Power & Performance News Spring 2016

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The Other Guys Count On You Not Knowing The Difference

Driven Racing Oil™ is different. Our products use the latest technology to solve problems unique to racers and performance enthusiasts.

Born out of necessity when NASCAR teams started experiencing flat tappet cam failures, the Driven Racing Oil brand is built upon a “problem solver” approach that yields proven results in performance, durability and the ability to react quickly to changes.

Driven products are unique because we always put the “motor ahead of the molecule.” We look at real-world conditions and usage before using a “zero compromises” approach to create application-specific products with measurable performance advantages.

Lubricant technology is constantly evolving and Driven leads the way utilizing the latest research data, technology and chemistry. This motivated quest not only includes solutions for all areas of lubrication, but also fuel products, cooling systems and even paint care products that clean, shine, and shed dirt and tire rubber like no other. In short, Driven offers the best fluid technology wherever a fluid is needed.

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Driven’s first victory was BR Break-in Oil, which all but eliminated camshaft failure during engine break-in. A full line of oils quickly followed.

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Learn what sets Driven apart from all the rest.

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Bench RACING FROM THE EDITOR If you love your car, read this!

W

Staff Group Publisher

Shawn Brereton

Editorial Director Cam Benty Senior Tech Editor Jeff Smith Tech Editor

Richard Holdener

Contributors Shawn Brereton Lake Speed Jr.

Brandon Flannery Manufacturers

Advertising/Subscriptions Ivan Korda Dave Ferrato Jonathan Ertz For advertising inquiries call 901.260.5910.

Copy Editor

Cindy Bullion

Production

Hailey Douglas

Art

Jason Wommack

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

SPLITR: RIN GBROS

COVER Ted7 Photography captured this ’69 Camaro built by CR Supercars.

To see more check out page 26

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hile I had hoped with my first editorial for PPN to do something light and airy, there are too many important issues to tell “car stories” right now. Frankly, bench racing is one of my best talents, but I’ll save some of the fun stuff for next issue and just mention I’ve been in the car business for over three decades with plenty of well known automotive roles to my name.

However, I will use this fine stage to run something by you.

Back in the early 1980s, when I was editor at Popular Hot Rodding, the “brand new” California Air Resources Board put down a mandate that all stories addressing engine modifications were to be tagged with a Surgeon General Warning-style label that said this operation might not be legal on California registered vehicles.

As a result of that mandate, I requested a meeting at CARB to discuss the issue and determine if there was some other possible solution. The meeting was held in the lead CARB executive’s office, which was highlighted by large wall-mounted bar graph that touted their top targets — those sources of pollution in the southern California area that were damaging our air. After some discussion, I asked which bar graph was “ours,” the one that contained the pollution derived from the automotive hobbyist or racer? To spare you the details, I was told none of them included our group and that we were too small to measure. In effect, we were high profile, and that made us a target. Our pollutant output was “insignificant.” After a time, CARB dropped the mandate. They dropped that element of their cause.

Today, we are faced with a much more serious issue, all directed towards this insignificant amount of pollution. This time it is the EPA which has the same target (and if they have their way come July, it will be law), stating their interpretation of the 1970 Clean Air Act was that “any vehicle that was produced by a manufacturer that was originally emissions compliant could not be taken out of compliance.”

Now think about that for a minute. Yes, that IS what it means. You know all those drag cars that populate our drag strips (short of the purpose-built dragsters and tube chassis cars that never contained a VIN) their owners will be breaking the law. The street machine hobby in its entirety is now threatened.

What’s worse is while the EPA does not have the machinery to come knock on your door to check under the hood, they can stop manufacturers who make these parts, or control those suppliers that mail parts to your home or business.

So, it’s time to light your torch, pick up that pitchfork and call your congressmen (for real this time, this is serious). This EPA cause becomes law in July if you don’t act. It is up to you. SEMA is working hard to stop this attack, but this is a major issue that threatens your car building future and the jobs of many. And it’s not just a California thing, it is all of us.

But beyond your congressional complaint, make sure you tell your congressman to support H.R. 4715 — the RPM Act which would ensure that converting street vehicles to race cars used exclusively in competition does not violate the Clear Air Act — specifically revoking the EPA’s directive against vehicle and engine conversions.

PLEASE go online to SEMA.org and click on the link for the RPM Act. It is a window that allows you to write your congressman quickly and with minimal effort. Two minutes maximum of your time to save an industry.

Thanks, I promise you a bench racing story for next time. Okay?

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Fast TALK WITH JEFF SMITH

Pomona didn’t disappoint

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’ve just returned from the Street Machine Nationals car times when it comes to show in Pomona, California. This is a fun little two-day turning corners. show held at the Los Angeles County fairgrounds in the In a short trackside shadow of the storied Pomona drag strip, where NHRA discussion between holds the WinterNationals and World Finals every year. rounds, Cronin said the The Street Machine Nationals has far less history since this small block was around was only its third year, but we’re already having a blast.

355 inches with some Family Events asked me to oversee a little competition compression and aluwe’ve created called the Street Machine Challenge (SMC). minum heads. But once It consists of a three-tiered competition with a chassis we put his car up on dyno, an autocross, and a go-whoa contest we call Stop the chassis dyno, some Box. In this event, you accelerate from a standing start into tuning issues reared a box that is 25 feet long and 12 feet wide. The end of the up, and the engine barely managed 260 hp. Now think box is defined by a line of cones. The trick is to stuff your about this. Another driver in the Late Model class cranked car into the box in the shortest time possible. out nearly three times that horsepower on the same dyno The event went very well with a total of 16 competiand yet was only able to wheel his car to 36-second times tors split into two classes of Muscle Car and Late Model. on the autocross. The point is not to embarrass the higher The Late Model class winner was Andrew Neir in a 2012 horsepower cars, but rather to shed light on the concept Mustang, and it was that while power is clear he knows how to always good, it’s not the drive. He had a pack of cure for slow lap times.

10 fifth-generation CaI can add my own maros hounding him the personal experience whole way, but he manto this point with an aged to stay ahead of episode that dates back them with second place to an event called the going to Jason Walker Terry Herman Memoand his 726 hp-fired surial Triathlon of Motor percharged Camaro and Sports in 1993. The third to Rick Andrade in event was a similar a 2015 Camaro. although a more high But it’s the Muscle speed affair with two Car class competition laps on a quarter-mile that really captured drag strip, three laps Casey Cronin’s ’72 Corvette is plenty quick on the autocross. Of course, those my attention. Not just on an oval track, and monster tires and a light overall weight certainly don’t hurt! It makes me because they were the four laps on a 1.6-mile wonder why I continue to try to compete with my heavy, long-wheelbase kinds of cars I grew up road course. You merely Chevelle on the autocross! with, but actually for a added your best overall much more compelling drag strip, oval track, reason. The typical contention is with enough horsepower, and road course lap times, and the quickest overall time you can compensate for not having the best tires, suspenwas the winner. There were different classes, and I was sion, or skill behind the wheel. But the truth is somebody in A Production with my ’65 Chevelle against a gaggle of with driving talent and experience can more than make up then-new Corvettes. Parked next to me in the pits was Bud for a slight lack of horsepower. The evidence for this was Clark in a most unlikely car. I had to admit my ignorance really pushed home at Pomona’s SMC. when I learned it was a 1,700 cc, 1,800-pound, front-wheelRight out of the gate, it was obvious Casey Cronin had drive Saab Sonnet. He was running in C Production, but his ’72 Corvette really working. With more than 800 runs that didn’t prevent him from kickin’ my butt on the road on Saturday, he posted one of the quickest overall times course, by 1.4 seconds against my 67-second lap effort. deep in the high 33-second bracket when much of the rest That episode was humbling but made me realize of the field was pulling 35- and 36-second times. approaching autocross and road racing with a drag This should not come as much of a shock. After all, he racer’s mindset that horsepower cures all wasn’t going was driving a Corvette. The car was all in primer with to work. It was at that time I started working instead on the interior nearly 100 percent removed short of a pair suspension, brakes, tires, and most of all on improving of race buckets and no carpet to slow him down. We’re my driving skill. I’m still only a mediocre driver, so in the process of getting all the details to do a story on there’s loads of time left to improve. That’s what makes this little rocket, but it’s obvious his goal is very quick it so much fun.

2 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

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TECH 14 COOL TECH TIPS

FEATURES 22 NEW SHOP CLASS

20 WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT OIL

26 PRO TOURING PERFECTION

Racer or part-timer, these tips are for you!

There is more to oil than you think

32 A REAL WORLD STROKER

Dan Livezey’s new Optima Challenge engine

42 KILLER CAMARO

LS cranking out 690 “streetable” horsepower

50 HOW TO: SERPENTINE PULLEY Not all serpentine systems are created equal

60 TECH GUIDE: 5-SPEED TRANS Everything you need to know about 5-speeds

74 Q-JET TUNING

Alex Xydias creates a school in LA Our cover car slows down just enough to pose for PPN

36 RING A BELL?

Ringbrothers ’65 Mustang is a dream

46 OVERHAULIN’S LAST STAND A Bandit-inspired black Pontiac Trans Am

68 PROFILE: STEVE STROPE

Candid conversation with four-time SEMA Award Winner

76 RACING A Z06

Making the classic carb come alive

Krider Racing at Optima Street Car Invitational

80 COOLING THE LS

86 PONTIACS IN SPACE

High-tech radiator using SPAL brushless fans

92 STREET STRIP CAM CHECK UP

Catalina convertible helped early Space Shuttle testing

Low maintenance LS cams from Crane

Even more features, videos, & event coverage

@PPNDigital.com 4 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

CONTENTS SPEED SHOP

Monoblock Wheel Forgeline......................................... 54 Street Q Series Carb Quick Fuel.................................... 54 Polyurethane Components for Mustang Energy Suspension.............................................................. 55 Bootlegger camshaft Lunati.......................................... 55 XFI Sportsman Blow-Through Supercharger EFI System FAST.................................... 55 GM LS Perimeter Plate ZEX.......................................... 56 Hand Cleaning System Muck Daddy............................. 56 Eradispeed Brake System Baer Brakes........................ 56 6X 6-Speed Trans Package TCI..................................... 57 Mustang Clutch Kit Centerforce.................................... 58 FR Oils Driven................................................................... 58 Elite II Series Valve Covers Edelbrock......................... 58 T400 Vasco Shafts & Drums ATI Performance.............. 59 Gold-Race Rocker Arms Crane Cams........................... 59 TrueTrac Differential Eaton........................................... 59

See more new products updated daily at PPNDigital.com.

DEPARTMENTS 01 BENCH RACING We need your help!

