dr_hunt

I ran the Edelbrock Vari-jection for years on a 406 NA sbc that had 11:1 comp in my 4wd truck. The Edelbrock unit had a vacuum setting and an rpm setting to start the injection. I had to repair the ecu several times and as far as I know edelbrock quit making it. It helped curb detonation. Water injection just uses the latent heat of vaporization to cool the intake charge. The water also cleans carbon deposits from the combustion chamber. As for performance increase, I doubt it. If you really look at it there is no energy (BTU) in H2O to be released in the combustion process and it actually takes energy to break the H2O bond, so the answer to power should be NO! However, cooling the intake charge, makes for more air in the cylinders, but the increase would probably be miniscule at best. IMHO

Oh, my boys car will be there, he's not here this weekend, but I'm taking it on sunday. Working on it now, changed the oil and filter, installing a metal box around the fuel cell under the back of the car, tighten the trans cross member bolts, hooking up the PB line (required drilling and tapping into the carb spacer), trying to seal up all the holes in the floor pan cause it fills the cockpit with alcohol fumes and makes my eyes water. Yada, yada, yada. The dragstrip web address is http://www.abqdragway.com Take the Broadway exit if coming from the south or the Rio Bravo exit if you come up 54 and across I-40 to south I-25. It's about a mile south of rio bravo to the east and about 3 miles north of I-25 Broadway exit from the south.

Tomorrow in Alb. Starts at 10:30AM I might be a little late, a friend of mine's dad died and they are having a memorial at 10 I think. I should be there by noon. it's 200 miles from where you are in Alamogordo, which translated to english means Fat Cottonwood. The cottonwood is a tree. Alb. has a fab pizza place at the track, come up and I'll buy you lunch. Roswell, has drags as well and you are about 150 miles from that dragstrip. David

With today's EFI advances and cylinder heads, a twin turbo V6 on a rwd platform would kick some serious butt! With some mod's it could break 600HP at the crank and be laying down over 400rwhp. I hope it's true. It's about time GM got their head out.

A shoe, that is what I call great drivers. Implies that he/she knows when to use which pedal to gain the best result, "Winning". There are a few great shoe's that have overcome a lack of power by using thier skills in the corners, however a great shoe with pleanty of HP on tap can and will win on a regular basis. I don't think I've ever heard of a real race driver, which I'm not, complain about having too much power or too good of brakes. I have what I call excessive HP. I know I can't unleash all that power, mainly because I don't have any seat time in the z. I could buy another z, might buy another z, but I wouldn't buy a z with the idea that it was expendable or do I see myself as expendable either. I drive to my limits, I enjoy excessive HP, noise, impressive displays of HP, etc. In the 1/4, I don't think you can get enough HP or enough traction, both are regularly a problem. I've got more HP in my monte than I can hook up off the line and it runs 11.70's at 7000 ft density air, which is close to 10's at perfect conditions, If it'd hook, it'll run 11.50's at altitude. My boys z has (IMHO) too much HP, but that is because Jap Tin said his car works well at high HP levels although recently he put the greasy side up, bad boy Jap Tin, bad boy. Sorry Jap Tin, but it has to be somebody's fault it make so much power besides mine. But with short wheelbase cars, like the z, the effects of wheelspin at speed can cause you to loose control quickly. All short wheelbase cars are like that. I've seen several 8 second turbo mustangs go belly up, that is why dragsters are the vehicle of choice and funny cars have a 125 inch wheel base. build a z with a 125 inch wheel base and then you'd be able to add some more straight line HP. I think a great driver can take a car with excessive HP and make it win, I think a great driver can take a car that is alittle underpowered compared to the competition and make it competitive. I think what you are all talking about is "control" or the lack of it. It is easy to control what is not there, "excessive HP", either you have it or you don't. If you are comfortable with a certain HP level then I think your HP level matches your skill level or comfort level. I watched the daytona 500, did you see those guys bumping each other around at WOT doing 180+mph?!! I just wish my skills were as good as some of the great drivers of the world and I was comfortable driving over 170mph all the time.

