grumpyvette

if you want to get silly about this look over this inline engine Some facts on the 14 cylinder version: Total engine weight: 2300 tons (The crankshaft alone weighs 300 tons.) Length: 89 feet Height: 44 feet Maximum power: 108,920 hp at 102 rpm Maximum torque: 5,608,312 lb/ft at 102rpm

heres a slightly more exotic 815 cubic inch DOMESTIC V8 that makes well in excess of 1500hp /1500tq BEFORE a TURBO is applied, and if ordered with the aluminum block and heads its under 570lbs

http://www.centuryperformance.com/vacuum.asp read thru this info above

http://www.scegaskets.com/ http://www.scegaskets.com/products/procopphd.html these are the guys I buy MY head gaskets from (summit racing sells them also) http://www.scegaskets.com" www.scegaskets.com look under, catalog, chevy head gaskets) I have been useing SOLID COPPER HEAD GASKETS for years with aluminum heads on iron blocks (WITHOUT (O)rings) If your surfaces are strait and true and you correctly install them they work fine, now keep in mind that you MUST run high concentrations of anti-freeze and an anode in the radiator sure does not hurt to prevent electrolosis from causeing problems but I have never yet lost a head gasket and that includes nitrous use on several engines. now they sure are not your only option but they are a good one. btw I totally clean and degrease the block deck and head surfaces then spray the head gasket wet with COPPER COAT GASKET SPRAY on both sides then install them tacky wet and torque them down in 5LB stages to factory spec http://www.jcwhitney.com/productnoitem.jhtml?CATID=5131&BQ=jcw2" http://www.jcwhitney.com/productnoitem.jhtml?CATID=5131&BQ=jcw2 RADIATOR CORROSION INHIBITOR Prevents overheated radiators caused by rust, scale and corrosion. Save money on needless flushing, repairs, anti-freeze changes, special additives! Zinc anode slips in radiator filler neck and neutralizes rust/corrosion-causing chemicals. Lasts for years. NOTE: Not for radiators with plastic tanks. http:// http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?9780 http://www.midwayautosupply.com/detailedproductdescription.asp?792 http://www.radcapproducts.com/order.html

theres something to be said for the simple looks of a 500 cube big block

http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/Qq8Is7Sg this may interest you guys, hit the (link above) then hit ( watch)

a lighter weight car puts a good deal less stress on the trans than the heavier cars will. my vette weights about 3500lbs with me installed in the drivers seat, the current 700r4 (my fourth) handles the power just fine UNTILL i put on slicks, its been my experiance that the tires spinning vs grabing lowers the stress significantly, but once you do that, SLICKS) the trans life is SEVERLY SHORTEND, I rarely get more than a few dozen runs with slicks before the trans grenades...nitrous use only agravates the situation

personally I learned long ago to ask lots of questions, youll generally be far ahead to think things thru first,gather the correct tools and ask for INFORMED advice, before starting and get as many differant INFORMED opinions before starting as I can, because its usually not the work itself, but finding out exactly how and why something needs to be done ,EACTLY what tools need to be used and finding out exactly how somethings done correctly, before starting that takes the most time. .........if your doing it correctly! this approach saves both time and LOTS of money,........ since it easily tends to cost two to ten times more and take longer to start off doing it WRONG! then start over and repair or replace the screw-ups silicone boy has a good point. some times its a good idea to farm out some parts of a project. in that its silly to start a project unless you have the money,time tools and skills or at a minimum the tools and desire to learn those skills and the time to do so!example, if you can,t paint or build engines, farm that part of the project out to a skilled shop specializeing in that work and stop squealing when they screw your wallet,almost to death! skilled help usually costs big bucks

you might also want to expand your search parameters, an engine does NOT need to be a chevy to make a good hotrod swap, a 500 caddy, or a 400-455 pointiac are also excellent choices if your somewhat skilled at engine swaps OR ARE UP TO LEARNING AS YOU PROGRESS with the work

