speed 6 cams are wrong?

speed 6 cams are wrong?

Author
Discussion

m3jappa

Original Poster:

6,584 posts

225 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
quotequote all
I cant be the only one who's been reading posts on facebook by al melling who has flagged that the cams in the speed 6 are basically incorrect.

Was half expecting something on here but i cant see it.

The long and short is by all accounts they aren't what he intended to be in there and is currently working on making them right again. Smoother and more power is what he says.

What do people think on here? very interesting imo.

nawarne

3,098 posts

267 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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Just my 2p's worth.

If they were terribly wrong, I would have thought that after ~ 15 years of experience with these engines, one of the respected engine builders would have come to the same conclusion.

However, Mr. Melling is entitled to a view and the opportunity to express that view to the public.

Nick

glow worm

6,170 posts

234 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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IMHO Melling has done nothing but gripe since PW and John Ravenscroft parted company with him, I take anything he says as sour grapes . Although I do accept sourcing the original finger follows from India might not have been a good idea smile .

Englishman

2,237 posts

217 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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His posts and knowledge on both the AJP and S6 engines are very enlightening. It will be really interesting to see the end result of the changes he is working on!

m4tti

5,466 posts

162 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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If they were anything like the first attempt with TVRCraft, expect broken engines, lost money, anger, legal action.

All the ingredients for a good thread for once hehe

Classic Chim

12,424 posts

156 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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So Is this a completely new cam arrangement he’s talking about, something race inspired rather than road car inspired I wonder, something exotic that he didn’t have the funds or support for at the time or something he’s thought of since!

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

116 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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VVT?

Dollyman1850

6,319 posts

257 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
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People are best not being dragged into the bullst... !!

N.



m3jappa

Original Poster:

6,584 posts

225 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
quotequote all
Ive got to say its all very odd, wanted to hear what others thought first.

He seems bordering unhinged, clearly clearly knowledgable, intelligent but then all text in caps, def a bit of a grudge going on with past people too.

Find it hard to believe this has gone un noticed for so many years.

Still, i will follow it with interest.

m4tti

5,466 posts

162 months

anonymous-user

61 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
quotequote all
How in any engine designed since 1990 cams can be "wrong" i don't know? Seriously, they are bumpy sticks that knock the valves open. There is no physics thats not been understood, nothing that can't be simulated, modelled and then prototyped and validated.





m4tti

5,466 posts

162 months

Sunday 11th October 2020
quotequote all
Max_Torque said:
How in any engine designed since 1990 cams can be "wrong" i don't know? Seriously, they are bumpy sticks that knock the valves open. There is no physics thats not been understood, nothing that can't be simulated, modelled and then prototyped and validated.
Well of course, you’re applying mechanical engineering, physics and logic... but add a dash of snake oil and anything’s possible hehe

spitfire4v8

4,017 posts

188 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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Wrong in what way ? In the way that they give good power, good drivability, last a long time when made from better quality materials .. yes they're rubbish aren't they rolleyes

I like AM I really do, but sometimes you've got to let these vendettas go.


DAKOTAstorm

427 posts

164 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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I’ve been reading it too, my engine knowledge is very basic and he talks quite in depth which is above my level, but very interesting and educating non the less.

I have thought though that he has mentioned numerous changes TVR made to the speed six from how he designed it. Cams like you mention, as well as heads, firing order, crank, oil flow etc. I think that the changes are so many and drastic, that changing one item, the cams for example, may then highlight inadequacies else where.

Like I said though my knowledge is very basic so for all I know, changing the cam may work wonders!

Englishman

2,237 posts

217 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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It is certainly worth anyone interested in both the AJP8 and S6 engine designs and issues, joining FB just to have a look at his video's and the input from others. There are historic ones when designed/built and his new ones explaining some of the issues/fixes.

MikeE

1,850 posts

291 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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I've been reading it too. He's saying that the AJP6 was taken over by TVR and they re-engineered a number of changes which they didn't understand (his words not mine) including changing the firing order (which of coarse means the cams were changed), the lift and duration of the cams and critically the cam lobes had oilways drilled into them to feed the finger followers, TVR changed this to the other side of the lobe (180 degrees from the original position) and this caused oil starvation to the finger followers. He is offering to design the cams back to close to the original spec to correct the above.

Having said all of that today he's suggested the primaries on the speed 6 were changed to and these are wrong now (from a scavenge perspective). So as mentioned above I think to modify the Speed 6 back to his original design would require extensive work which I suspect no one would want to fund.

The last couple of days All has been talking about the design compromises of a straight 6 and how he tried to pursuade PW not to go down that route so I don't think he was a fan of this engine even before he penned the design!

Regarding his writing style, in his own words he's now almost blind so think he's having trouble reading and writing the posts so has some one helping him at his home in the Philippines so it may not be his assistants first language hence some of the translation is a little off.

I think the reason this has all come back into the public domain 25 years after the events is All is writing an autobiography.......

Have to say when you look at the list of his clients past and present ir's clear he was a leading figure in engine design in that period of time.




rigga

8,754 posts

208 months

Monday 12th October 2020
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He has a long list of past clients, and extensive knowledge of designing engines, for all manner of tasks, has also been well mentioned in the past TVR changed the engine design he submitted, which promoted a falling out between the parties, was that because they didnt want to pay him fully for his work , or give him full credit for its inception ?

where is the truth in all this? somewhere out there are the facts, Al melling seems to have found a platform in Facebook to regale stories, fascinating to read them though.

rev-erend

21,536 posts

291 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
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Anyone remember the middle wallop talk that Al Melling gave ..

I was there along with about 100 others from PH.

m3jappa

Original Poster:

6,584 posts

225 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
quotequote all
either way, wouldn't it be nice if there was off the shelf available different cams, something a bit more lairy and comes 'on cam' at higher revs.

Had schrick cams in an m3 years ago and they transformed the car.

m4tti

5,466 posts

162 months

Tuesday 13th October 2020
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Won’t happen. It’s all pipe dreaming. He can’t produce the components and no one will partner.