is controlled via a combustion air conditioner capable of supplying up to 1000 cfm at the below tolerances:
Our test cells are designed to allow for ample work and engine installation space.
Exhaust ducting on both sides of the test bed allow easy adaptation to most exhaust systems.
Engine air inlet comes from either outside the cell or is controlled via a combustion air conditioner capable of supplying up to 1000 cfm at the below tolerances:
- Temperature: +/- 2 degrees F
- Dew point: 0 - +15 degrees F dew point above atmospheric
- Pressure: +/- 0.02 inHg
Data Acquisition / Control System
The main data acquisition and dyno control system is a CP Cadet V12 test bed controller. This system is capable of 512 inputs / outputs with 16 PID controls and is fully programmable via VB6.
Control systems abilities include:
The main data acquisition and dyno control system is a CP Cadet V12 test bed controller. This system is capable of 512 inputs / outputs with 16 PID controls and is fully programmable via VB6.
Control systems abilities include:
- Inside cell sensor and thermocouple connection box for ease of installation.
- Electronic closed loop throttle controller.
- Automated testing, step tests and transient testing can be performed (non motoring). Simple transient test creation via Excel.
- Endurance tests or race track simulations can be performed.
- Safety limits: Limits can be linked to measured channels to allow a warning to the operator or to even shut the engine down.
- Oil and water temperatures are controlled within +/- 2 degrees F.
- Closed loop intercooler control setup with a heat exchanger capable of 1500 hp.
- 16 PID controls can operate anything that will allow either a 0-5 volt or 0-20mA input.
- Cadet V12 has a VB6 background that allows for a highly adaptive environment.
- An endless amount of automation or calculations can be performed.
Secondary data acquisition system from Pi electronics is capable of input from 40 analogue channels, 10 digital channels and can decode serial and CAN streams. This system has engine speed and torque directly input via the CP system.
Instrumentation and Controls
Engine inlet air temperature instrumentation and control
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation and Controls
Engine inlet air temperature instrumentation and control
Instrumentation:
- Temperature
- Dew point or humidity %
- Barometric pressure
- Airflow ( 0-1000 cfm)
Control tolerances:
- Temperature +/- 2 degrees F
- Dew point +/- 2 degrees F
- Pressure +/- 0.02 inHg
Engine coolant / engine oil instrumentation and control Instrumentation:
- Temperature into engine
- Temperature out of engine
- Pressure into engine
- Pressure out of engine
- Flow (0-50 gpm oil / 0-200 gpm water)
- Water temperature into and out of heat exchangers
Control tolerances:
- Temperature +/- 2 degrees F
Miscellaneous Instrumentation:
- Engine speed (500-16500 RPM)
- Torque (5-1000 lbft)
- Fuel flow (0-3 gpm)
- Engine blow-by (0-20 cfm)
- Battery volts
- Alternator amperage
- 8 spare UEGO's
- 7 spare 0-147.65 inHg absolute inputs
- 3 spare 22.3-52.7 inHg absolute inputs
- 7 spare 0-217.5 psi gauge inputs
- 16 spare 72- 2200 degrees F "K" type thermocouple inputs
- 4 spare 0-500 degrees F temperature inputs
- 12 spare -10-10 volt or 0-20 mA inputs
- 1 spare frequency input
- 19 spare digital inputs
- 5 spare 0-5 volt or 0-20 mA outputs
- 10 spare PID controls (for use with spare voltage or current outputs)
- 1 spare shaft speed sensor (up to 200,000 rpm)
* Other instrumentation can be added upon request.
Cosworth Cylinder Head soon to be released for the 2009-2010 Honda CRF450R.
Posted by Cosworth USA on Friday, July 02, 2010
300th Cosworth Subaru Engine Completed!
Posted by Tyler Hara on Thursday, March 18, 2010Here is a photo commemorating the 300th Subaru engine built at Cosworth in Torrance, CA. The facility in Torrance is the Cosworth Performance Parts Center of Excellence, leading the conception, development, and manufacture of Cosworth's performance parts line up globally.
Every engine built here at Cosworth is given a unique serial number and it's specs recorded for future reference. When we came up on the 300th build, we thought it was an exciting achievement. These engines are built using brand new Subaru head and block castings. Cosworth components include billet crankshaft (optional), connecting rods, pistons, rings, bearings, head gaskets, head studs, camshafts, valves, CNC ports, dual valve springs, retainers, and high performance oil pump. Some might argue that there are more Cosworth parts in these engines than original Subaru parts!
You can tell the photo was taken on a Friday because Magnus is wearing his black "Badass Engine Builder" uniform, complete with flat bill hat. The very same hats are available for purchase in our online store here: http://www.cosworthusa.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=6. The black shirts are actually the uniform from the Cosworth UK engine build shop. Magnus and Lyon were both sent over there last winter to help build F1 engines for the upcoming 2010 season. The same precision and attention to detail goes into every single Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Duratec engine and cylinder head built here in Torrance.
Every engine built here at Cosworth is given a unique serial number and it's specs recorded for future reference. When we came up on the 300th build, we thought it was an exciting achievement. These engines are built using brand new Subaru head and block castings. Cosworth components include billet crankshaft (optional), connecting rods, pistons, rings, bearings, head gaskets, head studs, camshafts, valves, CNC ports, dual valve springs, retainers, and high performance oil pump. Some might argue that there are more Cosworth parts in these engines than original Subaru parts!
You can tell the photo was taken on a Friday because Magnus is wearing his black "Badass Engine Builder" uniform, complete with flat bill hat. The very same hats are available for purchase in our online store here: http://www.cosworthusa.com/store/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=6. The black shirts are actually the uniform from the Cosworth UK engine build shop. Magnus and Lyon were both sent over there last winter to help build F1 engines for the upcoming 2010 season. The same precision and attention to detail goes into every single Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Duratec engine and cylinder head built here in Torrance.
EVO X Intercooler Upgrade
Posted by Tyler Hara on Wednesday, March 03, 2010Production of our new EVO X intercooler upgrade is in full swing. These will be a direct replacement for the 2008+ Mitsubishi EVO X's restrictive and inefficient OEM intercooler. A mandrel bent aluminum intercooler piping kit (available separately) will be released soon.
GST Motorsports Subaru Impreza L gets a low boost dyno tune for the 2010 season
Posted by Cosworth USA on Wednesday, February 24, 2010Pulled from Nasioc.com, posted by GST's Mike Warfield.
"We used to have a decent drop off of TQ from about 6500rpm before we switched to the Cosworth intake manifold. When we switched we picked up a ton of top end and lost nothing at all down low.
I honestly suspect when Cosworth designed that piece they really put some work into it working with not only a decent sized turbo (makes sense not like you need a intake manifold upgrade for a TD04) and their cam/head package.
Heads: Cosworth CNC ported heads with Cosworth +1mm valves and valvetrain, Cosworth cams (Standard off the shelf USDM specs)
Mike"
Click on the graph below for more details.
"We used to have a decent drop off of TQ from about 6500rpm before we switched to the Cosworth intake manifold. When we switched we picked up a ton of top end and lost nothing at all down low.
I honestly suspect when Cosworth designed that piece they really put some work into it working with not only a decent sized turbo (makes sense not like you need a intake manifold upgrade for a TD04) and their cam/head package.
