3 replies to this topic

[Shiney005]

I hadn't heard of these before, so I thought I would post it up in here for anyone else who may be interested.

I think this motor was in the Holden museum that closed down, so I don't know where it is currently.  In 1966, Phil Irving and Bob Chamberlain decided to design a better head for the 186. The one pictured is one of the first 6, and was cast in steel. Another 25 were cast from aluminium before they gave up on the project.

They were a "Heron" type cylinder head, meaning that the combustion chamber was in the piston, and the head was only relieved for the valves.  On the dyno, they used three SU's on one set, twin Stromberg's on another, and a 4 barrel Holley on a third. All three made up around 150HP, when the standard engine only made 90.  

The one problem they couldn't fix was overheating, which is why it was wound up in the end.

 

 Cyclone head 1.jpg   182.53K   11 downloads

[yel327]

Chevrolet tried that with the MarkI and maybe MarkII big blocks. They built a better mousetrap with the MarkIV big blocks which had the combustion chamber in the head. And produced more power.

[Indy Orange]

Did that also have overheating problems?

[Seymour Beer 1]

Currently in the engine room at the Trafalgar Holden Museum Shiney005.