"We are all in the same boat, too bad we live in different states." yeah, its a real shame that we all can,t find several guys in our own areas that are willing to swap skills/effort and time to help all of the members advance thier projects. when I was younger (18-30)most of the guys I hung out with were long on time and willing to help but short on tool/money/skills, so progess was slow on all our cars simply because most of the time we could not afford most of the parts we wanted or had the skills to do most of the necessary mods. as we got older (35-45) we had many of the tools and skills but far less time, now that most of my friends are older (50-70) we have the skills and tools and time,(but moneys still tight) but finding fellow hotrodders you can trust not to rip you off, and who are willing to work on both of your cars , to compete with at the tracks and work with the skill levels you expect on YOUR car so your not feeling like they are butchering the job vs helping you seems to be a problem I still build engines regularly for the local guys ( at cost! which I enjoy as a hobby )BUT ONLY those guys willing to sit there and learn each and every step, and why its done that way and why it costs that much to do!, we make all the decissions on whats to be done together,so theres no surprises and the costs are aggreed on before we start.( I don,t make a dime on 90% of the engines I build, but I do frequently get a bunch of spare parts donated, and the local guys know its done RIGHT when it leaves the shop)

over the years Ive had guys that were great friends , with a similar interest in the hot rodding,hobby and in most cases its been with thier help and even friendly competition at times, while we worked on and raced our cars that resulted in the most fun, and most progress on our cars. joining a hotrodding or corvette club can help, but in many cases it turns into more of a hassle and endless social events than a group of guys working on cars with thier combined skills and resources, used to further all the groups cars. and Ive found that its not always easy to find HONEST and RELIABLE friends that really want to have you help on thier car or help on your car. if you deal with any larger club, your bound to eventually run into a few guys who are less than honest, It seems at times that this is a lonely hobby simply because most of us need to make a living and support our families so the chances of both time,skills and equipment being available in two guys lives at the exact same time is low,...especially by the time you reach my age (57)and divorce,s accidents, retirements,marriages, etc. and jobs moving tends to take friends and contacts away. how are you guys working it out?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- generally usefull sites on engine info http://www.speedomotive.com/building%20tips.htm http://users.erols.com/srweiss/index.html#jcalc http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/crc.htm http://hotrodworks.net/hotrodmath/hotrodmath.html http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/runnertorquecalc.html http://www.bgsoflex.com/intakeln.html http://www.pontiacracing.net/js_header_length1.htm http://kb-silvolite.com/calc.php http://www.carnut.com/specs/gen/chv69.html http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/m-table-c.htm http://www.auto-ware.com/combust_bytes/camspecs.html http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/41838/ http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/techarticles/32458/ http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/intake-tech.htm http://www.bob2000.com/carb.htm http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/deck-height.htm http://www.2quicknovas.com/torque.html http://www.strokerengine.com/StrokedEngines.html http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/rod-tech-c.htm http://victorylibrary.com/mopar/piston_position.htm http://www.ryanscarpage.50megs.com/combos1.html http://www.sa-motorsports.com/blockdiy/blkdiy.shtm http://www.kingbearings.com/advantages.html

"btw, Grumpy, did you ever use that driveshaft?" first. thanks again for selling me the drive shaft. ITS sitting next to the 4L80E trans and 496 BBC, waiting for my garage to be finished, ILL install in my CORVETTE as soon as I complete the GARAGE PROJECT "In a light car with <400hp, wouldn't the added weight be a disadvantage as well as the 4L80E be overkill, compared to the 200-4R?" your correct it will be overkill...IF you stay at the 400hp level, but its been my experiance that seldom happends....and its wasted money to swap transmissions again when you boost the power levels significantly, (like when you add a 250hp nitrous kit in the future!!)

your correct that the 200r is a better choice than the 700r4 if properly built and that the 4L80E will require some cutting and welding on the trans tunnel to clear, but the 4L80e is still the stronger choice. now the 200r will fill your needs , be cheaper and far lighter,and easier to install, but its not stronger, and its not in the same class, will it work (the 200r) sure!, but the 4L80e is still the stronger trans