Heads: Cosworth CNC ported heads with Cosworth +1mm valves and valvetrain, Cosworth cams (Standard off the shelf USDM specs)
Mike"
Click on the graph below for more details.
Sierra Sierra Enterprise Evo 8 in car video
Posted by Cosworth USA on Friday, January 15, 2010
Three qualifying laps @ Auto Club Speedway for Redline Time Attack 11/15/09 with David Empringham driving the Sierra Sierra Enterprise Evo 8. Full Cosworth long block utilizing off the shelf components. In car footage courtesy of SSE.
Subaru EJ25 Animation
Posted by Tyler Hara on Thursday, November 19, 2009Here's a quick animation I created while working on a 3D CAD model to analyze V to P (valve to piston) clearance with different camshafts at various angles of AVCS advance. There's some cool stuff you can do when you have nearly all of the parts of a Subaru EJ25 engine modelled in 3D CAD. This is just a quick animated GIF I threw together for fun, as the animation was not actually necessary to get the data I was looking for. I hope to put together a better 3D animation when I have a free moment, possibly even including valvetrain movement!
Sierra Sierra Enterprise win at Super Lap Battle with Cosworth!
Posted by Cosworth USA on Thursday, November 12, 2009The final round of the Super Lap Battle Time Attack Series http://superlapbattle.com/ was held at Button Willow Raceway on November 11th.
The Sierra Sierra Enterprise, Cosworth Powered Mitsubishi Evolution 8 was the overall winner with a fast lap of 1.45.061. This was the first overall victory for the team after a long development cycle. Needless to say, the team owner Dennis Kottke was very pleased with the results and the effort of Cosworth.
The SSE Mitsubishi EVO 8 features a full suite of Cosworth Products including a 2.2L Engine assembly, Pectel Engine Controls and an Omega Dash.
EVO X Parts - Inside Out
Posted by Tyler Hara on Friday, October 23, 2009Our in-house fabrication wiz has built an eye-catching display to show off our 2008+ Mitsubishi EVO X engine part offerings - a cutaway 4B11T engine! Following in the footsteps of numerous other engine cutaways we've built over the years, this brand new setup will make it's public debut at the 2009 SEMA show next week. If you're attending the SEMA show, stop by booth #20855 and check it out for yourself.
This engine is equipped with all of the latest high performance Cosworth parts offered for the 4B11T:
- CNC Ported Big Valve Cylinder Head
- High Performance +1mm Oversize Valves (Inlet - Stainless Steel, Exhaust - Inconel)
- Ultra-High RPM Dual Valve Spring and Titanium Retainer Set
- 2.2L Stroker Kit (Billet 94mm Crankshaft, Forged Steel Connecting Rods, Forged Piston Set, High Performance Engine Bearing Set)
- Ultra High Performance H11 Tool Steel Head Studs
- High Performance MX1 Camshafts
- Multi-Layer Steel Head Gasket w/ Folded Stopper Layer
- High Volume Fuel Rail System
- High Volume Intake Manifold
-
Thermal Insulating Intake Manifold Gasket
Spyshots of new Cosworth products!!
Posted by Cosworth USA on Thursday, October 15, 2009Our prototype Evo X manifold is in
the testing phase. Larger plenum volume and larger tapered runners with
airhorn inlets. Stock throttle body location.
TGV deletes are almost ready for release.
New thermal polymer intake manifold gaskets.
Applications:
Subaru EJ25 2004+
Mitsubishi 4G63 Evo 4-9
Mitsubishi 4B11T Evolution X
Nissan VQ35DE
Nissan VR38DETT
Nissan VHR37DE
Toyota 2ZZ-GE
TGV deletes are almost ready for release.
New thermal polymer intake manifold gaskets.
Applications:
Subaru EJ25 2004+
Mitsubishi 4G63 Evo 4-9
Mitsubishi 4B11T Evolution X
Nissan VQ35DE
Nissan VR38DETT
Nissan VHR37DE
Toyota 2ZZ-GE
NEW COSWORTH GEAR!!
Posted by Cosworth USA on Thursday, October 01, 2009New t-shirts designs to add to our collection! Click on the shirts for more info and to purchase.
Also check out our new baseball caps. Click on the flyer to view our web store.
Also check out our new baseball caps. Click on the flyer to view our web store.
2009 SEMA Showcase Motorcycle
Posted by Cosworth USA on Thursday, September 10, 2009With our new motorcycle piston lineup release, we wanted to showcase our products at SEMA this year. Luckily for us Ronnie Aycock of R&D Graphics and Design lent us his Honda CRF450R which he vinyl wrapped in a Cosworth scheme. We had the engine rebuilt with our piston set and the bike put back together with a host of parts from other companies that wanted to support us.
Ryan Burke over at Works Connections has a lot of parts for the Honda bike so he kicked down new levers, an engine and caliper guards, axle blocks, and other accessories. Don Emler and Danny Laporte of FMF Racing hooked us up with their beautiful titanium exhaust and header. SDG USA provided the new custom seat. The gorgoeus spoke wheels were made for us from DNA Specialty and tires were mounted by MC Tire Works.
Also come check out our booth at the upcoming Sand Sports Super Show.
http://www.sandsportssupershow.com/index.asp
Links:
http://www.worksconnection.com/
http://www.fmfracing.com/
http://trydna.com/
http://www.sdgusa.com/
Ryan Burke over at Works Connections has a lot of parts for the Honda bike so he kicked down new levers, an engine and caliper guards, axle blocks, and other accessories. Don Emler and Danny Laporte of FMF Racing hooked us up with their beautiful titanium exhaust and header. SDG USA provided the new custom seat. The gorgoeus spoke wheels were made for us from DNA Specialty and tires were mounted by MC Tire Works.
Also come check out our booth at the upcoming Sand Sports Super Show.
http://www.sandsportssupershow.com/index.asp
Links:
http://www.worksconnection.com/
http://www.fmfracing.com/
http://trydna.com/
http://www.sdgusa.com/
Cosworth CNC Cylinder Head power gains.
Posted by Cosworth USA on Thursday, September 03, 2009We received some interesting info from one of our dealers
Mitch over at Vivid Racing / VE Engineering recently tuned a highly modified Evo 8. The engine was upgraded with our CNC ported big valve cylinder heads and M2 grind cams. The turbo was swapped from a GT35R to a slightly larger GT3586. The car made some good power on C16 with the initial setup, but the gains with the new setup tuned on E85 were amazing. Mitch stated there was still room for more power, as the GT3586 setup is running less boost. Check out the dyno graph below.
Mitch over at Vivid Racing / VE Engineering recently tuned a highly modified Evo 8. The engine was upgraded with our CNC ported big valve cylinder heads and M2 grind cams. The turbo was swapped from a GT35R to a slightly larger GT3586. The car made some good power on C16 with the initial setup, but the gains with the new setup tuned on E85 were amazing. Mitch stated there was still room for more power, as the GT3586 setup is running less boost. Check out the dyno graph below.
2008 STI Cosworth build at HB Speed
Posted by Cosworth USA on Friday, August 28, 2009HB
Speed is a Cosworth dealer with the staff and ability to do extensive installs
on Subaru, Mitsubishi, Nissan vehicles and more. They are also a dealer / tuner
for our EC Pro ecu, the most powerful commercially-available standalone on the
market today.
