I've heard that the head doesn't provide sufficient cooling. I hope that's not the case.
No! This is not the case...my cylinder heads have far more cooling surface area than the originals.
One could, using common sense, surmise that I would not put out a product that would damage an engine.
The first 3 cylinder heads I made were used for testing purposes. 2 were given to Pirate cycles, and I installed one here; on a customers' bike. I didn't have time to test the customers' bike, any more than to ride it once; up and down the street. He was busy...I was busy, so I just left it with him and told him if it's too much for the engine and it blows up...don't worry about it...I'll give you a new one.
Pirate cycles gave one each to ridingrich & flybytaco. The assumption was that these two knew what they were doing, and I wouldn't have to tie up my time testing heads for the perfect chamber volume.
As it turned out, only one of the two knew what they were doing..
bytaco. Rick used high octane VP fuel with excellent results...no overheating...no detonation!
Ridingrich, having almost zero experience with engines could only comment that his engine was pinging and overheating. He didn't know why! It was detonating due to too much compression vs. fuel octane. This is engine knowledge 101. ridingrich was supposed to use his incredible mathematical brain to figure out the perfect chamber volume to be used with his hi-po engine. It never happened.
My customer rode his for about a month and then decided to "open it up" and see what she'd do!
He called the next day and said he'd rode it wide open for about ten blocks when it lost power. He brought it over and I removed the head. The piston had gotten so hot it was concave! It didn't get hot enough, through and through, to seize to the cylinder wall...It was localized right in the center of the crown...Obvious detonation!
I replaced the piston, opened up the chamber a bit, and mixed some 93 octane fuel. We tested it "hard" for a week before giving it back to the customer. He has been riding it daily for the past 4 months without any problems.
The test on the customers' bike finalized the chamber size, and this is the product that was shipped to Pirate cycles for distribution.
50 people have used this cylinder head for months...we have not had any direct complaints.
It's really difficult to review something when you can't find it for sale anywhere... Jim made a bunch of them, Pirate instantly sold them all, & they haven't made another since!!
Norm...The first 50 were to "test the market".
I think you will agree, that common sense would dictate, it's better to test the market with 50. 50 problems are easier to deal with than 500!!!
We haven't had any problems...so yes we will be making more. They are VERY time consuming to make...so they will probably always be of limited availability.
Jim
If'n it makes you feel any better I got one have not tried it yet. It looks real good.
