BOOTLEGGER CAMS TESTED: MARKETING OR MUSCLE?
POWER TO SPARE STREETABLE HP TAKEN TO EXTREMES
WINTER IS A KILLER HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HOT ROD
TWO GUYS CASH = ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP
VOL. 5, ISSUE 1
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PUBLICATION OF XCELERATION MEDIA PPNDigital.com
HOT PARTS SEE THEM FIRST
AND MORE: BIG CHIEF INTERVIEW * HARDCORE TECH * VIDEO REWIND
Shop TALK FROM THE EDITOR Big Engines, Big Power – How Much Is Too Much? It should come as no surprise to any enthusiast that we are living the golden age of horsepower. Chrysler has just announced the 2015 Hellcat Challenger that makes an astonishing 707 net horsepower, and you can buy a ZL1 Camaro with 580 horsepower that now almost seems tame compared to Chrysler’s shot across the bow. Not too long ago, a 400 horsepower Small Block Chevy built on a reasonable budget warranted a cover blurb on a national magazine. I wrote my share of those stories. But today, there better be a comma in the power number as in “2,000 HP from a Junkyard Jeff Smith Refugee!” Clearly, the horsepower escalation game has jumped an entire generation here somehow. It used to be that a typical car guy with a low 12-second street car was content in the knowledge that he owned the road against anything that came off the production line. But clearly that’s no longer true. Both the Hellcat and the ZL1 Camaro can run deeply into the 11s. And with sticky tires, the Hellcat should even run low 11s! This new horsepower escalation signals that backyard modified cars are going to need to be a bit more sophisticated both in terms of drivetrain and suspension. Sure, you can bolt on nitrous or a supercharger to a 6.2L LS engine and stuff it into a ’69 Camaro and have fun. But it’s going to take talent to plant 700 horsepower to the ground and make it stick. And if that happens, this will quickly point out the weak link in the driveline. Can the transmission handle that power? Can the rear suspension apply that power in a reasonable fashion? I have a friend who is an engineer for General Motors. In a recent discussion, he said something very important. He works on electronic control systems, and he pointed out that the power the new car companies are cranking out is carefully managed with very sophisticated algorithm-based electronics. It’s likely that these current control systems are far more sophisticated than what NASA used to get us to the moon back over 40 years ago. Add production-based launch control systems and all of a sudden it promises to be tough to match the performance of a modern day production car like the Hellcat or the ZL1. The performance industry is capable of delivering astonishing horsepower to anyone willing to write the check. Magazines are running stories on 2,000 horsepower engines, but nobody is talking about how to manage all that power. In my limited experience driving high horsepower cars, massive power just makes it that much easier to massively screw up. I think that the company or companies that lock in on a sophisticated yet manageable control mechanism that can harness all that power while also managing the entire vehicle might have the next big industry-wide game changer. Perhaps it will be along the lines of a sophisticated electronic system that will employ multiple sensors for input that can be used to help the car put down the power. Yes, we’re talking about traction control – but in a good way that keeps an average driver from destroying his car because he didn’t know what to do when the tires turned into smoke machines. A tunable electronic system could help him stay out of trouble. In the meantime, big power numbers will just mean it’s easier to spin the tires. Maybe instead of fighting tire spin, owning a tire company is the real solution!
Jeff Smith, Senior Tech Editor jsmith@xcelerationmedia.com
Staff Group Publisher
Shawn Brereton
Editorial Director Jeff Huneycutt Senior Tech Editor Jeff Smith Contributors John DiBartolomeo Richard Holdener Dan Hodgdon Andrew Wolf
Todd Ryden Ben Shelton Mark Gearhart Manufacturers
Advertising Dave Ferrato
Brett Underwood
For advertising inquiries call 901.260.5910.
Production
Hailey Douglas
Art
Jason Wommack Zach Tibbett
Power & Performance News is published biannually to promote hardcore automotive performance as well as recognize the parts and services from participating manufacturers. The magazine consists of dedicated information from partner companies with the mission of disseminating unfiltered editorial on companies, products and services directly to automotive enthusiasts. Editorial and advertisements for each issue originate from partner companies participating in the magazine. Power & Performance News is a hybrid of content that was originally published at PPNDigital.com as well as original content that was created for this biannual print magazine. Magazine distribution occurs through direct distribution from parent company Xceleration Media and partner companies. Power & Performance News is a property of Xceleration Media. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent from Xceleration Media. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
ON THE
COVER STEPHEN MARINE LOGGING MILES IN HIS 1940 WILLYS COUPE FOR 2014 DRAG WEEK.
BOOTLEGGE R CAMS TES MARK ETING OR TED: MUSCLE?
POWER TO SPA RE
STREETAB TAKEN TO LE HP EXTREM ES
WINTER IS A KILL ER HO W TO PRO YOUR HO TECT T ROD
TWO GU CASH YS
= ULTIMATE ROAD TRI P
HOT PARTS SEE THEM FIRST
VOL. 5, ISSU E
OD2014-1
1 PUBLICATION XCELERATIO OF N MEDIA onedirt.com
AND MO RE: BIG CHI EF
INTERVIEW
* HARDCOR
TECH 16 IMPROVE YOUR STRIP TIMES
FEATURES 12 HORSEPOWER HAS EVOLVED
20 TRACK DAY SAFETY
32 IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL
24 PIONEERING POWER
56 MEET THE BIG CHIEF
Choosing the right trans for your trip to the track Be prepared with the right safety gear Lunati captures the bootlegger outlaw spirit
28 BEARING DOWN
There’s more to bearings than meets the eye
36 15 SIMPLE TECH TIPS Automotive performing arts
42 LS POPULARITY
All the cool kids are doing it
44 “BITING THE BULLITT” WITH EFI Installing the FAST XFI Sportsman
50 BIG CAM TUNING
Keep your engine running with a monster cam
66 BEAT THE HEAT
Cooling things down with a transmission cooler
70 IT PAYS TO BE PREPARED
Simple preparation before visiting the dyno
76 JUST LIKE NEW
Upgrading your AOD transmission
82 WINTER STORAGE WAR Winterizing your vehicle
88 DIALING IN FUEL PRESSURE Setting dynamic fuel pressure for nitrous
2 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Are we in the Golden Age of street horsepower A cross country hot rod adventure
Behind the scenes with Justin Shearer of Street Outlaws
86 INSIDE CRANE CAMS
A look back at where the legacy began
92 NOT YOUR TYPICAL TRADE SHOW A look inside SEMA
CONTENTS SPEED SHOP
LT1 Gen V Cylinder Heads RHS..................................... 58 E6 Digital CD Ignition Kit FAST..................................... 59 LS Dual Plane Intake Holley.......................................... 59 Next Generation FHR Pistons UEM............................. 59 Dual Conical Valve Springs COMP Cams.................... 60 HEI Distributor Crane Cams............................................ 60 LT1 Gen V Crankshafts Lunati........................................ 60 4L60E Auto-X Transmission Package TCI................... 61 Optimum-SR Mustang Clutch Kits Quarter Master..... 62 Max Duty Super F Fluid ATI Performance..................... 62 SBC 383 Stroker Connecting Rods Lunati................... 62 EZ-EFI Fuel FAST.............................................................. 63 SportMod Helmet RaceQuip........................................... 63 Break-In Oil Crane Cams................................................ 63 Sidedraft EFI Systems Inglese....................................... 64 Power Ring Filer Total Seal............................................ 64 SpeedClean Foaming Degreaser Driven..................... 64 GM LS Gear Drive Timing Sets COMP Cams............... 65 3-Way Manual Override Switchs Flex-a-lite............... 65 Big Block Mopar Serpentine Pulley Drive System Eddie Motorsports........................ 65
DEPARTMENTS 01 SHOP TALK Letter from the editor
04 SPEED NEWS 06 DIGITAL GUIDE
Power and performance sites, apps and social media
07 SOCIAL MEDIA SOUND OFF
Your online comments on Power & Performance News topics
08 VIDEO REWIND
Racing, product and entertainment videos
96 PARTING SHOT
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 3
Speed NEWS NEWS / HEADLINES / HOT TOPICS Xceleration Media Group Floors It! Xceleration Media (the parent of Power & Performance News) has been busy lately! XM is expanding our footprint to include three new titles: Street Rod Life, Drag Racing Scene, and GearHeads4Life. Like XM’s other properties—Power & Performance News and OneDirt— each title will be a multi-channel effort to get industry information to the masses. The good news doesn’t stop there! Not only are we adding titles, we are adding talent to keep the content flowing and fresh. Recently, four new faces were introduced to the public. Jeff Smith, former Senior Technical Director at Car Craft, is a respected stalwart in the industry and will provide his techheavy expertise in the same role with Power & Performance News. His accomplished engine building and technical exJeff Smith pertise made Jeff a perfect fit. Some of his contributions can already be seen online. Todd Ryden was recently introduced as the Editorial Director for Street Rod Life. For over 20 years he’s been able to combine his passion for hot rods and performance with his career. Todd’s vast freelance experience with hot rods and Todd Ryden
racing will ensure street rodders get the content they deserve. The role of Group Publisher for Xceleration Media was filled by Shawn Brereton, who will manage the backend process for the print publications and coordinate content on the websites. He is also a lifelong gearhead, which makes him a good fit to be the acting Editorial Director of
Gearheads4Life until it hits full throttle. The ink isn’t even dry on the latest press release that Drag Racing Scene has scored another industry heavy-hitter by Shawn Brereton naming John DiBartolomeo as Editorial Director. Most recently Editor of Drag Racing Action, John has a storied past in motorsports including multiple NHRA event wins and is a member of the John DiBartolomeo East Coast Drag Racing Hall of Fame. Now with properties in five major automotive/motorsports segments, Xceleration Media is ensuring we are at the forefront of today’s changing media landscape by using a variety of innovative delivery channels to ensure hard hitting technical content reaches high-value enthusiasts, racers and hobbyists. Visit us online at xcelerationmedia.com or on YouTube at youtube.com/xcelerationmedia.
Power & Performance Keeps You In the Know When you are looking for knowledge in powertrain performance and hardcore technical content, Power & Performance News is the website designed for you. Our acclaimed editorial staff covers all aspects of 4 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
engine and driveline upgrades with a mission of presenting information that is both interesting and achievable for the average car guy. The website is updated often with news and features affecting
the automotive world and is accessible through a number of media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Google+. Go to www.PPNDigital.com to find out more.
Speed NEWS
NEWS / HEADLINES / HOT TOPICS
2015 Corvette Z06 Numbers Impress The Z07 package proves powerful with times that turn heads Chevrolet officially announced the estimated performance numbers for the 2015 Corvette Z06 recently and they are impressive. The top numbers were turned in with the Z07 package—one of a few different aero packages. But 0-to-60 doesn’t depend on much downforce, just raw HP to the ground, and the Vette did it in a rocket-like 2.95 seconds! The numbers just kept surprising with a quarter-mile of 10.95 at 127 mph from the new 8-speed automatic (the 7-speed manual was slightly slower with a 3.2 and 11.2 respectively). The supercharged LT4 small block is said to be making 650
horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. As usual the Vette continues to impress on the skid-pad as well, pulling 1.20g compared to the pre-
vious version with 1.13g. GM notes these are undoubtedly the best numbers of any production car they have ever tested.
Another Blow for Viper? Dodge ends GTS-R racing program, raising questions on car’s future Dodge continues to scale back its racing efforts. After leaving NASCAR in 2012, Dodge has now announced that it is discontinuing the SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper GTS-R racing program. Despite huge success on the track, winning two-of-three championships, it appears there may be no reason for Dodge to support the effort. Rumors have been circulating ever since Chrysler Group, LLC stopped production twice due to slow sales, then announced in May that it will be bringing the SRT brand back into the Dodge fold to
try to boost sales of the struggling Viper franchise.
Is this another hint that Chrysler is pulling the plug on the Viper?
AETC Marks Silver Anniversary The Advanced Engineering Technology Conference (AETC) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year! Conceived to provide an independent and unbiased forum for the exchange of the latest engine technology, the conference features some of the brightest minds in performance engineering. The conference precedes the Performance Racing Industry (PRI)
Trade Show in Indianapolis, IN. The annual conference continues to be a must-attend event for engine builders, racers, engineers, salesmen, media and gearheads of all backgrounds and interests. This is the only event that brings together the leading experts from all disciplines of high performance engine design to share the latest technology trends and application techniques.
Attendees have the opportunity to network with others in the industry and have one-on-one access to performance experts. The 2014 conference is shaping up to be one of the best ever. Register soon, there is limited seating. For more information including the list of slated speakers, visit the website at www.aetconline.com or call 1.866.893.2382. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 5
Digital GUIDE WEBSITES / FORUMS / APPS
HELPING ENTHUSIASTS
NAVIGATE HORSEPOWER ONE CLICK @ A TIME
THE INFORMATION YOU SEEK IN THE FORMATS YOU NEED Searching for what you need on the internet is getting harder and harder these days. If you are not specific enough in your search, you could spend valuable garage time on the computer. You’ve also got to be careful, one false move and your spouse will think you are cheating or find yourself on an FBI watch list! Sometimes it’s best not to search, so to help keep you out of trouble we have assembled this list of valuable ways to find us and keep you on the right path to happiness. If powertrain performance projects and hardcore technical content are your interest, Power & Performance News is the publication designed for you. Our acclaimed editorial staff covers all aspects of engine and driveline upgrades with a mission of presenting information that is both interesting and achievable for the average car guy. Power & Performance News has made it as easy as possible for you to receive the information you seek in the format you feel most comfortable with. We have several avenues for you to get the information straight from the source. Our content is updated daily, so check often with Power & Performance News through any of these avenues: facebook.com/PPNDigital twitter.com/PPNDigital youtube.com/PowerPerformanceNews instagram.com/xcelerationmedia pinterest.com/xceleration/ powerperformancenews.com/feed plus.google.com/+PowerPerformanceNewsMedia 6 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Social Media SOUND OFF
FACEBOOK / TWITTER / MULTIMEDIA
We recently posed the following question to the 100,000+ fans of the Power & Performance News Facebook page. Emotions run deep within the automotive community on this issue and the responses were wide ranging from high praise to pure hatred for certain brands. Below is a hand-picked sampling of the best responses. Got an opinion on this matter? We want to hear it at www.facebook.com/PPNDigital or via any of our other social media channels listed below.
IS AUTOMOTIVE BRAND LOYALTY DYING? ARE YOU A FAN OF A BRAND OR CERTAIN CARS? Matt Allen Respect for all. You respect my ride and the hard work I put into mine and I’ll do the same for you. In which case...Dodge all day!
Patrick Cheek My dad bought nothing but Dodge from 1965 till 2012. The last Dodge he bought before he passed away was a 2010 R/T Ram. I grew up in Dodge it’s all I know and all I’ll drive. MOPAR OR NO CAR!
Ben Parler
Joe Willman I don’t think it’s dying. People keep buying new vehicles, no matter how lame & ugly they get, so no. I however, don’t maintain a loyalty. I was a bigger supporter of GM, and then they killed Pontiac, now have killed Holden (by 2016), & have an UGLY Camaro, a Viper wannabe Vette with Camaro wannabe taillights, and probably the most hideous truck on the market currently. GM is practically dead to me. Haven’t owned a Ford yet, so eh. Own a Ram currently, and loving Mopar life.
Gerald Bruton Love my Chevys have five of them. Three of them have over 300,000 miles they are still running strong.
Ernest Near The quality is not there anymore.
First car 30 years ago was a Ford, have always owned a Ford and always will. Not only a fan, I have sold Fords and was a technician for many years. If that is not enough, my son’s name is Ford!
Nathan Bray No loyalty to any of them anymore... Built not bought.
Ronnie Arnold Raised on Ford & Mercury but they sure aren’t what they used to be.
Randy Stoneburner Don’t know if it is dying but was at the drive up window at McDonalds and the girl asked me what kind of car is that, I was driving my Vette. I don’t think the kids now days care as much about cars or brands!
Seth Lowe I’m a Ford man myself, but I think a lot of people take it way outta hand. They take it overboard and tell everyone that doesn’t have the same favorite brand as them that they’re stupid and I find that childish. Supporting your brand is one thing, making brand jokes doesn’t bother me, but when everybody else is suddenly not worth the time of day cause they don’t like your brand, that’s taking it too far.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION WE REALLY GET AROUND!
Power & Performance News is active on all major social networks and digital content publishing platforms. Join us as we spread the word about hardcore automotive performance around the world.
@PPNDigital youtube.com/PowerPerformanceNews google.com/+PowerPerformanceNewsMedia
#MUSTFOLLOW
These are some of our favorite Twitter personalities. They’ll keep you entertained and informed about “all things” automotive.
@AZN_Farmtruck AZN & Farmtruck from Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws television show will keep you laughing with their automotive commentary and shenanigans.
@CourtneyHansen Twitter account of ultimate car girl and TV personality, Courtney Hansen. She posts frequent updates as she barnstorms around the country to meet drooling hot rodders.
Video REWIND RACING / PRODUCT / ENTERTAINMENT Video Rewind is where we point out interesting videos found on the internet. Whether they are historical, funny, dramatic, technical, or whatever. We like them, so we thought you might too.
SIGN UP TO KEEP UP Subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with our original and curated video content that is updated daily by the Power & Performance News editorial staff. youtube.com/PowerPerformanceNews
HANG ON TIGHT ’55 CHEVY CRASH AND A MIRACLE AT THE DRAG STRIP In a simply stunning video, watch as a ’55 Chevy crashes at the Pikes Peak International Raceway and the driver ends up with his legs sticking out of the windshield. youtu.be/Uud7rcwhI5U
GEORGE POTEET CRASHES AT 2014 BONNEVILLE SHOOTOUT See what it’s like to crash at 370 mph as we ride along with George Poteet at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Thanks to this video we are able to see the fine line between record speeds and disaster. youtu.be/nlvwAHY3hfM
8 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Power Meets PAVEMENT
FASTEST SUPER STOCK PASS IN HISTORY Watch P.B. Candies’ Cobra Jet Mustang set the new world record at the 60th Annual Chevrolet Performance US Nationals in Indianapolis, IN. youtu.be/mBMqceSmvqY
BEHIND THE SCENES
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS: GARAGE TOURS W/ CHRIS FORSBERG Formula Drift Champion Chris Forsberg takes us on a tour of the sprawling 100-acre Hendrick Motorsports complex outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, with Jeff Gordon’s crew chief, Alan Gustafson, as his guide. youtu.be/YDow7AeyKlM
Tech & TESTING INSTALL & DYNO TESTING: FAST XFI SPORTSMAN HOT LAPPING IN A 1969 CAMARO What’s it like to drive a 1969 Camaro Z/28 from the Original Trans Am Series? Watch Jessi Lang as she gets seat time in one of the most coveted relics from the classic muscle car era at Laguna Seca. youtu.be/Oe7nDffgrrA
StangTV finds that the XFI Sportsman Fuel Injection unit by FAST (Fuel Air Spark Technology) provides the power of a standalone tunable EFI system, with the ease of use and engine flexibility that makes it perfect for high-end street machines and sportsman race cars. youtu.be/7380l0-i-wE
HOW IT’S MADE: LUNATI CRANKSHAFTS Have you ever wondered how a performance crankshaft is made? This video will walk you through the entire manufacturing process showing you what makes the Lunati Signature Series Crankshaft among the best in the industry. youtu.be/dYy5lWj5LVk
BUILD & DYNO TESTING: CARBURETED COBRA JET COYOTE
TWELVE CAR TANDEM DRIFT Ryan Tuerck and 12 of his fellow formula drift drivers bring their pro cars out for the “Tuerck’d Bash” at Pat’s Acres Racing Complex in Canby, Oregon. youtu.be/LH_1c8zR-Sk
Listen to this carbureted Coyote engine featuring COMP Cams valve springs, lightweight titanium retainers and custom spec COMP Cams camshafts as it’s put on Westech’s engine dyno. This is one unique engine dyno test you won’t want to miss! youtu.be/TgFpjQzeC28
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: CRANE XR-I DIGITAL POINTS REPLACEMENT MODULE The crew from Power AutoMedia speaks with Crane Ignition representative Terry Johnson about the PRI Trade Show. Terry provides a closer look at the XR-i Digital Points replacement module designed for those looking to convert from points to digital ignition. youtu.be/NHeUhN_aZjg Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 9
PHOTO SPREAD
Build It & Drive It! Experiences are far more valuable than money will ever be. You pay for your experiences with busted knuckles and an empty wallet, but there is no greater satisfaction that hitting the open road in an impeccably prepared hot rod.
10  Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
PHOTO SPREAD
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 11
STEADY ADVANCEMENTS IN ENGINE TECHNOLOGY HAVE BROUGHT US INTO THE GOLDEN AGE OF STREETABLE HORSEPOWER 12 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
FOR CLASSIC CAR FANS,
the holy grail of engines— the 426 Hemi—first showed up on the streets in 1966 in Plymouth’s Belvedere and Dodge’s Charger and Coronet models. The engine known as “The Elephant” was a beast. It was race bred, innovative, made huge power and came with its own mystique. Even today, the 426 Hemi is a legend--and if you need proof just tune in to one of those auto auction shows that are so popular and watch how quickly the dollars climb any time a Mopar equipped with an original Hemi pops up.
During Drag Week, Larry Larson ran 6.16 seconds—at 219 mph— making his Chevy S10 the quickest street-legal car in the world!
But the truth of the matter is Chrysler never really intended to sell the 426 Hemi to the public. The engine was originally developed expressly for competition in NASCAR, and Chrysler only began putting a detuned version in street cars because the sanctioning body required it. The 426 hemi was a $1,100 option—about $8,000 in today’s money—which was really quite a lot considering a base 1966 Charger sold for just over $3,000. And even in its detuned street version complete with a different intake and smaller cam, the 426 Hemi displayed very poor manners.
Dual carburetors made it difficult to keep the engine tuned for use as a daily driver. That, combined with the high cost, meant that very few customers actually ticked the options box for a Hemi when ordering a new car. Incidentally, that rarity is what helps make Hemi equipped Mopars so popular today. Still, it is kind of funny when you consider all the fuss people still make over an engine that was originally rated at 425 hp. The actual output is probably closer to 500, but by today’s standards that’s still a relatively mild performance engine. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 13
Today, you can march into your local Dodge dealership and plunk down a deposit for a new Challenger Hellcat with a supercharged Hemi, which will get you an incredible 707 horsepower and 20+ miles per gallon for a little over 60 grand. It is amazing how far we have come in the 50 years since the 426 Hemi was first introduced. The Dodge Challenger Hellcat may be making the biggest horsepower numbers, but all of the big three manufacturers have multiple models capable of eclipsing the original Hemi’s horsepower mark. Chevrolet recently announced that the new Corvette Z06 will be able to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 2.95 seconds and run the quarter-mile in 10 seconds with an automatic transmission! Meanwhile, Ford dealerships will soon have the 2015 Mustang which has been completely redesigned from the ground up and sports 450 hp at the rear wheels for a mere $36,000. Thankfully, the auto manufacturers aren’t the only ones pushing the horsepower envelope. The performance aftermarket has also been coming up with a lot of really cool stuff to help every day car guys (and gals) make big-time power gains without breaking the budget. Zach Grubb is the lead wrench at noted Mooresville, NC, tuning shop JHR Performance, that works mostly with GM products and specializes in the LS engine family. Grubb says he has seen performance gains in practically every brand and model. “The biggest thing when it comes to the power gains we’ve been seeing has been electronics,” he says. “The engine management systems out now have come a long way, and they not only help you make more power, but also help make things easier on your engine and keeps the car drivable.” Certainly, part of the reason it has gotten easier to make big steam with power adders, like a turbo or a supercharger, is modern engines are not only much more efficient than their predecessors, but also capable of withstanding greater power loads. Smart engine builders like Keith Dorton of Automotive Specialists in Concord, NC, have been able to make big power improvements in classic engines without changing the look simply by using modern components in the internals that increase the engine’s efficiency. 14 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
“It is easier to make power these days, and I think a lot of that comes from the quality of parts that are available now,” says Dorton. “We have seen big advancements in materials and coatings, and you can get substantially lighter pieces that have more durability and longevity. “If you do it smart you can cut down on the inertial forces without giving up durability. And as a result, you can make more power. “The discoveries made in racing almost always make their way into street engines. Lightweight slipper-skirt pistons, low-tension rings, low viscosity motor oils, better flowing cylinder heads—you name it— they practically all were first developed for racing but now are common in performance street engine builds. Manufacturers are more than happy to let the professional race teams pay for the R&D to develop a new concept and then pass those advancements along to us “Regular Joes” once the racing teams have inevitably moved on to something else. A perfect example is the four-pattern camshaft COMP Cams developed for NASCAR racing. For years,
the multi-pattern cams were one of the worst kept secrets in stock-car racing. The idea was to develop a single cam that had lobes matched to suit the needs of the four outer cylinders with their longer intake runners, and a different grind for the lobes working the inner four cylinders, which had shorter intake runners. The concept proved itself effective on the race track. COMP’s engineers not only determined which lobe patterns worked best, but also developed CNC grinding programs that significantly cut down the cost of manufacturing such specialized cams. When NASCAR allowed an updated intake manifold the special camshafts were no longer needed, and Comp recently began offering them to the general public. Possibly the most extreme example of how far we’ve come with street horsepower is the annual party of wretched excess that is Hot Rod’s Drag Week. In Drag Week, street legal cars race at five drag strips spread across several states on five consecutive days. The idea is to name the fastest street car in America.
Gallimore wheels the affectionately nicknamed “Chubby Monte” down the 1/4 mile to a best of 7.66 @ 190 mph.