"Somewhere you mentioned me using a 4.40 bore?" "220lb iron bb vs the 95 lb aluminum sb?" seems OBVIOUS you skimmed thru vs read my post, I suggested an ALUMINUM block for the BBC and even posted a link no I MENTIONED that the BORE CENTERLINE on a SMALL BLOCK is at 4.40" not the BORE size,meaning any bore size over about 4.185 starts to compromise the cylinder sealing area between the cylinders, even the 4.25 bore is slightly less than MINIMAL in my opinion, yeah ,it CAN be done, but its not ideal

the first thing ID point out is that reaching 8 ltrs (aproximately 488 cubic inches) is not going to get you a single thing "except bragging rights,"but a great deal more clearanceing work,head gasket sealing issues, and a lower safe peak rpm level that can mostly be avoided on a turbo engine at little or no cost in hp by dropping back only slightly to a 4.25" bore and 4.125" stroke 468 displacement. next Id point out that the ability to effectively seal the cylinders with the sbcs 4.40 inch bore spacing leaves on a high cylinder pressure turbo application, very little effective area between the cylinders at even THAT 4.25" bore size at the 0.15" tangental area the head gasket must seal. next Id point out that dropping back still further to a 4.185 bore and 4.125 stroke (454 displacement) is the route ID take for both the improved cylinder deck strength and head gasket seal potential if I was going the turbo sbc route. but BEFORE you start, you may want to think this thru.......you can buy a BBC ALUMINUM BLOCK and easily and safely build a 4.5" bore 4.5" stroke 572 displacement engine that will totally destroy any sbc combo and have both far better heads (keep in mind youll jump from 2.05 intake valves to 2.30 valves and perhaps 230-245cc intake ports that might flow 300- 320cfm to 345cc ports that flow 400 plus cfm,and much stronger internal components in that turbo engine....think about it!) AND an all aluminum bbc will weight less than the sbc engines most guys install ,combined,those are a HUGE ADVANTAGE a sbc 468 turbo combo that makes 2 hp per cubic inch of displacement will have about 940hp, but a bbc with the same 2 hp per cubic inch of displacement will have about 1150hp and both a much better life expectancy and stronger components, and the cost won,t be all that much higher, (your talking about spending easily $15,000-$18,000 plus with EITHER choice by the time its up and running http://www.worldcastings.com/docs/05_cat_pg7.pdf summit sells these for about $3700 http://www.worldcastings.com/docs/05_cat_pg23.pdf match these to some forged flat top pistons and a decent forged crank with the correct rods and twin turbos and youll have a killer turbo combo btw, in the real world an intercooled turbo sbc combo like that should produce 1100-1200hp, a big block easily exceeds 1500-1800hp

http://www.joby.se/corvette/mods/2004-12-26_4l80/ http://www.tciauto.com/gm/gm_4L80E.htm http://www.compushift.com/compushift.htm http://www.transmissioncenter.net/All%20Transmissions.htm#4l80e http://www.txchange.com/tgp.htm http://www.txchange.com/sk.htm http://www.high-impact.net/transmission_and_gear/badboy4l80e.htm 4L80e Transmission Specifications: This transmission has a main case length of 26”. Gear Ratios: 1st:= 2.48 2nd =1.48 3rd =1.0 4th = 0.75 Power Capacity: 700 ft-lbs of torque, 800 HP yeah, you want a 4L80E, its easily twice as strong as a 700r4 in stock form, one thing to keep in mind is its HEAT and torque that destroy a transmision ...NOT HP....rateing a trans by hp is totally bogas B.S., hp is dependant on both rpms and tq, if a trans will only hold lets say 350 ft lbs before failing , like the factory rated 700r4 you can simply spin the engine rpms up to whatever level you choose at 350ft lbs and rate the trans at totally unrealistic hp levels so don,t get fooled! 350 ft lbs at 5000rpm= 333 hp, but spin it to 350 ft lbs at 7000rpm and the same trans is rated at 467hp, a good shop can build a 4L80E to handle well over 900 hp. yes its about 100 lbs heavier but the reason is much more massive parts, they use 4L80E transmisions in 8 ton motor homes with big block engines and tow trucks .Ive destroyed several 700r4s behind my 383, and I fully intend to swap to a 4L80e into my corvette,once my garage project is completed, I posted some 4l80e links above. btw TRANSGO sells a kit to alow full manual control of shifts so you don,t need to spend $900 on a controller if you want to see a trans shop shut up about how strong thier trans is ask for an UNCONDITIONAL ,EVERY THINGS COVERED WITHOUT QUESTION ,ONE YEAR GARAUNTEE Ive had two shops brag about thier (UNBREAKABLE 700r4 transmissions, ) both were broken thru raw tq not abuse, once SLICKS were used

