Home built flow benches

[replicaracer43]

Wondering what you guys are using, been looking at a flow performance setup, and performance trends offers a reasonable build it yourself setup also...any advice or input is welcome! Thanks! @pittsburghracer @PRH @yellow rose

 

[yellow rose]

Wondering what you guys are using, been looking at a flow performance setup, and performance trends offers a reasonable build it yourself setup also...any advice or input is welcome! Thanks! @pittsburghracer @PRH @yellow rose

The last shop I worked put of was looking to buy a flow bench because he didn’t by mine when I was selling it (I sold it like a dumbass...should have never sold it) and he decided to build one.

About an hour on the web and I found him a FlowData 700. Rick Blood made them and these are the top of the mark benches.

I’d tell you who it was made for but that would be name dropping and that makes some guys wet themselves.

Anyway, by the time it was said and done it was cheaper to buy a used bench than build one. Especially since the FlowData benches use a laminar flow element to measure air flow. And...it came with an adapter that allows you to test intake manifold plenum depth.

So I’d say to look around and see what you can find used.

EDIT: I’m old school and I want analog manometers on my bench, not digital. When I got good with the bench I paid more attention to what was happening with the manometers and the sound of the air than the flow numbers.

 

[pittsburghracer]

Wondering what you guys are using, been looking at a flow performance setup, and performance trends offers a reasonable build it yourself setup also...any advice or input is welcome! Thanks! @pittsburghracer @PRH @yellow rose

Man I did a post on my bench build on here. Try doing a search and if you can’t find it tag me again.

 

[273]

 

[pittsburghracer]

Flowbench build. Fun project that pays dividends

 

[justinp61]

Until about 25 or so years ago My Uncle and cousins owned and ran a machine shop in Chicago, Mid West Crankshaft. One of my cousins moved here and brought with him a home built flow bench. The story is that a guy in Chicago ran a Hemi powered fuel dragster and built the bench so he could do his own heads. He's tried to sell it to me a couple times but I don't need it. Cool piece though.

 

[PRH]

No experience with home made benches for me.
Those seem like good projects for someone with plenty of wood working tools, and the space/skills to bring the project to completion.

I needed a bench...... so I just bought one.
I got the first one in 01/93...... a bench top SF-110.
I did countless tests on that thing...... thousands of tests.....and learned a lot in the process.
In 2007, I decided it was time to move up to something with more power, so I bought a Saenz S-600, which is basically a less expensive version of a SF-600, that’s made in Argentina...... and doesn’t have quite as nice of a fit and finish.
But it was about $5000 less money.

I had looked at plans at building a bigger bench...... but I still didn’t have the time/space/desire/tools to take that on.
So, I bought one.

The SF-110’s has gone up enough in price during the 14 years I had mine, that I was able to sell it for about 90% of what I paid for it.
It still looked like new and worked perfectly.

 

[Hysteric]

Start here: PTS Flowbench Forum - Index page

Buying's easier but building your own will require some learning and work. Power supply will ultimately dictate test pressures.