The cars racing in the event have to be street legal and have to make every mile under their own power—no trailering here. The top class in Drag Week is called Unlimited, and it’s filled with fullblown race cars that the owners somehow managed to get registered. There is endless debate about whether these are “real” street machines, but other classes are filled with great cars with vintage iron that have spent years—and hundreds of thousands of miles—on the street. A perfect example is the 1970 Monte Carlo campaigned by George Gallimore and Jeff Ferguson that was leading the Super Street Power Adder class—they were the only car in their class running in the 7’s—until they broke traction and blew the engine on the fourth day of competition. Even though they didn’t win, we love what this car is all about, and it proves just how far we’ve evolved when it comes to developing tractable horsepower in street cars. Just like a street car should be, the Monte is a steel-bodied car riding on the same chassis it was given at the factory and weighs in at 4,050 pounds. Ferguson installed mini-tubs in order to fit bigger tires, but the car hasn’t been back-halved and still retains the stock suspension pickup points. But what Ferguson and Gallimore put under the hood is far from stock. To compete in the Super Street Power Adder class they chose a 555 cubic inch big block with two big 88 mm turbos helping to shove the air into the cylinders. The engine
It is easier to make power these days, and I think a lot of that comes from the quality of parts that are available now. — Keith Dorton Automotive Specialists already generates nearly 10.0:1 compression, and at full tune the turbos are pushing in another 36 pounds of boost to produce over 2,200 horsepower—in a street car. “This is definitely a street car,” Ferguson says. “We did a lot of testing this year to make sure we were ready for Drag Week, and we put around 700 miles on the car just driving it around town and up and down the road.” Ferguson says they could have chosen any type of power adder for the class, but the decision to go with a turbocharger setup was an easy one. “Practically anyone who is doing this and running up front is using turbos,” he explains. “They are just so much easier on the engine, especially when we are on the road. “A lot of guys run nitrous because you obviously don’t make any power until you spray the nitrous. But you have to run so much cam with the nitrous motors to make good power, the engine just doesn’t run well at low rpms driving around town. ”A lot of guys run Prochargers, but really I think the obvious choice is turbo for a high horsepower car that you want to run on the street as well. You can run low compression and a similar cam profile to a naturally aspirated motor, it’s just much more friendly for the motor.”
Part of what makes a turbocharged system like the one Ferguson and Gallimore raced be drivable on the street, while also brutal on the track, are the engine and traction controls which can be easily adjusted. On the track, the pair can control the boost by adjusting the CO2 pressure holding the waste gates closed. This not only allows them to increase the boost as the car goes down the track and gains speed, but it also means they can put zero pressure behind the waste gates for street driving and run the engine in naturally aspirated mode. It still amazes us what racers and hot rodders are able to do these days when it comes to making gobs of horsepower work on the street. Ferguson and Gallimore may be pretty hardcore racers, but they don’t have a professional crew helping them out, and they are getting it done with a somewhat real-world budget, but they aren’t the only ones. With the advancements in self-learning EFI systems, trouble-free bolt on power adders and the general inventiveness of the automotive aftermarket, we’ve made some pretty incredible gains in the evolution of street horsepower over the last five years. We can’t wait to see what the next five bring. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 15
FIND THE RIGHT
AUTO TRANS FOR YOUR RACE CAR
ATI OFFERS TIPS ON CHOOSING BETWEEN A TURBO 400 OR POWERGLIDE TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR TIMES AT THE STRIP ATI’s upgraded Powerglide transmission utilizing a stock case.
FOR DECADES WHENEVER a drag racer needed an automatic transmission, he or she would almost always begin with a GM Powerglide and have it built up to suit the owner’s horsepower needs. But lately there has been a shift, and increasingly more racers are moving away from the venerable Powerglide to transmissions based on GM’s Turbo Hydromatic 400. THE TURBO HYDROMATIC 400, which is often shortened down to “Turbo 400” or simply “TH400,” is a threespeed transmission that first began showing up in GM cars and trucks in the middle ’60s. In stock form it is one of the strongest transmissions ever produced, but is heavy even for a three speed, and it weighs significantly more than the two-speed Powerglide. However, since we are seeing many race teams adopt the TH400 over a traditional Powerglide, we went to ATI Performance Products to find out exactly what is going on. ATI’s JC Beattie Jr., and the rest of the company’s engineering staff, gave us quite an education on the strengths and weaknesses of both transmissions. We think this info can be invaluable for you when choosing a transmission for either an all-out race car, a street/strip fun machine and everything in between. THE TWO-SPEED POWERGLIDE is beloved by drag racers because of its light weight, simplicity and durability. Beattie says the strengths of the original OEM Powerglide
16 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
One of the first components that needs to be upgraded for either transmission is the input shaft. ATI’s units are designed to be able to withstand incredible amounts of torque that would twist stock input shafts in half.
are easily increased with a new input shaft and by raising the line pressure up to 185 pounds. In this form, a mostly stock transmission can handle 500 HP in a light bracket car and up to 700 if you have a 1.76 gear set instead of the 1.82. But the downside of the stock Powerglide, besides the fact that they aren’t making them anymore and you can’t even get NOS parts, is that the stock clutch hub will fail with any more horsepower. A stock Powerglide also has low line pressure which won’t be adequate for holding the clutches in a racing application and will leave you smoking the transmission. Although they are easy enough to build up, in stock form the Powerglide simply isn’t a performance piece, which is why oldschool racers often called it the “slip-and-slide Powerglide.”
MEANWHILE, THE TH400
has its own strengths and weaknesses. Here is what ATI lists as the transmission’s weak points. The TH400 tends to be a bit heavier than other three-speed automatics and takes a little more power to turn all the internals and direct drum. Also, when using a transbrake in a stock OEM case, the circuit goes to the rear of the case and then back forward. That means the fluid has a long way to travel making the transbrake slower than a Powerglide. You are also limited to lower line pressure or the case will break at the intermediate lug area. But the TH400 has some great points as a racing transmission. The OEM 2.48 helical-cut gearset is actually a pretty strong unit to begin with and can withstand a substantial amount of abuse before failure. The output shaft is incredibly strong and requires no upgrade in most cases, while the main (or intermediate) and input shaft have their limits and must be replaced at around 800+ horsepower. All in all, for heavier 800 to 1,000 horsepower cars, the TH400 can be used with many of its stock items and be a reliable unit. While ATI may call the transmissions they sell a Powerglide or a TH400, there really isn’t much left that is actually an original OEM part. For example, for applications up to about 850 horsepower ATI’s engineers say that they can still use a cleaned and inspected case, but that is about it. Every other part gets replaced or modified in some way to improve performance or reliability. The front pump is ported and then precision ground with new pump gears installed. The input shaft is a new piece ATI makes in-house from either 4340, 300M or Vasco. The forward clutch drum is
ATI’s billet pump for the Turbo 400 not only can handle more power than stock, it also significantly increases line pressure with great efficiency.
an OEM core in most cases with a new input shaft although aluminium versions are offered. The high gear clutch (Direct) drum in all racing applications is made of billet aluminum and gets a new 34 element sprag for bracket cars, or ATI’s 36 element sprag and in-house made outer-race and clutch hub to hold up to 3000+ HP. This part spins 80% faster than engine speed before it is stopped on the gear change. The lighter weight of the aluminium drum is actually easier on parts. The gearset is also an OEM part that is extensively modified with new pins and upgraded thrust bushings up to 1000 HP. Most racers with more power than that opt for a 2.10 low gear while less powerful cars get a 2.75 version. The valve body receives extensive machining work to modify the passages in the OEM form or replaced with a complete billet aluminum part.
ATI SAYS THE NUMBER of modifications necessary on the TH400 depends on the amount of horsepower it will have to handle. For what ATI calls a “typical” 800 horsepower rated unit, the majority of the hard parts are reconditioned and reused to help save costs for the racer. Once you eclipse the 800 horsepower mark, the first parts to go are usually the input and main (intermediate) shafts along with the direct drum and OEM sprag assembly. What’s interesting is that all the upgraded components ATI uses on its transmissions are engineered and fabricated in-house. Nearly nothing is shipped in from other manufacturers, and ATI actually sells many of its parts to other transmission builders. With all the available upgrades, both the Powerglide and the TH400 are capable of withstanding an incredible 3,500 horsepower. ATI has been able to achieve this through constantly upgrading the technology used in designing and manufacturing the input shaft size, gearset material and modifying the transmissions to run a lockup torque converter, among other things. Since both transmissions are capable of handling massive horsepower loads, the real question when it comes to determining which is best for your needs is whether you prefer a three-speed or even a two-speed TH400 transmission. Typically, heavy vehicles (usually 3,000 pounds or more) and any vehicle that sees time on the street will benefit from using a three-speed transmission. The same is also true if you are racing a high-RPM engine with a narrow powerband. The Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 17
availability of an extra gear will shorten the rpm drop with each gear change to help keep the engine in its happy zone and not upset the car as much. Heavier vehicles can benefit from the TH400 because that extra gear allows a lower first gear than you can get with a Powerglide. The mechanical advantage provided by that lower gearing helps the car get up out of the hole that much quicker. And on a street/strip car the lower first gear helps the car get moving more easily at lower rpm’s. After all, leaving every stoplight at 5,500 rpm on the transbrake is a good way to add to your collection of moving violations. The greatest advantage of the two-speed Powerglide is the consistency that comes from only having to shift once on your way down the track, allowing the driver to concentrate on driving the car. Lighter race vehicles—ATI suggests 3300 pounds or less—with the proper gear ratio usually don’t need as much low gear in the transmission. In this situation, the lighter and quicker shifting Powerglide is the right choice. “This is where a Powerglide with a low gear—anywhere from a 1.62 to 2.18—can be a good choice,” Beattie says. “This reduction in low gear (lower numerically) also helps a traction-limited vehicle by reducing the mechanical advantage provided to the driveshaft. So you are limiting the torque to the tires which helps keep them from spinning. “Within the last couple of years, a new way to reduce the ‘low’ gear in a race vehicle even further is by using a two-speed TH400,” Beattie adds. “Two-speed TH400s are built with a custom valve body that only allows the use of the trans brake and second and high gear. The typical second gear in an OEM TH400 gearset is 1.48, but with custom gearsets this ratio can dip as low as 1.31.” Beattie says that converting a TH400 to a two-speed setup is relatively simple, but there definitely is a right way and a wrong way to do it. “The simplest way is to change the manual valve in the valve body to one that doesn’t have low gear. This is a $50 job and can be done very quickly, but this method will also leave you with problems in practically any racing application. We have seen it done although we don’t recommend it. “The way we do things is not the way someone else is going to think about the same process,” Beattie says. “When looking to use a two-speed TH400, you need to have the transmission match the application. Most racers looking for a two-speed are looking for a higher ratio—closer to 1 to 1—and to carry this ratio they are going to have a lot of horsepower available. They are also usually limited on tire size, so maintaining traction is critical. The idea of the ratio is to drag out low gear longer to apply more horsepower without worrying about a gear change upsetting the suspension or having too much starting line ratio to begin with. “The only time we look at the two-speed TH400,” he adds, “is when a racer is looking for a higher first gear than what we make in a Powerglide transmission, which is 1.62:1. Since these transmissions are built for big horsepower levels, they are not entry-level units and are priced accordingly. If you see a two speed TH400 with a price that’s too good to be true, now you know the reason.” ATI has also worked very hard on its lockup converters which eliminate slip and transfer horsepower to the rear wheels with maximum efficiency. Lockup converters have been around for a long time: most OEM units are unlocked by fluid pressure and then locked when the pressure is turned off. However, ATI’s race units are locked up with fluid pressure. ATI’s system has proven that it can successfully hold 3,000 horsepower consistently. It is, in fact, so successful and unique that ATI has been able to patent its ringless pump and input shaft designs that allow the complete sealing of cooler and lock-up pressure to the torque converter. So that’s the basics when it comes to choosing whether a Powerglide or TH400— in either a three-speed or a two-speed configuration—is right for you and your car or truck. Honestly, there is a lot to consider here, and if you still have questions Beattie recommends giving ATI’s tech help center a call at (877) 298-5039. He says they are more than happy to help racers determine exactly what options they need (and maybe more importantly, don’t need) so that they can enjoy maximum performance without breaking the bank—whether they are competing in big-money heads up drag racing, bracket racing or just having fun with their hot rods. Source ATI Performance Products 877.298.5039 atiracing.com 18 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
The internals for ATI’s Severe Duty Direct Drum upgrade are precision machined to reduce horsepower drag so that more gets to the rear wheels.
ATI Superglide 4 with lock-up.
ATI’s Superglide Max Duty gears.
Critical Engine Protection DESIGNED FOR CLASSIC VEHICLES
Today’s off-the-shelf motor oils are formulated for the oil systems, internal metals and fuel mileage standards of modern engine platforms. Regardless of how a certain brand performed for your grandfather, what’s inside the bottle today is not the same chemistry and it is certainly not designed for classic engines. Thankfully, Driven has a solution to keep your classic engine properly protected and performing at a high level for years to come. Driven Hot Rod (HR) Oils deliver a specialized chemistry with high levels of “Fast Burn” ZDDP anti-wear and anti-corrosion additives. Because hot rods are not typically driven daily, storage protection additives are critical to guard against rust and corrosion as well as prolonging engine life by reducing “dry starts.” Driven Hot Rod Oils provide a higher level of protection for classic engines – pour it in with confidence that there’s nothing better. HR Oils are available in Conventional and Synthetic formulas: 15W-50, 10W-40 and 10W-30.
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MAKE THE RIGHT SAFETY GEAR CHOICES FOR A GREAT TRACK DAY TRACK DAYS HAVE BECOME
incredibly popular over the last few years, and we are seeing more opportunities for car guys to spend a day at the track testing their skills and finding the mechanical limits of their rides. Whether your ride is a sports car fresh off the showroom floor, a classic hot rod you have rebuilt from the frame up or simply your daily driver, a day on a real racetrack allows you to push both your car and yourself in ways that you never can (or should) on the street. Being able to blast around a closed course at wide-open throttle and barrel into turns with no worries of oncoming traffic—or clashing with the authorities—can be a religious experience for most car guys and gals. If you have never taken your ride to a local track day or autocross event, we definitely recommend you put it on your bucket list. By and large, track day events are quite affordable, the 20 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
people involved are welcoming, and there usually are times set aside and instructors available for beginners. Practically any car or truck is allowed to participate as long as it isn’t actually falling apart and leaving shrapnel all over the racetrack. Although there may be friendly competition for lap times, the atmosphere is generally laid back with everyone looking to enjoy their cars and have a good time. While your car may need only minimal preparation, there are a few requirements for your personal safety, which prompted a conversation with RaceQuip’s Patrick Utt, who has owned racecars and participates in track days himself. “The high-performance driving experience (HPDE) or track day event is a lot of fun,” Utt agrees. “These days, it isn’t just about how much power you can make with your engine. It’s also about handling and having the right chassis and sus-
pension package. That has moved the proving ground for many performance enthusiasts away from the drag strip to a road course facility.” RaceQuip is a dedicated safety products company specializing in personal safety equipment—everything from driver’s suits and helmets to seat harnesses—for the budget-minded driver, so we asked Utt to guide us on what we need to get started. Many times safety equipment is mandated by the track or even the track insurer, so you’ll want to check with the track before you go. But most insurers and organizations are realizing that there is a ready-made set of rules that are easy to understand and enforce set forth by the SFI and Snell Foundations. Both are so influential that most tracks and sanctioning bodies, from HPDE all the way to the highest levels of professional racing, require every piece of personal safety equip-
ment you wear—from the helmet to driving shoes—to have a certification from one of the foundations (www. SFIFoundation.com, www.smf.org). The SFI Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to design tests and set standards for the quality and effectiveness of specialty performance and racing equipment. While the SFI is involved with many areas of the race car, probably its most important area of concern is personal safety equipment. The Snell Foundation is very similar except it concentrates solely on helmets. While the SFI or Snell certification is by far the most important factor when choosing safety gear, there are still many variables when it comes to choosing the best pieces of safety equipment for you. At many track days, the only requirement is a Snell SA compliant helmet, so we’ll start there.
Helmet
In the old days you could go to a track day with a motorcycle helmet and nobody would care, but with updated helmet certification requirements beginning in 2010, there is now a real difference between an auto racing helmet and a motorcycle helmet. An auto racing helmet is designed to take a blunt force hit from a roll cage multiple times, while a motorcycle helmet is designed to protect you from sliding forces if you fall off your bike and skid along on the asphalt. Another difference with a motorsports-specific helmet is it will be made from more fire-retardant materials than a typical motorcycle helmet. For these reasons and others, we definitely recommend using a motorsports-specific racing helmet even if the track still allows use of a motorcycle one. An auto racing helmet will be Snell certified with an “SA” designation while a motorcycle helmet will have an “M” designation, which will be on the Snell decal found somewhere inside the helmet. The Snell Foundation releases an updated helmet testing certification every five years. Right now the newest designation is SA 2010. An SA 2015 designation is coming, but those helmets won’t be on the market until November 2015. So if you are in the market for a new helmet now, it isn’t worth waiting for the new designation. Generally, most tech officials will allow a helmet from the current as well as the previ-
Although an open-face helmet is better than nothing, a full-face helmet (left) is certainly the better option. Not only will the additional coverage of a full-face helmet provide improved protection from impact, it will also help keep dust, debris, and—in the unlikely event of a fire—flames away from your face and eyes.
ous generation certifications. So that means until November 2015 you can race with either an SA 2010 or SA 2005 certified helmet. Even if your helmet still qualifies, it is never a good idea to use a racing helmet that is more than 10 years old, even if you are only using the helmet a couple times a year. Over time, the foam liner—not the soft stuff for comfort, but the denser material behind it that protects your head from impact—can break down from the glue used in the helmet, sweat, and just general wear and tear. So after five to seven years of use, you really should look into replacing your trusty old helmet with a new one. The helmet you choose also should be one you are comfortable wearing for extended periods. A new helmet should fit snug around your head and cheeks to the point that it is almost uncomfortable. This is because the soft foam padding will break-in over time and compress a bit. A helmet that is too comfortable when new will be too loose once you’ve worn it for a few sessions on the track. If you are replacing a helmet you already have, don’t make the mistake of assuming that the sizes are all the same from one manufacturer to the next. Just because you wear a large with Brand X, doesn’t mean Brand Y’s size large helmet will provide the same fit. “Another consideration you will need to make with your helmet is whether you want an open-face helmet or a full-face design,” Utt adds. “If you are allowed to run either, we really recommend a full-face helmet to our customers for a number of reasons.
“An open-face helmet does leave some vulnerability in an impact because it does not cover your face. Unless you are using goggles, your eyes are also exposed to dust and grit. Plus, many people don’t think about it, but in an HPDE event where people are driving street cars, the windshield is glass instead of Lexan, like in a race car. Even though modern cars all have safety glass for the windshield, you still don’t want small particles of that stuff getting in your face in the event of an accident. “Finally, if you ever decide to move up to a racing series,” he adds, “many organizations will not allow an openface helmet. So starting out with a fullface helmet will keep you from having to purchase another one on down the road. Cost really isn’t an issue, either. We have full-face helmets that are fully compliant with the latest standards that can be had for as little as 20 bucks more than an open-face helmet.” One last caveat: Unless you have unlimited funds, resist the urge to spend big bucks on the top-of-the-line carbon fiber helmet with all the options. The biggest feature that the carbon fiber helmets have to offer is slightly less weight. As long as the helmet is SA 2010 certified, it will provide the same protection in the event of a crash.
Gloves
“When you are driving a street car around the track in anger, you might be surprised to find that you’re going to get some blisters,” Utt says. “It is definitely worth investing in a pair of racing gloves, just for your comfort. Rather than try to use a set of mechanic’s gloves, Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 21
RaceQuip offers Nomex driving gloves that are SFI certified (pictured) and slightly less expensive gloves that aren’t. Either way, these driving gloves provide comfort as well as improved grip on the steering wheel.
you might as well get a set of racing gloves because if you do any other racing in the future, you can use them. Plus, the racing glove is going to be made with a leather palm which will give you a much better grip and feel through the glove to your hand.”
Shoes
A good racing shoe is one piece of personal protective equipment that will also help improve your comfort behind the wheel. Generally, you will want to wear a narrow shoe for a day at the track because you’re going to have a lot of footwork going on between the clutch, brake and accelerator pedals—especially if you are going to be doing any heel/toe footwork. “If you notice, that is why racing shoes are always made with the sole molded right to the side of the shoe,” Utt says. “They don’t stick out on the sides like a work boot or even a running shoe. That way it won’t get hung up on the pedals. Typically, they also always have soft rubber soles so that you have good pedal feel as well as a rounded heel to help you roll your foot on and off the gas. If you are driving hard, a good racing shoe will help make the experience that much more fun.”
Driving Suits
Driving suits aren’t typically required for a track day or HPDE, but they aren’t a bad idea if you plan to get into this sport seriously. Utt says that there are affordable onepiece racing suits available for under $100. A suit in this price range will 22 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Driving shoes can provide a better high performance driving experience than street shoes because the soles are narrower and molded to the sides. This helps keep the shoes from catching on the pedals (which always seems to happen at the worst possible time).
be a single-layer FRC (Fire Retardant Cotton) suit, so it will be comfortable and not too hot while also providing protection in case of a fire. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you have to have those expensive, man-made fibers like Nomex or Kevlar to make a decent fire suit. In the old days, the fire retardant in cotton based suits were washed out over time, but that isn’t an issue today. Chemists have found a way to treat the cotton fibers on a molecular level so the suit will not lose its fire retardant quality no matter how many times you wash it. If you choose not to purchase a fire suit, Utt recommends wearing loose fitting, comfortable clothing with long sleeves and long pants. Cotton is also a good idea because it will breathe and won’t melt in a fire like some man-made fibers like Rayon, etc.
Seat Belts
Finally, if you are going to be doing track days regularly, a good five-point harness set is also one of the cheapest ways to shave seconds off your lap times that you will find. “This is one of the first things you might want to consider if you are going to be doing these events regularly. That’s because a good racing harness helps hold you in the seat so you aren’t having to hold yourself in place while trying to drive,” Utt says. “You won’t realize how much effort you are expending trying to keep your body in place if all you have is a standard three-point seatbelt. You’re going to be more comfortable in the car so you
can concentrate on hitting your marks and driving the perfect line.” The one drawback with using a quality five-point racing harness is that it does require a fixture to mount the shoulder belts behind the driver’s seat right at shoulder level. If you are using your daily driver, you probably don’t want a full roll cage making it difficult to get in and out. There are manufacturers that build kits that allow you to install a removable harness bar where you can simply install the bar and five-point harness before heading to the track, enjoy a day of high-performance driving, then remove the entire assembly after returning home. So there you have it. We’ve given you the full rundown of the major personal safety equipment options you can choose from before your next HPDE, but that doesn’t mean you have to go out and destroy your bank account buying all this gear at once. If you’re on a budget, start with just a good quality Snell SA full-face helmet and add other pieces of safety gear as you can afford them. Remember, don’t be fooled by the marketing hype—you can save a lot of money by buying safety gear that is designed to fit your needs. As long as it has appropriate SFI or Snell certifications it will provide the same level of protection as the high-buck fancy stuff you see the professional guys wearing on TV. So get out there and have fun! Source RaceQuip 813.642.6644 racequip.com
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OUTLAW ATTITUDE The Lunati Bootlegger series is built for those who refuse to live by somebody else’s rules. 24 Power & Performance News / Issue 1, 2014
THE CAMSHAFT IS THE HEART AND SOUL
of any performance engine, and no one knew this better than the bootleggers of the Prohibition era. For those 20-somethings out there who might not know what bootleggers are and why they were so bad ass, a quick trip to Wiki is in order, but here’s the condensed version. Back in 1920, the 18th Amendment officially ushered in the prohibition era, and contrary to popular belief, the consumption of alcohol was never made illegal.
As if performance and aggressive sound weren’t enough, the Bootlegger cams come in this faux-wood box packaging just like back in the day.
Instead, prohibition dealt with the supply side, including the manufacturing, sale and—most important for our story—transportation of alcohol. The demand was high in the roaring ’20’s and early 30’s, right up until the 21st amendment abolished prohibition in 1933. During this 13-year period, the hills rang out with the sound of bootleggers roaring through the back roads with trunk loads of moonshine to help supply the hoards of thirsty Americans. To keep their “junk in the trunk” out of the hands of the boys in blue, bootleggers embraced performance camshafts. Just like their bottles of shine, all the performance they needed came wrapped and delivered in a neat wooden box. For bootleggers, the right cam might just be the difference between a trunk load of happy customers and a night in the slammer.
Lunati’s new Bootlegger Camshafts have successfully captured the outlaw spirit and performance of these pioneering hot rodders. The Bootlegger grind is said to be the most powerful series of street performance cams ever produced by Lunati. Designed to out-perform the already powerful Voodoo cams, the Bootlegger series combines even faster opening with controlled closing ramp rates to further increase area under the lift curve. These lobes are then configured with a tight 108-degree lobe separation angle (LSA) and a 104-degree intake centerline. This combination nets not only impressive performance but a sound quality that lets everyone know your motor means business. Thanks to a thoroughly modern cam profile, the Bootlegger cam series offers all the attitude with plenty of lowand mid-range power, not to mention daily drivability. That every Bootlegger comes shipped in a wood-look cam box (just like back in the day) is just icing on the cool cake. So far everything looks and sounds great on paper, but there is only one way to really test the new Bootlegger cams. So we installed one in an engine. As luck would have it, we had a perfect candidate in the form of a GMPP 383 crate motor, or more specifically a 383 short block. Designed as a hot rod power plant destined for street use, the 383 was just begging for the right performance cam. It is Looking to install a little Bootlegger attitude in your small block?
Being the heart and soul of any build up, we installed the Bootlegger cam first. The cam was liberally coated with assembly lube prior to installation.
After the cam retaining plate, we installed the double roller timing chain set supplied with our cam kit.
The hydraulic roller lifters were installed next, along with the factory (or supplied) guides and retainer assembly.
The kit also included a valve spring upgrade to ensure adequate spring pressure and coil-bind clearance for the high-lift, Bootlegger cam profile.
To ensure adequate sealing, the Holley aluminum heads were torqued in place using ARP head bolts and Fel Pro head gaskets.
Working with the spring upgrade on the Holley heads to ensure accurate valve train geometry was a set of aluminum 1.5-ratio roller rockers.