Yup, they are different from one piece to two piece rear seal. Yes, chevrolet did make a flexplate that only had one bolt pattern I have one of those as well as several 400sbc stock flexplates and a 400sbc flywheel. Later years had dual bolt pattern. I have a small 153 tooth sfi flexplate, dual bolt pattern that is new and never run for $70, which is what I paid for it. I installed it and then found that the converter mounting bolt "ears" stuck out past the ring gear and would hit the starter.

Yup, I have a reputation as well, for instance three cop cars showed up at my house for the "z" incident. Really, why three, well, I don't need to expand, but maybe they thought I was giving away free donuts. I was taking a leak at an outdoor party when a couple of guys come up from behind and hit me in my right ear with the butt of a pistol. I kind of came to with some guy smacking me repeatedly in the face. Pushed him in the river and hauled *** for safer ground. Massive concussion and stitches in my ear to fix it all, lovely. Later I find out from witnesses who they were and retaliated on a one by one basis in much the same manner as they attacked me. Problem is, it's like a merry go round that eventually gets out of hand. I need to control myself and act like a responsible adult for the kids that are around, and not become the subject of tall tales told to others. I'm ashamed of what I have done, it wasn't right, and wasn't good. I know that I'm going straight to hell if I don't change my ways. Two wrongs, don't make a right. I'll straighten up when I turn 70, that is if I live that long, well, maybe 50 cause I don't think I'll live that long.

Not a bad idea, I've always wanted to, but in my home town everyone steers way clear of me anyway cause I'm so damn ugly, so I haven't needed to. I read that not only can your car kick my cars ***, but you can kick my *** as well, so I'm not sure I want to race, cause if I loose, then I'll loose. Good info, I've always admired people who train martial arts for their discipline. Cheers!

My buddy Joe has a dragster license, he runs blown alcohol class in the southwest supercharger series and has gone 6.98 @ 212mph. I'm going to let him drive it on the wide open throttle passes. We are going to do tuning on the suspension first and take vid's so we can analyze. A couple of part throttle passes, couple of half throttle passes and then we'll see. Having the slicks hot will definately make a difference but I don't have a line lock so it'll have to be dragster style. Also I didn't hook up the PB line to the intake spacer so I'll have to do that saturday. Got to have PB baby. And I have to tighten up the trans crossmember and put the dynomax bullet mufflers on the pipes and tack weld them. They sure don't look like much of a muffler. The cops said they weren't street legal. I've never been totally street legal in my life, so I don't know why I would want to start now! I emailed the guy on the trans I got on EBAY, no response about the transbrake not working.

I've been in some fast cars, but this is honestly the first one that obviously has more power than it really needs and can break loose slicks on the one-two shift at 80 plus MPH. So if your that dumb, prove it!

Come on over. Sunday we'll be testing at Alb National Dragway, to see if it's going to go straight and hook or not. I adjusted the coil overs as low as they will go, might have to give the right rear a couple of turns to compensate for body roll on launch. Otherwise, if it don't work, I'm tubbing it with my buddy's 17x 33 slicks, now that ought to do it and if it don't, I'll end up like jap tin, cleaning the top with asphalt! Well, it's either me or you!

Magnum, I'd say you need to get your head examined, but from the sounds of it, it's been inspected a few times already. Iskone, talk to magnum or just let him beat some sense into you I think he's got it figured out. JK guys, your both too much! I'm sure your both tough guys, but you or anybody else doesn't have to prove it to me by getting your head bashed in, nose broke, jaw broke, teeth broke, etc. I've kicked some butt and had my butt kicked also, not too proud of it, kind of stupid mostly, honorable on two occassions, but then again I bet if I really knew the gal's involved they probably deserved getting slapped around anyway and I should have just stayed out of it all together. Instead, I'd rather race you on any given weekend or day for that matter, have a beer, talk cars, and have a good time. Best of luck in your next MMA, set up a contribution fund for the hospital bills, would 'ya.