THANKS GUYS,I LOVE INFO LIKE THAT!!! ................Ok, My Wifes Gonna Kill You Guys ......now That I Found some more New Tools To Buy!!

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=D66SH&cat=13 you might want to look at these, they handle 300fF temps,while the standard ones loose some of thier strength temporaily at higher temps above 175F I just ordered a 100 hight temp magnets for the shop

"I’m still fairly confident that the 110 gph at 6 psi pump should be sufficient. I’m using a 3/8” fuel feed line." everything you stated is close to correct in a real world example ,at least in theory. BUT ID point out that in almost every case youll find the restrictions to flow in the fuel lines due to both the filter and the smaller internal passages in the various fittings are a far greater restriction than you would at first suspect they might be. that 110 gph at 6 psi flow rate measured at the carb just standing still , drops off fast , when measured under hard accelleration, high heat in the pump and from the engine compartment and once you factor in a filter that is not totally clear of trash now as an example I measured my old corvettes fuel system flow into a 5 gallon bucket, against zero restriction , (at least in theory)by allowing it to pump untill it filled the bucket and carefully timing the result. I was using this pump (the advertizing suggests it exceeds 350 gph free flow) and TWO of these regulators useing a 12 gallon fuel cell for a tank, with the proper 1/2" an fittings and 1/2" INTERNAL SIZE FUEL LINES, and AN FITTINGS, the set up took 2 minutes and 13 seconds to fill the bucket, thats a flow rate STANDING STILL OF ABOUT 140GPH,due to restrictions, so don,t assume that the pump rateing is your true flow, and yeah before you ask it held a rock steady 5 psi at the twin dominator carbs on the 496 bbc, the main restriction was the filters,(I had two) its really hard to find decent low restriction fuel filters. I had to use two marine fuel filters that were the size of most oil filters with a removeable filter element that was the size of a can of coke why did I need to go to that extreme, well every other combo I tried tended to show signs of fuel pressure dropping off , and the vette was only running very low 10 second times at 135mph, keep in mind all that feeds up too the (4) float pindle valves that control the fuel flow into the carbs , that are less than 1/4" in dia.