(almost) always possible to add power with wilder cam timing, but the key to any successful build is to install not the biggest, but rather the best camshaft for your given application. Huge power numbers are possible with a race-only 383 stroker using the right combination of components (including the camshaft), but we were looking for something different with this 383 short block. Given its daily driver status, we went for a more streetable combination and this included our cam choice. What we wanted was a cam that offered more power and drivability but still rumbled like the Duntov 30-30 of yesteryear. Since our street/strip 383 was skewed toward the street side of the equation, we chose the cam accordingly. For small block Chevys (also offered for BBC and SBF), the new Bootlegger cams are offered in hydraulic flat-tap-
pet, retro-fit and standard hydraulic roller configurations. Since our 383 was equipped to accept a hydraulic roller stick, we chose the Lunati pt#XXX12224HRK. This complete kit included not only the cam, but the hydraulic roller lifters, timing chain and even a valve spring upgrade for use with the high-lift, hydraulic-roller cam profile. The Bootlegger cam offered .554 lift (both intake and exhaust), a 224/236-degree duration split and the previously mentioned 108-degree LSA. The mild intake duration specs and 12-degree duration split between intake and exhaust joined forces with the tight LSA to offer the ideal combination of power, drivability and aggressive sound quality. The Bootlegger cam and supplied hydraulic roller lifters were installed along with the double roller timing chain. Additional valve train
26  Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
The Weiand Street Dominator intake was installed along with a Holley 650 Ultra HP carb. A 750 carb might add a few extra horsepower but we liked the throttle response of the 650 on this street 383.
The new motor was given five quarts of Driven break-in oil, then treated to a pair of computer-controlled break-in cycles.
Before start up, the oil system was primed using a drill and priming tool. Once we had oil supplied to all the rockers, we lashed the valves and installed the distributor.
With everything buttoned up, we dialed in the carb and ignition timing and let the hammer fly. Even with the mildest of the available cam grinds, the Bootlegger 383 produced 439 hp and 469 lb-ft of torque. With a broad torque curve, snappy throttle response and an amazing exhaust note, this Bootlegger 383 was ready to haul some hooch.
components included a set of aluminum roller rockers and hardened pushrods. With our Bootlegger short block ready to run some shine, it was time to complete the motor and officially make some noise. Topping the 383 was a set of Holley aluminum heads, a Weiand Street Dominator intake and a Holley 650 Ultra HP carb. The components were chosen to work well with the new cam profile. The flow rate of the heads and dual-plane intake were designed to optimize power production up to 6,000 rpm, making them ideally suited for use on the Bootlegger 383. We finished off the motor with an MSD billet distributor and set of 1 ¾-inch dyno headers. Before installing the distributor, we filled the pan with five quarts of 30W Driven (break-in) oil and primed the system to ensure oil supply to all the lifters and rockers. We then performed a final lash adjustment (1/4-1/2 turn preload) and proceeded with our computer-controlled break-in procedures. After dialing in the jetting and timing (34 degrees), we were rewarded with peak numbers of 439 hp at 5,800 rpm and 469 lb-ft of torque at 4,100. Torque production exceeded 450 lb-ft from 3,300 rpm to 4,800 rpm, making for one sweet torque curve. The impressive power was combined with zippy throttle response and a healthy idle quality that let everyone know the driver of this Bootlegger 383 might just be sporting a little junk in the trunk.
What we liked even more than the aggressive exhaust note and peak power was the broad torque curve. Not only did the Bootlegger 383 produce nearly 470 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm, but the torque production exceeded 450 lb-ft from 3,300 rpm to 4,800 rpm. The versatility of the Bootlegger cam was illustrated by the fact that the 383 offered 445 lb-ft of torque at just 3,000 rpm.
To see the complete Lunati Bootlegger install, head over to: youtu.be/0yEZtbkI64E?list=PL31C86819646A44C0. Lunati 662.892.1500 lunatipower.com
Holley 866.464.6553 holley.com
Sources MSD 915.857.5200 msdperformance.com
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 27
BEARINGS STRAIGHT
GETTING YOUR
IT WAS A GREAT DAY ON THE DYNO. Our 502ci big-block Chevy was singing. It had just picked up a solid 50 horsepower from a cam and valvespring swap and power was about to break into the 600 HP range. We had previously run this engine with a supercharger, and it had made an awesome 830 HP. The next step was to tune this new normally aspirated package before bolting the blower back on the motor. That’s when it all went sour. A backup run on the dyno lost 40 HP, and we knew something was wrong. A quick check revealed shiny metal bits in the oil. We’d lost at least one bearing—maybe more. We cut the oil filter open and our suspicions were confirmed. It was time to take the engine apart. The teardown revealed that Number Two main had failed. This was the second big-block that we had worked on in less than a year that had killed the Number Two main bearing, and we began to suspect an assembly issue. But a discussion with bearing expert Bill McKnight of Mahle Clevite revealed some information that was so interesting and important for part-time engine builders that we felt we had to pass this along. While we knew there was a difference in price between production style “P” bearings and their high performance cousins, we didn’t know the whole story. If you build engines, this is important information beyond just the fact that better bearings are more expensive and worth the extra investment. We also learned new information about when production bearings are worthwhile, and when they aren’t.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY THAT NEXT SET OF ENGINE BEARINGS
28 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
In the case of our big-block, this was a brand new ZZ502 crate engine from Chevrolet Performance. Rated at 500 HP, we had bolted on a supercharger and pushed the power past 830 HP. In performing our engine autopsy, we learned that these crate engines are assembled using production style aluminum bi-metal bearings. The shell is steel, but the bearing material itself is an aluminum alloy. According to McKnight, nearly all production line engines are now fitted with aluminum alloy bearings not just because they are inexpensive, but also because European laws ban the sale of production car engines with lead alloy bearings. This is understandable as it eliminates the potential for scrapped engine parts putting lead into landfills. McKnight said there is nothing wrong with using bi-metal bearings in the ZZ502 application as long as the power remains around 600 HP or less. However, when we pushed our engine past 830 HP, crankshaft deflection (even with the ZZ502’s forged steel crank) can cause contact with the main bearings. Scat crankshaft owner Tom Lieb told us that when bigblock Chevy bearing failures occur, he most often sees them in mains two and four. We also spoke with renowned engine builder Jon Kaase about this phenomenon, and he believes this may be due to where the thrust bearing is located on a big-block Chevy. Because the thrust is located in the rearmost position, leverage from increased power levels tends to load the Number Two main bearing. To reinforce his point, Kaase points to the big-block Ford that rarely has main bearing problems. Kaase says this is because Ford places the thrust bearing in the center main, which shortens the leverage arm and therefore reduces the bending moment that is applied to the crankshaft at high horsepower levels. He added that he often sees production 429/460 Fords with two-bolt mains make over 900 HP with no problems. Regardless of why big-block Chevys tend to do this, we wanted to know more about the difference between bi-metal aluminum bearings and their high performance tri-metal cousins. We initially thought that aluminum bearings must be softer than tri-metal bearings, but the truth is exactly the opposite. According to McKnight, bi-metal bearings have virtually the same load carrying capacity as tri-metal versions, but the aluminum alloy is much harder. This is intentional because bi-metal bearings are engineered to last decades in a production engine. This durability is a great asset, but it comes at a price. For high-output applications, McKnight says engineers design the bearing softer to “wipe” when extreme loads push through the oil film between the bearing and the crankshaft journal. When this wiping occurs, the softer tri-metal bearing will absorb the load and the bearing material will deflect or wear off. Harder bi-metal bearings are less forgiving. Instead, a portion of the bi-metal bearing face can peel away and begin a microscopic micro-welding process between the bearing and the crank journal. Micro-welding can be described as high heat and load removing small bits of aluminum from the bearing surface. Once this process begins, the crank quickly peels away portions of the bearing. This
The only right way to assemble an engine with new bearings is to not only choose the correct bearings but also spend the time to carefully measure everything with precision tools. There are several different types of engine bearings, and choosing the right one can make all the difference.
Rod and main bearings can be condensed into two basic categories: production style bi-metal aluminum versions (left) and the more performance oriented tri-metal bearings constructed of a lead-copper alloy with a very thin lead-tin overlay (right). If you are dealing with bearings from an unknown source, many factory aluminum bearings are stamped with an “A” or “AU” prefix that quickly informs you this is an aluminum or bi-metal bearing. Some people mistakenly think there is something wrong with bi-metal bearings because of their odd coloration, but this is a completely normal appearance for a tri-metal bearing.
This is the aluminum main bearing we pulled from our big-block Chevy engine when it began to destroy the bearings. Note how a portion of the bearing is severely scratched. This is where the aluminum alloy was pulled away by the crank. That’s the metal we found in the oil. A softer tri-metal bearing would have been worn down but would not have dumped bearing material into the oil, unless it was severely distressed, at which point you have other problems. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 29
is what we saw with the Number Two main. The metal immediately progresses into adjacent rod bearings and is immediately destructive. It’s important to mention here that this is not a condemnation of the ZZ502 crate engine or its aluminum bi-metal bearings. The bi-metal bearings in that engine will last a long time at near-stock power levels. Chevy has tested this engine for durability and found the bearings are fine at that power level. We pushed that engine over 50 percent past its intended power levels and abused it beyond its intended capabilities. Had we understood the risk with bi-metal bearings, we would have replaced them with tri-metal versions. Our sources all agree that the engine would have survived with no problem with perhaps only a mild wiping of the Number Two main.
THERE ARE MANY COMPANIES making both stock
replacement and high performance bearings with the major players being Mahle-Clevite, Daido, Federal-Mogul (Speed-Pro), and King, among others. In talking with King Bearing’s Ron Sledge, we discovered that King makes three different styles of bi-metal bearing: AM, SI, and HP. The standard replacement bi-metal bearing uses an AM suffix. The SI suffix bi-metal employs four percent silicon and is suitable for daily driven, high mileage engines and mild performance applications. If you were to look at the bearing journal surface of a cast crankshaft under a microscope, it is full of peaks and valleys. Nodular cast cranks contain tin ferrite pockets that are ruptured during grinding and polishing, causing the formation of jagged edges. Sledge says the silicon in both the SI and HP materials acts as a polishing agent to round off the jagged edges. Scat Crankshaft owner Tom Lieb really likes the King SI bi-metal bearing for non-racing, mild performance cast crank applications because he has had far fewer problems than other bi-metal bearings. As soon as he converted to the King SI bearing, his bearing-related crank issues dropped nearly to zero. The King HP suffix bearing is the performance version bi-metal and could be used in a small-block Chevy, for example, making 550 HP or less. According to Sledge, using the HP bi-metal bearing will be an advantage in conformability. Above this power level, you would want to use a tri-metal bearing.
WHAT IS A TRI-METAL BEARING?
This style of bearing is not really new, as it has proven its design as an ultra-high performance bearing for decades. Starting with a steel back for stability, the base is a copper-lead alloy as the second layer with a very soft, electroplated lead-tin alloy as the top layer. This is a generic description with each company modifying this basic layout to a specific formula. The two upper layers consist of very soft materials that will deform and accommodate deflection in the rotating journals that naturally occur in highly stressed engines. This is important because during engine operation what keeps bearings alive is a thin film of oil that creates a hydrodynamic wedge of lubrication that both lubricates and cools the bearing.
30 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Anytime a set of rod bolts are pressed into place, the rods should be resized to accurately maintain not only the proper inside diameter but also concentricity. Changing from bolts to studs in main bearings will also change the clearance due to different load characteristics. Changing to main studs often does not require line honing, but you should measure the clearance as it could change.
While softer bearings are more likely to absorb crank deflection, this comes at the price of a shorter overall lifespan compared to a bi-metal bearing. But in the case of high output performance engines, their lifespan between rebuilds is far shorter than a traditional production engine that could easily be asked to support 200,000 miles. As you may already know, tri-metal bearings come in many different and specific forms. Crankshaft companies have known for years that creating a large fillet radius between the crank journal and the vertical portion of the counterweight increases the crank’s strength. This narrows the bearing surface area slightly, requiring a narrower bearing. Most bearing companies refer to this style with an N somewhere in the part number.
THE MOST COMMON APPLICATION for N bearings is for connecting rods. These bearings come with a chamfer on one side that dictates an upper and lower marked insert. This is critical because if these positions are reversed (an upper bearing shell installed in a rod cap, for example) the chamfer will be located on the wrong side and the 90-degree edge could contact the fillet area of the crank journal. While this is rarely fatal to the bearing, it’s an indication that the engine builder was not paying attention. Other important variations on the traditional tri-metal performance bearing include under- and over-size options that allow the builder to customize bearing clearances. Even half-shells can be used to make very slight bearing clearance adjustments. Coated bearings are another option available to the engine builder. For example, Speed-Pro offers a DuroShield coating that is only 0.0003-inch thick but offers an added layer of protection. This polymer coating has the ability to absorb oil to improve lubricity and potentially reduce friction.
There is far more information on bearings, coatings and different chemistries relating to bearings, but our main focus here is to identify the difference between tri-metal and bi-metal bearings. You can decide whose product works best for your application. Talking with professional engine builders will often point you in a specific direction.
THE CLASSIC RECOMMENDATION for rod and main
bearing clearance really hasn’t changed much in the last 40 years. The standard rule is 0.001-inch per one inch of journal diameter. This is a standard that still works, but with advances in oil quality and viscosity, these recommendations are becoming more specific. The most important factor to remember when establishing bearing clearances is to match your intended oil viscosity to a bearing clearance. If the engine is already assembled, then you are forced to choose the viscosity that best fits the existing clearance. King Bearing’s Ron Sledge has created a chart that lists clearance recommendations based on engine oil viscosity. This is a generic chart and also refers to main bearing journal diameters less than three inches in diameter. Generally, journal diameters larger than three inches require more clearance. Examples would be Olds or Pontiac engines with the larger main bearings.
King Bearing Oil Clearance Chart Oil Viscosity
Rod Bearing Clearance
Main Bearing Clearance
20w / 5w20 30w / 5w30 40w / 10w40 50w / 20w50
< - 0.0021 0.0021 – 0.0026 0.0026 – 0.0031 0.0031 – >
< 0.0020 0.0020 – 0.0025 0.0025 – 0.0030 0.0030 - >
Oil viscosity plays an important role in bearing clearance because tighter clearances will demand a thinner oil in order to provide the necessary protection. Another way to think about bearing clearance is to consider the three critical aspects of clearance: bearing load capacity, oil flow and oil temperature. Load capacity generally peaks with tighter clearances, but minimal clearance reduces oil flow (generally expressed in gallons per minute, or gpm). Tighter bearing clearances also increase localized oil temperature since the oil flow has been reduced. So clearances become a balancing act between all three components. This generally falls, as is indicated in King’s bearing clearance chart, around 0.0020 to 0.0025-inch as an acceptable clearance for street engines. With the trend of high quality, thinner viscosity race oils, there is a solid case to be made for tighter clearances taking advantage of slight power gains from reduced windage in the crankcase from less oil while improving power from reduced pumping losses due to the lighter viscosity. An oil viscosity test performed by Steve Brule at Westech Performance a few years ago found that high quality 0w-20 race oil produced an average of 3 HP more compared to a straight 30w street oil and an average pressure drop of nearly 8 psi compared to a 20w50 race oil. Ironically, the average power between the 0w20 and 20w50 oils was a mere 0.5 HP despite the difference in pressure, so gains are small when contemplating power increases through oil viscosity.
When customizing bearing clearances, you can mix half-shell thicker or thinner bearing halves to establish the desired clearance. For example, to decrease rod clearance by 0.0005-inch, use a -1 (0.001 less clearance) in the rod and then measure the clearance again. Use only the same style bearings when mixing half sizes and never mix manufacturer bearings in the same housing bore.
Oil pressure is another aspect of engine performance that is changing. The old standby of 10 psi per 1,000 rpm of engine speed is now considered to be outdated. According to Sledge, NASCAR engines are now running 9,000–plus rpm with oil pressure in the 40 psi range. If you think about it, pressure is just the indication of resistance to flow. Pressure is important, but it’s clear that 50 psi for most street performance applications would be more than sufficient. This also means that oil pressure at idle does not have to be 40-plus psi. At idle, the engine only has to make enough power to spin itself and any attending accessory drives. With this minimal load, oil pressure at 10 to 20 psi would be more than sufficient. This is why nearly all OE manufacturers are switching to 5w20 or 5w30 oil for production engines. Thinner oil requires less power and therefore results in better fuel economy and power. We once asked Kaase what the typical oil pressure was on an 800ci Pro Mod style mountain motor. Kaase says he gears his dry sump oil pressures for peak rpm and they fall wherever they may at idle. Often this means the engines may only make 5 psi of pressure at idle, which he feels is more than sufficient.
WE’VE ONLY BARELY TOUCHED on several aspects of engine bearing applications and usage, but perhaps we’ve piqued your interest and you can take the next few steps in determining what’s best for your specific application. It should be obvious that the selection of a main or rod bearing for a daily-driven small-block is going to be quite different than one for a 9,000 rpm NHRA Competition Eliminator drag race engine. But at least now it’s clear that not all bearings are the same. Daido Metal USA daidometal.com Federal-Mogul (Speed-Pro) 248.354.7700 federal-mogul.com King Bearings 800.772.3670 kingbearings.com
Sources Mahle Clevite 800.338.8786 mahle.com Melling Automotive Products (Dura-Bond) 775.883.8998 melling.com Scat Enterprises 310.370.5501 scatenterprises.com
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 31
EVERY YEAR HOT ROD magazine’s Power Tour draws more and more participants. It has become such a big deal that it is now a popular vacation option for hot rodders who would prefer to spend a week with their beloved rides rather than getting sunburned on a beach. This year the Power Tour enjoyed its largest year ever. At every stop on the tour from Charlotte, NC, to Wisconsin Dells, WI, a flotilla of great cars would pour in each day for hours and then depart the next morning. Most on the tour had worked on their cars or trucks for years, going over every nut and bolt to make sure everything was just right before heading out, but we met a pair of long haulers who took a—let’s call it “adventurous”— approach to the trip half way across the continent. Jason Elsing and Jason Rusert bought a 1966 Ford F100 pickup off of Craigslist for $2,800 without ever
Buddies Jason Elsing and Jason Rusert saw their 1966 Ford F100 in person for the first time just days before they began the Hot Rod Power Tour.
seeing it in person, picked it up in Tennessee two days before the start of Power Tour and drove it on the entire trip without ever missing a stop. “We’re big fans of the Roadkill show on YouTube (hosted by Hot Rod staffers David Freiburger and
Rusert (left) and Elsing (right) met up with Roadkill stars Mike Finnegan (pictured) and David Freiburger who inspired them to take their adventure.
Mike Finnegan),” Elsing explains with a laugh, “and we thought, ‘What better way to make the most of the Power Tour than to run it Roadkill style?’ So we decided we’d just buy something there and drive it back home on Power Tour.” Elsing says that while looking for the perfect ride, he and Rusert had three requirements. It had to be older than a 1970 year model, it had to have a V8 and it couldn’t be a Dodge. “We just aren’t Mopar fans,” he explains deadpan. The truck they settled on was on a used car lot in Tennessee directly across the street from Bristol Motor Speedway. “The guy told us the truck could make it across town, but that was about it,” Elsing says. “We asked him what it would take to drive it to
Wisconsin, and he said new tires, big balls and lots of spare parts.” That, apparently wasn’t enough to scare them off, so they sent the money and got the title back in the mail but never actually saw the truck in person until they arrived at Jack’s Used Cars to take possession of their new/old ride. “At $2,800 we realized we paid way too much for the truck,” Elsing chuckles. “But the guy that owned the car lot was really cool with us. We’d already drop shipped in a new set of tires, and he mounted them for us without charging anything. He also let us work on the truck right on his lot. “The engine missed and sputtered, there were holes in the floorboards and there were no wipers. We had a whole page of things we had to fix before the truck would be ready to hit the road. So we worked on it that whole day, and the owner even let us keep working on the truck in his lot after he had left for the evening.” The next day Elsing and Rusert made the drive from Bristol to Charlotte to join up with everyone else gathering to kick off the Power Tour. Once they got there they met up with Freiburger–who said he knew about their efforts to Roadkill the Power Tour from Elsing’s Instagram account–and Finnegan. The Roadkill stars were happy to chew the fat about the pickup and even signed the glove box door. Just being able to get the truck to Charlotte in time for the start of the
Elsing and Rusert spent a day in the used car lot working on the truck before hitting the road for Charlotte.
Power Tour was an achievement in itself, but Elsing and Rusert faced the not so small feat of keeping up with the Power Tour armada as it made its way to Wisconsin Dells. Long hauling the Power Tour means travelling a few hundred miles a day—every day—for a solid week, and it is a tough task for any classic vehicle, but the F100 was running rough and the pair had their doubts it would be able to make it even to the first stop. Elsing says they worked on the truck practically every chance they got trying to stay ahead of potential problems. Of course, that was easier said than done.
Age and wear makes for great patina, but not for a dependable vehicle.
The original engine (we assume it was a 300 straight six) had been swapped out for a Ford 460 big block, which never came in the ’66 from the factory. A previous owner had also replaced the front brakes with a disc setup, and no one could figure out where it originally came from. So any time spent wrenching also required a little detective work to figure out what exactly they were working on. The main issue was the stumbling engine, and Elsing says they tried something different at each stop trying to fix it. But swapping out spark plugs, plug wires, the rotor, distributor cap and even a new fuel filter failed to make any difference. Finally, they found the cause quite by accident. “We bent a pushrod over-revving the engine,” Elsing explains. “And that was our fault. There was a hot chick in a Ford Festiva, and you know how that goes. Anyway, we got to the hotel and didn’t think anything about it, but the next morning when we tried to start the truck it was a dead mess. Just horrible. “We were kind of bummed because we were sure this was the end of our trip, but we drove that thing like that all the way through Chicago on seven cylinders and it never gave up. So we finally pulled into a little Podunk fix-it station and asked if we could work on the truck in front of their shop in case we needed any special tools. The guy was cool with it, so we took the valve cover off and right away we spotted the bent pushrod. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 33
Freiburger even signed the glovebox, a la Carrol Shelby.
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We bent a pushrod over-revving the engine, and that was our fault. There was a hot chick in a Ford Festiva, and you know how that goes. – Jason Elsing “We banged it back straight as good as we could and put it back in just to see if the rocker arm and valve still worked, and everything did. So we called the local parts house, but they didn’t have the right pushrod we needed. We finally found one in a town about 30 miles south. They actually only had seven. I guess somebody sometime had bent a pushrod too, so they sold us a couple for like two bucks apiece. “We popped the valve cover off and fixed it right there in the parking lot. That thing ran like a top after that. We figured that the pushrod must have been bent a little bit all along, and that’s why the engine never ran right.” Elsing says he and Rusert were so happy with the reinvigorated engine that it actually led to the only other problem they had the rest of the trip. “They were doing smokey burnouts in the town we were in the next night, and we thought we’d take part now that our motor was running so well,” he says. “We were having fun until the fan ate the radiator. We limped it to the next hotel and the next morning filled the radiator up with cooler water—it was all we had—and found the closest radiator shop. The guy there soldered it back up while we waited, and we were able to get back on the road. We learned our lesson and didn’t have another problem after that.” Overall, Elsing and Rusert say they had an absolute blast with their own Roadkill adventure. From beginning to end the F100 brought them 2,450 miles across the country. They are even
The view from behind the Ford F100 as the Power Tour convoy made its way across America.
making plans to long haul the Power Tour with the truck again next year. “But we can’t go back with the same junk we ran last year,” Elsing says. “So we’re thinking about slamming it to the ground and putting 20-inch wheels on it, but it is still up in the air. Whatever we do, right now the plan is to load up some motorcycles in the back of the truck, long haul to wherever they finish up, sell the truck and ride the bikes back home. Nothing is set in stone yet, but whatever we do we’re going to have fun!”
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HAS YOUR GOAL FOR SEEKING ENLIGHTENMENT
and personal development followed the path of building high performance cars? Is your self-worth tied directly to the amount of horsepower produced by your last engine? If so, you’ve come to the right place. We’re just like you—gearheads that have been enlightened, flogged and psychologically scarred forever by the blessing/curse that are high performance cars. We’ve assembled a list of self-help ideas to help you along your path. No, they’re not those cheesy inspirational messages superimposed over photos of wind-blown Mount Everest. Ours are far more practical and useful while you are practicing your own automotive art—we’re talking the real definition of performance art!
36 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Those monkeys balancing 87 spinning dinner plates on sticks have nothing on a guy who can make a Big Block Chevy scream to 7,000 RPM. That’s true performance art. After years of watching guys bleed over their cars, we’ve picked up a few tips, tricks and shortcuts that we’re passing along to help you on your next adventure. None of these ideas are new and perhaps you’ve seen a few of them before. But even if there’s only one or two you didn’t know that will help you on your next wrenching exercise, then it’s worth the effort. (Insert cheesy inspirational message here—like “Success Starts with That First Step”… ugh) Hopefully we’ve offered a few ideas you’ve never seen before. And if one strikes you as downright useful, then our work here is done. Hey, Tony Robbins, better watch your back!
DISTRIBUTOR ROTATION
COMPRESSION LESSONS
Most production Small Block Chevys suffer from a common malady where the piston sits 0.025 to 0.030-inch below the deck surface. Add a 0.042-inch thick composition gasket to this assembled height and the piston-to-head clearance jumps to a horrendous 0.065-inch or more. The best way to establish a proper piston-to-head clearance of roughly 0.035 to 0.040-inch is to machine the block. But a simple head gasket swap can often get the engine builder very close. Fel-Pro offers a 0.015-inch rubber-coated head gasket (PN1094, $22.97 ea., Summit Racing) that brings the head closer to the deck surface. This not only improves
the static compression by a rough half point compared to a 0.042-inch thick gasket but also dramatically improves the quench clearance to help combustion efficiency. The gasket is simply a coated stamped steel shim gasket so it’s best used with iron heads rather than aluminum, but the advantage is it will improve power slightly with more compression over a composition gasket. The only concern is piston-to-head clearance if your engine has a tight deck height of under 0.25-inch as this thinner gasket will place the head closer to the piston. A safe piston-to-head clearance is 0.040 inch.
Quick—without thinking about it or referring to a book or the internet—which direction does your distributor turn? Clockwise or counterclockwise? Here’s a quick way to know the answer without spinning the engine over. The distributor needs to have a vacuum advance canister. Line your hand over the canister and then curl your fingers around the cap. Your fingers will indicate the direction of rotation. It’s that simple. The vacuum advance can pulls the point plate in the opposite direction to advance the timing, so the vacuum canister will always pull against rotation. You can use this at bench racing sessions—and maybe win a free cold one from your friends in a friendly bet.
