[quote="Gage"]
[quote="CalScot"]
I for one am dropping out of the discussions on this Atom HP thing completely. [/quote]
Just for the record, I think that would be a crime CalScot. You are one of the Pioneers in the Atom community.
[/quote]
Gage, don't take that too literally. Some post's are done with a few more glasses of wine than other's
I was more frustrated with my own self for losiing my objectivity and starting to rant, at which point it's time for a break.
[quote="Benem"]
I have the Rotrax system fitted on a very modified Atom mk1 / 2 Honda K20 engine. The work for the rotrax was carried out by
www.tracktive.co.uk a very experienced group of people and who also carry out this set up in grass track racing.
My set up is differant to calscots which may add to the discussions in the positioning of the aftercooler. I have a bespoke radiator mounted in front of the standard engine one this feeds to a bespoke charge cooler in the rear pumped by an electrical water pump (always on). Air is fed through the chargecooler from the rotrax.
It's set at about 320-330 bhp but a lot more can be achieved with a differant pulley and map - (hydra ECU is fitted)
I've added a heat shield between the exhaust and the inlet pipe that comes across the rear of the engine and the cooled air temperature during the height of summer on a track didn't go much above 40 degrees. At present with the ambient cooler temparatures i haven't seen it go above 12 degrees and it is so very quick
.
The configuration of the air intake hasn't been changed at all in fact i love the roar and whine through it with the spitting of air back through it on overun, it sounds very differant and turns heads in the street!
So far a part from a few bracket changes the system has proved to be reliable with now 5000 miles covered since the modification, i don't know what increaseing the bhp will do to the engine but i will be adding about 30-40bhp in the spring to see
[/quote]
For the record, I believe Benem is the true poineer of the Rotrex on a Honda Atom. I was researching the Rotrex when Bruce led/linked me to Benem. Benem was very helpfull and provided me photo's, info and the link to Tracktive. I called Tracktive and researched the Hydra ECU. It all led in a roundabout referal to TTS, who made my kit. I am not so sure I would have the Rotrex on my Atom if it were not for Benem's experience and his willingness to help and provide the details.
The main difference between Benems and mine is the Intercooler design. As he pointed out he has a liquid to air system, as in the Ecotec, (but his actually works) and mine is air to air. Benems ECU is a Hydra ECU. Much much better than the MBE unit and probably on par with the Hondata on several levels and ahead on some. What Is very comforting is that he has some 5K miles on the S/C system and no problems.
It is interesting that both intercooling systems work. My initial efforts were focused on simply replicating as much of Benems design as possible. Why reinvent the wheel? But then when you start looking at the heat transfer needs of a 350HP forced induction system and a 450HP system and add in that my average summer ambient temps are around 95f in summer, with 115+f on summer track days in the desert,(all our tracks are in the hottest part of CA) the disparity becomes an engineering challenge. I looked at all sorts of cooling ideas. From a redesign of the whole front of the car to get bigger coolers, to adding a big pump and piping the entire underside of the tub with finned and vented coolant tubing, but even the most inventive looked like the summer track days were going to be beer drinking days' as opposed to driving because each "calculated" effective heat transfer solution came with to much other baggage. TTS performace (Richard Albans) looked at all the stuff I was worried about and came up with the design I have now. Air to air, very short/low volume piping, best possible airflow on intercooler position and the biggest intercooler we could build for the space. Was this the best solution? I have no idea. I ended up trusting & just going with it. It made sense at the time to me (and I was sober). I have just over 700mls on mine and it's now in for the desperately needed ECU and some engine stuff to keep it in one piece. When I complete the "project", I will have added an external oil cooler for the engine and a water injection system for really hot days as a saftey backup. Some of this is trial and error and as much of an art form as it is objective science.
It does make for two really fast Atoms though