If you have to side gap the plugs, then the plugs are too hot anyway, go to a cooler plug or a race plug. In the old days, we didn't have race plugs and the ground strap would get so hot that it would detonate the engine, so we'd cut the ground strap back to shorten the heat path and eliminate the hot metal strap in the cylinder.

Ok, guys, here's what I know. The higher the cylinder pressure the more impedence there is and therefore the more energy it takes for a spark to jump the gap. You've already read where nitrous and turbo guys are lowering the gap when the spray or up the boost. I run alcohol and build race engines so I'm going to tell you what my experience is. If your running an HEI with a high output coil and the black module you can run as much as .050 gap with 9:1 motors, .025 is max with 12:1 or higher gas or alcohol. MSD's can tolerate more gap since there is more energy, but it depends on the model you are using and how many MJ of spark energy they have as to what they will tolerate for plug gap. The pro-stock guys have actually dyno'd engines varying spark plug gap and tuning the gap on a dyno to produce peak HP. 2 or 3HP means winning or loosing. There was an article sometime back about tuning at the dragstrip by changing spark plug gap and COILS, but I can't remember what it was published in. Vertex mags typically run .025 to .028 gap regardless on high compression engines or blown alcohol/gas. If not then they tend to misfire alot at low rpm's like around idle, which fouls the plugs and they never clear up. Since the mag makes more fire the higher you wind it the optimum would be a variable spark plug gap, but that's not possible. You can get away with .035 on low compression engines with a mag. Top fuel guys even run dual plugs and dual mag's, but I don't know what the gap is on those, and that's out of my league anyway, I'm more of a hillbilly homie. I run MSD7 series in both cars, gap at .035 on a 13:1 and 14:1 engines with the propower coil on the 14:1 and the HVC coil on the 13:1. Planning to run the new HVC2 coil on the 14:1 engine to see if it picks up any. If I had unlimited funds, which I don't, I'd run the MSD promag system for a cool $4,000.00 on both engines which would fire a gap almost as wide as the room.

Ok, update time. Bought new powerglide race trans on EBAY last week, picked it up yesterday, installed it today in my boys z. A couple of buddies came over so we added alcohol, trans fluid, fired it up on stands. All gears worked, but again no transbrake, Bummer. Oh well, all gears work so time to drive it alittle. Set tire pressure at 10psi. Out in the street we go. I live on a long straight road about 2 miles long kind of on the outskirts of town along the river here. Well, that is if you can call it a river. Anyway, did a l did alittle burnout and then backed up and launched at 2K rpm. Stall converter is 5K so it hits 5K right away, smokes the tires and when it gets finished doing that, it slingshots scary fast. Shifted second and got out of it. My drag racing buddies say that the slicks aren't wrinkling. So, we drop the tire pressure to 8psi. Now, it works, but I didn't get the tires hot enough to stick good, but, it is a really wild ride even in first, let alone second, so I'm thinking that I may not have the balls to go all out in this thing. Then three police units drive up in my yard cause one of the neighbors complained. But we had parked it already and they just really wanted to see the car so it was no big deal. So I'm just going to check to see if there are some steel nuts or brass balls out there that need the crap scared out of them. Going to the track in Alb. on Sunday if it isn't raining, be there or....... David

Bills, crap, have to sort through bills. Not cheap. Complete machine work on a sbc and a bbc, which included bore and hone with deck plates for aluminum heads to fit pistons exactly, align hone, square, clearance for big rods/stroke, deck plugs in sbc, vat, bearings, rings, pistons, cranks, resize rods, complete redo on heads (guides, valves, seats, new springs etc.), balancing, install cam brgs. A little over 7K for both engines.

Nickens brothers racing in Houston does good work, Have machine work done there when I build engines in Houston for a buddy of mine. Doing a 455 Olds right now with Edelbrock aluminum heads for a 64 or 65 olds 442, whichever year was the first year they made them.

Capt. Zorro, It might as well of been 350M. I agree with you, the first issue is liability. I carry 1M in general liability, but that isn't enough for the lawyers these days. I got sued for 100M in 1997 and won after two years, but it wasn't any fun and cost alot of money. The second issue is product demand, a dozen or so SBF customers does not a business make. I made my own mounts, I don't see why the sbf is more difficult.