A SIMPLE WAY TO FIND A KEY-OFF BATTERY DISCHARGE
Old cars are excellent at finding new and innovative ways to be annoying. One of the most common electrical problems is killing the battery when the car is stored for even a short period of time. The simplest way to identify this key-off current draw is by removing a battery cable and placing a volt meter in between the battery and the cable. This can be accomplished on either the ground or the positive cable—it doesn’t matter. The higher the voltage indicated on the meter, the greater the amperage draw. The next step is to remove fuses one at a time until the voltage disappears. This technique works, but forces you to walk between the voltmeter and the fuse box every time you disconnect a new circuit. We learned this trick from electrical technician Mark Hamilton, owner of M.A.D. Enterprises. He connects a seat belt buzzer out of an older car between the battery and the cable. The current energizes the buzzer.
Now you just listen for the buzzer to stop when you’ve disconnected the proper circuit. We used this trick recently to find a current draw in our ’64 Olds F-85 that
was draining the battery. It turned out to be the dome light circuit. This buzzer trick will only work on circuits pulling roughly one amp or more. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 37
DEBUNKING THE POWER VALVE RICH IDLE
This annoying wives’ tale has been around for decades. Forum comments continue to perpetuate the myth that using a high-vacuum rated power valve will open at idle and create an overly rich idle mixture. This myth has its origins in the truth that a ruptured power valve diaphragm will leak fuel into the carburetor’s main body cavity, where it will be drawn into the intake manifold at idle and cause a very rich idle. While this is true, it leads many to the erroneous assumption that a sealed-butopen power valve would do the same thing. As an example, let’s use a 9.0 Hg (nine inches of engine vacuum expressed in inches of mercury)-rated Holley power valve in an engine that has a long-duration camshaft that idles at 8.5 inches when the automatic transmission is dropped into gear. Because the engine vacuum is lower than the power valve rating, the myth says this will dump fuel into the engine. The problem with this idea is that the power valve enrichment channel is tied into the main metering circuit that delivers
fuel only through the boosters. The only time fuel is delivered through the boosters is when the throttle blades are opened beyond off-idle. At idle, the main metering circuit is disabled and flows no fuel because there is insufficient velocity. So if the power valve opens at idle—nothing happens because there is no fuel flowing through the main metering circuit. A higher-rated power valve will introduce fuel just past off-idle in the primary
side which will certainly hurt fuel mileage and drivability at part throttle, so it’s better to use a power valve that is rated at a lower manifold vacuum of 6.5 or lower. The ideal power valve can really only be determined by test driving the vehicle, but a 6.5 valve is a popular place to start. The rating is stamped into the valve in the small area surrounding the diaphragm. A 6 followed by a 5 will be a 6.5 Hg-rated valve.
A SIMPLE ROCKER ARM FIX
CUTTING STAINLESS HOSE
If you have experience with rubber-lined stainless hose, then you know the accepted procedure is to wrap the hose with black electrical tape and use a fine-tooth hack saw. Have you ever done this? Often, we end up butchering the hose with stray strands of wire. A quicker, easier way to cut this hose is to use a sharp, cold chisel that’s wider than the hose, a soft metal base (ours is an aluminum plate) and a big hammer. Center the chisel over the hose and hit the chisel as hard as you can to do a clean, quick cut. This will tend to flatten the hose a little, but you can usually bend it back into shape with little trouble. 38 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
When building a street engine like a Small Block or Big Block Chevy, not everybody uses roller rocker arms. Often, those simple stamped steel rocker arms will work just fine. The first suggestion is that if you have a combination of new and old rockers, put the old rockers on the exhaust valves and the new ones on the intakes. The old rockers are already broken in and will generate less heat. Since the exhaust valve always runs hotter than the intake, it makes sense to put the new rockers on the cooler valve. Then before installing the rockers, take a few moments and use a die grinder or Dremel tool and a sanding roll to remove the sharp edge created in the pushrod hole cup when the oiling hole was drilled. This sharp edge can be the site for a stress crack that will break the rocker arm and allow the pushrod to punch through the pushrod cup. We’ve seen this happen quite frequently. Removing the sharp edge and polishing this hole reduces the chance the pushrod will punch a hole in the pushrod cup.
SIMPLE, ELEGANT MANUAL TRANSMISSION INSTALL PINS Stuffing in a heavy manual transmission like a T-56 that weighs in at well over 130 pounds is a much tougher proposition than doing the bench press on a lightweight T-5 or Muncie transmission. One little tip that will help line up the input shaft to the clutch and prevent tweaking the clutch disc out of place is to use a simple pair of alignment pins. We cut the heads off a pair of 1/2 x 13" bolts roughly four inches long to make them into simple studs. Screw these studs into the two top trans bolt holes in the bellhousing and you’re all set. The studs will keep the transmission aligned with the pilot bushing and take most of the transmission weight off the input shaft as it is slid into place. As a second little tip, if the trans stops just short of fully seating in the bellhousing,
WAYS TO DEFEAT VALVE FLOAT
Jon Kaase once told us that he prefers to carefully set his valve spring installed height so at peak valve lift the springs are close to the minimum spec for coil bind. While you might think this might be abusive on the springs, Jon says that bringing the coils very close together at peak valve lift tends to help reduce the inherent vibration of the coils, especially at high engine speeds. If you’ve ever watched a high-speed video of the dance that valve springs do, you will see why this makes sense. There’s 30 years of engine building experience in what Jon says, so when he talks, we listen!
don’t try to pull the trans tight to the bellhousing with the bolts. This is a great way to break the ear off the transmission case. Instead, connect the clutch linkage and have a friend lightly release the clutch
ADJUSTABLE GUIDE PLATES Pushrod guideplates do more than just keep those pushrods aligned. Guideplates actually position the rocker arm over the valve. Factory Big Block Chevy guideplates do this job very well. But aftermarket cylinder head manufacturers have learned that changing valve angles will often result in better flow. Big Block Chevys place their valves at a compound angle and this is where the problem lies. By subtly changing these valve positions, a stock fixed big-block guideplate does not always place the rocker arm directly over the valve stem.
pedal. As the load on the clutch disc is released, this will allow the clutch disc to move slightly for a perfect alignment and a simple push on the transmission will seat it easily.
This is not good for many reasons. The old-school fix was to cut the guideplate apart, move it into the proper position and then weld it together again. This process is time consuming so several companies, including COMP, Dart and others, now make an adjustable guideplate using a through bolt and nut that allow you to position the valves in their correct orientation. Then you merely tighten the bolt to maintain that position. COMP’s big-block guideplates are PN 4811-8 and come in a package of eight. There are similar guideplates now for Small Block Chevys and Fords that slide apart to do the same job. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 39
CAM FIRST
When assembling a new engine, always install the cam first. Do this before the crank, rods and pistons are installed. The reason is that with new cam bearings, we’ve had issues with tight bearings that won’t allow the new camshaft to slide in place. There are shortcuts to fit these bearings, but the best procedure is to install a new bearing. This is much easier with most engines if the block is not crowded with a crank, rods and pistons. So at least test fit the new cam first. It might save you some grief. In true Murphy’s Law tradition, you will never have a problem until that one time you don’t test fit the cam.
HOW TO SET VALVE LASH ON ANY ENGINE
You’ve no doubt seen plenty of ideas on how to set valve lash. Most suggestions require you to memorize or have access to engine firing orders. But there’s a classic, better idea. Just remember four words in this order —Exhaust Open—Intake Close—or EO-IC. If you turn any four-stroke engine over by hand with the valve covers removed, you will notice that the exhaust valve begins to open first. At this point, the intake valve is on its base circle. So you set that cylinder’s intake valve lash or hydraulic preload. Then continue to turn the engine over until the intake valve is roughly halfway down the closing side of its lift curve. This places the exhaust lobe on its base circle and you can then set lash or preload. Once you’ve completed that cylinder you can move on to the next. We like to start at the front of the engine and run down one side doing each cylinder before moving on to the next. This way, we don’t miss any valves. This does require turning the engine over multiple times—it will take an average 40 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
of perhaps five to seven minutes to do a complete engine. The advantage of doing it this way is you can perform this technique on any fourstroke engine at any time.
You don’t need to know the firing order or even who makes the engine. All you need to remember is EO-IC. Watch the engine when it turns over, it will remind you because the exhaust opens first (EO) and the intake closes after (IC).
SMACK THAT RETAINER
TIGHTEN A POLYLOCK THE RIGHT WAY
We’ve seen many times where a relatively new engine suddenly begins to clatter and run rough. An under-the-valve-cover investigation reveals a loose rocker arm and the polylock has mysteriously backed off. Some think you have to lock the polylock by attempting to lean on the locking Allen screw, but this either results in a worn Allen wrench connection or a rocker that comes loose. The best way is to establish where the polylock should be located for either lash or lifter preload. Then back off the polylock roughly 1/16th of a turn and snug the Allen nut to the top of the rocker stud. Next, using your large wrench on the polylock, tighten the polylock against the Allen screw. This secures the Allen screw lock against the rocker stud with more force than can be generated by the small Allen wrench. Once you’ve done this a few times you will have a feel for how far to back off the polylock to get the desired results.
Here’s another simple tip that may help the entry-level guy. Any time you have to remove a valve spring retainer, place an old wrist pin over the retainer and give it a whack with a brass or nylon hammer first. Retainer locks do a great job of sticking to the retainer and often require a mild whack of a hammer to knock them loose before using a valve spring tool. The wrist pin applies force around the entire circumference of the retainer. Use just enough force to dislodge the locks. We’ve seen guys hit the retainer too hard and the locks actually come loose and fly out! You don’t want to be that guy.
MEASURING ROD SIDE CLEARANCE THE RIGHT WAY
We learned this technique from an old engine builder who watched us slip a feeler gauge in between a pair of rods. He said “You’re doing that wrong. You gotta use two feeler gauges if you’re going to do that right.” We long ago learned to always listen to our elders and he was right. A pair of feeler gauges does not cock the rods to one side, so you’ll generally see a slightly tighter clearance when using two feeler gauges rather than one. You also may have heard that tighter rod side clearance will help reduce oil windage, but that’s not really true. The gallons of oil per minute that escape past the rods is determined by the bearing clearance, oil viscosity and oil temperature—not by the rod side clearance. So larger clearances are acceptable, and a bit safer, than tight clearances.
STUCK RUSTED BOLT FIX
Remember how we told you that we’ve learned many of these tricks from the masters? We were on a tour of Racing Head Service when Ivars Smiltnieks showed us this incredibly easy little trick. He was tearing down a used Small Block Chevy with a rusted stuck block drain plug. Often, the only way to remove these plugs is to drill them out and retap the hole. Ivars used an oxy-acetylene torch (which makes more heat than propane), and heated the area. He then melted plain old candle wax into the thread area around the rusted plug. He allowed it to cool slightly and the plug came right out. This doesn’t always work, but it will more times than not. The candle wax acts like a lubricant between the bolt and the block and allows you to remove it without destroying the bolt or the threads. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 41
LS THE
UNIVERSAL ENGINE SWAP?
TODAY GM’S LS-BASED ENGINES ARE THE MOST POPULAR ENGINE SWAPS WITH MUSCLE CAR AND HOT ROD CAR BUILDERS.
SO WHAT MAKES THEM SO POPULAR? WHEN THE FIRST LS
engine appeared in the 1997 Corvette, it left traditional Chevy engine fans scratching their heads. Here was an engine that rewrote all of the rules with virtually nothing that interchanged into the classic Small Block Chevy launched way back in 1955. Some doubted its staying power. But engine builders took a wait-and-see mentality to determine if the aftermarket would embrace this new engine. As we all know now, the LS family of engines has grown dramatically. Its versatility and abilty to make power and torque with new and uniquely LS-based components has changed the way racers and enthusiasts race and drive their vehicles. Today it has become the preferred “resto-mod” engine for a number of reasons.
GREAT DURABILITY: The
LS engine has better sealing characteristics than either the classic Chevy small or
42 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
big block engines. This includes not only the oiling systems, which were tragically flawed in the classics, but also head gaskets which have better cylinder and water jacket sealing.
EASILY ADAPTABLE: As
the engine has evolved, both the factory and the aftermarket have created new ways to make power. Whether you are using the steel block truck LS base (which is highly available, sturdy and inexpensive) or any other engine all the way to the LS9, you can swap from a wide range of heads and cranks along with naturally aspirated intakes, superchargers or turbo systems. The number of aftermarket components available, from intake manifolds to off-the-shelf and custom ground camshafts, make just about any performance target reachable.
EASY POWER: While
the newest LS9 engine makes up to 638 horse-
COMMON LS DESIGN FEATURES 1. No distributor—coils are mounted on valve covers 2. Center main thrust bearing design for better strength 3. Each cylinder features four head bolts 4. Each main bearing cap features six bolts 5. The block bore spacing on all engines is 4.40” 6. Lifter bores measure 0.842” in diameter power and tons of torque, aftermarket changes can net far more power. This slim dimensioned engine (have you measured the Ford Coyote engine valve cover width?) will fit in a wide variety of engine bays. But the key is the ease with which power adder parts can be bolted in place. Just surf for online products through the
POPULAR LS ENGINE SWAPS 1. Camaros and Firebirds from 1967– 81 and Chevy Nova from 1968–74 2. Chevelles from 1964–72 3. C10 Chevy/GMC Trucks from 1967–72 & 1973–87 4. Y-Body Corvette from 1963–67 & 1972–81 5. Classic 1955–57 Chevrolets 6. Mazda RX7 – all generations 7. GM G-Body Platform – Malibu, Monte Carlo, etc. from 1978–88 8. Datsun Z-Car – 240, 260 & 280Z 9. Any hot rod – 1948 & older
Summit (www.summitracing.com) or Jegs (www.jegs.com) websites for some happy results. Emissions compatible: GM started early in the game of building engine “packages,” making it easy for enthusiasts not wishing to battle emissions regulations. LS engine buyers will find it easy to build up an engine that features excellent drivability through modern car-style fuel injection and full emissions legality.
THERE ARE A WIDE VARIETY of engine swap kits available that allow easy installation of your LS engine into many classic domestic and assorted import vehicles. They offer hard-tofind parts, such as oil pans, that are compatible with the OEM tie rods and K-members, remote air intake systems that sidestep the need for modifying stock hoods and complete electronic fuel injection wiring retro-fits to replace classic carbureted engines with modern fuel injection. Your best guide here are LS forums such as LS1Tech.com. The possibilities will amaze you. Sources COMP Cams compcams.com Chevy Crate Engine Guide chevrolet.com/performance/ crate-engines.html
Pontiac Firebird
Chevrolet Corvette
Chevrolet Chevelle
Datsun 280Z
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 43
Story & Photos By Dragzine.com
Dragzine.com TakesA Deep Dive Into FAST’s XFI Sportsman EFI On Biting The Bullitt 44 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
PROJECT BITING THE BULLITT is nearing completion. And with the Dart-based 427c.i. engine, Paxton NOVI-2500 supercharger and TCI Super Streetfighter 4L80E transmission on board, the car makes plenty of power and gets it to the ground efficiently. The car stops the clocks with nine-second elapsed times and does it in style, thanks to a fresh hue applied by JEP Autoworks with DuPont materials. You may remember that Biting the Bullitt (BTB) was using a blow-through carburetor system for fuel metering in the past, but we ended the summer with the installation of the brand-new XFI Sportsman EFI system and XFI eDash from FAST on the big-power Bullitt. These items will serve to simplify the tuning process on our ’65 and give us many capabilities to control the engine
WHAT IS PROJECT BITING THE BULLITT? Project “Biting the Bullitt” is a 1,000 hp 1965 Mustang that is a mix of all-out horsepower, simplicity and reliability in a street/strip package. But where do you draw the line? The name is two fold. It could be perceived as Biting on the original Mustang Bullitt, driven by Steve McQueen, that was actually a Highland Green 1968 Fastback—with the only resemblance to our Mustang being the faded dark green paint. The REAL premise behind the Mustang build, to show the fine line that we walk between a simple build, reliability and all-out horsepower. It will run in the low 9-second range and make 1,000 hp to the crank, though it will have parts that will support nearly 1,500 hp through a Dart block and heads, hence the reliability segment. It is now backed by a FAST XFI Sportsman EFI system, Paxton centrifugal supercharger setup with no intercooler, though it has octane on demand via a Snow Performance Methanol Injection Kit.
The XFI four-hole throttle body atop our Edelbrock intake manifold fits right in place of our old carburetor setup.
This system is set to work perfectly on those cars with an identity crisis—the ones that don’t know if they’re a race car or a street car.
with greater precision than currently exists. When we say simple, we mean really simple – installation is a snap, and if you’ve ever worked with tuning software in the past, XFI’s C-Com software will be familiar. If not, then then a self-tuning option is available.
What It Is
The XFI Sportsman Electronic Fuel Injection System fills a hole in the middle of the FAST lineup; the company previously had the EZ-EFI and XFI 2.0 systems available, targeted at the muscle car crowd and hardcore racers respectively, but no system in the middle to satisfy the enthusiast who does spend some time racing but also spends time cruising. That’s exactly where the XFI Sportsman comes into play—especially with boosted applications like this, which aren’t supported by the EZ-EFI. “This system is set to work perfectly on those cars with an identity crisis—the ones that don’t know if they’re a race car or a street car.” says FAST’s David Page. “There are a lot of those out there, from muscle cars to street rods with blowers, nitrous cars, turbo cars, blower cars—but they don’t do sanctioned racing, and they don’t necessarily need all of the features that the XFI 2.0 offers.” The Startup Wizard is where you define specific operating parameters of the engine: the number of cylinders, fuel injector flow rates, MAP sensor capabilities, and so on. Note that our fuel energy constant with E85 needs to be set at .680 —gasoline would be 1.00. Also, our injectors are actually 125 lb./hr. injectors, but running at our 58 psi fuel pressure, they become 131 lb./hr. injectors. The fuel cut off and on is your rev limiter – it will cut fuel at 6,600 RPM and start delivering fuel again when the engine speed drops below 6,400 RPM.
– David Page FAST The XFI Sportsman offers many of the features found in the XFI 2.0 system, along with many of the features of the EZ-EFI system—packaging them into one easy-to-install, highly capable self-learning EFI unit that gives that ‘tweener enthusiast exactly the control they need over their machine’s performance. The system works for all of the aforementioned types of engine combinations using a bank-to-bank, fully programmable electronic fuel injection setup. Unlike the EZEFI, which does not require an external laptop connection, one is required to set up the XFI Sportsman, using FAST’s C-Com software package—just like the XFI 2.0. The system ships with an ECU, wiring harnesses, wideband oxygen sensor and electronic fuel pressure kit. One of the features that attracted us to the XFI Sportsman initially was its advertised ease of use—with a pre-terminated harness and sensors that are located in easy-toreach, easy to plug-in locations, it would be the perfect upgrade for us to switch from the carbureted setup. The throttle position sensor and IAT sensor are built into the throttle body’s spacer ring. The sensor package that allows the XFI Sportsman to work is quite simple. There’s an included wideband oxygen sensor, LS-style injector harnesses, and EV14-style adapters to work with our injectors. Our manifold has a position for the coolant temperature sensor built-in; in fact, Ford manifolds have two ports for coolant temp sensors—our second one is filled by the sensor for our Racepak system. Page explains that the system differs from the XFI 2.0 in the bells-and-whistles-type features. For example, you can run nitrous oxide, but the system won’t control it in a progressive manner like the 2.0. There is no built-in transbrake Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 45
We Just Reshaped Valve Spring Design COMP Cams® Conical Valve Springs Provide Longer Spring Life And The Ability To Run More Aggressive Camshafts Built for flat tappet, hydraulic roller and "lift rule" solid roller applications, these revolutionary Conical Valve Springs utilize round wire and feature a natural frequency driven by the spring’s diameter and progressive pitch. This design increases the valve train RPM limit while reducing resonance concerns and dynamic spring oscillations.
ConiCal ValVe SpRingS aRe The biggeST bReakThRough in ValVe TRain TeChnology SinCe The beehiVe
BeehIVe
240 CyLIndRICaL
Dual Spring Force Conical Force
Valve Lift
Valve Open .025" Valve Closed
360
480
600
VaLVe Lift (incheS)
Spring Load (LbS.)
OSCiLLATiOn ReduCTiOn @ 7000 RPM
720
degreeS of rotation
The reduced oscillation in the Conical Springs translates to less applied force and stress to the springs. This increases the lifespan of the spring & the valve train. It also allows the use of more aggressive camshaft profiles.
The constantly decreasing diameter of the spring from bottom to top reduces active mass, thereby decreasing applied dynamic valve train forces. This translates into a greater life span for all valve train components while netting additional power. The conical design accomplishes damping without wear, heat, friction or interference contact. Superfinish surface processing adds even more to the lift capability and spring longevity without the extra mass of an increased wire size. These one-of-a-kind springs set a new standard in valve train performace and durability.
ToP BoTToM ToP BoTToM
I.D. DIa.2 .650 .920 .660 .932 .660 .990
Seat LOaD
Open LOaD
COIL BInD
Max LIft
Rate (LBS./In.)
paRt #
136 @ 1.800
412 @ 1.170
1.125
.630
438
7228-16
145 @ 1.900
495 @ 1.225
1.185
.675
520
7230-16
160 @ 1.900
495 @ 1.210
1.165
.690
485
7256-16
COMPCAMS.COM
What It Does
The features of the XFI Sportsman are vast. While it does not have the full features of the XFI 2.0, the system does offer tables to monitor and adjust fuel, timing, and air/fuel targets. The auxiliary input channel is configurable by the user, and the system also includes a full-function data logger. Not only does it work well on naturally aspirated combinations, boosted combinations making up to 5 bar of boost are fully supported. There’s also timing retard built in for nitrous users with wet nitrous systems. With the onboard CAN network, the XFI Sportsman will work with the rest of FAST’s computer components—the EZ-TCU transmission controller, EZ-LS GM ignition controller, XIM Ford Modular ignition module and eDash touchscreen unit all interface simply and easily in a plug-andplay fashion. We used an eDash in this application.
You get the benefits of self-learning with the adjustability you need to tune it yourself. —David Page FAST The system also features the same self-tuning strategy offered in the EZEFI. Utilizing the built-in Bosch wideband oxygen sensor, the XFI Sportsman is smart enough to tune itself on a naturally aspirated combination once you set the target air/fuel ratio. This feature is enabled and disabled by the user. For boosted combinations, the startup tune will get you close, but it’s recommended to have one of the many FAST tuners across the country dial it in while you’re learning the system. If you’ve tuned a boosted car before, you have a leg up on the process.
Tuning Variables
Engineered To Finish First. 9289j
ToP BoTToM
O.D. DIa. 1 1.020 1.290 1.060 1.332 1.060 1.390
control, nor is there traction control. In terms of spark and fuel, it offers full tunability just like the XFI 2.0.
CAM HELP ® 1.800.999.0853
The XFI Sportsman is able to use either Speed Density or Alpha-N fuel strategies. Although most users will be just fine with the Speed Density setup, the Alpha-N option is there for situations where it is required.
SPEC SHEET: BITING THE BULLITT
The throttle position sensor and Idle Air Control (IAC) sensor are built into the throttle body, the Intake Air Temperature (IAT) sensor into the spacer above, and all three are simple plug-ins.
“Speed Density uses air temperature and air pressure as part of its fuel calculations so it always keeps the fuel in line and offers the most consistent performance,” Page explains. This opinion has been developed through years of tuning NHRA Stock Eliminator and Super Stock cars. Alpha-N can work well when there is no stable manifold vacuum source such as in a true individual runner induction system, or if the tuner simply prefers this strategy.” The Speed Density tuning strategy uses atmospheric pressure measured by the MAP sensor and air temperature to calculate the density of a given volume of air in the engine under specific atmospheric conditions. The ECU calculates the air density using these parameters, and subsequently needs to know the volume (displacement) of the engine and the desired air/fuel ratio to calculate how much fuel to inject to meet the target. “The ECU uses the same standard constant laws of physics about the relationship of the density of air to the pressure and temperature as your weather stations and all dynos use,” Page says. “Once the ECU has calculated the density of the air, it just needs to know the volume and your desired air/fuel ratio to calculate how much fuel to put into the engine. The displacement of the engine is a constant so the VE or Volumetric Efficiency is the variable that you use to properly calibrate your system. The VE is a measure of how well the cylinders are being filled compared to their potential volume. Once you have found the VE value that causes the engine to run at your desired or target air/fuel ratio with no O2 or other corrections, then you have discovered the accurate VE for your engine at that particular load and speed in that particular cell in the VE table.” The engine will need more fuel to get to the same air/ fuel ratio at a near-sea-level race track, but once the VE table is properly calibrated, there exists an accurate Air Flow table for the engine. With the VE table properly calibrated in Speed Density mode, the fuel table will not have to be adjusted from track to track—the ECU will perform these calibrations for the user. Since the engine doesn’t know how the XFI Sportsman decides how much fuel to inject, as long as the parameters are calibrated properly, both Speed Density and Alpha-N fueling strategies can and have been highly successful in
Engine: Dart Iron Eagle Based Windsor, 427ci Power Adder: Paxton NOVI-2500 Transmission: TCI Super Streetfighter 4L80E Front Suspension: TCI Engineering Custom IFS, Wilwood brakes Rear Suspension: Strange 9-inch, Wilwood Brakes, Calvert leaf springs Electronics: Racepak Smartwire, UDX, MSD 7531, FAST XFI Sportsman Wheels & Tires: Weld Racing 15inch RT Classic, M/T 26x4.5x15 front, 275/60/15 drag radial rears
racing operations—it’s up to the user to decide which route they’d like to select. Volumetric Efficiency of the engine doesn’t change unless parts are changed to improve or hinder airflow, so the engine will move the same volume of air in two completely different locales—for example Las Vegas and South Georgia Motorsports Park—but the air at SGMP would be more dense due to its close-to-sea-level elevation and overall better conditions.
eDash Is In Control
With the installation of our XFI Sportsman system, we also elected to upgrade the car with one of FAST’s XFI eDash units, which provides a number of unique features and works with both the Sportsman and XFI 2.0 engine management systems. The full-color, touchscreen eDash uses a single plugand-play harness to connect with our XFI Sportsman, providing a compact digital dash unit that can display up to 20 live data readings—even all 20 at once—and mounts to the window or dash with a simple suction cup. The data screens can also be shown on various electronic digital dashes that include commonly viewed sensors. Live sensor readings include Idle Air Control, Total Timing, Miles Per Gallon, O2 Correction %, Coolant Temperature, Fuel Pump Duty Cycle, and more—proving useful for both the street enthusiast and racer with the wide variety of data that is displayed. The adaptive learning settings, torque converter lockup MPH, and rev limiter can all be adjusted through the eDash for the XFI Sportsman, and XFI 2.0 users gain the ability to load four different tunes and control power-adder on-off settings (like boost control or nitrous control) on the fly with the eDash. The system also uses the same mounting points as the Garmin GPS, meaning that an eDash owner could find a Garmin dash mount for their vehicle and install the eDash right into the mount for an even cleaner appearance.