heres an old post that cover much of the info, LOOK THRU THE LINKS http://www.twi.co.uk/j32k/protected/band_3/jk6.html TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas Welding) basically youve got a controlable electric arc in a gas shield that you use similar to a oxy-acetolene flame to melt the material and feed a rod of similar material to flow and join the peices This process is the toughest to learn. The electrode is composed of Tungsten, and a current is flowed through it controlled by either a foot pedal, a hand switch, or a fixed current on the machine itself. I am learning TIG using a foot pedal, the more you press down on the metal, the more amps you get. Once you get enough current flowing to get an appropriate sized weld pool, you start dabbing a filler metal into the puddle as you move the electrode further down the work piece. TIG allows you a great amount of control because you regulate how much current the electrode gets and how much filler metal the weld pool gets. This process is very slow compared to the other types though. in my opinion its by far the best process simply because you can CONTROL BOTH THE HEAT POLARITY AND MATERIAL FEED CONSTANTLY MAKING ADJUSTMENTS IN BOTH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE MIG - (Metal Inert Gas) http://www.twi.co.uk/j32k/protected/band_3/jk4.html MIG is the easiest process of welding. A feeding gun is used to feed a spool of filler metal wire into the weld pool. in effect you feed a charged wire into the weld are where it melts on contact due to the current arc ,Current is usually switched on and off by means of a trigger on the gun. Amps are usually controlled by a dial on the MIG machine itself, meaning that you cannot adjust current in the middle of welding. Though, with some machine you are able to get a foot pedal to control Amps while welding.the better machines allow you to vary the speed of the wire feed but you set the electrical energy (heat with a dial), its extremely fast and simple to use but your basicall shooting molten wire into the area to be welded. Arc Welding (stick) Arc welding is mostly used in industrial applications. An electrode is used to strike an arc, the electrode then melts away to deposit metal into the weld pool. The electrode is coated with a variety of different materials which are used to help keep the weld pool from being contaminated. TIG and non-flux-cored MIG both use a variety of different shielding gases to help keep the weld pool from being contaminated depending on what metal is being welding.

a RETURN style fuel pressure regulator system with dual lines (feed & return) will be superior in almost every application, your NOT stuck with the factory parts or sizes, there are readily available fittings that can replace the factory pick-up lines/parts. and theres nothing preventing you from running DUAL pick-up tubes/filter socks, feeding into a (Y) a quick trip to a salvage yard and an hours time should allow you to collect the necessary parts cheaply, then a hole drilled and some minor tig welding will allow you to have a custom setup with dual feed tubes, OR theres always the option of installing a aftermarket sump or a fuel cell that has those larger line sizes already designed in! http://www.magnafuel.com/products/accessories/fittings/index.htm http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?lang=-1&catalogId=10002&storeId=10001&categoryId=16651 http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?lang=-1&catalogId=10002&storeId=10001&categoryId=25757 http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10002&storeId=10001&categoryId=19797&parentCategoryId=10297&langId=-1 many times its faster and cheaper in the long run to just buy and install a fuel cell designed for the higher flow rates rather than modify the stock parts

"Am i correct in thinking that the fuel flow from a tube 5/16" in the beginning to 3/8" at the end will be EQUAL to the flow of a tube thats 5/16" all the way?" yes and NO,a very short section of 5/16" line feeding a larger 3/8" line has less restriction than a much longer 5/16" line yes the 5/16" feed line in the tank that goes to a larger 3/8" line will limit the flow potential of the 3/8" line, theres no question if thats your only source of fuel flow to the pump, and your also correct that a 5/16" fuel line has the ability to feed a MILD 350 engines fuel flow needs. now the reason the return line to the tank needs to be about the same size as the feed line is that the idea of the return line is to provide a nearly zero restriction pressure route back to the tank, to allow the pump to work more efficiently without fighting a back pressure & restriction. now obviously the ideal setup will have a fuel line size and pump thats easily able to exceed the engines fuel flow requirements by a few percentage points under the hardest accelleration, and high heat conditions and taking into account the restrictions the filters,fittings,regulators,ETC. provide, so it should be obvious that if your engine can in theory use lets say 50-60 gph that youll want a pump AND FUEL SYSTEM flow capacity that is at about the 80 gph or higher range. now , HOW to CHEAT slightly, yeah its a rube goldberg patch to add flow without the correct tank/line mods keep in mind that the engines useing (X) amount of fuel, the pump and system can provide that (X) voluum only if the 5/16" feed can flow that (X) voluum but your trying to have a slightly higher voluum circulating thru the system to cool the pump and allow the bye-pass style fuel pressure regulator to work correctly,lets say for the example that a 3/8" line has a 18% larger flow voluum (which is about correct) and your engine requires 90% of the capacity the 5/16" line theoretically flows, well it should be obvious that the 5/16" feed line will barely keep up, and the return line will see very low flow rates at max rpms under accelleration (G) loads. BUT, if we were to instal a 3/8" (T) fitting feeding the return line into the feed line after the fuel filter but before the pump in port we will in effect have that 18% greater flow added to the 10% the 5/16" line can provide, to allow the extra circulating fuel voluum past the pump and regulator. now this is a comon mod and used frequently by guys who don,t care to do the job CORRECTLY, by installing a 3/8" or 1/2" line and pick up from tank pickup point to tank return point. your still limited by the 5/16" feed line but the engine "SEES" a higher flow and in a marginal system it helps. but ONLY IF THE 5/16" line can FLOW enought at max flow levels to feed the engines needs IDEAL.HELL NO! but its an option if you for some reason don,t choose to do it correctly ideal Rube Goldberg Patch