They recently worked on a customer vehicle,
an 2008 Subaru STI. He was looking to bump up the power quite a bit with a large
turbo, so they recommended him upgrading the engine first. With their
experienced technicians, they easily swapped in a Cosworth EJ257 longblock and
snapped some shots in the process.
The Cosworth longblock uses brand new OEM
block cases and cylinder head forgings. This longblock is a 2008 STI specific
application as the oil pump and cylinder heads are differently from the 07 and
earlier models. HB Speed also upgraded the factory intake manifold to a Cosworth
higher volume inlet manifold which is compatible with the factory accessories.
Future upgrades include a
larger turbo and our EC Pro to handle the calibration requirements for big power
and OEM drivability.
For more pictures on the
install go to:
Cosworth
Facebook Page 08 STI Build
Links:
Press Release from AQ Motorsports/HarmanMotive
Posted by Cosworth USA on Wednesday, August 05, 2009JC Meynet and the AQ Motorsports/HarmanMotive Team went racing this past weekend. They had some great results while utilizing a Cosworth 2.6 stroker longblock assembly in their STI.
Here is the press release that we received today:
Sunday August 2 2009 California Speedway, Fontana CA, Superlap Battle/NASAcompetition
Here is the press release that we received today:
Sunday August 2 2009 California Speedway, Fontana CA, Superlap Battle/NASAcompetition
In a typically hot SoCal summer day in Fontana, the team of JC Meynet and AQ Motorsports/HarmanMotive enjoyed another successful day of racing.
The team decided to race this event in order to do some testing of new modifications to the car and to prepare for the Redline Time Attack finals in November. This would be our only summer time race until the season gets busy for us again in the Fall.
Our day started off with a modest run in the first session where we managed a 1:47 flat in traffic (beating the old track record of 1:47.6) We then went out in the 2nd session with clear track and did a 1:44.6 on our well used tires that had already won 2 events for us. Unfortunately, another competitor in a well built Corvette had dropped the track record to a 1:44.3! The previous record holder was racing too and improved on his own best time with a 1:45.6 but it was not enough to preserve his record.
With the day getting hotter (track surface temps were approaching 130) we got ready for our 3rd session. After a few chassis and driver "adjustments", we headed out with some fresh tires. We managed to click off a 1:43.5 in our 1st lap, easily securing the TTU/SLB win and track record. We pulled into the pits so that our time would stand (our times would be eliminated if we put 4 wheels off course during the session so we elected to pull in order to preserve our times).
We are very happy with our car's performance, especially after all the heat issues we have had this year. We even upped our trap speed to just over 170mph from just under 160mph last year with the same power level through better corner exit speed and cleaner yet more effective aero. We also are using a data acquisition system that has really helped JC analyze and adjust his driving in ways not possible otherwise as well as being able to monitor the changes and improvements we make to the car.
The net result of our race is a new NASA TTU track record and win along with the Superlap Battle track record and win (this was a event within an event).
Our next race will be at Spring Mountain in Pahrump (near Las Vegas) in late September where we already have wins and 2 track records.
Check out this video from Willow Springs. Look for a sliding JC at the 2:07 mark.
http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009/08/04/video-gt-gt-desert-attack.aspx
http://speedhunters.com/archive/2009/08/04/video-gt-gt-desert-attack.aspx
Thank you to everyone who gives so much of their time and effort into our program as well as our sponsors:
New Clutch for the Red Dragon
Posted by Tyler Hara on Wednesday, July 15, 2009We're in the process of installing a new OS Giken twin plate clutch in our Project Red Dragon 2008 STI. This clutch should handle anything we throw at it, and we plan to throw ~600hp at it with the stroker engine that is going to be installed soon!
I've had great success with OS Giken twin plate clutches used on previous projects. I've only used the solid hub disks before, the clutch in the Red Dragon has sprung hub disks. It'll be interesting to see the difference in drivability. Installation and driving impressions to follow...
Cosworth to supply 3 teams in 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship
Posted by Eric Hsu on Friday, June 12, 2009A BBC TV story can also be seen here: BBC Sport
June 12, 2009
Cosworth, the world's leading performance technology specialist, has agreed relationships with 3 teams whose entries to the 2010 Formula One World Championship have been accepted by the FIA.
FRIDAY 12 JUNE 2009 (NORTHAMTON, UK): An
identical package comprising high-performance Cosworth engine and
technical support will be provided for Campos Grand Prix, Manor Grand
Prix and Team US F1 for a period of 3 years.
The deal to supply a high performance solution that represents exceptional value for money is in alignment with Cosworth's business strategy, which aims to deliver advanced technologies to customers that lead the way in the global aerospace, defence, marine, automotive and energy generation markets. The Cosworth engine will be supplied to conform to the FIA regulations mandated for the 2010 F1 season, which seek to deliver a sound basis for the continuation of Formula 1 in a sustainable manner.
The deal to supply a high performance solution that represents exceptional value for money is in alignment with Cosworth's business strategy, which aims to deliver advanced technologies to customers that lead the way in the global aerospace, defence, marine, automotive and energy generation markets. The Cosworth engine will be supplied to conform to the FIA regulations mandated for the 2010 F1 season, which seek to deliver a sound basis for the continuation of Formula 1 in a sustainable manner.
Tim Routsis, Chief Executive Officer, Cosworth:
"I am pleased that Cosworth's exceptional mix of capabilities has enabled us to provide a solution for Formula One that sits so neatly with our existing operations in the aerospace and defence sectors. Cosworth is proud not only to be able to provide a solution that will deliver the performance needed by these teams to compete in this most technologically challenging sport, but also to extend its long association with Formula One as a truly independent provider of competitive motive power."
"The engineering expertise we have
accumulated over four decades in the sport has enabled us to broaden
our reach into many different high-technology sectors. Today our
engineering capabilities extend beyond racing, encompassing
high-technology applications in the aerospace, defence, energy, marine
and automotive industries. Cosworth has the necessary infrastructure to
fulfil the supply of Formula One engines without affecting our other
activities."
Cosworth's tradition of success in Formula One
began when its DFV engine won first time out in 1967. It was the first
F1 engine to be designed to function as a fully stressed element of the
chassis, enabling the sport's most innovative engineers to repackage
their cars and find considerable performance improvements; this
philosophy was swiftly copied and remains at the core of F1 design. The
CA2006 Cosworth Formula One engine was raced by the WilliamsF1 team
throughout the 2006 season. It was competitive from the outset and
achieved a Formula One landmark of 20,000RPM during qualifying for its
race debut at the 2006 Bahrain GP. The CA2006 Series 6 was capable of
completing more than a third of a race distance at 20,000RPM - a record
unequalled to this day.
Cosworth has a longstanding reputation
for being even-handed in dealing with its customers in top-level
motorsport and for meeting their exacting needs. Full traceability of
every component is maintained through rigorous control of all processes
using the same quality standards that are applied to its aerospace and
defence customers.
| Contact: | Nav Sidhu +44 (0) 207 491 9900 or +44 (0) 7730 923575 |
Note to editors:
Cosworth
is a leading provider of high performance technologies to a diverse
range of global industries including aerospace, defence, automotive,
marine, motorsport and energy generation. Cosworth leverages its unique
combination of advanced technologies, engineering expertise and
globally recognized brand to deliver performance solutions.