Other Parts We Needed From Edelbrock, Russell and Deatschwerks
In an effort to keep things simple, we hooked up with the guys at Edelbrock to get set up with one of their Super Victor 351W EFI manifolds [PN 29245] and a set of Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 47
The eDash will monitor many different parameters and even tell you when the nitrous is activated, or if there’s been a system error.
The eDash will even tell you if there is an issue with any of the installed engine sensors.
fuel rails to match [PN 3620]. Since our carbureted combination used a Super Victor manifold, the installation of this new manifold meant no plumbing changes — we could just attach the existing bonnet to our new throttle body and go. With FAST’s throttle body on top to process the air, we needed to supply the fuel, which we did with a set of Deatschwerks DV2 injectors sucking fuel through a set of Edelbrock’s fuel rails [PN 3620]. An assortment of a hose and fittings from Russell Performance helped to make everything copacetic, and it was time to hook up the whole works under the hood of Biting The Bullitt. We had a complete assortment of Russell’s ProClassic black-08 AN fittings on hand, including the Y-Block to use with the company’s ProClassic II hose to run our fuel lines for this project. The ProClassic II hose uses an all-black nylon fiber braided outer cover over the synthetic rubber inner line. Where the ProClassic II hose stands out from the pack is through its use of an internally bonded multi-braid stainless wire. This feature improves the bend radius of the hose while reducing the chance of it collapsing when used in tight spaces like our Mustang’s engine bay. It’s compatible with fuel, oil and antifreeze, and is rated to 350 pounds per square inch of pressure.
self. You get the benefits of self-learning with the adjustability you need to tune it yourself.”
Wrapping Up
There is much more to FAST’s XFI Sportsman system than we can possibly cover here, but we can say that it’s offered Project Biting The Bullitt a new lease on life. Installing the system onto the car had us pumping out 824.5 horsepower on the dyno and gaining a serious handle on the drivability. From the beginning of the Biting the Bullitt project to the end—we’ve made a serious gain in horsepower and performance at the track, yet the car still remains completely streetable. While our old setup was dialed in pretty well, the XFI Sportsman has the engine lighting off immediately and settling into a nice idle—sounding about as refined as nearly 1,000 crankshaft horsepower can be, while making boatloads of power. We can’t wait to check out some of the other tuning features when it’s time to go to the track! Source Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST) 877.334.8355 fuelairspark.com
A Simple Install
The system is installed like no other engine management system on the market. The harness is pre-terminated from FAST and plugs right into the sensors that are required on the engine, so the user doesn’t have to spend endless days terminating harnesses and trying to figure out what goes where. The system is designed to offer the user a plug-and-play layout where the pre-made harness can be laid out into the engine bay and simply plugged into the required sensors to go racing. In addition, it’s the same harness that’s included with the EZ-EFI system, so a user can upgrade from that to the XFI Sportsman without having to completely rewire their car. “The XFI Sportsman system offers unique tuning considerations that aren’t offered elsewhere,” Page says. “You can set it to self-learn above a certain throttle percentage but in a difficult or challenging area of the tuneup, like idle tune, you can jump in there and manually tune that your48 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
From the beginning of the Biting the Bullitt project to the end—that’s a serious gain in horsepower and performance at the track, yet the car still remains completely streetable. 824.5 horsepower all day long on E85 fuel.
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STAY TUNED! HOW TO ADJUST YOUR CARB AND IGNITION TO IMPROVE DRIVABILITY WITHOUT SACRIFICING POWER FROM THAT MONSTER CAMSHAFT
50 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
CARBURETOR COMPANIES HATE
big camshafts. If you ask, they’ll tell you they get more tech questions about how to make a street engine work with a big cam than almost any other issue. The other big issue—and in America it’s all about being big—is that street camshafts are often chosen as much for their lumpy idle quality as for their power potential. So now that we’ve established that it’s not uncommon to find lots of street engines with a very large carburetor bolted to an engine with a cam with too much duration, let’s look at what it takes to make them work together. Rather than preach conservatism to our assembled choir of admitted street radicals, the next best thing is to make this big cam selection run as cleanly as possible. The most common issues associated with a long-duration cam on the street are a very rich idle mixture, mild to outright annoying hesitation under light acceleration, very rich part-throttle operation an extreme bog under hard acceleration, extremely poor fuel mileage, fouled spark plugs and in general very poor throttle response. If any of these descriptions fit your street car, then we will suggest some simple fixes that should help your vehi-
cle run better. This is actually a fairly complex subject so we won’t be able to get into all the solutions. For this story, we’ll hit a couple of simple and easy fixes. If there is enough interest in this subject, we can return with more recommendations that will also help. But for now, we’ll stick with the quick and easy fixes. And just to make it interesting, we’ll start not with the carburetor but instead with the ignition.
Starting with the ignition, the first priority with a big camshaft is to add initial timing. A good starting point is 15 degrees initial timing. If your engine does not have a degreed balancer, use an MSD timing tape (PN 8985) that will allow you to read 40-plus degree timing figures with a traditional timing light.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST
problems with big camshafts is when the cam is added to an engine with insufficient compression. In most cam catalogs, the larger camshaft descriptions include a compression ratio recommendation. For example, COMP’s Xtreme Energy hydraulic flat tappet XE294H cam with 250/256 degrees of duration at 0.050 and 0.588/0.593 inch lift and a 110-degree lobe separation angle (LSA), recommends no less than 10.5:1 compression when using this cam. This recommendation is often ignored when selecting this cam but it actually is there for a very good reason. As intake duration increases, the intake closing point occurs much later. If you think about it, the engine cannot begin to compress the intake charge until the intake valve is closed. So the engine’s effective compression will be much lower than its static compression ratio because the intake valve closes later. This results in reduced cylinder pressure—especially at low engine speeds. That’s why after a big cam is installed in your engine, it seems like the engine feels sluggish at lower engine speeds. It feels sluggish because the engine has lost a significant amount of cylinder pressure. Proof of this is to perform a cranking compression test before and after the cam swap. What you will find is that the big new cam has reduced the cranking pressure by perhaps 10 psi. The engine has not lost ring seal—the later closing intake valve prevents the engine from creating cylinder pressure until the intake valve closes. The best way to maintain a cranking compression of around 180 to 190 psi with a long-duration cam is to increase the static compression ratio. But that requires different pistons, or a smaller chamber cylinder head. Unfortunately, both of these approaches are expensive
and demand quite a bit of effort. But there is a way to gain back some of that lost power through tuning.
MOST STOCK ENGINES
use relatively conservative initial timing numbers. Even the late ’60s performance engines only spec’d single digit initial timing numbers. The initial timing spec for a 1969 SS 396 Chevelle engine equipped with a solid lifter camshaft and a 750 cfm Holley carburetor was a paltry 4 degrees BTDC. But this engine also had 11:1 compression and a cranking compression of 160 psi. A more modern street performance engine may run something closer to 10 to 12 degrees of initial timing. The problem today is that with an engine with a big camshaft and low static compression of around 8.5:1, it needs more initial timing. Let’s assume, that we have a 454 Big Block Chevy that came out of a truck that’s now in between the fenderwells of your street Chevelle. The engine now has our previously mentioned XE294H camshaft, but the engine only has an 8.5:1 static compression ratio. In this case, we should bump the initial timing up to something closer to 15 to 18 degrees of initial timing. Starting the spark sooner in the combustion process will help the engine’s low-speed throttle response. However, this will probably put the total timing (initial plus mechanical advance) far too advanced once all the mechanical advance has been added in.
All factory distributors come with vacuum advance, as do many performance distributors like this MSD. While some engine tuners will scoff at vacuum advance distributors, they are extremely useful for street engines with big cams.
Let’s say that the distributor’s mechanical advance adds 26 degrees of total advance. Adding 15 + 26 = 41 degrees of total ignition advance. Most street engines today run best with 34 to 38 degrees of total timing. In this case, the easiest thing is to limit the initial timing to 10 degrees—making the total 10 + 26 = 36 degrees. Unfortunately, this doesn’t help our low-speed drivability problem so we have to go inside the distributor to limit the total mechanical advance. If you are lucky enough to be using an MSD distributor, then this step will be easy. MSD includes several bushings that can be used to limit the meVol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 51
All centrifugal advance MSD distributors place a bushing over a pin in the advance plate that allows quick and easy changes to the mechanical advance total. All MSD distributors come out of the box with the black limiter bushing. This is helpful in allowing more initial timing. Less mechanical advance in the distributor allows more initial timing for a given total.
Crane offers an interesting optical trigger electronic distributor that allows the tuner to select the amount and rate of advance with the twist of a couple rotary dials. Minimum mechanical advance is 20 degrees. This distributor will also add “vacuum advance” timing when hooked to a manifold vacuum source with choices of 12, 16, or 20 degrees. This distributor requires a CD amplifier like the Crane HI-6 or the new FAST E6 CD box. 52 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
A simple vacuum gauge hooked to manifold vacuum can be a very useful tool for setting both idle mixture and initial timing. With a long-duration cam, if vacuum improves with 4 degrees additional timing, add more until the vacuum stabilizes. This will help you choose an initial timing figure.
chanical advance. In this case, we’d like to limit the mechanical advance to 21 degrees total. This will allow us to set the initial timing at 15 degrees for a total of 36 degrees. MSD supplies four different bushings: black—18 deg.; blue—21 deg.; silver 25 deg.; and red—28 deg. These numbers indicate the total amount of advance available from the distributor. Let’s take the blue with 21 degrees, which gives us 15 degrees for initial timing. Assuming our advance curve starts at around 1,800 RPM, we now have roughly five more degrees of initial timing at lower engine speeds. If we also change the springs in the distributor so the curve is all in by 2,400 RPM, then this should also improve throttle response. If the engine still seems sluggish or slow to accept throttle, we can try one more major change. This requires a distributor with vacuum advance. In most factory applications, the vacuum canister is connected to the ported vacuum outlet on the carburetor. This eliminates vacuum advance at idle. But with a really big cam and low static compression, you may need as much as 20 degrees of initial timing, which is difficult to achieve because you have to limit the mechanical advance to only 16 degrees. Instead, try hooking the vacuum advance hose to straight manifold vacuum. If your engine idles at only about 8 to 10 inches of manifold vacuum, this may only add 5 or perhaps 10 degrees of timing at idle, but that may improve throttle response enough to
warrant the change. It’s a simple trick but very few tuners think to use it. Now you know more than they do. At this point we must also point out the obvious that adding over 10 degrees of ignition timing to a street engine may create issues with lowspeed detonation. Add a few degrees of timing at a time and then perform a road test. Finalize the initial/mechanical/vacuum advance curve with the usual caution to stay away from detonation. If the engine rattles, pull the timing back or slow the rate of advance to help eliminate detonation. Also remember that a cold inlet air system is very helpful in reducing an engine’s tendency to rattle—especially at part throttle. Even a 10-to-15 degree reduction in inlet air temperature is significant.
NOW WE CAN MOVE
to the fuel side. Generally, engines with large camshafts are also fitted with large cfm carburetors. We’ll assume for this discussion that a large carburetor is anything 850 cfm and greater. Holley carburetors are the most popular, so our discussion will deal with these, but the basics can and do apply to other carbs. Long-duration camshafts generally also incorporate greater amounts of valve overlap. This combination of long duration with a late closing intake and a greater amount of valve overlap seriously reduces idle manifold vacuum. It’s not unusual for a big cam small-block or big-block engine to experience less than six inches of manifold vacuum.
Did you know that many aftermarket vacuum advance canisters are adjustable? The ones with a hexagon shape are adjustable for total and rate. Using a small Allen wrench, there are 10 -12 turns of adjustment to limit the amount of vacuum advance. This is an Accel unit PN 31038 for an HEI.
Of course, our tuning suggestions are based on the assumption that you are using the correct spark plug and high-quality plug wires. Drag racers often employ colder plugs, but for street use the stock heat range or one step colder is a better choice. Extended nose plugs like this Autolite are also preferred, placing the spark closer to the center of the chamber.
When an engine is idling with the throttle blades closed, the manifold vacuum is what creates the signal that moves fuel. As this signal is reduced (lower manifold vacuum), carburetor builders compensate by increasing the size of the idle-feed restrictor. This idle-feed restrictor is essentially the main jet for the idle circuit. The idle air bleeds in the carburetor also affect the fuel flow, but the component that has the greatest effect on idle fuel flow is the idle feed restrictor. Since every performance engine is different, it’s inherently difficult to build a universal carburetor that is tuned correctly for each application. So the carburetor companies must design their carburetors on the rich side to ensure they run properly right out of the box. This means we can assume with some certainty that in most big-cam engines with a large carburetor the idle circuit will be overly rich. The best way to deal with this situation is to restrict the total amount of idle circuit fuel flow. You can experiment with the idle air bleed, but our experience shows that these changes are more for very fine tuning effects. With these big carburetors, we need to make a major change in the fuel flow. All modular (4150, 4160 and 4500 series) Holley carburetors place the idle feed restrictor in the main metering block. If your Holley has four idle mixture screws, then there will be four separate idle feed restrictors. Otherwise we will be dealing with
Always balance the idle mixture screws with the same number of turns. Set idle mixture as lean as possible as long as the engine does not stumble at part throttle.
just two idle mixture circuits in the primary metering block. Holley began building HP-style carburetors several years ago and they are fitted with screw-in replaceable bleeds in all the critical circuits. Older Holleys use a press-in bleed or restrictor. We will deal with the more common press-in bleed since changing screw-in bleeds is easy, assuming you know your way around a screwdriver. For press-in bleeds, the tuner is faced with two choices. We can mix up some epoxy, fill in the restrictor and then drill it out or we can use a simple length of small-diameter wire to act as our tuning device. We would suggest going the wire route in the beginning until you have some experience working with the idle feed restrictor. Then you might consider making permanent changes.
LET’S FIRST GET
into a specific application with a Big Block Chevy fitted with a big Holley 950 Ultra HP carburetor. We can get a sense of where the current idle feed restrictor is (too big or too small) by evaluating the idle mixture’s screw settings. Holley prefers to have the idle mixture screws start at roughly 1½ turns out from fully seated. The farther the idle mixture screws are turned out from fully seated, the more fuel is delivered. So let’s say that the 950 carb on our engine has the idle mixture screws set for best idle vacuum but the screws are turned out barely ½ of a turn. This tells us that the idle feed restrictor is so big that we have to restrict that flow with very few turns on the idle mixture screws. Conversely, if the screws were turned out three full turns, it would
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 53
The top photo shows the proper position while the bottom photo reveals the throttle opened too far at idle – which is a common situation for a long-duration camshaft application. When the throttle blades are open too far like this at idle, this pulls more fuel from the transition slot, creating excessively rich mixtures and poor drivability.
tell us the idle feed restrictor is a bit too small. But the most common situation is the restrictor is too large. We next measured the idle feed restrictor in our 950 HP at 0.042-inch for a baseline. Typically, a 750 cfm Holley mechanical secondary carburetor would have a much smaller, 0.035-inch idle feed restrictor. This is closer to what we would consid-
er the correct size idle feed size for our 468c.i. So now we have an idea of how much we need to reduce the fuel flow. The important point here is that we are dealing with the area of a hole—not the diameter. So the first thing we have to do is determine the area of both what we have and where we want to end up. Area of a circle is determined by using the formula:
Area = Pi (3.1417) x radius x radius Radius is the diameter of the circle divided by 2 which for our big 950 carburetor would be: R= 0.042 / 2 = 0.021 The area for our 950 carb idle feed restrictor is: A = 3.1417 x 0.021 x 0.021 = 0.00138549 square inch Now let’s compute the area for a 0.035 restrictor. A = 3.1417 x 0.0175 x 0.0175 = 0.00096214 square inch Simple subtraction gives us a difference in area of 0.00042335. 54 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
We generally use a 0.015 diameter wire as a starting point, but the area for that wire is only 0.00176, which is less than half of the area difference we were shooting for. We had to increase the wire diameter to a 0.020-inch wire which is still smaller than the difference but should get us close to establishing a leaner idle circuit. We’ve covered the technique in the photos and captions so we won’t duplicate that information here, but it’s important when working with these restrictors that you make sure the wire feeds all the way into the tiny hole in the restrictor, which is in the bottom of the brass cup. Once the wire restrictors are in place, you will then need to readjust the idle mixture screws. Start by placing them roughly one full turn out from fully seated and then adjust all four screws the same amount to balance the fuel flow. With the engine warm, set the idle mixture to its best idle speed (or highest manifold vacuum) and then take the car for a test drive. If the engine hesitates with mild throttle just off idle, then you may have to readjust the idle mixture slightly richer to eliminate that hesitation. Another major factor in improving big-cam drivability is the placement of the throttle blades. As discussed, with reduced manifold vacuum, the engine does not have enough vacuum (which is the pressure differential) to pull air past the throttle blades. The easy solution is to crank on the idle speed screw to attain the desired idle speed. The problem is this uncovers a larger portion of the idle transfer slot. This is a slot located on the opening side of the primary throttle blades and as the throttle opens, this exposes more of the transfer slot to engine vacuum, pulling additional fuel out of the idle circuit. With the primary throttle blades now open too far, this exposes the transfer slot to manifold vacuum, which pulls more fuel in at idle— fuel that is not controlled by the idle mixture screw. Plus, because the transfer slot fuel is now flowing fuel at idle, when the throttle is opened more under light acceleration, the engine experiences a significant hesitation.
If holes need to be drilled in the throttle plates, drill on the leading edge of the primary throttle plates and the trailing edge of the secondary plates. Start small (1/16-inch) and drill the holes only large enough to place the throttle plates back in their original position relative to the transfer slot.
One time-honored solution to this transfer slot problem is to drill small holes in the primary throttle blades near the transfer slot. These small holes (generally start with a 1/16-inch) will act as an idle bypass and allow you to close the primary throttle blades with the speed screw and return the blades to the proper position relative to the transfer slot. If you really don’t want to do that, you can also try slightly opening the secondary throttle blades to allow more air past. An elegant yet expensive solution is to purchase a Holley Ultra HP carburetor that now employs what Holley calls idle bypass air. This is an adjustable passage (a large, tapered screw) that allows fine tuning of the idle speed while retaining the proper throttle blade orientation to the transfer slot. All carburetors should have this feature.
ONCE WE HAVE
the idle mixture properly leaned out and the throttle blades set correctly, you may experience a slight hesitation on light or heavy acceleration. This can be caused by different conditions. A very common issue is improper adjustment of the accelerator pump arm. A simple check is to lightly move the throttle linkage and see if the accelerator pump arm moves instantly. If it does not, there is probably clearance between the accelerator pump linkage and the arm that actuates the accelerator pump diaphragm.
Drilling holes in the primary throttle blades used to be the best solution for large-camshaft street engines. Holley recently introduced an idle air bypass feature on its new line of Ultra HP carburetors that eliminates the need for drilling. An adjustable channel located under the air cleaner stud will alter idle rpm so that you never touch the idle airspeed screw.
If the engine hesitates only when the throttle is moved aggressively from a dead stop, this is a combination of accelerator pump nozzle size and pump cam adjustment. With any hesitation under acceleration, you first must determine if this is due to the engine running too lean or too rich. Carbureted engines will experience a hesitation or sag with either condition and they are sometimes difficult to differentiate. Using an air-fuel ratio meter will quickly point you in the right direction, but this tuning can be done without spending money if you apply some simple tuning techniques. Add a larger accelerator pump squirter and re-test. If the engine hesitates worse, then the engine is telling you that it needs less fuel— not more. The ideal accelerator pump shot is with the least amount of fuel that allows the engine to accelerate cleanly under all conditions. Also, remember that the accelerator pump cam can be used to change both the amount and the shape of the fuel delivery curve. There are also two mounting holes on a typical Holley carburetor to locate the pump cams. Relocating the pump cam to the Number 2 positon increases the cam lift by roughly 0.010-inch.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW
of the carburetor and ignition changes you can make to improve throt-
tle response and drivability with a long-duration camshaft. The key is to make minor changes one at a time and then evaluate these changes with a test drive before moving on to the next change. This way, you will be able to evaluate each change on its own merit. Making several changes at once tends to mask the results of the individual changes, as the second change could easily cancel out the results of the first. If there is enough interest in a second installment to this story, we can go into more detail on further changes. Once you understand why we are making these changes, you can begin to make your own tuning adjustments based on your greater knowledge of how both the induction and ignition systems work in harmony in regard to engine performance. Stay tuned. Sources ACCEL Performance Group 216.688.8300 Accelnation.com Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST) 877.334.8355 fuelairspark.com Holley 866.464.6553 holley.com Innovate Motorsports 714.372.5910 innovatemotorsports.com MSD 915.857.5200 msdperformance.com
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 55
GET TO KNOW Justin Shearer
HOST OF DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S STREET OUTLAWS MIDWEST STREETCARS, STREET OUTLAWS
The Discovery Channel show Street Outlaws is a hit among gearheads and, surprisingly, regular folks as well. The mix of racing, humor and drama drew over 2.5 MILLION viewers for last season’s finale and regularly outdraws NHRA racing broadcasts. It’s made racers like Justin Shearer, aka Big Chief, famous. We recently had a chance to speak with Shearer about the show, his race car and his future plans in racing. What impressed us is how down to earth and approachable Shearer is. The man known as Big Chief was willing to stop working in his busy shop—Midwest Streetcars—to speak with us. And by the way, if you need help making your car faster you can contact Midwest Streetcars at MidwestStreetcars.com or give ‘em a shout at 405.261.0727.
1. How did you originally get into drag racing? That’s a tough one ... I don’t really remember how I got into it. I’ve always been into muscle cars, American cars, rear-wheel drive cars. That’s what my parents drove and what I was around when I was a kid. Plus, my dad was a mechanic; he built transmissions for a living. I’ve just had a love for old cars ever since I was a kid. And when you love old cars, sooner or later you get a taste of power and if you’re lucky, before you know it you are going down the track in a race car.
2. Where did you get your start, street or sanctioned drag racing? I started street racing in high school. As soon as I got my car. We went every day after school somewhere to drag race and find out who was the fastest in the school. So we would drag race all over the area every
56 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
chance we got. And then on Saturday nights we would always meet and cruise on 39th Street in Oklahoma City, and that would always turn into drag racing eventually, too. It was all about finding out who was the fastest.
3. Do you have a preferred application when it comes to engines? It really all depends on what you are trying to do. If you are trying to go around and kick ass, make money and run heads up and be the fastest guy you possibly can, turbochargers are coming around. That’s turning into one of the best ways to go. But blowers are still cool as hell. They are loud and obnoxious and we love them. Naturally aspirated has its place in drag racing and motorsports in general, and you know you can make some wicked power with three hits of nitrous. So all of it is cool. It just depends on what you are trying to do. They all work in the right situation.
4. Have you noticed whether the show has had any influence on the drag racing community? Yeah, definitely. Everybody was scared at first that we were going to ruin everything. But that hasn’t happened. I think once they (the drag racing community) realized that we were appealing to a whole new group of people that haven’t raced before or haven’t raced in years, they came around. Now we’ve got people going out and getting cars or dragging old cars out of the barn that haven’t raced in years and going racing. And that’s a good thing for the sport. I also think that the aftermarket is seeing an impact from the popularity of the show. I know both locally and nationally we are seeing huge changes in the aftermarket, and it has a lot to do with Street Outlaws.
5. What do you mean? Turbo sales. Fuel injection system sales. Just technology, you know what I mean? Back in the day everybody just stocked Holley 650 double pumpers and HEI distributors when it came to performance parts. Now, it’s gotten to the point where everybody is using data loggers. The technology is changing but it’s just a different way of applying power. I know we are now stocking turbos, FAST fuel injection systems, EFI fuel pumps and things like that. Those things the aftermarket just didn’t have room for before, and now it’s all a part of the game. There are lot more options for people.
6. You are famous for your Pontiac GTO, but what would be your dream car to build and race? I built my dream car, and that’s it. It’s actually a 1972 Pontiac LeMans, but as I worked on it over the years they didn’t have parts for a ‘72 LeMans and it ended up with ‘70 GTO stuff on it. But that is my dream car.
7. You also are famous for racing on the street, but do you have a favorite racetrack? It depends on what you are doing. If we are grudge racing we like Kennedale (in Texas). If we are testing and tuning, or if we are Pro Street local racing we like Thunder Valley here (in Lexington, Oklahoma). If we are radial racing we like Holly Springs (Mississippi) or Denton (North Star Dragway in Denton, Texas). And then we like to go to the little outlaw tracks. Probably the coolest thing you could ever do is go to Yellow Belly (Grand Prairie, Texas) on a Sunday. Or Outlaw Dragway in (Sallisaw) Oklahoma on a Saturday night. There are cool racetracks everywhere and there’s room for everybody. So pick a little racetrack you’ve never been to before and go load up and have a good time.
8. What kind of future do you see once the show has run its course? As of right now we are all in on Street Outlaws. We’re giving it everything we have. We’ve poured our heart and soul and all of our money into the show. And as of right now we are the number one show. We’re kicking ass and taking names, and
Shearer recently changed “the Crow” from black to white with GTO accents.
everything’s great. In a year or two, it’s hard to see where we will be, but I’m hoping that we’ve established a firm enough foothold (with Midwest Streetcars) in the aftermarket industry that when this is all over we are still here.
9. Has the show become work for you or is it still fun? It’s definitely more work than it is fun. It’s more of a pain in the ass than anything. At this point in time the show is a giant investment that we hope will pay off--it hasn’t yet. So right now it is a very scary time, and we are constantly reminded of everything that we’ve given up for this television show. But at the same time, on Saturday night at three in the morning we still have a good time. After all, how many other people get to do this? How many people get to spotlight their hobby in front of millions of people and show what they’ve got?