It looks as though it has the infamous "clock" on it also, which is a trademark of cast cranks. Take a picture that shows the parting line on the crank, usually the first throw, or the rear crank flange will have it as well. If it is thin like 1/8" then it's cast if it's wide, like 5/16" then it's forged.

Looking at the pictures and there is one good picture of the crank that shows casting marks and numbers. That is a cast crank, not a forged unit which means it's not a 448 but at most a 417 if it was offset ground. If it's cast, it's pretty much junk for much HP use over 400HP. Too bad.

Yup, when a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is. I'm sure the reason he was dumping it was for that very reason. Looking at the pic's it's obvious it detonated and made a good motor go bad.

As an engineer, I can tell you what we normally do in municipalities for commercial buildings. Site grading plan, site drainage plan, storm water plan and calculations, electrical plan, sewer and water plan, overall site plan showing building, parking etc. Building plans have to be reviewed by all the city agencies and must conform to commercial building code, which includes fire. Sprinkler the building and it'll help alot. Pre-engineered metal buildings are fine, can finish out an office and bath on the inside if you wish. There are minimum property line setbacks, front, back, and sides that you must adhere to. Oil trap on the sewer drain is not that big of a deal, can be concrete, however when it gets full of oil and you don't check it, it will discharge to the sewer anyway, not a big deal unless you are discharging alot of oil, antifreze, etc. Mop water doesn't count. I did all of the above plans for a 50'x100' commercial building on a 5 acre site for A&S plumbing in Alb, and got all city and county approval for 5K.

You can mill, port, cc, polish, etc the heads, but unless you really know what you are doing and have a set of inside snap gauges, your really kind of pissing in the wind and may make a set of unbalanced flowing heads, maybe make more power, maybe make less. Bowl porting or pocket porting underneath the valves for about an inch will yield the most improvement on stock heads. There are some diagrams on how to do it correctly. A cheap set of inside snap gauges will help you get them all the same dimensionally which helps a bunch. Milling increases compression, but with today's gas, that is a limited issue as too much causes more problems than it's worth. If you angle mill then you have to spot face the bolt faces so they are parallel with the block otherwise you can break a head bolt. Also it changes the intake mounting surface angle and that has to be milled as well. Polishing the ports and chambers is good to remove roughness, improves flow and suppresses detonation by removing hot spots in the chamber. No big HP gains there, but it all adds up. In the old days, all we had was camel's, they work good, you'd be suprised, but you'd be even more suprised with a set of AFR's. I've done what your doing, too much with too little cash, only to wish I'd waited and done it better only later. Wait, save some dough, do it like you want, you'll never be disappointed.

You are correct, even stock 882 "smog heads on a 355 sbc with a really mild cam will get almost 300HP. See http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/48778/ Cam used was 210/216 duration at .050 and .440/.454 lift. Hotrod also did a comparison on the camels vs. Vortec's vs. Twisted wedge heads, see http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/79478/. On a 383 the camels made 350HP, the vortec's almost 400 and the twisted wedge made 421. The essense is that heads alone will add alot of HP, so if your trying to crutch up old heads with cam it won't be as effective as heads alone. Getting 70HP with heads while using the same cam is great, and provides a seat of the pants noticeable difference. To gain 70HP increase with cam would probably make it undriveable on the street. I wonder what AFR's would have done in this same test?! Also noted is that the parts all has to match, this is really important. Camels aren't that cheap to fix. By the time you do valve job, install guides and new valves, machine for screw in studs and guideplates, you end up with around $400++ bucks in them not including the price of the heads. They tend to crack as well between the valves. You can buy better heads for slightly more $$ like the vortec's. and make more power.

Well, when my boy bought the 260z in AZ last August, it had inspection stickers from Phoenix firebird raceway. He had timeslips and said that it had a completely bone stock 350 with a th350 auto, no stall, 4.56 gears in the nine inch rear, and it ran 13.20 at 105mph. Not too shabby, enough to blow most cars in the weeds.