02 FAST TALK

Burn down at SMN Pomona

08 SPEED NEWS

The latest and the greatest

10 DIGITAL GUIDE

Power and performance sites, apps, and social media

11 SOCIAL MEDIA SOUND OFF

Stay connected through social media

12 VIDEO REWIND

Racing, product and entertainment videos

91 PRODUCT REVIEW

RHS LS engine main cap puller

96 PARTING SHOT

SPECIAL THANKS The staff of Power & Performance News would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the talented photographers that supplied images found in this issue.

Ted7 Photography ted7.com

Theresa Conteras Ford Archives

Sting Ray Photography stingrayphotos.com

Stephan Wilkinson NASA Archives PPNDigital.com 5

Parnelli Jones put Ford Mustang’s Boss 302 in the record books with a Trans Am win in 1970, bringing the crown back to Ford after two years of Penske/Donohue Camaro domination. A Ford legend, Jones was to win five of the 11 races in ‘70. For 2010, Ford re-released the Boss 302 name – also offering this awesome race-ready “R” model along with its impressive streetable version. But Jones did not start his Trans Am career driving Mustangs. To see him in is formative T/A racing years — check out page 96!

6 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company Archives

Speed NEWS NEWS / HEADLINES / HOT TOPICS

SPONSORED BY

Xceleration Media goes Hollywood In yet another step demonstrating the serious nature of the Xceleration Media teams and their dedication to deliver content rich platforms, the allnew Xceleration studios are now open in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

This will allow Xceleration staff to record and produce both short format and full-feature videos on a variety of topics. The studio is large enough to capture a complete car or truck feature, do “table top” new product content, or interview industry newsmakers.

Studio benefits include: • 5,000+ square feet.

• Four unique sets that can be shot individually or three of which can be shot collectively as one large set.

• Ability to shoot installation, product spotlight, and interview-style videos.

• Position this space as an extension of our content creation capabilities for the XM titles.

Stay tuned for upcoming web show releases from XM!

Plum is the new silver In the ’70s, one of the signature features to Chrysler’s “Rapid Transit” System cars was the wide variety of cool colors offered — each with some seemingly “Kool-aid” flavored derivation.

Today, the same brilliant marketing minds have prevailed, and those colors are back with a vengeance. Among the paint schemes offered for 2016-17 are Redline Red, Pitch Black Clear Coat, Granite Crystal Metallic Clear Coat, Billet Silver Metallic Clear Coat, Jazz Blue Pearl Coat, TorRed Clear Coat, Maximum Steel Metallic, and limited-edition Plum Crazy Pearl Coat, just to hit the highlights.

Best of all, you don’t have to step up to the Hellcat level to live the classic “Mopar-or-no-car,” the color is available on an assortment of the higher performance Challengers and Chargers. But if you want those cool carbon fiber-look stripes, you’ll have to go Hellcat.

8 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Speed NEWS

NEWS / HEADLINES / HOT TOPICS

Performance pioneer Currie passes If you are fan of high performance racing vehicles — be they pavement based or off-road — the name Currie is very familiar.

Currie Enterprises built a name as the go-to company for high performance rear ends and rear end components over six decades of service. An innovator and entrepreneur, Currie was a true hot rodder and racer, often competing at the original Santa Ana Drags as well as the Muroc and El Mirage dry lakes.

A Korean War veteran, Currie honed his mechanical skills working on aircraft while stationed in Oklahoma. From there, he went to work for Taylor-Dunn Manufacturing in Anaheim, California.

It was at Taylor-Dunn that Currie realized the need for high performance rear end products, working

first with Ford banjo rear ends then Plymouth drop out units and finally on the Ford 9-inch, which was to become the signature product for Currie. Not long after, Currie became the biggest supplier of Ford 9-inch rear ends to Taylor-Dunn.

As the years went on, the facility grew and Frank added tear down, rebuilding, and modification facilities for the rear ends he was supplying to Taylor-Dunn. As Currie’s boys grew, he offered them as much work as they wanted to do in the shop to earn money for fun things like motorcycles and cars. In 1985, Currie Enterprises moved again to a larger facility, and Currie’s boys took over the reins of the company as he retired to build hot rods and Jeeps.

Currie was a member of the California Roadsters car club and had

been a member of the Regroupers Jeep Club.

The family asks any correspondence or sentiments be sent to: Currie Enterprises, 382 N. Smith Ave., Corona, CA, 92880.

Update from West Bend Dyno and Teacher’s Pet In our last issue of Power & Performance News, we introduced you to the students at West Bend East and West High Schools who were lucky enough to have a creative instructor, Gerald Sorce, willing to take on something really special.

Beginning in October 2015, students began their build of Project Teacher’s Pet, a 1979 Z/28 Camaro, with plans to install a late model LS3 engine along with a number of performance upgrades including, wheel tubs, rollcage, and assorted racing features for autocross and road racing events. With the help of West Bend Dyno Tuning, the Camaro serves as a teaching platform for modern day performance and drivability instruction.

Students not only engage in the build and planning of the vehicle, but also in marketing, graphic communications, video

production, and web design, each of these groups playing a role in the build.

In February, the students took on the engine building component of the LS3, which was conducted under the supervision of the prestigious Wegner Motorsports staff. The stroked 416c.i. engine sports forged 4340 Scat crank and rods, JE Pistons, COMP Cams valve train, Del West Titanium valves, Wegner CNC ported LS3 heads, Edelbrock Super Victor intake and twopiece timing cover, MSD coils, starter and plug wires, FAST XFI Fuel injection, Custom West Bend Dyno valve covers, and a Wegner Pro touring front accessory drive.

Most recently, the unfinished Camaro was entered in the World of Wheels Show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in late February.

We are proud to say in the competitive Pro Touring

category, the Camaro collected a third place in the class — an amazing accomplishment for certain.

The goal of the project is to introduce the students to the excitement of the automotive aftermarket performance world and is scheduled to be completed

by the time school is out.

Power and Performance News has setup a landing page for updates that come from the kids on the build. Stay tuned for more updates on the car build as it heads to the finish line by searching “Teacher’s Pet” at PPNDigital.com.

PPNDigital.com 9

Digital GUIDE WEBSITES / FORUMS / APPS Tire and Wheel Tips and Tech Few things are as annoying as having spent a large sum of money only to have your new tires and wheels interfere with the exterior bodywork or suspension of your car.

Offset, inset, negative camber, bump steer and toe in all sound like high-tech jargon to trick you into paying more for your wheels/tires, but they are critical specs that can keep you from making a big mistake with a very expensive purchase. This site does a great job explaining all of these terms.

Tire Rack is well known for selling replacement tires and wheels, but what you might not know is that there is a wealth of tire swapping info that can help “tune” your choice for your application.

The Tire Rack Research and Advice Section starts with assessment of the type of driver you are, where you live, and the type of tire you require. From there they offer a ranking and rating of tires and wheels and finally an assessment of these products from the driver’s seat. From this information, including the candid remarks (they sell a wide variety of tires/wheels so they have no favorites), it’s pretty easy to pick the right tire and wheel for you. tirerack.com

Gear Ratio Calculator The guys at West Coast Differentials have always been the onestop shopping site for rear end parts, but now it is also the place for calculations that can help you on many automotive rear end gearing tasks.

Head to the Technical tab, select Gear Calculators, and pick the one you need. Just fill in the blanks and it spits out the precise information for Tire Diameter, Engine RPM, and Differential Gear Ratio. Check it out. differentials.com

Power and Performance at your fingertips Power & Performance News has made it as easy as possible for you to receive the information you are looking for in the format you feel most comfortable with.

Whether you get your information on a laptop, tablet, or your phone, we have several avenues for you to get info straight from the source.

Our content is updated daily, so check often with Power & Performance News through any of the social media options on the right.

10 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

APP

Racing Rivals If you like sports that get into the full background behind the action, this is for you. You can compete with other racers located all across the world and can build your vehicle to suit and race on a variety of “tracks.” The part that intrigues us is the modifications that are offered up, from supercharging to suspension upgrades. While the cars are decent (not perfect like some Internet games) the action is excellent, as is the drive to place bets on your car — and your skill.

Easy to download and fun to play. There are a HUGE number of folks to race against, which gives even a novice player a chance to win a few before taking on the experts. Available for iOS and Droid.

Cost: Free (in-game purchases)

Tranny Tech While we are on the topic of gears and suspensions, American Powertrain offers a calculator that will help determine the right “grouping” of transmission gears for your targeted engine rpm needs.

The calculator first asks for the specific rpm range you are looking for followed by gear ratio and tire info. It has never been this easy to design the perfect transmission for you vehicle. americanpowertrain.com

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Keep up with Power & Performance News by liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. We post daily updates on car features, tech stories, and just plain ol’ cool stuff that we all dig… facebook.com/PPNDigital @PPNDigital @XcelerationMedia youtube.com/PowerPerformanceNews pinterest.com/Xceleration/ plus.google.com/+PowerPerformanceNewsMedia

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.

To watch all the videos below, head to:

PowerPerformanceNews.com/video-rewind

1200 HP CAMARO PRO TOURING

STEVE STROPE’S ’67 FAIRLANE

This cool video takes us through the background on one of the baddest ’69 Camaros on the planet. What, you’ve heard that before?

Believe it with this one – Josh Kalis reveals the inner secrets of the build and takes us for a ride. Nice, high quality video.

Take a closer look at the Pure Vision '67 Ford Fairlane, Ford Best of Show winner at the 2014 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Steve Strope, owner of Pure Vision, walks through the evolution of the car from conception to completion. More of Strope’s builds on page 68.

MURDER NOVA FROM STREET OUTLAWS TAKES ON THE GOAT The two stars of Street Outlaws actually take on a real drag strip — and nearly meet at the end. As an added degree of difficulty, the Nova completes a triple wheelstand en route to the finish line.

Worth a look for sure.

12 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

FASTEST 1/4-MILE DOOR CAR ON THE PLANET? The Q80 Camaro smashes the WORLD RECORD ET and mph during the Street Car Super Nationals event at Gateway Motorsports Park in St. Louis August 2014. The car is driven

by Turky Al Zafiri and is powered by a Twin Turbo Pro Line Racing Engine with tuning by Jose Gonzales and Turbo legend Steve Petty. It was an epic weekend with the World Record going back and forth between Q80 and Frankie Taylor but in the end the Q80 Team leaves with the record with a 5.46@272 mph to Taylor's 5.47@263 mph in the quickest and fastest side by side pass in Doorslammer History!

For original video content head to PowerPerformanceNew.com/videos.

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Tips Tech

I

f you work on modified cars, you run into all kinds of issues the average mechanic never faces.

That’s because they just replace broken stuff with stock parts.

Gearheads have a much more difficult task that involves mixing and matching pieces never intended to work together. That’s the challenge. But when your car runs much better, it’s worth it. Along the way, however, it’s part of the game to run into compatibility issues and parts that don’t always play well together.

