New QED heads - standard and large port

[promotor]

Does anyone have any direct experience with the heads that QED supply?

The information I'm looking for relates to the finish of the ports - ie are they "as cast" or are they ported and finished? Also what is the limit of tune for them? QED state that they are good for Sprint spec (which suggests they are just the same as an original Sprint head which weren't ported or finished other than having the valve bowls finished to the suitable Sprint size valve). The QED large port head is for racing spec (which I take to read as circa 170+bhp).
So, if I was wanting an in-between spec head good for 150 bhp is the Sprint spec head going to need work?
It may well be that I target a head from SAS if the QED head needs more work to bring it up to my desired spec.

Can anyone set me straight on what the "standard" and "large" port heads are capable of straight from QED? I'd prefer to get advice/real world experience here first before contacting QED if at all possible.

[elanman999]

Bearing in mind that QED do monitor this site, you've already contacted them.
Cheers
John

[Spyder fan]

I'm reading the latest Burton catalogue whilst travelling home from London. Apart from it being a great read for a free publication it gives details of new fully machined heads to Sprint specifications which I assume are the SAS type as it mentions no tappet sleeves or cam bearings required. It also mentions that additional modifications to customers specifications including fully built heads can be arranged. Www.Burtonpower.com

I would assume that QED would be able to do whatever you want as well.The company has a good reputation, I don't remember reading anything bad about them and they have always been helpful on the odd occasions I have dealt with them for quite insignificant parts.

[el-saturn]

.............as ALL of the water pumps are supplied by QED, i'd say this time it's the other way around: QED buys 'em from SAS - but thats just my deduction! sandy ..... looking forward to getting ma engine back in !! i once heard about 2hrs incl. plumbing, oil etc... ??? - i'll take my time, as it took me only 3,5 to get her out!

[CBUEB1771]

From personal experience I can confirm that the good people at QED pay attention to this site. The QED cylinder heads do not appear to be the same as SAS. QED state that their heads require shell bearings for the camshafts and the anti-rotation notches for these bearings are clearly visible in their photos. QED also indicate that original Lotus tooling is used in the manufacturing, again unlike SAS.

[el-saturn]

thanks russ: so that's clarified! i somehow like the idea of shells instead of running the followers in aluminum: i'll never quit looking at ally as a form of parmesan cheese - in engineering only good for statical applications, where you have no fatigue or abrasion - UNLESS you're looking for the likely repairs and parts turnover. i suppose most of us here know a bit about the materials we use in racing cars (which an elan is) and aeronatics - AND fatigues IS an issue ------------- looking at these cars from a personal point of view sandy

[billwill]

From personal experience I can confirm that the good people at QED pay attention to this site. The QED cylinder heads do not appear to be the same as SAS. QED state that their heads require shell bearings for the camshafts and the anti-rotation notches for these bearings are clearly visible in their photos. QED also indicate that original Lotus tooling is used in the manufacturing, again unlike SAS.

I had discussion with Tim Cousins, the boss at SAS when I collected my head some years ago. They did indeed make new moulds and he said that for modern alloys these moulds were designed upside down compared to the old ones. I don't actually understand what that means, but it does indicate that these are not the same as the QED ones.

All the machining at SAS is done with computer controlled milling machines; they have remarkably few staff.

But also he said that the modern alloys make the shells on the cam bearings unnecessary and most modern cars with cams in alloy heads do not use shells. He pointed out that if you did ever manage to 'wear out' the alloy at the cam rotation points, you could always do a line boring operation and have shells fitted at that later time.

lotus-elan-f19/getting-ogu-roadworthy-again-t26101.html#p172028

[CBUEB1771]

I had discussion with Tim Cousins, the boss at SAS when I collected my head some years ago. They did indeed make new moulds and he said that for modern alloys these moulds were designed upside down compared to the old ones. I don't actually understand what that means, but it does indicate that these are not the same as the QED ones.

I was told that the foundry that made the reproduction heads now offered through Dave Bean determined that original Twin Cam heads were cast with molten metal entering the mounds from the head/block interface down into the cam bearing area. The new mounds were inverted (upside down?) so that metal entered the mounds from the cam bearing area and flowed down to the head/block plane. The thought was that there would be fewer voids in the casting near the head/block plane. People I know who have machined the reproduction heads encounter fewer voids than in the past with original heads from Lotus. Perhaps this is what SAS was referring to.

[nmauduit]

slightly off topic: are these remanufactured key parts (heads, but also blocks) all FIA compatible ? anyone to share a detailed inspection experience of late ?

[rgh0]

In Australia many historic race cars are now running the replacement SAS or Dave Bean heads due to the extra power possible from them with the larger inlets. I have not seen any QED heads in use here though there maybe some. Their use appears to be allowed based on the "scarcity of supply" rule that allows replacement of original parts with modern reproductions if supply is limited or cost excessive

It would surprise me if it was not the same in Europe with FIA cars ?

cheers
Rohan