Cosworth can be found on the internet at http://www.cosworthusa.com/
Redline Time Attack
Posted by Cosworth USA on Thursday, June 04, 2009
The Redline
Time attack was held at Willow Springs this weekend (May 30/31). There were
many Cosworth customers racing at the event including the new Sierra Sierra
Enterprises Mitsubishi EVO 8. The SSE team is new to time attack but not new to
racing. They have participated in open wheel racing for many years with great
success. Team owner Dennis Kottke is a serious racer and his team has prepared
one of the most serious time attack cars out there. Since the team was familiar
with Cosworth powered cars from their open wheels days, they asked us to build
a reliable, race winning engine for the EVO. Using our proven 2.2L short block
and CNC Ported Big Valve Cylinder Head with M3 Cams, our talented team at
Cosworth assembled a powerful 4G63 for the car.
The SSE EVO8 features many custom parts and carbon fiber
components along with high level electronics from Cosworth.
We are also pleased to be working with the Fontana Nissan Team and their 350Z . Fontana Nissan runs a first class operation and has one of the nicest cars out there. This was their first event using the new Cosworth 3.8L stroker kit. The car was fast and relaible all weekend long and we look forward to seeing the car at future events. Fontana Nissan is also starting a high performance division
that will soon offer Cosworth performance parts.
Check them out!
Cosworth DFV Videos from 1981
Posted by Eric Hsu on Friday, May 08, 2009Ken sent me a link to some cool videos from 1981 on the Cosworth DFV Formula engine. These are pretty interesting:
That piston forge you see in the beginning of this video is still in use today at Cosworth UK. I think this was when the DFV was still trying to hold off the turbos.
This video has a pretty good explanation of spring surge and valve float. It illustrates what can happen when somebody tries to save a buck and uses a stock valve spring with a high lift cam and high RPMs. The DFV was before the days of race engine leasing so sometimes teams would try to hot rod the DFV and fail as illustrated with the cylinder head in the video. What was used to visualize the explanation? A Slinky of course. At the 3:00 mark is the late Keith Duckworth (the WORTH in COSWORTH), the master himself.
That piston forge you see in the beginning of this video is still in use today at Cosworth UK. I think this was when the DFV was still trying to hold off the turbos.
This video has a pretty good explanation of spring surge and valve float. It illustrates what can happen when somebody tries to save a buck and uses a stock valve spring with a high lift cam and high RPMs. The DFV was before the days of race engine leasing so sometimes teams would try to hot rod the DFV and fail as illustrated with the cylinder head in the video. What was used to visualize the explanation? A Slinky of course. At the 3:00 mark is the late Keith Duckworth (the WORTH in COSWORTH), the master himself.
Subaru Inlet Manifolds - Soon, VERY soon...
Posted by Tyler Hara on Tuesday, March 10, 2009Our Subaru EJ25 intake manifold has been in development for quite some time now. We had plastic prototypes running on our engine dyno early on in 2008. We first showed a prototype intake manifold at Subiefest last September and we had pre-production aluminum castings on display at SEMA in November. Here we are in the beginning of March 2009, and intake manifold production is finally in full swing! Look for the first production units to be shipping in the next week or so.
A couple shots of the manifold installed on our 2008 STI project car - "The Red Dragon"
Here is the manifold installed on a 2006 STI with rotated mount turbo kit.
Proof they do exist! Here are two racks of manifolds waiting to be hand blended in the porting room.
Steve is putting the finishing touches on this particular manifold. Each and every manifold is CNC ported and hand blended by one of our highly skilled cylinder head experts.
More manifolds sitting on the shelf ready to be boxed up.
A studio shot of the complete kit.
Aston Martin One-77
Posted by Eric Hsu on Wednesday, March 04, 2009
For more info on this beautiful Aston, visit www.one-77.com.
Aston Martin Reveals Spectacular One-77 Technical Showcase
Gaydon, Warwickshire - Tuesday 3 March - Aston Martin will present a One-77 technical showcase at the Geneva Auto Salon on 3 March 2009. Chassis no.1 will be on display as an expose throughout the show detailing the quintessence of Aston Martin engineering and design expertise.
The One-77 is Aston Martin's definitive sports car, one that epitomises everything Aston Martin from technology, the hand-craftsmanship of the hand rolled aluminium panels to the attention to detail. A culmination of all the marque's know-how, the One-77 delivers effortless beauty guaranteed to stir the senses with performance potential eclipsing any previous Aston Martin.
With the performance and durability phase of the One-77's intensive development programme soon to commence, the 79th Geneva Auto Salon provides the perfect stage on which to reveal the remarkable engineering, advanced technology and exotic materials that lie beneath the One-77's extraordinary exterior.
For Aston Martin's Chief Executive, Dr Ulrich Bez, revealing the One-77's secrets is a proud moment: "Right from the very beginning of the project the vision for One-77 was very simple: It had to combine high-technology with hand-built craftsmanship, and demonstrate the unique capabilities and passion of our designers, engineers and technical partners.
"Quite simply it had to be the ultimate expression of Aston Martin. As you can now see, we have achieved that goal in magnificent style."
Chris Porritt, One-77 Programme Manager continued: "We wanted to create something that wows you as much when you see what's under the skin as the exterior styling itself. We started by identifying the most technologically exciting front-engined, rear-wheel drive cars in the world: those from the DTM race series. We then applied the principles and technology that feature heavily in their design and translated it to a road car application."
Consequently the One-77's structural core is a lightweight and immensely rigid carbon fibre monocoque. Conceived and designed at Aston Martin's Gaydon HQ, the monocoque, or 'tub', has been built in partnership with Multimatic (MTC). As world leaders in carbon composite technology, advanced vehicle analysis and dynamic simulation, MTC brings unrivalled specialist capabilities to the exacting challenge of the One-77 programme.
Employing the classic formula of double wishbones at each corner, the One-77 features inboard suspension front and rear, with pushrods employed to transfer vertical suspension movements to the horizontally mounted spring/damper units. A practice taken directly from racing car design, the main advantages of inboard suspension are a reduction in unsprung weight and the ability to package the suspension components more effectively.
The dampers are fully adjustable and feature advanced Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) technology; a world-first for a road car application. These special valves are state-of-the-art even at the highest levels of motorsport, and use high-precision machined components to enable the shock-absorbing characteristics of the damper to be changed without having to remove them from the car, as is the norm.
Underlining the truly bespoke nature of the One-77, once delivered to its owner, the car's suspension characteristics will be precisely set-up by Aston Martin engineers to suit their exact requirements, from settings suitable for the ultimate long-distance GT, to a machine capable of conquering the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
While functionality and efficiency are paramount in the design and construction of the One-77', so too is aesthetic beauty. To this end every single component has been crafted from the finest materials with absolute attention to detail. From the mesmerising weave of the glossy carbon fibre tub and the abstract, sculptural beauty of the dry sump's oil reservoir, to the unerring precision of the billet machined aluminium suspension mounts, the One-77's rolling chassis is an automotive masterpiece.