We’ve assembled a collection of helpful tips and hints that might just make your gearhead adventures a little less stressful. Some of these you may already know. If so, you win the gold star. If most of these are new to you, then we’ve done our job. File these away under “Important Stuff to Remember,” and your automotive machinations may go just a bit more smoothly. Enjoy…

14 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Useful hints and tricks guaranteed to make wrench turning easier Words / Photos Jeff Smith

SMART SLEEVE Ratech makes a very slick pinion gear crush sleeve, called the Smart Sleeve, that requires less torque to create the initial crush (150 vs. 300 to 400 ft-lbs) and offers a much wider range of compression distance (0.090-inch vs. 0.035-0.040-inch) to achieve the required preload on pinion bearings. Not only that, the Smart Sleeve offers much greater cycle life compared to the stock design. This technology is more expensive ($22.97 for a PN 11005 Chevrolet 12bolt at Summit Racing), but the benefits might well be worth it. Check out the details at ratechmfg.com.

NO MORE LEAKS There’s nothing more annoying than an exhaust leak. While header gaskets do fail at the head, it’s often those pesky three-bolt collector flange gaskets that are the biggest offenders. Try applying Permatex Hi-Temp orange RTV to the gasket if you need to fix it in a hurry.

The more permanent solution is to eliminate the gasket altogether.

Flowmaster makes a ball flange kit (PN 15925, 3.0-inch collector to a 2.5-inch system, $99 Summit Racing) that uses a ball and socket to replace the gasket. It works exceptionally well but does require welding to both the header collector and the exhaust pipe. If you are in the market for new headers, Hedman sells headers with this ball and socket flange already in place. Check ‘em out.

IN THE GROOVE When disassembling an engine, carefully examine the second ring groove for damage. Often an engine suffering from detonation issues will collapse and pinch the second ring even before the top ring is affected. We recently found in a small-block that had rattled two pistons suffering from broken rings in the second ring groove, while the top rings were still intact.

FITTING SESSION Disc brake swaps are common for muscle cars. One problem is the factories used odd combinations of large brake line fittings with very small tubing, necessitating non-standard fittings. Classic Tube sells stainless fittings of various sizes so you don’t need adapters. The Classic tube catalog lists more than 30 different fittings in both steel and stainless steel, along with nearly as many metric fittings. The correct fitting eliminates unsightly adapters and removes an additional leak path.

PPNDigital.com 15

MANIFOLD DENSITY Our dyno buddy Richard Holdener has found the cathedral port Trailblazer SS intake manifold makes more torque than the original truck manifolds, and makes more horsepower than an LS6 intake. This manifold will also be compatible with any accessory drive. Best news of all is you can buy a brand new Trailblazer SS manifold from RockAuto for less than $150 (AC Delco PN 12580420). It requires a specific factory fuel rail, or you can retrofit Holley LS1 fuel rails (PN 534-209 for $140.95 Summit).

Aftermarket fuel rails will require custom mounts to this manifold. You will also need a fuel pressure regulator. Assuming you already have injectors and a throttle body (the Trailblazer SS requires an LS2 type 4-bolt TB), you can have a better manifold for less than $500. The only detriment is the height of the manifold — roughly the same as the older truck manifolds.

SUCK IT UP If you use a vacuum pump on your drag race engine, data logging crankcase vacuum can offer benefits. A loss of ring seal will mean less engine vacuum at WOT — and this could potentially mean some oil is getting into the cylinders. This can contribute to trace detonation, engine rattle that you can’t hear. Assuming there’s no leaks that would allow vacuum to drop, diminished ring seal is probably the cause of the loss in crankcase vacuum.

SPRAY LUBE Drill a 0.030-hole in the front oil galley plugs located behind the timing chain gear on a small-block Chevy. This will lube the chain and gear. This is a photo of a 1986 and later block with the roller cam retainer plate mounting holes.

BEARING UP The new trend in street engines is aggressive hydraulic roller camshafts. What is often overlooked is an upgrade to stronger cam bearings. A more aggressive cam also requires higher valve spring pressure, which increases the load on the cam bearings. The DuraBond or Federal-Mogul high performance cam bearings are capable of handling that additional load.

Stock cam bearings tend to mushroom under higher loads.

16 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

OLDIE BUT A GOODIE This is an old trick but useful — place a simple piece of masking tape over the end of a box end wrench. This will hold a nut in place long enough to get it started on a bolt that defies finger access.

To see more useful information, search “Tech Tips” at PPNDigital.com.

MODULATE IT Did you know the vacuum modulator valve in a TH350, TH400, and many other automatics is adjustable? You can make minor changes to the part-throttle shift curve with a small screwdriver inserted into the nipple on the modulator after the small rubber vacuum hose is removed. Turning the adjustment screw clockwise will delay the part-throttle upshift, while counterclockwise will lower the shift point slightly. This has only a minor effect on the upshift timing.

Wide-open-throttle (WOT) upshift timing is controlled by the governor springs and weights.

TURBO 400 TIP Never shift a TH400 into neutral at the end of a drag strip pass (or anytime at high speed). This spins the transmission’s high gear drum up to 2.7 times the speed of the output shaft, and at 6,000 rpm, this will spin the drum to more than 16,000 rpm and quite easily kill the transmission. You’ve been warned…

PPNDigital.com 17

FILTER FACTS Roughly around 2008, GM changed the oil filter thread on LS engines from the original 13/16 x 16 to a metric 22mm x 16 thread.

The overall diameter of the filter is roughly the same, but the threaded adapter fitting is different. The Holley LS oil pan, for example, uses the new 22mm fitting. We learned this after discovering older filters didn’t work with newer pans. For reference numbers, the original LS filter with the 13/16 x 16 thread uses a Fram 3606 or AC PF58 while the new design 22mm filter specs call for Fram 10060 or AC PF48E filters.

A FLUID SITUATION We’ve noticed a rash of power steering pump failures during autocross and Pro Touring style track days at road courses. Some of these failures, according to the power steering experts at KRC, can be attributed to using ATF in a power steering pump. This should be avoided because ATF will foam much more easily than power steering fluid. This introduces air into the system, causing cavitation which will at best make the pump growl. At worst, this aeration can irreparably damage the pump. KRC recommends a high quality power steering fluid like its own brand, Valvoline, or Driven Racing Oil’s PSF. You can find the Valvoline fluid at most auto parts stores, or Driven can be found at jegs.com (PN 01306, $10.99/Qt.)

TAKE ME TO THE PILOT It’s common knowledge you can remove a pressed-in pilot bushing in the back of the crank by filling the area behind the bushing with grease. Then, use an Allen head bolt that fits tightly into the hole in the bushing and hammer the bushing out using hydraulic force. We’ve also seen a YouTube video using bread (yes, the kind you eat). It’s incompressible, so it works and it’s far less messy!

DEAD HOLE FINDER If you suspect a dropped or dead cylinder, there are a couple of simple tricks you can use to quickly find the offending cylinder.

On an engine with headers, a quick squirt of water on each tube will indicate the one not making heat. Or, you can use a thermal gun to find the dead cylinder. If you don’t have either of these tools, use a timing light hooked quickly to each spark plug wire while the engine is running. A non-flash event indicates there is no spark to that cylinder.

The asphalt jungle is a noisy place. Make sure you’re heard.

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From mild to wild, Thumpr™ offers three levels of thump to suit any engine: Thumpr™, Mutha Thumpr™, and the Big Mutha Thumpr™. Though nostalgic-sounding in note, the designs are compatible with the latest in valve train advances, including COMP® Beehive™ Valve Springs, Ultra Pro Magnum™ Roller Rockers, and Magnum Pushrods. EFI-compatible versions are also available. You choose the engine, Thumpr® will make it roar.

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5

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MOTOR OIL

Words Lake Speed Jr.

L

et me begin by saying that I have personally made every mistake on this list, so don’t feel judged. Heck, I grew up the son of a NASCAR driver who was sponsored by an oil company, so if I didn’t know any better, don’t feel bad if most of this is news to you.

Amongst performance enthusiasts (read things that go fast), bringing up the topic of oil or lubrication is akin to talking politics or religion — there is going to be an argument.

A major reason is an overwhelming amount of opinion regarding the science of lubrication and very little fact.

This is why I am sharing this with you.

I’m a member of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, and we deal with the science of lubrication.

Throw out all of the marketing slogans. Forget about the sponsorships.

STLE deals with the facts. The next 5 points are not my opinion — they are facts condensed from hundreds of Ph.D. scientists that have spent the last 100 years learning how lubricants work.

The 4 “R’s” Proper lubrication can be defined as having the right oil, in the right place, 20 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

at the right time and in the right amount. You can define the right oil as one that has the proper viscosity and additive package for the application. But that oil is useless if it can not reach the parts it needs to lubricate, clean, and cool. In fact, it just doesn’t need to reach those parts. It needs to arrive on time and in enough quantity to properly lubricate, cool and clean the part.

Think about an engine oil. Motor oil needs to flow through the engine to provide an oil film for the moving parts, which reduces friction and carries away heat and contaminants.

Some people talk about an oil’s “load carrying” ability, but that fails to consider motor oil is more than just a lubricant. Motor oils must cool, clean and transfer power (think hydraulics) in addition to being a lubricant. If “load carrying” was the most important factor, then you would use grease to lube your engine, but that is simply not the case. While greases and even gear oils have “load carrying” capacity well beyond motor oils, these products do not have either the proper viscosity or additives to properly lubricate, cool, clean, and transfer power in your en-

gine. Conversely, don’t put engine oil in your rear gears or wheel bearings.

The key takeaway here is to make sure you are using a lubricant designed specifically for the equipment you are lubricating. Today, performance enthusiasts have a broad selection of lubricants engineered for specific applications, and these products can really make a difference in the longevity and performance of the equipment they are designed for.

Balance is best More is not better. If some ZDDP (Zinc) is good, then more has to be better, right?

Nope. I know this runs counter to most of the thinking in the performance marketplace, but when it comes to lubrication, balance trumps more. Too much of any one thing in a lubricant, or even the lubricant itself, is damaging. Too much ZDDP can actually increase wear. Too much viscosity can starve parts of the lubricant they needs (see the 4 “R’s” from item 1), and too much lubricant itself causes churning which increases operating temperatures. Overfilling an engine by just one quart of oil can

raise the oil temperature 40 degrees.

The number one reason for failed, overheated bearings is overfilling the bearing with grease.

The more is not better mantra also applies to aftermarket additives. Even though the parts store has a wall full of miracle chemicals in a bottle, just keep walking. If you think your current lubricant is deficient, don’t try to find and additive to “fix” it — just use an oil designed for the application. When an oil is designed for the application, it does not need “more” additives or anything else.

Also, know putting an additive in an oil is like playing chemical Russian roulette. If the additive and the lubricant don’t mix properly, you will have less lubrication than if you had done nothing. This especially applies to ZDDP additives and other “motor oil supplements.” Again, just use an oil designed for your equipment, and you are on the right path.

