OHC vs Pushrod
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 264
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From: College Station, TX
The article said that the customer wants a "refined sound" and a "velvety smooth idle."
B.S.
How would you like to go to the dealership in a few years, sit down for your first test drive in a new Camaro, turn the key, and hear a sound like a silent vacuum cleaner? No! I wanna hear "shug shug shug" or "glug glug glug." When I rev it, I don't want it to sound like a Ricer: "veet veet veet," I want it to sound like real American Muscle: "VROOM! ROOOM!"
B.S.
How would you like to go to the dealership in a few years, sit down for your first test drive in a new Camaro, turn the key, and hear a sound like a silent vacuum cleaner? No! I wanna hear "shug shug shug" or "glug glug glug." When I rev it, I don't want it to sound like a Ricer: "veet veet veet," I want it to sound like real American Muscle: "VROOM! ROOOM!"
Teching In
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Hi Hawk,
I've always loved the sounds and related earthquakes you mention but, I confess, in the daily I'm looking to put together, nothing louder than a Z06 is acceptable; we can blame my European background, my age, or, as happens on occasion, the possibility that I've missed a key point of a rather expensive undertaking!
(For what it's worth, I just read that NASCAR is, once again, studying EFI options in a big way -- given the marketing potential/validation, can OHC set ups be far behind?)
I've always loved the sounds and related earthquakes you mention but, I confess, in the daily I'm looking to put together, nothing louder than a Z06 is acceptable; we can blame my European background, my age, or, as happens on occasion, the possibility that I've missed a key point of a rather expensive undertaking!
(For what it's worth, I just read that NASCAR is, once again, studying EFI options in a big way -- given the marketing potential/validation, can OHC set ups be far behind?)
Last edited by ThinkingGTM; May 13, 2007 at 12:13 AM.
Launching!
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 264
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From: College Station, TX
I don't like waking the neighbors either, I just want to hear that classic muscle car sound when I hit the peddle hard. An electric cutout is great for a quick thrill, but I don't want to sound like an electric drill when I expect a throaty vroom.
Registered User
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1
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hey guys, this question may seem kind of dumb 
but i am 15 and just learning, but anyways, i was helping my brother tear apart his SOHC engine, and it seems to me that the pushrod engine would work better at higher RPMs due to the light weight of it, i mean, those cams are pretty heavy, so am i wrong with my thought?
but i am 15 and just learning, but anyways, i was helping my brother tear apart his SOHC engine, and it seems to me that the pushrod engine would work better at higher RPMs due to the light weight of it, i mean, those cams are pretty heavy, so am i wrong with my thought? Teching In
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 23
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Rice_Eater,
I don't think the Q is dumb at all.
There are all sorts of scenarios/systems where the characteristics of one or more components seem to contradict the established principles that apply to the system -- so-called counter-intuitive measures can be found in any engineered item.
OHCs may be heavy, but what matters in the end is which system offers the kind of performance one wants. Those performance numbers then need to be weighed against things like the value one places on simplicity, wear-n-tear rates, dimensions, costs, feel, etc.
To decide that since OHCs are heavy, they can offer no advantages is a rationalization, ie, relating one idea or concept to another without a thorough/empirical analysis (this fallacy is all but built into our education system -- things are such that the smarter the student, the more apt he is to rationalize.)
At any rate, NASCAR is seriously looking into EFI and other taboos; serious change may be coming to the big displacement V8 world.
I hope this helped.
I don't think the Q is dumb at all.
There are all sorts of scenarios/systems where the characteristics of one or more components seem to contradict the established principles that apply to the system -- so-called counter-intuitive measures can be found in any engineered item.
OHCs may be heavy, but what matters in the end is which system offers the kind of performance one wants. Those performance numbers then need to be weighed against things like the value one places on simplicity, wear-n-tear rates, dimensions, costs, feel, etc.
To decide that since OHCs are heavy, they can offer no advantages is a rationalization, ie, relating one idea or concept to another without a thorough/empirical analysis (this fallacy is all but built into our education system -- things are such that the smarter the student, the more apt he is to rationalize.)
At any rate, NASCAR is seriously looking into EFI and other taboos; serious change may be coming to the big displacement V8 world.
I hope this helped.
Teching In
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Shock Hawk
An electric cutout is great for a quick thrill, but I don't want to sound like an electric drill when I expect a throaty vroom.
But if Porsche can tune two generations of liquid-cooled motors to sound like they're air-cooled, and can offer something akin to volume control on its exhausts for three generations of 911*, I'm sure that an EFI OHC 454 can be made to sound like the Thunder God.
*They offer an optional exhaust system that increases the engine sounds one hears in the cabin. (Post more stringent Noise Regulations in the EU, Porsche may no longer offer this option. They're good at limiting their offers in the US when our laws are stricter than Europe's, not so good at adjusting the product line for the US market when our laws are more lenient.)