Of course the irony is that the vast majority of these exquisite components will be hidden from view in the finished car, yet each and every piece is a work of art in its own right. It's this extraordinary workmanship and money-no-object commitment to quality that makes the One-77 unique.
Naturally, such a spectacular chassis demands - and gets - an equally exceptional drivetrain. It comes in the form of an immensely potent 7.3-litre, naturally aspirated V12 engine. Thanks to the adoption of a dry-sump oil system the engine is mounted 100mm lower than in any previous V12-engined Aston Martin road car, which helps keep the One-77's centre-of-gravity as low as possible. To further aid agility and endow the One-77 with progressive handling and stable, predictable on-limit behaviour, the engine is also mounted 257mm aft relative to the front wheel centreline. In so doing the front-midengined layout shared by all of Aston Martin's current road car range has been taken to a new level.
The One-77's magnificent power unit is an extreme evolution of the 6.0-litre V12 engines fitted to the DBS, DB9 and new V12 Vantage models. Like the collaboration with MTC for the build of the chassis, Aston Martin has chosen a world-leading partner with which to develop the motor: legendary engine builders, Cosworth. It has proved to be the perfect collaboration, as Chris Porritt explains.
"Our brief to the engine team was for them to take the 6.0-litre V12 as far as it could go,both in terms of output and weight reduction. The targets were a power output of no less than 700bhp with a 10 per cent reduction in engine mass. Incredibly, the Aston Martin and Cosworth engineers achieved a mass reduction of some 25 per cent, and although we've yet to complete the final engine calibration work, I'm confident we'll see in excess of 700bhp. It's an awesome accomplishment, but one that's typical of the One-77 project, for it has consistently brought out the very best in everyone involved."
Wearing Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres (255/35 ZR20 front, 335/30 ZR20 rear) developed specifically for the One-77, all 700+bhp is transmitted to the road through the rear wheels via a new six-speed gearbox. Controlled via column-mounted paddles behind the steering wheel, this robotised sequential manual is a new generation of Aston Martin's familiar transmission. Though it is made specifically for the One-77 and features specially strengthened internals to cope with the tremendous power and torque, the lessons learned in its development will ultimately find their way into the company's series production models.
It's a mark of the inherent capabilities of Aston Martin's acclaimed lightweight Carbon Ceramic Matrix brake technology that it has been used as the basis for the One-77's braking system. The internals of the calipers have been re-engineered to transmit less heat from the brake pads into the brake fluid, while the discs themselves have been developed to ensure the maximum possible contact area between the face of the disc and the brake pads for improved stopping power. Due to the One-77's increased performance, special attention has also been paid to brake cooling, as the brakes have less time to cool between bursts of acceleration.
With a projected weight of 1,500kg the One-77 will occupy the very highest echelons of road car performance. Top speed is confidently predicted to be in excess of 200mph, with a 0-60mph time in approximately 3.5sec. Perhaps more importantly, thanks to the purity of a front-engined, rear-drive layout, the responsiveness and immense tractability of a naturally aspirated V12 and the low mass, high-rigidity properties of a carbon fibre chassis, the One-77 promises a driving experience of unrivalled intensity and excitement while representing the world's most desirable automotive art form.
Edmunds Inside Line EVO X Project Car
Posted by Tyler Hara on Thursday, January 29, 2009The folks over at Edmunds Inside Line have acquired an EVO X from Mitsubishi for long-term road testing. The eventual goal of this car is to build a streetable Nissan GT-R killer... for less money. They recently installed a set of our new MX1 cams for the 4B11T engine. Check out the links below to follow along as they build this EVO X into a streetable track terror.
Click Here to See Cosworth Cams Gain 43hp and 48 ft-lb!
Cosworth ECU History
Posted by Eric Hsu on Friday, December 19, 2008Coming the first quarter of 2009 will be the first of a series of ECUs from Cosworth. The EC Pro ECUs are being manufactured by Pectel which is a division of Pi Research. Pi is a sister company of Cosworth and is part of the Race Power Group. Much like how Cosworth is at the forefront of engineering and motorsports, Pi and Pectel are at the forefront of engine control and data acquisition system for many different industries and motorsports including F1, WRC, Aerospace, Marine, Touring Cars, Military, etc.
While Cosworth is not necessarily known for electronics, we have been designing our own engine controls for many years now. The DFV F1 engines used a mechanical injection system of our own design. The move from mechanical injection to electronic fuel injection prompted the need for Cosworth to design their own engine controls. When this transition occurred in the early 1980s, Cosworth assembled an electronics section to engineer, manufacture, and service their own ECUs. Sometime in the early 2000s, Cosworth started to team up with Pi Research to develop ECUs for race engines. This partnership lasts even today with the Mazda MZR Formula Atlantic engines.
When the Cosworth Performance Parts division discovered a need for a high performance ECU, it was only natural for Cosworth to team up with Pectel once again. The first offering will be for the 2008 Subaru Impreza STi with the twin AVCS EJ257B engine. This ECU will only work on STis sold on the North American continent. Here's a list of features:
Cosworth by Pectel EC PRO ECU:
Designed for full OEM harness and system integration: Plug and Perform. Base calibration supplied to run a stock engine including all ancilliaries and external functions including air conditioning. 100% Ready to dyno tune for your engine specifications after installation. There is no need for replacement of OEM wiring harness or sensors and will will function in both air flow and speed density modes. Makes use of OEM dash and diff controller.
While Cosworth is not necessarily known for electronics, we have been designing our own engine controls for many years now. The DFV F1 engines used a mechanical injection system of our own design. The move from mechanical injection to electronic fuel injection prompted the need for Cosworth to design their own engine controls. When this transition occurred in the early 1980s, Cosworth assembled an electronics section to engineer, manufacture, and service their own ECUs. Sometime in the early 2000s, Cosworth started to team up with Pi Research to develop ECUs for race engines. This partnership lasts even today with the Mazda MZR Formula Atlantic engines.
When the Cosworth Performance Parts division discovered a need for a high performance ECU, it was only natural for Cosworth to team up with Pectel once again. The first offering will be for the 2008 Subaru Impreza STi with the twin AVCS EJ257B engine. This ECU will only work on STis sold on the North American continent. Here's a list of features:
Cosworth by Pectel EC PRO ECU:
Designed for full OEM harness and system integration: Plug and Perform. Base calibration supplied to run a stock engine including all ancilliaries and external functions including air conditioning. 100% Ready to dyno tune for your engine specifications after installation. There is no need for replacement of OEM wiring harness or sensors and will will function in both air flow and speed density modes. Makes use of OEM dash and diff controller.
56Mhz processor: Higher performance timing accuracy and control
Ethernet comms: Fast data offload and high quality data viewing on PC
Internal logging memory pre configured: Logging essential channels at correct rates for performance analysis by your dealer
Internal logging for user: Additional logging for monitoring & development
Knock monitoring: OEM MIL lamp indication of Detonation levels (with user defined levels based on RPM and Boost)
Calibration select (e.g. Fuel save, Test, Race): Use of the OEM SI Drive switch for selection of 3 alternate calibrations (calibration selectable for boost, fueling, ignition, rev
limit, ALS setting, VCAM target, Fly-By-Wire pedal mapping, and overrun fueling cut-off individually selectable for Intelligent, Sports, and
Sports-Sharp).