you NEED a fuel pressure regulator with a BYE-PASS CIRCUIT from the regulator at the carbs location back to the tank, dead head regulators will NOT maintain a constant pressure and running a electric pump without useing fuel constantly will USUALLY cause the pump to heat up and LOOSE some efficiency,in fact they comonly cavatate if heated up, trying to pump the same fuel constantly, the flow thru a bye-pass regulator with its seperate fuel return line to the tank allows the fuel to circulate and pull heat from the pump,the better quality, return style regulators are vastly more effective ideally all lines are 3/8" minimum but 1/2" id is far better the electric fuel pump would ideally be mounted lower than the tank and as far back as practicable INSIDE the frame rails for crash protection, with a hot lead to the electric pump that only supplies electric power ,if you have oil pressure and the ignition keys in the on possition, as electric pumps PUSH fuel,far more efficiently than they PULL fuel as you don,t want the electric pump running if the engines NOT running. the fuel filter should be mounted for easy access,as you should change it frequently. the regulator should be mounted as close to the carb as easy access allows, with the return line back to the tank, ideally larger than the feed line for zero resistance to fuel flow keep in mind the by-pass style regulators work by allowing all fuel flowing above a certain threshold pressure you set the regulator too,to return to the tank, usually thats set at 4.5-6 psi for carbs[/b] [/i] keep in mind that the pressure sensor only makes tthe electrical connection once theres 5 psi of oil presure in the blocks oil passages "Ok G.V., need your input. I intend to wire up 1 electric pump through an oil pressure switch (GM thought of it first thats how I got the idea). If the car sits dorment for a few weeks and the fuel evaporates in the carb the engine could be hard to start. Granted, you should be able to crank 5 psi long enough to fill the carb and start the engine but this adds wear and tear to the starter. Which of the following solutions would you recommend if any? (1) Bypass the fuel pump circuit and power it through the start circuit so the pump powers up during engine cranking. This would need a diode so the start circuit is not back fed through the fuel pump circuit after engine start up which complicates the circuit. (2) Wire in a toggle switch that powers the pump before cranking. Once engine starts, kill the toggle and allow the oil pressure circuit take over. The switch positions would be marked START (hot)and RUN (open). In a (heaven forbid) severe collision, the toggle could be activated (unlikely but possible) and defeat the safety built in to the oil pressure power up circuit. What do you think?" I would NEVER use a manual toggle switch,on an electric fuel pump they have a tendency to get thrown into the wrong possition at times, causeing all kinds of potential problems ranging from flooded carbs,engine stalling, dead batterys, burned out pumps etc. if you want an over ride switch for the fuel pressure youll want a BUTTON (normally open contacts)that connects the circuit only while the spring loaded button is MANUALLY HELD in the depressed position, similar to the older cars starter circuit buttions, thus the circuit works with or without the button depressed if the engine has oil pressure,and you have the OPTION to pre-prime the carb by MANUALLY depressing and holding the over ride button, momentarily ,sending the electricity to the electric pump to pre -prime the carb. but the fuel,system still works either way THE DEAD HEAD STYLE REGULATOR works with a spring on a valve that allows the valve to open once the DIFFERANCE IN PRESSURE between the sides of the regulator valves fuel lines has changed think of it as a door that has 7-10psi on the feed side and you want lets assume 5.5 psi at the carb youll need to understand that the dead head regulator works on the DIFFERANCE in pressure between the feed and use sides so having 10psi on the feed and 7psi on the use side is exactly the same as