Clean, cool, and dry Keep the lubricant clean, cool, and dry.

Now that you have the proper lubricant installed and filled to the proper level, it is time to protect it. Dirty oil is a bad lubricant no matter how “good” the oil itself is.

Sometimes, keeping the lubricant clean can be a challenge, especially in dirty and wet environments. However, it is a job worth doing. Not only do dirt particles cause abrasive wear in the equipment, the increased wear metals mean the oil gets even dirtier faster.

Keeping the dirt under control is the job of the filters. Very high quality (not necessarily high flow) filters can capture dirt and remove it from the system. In fact, it is proven that oil stays cleaner if you change the filter between oil changes. This is a great way to get the maximum life out of your lubricant. If the oil is cool, clean, and dry, then the oil will be good for a very long

time. This will allow you to extend drain intervals without compromising the protection of your equipment.

Keeping the oil dry is very important to oil life and performance. Not only is water a poor lubricant, it also depletes the lubricant of the additives that help the lubricant do its job. To keep the lubricant dry, it is recommended the oil sump temperature reach between 180 and 220 degrees. That is hot enough to evaporate out any moisture build-up but not too hot to hurt the oil.

This is the “keeping the lubricant cool” part. While most people would not say 220 degrees is a cool temperature, it is a good temperature for most lubricants – moisture evaporates, oil is unhurt. Every 20 degrees over 220, the life of the oil drops significantly, so it is similar to our “more is not better” discussion.

You need some heat in the oil, but not too much. It is a fine balance.

Get the facts Used oil analysis ends speculation and provides facts. Let’s face it, there are many different types of performance equipment operating in a wide variety of environments around the world, from 2-stroke snowmobiles in Canada to jet boats in New Zealand.

Each combination presents its own unique challenges, but used oil analysis can give you data to help navigate these challenges based on fact rather than speculation or opinion.

Used oil analysis is not very expensive, and it is easy to do. Most heavy equipment dealers (Caterpillar, John Deere, etc…) sell used oil analysis kits for less than $20 in most cases.

All you have to do is take a small 3 oz. sample of the lubricant directly from the equipment within a couple of minutes of shutting down the equipment. Fill out the forms to identify the sample and send it off the lab for processing. Don’t worry, the 3 oz. sample is not considered hazardous,

When oil oxidizes, or breaks down, it turns acidic and can corrode engine parts, like the connecting rods shown here following an acid fume test.

so you can send it regular mail. Nothing special needs to be done. In a few days, you get back your results, with interpretation. It is just that simple but can make a big difference for you.

For best results, have oil analyzed on a regular, or at least periodic, basis.

Fuel matters Don’t forget about your fuel. You may be wondering what fuel has to do with oil, but the type of fuel you use (and any additives you may have put into your fuel) do directly effect the life of your oil. For example, upper cylinder lubricants tend to increase fuel dilution of the motor oil, and the upper cylinder lubricant itself can leave deposits in the engine. This shortens the life of the oil because the oil is trying to clean the deposits off the engine parts.

Once the oil is “full” of fuel and the upper cylinder lubricant, the oil can no longer hold these contaminants and they separate out from the oil. You don’t want that to happen.

Conversely, some fuel additives actually help the oil by keeping certain areas of the engine clean and by keeping the fuel that does get past the piston rings from turning into varnish.

So, you do have to pay attention to your fuel and what you put in it; avoid products containing alcohol. You can either improve or decrease the performance and life of a lubricant, and the equipment it protects, by the choice of fuel and fuel additives.

If you keep these five facts in mind, they can guide you to a safe place that provides protection, performance, and value.

Source: Driven Racing Oil, drivenracingoil.com

When improper motor oil is used, or the correct motor oil breaks down due to temperature or contamination, engine components are not adequately lubricated and more quickly wear. The rocker arm on the left, compared to a new one, shows obvious wear from increased friction and heat.

Lake Speed Jr. is a Certified Lubrication Specialist at Driven Racing Oil PPNDigital.com 21

Led by industry donations, students in SoCal are getting a chance to learn about auto mechanics

T

here was a time when high school students could take a class in auto mechanics as part of their course curriculum. In a fully equipped garage usually located somewhere towards the back of the school, students would take apart engines, transmissions, and other vehicle parts to learn their inner workings.

In a best-case scenario, students could bring in their own personal vehicles for maintenance and modification with some rare and insightful shop teachers (building race cars for local competitions) there to give students the full automotive experience not usually possible or affordable for individuals 22  Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

In case you missed the memo, Autoshop class in America is dead. From coast to coast, budget cuts have killed the ability for high school students to take classes to learn about the inner workings of the cars and trucks they drive. Worst of all, those students with mechanical aptitude and an interest in a vocational career in auto mechanics or systems are left to find other ways to learn about vehicles.

Instead, they are forced to take courses in topics that have little merit for career plans. The lack of such course offerings also means that students must wait until graduation to determine if they even have mechanical ability — sometimes after

they have committed to a vocational school or program.

Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts

Alex Xydias is an automotive icon, now 94 years young. From radio operator and engineer on a B17 Bomber during World War II, to founder of legendary So-Cal Speed Shop in Burbank, California, Xydias knows about cars and how to build incredibility fast ones. In 1950, his streamliner, powered by a Ford Flathead engine, was the first to break the 200 mph barrier. As a Director for the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, he continues to keep his hands in the automotive af-

AXC is named after Alex Xydias who started SoCal Speed Shop. At 94, he is a regular site at the AXC facility.

termarket, a regular at car shows and races across the country.

Alex is well aware of the issues surrounding auto shops in high schools today. As a mentor of car builders, young and old, he has lent his name to a novel project: Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts. The special school for high school students (and eventually an adult night school) gives handpicked candidates the ability to take Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) courses and receive official certification — in a number of different areas — that can lead to real employment and light the fuse to a real career. Key to the school’s current success is the involvement of local businesses and car enthusiasts everywhere who have donated time, energy, and funds.

The Alex Xydias Center for Automotive Arts (AXC) program has been developed in collaboration with automotive business owners and classic car enthusiasts from the Inland Valley.

This two-year automotive program allows students to gain the necessary confidence and hands-on experience needed to enter the automotive industry. Students will explore concepts and build skills in basic mechanics, diagnosis and service, auto body, metal fabrication and restoration.

The current two-year ASE program includes these courses, in order of how they must be completed:

ing and schematic readings, electrical systems, brakes, and transmissions.

AUTO 103: “ENGINE REPAIR” provides students with the basic skills and knowledge in diagnosis and repair of the general engine, cylinder head and valvetrain, engine block, and lubrication and cooling systems, as well as test specifications, inspection, and service of the fuel, electrical, ignition, and exhaust systems.

Students enrolled in this course will receive hands-on, practical experience that will prepare them for the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) A-1 Engine Certification Test, which will demonstrate their knowledge as an automotive professional and will lead to securing employment in the automotive industry.

AUTO 104: “ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS” gives students the

basic knowledge of tools and procedures to test the electrical system for common problems, and identify electrical components, circuit protection devices, and electrical schematics. Students will also conduct voltage drop tests and determine the recommended tools and procedures to test for circuit and battery drain problems.

AXC currently has 83 students enrolled — all hand-picked by the administration. Key to selection is making sure students are dedicated to the program and focused on success.

A major donation from the Robert E. Petersen Foundation has delivered a huge shot in the arm, allowing for some major upgrades, including to buildings, many more tools and the refurbishment of a large spray booth located on the back of the property, which will allow students to become proficient in paint and bodywork.

The So-Cal Speed Shop, founded

by Xydias, is still cranking out amazing custom hot rods under the careful vision of legendary builder Pete Chapouris, who is deeply involved in AXC. In January, a McGee-style ’32 Ford High-Boy roadster was auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, a vehicle constructed at the So-Cal Speed facility to benefit the school (see page 24 for more details).

The hope is that the AXC School, which is benefiting a limited number of students currently, can serve as the model for other schools across the country, offering certification to students who can’t afford to pay for other forms of mechanical education.

AUTO 101: “AUTO BOOT-CAMP”

helps students develop workplace attitudes and behaviors, identify and demonstrate basic safety standards, work area care techniques, and vehicle maintenance skills.

AUTO 102: “BRAKES & SYSTEMS”

includes training in diagnostics, wir-

This larger concrete pad was one of the major improvements added to the facility last fall. The AXC facility now encompasses the entire building.

PPNDigital.com 23

Hot rod generates $105,000 for AXC at Barrett-Jackson In collaboration with L.A. Roadsters, passionate expert volunteers donated their time and worked with the students to build a 1932 Ford roadster as a tribute to America’s most iconic roadster, the quintessential Bob McGee Hi-Boy. The tribute evokes the spirit of the original, with modern safety and comfort items added.

Featuring a Brookville Roadster body and C-notched frame, Winter’s banjo rear, So-Cal Speed Shop ladder bars and shocks, Speedway Motors split wishbone, Vega cross-steer, and 1940 Ford brakes. The ‘40 Ford steering wheel tops the LimeWorks column. A 12-gallon fuel tank sits in the stock position. Wheel Smith wheels are wrapped in Firestone rubber. Chrome rings finish off the wheels. H&H Flatheads supplied the requisite 24-stud 1940 Ford flathead motor, featuring Navaro heads with 8:1 compression.

The block is topped with a Weiand 2x2 high-rise manifold and two Stromberg 97s covered with Stellings air cleaners. Headers and exhaust system are custom-built. Also features a Powermaster alternator with SPAL fan and Mattson radiator, a T5 transmission with Cornhusker Rod & Custom clutch and a floor-mounted shifter. Like the original, the roadster has hidden hinges, a three-piece hood, a filled and peaked grille, and louvers in the hood and sides. AXC Program Leader Theresa Contreras finished off the body in PPG Flame Red at LGE-CTS Motorsports.

In January, the donated McGee-style roadster was auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, bringing in $105,000 for this very worthy cause. AXC would like to thank all who helped make the charity auction possible.

This McGee-style roadster was created by Pete Chapouris and his team at SoCal Sped Shop and auctioned at the recent Barrett-Jackson Auction.

With southern California having such a solid history of custom car, racing, and automotive focus, it is no small wonder that this program began here, but the need is certainly nationwide!

To sponsor a student, call 909.865.4205 and designate your gift to CTEC AXC/Auto. Your support means a lot!

Source: Alex Xydias Center, tlcfairplex.org/ctec/ career-tracks/automotive

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Resto

WHERE NEW TECHNOLOGY & CLASSIC MUSCLE COLLIDE

Regardless of your age, a love of cars likely means you hold classic muscle cars in high regard. But while those classic muscle cars from the ’60s and ’70s may look great, by today’s standards they leave a lot to be desired in terms of comfort, handling, and power (yes, I said power!).