Pectel ALS (Anti lag system): OEM switch used for ALS mode select
Standard Motorsport design: Machined Aluminum case and professional motorsport specification electronics.
External wideband supported: Compatible with most popular brands
Internal wideband supported:WBL kit: Requires Cosworth by Pectel NTK sensor, requires 3 extra populations and 2 pin relocating
Thermocouple support : TC Kit can be fitted for monitoring or control
strategy e.g. exhaust over temp enrichment, auto ALS disable. Requires
two blank pins on OEM harness populating.
Variable CAM: Fully programmable pre-configured full quad camshaft support
External Comms support: Optional Motorsport dash
Designed for off road use only: No OBDII monitoring
This ECU will be sold by select Cosworth dealers only on the North American continent. These same dealers will also be trained to handle tech support of the EC PRO. While the ECU will be user programmable (e.g. fuel, igntion, boost, config tables), full access is only given to these same authorized select Cosworth dealers. Target pricing should be under $3500.
Here is an ECU and CDI box from the 1991 version of the DFS CART engine.
That's quite a few RPMs isn't it?
Here's a more recent Cosworth ECU that was used from 1999-2006 seasons of the Champ Car/CART Cosworth XFE engines.
In the 2007 Champ Car season, Cosworth switched over to the more modern Pectel SQ6M ECU to control the XFE engine. Similar technology is used in the Cosworth by Pi EC Pro ECU (sans mil spec connectors of course).
This is the Cosworth EC Pro ECU. It's coming soon! While you may believe that Cosworth is a "new kid on the block" with ECUs, we have in fact been creating, designing, and engineering ECUs far longer than the rest. You can bet that all of our and Pectel's motosports experience is right inside the EC Pro.
MX-5 Supercharger Video
Posted by Eric Hsu on Tuesday, October 14, 2008Somebody sent me a link to this video. This video is very obviously not a Cosworth production so it's not a web marketing sneak attack or anything. Anyhow, its great to see real world performance improvements of a product you had a hand in:
Subiefest 2008
Posted by Tyler Hara on Monday, September 29, 2008Earlier this month, we packed up the Cosworth van with our latest and greatest Subaru wares and headed out to Willow Springs International Raceway for Subiefest 2008. Subiefest is the "largest all-Subaru motorsport event in North America." Those are their words, not mine. But I believe them! There was a huge enthusiast turnout, with all Subaru models well represented.
Despite the heat, people came from all over the western US to show off their Subarus.
Subaru of America brought out about a dozen brand-new 2009 WRX's for people to drive around the track for free. As cool as that was, I think the ice water soaked towels they were handing out were even more popular.
Checking out the Cosworth booth. There's one of those famous Subaru towels again.
Our cutaway EJ25 engine is always a popular conversation piece. It shows off our CNC cylinder head, camshafts, pistons, and connecting rods. The display engine will be refreshed soon, including a new billet stroker crankshaft and other goodies for the SEMA show later this year. Those Subaru towels were everywhere!
See those two Harman Motive cars at the front of the Modified Class time attack field? The ones that finished in first and second place for the weekend? Yeah, they both run Cosworth parts.
Cosworth YB engine
Posted by Cosworth USA on Wednesday, September 24, 2008The Cosworth YB 2.0L Turbocharged engine was launched during 1986 in the 3 door Ford Sierra Cosworth. For the time, it was a potent track weapon with 204bhp and a big front mounted intercooler. The infamous RS500 version of the same car followed in 1987 with 225bhp, a bigger Garret T4 turbo, eight injectors (only four connected) and an engine designation of YBD. The RS500 dominated the touring car world for several years.
In 1988-89, Ford Launched the Sapphire, with a 4x4 version being produced from 1990-92. The Famous Escort Cosworth was launched in 1992 with four wheel drive and was available until 1996. During that period, the Escort conquered the World Rally Series.
The YB series engine was recognized as a excellent platform for various forms of racing in both forced induction and normally aspirated configurations.
Cosworth continues to supply components for the YB including a newly developed light weight alloy block and forthcoming cylinder head. For more information please contact us at mailto:historicparts@cosworth.com
Nissan VQ35 Component Balance
Posted by Eric Hsu on Monday, August 04, 2008Recently there has been quite a bit of VQ35 work going on in the build
shop here. The VQ35 has a lot of untapped potential from the factory.
Simply bolting on a set of Cosworth CNC big valve cylinder heads,
Cosworth camshafts (available end of summer), Cosworth Twin Plenum intake manifold, a set of headers, and a
good remapping can increase horsepower from the factory 287bhp to
363bhp. That's an increase of 76bhp with just bolt on components!
Walking through the machine shop one day, I saw that Colin was balancing a factory VQ crankshaft for a special project. It turns out that the Cosworth piston, piston ring, rod, and bearing combination is approximately 110 grams lighter per cylinder. With this being the case, it was critical that the crankshaft gets rebalanced with the lighter component weights. Nearly 100 grams needed to be removed (48 grams front and 44 grams rear). Any crankshaft that is not a flat plane design requires rebalancing with bob weights. If you do the math, that's 110g x 6 (6 cylinders of components) + 100g (crank) = 760g total weight savings. That's 1.676 pounds or 26.81 oz. in weight reduction! It may not sound like a lot, but it is the weight reduction and the increased strength of the components that will allow an engine to last longer and spin to higher revolutions while doing so. The Cosworth rods and pistons are forged and the bearings are tri-metal so all of the Cosworth components are superior in strength. Every off the shelf Nissan VQ35DE short block built at Cosworth already has these same components
Bob weights are attached to simulate the weight of the components.
If a clutch and flywheel assembly is to be used, then it should also be balanced with the crank and indexed to the crankshaft. If your clutch and flywheel is already balanced, then it is not a major issue to balance the crank by itself. Most high performance or racing clutches are balanced from the factory.
Here the crank is almost balanced at 0.55 grams. We balance cranks to within 0.5 grams, but Colin is about to make the final adjustments. Precision is everything if you want excellent results.
Walking through the machine shop one day, I saw that Colin was balancing a factory VQ crankshaft for a special project. It turns out that the Cosworth piston, piston ring, rod, and bearing combination is approximately 110 grams lighter per cylinder. With this being the case, it was critical that the crankshaft gets rebalanced with the lighter component weights. Nearly 100 grams needed to be removed (48 grams front and 44 grams rear). Any crankshaft that is not a flat plane design requires rebalancing with bob weights. If you do the math, that's 110g x 6 (6 cylinders of components) + 100g (crank) = 760g total weight savings. That's 1.676 pounds or 26.81 oz. in weight reduction! It may not sound like a lot, but it is the weight reduction and the increased strength of the components that will allow an engine to last longer and spin to higher revolutions while doing so. The Cosworth rods and pistons are forged and the bearings are tri-metal so all of the Cosworth components are superior in strength. Every off the shelf Nissan VQ35DE short block built at Cosworth already has these same components
Bob weights are attached to simulate the weight of the components.
If a clutch and flywheel assembly is to be used, then it should also be balanced with the crank and indexed to the crankshaft. If your clutch and flywheel is already balanced, then it is not a major issue to balance the crank by itself. Most high performance or racing clutches are balanced from the factory.