having 12psi on the feed and 9psi on the use side to that style regulator as the fuel pump fills the line it eventually (fractions of a second )reaches the point where theres a voluum of fuel past the valve with enought pressure to allow BOTH the SPRING and the fuel pressure past the valve to close the valve untill the fuel is reduced to the point that the SPRING and the remaining fuel pressure/voluum beyond the valve can not hold the valve closed and the valve is force open and held open untill, that diffearance in pressure is restored. now lets launch the car hard, the pump that had maintained 8-10 psi to the regulator, 5.5 psi past the valve and the spring in the regulator is now fighting the fuel in the line feeding the regulators enertia, and the sudden drop in pressure as the throttle drops full open in the carb,what the pump sees is the full 8-10 psi or MORE the regulator sees a sudden drop off to near zero and it opens wide, if the fuel pumps able too it tends to flood the fuel bowl for a second then the valve slams shut, untill the pressure drops off as you hit each gear the cycle repeats, the result is a surge in pressure and a rapid drop off in voluum then a rapid flood of fuel that rapidly cycles as you go down the track if you had a accurate fuel pressure sensor at the carb youll see a rapidly cycling pressure/flow if some crud gets stuck in the valve it cant close and your carb FLOODS OUT, because it must fully close every few fractions of a second to work correctly the far superior, bye-pass style regulator functions in a totally differant manor assuming the same set-up but you replace the regulator with a bye-pass style regulator, the bye-pass regulator works by opening a valve too a much lower pressure path for the fuel to return to the tank,,the open fuel return line. anytime the pressure exceeds the 4.0-5.5 psi,youve set it to, so the fuel line to the carb can only see a max at that 4.0-5.5 psi. now the pumps sitting there potenially supplying at 8-10psi just like before, but it can never exceed 4.0-5.5 psi because the bye pass regulator bleeds of any and all excess flow voluum,the pump supplies. but lets look at your launch, if the pressure drops to 6, or 7 psi nothing changes at the carb, if it increases to 10 or 12 psi, nothing changes at the carb,if it drops to to 4.0-5.5 psi that you set the regulator bye-pass circuit too or less the valve to the bye pass line will close but thats seldom a problem, it the sudden changes in pressure and over pressures that happen when you suddenly change the fuel flow required or the (G)loads on the system that potentially screw things up,the bye-pass regulator style regulator isolates the carb and maintains the desired 4.0-5.5 psi to the carb FAR MORE CONSISTANTLY now lets assume the spring get weak over time or the adjustment gets set at 4 psi in error, with the bye-pass style youll probably never notice ,if you had a accurate fuel pressure sensor at the carb youll see a rock steady pressure/flow should some crud get stuck in the valve and it cant close NOT MUCH HAPPENDS, because its normally OPEN not closed if you check youll see MOST EFI systems are BYE-PASS regulated designs also due to control and relieability issues but on the dead head the cycle just gets about 20% more erratic and more frequent in the cycles, further weakening the spring over time btw your fuel pump tends to run under less stress and run cooler with a bye-pass style regulator also

"wouldn't it work to just pop a few on the outside of the oil pan? Magnetizing the whole pan?" sure! put one on each of the 4 corners on the outside of the pan, and they work just fine!, they will trap any crud that reaches the pan,but place them like that AND two under the valve covers, on the heads near the drain back holes and one in the lifter valley near the rear drain back holes and those upper magnets STILL COLLECT CRUD!, so I place them in all three locations all you need to do is find valve spring shrapnel and keepers stuck to the upper magnets once to realize what might have happend if they got wedged between a lifter and cam lobe