Volumex specifications

[wmausbach]

I have a Volumex set-up from a Beta coupe . Is there any published spec's on it?

Ciao
Wayne

[Fingers]

What specs are you after?

[wmausbach]

All the spec's.
I have the volume 1130cc but not the efficiency. Any other info such as HP ratings of all it's applications would be nice.
Thanks
Wayne in Houston

[Fingers]

I'm sure if you do a search you'll find everything you're after and then some. As for efficiency I got no idea but as far as I know, all the Volumex cars produced 135 bhp and 22mkg of torque. The blower was driven at 1.32/1 times the speed of the engine. I think it gives about 6psi boost. The inlet manifold has a pressure relief valve set to go at about 13 psi I think, you shouldn't get anywhere near this. You can get a pulley with one less tooth on for the supercharger from Evo Engineering for about £100, I think it's worth it, I could feel more torque after fitting it. I'm sure if any of this info is wrong someone will set you right. Hope it helps.

[wmausbach]

You have just stated all the info I have been able to find. Very little hard data is existing I guess. The Volmetrico blower is even harder. For example I've not even found what the HP rating is except in the 037. No efficiency or even what the volume is of the Volmetrico.
It is bothersome.
Ciao
Wayne

[wellingtonvx]

I can email you the spec pages from the owners manual if you want, will have to scan them first. I'm eventually going to scan the whole manual when I get time.

[lancia836]

Wellington VX,
I don't suppose there's any chance of a copy of the plumbing section from the HPE VX manual?
I have just fitted a VX in my monte and just want to check I've got everything in that area correct. Do you know where I'd get a VX owners manual from?
Many thanks
Jez
(Lancia836)

[andybeta]

I'm sure if you do a search you'll find everything you're after and then some. As for efficiency I got no idea but as far as I know, all the Volumex cars produced 135 bhp and 22mkg of torque. The blower was driven at 1.32/1 times the speed of the engine. I think it gives about 6psi boost. The inlet manifold has a pressure relief valve set to go at about 13 psi I think, you shouldn't get anywhere near this. You can get a pulley with one less tooth on for the supercharger from Evo Engineering for about £100, I think it's worth it, I could feel more torque after fitting it. I'm sure if any of this info is wrong someone will set you right. Hope it helps.


You're right - a correction. You could get a smaller pulley from Evo Engineering...... if they were still in business. Barry Waterhouse died last year and I think so did his business. You could always get a machine shop to make you one.

andybeta

[wellingtonvx]

Wellington VX,
I don't suppose there's any chance of a copy of the plumbing section from the HPE VX manual?
I have just fitted a VX in my monte and just want to check I've got everything in that area correct. Do you know where I'd get a VX owners manual from?
Many thanks
Jez
(Lancia836)


Hi Jez,

My manual (called Instruction book) covers the 1300 Coupe, 1600 Coupe, 2000 IE Coupe, HPE, VX Coupe and HPE VX. I don't think there is a separate manual for the HPE VX. It doesn't have any plumbing section, only a small black and white photo of the engine bay.

I do have a photocopy of the VX supplement that shows how the hoses connect.

I could email you the pages from this supplement once scanned. I assume there won't be a copyright issue because people sell this supplement on ebay and various other places.

As for getting a manual, I've never seen one on ebay or anywhere else.

When I get around to scanning the 100 or so pages and cleaning up the greasy fingerprints I'm going to put the manual and supplement on CD. I will post here when I have and people can PM if they want a copy.

[A1.6HPE]

Hello all
"Rossa Corsa" has images of the VX supplement in his gallery on here.
http://lancisti.net/mkportal/modules/gallery2/index.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=17914

ps the BHP is 135

[lancia836]

Wellington VX,
Thanks for that. I'll look out for your manual......

A1.6HPE
Thanks for the link.