The Resto Mod craze began as innovative builders set out to upgrade the underbody and interior parts with modern technology. Most commonly, the engine is swapped out for some form of modern engine, often featuring fuel injection for drivability and fuel efficiency. Suspension upgrades help aid handling and can include the installation of coil over shocks, rack and pinion power-assisted steering, and fourlink, or even independent rear suspension, just to note a few.

The result is a vehicle that is more comfortable to drive, aided by the additional creature comforts such as air conditioning, side supportive seating, and a full complement of high-tech gauges to keep tabs on all vehicle functions.

Our Resto Mod section showcases a number of fine classic muscle cars that have been improved through the use of current technology, along with some tech content to hopefully stimulate the Resto Mod Builder in you.

SEE MORE ON PAGE 36.

SEE MORE ON PAGE 26.

PPNDigital.com 25

P

Words Kyle Hyatt / Photos by Ted7 Photography 26  Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Perfection PRO TOURING

CR Supercar’s turn-key Pro Touring 1969 CR1 Camaro is one amazing engineering feat

P

ro Touring is red hot, and it’s easy to see why. The allure of taking iconic classic American muscle cars and bolting up a modern powertrain, amenities, and suspension to make them drive and handle as well — if not better — than a modern sports car is irresistible.

The crew at Classic Recreations is best known for handcrafting beautiful licensed continuation Shelby Mustangs. Last year, they expanded outside the Shelby Mustang market with a new division of “coach built” pro-touring vehicles.

The CR Supercars division introduced its first prototype, the 1968 Villain Mustang, at the 2014 SEMA Show and now aspires to lead the pro-touring market with the new 1969 CR1 Camaro.

PPNDigital.com 27

The RS front end is a classic muscle car look.

How can you miss when you’re rocking the hide away lights and blue Enduro bumper?

“Last year when we debuted Villain at the SEMA Show, we had no idea we would get such a positive response to the car,” says Jason Engel, CEO of Classic Recreations and CR Supercars. “While we had a ton of interest from Mustang guys, we got a lot of requests from Chevy guys to do something for them too. While most of our experience is with Mustangs, we love Camaros too, so we sat down and tried to figure out how to best apply our Villain formula to the iconic ’69 Camaro. We’re really pleased with how it came out.”

Once an order comes in for a CR1 Camaro, CR Supercars begins hand building the vehicle in its Yukon, Oklahoma, facility. Each coach-built car takes roughly 5,000 man-hours and 12 months to complete.

CR Supercars begins each build by using body components from Dynacorn to ensure that the body shell is absolutely sound. Next, proprietary body pieces for the rear spoiler and front fascia help to elevate the CR1 above the original.

The exterior is finished in BASF Glasurit paint — this particular model is colored CR Matte Blue Metallic.

The CR1 is motivated by GM’s all-aluminum engine from the Chev28 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

The CR1 is available in three different engine options from LS3 through LS9; it’s just a matter of how quickly you want to purchase new rear tires. The LS engine conversions feature fuel injection and modern accessories such as power steering, brakes, and air conditioning.

rolet Corvette Z06, specifically the mid-level LS7 engine producing 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. Additional engine options for the CR1 include the standard LS3 (rated at 430 hp) or the top-tier LS9 engine, which outputs 685 hp.

Power from the engine is sent through a Centerforce clutch to a

Tremec six-speed manual transmission. A custom drive shaft links the transmission to a 9-inch Strange Engineering rear end with 3.89:1 gears and PosiTraction.

The exhaust is piped through a set of stainless steel long tube headers, dual 3-inch mandrel bent exhaust pipes, and a pair of MagnaFlow muf-

flers. A Be Cool aluminum crossflow radiator, enhanced with a pair of 13inch electric fans, manages cooling.

The Camaro’s stock fuel tank has been replaced by an 18-gallon stainless steel fuel cell by Rick’s Tanks.

The front suspension system rides on a Chris Alston’s Chassisworks G-Street tubular A-arm system with coil overs, allowing for a significant amount of body height adjustment in addition to modern damping technology.

Chris Alston’s Chassisworks G-link four-bar system is mounted in the rear, also equipped with adjustable coilovers. Oversized front and rear anti-roll bars complete the package and help keep the CR1 flat through the cones and the canyons.

With 505 hp on tap, the CR1 needed a set of serious brakes. The Camaro is fitted with huge 14-inch Wilwood rotors and six-piston calipers front and rear tuned through an adjustable proportioning valve from Wilwood.

These extensive brakes fit neatly inside the gorgeous Forgeline wheels, (18 x 10 up front and 18 x 12 in the rear). The wheels are wrapped in BFGoodrich Rivals sized at 275/35/R18 in front, with the rear sporting massive 335/30/18 tires.

Out back, a Chassisworks four-bar suspension and coilovers are assisted by a massive rear sway bar. A Rick’s Tanks fuel cell keeps the petrol safe.

Massive Forgeline rear wheels measuring 18 x 12 inches are wrapped with fat P335/30-18 BF Goodrich Rival tires. If traction correlates with tire footprint, then the CR1 is grip heavy.

The Camaro uses Chassisworks suspension all around and coilover shocks to help road holding. This system also allows total adjustability of body ride height — which is just about perfect from this angle.

A retro shifter juts from the floor to command the Tremec 6-speed transmission hidden below.

Procar Evolution seats are dressed with five-point Camlock seat belts, while a Sparco Leather steering wheel is mounted on a Flaming River adjustable steering column. A Chassisworks fitted roll cage, painted the body color, keeps occupants safe.

Power abounds on this machine – and that includes the stereo system. The JVC CD player, with Bluetooth, drives the Kicker component speakers mounted throughout the interior.

30 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Inside occupants are treated to Pro Car Evolution R600 seats with fivepoint cam lock racing harnesses, a Sparco leather steering wheel mounted to a Flaming River steering column, TMI door panels, and custom gauges with a 200 mph speedometer.

The occupants are kept cool through a modern air conditioning system from Old Air. The eight-point roll cage is custom painted to match the exterior of the vehicle, and the floor mats received some custom color matching as well.

If for some reason you get tired of listening to the roar of the LS engine, you can treat yourself to some music via a JVC head unit with removable face and Bluetooth connectivity, complete with a set of quality Kicker component speakers.

The CR1 Camaro is an impressive assemblage of everything high performance. While it may feel as if you’ve seen just about every possible iteration of ’69 Camaro customization, the CR1 is a very cool, brand new car with fresh bodywork and an assortment of engines to pick from.

This cool Camaro is a strong mix of quality and reliability. More than just a pretty face, the CR1 is able to handle daily driving or road course duties — a balance few Pro Touring cars can claim.

This one does both very well!

“While most of our experience is with Mustangs, we love Camaros too. We’re really pleased with how it came out.”

For more, search “CR1 Camaro” at PPNDigital.com.

This is the angle most folks see as the CR1 puts the rubber to the road. Pro Touring never looked so amazing.

CPR takes us through the build up of a 550-hp street 383 Stroker LS

By Jeff Smith Photos Jeff Smith and CPR-Engines

I

t seems that the only engines getting exposure any more in the popular media are 1,000-plus hp “street” engines. The problem with those big-power stories is they do not represent what’s really going on.

A turbo motor that can make 2,000 hp isn’t what the average street guy is all about. So, we thought we’d follow along on a real street engine that was intended for a daily-driven ’04 Corvette.

Our pal Dan Livezey has been autocross racing for more decades than he cares to remember. Recently he picked up a 2004 LS1 Corvette that supposedly had been rebuilt, but after a week or so, the motor started heavily knocking.

A subsequent teardown revealed the engine had spun the No. 7 and 8 rod bearings. Livezey took the dead LS1 to Martin Marinov at Custom Performance Racing Engines 32 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

(CPR-E) with a plan for resurrection. The combination they created would bump the displacement with more stroke, a touch more compression with forged pistons, some CPR-Enhanced CNC porting on the stock heads, a mild cam, and a better intake. Of course, all of this was hinged on one other critical factor: they had to keep this engine at least appearing to satisfy the smog police in Southern California, where Livezey lives.

All of these points were essential factors for the build since loads of compression and a big cam just don’t play well when it comes to smog testing. It turns out Marinov has some experience in this area, and together he and Livezey hatched a plan that — because you’ve already cheated and jumped ahead to our dyno test — revealed this 383c.i. combination made an honest 550-plus hp on the dyno. Let’s see how they pulled this off.

CPR-E had to machine slight notches in the bottom of the cylinder bores to clear the longer stroke.

Once that task was completed, they line-honed the block and added a set of ARP main studs.

CPR-E completely pre-assembled the short block to check bearing clearance as well as crank endplay for the Scat crank.

The Autotec 4032 alloy pistons are slightly dished to keep the compression down with the longer stroke. The ring package is a 1.5mm/1.5mm/3.0mm package with an oil support rail since the oil ring intrudes into the oil ring groove.

Here is the entire rotating assembly button up including the Scat 4340 steel crank and the RPM H-beam connecting rods.

When you can squeak out over 300 cfm from a 227cc cathedral port head (200cc is stock), you’re achieving great flow plus maintaining excellent flow velocity, which usually pays off with great mid-range torque numbers, as you will see.

Concept and Execution The easiest way to make more power — even with an emission engine — is to pump up the displacement. The only way to do that with any LS1 aluminum block engine is with stroke. The iron cylinder liners barely allow a 3.908-inch diameter bore so Marinov ordered a 4.00-inch stroke crank from nearby Scat to replace the original 3.62-inch version.

Retaining its 24x reluctor count, Marinov then added a set of dished AutoTec 4032 alloy forged pistons designed to accommodate a set of 6.125-inch long RPM H-beam rods.

The 4032 alloy contains a little shot of silicon to limit piston growth, which allows a tighter piston-to-wall clearance, making these pistons much quieter than a typical 2618 alloy piston more commonly found in race engines. These pistons, combined with a minor cleanup on the heads, produce a 10.8:1 compression, which is pretty close to ideal for a pump gas LS engine.

CPR-E has created its own CNC program for the cathedral port heads like Livezey’s 241 heads. The cathedral ports can produce 300 cfm at peak valve lift, yet offer excellent flow velocity out of a 227cc intake port.

CPR-E also does all its own machine work, which means the block was subjected to a line hone, simple decking, and a mild honing procedure using Rottler machines to make the block ready for assembly. Final assembly began with a set of King rod and main bearings and DuraBond cam bearings that can take the abuse of the mild increase in spring PPNDigital.com 33

The heads sport 2.02/1.60-inch stainless SI valves. CPR-E also milled the heads to bring the chambers down to 63cc from the stock 67cc.