Here the crank is almost balanced at 0.55 grams. We balance cranks to within 0.5 grams, but Colin is about to make the final adjustments. Precision is everything if you want excellent results.
Subaru EJ257 Block Honing Tips
Posted by Eric Hsu on Monday, July 07, 2008During our extensive Subaru engine development program, the one thing we noticed is that the factory Subaru engine block's cylinder bore dimensions are very inconsistent right out of the box. This is fine with a factory cast piston because there is very minimal expansion in a cast piston. However, this can be a huge problem with forged pistons that are designed to expand when hot. If a forged piston is designed to have .003" of piston to cylinder wall clearance, what happens when the bore is oval by .002"? If you were to drop in a forged piston without honing the EJ257 cylinder block, the result is an eventual catastrophe.
First off, understand that the EJ257 cylinder block is more of a "case" than it is a block. Because it is virually hollow and its walls are quite thin, it is subject to severe distortion when head and block fasteners are torqued. Here are some tips for honing a Subaru engine block:
Follow these 5 simple tips and you should have a good running EJ257 if the engine is assembled correctly. If you haven't picked it up already, you should know that a "drop in" forged piston just will not last very long in a Subaru engine block without custom boring or honing from an experienced machinist.
Here is a factory EJ257 block straight out of Subaru's packaging with a custom designed Cosworth deck plate (available winter 2008) with the new Cosworth H-11 tool steel head studs.
Here is a measurement of the cylinder on axis with the crankshaft. You can see that it is .0011" from zero (the dial bore gauge was "zeroed" using the guage point on the piston).
Here is the thrust side of the cylinder bore measuring in at .0012" from zero. The cylinder bore is oval by .0023"! A "drop in" forged piston that called for a .003" piston to cylinder wall clearance definitely would not last very long in this cylinder block.
First off, understand that the EJ257 cylinder block is more of a "case" than it is a block. Because it is virually hollow and its walls are quite thin, it is subject to severe distortion when head and block fasteners are torqued. Here are some tips for honing a Subaru engine block:
- 1. Torque the case halves together with the fasteners you will assemble the engine with.
- 2. Always bore and hone the cylinders with a torque plate and dowels in place. You should always use a head gasket (used ok) of the same make and model as your new gasket and also use the studs or bolts that you will be using in your final assembly. Steps one and two will allow the cylinders to be honed while "distorted" in its final assembled state.
- 3. Always follow the piston manufacturer's recommendation for piston to cylinder wall clearance. If in doubt or if the engine will be used for severe duty, add .0005-.001" to the recommendation. It is generally safer to have more clearance than less with forged pistons.
- 4. Always follow the piston ring suppliers recommendations for bore finish and crosshatch angle. Same with the piston ring end gaps.
- 5. While a cylinder bore's perfection comes from the machinist's experience with your particular engine block, it is good practice to let the cylinder block cool before finish honing if there was a lot of material removed from the bore.
Follow these 5 simple tips and you should have a good running EJ257 if the engine is assembled correctly. If you haven't picked it up already, you should know that a "drop in" forged piston just will not last very long in a Subaru engine block without custom boring or honing from an experienced machinist.
Here is a factory EJ257 block straight out of Subaru's packaging with a custom designed Cosworth deck plate (available winter 2008) with the new Cosworth H-11 tool steel head studs.
Here is a measurement of the cylinder on axis with the crankshaft. You can see that it is .0011" from zero (the dial bore gauge was "zeroed" using the guage point on the piston).
Here is the thrust side of the cylinder bore measuring in at .0012" from zero. The cylinder bore is oval by .0023"! A "drop in" forged piston that called for a .003" piston to cylinder wall clearance definitely would not last very long in this cylinder block.
2008 Subaru EJ257B Component Development
Posted by Eric Hsu on Thursday, June 19, 2008We are working on the new EJ257B from the 2008 Subaru Impreza STi and have one on the engine dyno at the moment. Some components we are planning on testing and developing are the dry sump oil system, CNC ported cylinder heads, valve train, camshafts, intake manifold, and a couple other goodies.
It is a long hard road to design components that work. This engine dyno installation took us nearly 200 hours to design, manufacture, install. The test engine is using a Garrett GT35R turbocharger, TiAL 44mm wastegate, and Cosworth/Pi ECU. Our engine dyno cells are complete with 18" thick walls, climate control (temp, humidity), barometric control, and are complete with many, many channels of data acquisition. I'll post a tour of a dyno cell in the near future. For now, the next time you purchase a Cosworth product, you can be confident that your Cosworth component has been tested thoroughly for reliability and horsepower.
2008 EJ257B dual AVCS custom dyno install with custom header.
Dry sump oil system in action. Also notice the huge intercooler in the background to the right.
It is a long hard road to design components that work. This engine dyno installation took us nearly 200 hours to design, manufacture, install. The test engine is using a Garrett GT35R turbocharger, TiAL 44mm wastegate, and Cosworth/Pi ECU. Our engine dyno cells are complete with 18" thick walls, climate control (temp, humidity), barometric control, and are complete with many, many channels of data acquisition. I'll post a tour of a dyno cell in the near future. For now, the next time you purchase a Cosworth product, you can be confident that your Cosworth component has been tested thoroughly for reliability and horsepower.
2008 EJ257B dual AVCS custom dyno install with custom header.
Dry sump oil system in action. Also notice the huge intercooler in the background to the right.
Subaru EJ Dry Sump
Posted by Eric Hsu on Friday, May 30, 2008The engineering department is hard at work finishing up the final prototype pieces of the Subaru EJ20/25 dry sump system. Many of our EJ25 engine customers are now winning in the various classes of Time Attacks and club racing events so we thought the next logical step would be a dry sump oil system. The EJ engine suffers tremendously from oil starvation due to high G turns and will pump out a significant amount of engine oil through the valve covers due to crankcase pressure (oil starvation + low oil level = disaster). While the Cosworth oil pan, oil control baffle, and high volume/high pressure oil pumps make great strides in oil control with a wet sump system, the absolute fastest cars at the track with sticky tires really should be using a dry sump oiling system for ultimate reliability.
A dry sump oil system not only eliminates oil starvation, but also produces a vacuum in the crankcase so that excessive crankcase pressure no longer becomes an issue. Also, there are small horsepower gains from vacuum being present in the crankcase since the laws of aerodynamics do not apply in a vacuum.
The Cosworth dry sump system is still in the prototype stage and will still go through several stages of testing. For this reason, there are no details regarding what the system will include or it's exact cost. Please wait until the end of summer before bombarding us with questions we have no answers for at the moment. I just wanted to share one of the more interesting things going on here in the building.
Here are the prototype parts fitted to an EJ25. The belt drive is designed to work with the factory dampener, but should also work with many aftermarket dampeners/pulleys with minimal hassle. The billet pump bracket is extremely strong and is designed to keep pump alignment perfect under any circumstance.
The pan will be machined from solid by CNC. This piece is still in the prototyping stage, but should be done soon. The best apart about product development is validation. I think I'll be offering my test driving services at the track!
A dry sump oil system not only eliminates oil starvation, but also produces a vacuum in the crankcase so that excessive crankcase pressure no longer becomes an issue. Also, there are small horsepower gains from vacuum being present in the crankcase since the laws of aerodynamics do not apply in a vacuum.
