Speed Flow Technology

The new 18-degree big-block head is an expression of Dart’s approach to developing products for racers, a process that is described as “Speed Flow Technology.”

Relentless advances in technology are accelerating product development. High-tech digital equipment has replaced epoxy and welding rod as the tools of the trade. One of the breakthroughs in cylinder head design is wet-flow testing. Dry flow benches are common in engine shops, but conventional benches can’t duplicate the conditions that exist inside the ports when fuel is introduced to the airstream. The first tests on Dart’s powerful wet-flow bench were a revelation; the fluorescent dye used in the liquid medium made it possible to see the formerly invisible swirls and eddies as fuel and air move through the intake and exhaust tracts.

Technology has also transformed how heads and blocks are designed and manufactured. Dart employs the latest computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) techniques. After a new design is developed and tested, a digital coordinate measuring machine (CMM) creates an electronic file of the complex contours. This file then becomes a template for the computer numeric control machining centers (CNC), which duplicate the shape in production Dart heads with absolute precision.

The final step in Speed Flow Technology is testing – in the dyno cell and on the race track. Dart’s in-house engine shop builds and tests dozens of engines every season. Maskin campaigns Dart’s Pro Stock GTO on the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series, providing real-world results that validate the high-tech approach.

“Racing gives us reasons to develop our technology and capabilities,” said Maskin. “Wet-flow testing, the Spintron valvetrain tester, and empirical testing set Dart apart from the competition. Our Pro Stock program allows us to stay abreast of developments and to continue to evolve Dart products. We’ve made the commitment, bought the equipment and hired the best people. We’re racers, and the bottom line is that we come to work every day and have fun.”