Everybody always focuses on the intake port, but to make great power, you need outstanding exhaust port flow. CPR-E’s CNC porting is worth 20 cfm, nearly 14 percent at 0.500 lift compared to stock heads.

pressure without pushing out. Once the bearing clearances were set, CPR-E loaded up the COMP hydraulic roller camshaft and Rollmaster timing set to make sure the cam was where it should be. They also verified the valve-to-piston clearance since this cam is capable of more than 0.600-inch valve lift on both the intake and exhaust.

Over their short period of time, CPR-E has developed a CNC porting package for the cathedral port heads that is pretty impressive. They start by adding a set of 2.02/1.60-inch stainless SI valves, machine the seats to this larger size, along with their own multi-angle valve job again using Rottler equipment, and then hand-blend the seats to the CNC porting to come up with some pretty impressive flow numbers.

We’ve included a cylinder head flow chart that you can study at your leisure with some impressive intake and exhaust flow numbers. When you can squeak out more than 300 cfm from a 227cc cathedral port head (200cc is stock), you’re achieving great flow plus maintaining excellent flow velocity, which usually pays off with great mid-range torque numbers. This LS head upgrade also includes PAC springs set up with 130 pounds of load on the seat and 370 pounds of open pressure, just to make sure the valves stay where they are directed.

All the valve action is controlled by a relatively mild COMP LSr 269 cam with a stout 0.607/0.614-inch lift supported by relatively short duration numbers.

port intake manifold and a 102mm FAST throttle body.

Both the new LSXr and the original factory LS6 intakes mounted a set of FAST 46 lb./hr. injectors to make sure the engine didn’t run out of fuel, since the stock injectors promised to be a little on the small side to feed this much power.

With the FAST manifold and larger throttle body bolted on, the 383 again pushed through the power curve and after a little WOT-tuning on the stock ECU, the numbers surged. All you have to do is look at the graph to see how the FAST manifold bumped the power curve up across

Testing With the heads done, CPR-E wrapped up the engine build and bolted the engine on their in-house engine dyno. They began the test with the factory LS6 intake, stock 75mm throttle body and a pair of 1 7/8-inch primary pipe headers through open exhaust. As you can see from the power numbers, CPR-E’s very mild 383 made some fierce torque, which was exactly the plan. Even down at 3,000 rpm, the 383 thumped 446 lb-ft of torque with a peak of 516 hp at 4,800 rpm. The 529 hp peak arrived at 6,100 rpm. That alone would have been newsworthy, but then CPR-E bolted on a FAST LSXr cathedral 34 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

With the stronger valve springs and upgraded cam timing, CPR-E decided to upgrade the stock 1.7:1 rocker arms using a COMP trunnion kit.

CPR-E FLOW NUMBERS This chart compares the stock 243 LS1 cathedral port head with CPR-E’s CNC-ported, 227cc version with 2.02/ 2.160-inch valves, a CPR-E valve job and some minor hand blending. The E/I column is the exhaust-to-intake flow relationship. Generally, a higher percentage of exhaust flow compared to the intake requires less additional exhaust lobe duration to help the engine make horsepower.

Valve Lift

Stock Intake Stock Exh.

0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600 0.625

64 139 193 215 228 236 —

CPR-E Intake

CPR-E Exh.

E/I

68 131 193 243 279 302 304

61 114 161 193 219 230 —

90% 87% 83% 79% 78% 76% —

55 102 138 175 189 199 —

Camshaft

Dur. at 0.050” lift

Valve Lift (in.)

Lobe Sep. Angle

Stock ’02 LS1 Intake Stock LS1 Exhaust COMP LSr Intake COMP LSr Exhaust

196 201 219 227

0.479 0.467 0.607 0.614

116 --112 ---

RPM 3,000 3,200 3,400 3,600 3,800 4,000 4,200 4,400 4,600 4,800 5,000 5,200 5,400 5,600 5,800 6,000 6,200 6,400 Peak Avg.

TQ1 446 464 477 486 494 495 499 507 513 516 514 508 500 490 477 463 448 429 516 484.8

HP1 255 282 308 333 358 377 399 425 449 472 490 503 514 523 527 529 528 523 529 433.1

TQ2 456 471 483 494 502 504 510 519 526 528 525 522 519 512 498 485 471 454 528 498.8

HP2 260 287 312 339 363 384 408 435 461 483 500 517 534 546 550 554 556 553 556 446.8

TQ + 10 7 6 8 8 9 11 12 13 12 11 14 19 22 21 22 23 25 12 14.0

HP + 5 5 4 6 5 7 9 10 12 11 10 14 20 23 23 25 28 30 27 13.7

For more charts, including the dyno results, search “Real World” at PPNDigital.com.

With the FAST manifold and larger throttle body bolted on, the 383 again pushed through the power curve and after a little WOT-tuning on the stock ECU, the numbers surged. the entire rpm span from 3,000 to 6,400 rpm. There aren’t too many aftermarket parts that can pull off that kind of broad power magic across a 3,400-rpm span.

As for the specific numbers — the most important really isn’t the peak torque at 528 lb-ft at 4,800 or even the 556 peak horsepower number. The most impressive number is the average 14 lb-ft improvement across the entire power curve. Add to this a minimum of 500-plus lb-ft from 3,800 rpm to 5,600 rpm and the fact that the torque never dropped below 450 lb-ft over the entire curve, and those are some outstanding numbers.

True, all this comes at a price. The induction package comes to more than $2,000 for the manifold, throttle body, fuel rails, and injectors. But short of a supercharger or nitrous, it’s hard to come up with something that can add power across such a broad power band.

That means this engine will deliver excellent drivability and fantastic acceleration while still delivering near-stock idle characteristics. This engine should also be able to pass a California emissions test even with the LSXr manifold in place since it has a California Executive Order (E.O.) number, making it a legal manifold with the smog police. Owner Livezey is currently hunting for a set of headers that also offer the same E.O. clemency.

Of course, there’s bound to be a minor power loss when the engine is bolted in the car since it will have to breathe through the Corvette’s street exhaust system, but that should present only a minor decrease. Frankly, the torque will probably suffer the least, and that’s exactly what Livezey intends to rely on the most. As we said,

After baselining the 383 with the stock LS6 intake, CRP-E bolted on the FAST LSX-r intake along with a 102mm Big-Mouth FAST throttle body and pulled the handle again. Just changing to the FAST intake and throttle body was worth 30 more horsepower at the top and a generous torque increase everywhere. Those are the kind of changes that will put a smile on your face.

Livezey is an autocross racer, so you can expect to see his ’04 Corvette at more than its share of local Los Angeles autocross challenges. Be prepared to discover he is quick behind the wheel!

Sources: COMP Cams; compcams.com; Custom Performance Racing Engines (CPR-E), cprengines.com; Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST), fuelairspark.com; King Bearings, kingbearings.com; Melling Automotive Products, melling.com; PAC Racing Springs, racingsprings.com; RaceTec Pistons (Auto-Tec), racetec.com; Racing Parts Maximum (RPM), racingpartsmaximum.com; Scat Enterprises, scatenterprises.com; SI Valves, sivalves.com PPNDigital.com 35

From the drawing board to the highway, Ringbrothers worked closely with future owner Michael Schmalz Jr. to deliver his vision for this ’65 Mustang Fastback.

World-renowned car builders, Ringbrothers, bring Michael Schmalz Jr.’s 1965 dream Mustang to life.

T

he Ring brothers have built a career on taking classic American cars and turning them into pieces of rolling art.

Mike and Jim Ring’s unique blend of technological twists and futuristic finishes sets them apart from the legions of automotive builders and customizers, which made their shop the ideal candidate to bring Michael Schmalz Jr.’s dream to reality.

Schmalz is a designer by trade — he works in graphic design/architecture and runs his own design studio in Dubuque, Iowa. He had been saving for the better part of a decade before he was ready to seriously look for a car builder. Interested in Ringbrothers’ work for some time, he decided one day to drop by the shop in Spring Green, Wisconsin, only about 60 miles from his home.

After describing his ideas for his ’65 Mustang fastback, one of his biggest questions involved the length of Ringbrothers’ waitlist to get a car built.

Schmalz was told that it would be nine to 12 months until they could start his project, but they were enthusiastic about his ideas.

Words Ringbrothers / Photos Ringbrothers, Ted7 Photography PPNDigital.com 37

While it may appear to be a standard cool ’65 Mustang Fastback, the body is in fact 50–60 percent carbon fiber, custom molded by Ringbrothers to match the original renderings. Draped in BASF Glasurit waterborne paint, the Ringbrothers’ handiwork with paint is plenty evident.

The color: Ford Race Red, of course.

That conversation with Mike and Jim took place on a Thursday afternoon and shortly after leaving the shop, Schmalz got a call from the Rings. Things had changed.

Mike told him if he could have his rolling chassis to the shop by the following Monday, they could start the project immediately. Naturally, this put Schmalz in a panic as he had anticipated having several more months to prepare. Regardless, he agreed and had the shell towed to Spring Green.

Once the car arrived at Ringbrothers, the first big hurdle was making sure the car was worthy of a build up.

The Rings won’t work on a vehicle that doesn’t retain its matching VIN numbers in all the various tag locations. Schmalz didn’t know this and had never thought to look. So with bated breath, he watched Mike and Jim start disassembly to verify the car was as it should be.

38 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Luckily, all three VIN numbers matched and work could begin. Michael supplied the Rings with high quality renderings he created himself, and together they worked out specifications for the powertrain and suspension.

“This car isn’t going to just be some show queen; it’s going to be driven often and hard,” Schmalz says. “My father has a Shelby Cobra and we’ll definitely be attending some track days together. Having something that handles as good as it looks is absolutely critical to me.”

Carbon Footprint The build for SPLITR took place at the same time as the development for the Ringbrothers’ other big Mustang project, an all-carbon wide-body 1965 Mustang that became known as Espionage. In fact, Mike and Jim were so impressed with Schmalz’s work on

his own renderings, they asked him to design the final paint scheme for Espionage.

Though SPLITR is based on a 1965 Mustang, a significant portion of the body has been replaced with carbon fiber panels, and it is estimated that between 50 and 60 percent of the body is actually carbon fiber. Jim and Mike Ring handcrafted the molds for many of the carbon fiber elements including the doors, roof panel, hood and deck lid, making it simple for them to be able to replicate the ’65–’66 Mustang carbon fiber parts for future builds or customer orders.

One of the most notable pieces of the SPLITR design is the double floor pan that rolls cleanly under the car at the rocker panels and provides a race car-esque flat bottom, cleaning up under the car airflow and helping the car stick to the road at speed.

That smooth underbody styling

The underbody styling of the Mustang is a work of art, with custom carbon fiber panels that are completely flat allowing it to slip cleanly through the air for increased, high-speed handling. Body panel fitment is superb!