10. Do you think you will be able to continue doing what you’re doing, or will fame force you to only race on sanctioned race tracks? We’ve been wanting to do that for years. We love street racing, it’s in our blood and we can never stop doing that. It’s just what we do. There’s just something about racing heads up with no rules that appeals to us, but with that being said we love track racing. We love grudge racing, and we love radial racing. We’re fans of all of it. Before the show we raced at tracks three or four times a month. We still have that, but the street racing thing was just something that we had inside of us that we can’t get rid of. We’ve done it for so long, and we’re always going to do that. But we’re looking at any chance we can to go and branch out and find new horizons in motorsport, especially if we can grow new customers.
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 57
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES Power & Performance News has compiled a list of some of the hottest products to hit the market recently. On the following pages of our Speed Shop, be sure to check out the variety of performance products offered. Product and company contact information is provided should you see something you wish to purchase—and we know you will!
Heading It Up RHS, LT1 Gen V Cylinder Heads These LT1 cylinder heads from Racing Head Service will not only fit on the LT1-style engine, but a version is also available to retrofit onto the popular LS version. With increased valve size and optimized valve locations, the custom port profile of the new RHS heads produces the highest flowing and best performing head on the market. This is the first clean sheet, purpose built cylinder head for the LT1, cast and machined by RHS. Starting from scratch allowed the freedom to make drastic improvements not possible with only porting the original equipment heads. All stock and aftermarket components will bolt on to the new head. racingheadservice.com 877.776.4323
58 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Giving It Spark FAST, E6 Digital CD Ignition Kit The FAST E6 Digital CD Ignition Kit is designed as a complete matching kit, which ensures optimum performance and durability. The engineers at FAST specifically designed the ignition coil based on the output specifications of the CD ignition boxes. The E6 Digital CD Ignition Kit is electronic fuel injection friendly and was designed and tested to work with all FAST EFI systems. However, this product can also be used in all carbureted applications. The FAST E6 Digital Ignition Kit fires multiple sparks per cylinder while the engine is below 3000 RPM. This provides more complete burning of the fuel in the combustion chamber, which in turn contributes to a smoother running engine and better fuel economy. fuelairspark.com 877.334.8355
On The Plane Holley, LS Dual Plane Intake Holley is proud to announce the arrival of its all new carbureted dual plane intake for the popular GM LS engine. This intake allows you to bolt your favorite 4150 flange carburetor onto an LS for a quick and easy way to get your ride on the road. Its dual plane design makes it perfect for making low end torque, yet it still pulls all the way to 6,500 RPM. It also features o-ring cylinder head mounting flange gaskets to provide an OEM-style seal and make installation a snap. Holley’s all new intake is available for LS1/LS2/LS6 cathedral port heads, as well as LS3/ L92 rectangle port heads. holley.com 866.464.6553
The Next Generation Icon, Next Generation FHR Pistons United Engine and Machine’s (UEM) Icon piston line is perfect for performance on a budget, especially when using the FHR (Forged Head Relief) pistons. Instead of cutting the valve pockets in the top of the pistons after the forging process is complete, Icon completely eliminates this step by using forging dies that actually press the valve relief into the piston itself. The result is a piston that looks great and costs less because there are fewer manufacturing steps. And now UEM is unleashing its next generation FHR Pistons that feature highstrength 4032 aluminum alloy. They use 1/16-inch compression rings, 3/16-inch oil rings and are also supplied with round wire locks. All pistons are machined from dedicated in-house forging blanks. They are available for Small Block Chevy and Ford applications, with or without a ductile iron moly ring set. uempistons.com 800.648.7970 Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 59
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES Adding Another Twist COMP Cams, Dual Conical Valve Springs What is the most common cause of failure in a racing valve spring? The answer is a combination of heat, wear and friction at the highest stress location of the outer spring. The engineers at COMP Cams found that by changing the spring’s cylindrical shape to a cone, the progressive frequency design provides far better valve control with a lower dynamic mass. And now the conical valve spring line has been expanded to include Dual Conical Valve Springs for lifts up to .800”. They offer improved valve train stability, increased RPM limit and dampen coil oscillations without an interference fit. They are available individually or in sets of 16. compcams.com 800.999.0853
Tighten Up The Timing
Crank It Up
Crane Cams, HEI Distributor
With all of the hype about the LT1 Gen V engine, Lunati has designed long stroke crankshafts specifically for this new power plant. Increasing the engine stroke increases displacement and horsepower, but it also places a strain on stock components. Lunati LT1 Gen V Crankshafts are designed to handle the added load with nitrided and micropolished journals for added lubricity and strength. Contoured wings help to reduce windage inside the crankcase while gun drilling reduces overall weight, as well as rotating inertia. Available in a variety of stroke lengths in addition to short and long snouts, each Lunati LT1 Gen V crank includes the 58-tooth reluctor for timing purposes. lunatipower.com 662.892.1500
Because the distributor gear mates to the camshaft, who better than Crane Cams to introduce a high-quality HEI distributor that is sure to light your fire? Crane saw the need for a high-quality street distributor that will meet the demands on the track without draining your wallet. The standalone HEI comes with a Crane-exclusive coil and module made specifically to higher performance standards and durability. Mechanically tighter tolerances mean an increase in timing stability and longer life. cranecams.com 866.388.5120
60 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Lunati, LT1 Gen V Crankshafts
The Shift To Braking TCI, 4L60E Auto-X Transmission Package New from TCI is is 4L60E Transmission Package that utilizes a unique valve body to enable engine braking. The complete kit includes the transmission, electronic controller and paddle shifter. This transmission provides engine braking in first, second or third gear to assist in slowing down when the manual shifter is placed in drive or third gear. Upshifting and downshifting can be controlled with the paddle shifter when the EZ Transmission Control Unit is set in the manual
mode. When the manual shifter is placed in theoverdrive position, the transmission operates without engine braking. Either a stock torque converter or a custom built unit can be utilized. For use in a wide variety of applications, the new TCI 4L60E Transmission Package is a necessity for road-race events. tciauto.com 888.776.9824
· True bolt-in horsepower
· Quicker, crisper, throttle response The Crane Cams Energizer ® Series is designed with single pattern profiles and tight lobe separation angles to produce increased torque and throttle response for non-computer street vehicles. Energizer Energize ® Cams are offered in both a broad range of duration and engine applications to match your specific requirements. Whatever your need—a daily performance driver, high torque for towing, or a street and strip high RPM weekend warrior, there is a cam designed for you. Available in either “cam and lifter kit” or “cam only”, Energizer ® Cams are the best buy in a true performance camshaft.
· Increased torque and power for non-computer controlled V-8 engines · Matching hydraulic flat tappet cam and anti-pump up lifter kits
Advertised Idle Energizer ® Duration Characteristic Grind 260 Smooth 260 H10 266 272 274 278 282 284 286 302
Smooth Good Rough Fair Rough Fair Rough Rough
Recommended
Crane Cams 10W-40 Break-In Engine Oil
866-388-5120 cranecams.com cran
266 H10 272 H10 274 H06 278 H10 282 H06 284 H12 286 H06 302 H06
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES In The Clutch Quarter Master, Optimum-SR Mustang Clutch Kits The revolutionary 10.4” Optimum-SR Clutch Kits from Quarter Master are now available for Ford Mustangs. The kits include a true racing clutch with factory driving characteristics to replace the stock component. They feature a rebuildable, billet clutch that is super lightweight and designed for higher-than-stock torque clamp loads while maintaining a near-stock pedal feel. Produced specifically for the new Mustang GT, GT500, Boss 302 and Boss 302R, the clutches provide significant weight savings and are a perfect choice for those who want to take rotating weight out of their drivetrain. The clutch design also decreases inertia, allowing the engine to rev and de-rev quicker than with the stock unit. This MOI reduction is equivalent to an eight horsepower gain. Kits include the clutch, flywheel, release bearing and release bearing adapter. quartermasterusa.com 847.540.8999
Super Shifts ATI Performance, Max Duty Super F Fluid ATI’s Max Duty Super F Full Synthetic Type F Transmission Fluid is engineered for use with large displacement, turbocharged engines or anyone looking for longer service intervals. It is formulated with an mPAO base with heavy 30-weight viscosity for less thermal breakdown, cooler temps and better converter lock-up over ATI’s standard 20-weight Super F formula. Thoroughly tested, this 100% synthetic fluid contains Type F friction modifiers for quicker, more positive shifts and longer clutch life. It is recommended for use in GM Powerglide, TH350, TH400, Chrysler TF727, TF904, Ford C4, C6 and other non-electronic transmissions. The fluid is a perfect for off-road and monster truck use as well. atiracing.com 410.298.4343
62 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Connecting The Dots Lunati, SBC 383 Stroker Connecting Rods Increasing the crankshaft stroke of a Small Bock Chevrolet engine creates a clearance problem between the connecting rod and the engine block that requires extensive modifications. Lunati cures that issue with the introduction of their Stroker Connecting Rods. These new forged H-beam rods are engineered for increased clearance to the block and a standard base circle camshaft. This solves the problem with a design that gives great clearance without sacrificing strength. The 6.000” center-to-center length of the connecting rod is the most popularly used in a stroker combination and utilizes high strength ARP 7/16” rod bolts. lunatipower.com 662.892.1500
EZ Does It FAST, EZ-EFI Fuel Self-Tuning EFI The next generation of the world’s simplest self tuning EFI system is designed for applications making up to 650 HP and features a die cast and black powder-coated, four-injector throttle body with intergrated fuel rails. It provides better fuel distribution and more airflow than the original and utilizes a secondary idle stop to help with idle adjustment. A color touchscreen hand-held features an improved Setup Wizard that asks basic questions, and tunes itself as you drive. No laptop or tuning experience is required. The hand-held includes a variety of display dashes, an easy-to-use interface and an LED indicator that signals errors or can be used as a shift light. Finally, a streamlined wiring harness incorporates a premium loom and added protective fuses, while the ECU hardware has been upgraded to protect against electrical/ignition noises and hardware damage. fuelairspark.com 877.334.8355
Protection You Can Afford RaceQuip, SportMod Helmet Racers cut corners in a lot of areas in their racing program, but one place you can’t afford to take a shortcut is in the safety department. RaceQuip has long provided top-notch safety equipment at an affordable price, and it is back with the SportMod helmet. Exceeding Snell SA2010 testing and certification requirements, this is the perfect product to protect your noggin while you are unleashing your inner speed demon on the track. The SportMod offers both safety and functionality for the racer. HNR/HANS anchors make installation a snap, and sizes are offered in XS–2XL in gloss white and flat black. And please remember…while you might be able to risk running that set of tires a little too long, a compromise in the safety department just doesn’t add up. racequip.com 813.642.6644
Breaking It Up Crane, Break-In Oil The proper break in of flat tappet camshafts and other engine components, such as piston ring seating, is paramount to longevity and performance. No one understands that better than Crane Cams. Because of government regulations in recent years, many important ingredients necessary for this longevity and performance have been reduced or removed from oils. Crane recently introduced a line of break-in oil which contains a heavily engineered grouping of oil additives, including proper levels of ZDDP (Zinc and Phosphorus) to eliminate harsh wear during break-in procedures and to optimize performance potential. Crane Cams 10W-40 Break-In Oil is suitable for all engines and valve train systems. cranecams.com 866.388.5120 Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 63
Speed SHOP PARTS / TOOLS / ACCESSORIES On Its Side Inglese, Sidedraft EFI Systems Inglese Sidedraft EFI Systems offer unique styling, modern EFI benefits and bolt-on fitment for engines using a single or dual plane 4150 flange four-barrel intake. These unique systems combine proven FAST electronic fuel injection technology with radical Inglese sidedraft styling. Designed to work with any FAST XFI or EZ-EFI system, they give customers a value-priced alternative to buying a full eight-stack system by adapting to an existing conventional four-barrel intake manifold. These adapter manifolds feature all necessary components including integrated sensors, fuel rails and linkage, and easily bolt on to any engine using a single or dual plane intake. All of the parts needed for installation are included. inglese.com 866.450.8089
works with
Clean It Up Driven, Speed Clean Foaming Degreaser
Ring Filing & Grinding Galore Total Seal, Power Ring Filer In a sport where winning and losing is separated by thousandths of an inch, it only makes sense that the tools that fine tune your engine’s components be precise. With this in mind, Total Seal brings its new Power Ring Filer to the party. Not all of us are experts when it comes to operating machines, but this tool makes life easy and produces a highly accurate finished product. Operating at 3,000 RPM and including a grinding wheel, deburring wheel and a diamond wheel dresser, the Total Seal Power Ring Filer is a must-have addition to the shop for anyone that builds engines. totalseal.com 623.587.7400 64 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Adding to its line of cleaners and waxes that currently includes Brake Cleaner, Race Wax and Speed Shield, Driven is proud to announce a new Speed Clean Foaming Degreaser. A powerful foaming agent designed to be used for all automotive, industrial and even home cleaning chores, Speed Clean Foaming Degreaser is a powerful solution which bursts through and dissolves grease for better and faster clean-up than other products on the market. Great for cleaning tire rubber and other grime, it is available in an aerosol can and is safe to use on plastic, decals, paint, aluminum, steel, and other materials. Speed clean leaves no residue. drivenracingoil.com 866.611.1820
It’s All In the Timing COMP Cams, GM LS Gear Drive Timing Sets New timing sets from COMP Cams provide the most precise cam timing possible for LS applications used in racing, street, marine and extreme applications. They do this by eliminating chain flutter and backlash and work with the stock oil pump and timing cover for all LS-based engines except dry sump models (dry sump engines require an external oil pump). The world’s only gear drives for LS engines are based on the COMP Cams LS Sprint Car Gear Drive and are designed for three-bolt cams and work with all 24x and 58x LS engines. Sets include a timing wheel for both 24x and 58x options, as well as REM-polished gears. The strongest and most rigid timing sets in existence, they are available for stock GM blocks and the RHS LS Race Block. compcams.com 800.999.0853
Ultimate Control Flex-a-lite, Three-Way Manual Override Switch Computer controls are mostly a good thing, but sometimes there are situations where the electronics simply don’t have all the information and you need to take over. Flex-a-lite makes that easy with your cooling system thanks to its new Three-Way Manual Override Switch. This can be useful if you are trying to get maximum cooling to your engine between passes on the drag strip and want to make sure the fan stays on at 100-percent power. On the other hand, if you are doing a little off-roading and want to make sure the fan isn’t damaged by trying to spin during a deep-water crossing, you can cut the system off. The switch makes it easy to manually turn the electric cooling fan either on or off no matter what the automatic thermostat controller is telling the unit to do. So that you don’t forget where you’ve left the switch, there’s a blue light signaling that the fan is on while a red one means it is off. No light means the switch is in the neutral position and the thermostat controller is in charge. flex-a-lite.com 800.851.1510
Keeping the Tension Eddie Motorsports, Big Block Mopar Serpentine Pulley Drive Systems Eddie Motorsports now offers an S-Drive Serpentine Pulley System for Big Block Mopar engines 383-426-440. The compact drive systems are American-made and come with all necessary billet aluminum pulleys and mounting brackets that are CNC-machined in-house from 6061-T6 aluminum. These are the cleanest looking systems on the market and utilize a single spring-loaded tensioner to keep the serpentine belt properly tensioned at all times; there’s no need for multiple, unreliable idler pulleys to clutter up the assembly. Available with or without power steering and/or air conditioning. Kits feature new components including a Powermaster Mopar “OEM look,” 165 amp, one wire alternator with internal cooling fan, Tuff Stuff aluminum water pump and housing, Gates tensioner and six rib serpentine belt, Sanden style A/C compressor, Maval power steering pump (where applicable) and all necessary stainless steel fasteners. eddiemotorsports.com 888.813.1293 Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 65
Flex-a-lite’s Trans Life Oil Cooler Makes Protecting Your Transmission a Piece of Cake 66 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
IT’S FUNNY THAT GETTING MORE POWER
out of your engine almost always means generating more heat. After all, unless you are cutting friction, generating more horsepower almost always involves burning more fuel by swapping in a more aggressive cam, or adding a power adder, or porting your cylinder heads so that you can pack more air and fuel into the combustion chambers. But, unfortunately, heat is also the enemy of mechanical components. Excessive heat breaks down motor oil and other lubricants, and that leads to friction destroying critical (and expensive) parts.
Installing a quality transmission oil cooler in practically any car or truck is quite easy with Flex-alite’s modular kit designed to mount its small-but-efficient Translife cooler to a Flex-afit radiator.
All oil coolers are not created equal. A quality transmission oil cooler, like the Translife unit shown here, has tubes properly sized to move thicker oil through it efficiently and the proper fin density to match. Flex-a-lite’s Translife Oil Cooler (it also works for power steering fluid for you road racers) improves cooling efficiency further by building turbulators inside the lines. The purpose is to cause the fluid to “tumble” inside the lines so that more of it comes into direct contact with the tubing’s walls to improve heat transfer.
This is just as true for the transmission as it is for the engine. Many don’t think about the need to pull heat from the transmission like they do the engine because the trans isn’t actually burning fuel, but performance driving, hard acceleration and extended periods under load can all generate extreme heat levels in both manual and automatic transmissions. If heat in your transmission is an issue, you have two options: Drive less aggressively (like that’s going to happen!) or install a transmission cooler. Most street vehicles don’t include a transmission cooler from the factory because OEM cars are designed to meet the minimum requirements for the way the great majority of the population will be driving. That means puttering from stoplight to stoplight and rarely exceeding cruising speed and RPM. So if you have any plans to take your hot rod to any track days, autocrosses or on street/strip duty, odds are you can benefit from a transmission cooler. Flex-a-lite says its tests have shown that a 20-degree drop in transmission fluid temperature can double the life of the transmission’s components. That means if you are racing or just doing a lot of hard driving, a cooler is practically mandatory. A trans cooler works just like your engine’s radiator except transmission fluid is pumped through it instead of water and/or coolant.
Flex-a-lite’s Flex-a-fit Radiators utilize tanks made from this extruded aluminum with T-channels built in. The channels not only help aid in cooling, but they are also excellent for quickly mounting brackets exactly where you need them. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 67
To mount the cooler, begin by finding a suitable location in the front of the radiator. Make sure you will have room to mount your inlet and outlet hoses.
Once you’ve found the ideal position, you can begin assembling the mounting kit. The mounting kit comes in three pieces—two attachment tabs and a center slider so that you can mount the cooler to practically any width Flex-a-fit Radiator.
You can loosen the radiator to give yourself more room. Insert the mounting kit’s T-bolts into the radiator channels in the tank and install the sides of the brackets. The T-bolts allow you to set the height exactly where you want it.
In the install shot it can be tough to see exactly how the GatorClips work, so we also included this rendering. Here, you can see the clips not only secure the cooler to the bracket, but they can also secure a guard to the front of the cooler at the same time.
The time required and complexity of installing a transmission cooler varies greatly depending on the car or truck, as well as the cooler itself. On the simple end, Flex-a-lite has developed one of the most well-designed, adaptable transmission cooler kits we’ve seen. Flex-a-lite has a wide variety of mounts to install its Translife Transmission Cooler into a variety of vehicles, but we recommend the company’s incredibly popular Flex-afit Radiators. These radiators use side tanks extruded with T-channels on the outside. The channels work well at dissipating heat but also are ideal as a way to mount the cooler. 68 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
The oil cooler attaches to the center bracket via a set of GatorClips, which attach directly to the rigid tubes. This ensures the more fragile fins won’t be damaged, reducing the cooler’s efficiency.
Once you have both center sections of the brackets attached to the cooler, install the cooler in front of the radiator by attaching the center sections to the sides you’ve already secured to the radiator. If you need to adjust anything, simply loosen the T-nuts securing the brackets to the radiator and slide them to the position you need.
Above, we show you how easy it is to install a Translife transmission oil cooler in your car with one of Flex-a-lite’s Flex-a-fit radiators. And just like that, your transmission has the protection it needs to keep from overheating on even the toughest days at the track. Source Flex-a-lite 800.851.1510 flex-a-lite.com
PROTECTING YOUR COOLNESS The best place to mount an oil cooler is in front of the radiator where it will receive maximum airflow. But that means the oil cooler is now also often exposed to the elements, including debris kicked up from the car or truck in front of you. If the cooling fins get bent, that blocks cooling air from travelling between the fins and harm’s the cooler’s efficiency. To protect your oil cooler, Flex-a-lite has designed a lineup of cooler guards built specifically to fit its Translife Coolers. The guards are fabricated from 1/8-inch aluminum to provide good protection without adding excess weight. A network of holes are punched into the guards that still promote good airflow through the cooler while each is still small enough to keep larger pieces of trash out of the cooler that could potentially damage it. The guards mount up with the same GatorClips used to mount the cooler to the radiator bracket. This minimizes complexity and they can even be painted black for a cool stealth look behind your grille.
Flex-a-lite’s new oil cooler guards are sized to fit Translife Coolers perfectly and add a nice, clean look while also protecting the cooler from debris which can bend the fragile cooling fins.
As A Teenager, You Dreamed Big... Don’t Stop now. The teenage version of “you” filled notebook cover after notebook cover with drawings of snarling hot rods that would lay waste to all comers. Fast forward to many years later and you’ve finally built the hot rod you’ve been dreaming about. The paint is flawless. The stance is spot on. There is only one problem. The practical family-man version of “you” decided to neuter the car of your dreams by installing a soul-less crate engine. We’re not saying crate engines are bad – we just think they’re a good place to start. That street machine of your dreams just isn’t complete with a crate engine. You know what you want; don’t let others make horsepower decisions for you. The hot rod of your dreams sounded and performed as good as it looked. It had plenty of performance personality and nasty attitude – we call it Hot Rod Soul. Thankfully, COMP Cams® has exactly the upgrades you need to turn that crate engine into a REAL HOT ROD. Whether you want to be “The Stoplight King” with our powerful Xtreme Energy™ Cams, or make it known you’ve arrived at the cruise-in from blocks away with the lopey Thumpr™ Series, we’ve got you covered with direct-fit cam kits and individual valve train components. Carbs? EFI? Blower? NO PROBLEM. We’ve got exactly the parts you need. They are all built with the latest valve train technology and feature American-made quality to make sure you spend time in your car instead of wrenching on it.
Here’s to Achieving Lifelong Dreams & Living with Hot Rod Soul.
The guards are fabricated from 1/8-inch aluminum to provide good protection without adding excess weight.
9248z
Engineered To Finish First.
COMPCAMS.COM • CAM HELP ® 1.800.999.0853
DYNO
10
THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU PULL ONTO THE CHASSIS DYNO
Chassis dynos often reveal hidden potential in your drivetrain. But to find it, the car needs to be properly prepared before it ever climbs up on the roller(s). That’s Andy Wicks in the foreground watching the Schwartz Performance-built ’71 Raybestos Camaro. This was the Camaro’s first test at the Car Craft Summer Nationals on the PowerHouse chassis dyno. The Schwartz-built 427ci LS cranked out an impressive 581 RWHP.
DAZE
A LONG TIME AGO, I was Shanghai’d into a ski trip despite the fact that I
didn’t even know how to stand on skis without falling down. I decided to take the bunny class but after the first few minutes, the instructor admitted, “Man, you have two left feet. I might not be able teach you how to ski by the end of the day – but I can at least teach you how to look like you know how to ski.” He showed me how to stand at just the right jaunty angle with my ski poles dug into the snow—and just stand there. “As long as you don’t move—people will think you know what you’re doing.” The point is that even if you don’t know how to tune your car, at least when you go to the chassis dyno shop you can be prepared enough to look like you know what you’re doing. That will automatically put you among the top ten percent of guys who show up at a chassis dyno facility. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 71
Spend a little time preparing for that dyno session and you will be rewarded by saving time (and money) fixing obvious problems. This allows the dyno tuner to do what you’re paying him to do—tune your car. It’s simple, but you might be surprised at how unprepared many cars are for a day on the dyno.
JUST LIKE SPENDING the time to measure bearing clearances prior to engine assembly or sanding that quarter panel until it is mirror smooth and ready for paint, preparation is the key to a successful dyno session. This story is all about preparing your car to successfully survive a dyno trip. We interviewed two chassis dyno tuners who have years of experience running chassis dynos and tuning vehicles to determine the more common mistakes that many customers make. We’ve known Andy Wicks, owner of Dyno Tune USA in Watertown, South Dakota, for years. He has run well over 12,000 chassis dyno sessions so he has the experience to back up his words. He’s seen all the classic screwups, so when he talks, we listen. We also spoke with Eric Rhee who has years of experience tuning cars and has been with Westech Performance in Mira Loma, California, long enough to warrant his insight and recommendations for this story. The point of this exercise is to give you a leg up when it comes time to take your car to the chassis dyno. The typical price for a chassis dyno session is between $100 and $150 per hour. This is expensive time, so it’s best to take full advantage. This begs the question—why would you want to spend $100 or more per hour to have somebody do the work you could easily do yourself? The answer to that question should be obvious. Here are 10 easy recommendations you can look over to see if any of them apply to your car. If you’ve got them all covered, give yourself a hearty “Attaboy,” load your car up, and hit the chassis dyno. If not, you now have a weekend project!
72 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
BASIC MAINTENANCE
This is probably the last thing you expected to read – but the brutal truth is that many cars that show up for a chassis dyno test are terribly unprepared. Let’s start with fuel. While good octane fuel sounds as basic as it gets, Andy tells us that it’s not uncommon for a performance car that has been sitting for six months to have stale fuel in the tan—or very little at all! The oil level in the engine, trans and rearend all need to be maintained, as does the cooling system. Eric tells us that he’s seen cars show up with nearly dead batteries where the car won’t start after rolling off the trailer. Imagine how embarrassing it would be to wait for the battery charger to pump up your dead battery at $150 an hour. Poor battery cables, improper grounds and accessory drive belts should be checked
and could easily be repaired at home before you hit the rollers. Wicks tells us that he always checks the condition and build date of the rear tires on cars that make even mild horsepower. “We generally spin these tires well up over 100 mph,” he says. “On the street if a tire blows, you might get lucky and drive away from the pieces. But on the dyno, that can get somebody hurt. That’s why we check the tires. We can’t take that risk.” This also applies to tire condition. Older tires tend to dry rot with obvious cracks in the sidewall or between the tread blocks. Even if human danger was minimal, a tire exploding inside a rear wheelwell can do massive damage to priceless original sheetmetal. This makes the price of a new set of tires seem minor in comparison.
The simplest and yet most often overlooked step to making good power is to check that the throttle linkage is actually producing true wide-open throttle (WOT). This is a two-person job – one to mash the throttle pedal and the second to check if the throttle blades are in fact wide open. Do we need to mention that the engine is off when performing this test?
