475 hp from a 5.0L engine. Not necessarily earth moving, IMO. There are probably heads available for less than 15 Large which will do that.

I really want to see that 5.0L Ford spinning 14, 750 rpm! That's over 7300 f/min average piston speed. Bet it doesn't run long there.

So who's setting records with Coates-equipped engines?

Sorry, but I'm still a little skeptical, even after almost 15 years.

 

As far as I'm concerned, Coates heads are still vaporware. I contacted them a couple years ago and was told a minimum of $15,000 for a set, and no guaranteed delivery date.

The information they had on their old site (which I believe was nearly word for word from a magazine article from a few years ago which read like they authored it) talked about their test Ford small block that I thought I remembered them claiming ~700 horsepower for and turning to 14,000 rpm. Once, at least.

I've never heard of the 1,000 horsepower SBC story or seen it on their site. Besides, 850 lb-ft. @ 8,000 rpm would be 1,295 horsepower. If someone were running these heads in "real life", I think we'd have heard about it by now.

 

Interesting-
http://www.coatesengine.com/eGallery/G1.html
http://www.coatesengine.com/Products...as_engine.html

 

I have heard that sealing the combustion gasses, and getting those seals to last at auto engine rpms could be a problem with the Coates system. The 855 CID gas pumper turns quite a bit slower.

F1 engine technology is probably at the leading edge of what can be done given enough money and talent. AFAIK, rotary valves haven't been sucessfully used there. At 19,200 rpm, cam acuated poppet valves with pneumatic springs are still where it's at. While F1 folks have admitted to trying camless, solenoid actuated valves in their engine development, I have not read of one running in competition. That will probably come, not because it allows higher rpm, but because it allows almost infinitely variable valve timing.

My $.02

 

I know I am digging up the dead a little, but does anyone know anything about AMC heads and how they compare to the rest of the motors out there?