The Wegner Motorsports 500 hp, 427c.i. engine is a favorite of the Rings — and clearly the perfect powerplant for this lightweight machine. Serpentine belts and custom air cleaner make it one of a kind.

continues to the rear where Mike and Jim modified much of the sheet metal to get rid of that classic “sagging diaper” look so prevalent in muscle and pony cars of that era. To do this, they wrapped the rear valence down and under, which dramatically alters the visual impact of the familiar, classic rear end.

Out front, there is a custom fascia and lower lip that add to the aggressive look of the vehicle and helps to further smooth airflow while also providing for the huge amount of cooling that a car like SPLITR needs.

In addition to all the aerodynamic modifications, SPLITR’s name refers to the “split” BASF Glasurit waterborne paint scheme. The exterior paint design was also part of Schmalz’s concept and makes the car stand apart in a sea of ordinary red Mustangs.

Motivation Under SPLITR’s hood lies a Wegner Motorsports-built naturally aspirated 427c.i. Ford Racing engine. While the Rings worked with Schmalz to spec out a powertrain that would

An Atomic fuel injection system supplies high-octane fuel to the potent Ford that includes a complete Aeromotive fuel pump and tank system.

make his goal of around 500 hp and run on 93 octane pump gas, this particular 427 will make a little over the specified horsepower while providing plenty of torque.

Royal Purple fluids maintain a smooth running system and help keep

the engine running at peak performance. Power from the engine is routed through a Tremec T56 six-speed transmission, from Bowler, which goes through a custom driveshaft and into a Ford 9-inch rear end from Detroit Speed.

PPNDigital.com 39

The cool wheels are from HRE, 18 x 9 up front and 19 x 11 in the rear wrapped with Nitto Invo tires.

Those 325/30-19 rear tires are more than able to stick the 500 hp — just ask the owner.

Fuel is delivered via an Aeromotive fuel cell and pump to a Holley Atomic EFI fuel injection system. Sitting atop the engine is a custom designed airbox that not only looks unique, but delivers all of the cold, dense air that the big Ford engine can swallow. Exhaust is handled through Ringbrothers custom headers with 1 1/2 inch primaries that go into a custom exhaust system with Flowmaster Super 44 Mufflers.

On an engine of this size, cooling is a big priority and SPLITR’s cooling system is composed of a custom AFCO radiator and SPAL fans.

“We could have gone with another big crazy engine in this thing, but Michael wanted something that was more drivable on the street,” says Jim Ring, co-owner of Ringbrothers.

“With all the handling improvements, weight reductions and other modifications, we kind of found that 500 hp was really the sweet spot for this car. It’s plenty of power to get around town and have fun on a race track, but not so much that you’re lighting the tires up in fourth.”

The Chassis and Interior With 500hp on tap, repeatedly hauling SPLITR down from triple-digit speeds becomes a real concern. To that end, Ringbrothers contacted Baer for a set of its huge 6S calipers and 14-inch rotors. SPLITR is riding on a set of forged Ringbrothers Recoil wheels from HRE Performance that are wrapped in sticky Nitto Invo rub40 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Chassis modifications are extensive including the use of Detroit Speed front and rear suspensions that incorporate a rack & pinion steering system, ididit steering column and Baer Brakes all around. The front suspension is a Mustang Aluma-Frame and the rear a Mustang QUADRAlink — again all from Detroit Speed. Shocks are from JRI and the custom rear spoiler is all Ringbrothers.

”This car isn’t going to just be some show queen; it’s going to be driven often and hard.”

Creature comforts are not forgotten — the interior features Recaro seats, Classic Instruments, and Vintage Air interior cooling. Brake bias is adjusted through an interior proportioning valve.

ber sized 265/35/18 ZR up front and 325/30/19 ZR in the rear.

The minimalistic interior was designed with both comfort and performance in mind. Driver and passenger ride in style in leather Recaro seats, while a Vintage Air system keeps the cabin a comfortable temperature in any weather condition. The weave pattern used on the interior is not carpet but actually an unconventional use of seat material from a Nissan. To accent

For auditory accompaniment, Flowmaster Super 44 mufflers tune the exhaust note while a Kenwood head unit with JL Audio speakers deliver perfect audiophile music.

the inside, SPLITR is adorned with Ringbrothers billet parts including pedal covers, shifter, brake handle cover, window cranks, and door handles.

Builder Notes “Working on Michael’s dream car was a great experience for my brother and me,” said Jim Ring. “It’s definitely a different way of working for us, but his vision was so in line with ours that it just made sense. The whole thing came out just great, and we couldn’t be happier.”

One of the things that makes the

Schmalz’s vision for his Mustang may have been lofty, but Ringbrothers was more than up for the task.

Ford Mustang so great is its ability to serve as a blank canvas for those people brave and creative enough to undertake the kind of project that Schmalz and Ringbrothers did. It’s an

iconic shape, but it’s one that lends itself well to being subtly changed and molded. It’s also a wonderful platform on which to build a serious driver’s car.

To see more, search “Ringbrothers Mustang” at PPNDigital.com.

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BUTLER PERFORMANCE:

CAMARO BUILD

Butler Performance has long been the big chief of Pontiacs. They have steadily built a legacy of being the go-to shop for anyone looking to make big power with their Pontiac, and with the introduction of the LS in late-model GTOs, client demand has expanded their services.

When COMP Cams began updating its iconic convertible ’69 Camaro for the company’s 40th anniversary, Butler was ready and waiting. Not only is Lawrenceburg, Tennessee-based Butler fairly close to the COMP headquarters in Memphis, the shop’s vast experience with the new RHS blocks made it an ideal fit.

With a full assortment of COMP Performance Group products stacked up on an engine-building cart, the project went from bare block to a 690 hp screamer in three days.

Final numbers were 690 hp at 6,700 rpm and 619 lb-ft at 5,100 rpm. Follow along.

Source: Butler Performance, butlerperformance.com 42 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

(Above) Butler Performance has been in its “new” building for two years. Previously it was split into two buildings for machining and assembly. This old furniture store has plenty of room.

(Above) COMP Cams built its 1969 Camaro in the late ’90s.

(Right) The finished Camaro was a fixture on Hot Rod Power Tours until 2010.

After a thorough inspection and measuring, the RHS block was given a preliminary cleaning and mounted on the engine stand.

The pistons from Diamond were works of art. They were coated on the bottom and featured beautiful CNC work on the crown — no extra work needed.

The Lunati crankshaft was balanced in-house.

Each engine gets its own assembly cart to make sure everything stays in one mobile place.

All paperwork and specs are within reach.

Lunati Rods were checked and balanced before hand.

The titanium valves were installed in the RHS heads so the spring height could be double-checked. The trick tool steel retainers were loaded into the height checker, and all measurements were recorded.

PPNDigital.com 43

The camshaft was installed first to measure pushrod height. Since aluminum engines expand, allowing cam bearings to move around, spiral locks hold the bearing in place. Of course we all know it’s getting a custom COMP camshaft. It’s on a 117 lobe separation and ground straight up with a .675 valve lift and 298/316 advanced duration and 247/257 at .050.

The rod bolts were torqued to spec in a bench clamp and checked for proper rod bolt stretch.

All measurements were carefully recorded.

The main caps were torqued into place. Their measurements were taken, recorded and later compared to the crank to ensure proper bearing size.

To remove the doweled main caps, RHS makes a very handy cap puller tool that does the job properly without damaging the caps or block.

For more, search “Butler Engine Build” at PPNDigital.com.

44 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

The Lunati rods were wrist-pinned into the Diamond pistons after a little oiling.

COMP XD Short travel lifters were installed to begin checking the pushrod length. A set of lightweight “check springs” were also installed.

By eliminating unwanted spring deflection that would occur from full spring pressure, check springs allow the valve train to be rotated without damaging the checking pushrod.

We installed the crank and torqued the main caps. A dab of silicone sealer was added to the side bolts, and they were torqued to 40 pounds.

The RHS block uses a sturdy cam-retention plate, held in with six Allen bolts.

The camshaft was ground on a 117 lobe separation, but also ground straight up. Degreeing showed the need to add four degrees by using the correct concentric gear bushing to orientate the gear. A beefy gear drive was also added.

The Butler valley cover went on next. It offers two versions for engines using either a front or rear cam sensor. RHS spacers are needed when using the tall deck block. Raising the cam in the block moves the head surfaces up and out.

With the rocker arm stands installed and the rockers and pushrods adjusted to zero lash, the valve train was dialed in. With our FAST LSXR 102mm intake and throttle body plumbed with fuel rails, the engine was taking shape.

Wegner whittled out our trick valve covers on its CNC machines. The coils tuck neatly under the top half. An ATI Super Damper will handle the power.

The engine was mounted on the dyno and filled with Driven BR40 breakin oil. Ignition was controlled with the EZ-LS Ignition Control from FAST. This version is LS-specific. After break-in, the oil was replaced with Driven LS30 synthetic 5W-30 for the dyno pulls. David Page from FAST was brought in to assist with the EFI tuning. He and Rodney Butler broke the engine in and ran a series of tests to find the right fuel curves.

After finding what the engine liked and tuning accordingly, David and Rodney were able to tip the dyno charts at 690 hp at 6,700 rpm and 619 lb-ft of torque at 5,100.

PPNDigital.com 45

FLIPPIN’ THE Overhaulin’s final build is a fitting send off

H

aving your car seized by the bank is a bad way to start your day.

But for Tom “Smokey” McPherson, it was a call informing him his car was now in lockup due to unpaid rent that greeted him. Better yet, the call came from the owner of a shop he had hoped would finally get his ‘Bird back on the road. The bank agent and the shop owner informed him of the facts: Tom’s beloved ’77 Trans Am was now being held to pay off unpaid debt.

Tom was sick about it — quite literally. The shop owner was equally quite sorry over the turn of events... but not too sorry.

It was just a trick, another car owner pranked by the Overhaulin’ TV show team. The truth was revealed when the garage door slid open and Chip Foose popped out to inform Tom of the future build.

The ’77 Bandit Trans Am you see here was the vision of Chip Foose, as has been the case with all of the Overhaulin’ builds created over the last decade.

For those unfamiliar, the Overhaulin’ build team (affectionately called “The A Team”), led by the legendary builder and designer, found select vehicles on which to exhibit their car building skills.

Throughout the series, vehicle owners were deceived by stories told by trusted friends and family in an attempt to give the Overhaulin’ team a chance to complete the build without the owner’s knowledge. But it was always the reveal of the completed car that made the show so popular.

Foose’s amazing conceptualization, combined with very honest reaction of the vehicle owners to the major changes made to their vehicles, made for great TV. Tom’s Trans Am was their final build.

Custom Rod Garage served as the setting for the last several seasons of Overhaulin’, which called it quits in November 2015. This Trans Am was build #108 – the final build!

Words / Photos Cam Benty PPNDigital.com 47

The 400c.i. Pontiac engine was fully reworked with the addition of Kaufmann aluminum cylinder heads and MSD Atomic fuel injection.