CHECK WOT
Now we can move into areas where you might be able to improve power. When was the last time you checked to make sure the carburetor or throttle body is truly achieving wide-open throttle (WOT)? It sounds simple, but apparently this is such an easy adjustment to overlook that it is the first thing chassis dyno operators check before running the car. You will need a friend to check this correctly. With the engine turned off, have your friend press the throttle pedal all the way to the floor. Now, visually check and move the linkage by hand to see if the throttle bores are all fully open. A classic example of this oversight is a story that appeared several years ago in a national car magazine. We’ll omit the editor’s name to save him the embarrass-
ment. He had noticed that his car wasn’t pulling the mph it should at the drag strip and assumed that it was due to a lack of fuel pressure – but he never checked the pressure before tearing into the car. He installed an expensive fuel delivery system and then delivered the car to Westech for a chassis dyno test. When the first test delivered low numbers, Westech discovered that all four barrels on his carburetor were not fully opening because the linkage was improperly adjusted. After a quick adjustment, the engine immediately responded with a double-digit horsepower improvement. The engine really didn’t need the high-dollar fuel system, all it really needed was a throttle adjustment. According to both Wicks and Rhee, they see this all the time.
FRESH SPARK PLUGS
Before we get into spark plugs, answer this question: When was the last time you put spark plugs in your engine? If the plugs are more than a year old then you might want to at least bring along a fresh set. Wicks says that he often sees customers install the wrong spark plugs in their engine. It sounds silly, but here’s the scenario: A relative newbie to high performance cars buys a Fox body Mustang, and the 5.0 motor sports a set of TFS aluminum heads. He buys a set of spark plugs from his local Pep Boys, and they give him a set of plugs for a stock 1988 5.0 Mustang.
The plugs screw in, but they are not correct, and the installer fails to notice that his new tapered seat plugs have a much shorter thread compared to the correct plugs for his TFS heads that use a 0.750-inch long thread with a gasket seal. With new but incorrect plugs, the engine will run poorly because the business end of the plug is buried deep inside the threads in the chamber. Wicks says incorrect spark plug usage is a very common issue with roughly one in four cars he tests. Of course, there’s a lot of ways to make mistakes with spark plugs, so do your research first. It’s far less expensive and you don’t look like a noob.
Both of our dyno experts mentioned that it’s essential the engine has the right style of spark plug, are new, and are the correct heat range. There are at least a dozen variables to proper spark plug application for a performance engine so if you’re not sure, ask your tuner to help with that selection.
VERIFIED TIMING
Again, it sounds simple enough. Just put the timing light on the engine and read the numbers, right? Westech’s Rhee says almost half of the owners of modified carbureted street engines he tests do not have an accurate idea of where the total ignition timing is set. Wicks says his percentages may be slightly lower than that, but he agrees that he often has cars on the dyno with incorrect timing, or no timing marks at all on the engine. As an example, Rhee told us about a nice car in his shop that recently showed up with a 502ci big-block Chevy with a degreed balancerk. The owner had replaced the timing chain cover with a billet piece that looked cool, but it had no reference mark. Rhee had to take the time to build a timing marker and accurately set TDC - all while the money clock was tickin’.
In order to set proper ignition timing, it’s critical that TDC is correct. Otherwise, all subsequent timing settings will be incorrect. The best situation is a single pointer reference with marks on the balancer. You don’t need an expensive degreed balancer to do this. MSD sells inexpensive timing tapes that make finding peak advance easy.
DRIVELINE ISSUES
Wicks told us he had a customer pull his car up on the dyno with the u-joint squeaking. He asked the customer if he knew the u-joints were bad. The customer had heard the noise but appeared unconcerned. Much like the issues with old tires, at WOT in high gear, the driveshaft is spinning at engine speed. That spinning mass is creating a tremendous amount of stored energy. If you are standing a mere three or four feet away, pieces of a broken driveshaft can do all kinds of damage. “I’ve only lost five driveshafts in all the time I’ve been testing cars, which puts this situation at a very low percentage, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check,” Wicks says. “We’re often doing 140 mph—what do you expect?” It’s a good idea to address any vibration that you might feel in the car when driving at highway speeds or above. We recently did a story on the Tremec
It’s also a good idea to check the condition of the u-joints and the driveshaft itself. This aluminum driveshaft has been in contact with the floorpan causing wear that makes it a candidate for the aluminum scrap bin.
Driveline Angle app for smartphones that explains how to determine the proper driveline operating angles. This is a serious issue that can cause all kinds of dangerous vibrations if the drivetrain is improperly installed. Wicks says that if the driveshaft is a bit too short with minimal spline engagement, it only takes a slight amount of driveshaft distortion to bend the shaft slightly, which could cause the slip yoke to bind up on the
output shaft and cause massive carnage. You don’t want to be sitting in the driver’s seat when the driveshaft comes tearing through the floor. That’s why driveshaft loops are required in NHRA competition. Wicks also told us that he has seen 10plus hp gains on dirt track cars by establishing the proper pinion angle. Anytime the vehicle ride height changes, this directly affects pinion angle. That’s a tip you can put on your “Things to Do to My Car” checklist. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 73
CARB TUNING
This is why you go to the chassis dyno in the first place, right? There’s money to be saved if you tune the air-fuel ratio to be close before you roll up on the dyno. The procedure is simple. You don’t necessarily need a wide-band air-fuel ratio meter to do this. Find a quiet, safe road where you can time third gear (in a four-speed) acceleration runs from 3,000 to 5,000 rpm. Test in both directions and do at least four runs to establish a baseline. Then try jets two steps richer (unless you know the engine is too rich already). Change the jets and
retest. If the car accelerates quicker after averaging several runs then you are moving in the right direction. Other recommendations include making sure the float level in the carburetor is properly set. Did you know that minor air-fuel ratio changes can be effected by raising or lowering the float level slightly? A slightly higher float level pushes slightly more fuel through the jets while lowering the float level has the opposite effect. All of this preparation reduces the amount of tuning that will be done on the chassis dyno and saves you money.
Replacing vacuum secondary springs is a cumbersome job. That’s why Holley came out with these quick-change vacuum secondary lids. With two screws, you can change the secondary spring in about 30 seconds. This is a must-have time-saver.
FUEL FILTERS, FUEL PRESSURE, & FUELISH PLEASURES
When was the last time you checked the condition of your car’s fuel filter? Again, it’s the little things that make a difference when you are trying to make horsepower. Even with a good fuel pump, if the filter is partially plugged, it’s not hard to lose a substantial amount of fuel pressure and not notice. Reading the fuel pressure at idle with no load on the engine offers very little information other than whether the pump works. The true test is under load. That’s why you see drag racers with a fuel pressure gauge placed on the cowl in front of the windshield. They can use this to monitor fuel pressure while running down the track under full load.
Another common problem that occurs is insufficient fuel pressure. Often, this can be solved just by checking the fuel filter. When was the last time you inspected your fuel filter?
A good pressure for a Holley carburetor is 6 psi. If the pressure drops below four psi, there may be a restriction in the system. Eliminate this as a variable and your dyno session will go more smoothly.
The only way to accurately measure fuel pressure is under full load, this will require a gauge mounted on the cowl. If you check this before you go to the dyno, it might save you some time.
ADVANCE CURVES
This also falls under the heading of ignition, but in this case, it has to do with distributors that may or may not be giving you everything you want. According to Rhee, his experience with inexpensive distributors sold over the internet is that these cheap components offer too much mechanical advance—as much as 40 degrees total. He says that several times he’s seen engines where the owner set the initial timing at 15 degrees and never checked the total advance, putting the total closer to 55 degrees. That’s too much by perhaps 20 degrees. Rhee says that the cost involved in modifying these distributors to radically reduce the amount of advance negates any savings the purchaser might have gained. The alternative, he says, is to purchase a high quality distributor from a name company like MSD, Pertronix, Crane, Davis Unified, or FAST than the cheap versions from overseas. 74 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Once TDC is found to be correct, the next step is to determine how much total ignition advance is controlled by the distributor. Changes can then be made to the springs and weights to adjust the curve. For street engines, maximum advance is all in by 2,500 rpm.
Another consideration is how the distributor is set up from the factory. MSD ships the distributors not knowing how they will be used, so they are equipped with the largest (black) bushing, which limits the total amount of mechanical advance to 18 degrees.
Plus, the distributors are fitted with the heaviest and slowest advance springs so that maximum advance does not occur until after 3,500 rpm with the black bushing. Therefore, a stock MSD distributor set with 15 degrees initial timing will yield 33 degrees total – which is better than 55 degrees but probably still not ideal.
IMPROPER GROUNDS
Both Wicks and Rhee mentioned electrical issues among their top ten common problems. Within this arena, improper electrical grounds for items like electric cooling fans and electric fuel pumps are the most commonly discovered issues. A typical mistake that we’ve seen played out dozens of times is mounting an electric fuel pump in the rear of the vehicle. A large, 8-gauge power wire is routed to the pump from a relay, which is fine. But then the installer uses a 14-gauge wire for a ground, locating the ground on the body panel next to the pump. There are several problems associated with this technique. The best way to wire an electrical device like a fuel pump is to use the same large diameter wire on both the power feed and the ground. Secondly, ensure that the ground point minimizes resistance—merely grounding the pump to sheet metal without a direct path back to the battery will create internal resistance, which reduces the pump’s output. This greater resistance also affects pump durability since it now runs hotter. If you are unsure of a proper ground, you can perform a voltage drop test to determine the level of resistance.
PROPER ATTITUDE
A simple voltage drop test can evaluate how well your charging system is working. With the engine at idle, measure the voltage at the back of the alternator. You are looking for a drop of less than 0.50-volt between the alternator and the battery. If the voltage at the battery reveals more than a 0.50-volt loss, there is resistance in the charging circuit. Replace the main charging wire with larger diameter and cleaner connections with less resistance. The alternator won’t have to work nearly as hard now to charge the battery.
While neither of my sources mentioned this, I’ve seen situations like the following occur. A car owner brings his car in for testing and the shop informs him that the car has several problems that will either limit the engine’s true potential or may prevent further testing. This is where the car owner’s ego gets in the way in thinking the shop is criticizing his car and work. This also occurs when the car fails to make as much power as the owner thought and thinks it is due to an inaccurate dyno. It’s important to remember the shop wants you to have a positive experience because they would like you to return. For the most part, they probably have more experience in tuning cars, so their information should be accepted as it intended. Unfortunately, this means they must inform you of problems with your car that is limiting its power potential. These are observations intended to help you build a better car. The bottom line is to take the shop’s recommendations, fix your car and then return to measure the improvements. Both you and the shop will be happier with the results. Sources Dyno Tune USA 605.753.1101 dynotuneusa.com Westech Performance Group 951.685.4767 westechperformance.com
Among the more famous machines that have graced the rollers at Westech is the Big Red Camaro. In this photo, Steve Brule tells us that they were testing the cooling system for their “Elephant” engine, which is a 598ci big-block Chevy built by Larry Molliconi and boosted by a crank-driven ProCharger centrifugal. It makes in excess of 1,800 hp! The Westech dyno is a true eddy current electric dyno and can capture 1,800 lb-ft of torque from those killer diesel trucks. Can you say oof-dah?
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 75
AUTOMAT Story & Photos By Dragzine.com
Upgrading Our 25 Year Old AOD With A New StreetFighter From TCI 76 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
UPGRA
DURING MUCH OF THE FIRST FOX BODY craze of the mid to late 1990s, automatic (AOD) transmissions were often discarded and replaced with either a manual transmission, or in some cases, a C4 automatic. This was mainly due to some flaws in the AOD design from Ford, making it better suited for smooth shifting in Crown Victorias and Lincoln Town Cars than for high-powered runs in a 5.0-equipped Mustangs. It didn’t take long, however, for some enterprising companies to come up with ways to improve the AOD. Today, an AOD can be built to be nearly as stout as a C4, and offer street-going cars from Fox body Mustangs to hot rods and other muscle cars all the benefits of an overdrive transmission with strength to hold a lot of power. “The AOD is an ideal package for a variety of applications because it offers
With 25 years under its belt, and plans for a lot more horsepower for our future project, we felt it was time to upgrade our AOD.
ATIC
ADE
a lightweight overdrive transmission without the need for computer or other complex electrical controls,” says TCI’s Scott Miller. TCI is one of the companies expert at building AOD transmissions, and we turned to them for help with Project Rehab—our street/strip Fox body.
A Matter of Time
We were concerned that while Rehab’s AOD showed less than 80,000 miles on the odometer, our planned upgrades, coupled with 25-plus years of abuse,
The AOD is an ideal package for a variety of applications because it offers a lightweight overdrive transmission without the need for computer or other complex electrical controls. –Scott Miller, TCI
might cause it to fail sooner rather than later. We had no maintenance records on the car’s existing transmission, and no way of determining when its last service or evaluation were at the hands of someone with real transmission experience. There’s also the matter of age. Friction material is bonded to the surface of the internal clutches or frictions in an automatic transmission and torque converter. Eventually, that friction material will either wear out or begin to lose adhesion, thus leading to transmission slip or fluid starvation issues by clogging the transmission filter. Both are bad enough that they can leave the car stranded and immobile, requiring either an overhaul or replacement of the transmission. There’s also the matter of our planned upgrades. We are setting out to build a weekend cruiser that is oriented towards hitting the drag strip and competing in street car style class-
es. To meet our goals we’ll need to generate more than double the factory horsepower, and that alone is a recipe for the stock AOD to fail.
TCI Solutions
TCI builds all of their AODs using transmission cores. When the cores come into the TCI facility they are disassembled, thoroughly cleaned and inspected for damage. This damage can be cracks or holes in the case, stripped bolt holes, damage to the bellhousing or even catastrophic internal parts failure. From there, the parts which are reused (including the transmission case) are also cleaned, evaluated and refurbished. TCI employs a team of talented transmission builders. After transmission cores are cleaned and disassembled, these builders go to work on an individual transmission, building only one at at time. There is no assembly line, and while TCI has certain Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 77
With the inspection cover removed, the four nuts that connect the torque converter to the flexplate can be removed.
TCI ships the StreetFighter AOD with the converter already filled and installed. The retaining bracket for the converter must be removed.
Since TCI dyno tests its transmissions prior to shipping, it blocks off all fluid passages before shipping. We saved these plugs for use in capping the old transmission.
standards it sets, according to Miller, it is ultimately up to the transmission technician to say when a transmission has satisfied all of TCI’s criteria. Each builder signs the build sheet that the customer receives with their transmission, adding an extra level of account-
and when you start adding power, that’s usually when failures occur, so we replace it with one of our stronger pieces.” In our lockup StreetFighter AOD, the input shaft is constructed from Vasco 300 high strength steel. It also features an increased diameter
78 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
ability and personal pride to each unit before it’s shipped to a customer.
Eliminating The Weak Link
The weak link in the AOD has always been the lockup shaft. Miller tells us, “The stock input shaft is really weak,
Included with the StreetFighter AOD is the shift arm for a stock shifter. TCI also includes a new reverse light sensor already installed into the case.
The stock input shaft is really weak, and when you start adding power, that’s usually when failures occur, so we replace it with one of our stronger pieces. –Scott Miller for improved strength over the stock unit, as well as better lubrication.
Valve Body
Valve bodies are sent to a separate area for inspection and modification. These modifications improve the shifting characteristics of the transmission and will add to its longevity. Some parts in the valve body are replaced, others are refurbished after careful inspection. TCI installs its own shift-improvement kit as well as a new separator plate. Additionally, the valve body receives a TCI proprietary constant pressure modification. “Instead of the throttle valve controlling both line pressure and shifting, we set up the valve body to run at constant pressure around 170-180 psi,” says Miller. This leaves the throttle valve only controlling the shifts. Having a constant pressure valve body also means
that the AOD is less finicky with setting up the TV cable, and there’s less chance that an owner will accidentally damage the transmission by incorrectly adjusting the cable. Constant pressure also improves shift quality and improves transmission life. Each valve body is handled by a single technician from start to finish. When this specialist is satisfied with the valve body, it is tested on an inhouse valve body dyno to ensure proper performance.
Wear Parts
All of the old friction material, rubber seals, gaskets—anything that is a “wear part”—is discarded and replaced or upgraded appropriately. Upgraded clutches/frictions from Raybestos or Alto are used throughout the transmission. “There are no stock clutches in the transmission; it’s all aftermarket performance
TIPS: INSTALLATION Line up the new torque converter studs with the holes in the flexplate. We like to rotate the engine so the flexplate holes are at 3, 16, 9 and 12 o’clock positions. Then do the same on the converter. Check the engine’s rear main seal for signs of a leak. Replace it now if it’s more than a few years old or is leaking. Clean everything that is being reused to make installation easier. Inspect the bellhousing bolts for any damage and replace as needed. Inspect the starter. Now is a good time to upgrade or replace it if necessary. Check the flexplate teeth. Look for signs of grinding from the starter and chipped or broken teeth. If there’s damage, replace the flexplate. Inspect the transmission mount and the cross-member bushings. We recommend replacing these at this time. Flush the cooler lines. If reusing the stock cooler lines, get a can of cooler line flushing solution at the local parts store. Do not use brake clean. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 79
The metal on our transmission cross-member was so deteriorated that it sounded like crumpling paper when we probed it with a screw driver. To remedy this we’re installing a new cross-member and polyurethane mount. Do not use a solid transmission mount as the transmission case is not strong enough to withstand the torquing forces and will crack or break.
parts,” Miller says. These upgraded clutches feature a more aggressive friction material design, as well as greater holding capacity. Miller says that clutches are selected based on their intended use. There are two bands in an AOD, and TCI replaces both of them with heavy-duty, Kevlar-lined units. The transmission pan is replaced with a finned design, which will ensure better cooling. Each transmission is thoroughly tested before heading to the shipping department. TCI performs a hydraulic dyno session first to test the transmission separate of the valve body. It then installs the valve body and performs a second test. The entire process is computer controlled and tests manual and automatic shifting, as well as pressure and several other parameters in every gear.
The StreetFighter
Our TCI StreetFighter converter is a cool piece of transmission technology. This fully furnace-brazed lockup converter features a 10-inch top, stator, and turbine allowing it to stall to 3,000 RPM. However, it also retains a 12-inch lockup plate which allows for a stronger lockup converter with a high stall. We ordered a TCI StreetFighter AOD package, Part #431000P1. This package included our new TCI StreetFighter AOD and StreetFighter torque converter. This converter should stall 3,000 RPM, giving us a little more punch off the starting line. With the upgrades installed, and the proper torque converter and cool80 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
ing system in place, this combination is good for up to 575 HP. That’s good enough to get many cars into the 10 second zone on the quarter mile, while still letting them cruise with overdrive on the ride to and from the track. Also included in the kit are a new transmission cooler, new adjustable throttle valve cable kit, and new dipstick and dipstick tube.
Installation
Since the engine out of the original Project Rehab was to be transferred to the chassis that replaced the first car, we opted to go ahead and bolt the new transmission to it while it was on the shop floor, then install the two as an assembly. The steps are similar whether performing this job in or out of the car. With the car raised, or the engine on the ground, replacement can begin. Whether this job is done in or out of the car, the process to disassemble starts with the exhaust. The midpipe must be removed and if a car is equipped with long-tube headers, those will need to come out as well. From here, the starter can be removed as well as the inspection cover on the bottom of the bellhousing. At the rear differential, the flange and the driveshaft are marked so they can be lined up together properly and the four driveshaft bolts are removed. A drain pan is placed under the rear of the transmission to catch fluid draining out when the driveshaft is pulled out. We used a plastic tailshaft plug to stop this flow of fluid; these can be bought at most parts stores for a few dollars.
It is not necessary to drain the transmission fluid or even remove the pan, but it is advisable to drain the torque converter. With the ignition coil and the battery disconnected, the engine is rotated by hand until the converter drain plug is located, then removed. This will prevent making a mess with a large spill if the converter separates from the transmission during removal. Also, you do not need to remove the pan to remove the transmission, and that step can make more of a mess than be of help. By rotating the engine we located the first of the four torque converter studs and nuts. Each nut was then removed to disconnect the torque converter from the engine. Under the hood, the TV cable is disconnected from the throttle body and separated from the throttle brackets. We snaked this out with the old transmission, and TCI included a replacement. From here, we also disconnected the shift linkage. This involves prying off the old bushing. If you plan to reuse the stock cable and linkage, be sure to note how it all goes together. Snapping a picture with a smartphone or camera is a good idea here. We disconnected the electrical connector and inspected its condition; if yours is damaged, replacements are available. The speedometer cable is next. This requires a box wrench to disconnect and remove the speedometer sensor or gear from the transmission. On the opposite side of the transmission, the two cooler lines are also disconnected.
Y T L A I C E SP S ONLINE TOOL
Day Or Night
We installed our TV cable with the lever pointing up. This was necessary because we also installed a lever for an aftermarket shifter. The two would interfere with each other with the TV lever pointed down (stock position).
With all of these connections removed, the next step is dropping the transmission cross-member. Using a jack to support the transmission, we carefully removed the nuts and bolts that secure the cross-member. We then lowered the transmission jack to let the transmission sit at an angle. We left the cross-member attached and removed it once the transmission was out of the car. At the tailshaft of the transmission there is a bracket that retains the stock shifter cable. This bracket must be removed to get the shift cable off the transmission. It will be attached to the new transmission if a shifter that utilizes a stock cable is going to be utilized. With the transmission and engine now at an angle, a transmission jack is placed under the transmission pan, and the bellhousing bolts are removed. Using a prybar and some elbow grease, we worked the transmission off the two engine block dowels to get it free of the engine. Getting the new AOD in is fairly easy, and pretty much the reverse of removal. TCI provided in its StreetFighter kit a new set of converter nuts for securing the converter to the flywheel, as well as a new dipstick and tube.
Setting Up TV
The throttle valve (TV) cable is the link between what your right foot is demanding of the engine and what is communicated to the AOD transmission. TCI includes a new cable in the StreetFighter package. This new cable
includes hardware to connect it to a carburetor or EFI application. Since the StreetFighter AOD uses a constant pressure valve body, the TV cable only controls shift points. This should take some of the jitters out of getting the TV cable set up properly the first time. With the installation complete and the AOD secured in its mount, including the cross-member, TV can be set by doing the following: Make sure the TV cable is connected to the throttle body and the adjusting nuts are loose. With the engine shut off, have someone hold the accelerator pedal to the floor. Tug firmly on the TV cable to pull it to its maximum position. Now take the slack out of the cable and tighten the adjusting nuts so that, with the accelerator floored, the TV cable is at its maximum position. With the engine still off get under the car and have someone floor the accelerator to make sure the TV cable is moving to the maximum position when the throttle is floored. Once this is verified, test drive the car and adjust accordingly for the shift points. If shifting problems exist, adjust the cable accordingly, or consult TCI tech support. With our AOD installed, and the broken and worn mounts and cross-member replaced, we’re on our way to getting Project Rehab back on the streets and track, and we can’t wait to feel how this transmission shifts going down the road. Source TCI Auto 888.776.9824 tciauto.com
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82â&#x20AC;&#x192; Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
THREE GREAT TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR CAR WHILE IT IS STUCK IN STORAGE FOR THE WINTER
I hear people say all the time that they put fresh oil in their car when they pull it out after the winter, but that’s the wrong time to do it. – Lake Speed Jr., Driven Racing Oil
WHEN WHOEVER IT WAS FIRST UTTERED the words, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” odds are they probably were not thinking about hot rods, muscle cars or classics. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t true for our favorite fourwheeled toys. Prevention is especially important for our prized hot rods because they can’t heal themselves. Sure, you can always replace a cracked windshield or repaint a scratched fender, but lots of components for older cars just aren’t available anymore and repairs cost time and money. We don’t know about ounces or pounds, but when it comes to cars prevention is always cheaper than repair, so perhaps the saying should be changed a bit. Maybe “a couple bucks spent on prevention is worth hundreds (or even thousands) in repairs.” There, that’s it. This is definitely true when it comes to the damage that can occur to your car when it is allowed to sit for any extended period of time. Now that the seasons are changing and car enthusiasts in the northern half of the country are trying to enjoy their final few weekends before the white stuff starts falling, we thought we’d share a few great tips to help winterize your favorite car or truck. Heck, these winterizing tips are also great for your boat, motorcycle or RV. Winterizing your car should involve just a little more than throwing a cover over the vehicle and locking the garage door. Thankfully, however, it really isn’t much tougher than that. The key to winterizing any vehicle is to keep the fluids it depends on from attacking it while it sits. That means you should deal with the fuel, the motor oil and the coolant before parking your car for the winter so that it runs just as well as you remember when you fire it back up next spring. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 83
Driven Hot Rod Oil
Motor Oil
“I hear people say all the time that they put fresh oil in their car when they pull it out after the winter, but that’s the wrong time to do it,” explains Driven Racing Oil’s Lake Speed Jr. “It is so much better for your car to have fresh oil in the engine when you put it away for the winter. “Old oil that has been in your car for a while contains combustion by-products, and those aren’t good for your engine,” he continues. “That (oil) includes bits of carbon, fuel and water, and those contaminants create acids that corrode your engine during storage. The longer it is stored, the more opportunity the acid has to corrode your engine from the inside out.” Obviously, the best way to keep any acid from forming and harming your engine’s internals is not to have those contaminants in the oil. That’s why you want to drain the old oil and replace it with fresh, clean oil right before you put the car away for the winter. Just make sure to run the engine for a few minutes after changing the oil to make sure you have that fresh oil inside all the engine’s oil galleries and not just sitting in the bottom of the pan. The motor oil you choose can also help keep your car in a healthy state throughout the long winter months. Besides their excellent lubrication qualities, Driven’s Hot Rod Oils actually contain better rust inhibitors than any other widely available motor oil. The package Driven uses was originally developed for use by the U.S. military for its vehicles, which often have to sit for extended periods but still be ready for rapid deployment. When it is time for action, the Army doesn’t have time to do a bunch of engine rebuilds, so if this additive package can prevent rust over extended periods in some of the worst conditions imaginable, you can imagine the excellent job it will do with your Camaro. In addition, Driven’s HR Oils also have more Zinc (or ZDDP) than most other oils. Zinc is primarily used to protect the mating surfaces between the camshaft and flat tappet lifters by creating a sacrificial barrier that keeps the metal components from grinding themselves up. That barrier also blocks air and oxygen from getting to the metal so the oxidation process cannot begin to create 84 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Driven Carb Defender
damaging rust. Plus, even if most of the oil has drained back into the pan over the winter, the protective coating left by the Zinc will help keep your valuable engine components from eating themselves up until the oil pump is able to push fresh oil everywhere it needs to be.