Rgds
lancia836

[Tom McGaffigan]

The production Beta Volumex cars used the 1130 cc, 2 lobe, roots type supercharger developed by Lampredi and Abarth. This supercharger utilizes steel rotors in order to run very small clearances between the rotors and the supercharger case. The Volumex superchargers runs .004 inches of clearance rotor to rotor and rotor to case. The small clearances promote high volumetric and adiabatic efficiencies. Lancia claimed 70% adiabatic efficiency at the stock 6.5 PSI of boost. 70% adiabatic efficiency is typical for well designed turbos. The Lancia 037 Rally and the Lancia Delta S4 also used a steel rotor version of this supercharger. The supercharger in the rally cars was larger than the 1130 cc Beta on however. In the EVO II Lancia 037, the engines were putting out around 325 -350 hp and 200 ft lbs of torque from 1,000 to 8,000 RPM. Yes 200 ft lbs at 1,000 rpm ! See Voltas site for more info and pictures on the competition Volumex cars.
http://www.lanciarally037.com/e-homepage.htm
Tom McGaffigan
1977 Scorpicarlo Volumex

[wmausbach]

Tom,
Thanks, This was what I was looking for. Also I was looking for what was the largest hp rating of any the street versions with the two valve engine. I found a reference to a 131 Volumetrico at 140hp and 158 Ft lb of torque for 1982 model. There is some speculation on which supercharger was used R30 or R10. I have pictures of both with the special manifold used on this model.
Do you have any info on what hp would be at 9psi with a different pully on standard Volumex setup. I have a buddy Stan that has one dynoed at 190 hp but cam , cars and valve sizes were changed. http://www.rothbauer.us

Ciao
Wayne in Houston

[Tom McGaffigan]

The 131 Volumetrico was the most powerful, factory built, 2 valve VX supercharged production engine. Back in 1982 there were no engine management systems and only crude knock sensors. Because of this, Lancia dropped the compression ratio on the production Volumex engines to 7 to 1 and ran only 6.5 lbs on boost. By using low compression and low boost Fiat / Lancia / Abarth insured there would not be any detonation. The 131 Volumetrico used the larger (Lancia 037 size) supercharger. The Volumex intake manifold for the 8 valve engines will fit either the small or the big VX superchargers. You need to remember that manifold boost is only an indicator of the engines inability to breathe in what the supercharger is breathing out. IE low indicated boost does not mean low power. Take for example the Lancia 037 Stradle. It’s a 2 liter 16 valve engine running only 7.5 lbs of boost yet makes 205 hp. No big deal by today’s standards but not bad back in 1983. The Stradle also had a low 7.5 to 1 compression ratio. The Volumex engine in my Scorpicarlo is similar to Stan’s as I have cams, carb, header etc. I do run a higher compression ratio than Stan’s 7.5 to 1 motor though. Stan’s dyno data stops at 6,500 even though the engine is still making power. If his engine was taken to 7,000 RPM, hp is an easy 200. Stan used to have a photo of my car and engine on his site but it does not look like it is there anymore. There are photos of my car and engine on this site though. In guy Crofts tuning book are photos of my 1st Volumex engine that I built for my Scorpicarlo. That engine used the stock 1756 cc bottom end from the Scorpion. I built a 2 liter Volumex from scratch a few years ago. You will need a better clutch for sure. A built up VX engine tears the middle out of even the bigger Volumex clutch. BTDT twice!
Tom McGaffigan

[wmausbach]

Tom,
But what the HP rating of the Volumetrico? The reference I had said 140hp only 5 more than the standard Volumex. I talked to another Tom who has the Volumetrico at FFO 04. He estimates his at 180hp but has not dynoed it. Do you have the stock pully ratio on your car?
Yes I remember your car on Stan's web page. I bought his extra Volumex as he now has the R10 with a 4 Valve Abarth head etc. I am building it as stock as a base but plan progessive improvements as I also have a 45 DCOE that I can use on it. I do not think I want as radical an application as Stan or yours but really a want a strong street engine. The only other option I would try would be a different pully ratio with the 8.1 compression.
Ciao
Wayne in Houston

[Will]

Wayne;
The 131 Volumetrico was rated at 140HP, using the larger R10 blower (but driven at a slower ratio than the volumex) and flat top (~8.x:1) pistons.

The combination of larger displacement and a slower velocity gives boost on par with the standard volumex, the increased adiabatic efficiency of the larger blower is most likely the reason the CR is bumped up, but the extra 5HP is, in my estimation, due to the increased static CR rather than any increase in boost pressure.

Remember that in '81, we didn't have all the programmable ignition magic of today, and the motor had to be built so that it would take serious abuse (lugged at WOT uphill,, etc) without sustaining damage.

We know from Tom's experience and others that (either) blower can be overdriven, and the "sportier" the cam profile you use, the more you can overdrive the blower. (Cams with overlap inherently limit the boost).