The Cosworth dry sump system is still in the prototype stage and will still go through several stages of testing. For this reason, there are no details regarding what the system will include or it's exact cost. Please wait until the end of summer before bombarding us with questions we have no answers for at the moment. I just wanted to share one of the more interesting things going on here in the building.
Here are the prototype parts fitted to an EJ25. The belt drive is designed to work with the factory dampener, but should also work with many aftermarket dampeners/pulleys with minimal hassle. The billet pump bracket is extremely strong and is designed to keep pump alignment perfect under any circumstance.
The pan will be machined from solid by CNC. This piece is still in the prototyping stage, but should be done soon. The best apart about product development is validation. I think I'll be offering my test driving services at the track!
Castrol Syntec Top Shop Challenge
Posted by Tyler Hara on Friday, May 23, 2008We are pleased to have been selected by Sport Compact Car Magazine to develop a Nissan VQ35 engine package for the "Castrol Syntec Top Shop Challenge" engine building competition. We will be up against the other Source Interlink Media publications, along with their partner engine builders. See this link for details on the competition:
http://www.syntectopshop.com/Our engine will be a naturally aspirated, stroked, high compression, high revving VQ35 that we intend to wring every bit of 400hp out of. Based on preliminary testing with a stock displacement, lower compression VQ35 development engine (check out the cam testing video in an earlier blog post), that may be a very conservative target! The best part is, the parts developed for this engine will eventually make their way to production, allowing any Nissan 350Z or Infiniti G35 owner to build an identical beast of their own.
The Sport Compact Car Magazine video crew came through the shop for a tour and an introduction. Here's a bit of who we are and what we're all about here at Cosworth.
http://www.syntectopshop.com/sportcompactcar-engine-videos/index.htmlNow here's where we need your help. There is an online poll going for readers to pick which engine they think will win the competition. We need you to logon and vote for Sport Compact Car magazine. Within just a couple days of the poll going online, a few of the magazines mysteriously ended up with 20,000-30,000 votes each. I know we've all heard the old sayings like "if you're not cheating, you're not trying" and "it's only cheating if you get caught". I'm not directly accusing anyone of cheating, I would never make unfounded accusations! But I will say that it would be pretty lame if someone felt they had to cheat to win a popularity contest... http://www.syntectopshop.com/vote/index.html
Cosworth NC MIata
Posted by Eric Hsu on Wednesday, May 21, 2008The Cosworth NC Miata supercharger is now in the final stages of development. Soon we will be submitting a car to an EPA lab for CARB testing since our goal is to make this supercharger system 50 state legal. I got the chance to drive it around last Thursday and take some notes to refine the engine calibration. I was in boost just about the whole night and I can say that the supercharger system has given the Miata MX-5 a much needed boost in horsepower and torque. It feels like it has a nice broad, flat torque curve from about 2800-6500 rpm.
In its current configuration with a completely stock engine and exhaust, our car is currently making 210hp at the wheels which roughly translates in to 235-240bhp. The stock Miata made only 130hp at the wheels. With an increase of 70hp at the wheels, you can imagine how much quicker the car feels. That's a 53% increase in horsepower!
Please don't pick up the phone and call us just yet. The intercooled supercharger system is NOT available to the public yet. We are aiming for the end of summer as a release date. Calling us now would be a futile effort.
A clean OEM look was our goal from the very beginning. Some of the hoses here are not in their final routing positions as this is a first article installation.
In its current configuration with a completely stock engine and exhaust, our car is currently making 210hp at the wheels which roughly translates in to 235-240bhp. The stock Miata made only 130hp at the wheels. With an increase of 70hp at the wheels, you can imagine how much quicker the car feels. That's a 53% increase in horsepower!
Please don't pick up the phone and call us just yet. The intercooled supercharger system is NOT available to the public yet. We are aiming for the end of summer as a release date. Calling us now would be a futile effort.
A clean OEM look was our goal from the very beginning. Some of the hoses here are not in their final routing positions as this is a first article installation.
Hello
Posted by Eric Hsu on Tuesday, May 20, 2008Hello all. My name is Eric Hsu and I have been with Cosworth for almost two years now. I was hired to manage product development for the Performance Parts department. I work closely with the sales and engineering departments to ensure we supply the highest quality components for high end club racing and time attack vehicles.Our quest to supply the highest quality components and engine assemblies falls right in line with Cosworth's illustrious 50 year history of supplying the highest quality race engines and engineering consulting.
Check back regularly as I will be posting about random Cosworth related subjects. My posts will be mostly about product development, product testing, dyno sessions, component design, tech tips, etc. Whatever I post about, I hope you'll find it interesting. Thanks for reading!
Check back regularly as I will be posting about random Cosworth related subjects. My posts will be mostly about product development, product testing, dyno sessions, component design, tech tips, etc. Whatever I post about, I hope you'll find it interesting. Thanks for reading!
Cosworth powered World Junior Formula Car
Posted by Cosworth USA on Tuesday, April 29, 2008On 25th April Lola's B08/20 'World Junior Formula Car' shook down for the first time at Snetterton race track.. The chassis, based around their Formula 3 design, is targetted at race driving schools and 'experience' centres. In keeping with these requirements the car has additional features such as a widened cockpit (to accept the more generously proportioned driver!) and a pneumatic semi-automatic paddleshift system. The demonstrator car is built around Cosworth's 2.0L Duratec engine family, which is available in 205bhp, 225bhp and 255bhp guises. The slicks and wings configuration together with a complete weight of around 550kg results in a very spirited driving package, particularly when considering that in Formula 3 specification the engines are restricted to around 200bhp.
The shakedown (in the hands of current F3 driver Charlie Hollings) was a complete success, with the Cosworth engine once again performing strongly and without issue.
Lola is now preparing the 'World Junior Formula Car' in order to demonstrate it to potential customers. Promotion of the car will be alongside the trackday and driving school variant of their two seater B07/90 Sports 2000 chassis, which is also powered by the same family of Cosworth engines.
Cosworth Crankshafts
Posted by Cosworth USA on Wednesday, April 16, 2008Cosworth has been manufacturing motorsport grade engine
components for 50 years. Very few companies can make the same claim and those
50 years of knowledge translate into experience producing in some of the finest
components available for your engine including our crankshafts. Cosworth billet
steel crankshafts are manufactured at our factory in
Crankshafts such as our Mitsubishi EVO 94mm stroker version (above) are designed in house using the latest CAD programs to ensure the strongest , lightest specification possible.
Factory 12 in Northampton England. Components for some of the most powerful engines in racing are manufactured here.
This crankshaft has had the main bearing journals rough machined. The rod journals have yet to be machined. This is very time consuming process.
The same style crankshaft goes through the next machining process completing the final shape.
The finished Subaru crankshaft shows the detail and care that goes into each Cosworth crankshaft. Quality materials, precision design and manufacturing ensure maximum reliable performance.
Cosworth VQ35 test
Posted by Cosworth USA on Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Cosworth continues to develop high performance engine components for the Nissan VQ35.
Currently, we are testing a range of camshafts for normally aspirated performance. The engine was configured with our CNC ported Big Valve heads, 11:1CR pistons and Intake manifold producing approx 370hp at 7200rpm. Check it out the actual dyno run video below.