Fuel These days, practically all gasoline blends contain some percentage of Ethanol. Ethanol is a form of alcohol which can actually draw moisture out of the air and into the fuel. While a car is in storage, moisture can build up in the fuel and corrode the metal in the carburetor, fuel pump and tank. Plus, the alcohol can dry out gaskets, the fuel pump diaphragm and rubber fuel lines, causing them to break down and leak faster. Driven Racing Oil’s Carb Defender is a new product designed specifically to fight the harmful characteristics of Ethanol. Unlike most other products on the market, Carb Defender doesn’t try to chemically change the fuel—which can affect performance—instead, it creates a microscopic coating on everything in the fuel system to keep both the Ethanol and moisture from being able to do any damage. It also lubricates all the non-metallic components to keep them from drying out and cracking. Carb Defender simply needs to be added to the fuel tank during a fill-up. It’s beneficial to any car when used on a regular basis, but it is also especially helpful as a winterizer. Just add a bottle to the last couple of tanks of fuel before the end of the driving season and your fuel system is protected all winter long. In addition to using Carb Defender, you can also limit the amount of moisture that builds up in your fuel over the winter by storing your car with the tank completely topped off. This may seem counter-intuitive at first, but it works. By filling your tank absolutely full, that pushes out any air in the tank. The fuel tank is vented, so there is no way to completely get rid of contact with the atmosphere, but since the fuel is all the way up to the filler tube that means the fuel’s contact area with the atmosphere is a couple of square inches, instead of two or three square feet when the tank is only half full.
Have you ever wondered where all that sludge comes from when you drain the coolant from an engine block or radiator that’s been in there a little too long? It’s from the water that you put into the radiator (usually in a 50/50 ratio with antifreeze) to protect your engine from overheating. That may be shocking to hear, especially since you probably drink water from the same tap that you used to fill your coolant system. But the sludge isn’t in your water, it is the product of a chemical reaction between minerals like calcium, sodium and magnesium that are common in tap water, and the metal in your engine block. Over time the chemical reaction creates not only that tell-tale sludge buildup, but also damaging corrosion inside the block that cannot be repaired. “The purity and quality of water varies massively,” Speed says. “When you have dissimilar metals in the water and the engine block, it can create corrosion. That’s why we created CSP, which stands for Coolant System Protector, to protect cars from this problem. “CSP uses a chemical called a chelant which basically functions as molecular police. The chelant bonds with the metals in the water, rendering them inert, or basically handcuffing them so that they cannot be the conductors for corrosion.” Running CSP year round is a good idea, but if you are currently only running a blend of antifreeze and water it isn’t too late. Even if you don’t have the time, or the energy, to drain and flush your coolant system before putting your car away for the winter, just add a bottle of CSP and run the engine for a few minutes to thoroughly mix it with the coolant.
BY LOOKING AFTER the three areas we’ve covered and spending a few bucks on Driven products to protect your car or truck, you can save big money on repair bills down the road. And just as important, you can sleep easy knowing your car will run as well as it ever has after a long winter in storage. Source Driven Racing Oil 866.611.1820 drivenracingoil.com
Better ETs At The Track & More Fun On The Street BOLT-TOGETHER TORQUE CONVERTERS
FOR GM 4L60E, 4L80E & 6L80 & FORD 6R80 TRANSMISSIONS New Triple Disc Lock-Up Converters Provide Big ET Gains At The Track And Huge Improvements In Street Performance. Available for vehicles with GM 4L60E, 4L80E, 6L80 and Ford 6R80 transmissions, these direct bolt-in converters feature a two-piece billet housing and innovative triple disc lock-up design that puts more power to the pavement. Need to make a stall change or flush the converter after transmission failure? It’s no problem thanks to the user serviceable bolt-together design. Even more notable are the performance results with documented improvements of up to 7-tenths in the 1/8 mile without sacrificing street manners. A patent-pending sprung hub allows for smooth engagement while preventing shudder, absorbs harsh impact loading – thereby greatly increasing transmission life – and provides harder launches without ECU tuning. There are no error codes or required tuning to worry about, and forget about surge problems... simply bolt it in and go. The converters are built to take a beating too. They provide unparalleled strength and performance consistency in part due to the tig-brazed impeller and fully furnace-brazed turbine. A 50-spline clutch hub is also integral in allowing these converters to handle torque capacities of up to 730 ft./lbs. Each unit is 100% hand-built by skilled craftsmen and triple tested before earning the TCI® logo.
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The Difference Is Inside
The triple disc clutch utilizes woven carbon fiber designed to withstand continuous-slip lock-up control, handle higher torque capacity and provide unmatched clamping force. Find Us:
TRANS HELP™ 1.888.776.9824 • TCIAUTO.COM
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Coolant
CRANE CAMS: THE
THE WHITE SANDS of Daytona Beach, Florida, are synonymous with the world of high performance. Land-speed contests featuring daredevils like Malcolm Campbell initially put the region on the map in the first half of the century. Later, events on the beach and road course utilizing Highway A1A, the opening of Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona 500’s evolution into “The Great American Race” have made the coastal town the spot where the ocean’s serenity intersects with the roar of hundreds of horsepower. As a result, speed shops and racing businesses dot the coastal landscape. Crane Cams is one of the most historic of these companies that is now located in the motorsports-mad region, and it is still going strong more than 60 years after its founding. “We’re really excited about our custom tool steel camshafts and our ignition products, both are growing by leaps and bounds right now,” says Crane general manager, Rick Rollins, about his company’s outlook for the future. “Crane is also gearing up to get back in the cam 86 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
core manufacturing business, which was once one of our staples. New equipment is being brought in as we speak to put us back in this important manufacturing process.” To truly understand where the company is today, however, it’s important to look back at where it came from. The Crane story began 250 miles south of Daytona, in Hallandale, Florida—near Miami. There a young apprentice machinist named Harvey Crane, Jr., ground his first camshaft in the corner of his father’s machine shop with the intent to soup up his flathead V8 Ford hot rod. Utilizing a well-used cylindrical grinder, Harvey soon developed a small, but loyal following of racers and hot rodders in the southeast. This early generation of gearheads found that “Crane” camshafts created more power and were more accurately made than those Harvey and others had been ordering from ads in hot rod magazines. “Harvey Crane started it all,” Rollins explains. “His ingenuity, resourcefulness and passion for the performance business are the cornerstones of our company. He was an
incredibly talented guy and a very forward thinker. Without him the speed industry wouldn’t be what it is today.” The Crane business grew quickly with Crane-equipped drag racers soon taking major wins at prestigious events around the country. In 1967 Crane was part of the founding group when NHRA formalized its Major Sponsor program. “Ohio George” Montgomery, Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins and Don Schumacher were among the racers who ran Crane parts. Meanwhile back in Florida, the company was always moving forward, patenting roller lifter technology, introducing “Gold Race” aluminum rocker arms and pioneering the use of computers to design cam profiles. “The Crane reputation was staked upon our gold rocker arms, high-end roller lifters and unique camshaft designs,” Rollins says. “We are still incredibly proud of those components and they continue to be some of our most popular products nearly half a century after they were introduced.” Already legendary in the drag racing scene, word of Crane’s powerful yet reliable camshafts and valve
Harvey Crane started it all. He was an incredibly talented guy and a very forward thinker. Without him the speed industry wouldn’t be what it is today. – Rick Rollins General Manager, Crane Cams
This machine shop in Hallandale, Florida, is where Harvey Crane ground his first camshaft and launched Crane Cams over 60 years ago.
train components reached the circle track community in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Once again there were plenty of major racing names who used Crane parts. Junior Johnson, Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip and A.J. Foyt are just a small sampling of those who visited Victory Lane with Crane decals on their cars and the company’s valve train under their hoods. In addition to its racing endeavors, throughout the years Crane was often tapped to supply valve train parts for racing and high performance vehicles from GM, Ford, American Motors and Chrysler. It has even produced components for Mack Trucks, Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Mercury Marine, Ram
Sports Aircraft Engines and Lycoming Aircraft. In 1985 Crane left its longtime home in Hallandale to occupy a new 160,000-square-foot facility in Daytona Beach, just five short minutes from Daytona International Speedway. It seemed fitting, as the company’s products had turned lap after lap and contributed to untold race wins on the superspeedway. The move further expanded Crane’s own footprint and added another major name to the legendary performance scene in Daytona. Always expanding and growing, Crane introduced the industry’s first digital ignition in 1995, which was followed by a number of other revolutionary ignition products.
Today Crane Ignition can be found in the Late Model circle track world, and it also provides powerful ignition systems for drag racing, along with points replacement options to upgrade classic vehicles while maintaining a stock appearance. After a period of uncertainty and some splintering of its divisions, today the Crane Cams business is united under one front. Its mission remains to provide top-performing valve train components and ignition products to racers and performance enthusiasts around the world. The company is owned by a management group that understands the industry and can provide the resources needed to allow Crane to continue to break ground in the valve train and ignition markets. Crane Cams has the industry’s largest camshaft database with over 80,000 unique grinds, and it utilizes a variety of state-of-the-art R&D and manufacturing resources including CNC machining centers, dyno cells and Spintrons. It also supplies CARB-approved camshafts to government-certified emissions standards and employs dozens of experienced engineers and technicians. “Crane Cams went through some rough times but the manufacturing staff, plant workers, the skilled machinists and cam design people are still here,” Rollins says. “We have people on our workforce with 30 to 45 years of experience designing and manufacturing performance camshafts, valve train and highend ignition systems. Crane Cams is back in the growing stage and we are here to stay.” The company is helping to author the story of the next century of performance on the beach. Source Crane Cams 866.388.5120 cranecams.com Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 87
UNDER PRESSURE
How to Set Dynamic Fuel Pressure for Nitrous THE MILITARY HAS A SAYING that you train like you
fight and fight like you train. The same can be said for tuning high performance engines. An essential tuning requirement to ensure your engine is safe is that you must ensure the fuel pressure and volume is sufficient when the engine is under load at rpm—not idling in your shop. Rather than make estimated guesses, or make multiple passes, to get the fuel pressure dialed in properly, there’s a much easier way. ZEX offers a dynamic fuel pressure test gauge that will allow a nitrous racer to accurately dial in his fuel pressure. The tool is affordable and can accurately simulate the amount of fuel used by a nitrous system and 88 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
the pressure delivered by the system under load, all with the engine not running. First, let’s cover some nitrous basics. All plate nitrous systems are designed to deliver a given amount of fuel along with the nitrous. The tune is determined not just by the size of the supplied nitrous and fuel jets but also relies heavily on proper pressures for both nitrous and fuel. As an example, the standard ZEX plate nitrous system (PN 82040) uses a combination of 62 nitrous and 53 fuel jets for a 150 hp tune with 6 psi of fuel pressure and 950 psi nitrous pressure. Common sense dictates that if the nitrous or fuel pressures change, the flow rates will also change.
Checking dynamic fuel pressure is the only way to know for sure that the correct pressure is pushing the fuel. Nitrous can be unforgiving for those who discover only too late that the system was a bit too lean because the fuel pressure was incorrectly set.
This is the ZEX nitrous fuel pressure test gauge set. It uses a high quality liquid-filled Winters 0-15 psi gauge along with a few fittings and selection of jets that will simulate the actual fuel pressure through your nitrous fuel jet.
The result of any combination of these situations is that as demand for fuel increases, the pressure will drop. This reduces the overall volume which means the engine runs lean. Under nitrous, this can result (at best) in a loss of power. At worst, this can cause melted spark plugs, melted pistons, and other equally nasty repercussions. To avoid these expensive lessons, dynamically testing the fuel delivery system is a smart move before you squeeze the nitrous button.
Fuel Delivery Systems
On the nitrous side, ZEX assumes the bottle pressure will be 950 psi. On the fuel side, the tuning recommendation for the 150 hp kit demands a fuel pressure of 6 psi. You might also note that other nitrous companies will use a different combination of jetting for the same horsepower setting. This is because their tune may only demand 5 or 5.5 psi as a base fuel pressure. Generally speaking, a higher base fuel pressure will require a smaller jet to flow the same volume of fuel compared to a lower fuel pressure. As for nitrous pressure, most systems operate with a base pressure of 950 psi. There’s a reason that tuners should avoid higher pressures, but we’ll save that discussion for a separate story. Where many enthusiasts can get into trouble is that they assume fuel pressure is the same whether the engine is idling or making full power. With nitrous, this can be a very costly oversight. When an engine is idling, it is using very little fuel so almost any fuel pump can supply both pressure and fuel flow. But under load, there are dozens of variables that can affect fuel pressure ranging from a slightly undersized pump, a hydraulic restriction in the line such as too many 90-degree fittings, or perhaps the fuel filter is a restriction.
Carbureted plate type wet nitrous systems are the most popular systems on the market so we will deal with that kind of a system in this story. But the basics of checking dynamic fuel pressure are still the same. You may have to change the way you test, but ensuring that the fuel delivery system is fully functional remains the ultimate goal. Most nitrous system users tap into the existing fuel delivery system so that both the engine and the nitrous feed off this one system. Slightly more sophisticated is a dual system where one pump feeds the engine and a separate pump and regulator feed the nitrous system. We will deal with both, but let’s start with how to test fuel pressure on a dedicated fuel delivery system. After that we’ll come back to a single fuel system and how to test it. Most nitrous fuel delivery systems are designed as dead head systems. This is where the pump picks up fuel from the tank, preferably through a pre-filter, through a second filter, and up to the fuel pressure regulator before it reaches the fuel solenoid. This is a very simple system, and what the ZEX tool was designed to test. Merely turning on the fuel pump and measuring the pressure with the pump pushing against a closed fuel solenoid tells us very little. This will produce the maximum amount of pressure that the pump can provide but this pressure will drop dramatically as soon as fuel flow begins when the fuel solenoid opens. The ZEX tool simulates this action of an operating fuel solenoid and flowing fuel through the jet. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 89
Greg Smith’s ’55 Chevy with its Dart-block 434ci small-block made an honest 685 hp on Westech’s engine dyno. Under the carburetor is a simple Edelbrock 150 hp plate system.
This is a tight shot of the small brass fitting on the end of the pressure tester that houses the fuel jet. Installing the jet that corresponds to your carb will allow you to accurately set your fuel pressure with the system operating.
This bench top layout of a pump, regulator, and nitrous plate shows you how the ZEX system test works. We place the T of the gauge in the line downstream of the nitrous system’s fuel pressure regulator. On the end of the small AN line is a fitting that houses the fuel jet—which is dumped into a catch can. This is the only way to accurately measure nitrous system fuel pressure.
We had used our ZEX tool several times before with excellent results. But when we hooked it up to Greg’s Chevy, the gauge did not register despite a strong stream of fuel. After some investigation, we learned that the glycerin inside the gauge must be vented to prevent pressure buildup or the gauge will read inaccurately.
Dynamic Testing
We found that Greg’s on-board AutoMeter gauge read about ½ psi higher than our Winters gauge.
After venting the glycerin in the gauge—the bubble indicates the gauge is not pressurized—we could then measure fuel pressure and set the nitrous pressure at 5.5 psi.
The ZEX tool consists of an accurate 0-15 psi pressure gauge connected to a running tee. One end of the tee is connected to the outlet from the regulator to the fuel solenoid. The other end of the tee uses a braided hose with a fitting on the end that will accept the fuel jet which will be dumped into a catch can. The idea is as simple as it is elegant. The best way to determine the dynamic fuel pressure is to flow the same amount of fuel as the nitrous system will demand. All we have to do is install the fuel pressure gauge in between the pressure regulator outlet and the nitrous jet. With the fuel pump delivering fuel, it is a simple process to adjust the fuel pressure to the desired specification. 90 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
We decided to test this system, Greg Smith’s 434ci smallblock ’55 Chevy. The small-block makes 680 hp on pump gas and the car runs deep in the 10’s, but for a little added kick, Greg also has a 150 hp nitrous kit. The engine is fed by a full return style fuel system using a sumped tank and an Aeromotive A-1000 pump running 6 psi of fuel pressure. Rather than tap into that system (which would have worked fine) for the nitrous, Greg built an entirely separate fuel system using a small, Holley (70 gph at 9 psi) pump and a pressure regulator. The pump has sufficient capacity to deliver over 750 hp worth of fuel at 9 psi, so 6 psi worth of fuel for a 150 hp nitrous system will be no problem. Once we connected the ZEX pressure gauge to check the pressure, we expected to see 5 to 5.5 psi. But instead, the gauge did not register. We had fuel flow under what appeared to be more than sufficient pressure, but the gauge indicated zero pressure. Then we remembered reading that if the pressure gauge had been subjected to high temperatures (above 100 degrees F), the liquid inside the gauge can expand and exert force on the mechanical movement in the gauge. We noticed that the normal air bubble in the gauge was no longer present, so we removed the sealed rubber inlet where the glycerin is added, which equalized the pressure.
VOLTAGE VARIABLES
Our second test was on our 4.8L nitrous LS engine currently configured with a standard NOS Cheater system that we will soon convert to a ZEX perimeter plate system.
This is our pair of Weldon fuel pressure regulators. The unit on the right is the return regulator that controls system fuel pressure with a return back to the tank. That main regulator connects to a dead-head regulator on the left that is set to 5.5 psi and controls fuel pressure to both the carb and nitrous. The large knurled knob on the far left adjusts the pressure.
We also drained a small amount of glycerin to create an air bubble. We then reconnected the gauge and it was now reading properly. Greg had been running slightly more than 6 psi of fuel pressure, but by adjusting the pressure regulator we dropped it down to 5.5 psi. In our second system test, we decided to look at the fuel pressure for the 4.8L LS motor in our ’66 Chevelle, which is designed a little differently. The car uses a Weldon Racing fuel pump mounted at the rear of the car with a complete return system using TechAFX PTFE fuel lines. This delivery system is a bit different in that it uses two regulators. The first regulator sets the system pressure at 12 psi, returning unused fuel to the tank. The outlet of this main regulator is connected to a second dead head regulator that feeds both the carburetor and the nitrous system. Since the pump has sufficient capacity to feed over 800 hp, we did not see the need to create a second delivery system when we added the nitrous system. The way the system is currently configured, we used our ZEX gauge to make sure that our dynamic fuel pressure was accurate to our AutoMeter gauge. Unfortunately because of the configuration, this test isn’t completely accurate since the engine is not under load and only the nitrous portion is flowing fuel. But our experience told us we have more than enough fuel pressure. Another limitation to this configuration is that adjusting the nitrous fuel pressure also lowers or raises the pressure to the carburetor. This is a minor issue that has not
Once we sat down to write this story, we realized that we had inadvertently omitted an important variable. All this testing with the car static and engine not running left out the minor fact that the charging system was not operating. Running the pump at 12.5 volts isn’t the same as 14.0 volts when the engine is running and the alternator charging. We went back to Greg’s car and hooked up a battery charger that put 13.9 volts into the battery and then ran our dynamic pressure test again with identical results. The best thing is to measure the battery voltage while performing your test to ensure you have sufficient voltage. Otherwise, low battery voltage could cause a reduction in pump capacity and slightly higher nitrous fuel pressure when the alternator is supplying 14 volts to the system. Of course, if your race car is using a 16-volt system, you will need to test at that voltage, since an electric fuel pump will supply substantially more fuel at 16 volts than it does at 12.5.
We checked the system pressure using the ZEX tool to bleed the amount of fuel typically used by the nitrous. This test was executed without the fuel demand from the engine, but our experience with this system is that it has more than enough capacity to supply sufficient fuel for this total demand. All we wanted to do was ensure that the fuel pressure was indeed the 6 psi spec. We adjusted the regulator until the gauge read 6 psi and we were ready to go.
caused any problems while running 5.5 psi pressure for the nitrous, which was the case in our situation.
Conclusion
While this description may sound a bit complex, once you’ve run through the test once you will see how easy it is to complete. As with many processes—it takes longer to set it all up than it does to execute. But if you run nitrous, the tune has to be as accurate as possible, and that means setting dynamic fuel pressure is the only way to get there. Your engine will thank you.
Holley 866.464.6553 holley.com Induction Solutions 352.593.5900 inductionsolutions.com Weldon Racing 440.232-2282 weldonracing.com
Sources TechAFX 877.355.0137 techafx.com ZEX 888.817.1008 zex.com
Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 91
WHAT IS
?
AND WHY YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE FOR MOST CAR AND TRUCK enthusiasts, SEMA (Spe-
cialty Equipment Market Association) is simply an annual trade show in Las Vegas that they see on TV and read about on the internet and in magazines. Despite exhibiting lots of cool vehicles and new performance parts, the SEMA show has little real connection to most enthusiasts… other than feeding their great desire to one day attend this amazing show. But like an iceberg, that’s just the most visible part of SEMA—which is in fact a trade organization of members and companies. The programs, council meetings and events staged by SEMA affect everyone with an interest in cars, right down to car show attendees in your own hometown. Begun by a group of enthusiasts who loved their cars and trucks and wanted to turn that love into more than just a hobby, SEMA began 46 years ago, and today offers a huge number of services and benefits for over 7000 members and companies. At its core, SEMA protects the interests of businesses offering customized parts for sale throughout the world. Per the SEMA website, “SEMA works hard to protect consumers’ rights to drive accessorized, customized and vintage vehicles. SEMA keeps close tabs on legislators in Washington, D.C. and also in each state within the United States. SEMA members and anyone who loves cars and trucks can protest pending legislation that might harm our hobby, as well as endorse legislation that’s good for car lovers.” A key ingredient in SEMA’s efforts to help car enthusiasts and businesses is the huge number of special
92 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
SEMA-based councils dedicated to addressing special interests of SEMA members and car enthusiasts everywhere. SEMA offers an amazing number of services for manufacturers, including Tech Transfer and Measuring Sessions that help companies obtain specifications and information about new vehicles so they can develop new aftermarket parts. From new custom wheels and body components to engines and powertrain systems that further enhance the stock power of these new vehicles, these two SEMA programs have had a dramatic effect on the market today. For automotive-oriented business owners, SEMA offers an amazing number of leadership and educational programs to help them succeed. From better marketing and accounting practices to creative ideas for Point of Purchase displays, SEMA stages online classes that anyone can attend. The creation of the new SEMA Data Co-Op established a uniform database so all companies can communicate on an equal plane about their newest and most profitable products. Visiting www.sema.org will help give perspective as to just what SEMA means beyond that “killer car show” they stage every November. SEMA works 365 days a year to benefit car enthusiasts and automotive businesses worldwide. While the SEMA show is exclusively for industry members, the public can attend the new SEMA Ignited car show on Friday evening. If you’ve never been, it’s well worth your time and could just inspire you to become a member.
How does SEMA affect the local car fan? Take a look. What you may have missed as an enthusiast are the cool programs SEMA offers folks like you.
Collector Car Appreciation Day
July 11th, an officially celebrated day on the calendar as passed by the US Senate, is considered the biggest day of the year for cruising in your favorite ride. Conceptualized by the SEMA Action Network, the SEMA website offers ways of staging your own local Collector Car Appreciation Day.
RASR.info
As part of SEMA’s Action Network, the Racers Against Street Racing are dedicated to safe competition on legal racetracks. On this website you will find a dedicated track-finding feature to help you find a track in your area. Their main message is, “If you want to race, go to a racetrack.”
TakeAKidToACarShow.com
This site shows car fans how to stage car shows, have a local car cruise or simply stage car club meetings. Here you can download free apps and even coloring books to help the next generation of car enthusiasts get an early start.
EnjoyTheDrive.com
This massive website delivers the perfect place for any enthusiast to see everything there is to know about SEMA. At its most basic, EnjoyTheDrive.com is a clearinghouse of the newest parts available from SEMA member companies, as well as events. This is also one of the best ways into SEMA’s social media content where you can find friends or post comments and pictures of your favorite vehicles.
Motorsports Awareness
Not far off from the TakeAKidToACarShow program, MPMC’s Motorsports Awareness program promotes taking a friend who has never been to a motorsports event along with you and letting him or her experience the event first hand. Vol. 5, Issue 1 / Power & Performance News 93
Missions of the SEMA Councils
SEMA’s councils are where much of the investigative work takes place on industry topics. From teaching positive leadership and business practices to protecting against legislative actions that could damage our hobby, it is in these councils that powerful work happens.
Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO) ARMO is committed to preserving and promoting the automotive restoration industry through its projects, education programs and by monitoring legislative and/or regulatory issues that may affect our members, thus ensuring the longevity and prosperity of the automotive restoration industry.
Emerging Trends & Technology Network (ETTN)
Newest of the SEMA councils, the mission of the ETTN is to “Identify, understand and communicate emerging trends and technologies to help members improve.”
Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA)
HRIA’s primary objectives are to ensure the future prosperity of the hot rod industry and to advance and promote awareness of the hobby.
Light Truck Accessory Alliance (LTAA)
The LTAA council provides valuable tools and events for retailers and manufacturers to plug into and grow their collective businesses.
Manufacturers Representative Network (MRN)
MRN’s mission is to provide a forum for manufacturers’ representatives in order to increase their impact as an industry, explore issues of common interest and concern, increase their collective knowledge and elevate the overall image of the profession.
94 Power & Performance News / Vol. 5, Issue 1
Motorsports Parts Manufacturers Council (MPMC)
MPMC’s primary objective is to provide meaningful solutions to industry-specific issues and challenges, thereby perpetuating the growth and prosperity of motorsports parts manufacturers.
Professional Restylers Organization (PRO)
The Professional Restylers Organization is dedicated to addressing the challenges facing the restyling segment of the automotive aftermarket and to developing effective strategies for dealing with industry-specific issues.
SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN)
The SBN’s mission is to provide networking, education and recognition opportunities for professional women in the Specialty Equipment Industry which will enhance their careers and positively impact the growth of the entire automotive aftermarket.
Wheel & Tire Council (WTC)
The Wheel and Tire Council’s mission is to identify common problems and opportunities relating to the custom-performance wheel and tire industry, which the council, as an interested body of companies, can address for the common good.
Young Executives Network (YEN)
The Young Executives Network’s mission is to cultivate young talent in the automotive aftermarket through implementation of education and networking programs.
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