The "gotcha" with overdriving the volumex is that you'll want to lose the torque-engineered Vx cams in favor of IE or 40/80's, and that the overdrive pulley that was sold by Evo was, I think, the later (HTD profile) pulley- for a trapezoidal belt drive Vx, you need a pulley made to ISO 5294.

As far as how much you can overdrive the blower, the factors I'm aware of are dynamic CR, thermal issues,choice of fuels and ignition system, and the laws of diminishing returns of spinning the blower mass at a higher velocity. The dynamic CR can be controlled to a point through cam selection, I think Tom's running 40/80's both sides and a resultant high static CR piston like 9.8's, he can correct me if that's not correct (Tom?)

I have some of this info on my website, I don't know if you checked that out, but there's a little bit on the R10 on there and I have some more info that I just haven't updated.

I would suggest if you intend to overdrive the standard Vx that you stick with the "1 tooth under" configuration or else change the crank pulley to have more teeth rather than the volumex to have less- I just don't trust that belt transmission with the small wrap a 2-or-more-teeth-under configuration would create on the tiny blower pulley. Just my opinion!

IIRC the data plate citing 185HP (or some such thing) on the grey 131 Volumetrico that you are referring to is a "wishful thinking" data plate made by the former owner, the French wrestling guy, "L'Empereur" (Sorry I don't remember his real name!) I think Tom knew about this and clued me in on it, but I don't want to put words in his mouth so I'll let him share the details of how this transpired.

Tom- feel free to correct me if you disagree with any of the above. Also, I don't know if it was clear from your post that the Evo 2 037 had a blower that is physically larger still (dunno about the displacement) than the 037 and I think it is a 3-lobe blower to boot. Also, if I'm not mistaken that car had both an intercooler AND Kugelfischer injection (mechanical FI using a custom ground application-specific cam fitted to a high pressure pump) so I don't think that's a fair comaparison to the R10 and volumex cars, especially the 8v ones. Kind of like comparing a dodge Viper to a Colt, same manufacturer but not many common parts :)

[Tom McGaffigan]

The Lancia Rally EVO in it's last iteration did use a 3 port compressor but did not use an intercooler. Adding an intercooler would not have been allowed as the Stradle did not incorporate one thus it would be against the homologation rules. I guess the water injection that was used was not considered as an intercooler only a detonation control device.
Tom McGaffigan

[wmausbach]

Will,
I have looked at your website many times and I want to compliment you as one of the best I've seen. Yes I would appreciate some of your hard numbers as it is part of the fun of working on these projects. As an engineer, I love numbers. the specification page is the first thing I look at.
My project is starting with as near stock as I can get it, then add the better carburation (45 DCOE) and dyno each step to quantify each emprovement. For example Guy Croft states that this one addition is worth 25hp. I may be very satified with a 160 hp if this proves valid
The whole reason that I wanted to go the Volumex route as it,s ellegance of design. The more I read about the Volumex the more I' impressed by simple design that works extremely well because of the features of the Abarth design. The Volumetrico is really just a larger version.
Ciao
Wayne

[Will]

Somewhere around here I have the displacement of the volumetrico blower taken by the not-quite-engineering-rated method of filling one of the housing-to-rotor pockets with couscous (I kid you not, flour was too messy and rice was too big IMO)

Anyway, I can dig that up but it's really not of consequence other than just for the sake of knowing what it is, as an engineer I'm sure you know much better than I the other variables involved (lower parasitic losses by spinning a larger blower slower, higher adiabatic and mechanical efficiencies of the larger blower, etc.)

The real key in my opinion is what you are burning, and what CR it allows. I have recently become very interested in running E85 or possibly using catalytic igniters and E100.

The big stumbling block I'm on now (for the past year or so) is coming up with a belt drive transmission system that allows inexpensive fiddling with drive ratios. I have looked at various trapezoidal and HTD-variant belts and how I might use off-the-shelf cogs from Gates' metals division, and even thought about a Poly-V starting with an oversize blank on the blower that I could progressively turn down in order to raise the drive ratio. All of which has made me wish I had a mechanical engineer and a machine shop at my disposal.


Tom: Not only three PORT, but I think the Evo2 blower is three lobes (more like a triangular prism with a cylinder at each point than the normal dog bone shaped Roots rotor. Yes it is also 3 port, I know this much because it's clearly evident in the pics. 3 lobes, I think I heard from Dave but I'm not sure. High on my list of things to investigate if I ever get to Volta. I will make sure my S.O. has a list of every shoe store in Italy that day! :)