The Pontiac 400 engine was painted the original Pontiac Blue, but the upgrades are many. Note the smoothed firewall, Baer ReMaster master cylinder, functional A/C system, and high attention to detail.

A true work of art, this hand-drawn Trans Am hood emblem exhibits the talents of Chip Foose and airbrush artist Mike Lavallee.

Mark Oja, an amazing painter, fabricator and all around good guy, provided the set, his own Custom Rod Garage in Huntington Beach, California, for the last few seasons of Overhaulin’. The workmanship shown in the execution of this Trans Am is well worthy of both Foose and Oja.

The Build

Tucked under the original Pontiac hood scoop is a fully functional MSD Atomic fuel injection unit. Pretty sneaky!

48 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

While stance is important for looks, a functional suspension that performs is critical. A Detroit Speed hydroformed front subframe featuring its impressive independent A-arm system and rack-and-pinion steering was installed up front.

Subframe connectors add increased rigidity, tying the front and rear suspensions on a platform that commonly suffers from extreme body flex.

A Detroit Speed 4-link rear suspension provides the mounting points for the Moser 9-inch Ford rear end. Increased fenderwell clearance for the oversize tires is achieved through the incorporation of DS rear mini-tubs.

As a crowning touch on the structural improvements, a full roll bar system is welded to the chassis. Braking is handled through the installation of Baer 14-inch rotors with 6-piston calipers, activated through the use of a Baer ReMaster master cylinder. An Estop electric emergency brake is a nice touch.

Power to evade the Georgia cops was supplied by a novel source — an original-style 400c.i. Pontiac engine reworked with a host of power upgrades. The Kaufman aluminum heads are fed through an MSD Atomic electronic fuel injection system neatly tucked under the modified air intake. A Magnaflow exhaust system ensures that the Trans Am sounds as sweet as it looks.

Shifting is performed via a Richmond Gear six-speed transmission with power sent rearward through a Drivelines driveshaft. A Tanks gas tank replaces the factory original, and Vintage Air provides the cooling. Cobra Seats, stitched to match the original Trans Am style, by 714 Motorsports are a signature addition.

The Pontiac’s exterior was brought back to the stock look

The interior features a set of re-designed Cobra seats, six-speed manual shifter and total restoration of the ’77 Pontiac interior.

Mark Oja, owner of Custom Rod Garage and regular personality for Overhaulin’, applied the PPG black paint to this cool T/A.

Detroit Speed suspension parts, including the full hydroformed front subframe, make this car handle as well as it looks.

In true Smokey and the Bandit-style, this Trans Am features those unique T-tops roof cut outs. Luckily they tied the suspension together to avoid excessive body flex.

Michelin Pilot Radials, 235/30R-19 in the front, are wrapped around signature Foose wheels that are similar (but a lot cooler) to the original Pontiac Snowflake wheels. For braking, Overhaulin’ installed massive Baer Brakes, 14-inch diameter rotors, and six-piston calipers.

through the folks at Classic Industries, who supplied all of the restoration parts that dress the vehicle.

Over the top of these new components, Pinhead Fabrication reworked the metal pieces using 3M paint prep supplies, and Mark Oja and his Custom Rod Garage applied the BASF 22 Line single-stage black paint. At each corner, one-off Foose MHT wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot tires deliver a look not unlike the original — just a whole lot cooler and better performing.

If there is one item that shouts Trans Am, it is the “Screaming Eagle” hood graphic. For this Pontiac, the crowning touch was the handiwork of Mike Lavallee and Chip himself, the latter of whom designed the graphic from scratch — a Foose touch that we will know and miss — now that Overhaulin’ has ended its run.

For more, search “Flipping the bird” at PPNDigital.com.

From the rear, the huge P335 Michelins really play the part. Slight modification of the fenderwells by Foose helped them fit perfectly.

THE END “Foose and The Bandit” was the final of the 108 regular season builds orchestrated throughout the 11 years Overhaulin’ aired, debuting on TLC in April of 2004 and most recently on Velocity Channel.

The show was one of the most popular of all times and set the bar for many future “build” shows, although none had the talent of Foose, or the creativity of execution. This last build is a gem — and a great send off to Foose, Oja, and their talented team.

PPNDigital.com 49

ForcE DRIVING

N

o engine upgrade makes more of an impact than a cool, highly polished accessory drive. Eddie Motorsports’ Serpentine Pulley System not only delivers killer eye-candy, but also provides a bulletproof system that ensures efficient accessory drive performance far superior to classic V-belt drives used on original muscle car applications. For our demonstration, we installed one of Eddie’s new S-Drive Plus eight-rib systems on our 502c.i. big-block engine.

Eight-rib serpentine belts have a contact patch that is 33 percent wider than a standard six rib belt, increasing belt traction and limiting slippage in higher horsepower applications. The S-Drive Plus system can handle torque loads 33 percent greater than comparable six-rib systems.

While the eight rib kit is only offered for big-

50 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Eddie Motorsports Serpentine System performs as good as it looks

block, small-block, and LS Chevy engines, Eddie also offers six-rib kits for Ford Windsor and Cleveland engines, and big-block Chrysler as well.

The CNC-machined, 6061T6 aluminum pulley system is manufactured in the USA at Eddie’s Southern California facility and installed in less than an hour following the clear and concise instructions, using only a few common hand tools. Follow along as we document the installation, noting key elements you should consider when shopping for an accessory drive system, and highlight what we like about the Eddie Motorsports Serpentine system.

Source: Eddie Motorsports, eddiemotorsports.com The Eddie Motorsports Serpentine Pulley System includes all of these items as part of the complete kit and is available in seven different finishes: polished, raw, anodized, or Fusion-coated in a variety of colors.

1. Key to the Eddie Motorsports kit are these water pump spacers, which allow you to use a short style water pump, but space the pulley kit assembly out far enough so that the components can be “tucked” within the width of the cylinder heads making it the most compact system on the market. Also, the O-rings eliminate the need for gaskets.

Using white grease to keep them in place, they fit into grooves in both sides of the spacers.

2. The aluminum water pump is fully polished for our kit – that is not the case with many other serpentine pulley kits.

4. The elegant Serpentine Belt bracket made from 6061T6 aluminum is the core of the system and mounts to the four stand offs.

3. These stainless steel stand-offs hold the water pump in position and are used as the supports for the main serpentine bracketing. Note the notches that allow for wrench tightening.

5. The crankshaft pulley installs with three bolts that fit to the face of the engine dampener. Eddie includes Belleville cupped spring washers to insure that the bolts stay tight.

7. The water pump pulley used four polished bolts to attach to the water pump shaft. Eddie uses a military spec hard coat anodizing on the pulley to prevent wear from the belt.

6. As noted, there are a diversity of power steering units available from Eddie Motorsports. We used the pump with the attached billet aluminum reservoir for the ultimate custom look and for easy plumbing. Eddie even includes a stainless steel hard line that wraps around the back of the pump. For applications where clearance is an issue, Eddie can provide a pump to accommodate a remote mounted reservoir.

PPNDigital.com 51

Highlights to the Eddie Motorsports Accessory Drive • System mounts entirely off of the water pump studs rather than head bolt locations, making it applicable for use with any cylinder heads, which can be inconsistent and hard to fit.

• Employs a modern off the shelf spring loaded belt tensioner allowing the system to work properly as it was engineered by the OEMs. • Powermaster CS style 140-amp alternator with eight fin polished cooling fan.

8. The A/C unit is compatible with all of the popular aftermarket air conditioning systems. The compressor was dressed with the Eddie Motorsports billet aluminum manifold that makes for easier hose connection and looks great.

• Your choice of three Maval late model GM Type II power steering pump configurations — plastic factory-style, attached reservoir, upgraded billet aluminum attached reservoir, or remote reservoir.

• Tuff Stuff fully polished aluminum water pump.

• Sanden SD-7 style A/C compressor with Eddie manifold for easy hose connection.

• Gates six- or eight-rib serpentine belt and all of the necessary stainless steel mounting fasteners.

• Available in polished or raw finishes, or in a variety of Fusioncoat or anodized colors.

9. Eddie’s list of name brand components included in their kits begins with the Powermaster 140-amp alternator that is standard issue with the fan already installed. Eddie also offers optional 165-amp and 220-amp alternators for big power consumers.

10. The magic behind a serpentine belt pulley system is the spring loaded belt tensioner which applies continuous “belt-tensioning” throughout the engine’s RPM range. Some companies go against this wisdom and don’t utilize a tensioner, but without it the system cannot function effectively. Eddie’s system uses a quality off-the-shelf Gates tensioner that you can buy at any auto parts store should it fail. A pair of locating pins and a single bolt supports the tensioner. Using a breaker bar the tensioner can be moved out of the way during belt installation.

11. Eddie also includes the Gates eight-rib serpentine belt which, believe or not, some kit manufacturers don’t provide. The Serpentine belt easily installs in this manner. Starting with the A/C pulley, it winds around the crankshaft pulley and over the alternator pulley. Once the belt is installed you can release the tensioner and you’ll never have to adjust the belt again.

52 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

12. After the belt is in place, the aluminum cover is installed to finish the look.

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Machined from a single forging of 6061-T6 aluminum, the high-quality VX1 wheel is lightweight, stiff, and has excellent fatigue strength. Each American-made VX1 is created as a custom production order, based on the unique specifications of each customer application. Available in 18-, 19-, 20-, and 21-inch diameters, the VX1 provides generous brake caliper clearance and is designed to accommodate extreme brake fitment. forgeline.com 800.886.0093

Q Means Affordable Quick Fuel Technology, Street-Q Series Carburetor Quick Fuel Technology’s new Street-Q carburetor delivers legendary Q-Series performance to hardcore street enthusiasts at a reduced price. The major differences between the Street-Q and the race-bred Q-Series is the substitution of cast metering blocks and a cast throttle body in place of fully-machined billet components. All of the critical functionality is retained, including 2-circuit metering, down-leg boosters, changeable idle and high-speed air bleeds, and 4-corner idle adjustments.

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Cut down on movement Energy Suspension, Polyurethane Components for Mustang Factory rubber bushings reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) on the S550 Mustang with IRS, but under load they cause unwanted drivetrain movement in the rear differential and sub-frame. The results are reduced wheel traction and less responsive handling. Cure the wheel hop and understeer blues with firmer, low-deflection polyurethane differential mounts and sub-frame bushing sets. Energy’s firmer durometer polyurethane components improve traction, cornering, and shifting all within acceptable NVH levels, unlike solid mounts. Sold separately are Energy’s rear differential and sub-frame bushings, control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, and manual trans mount insert. energysuspension.com 888.292.1250

Killer rumble Lunati, Bootlegger GM LS Cams The most innovative and unique line of camshafts from Lunati is now available for one of the performance industry’s most renowned engine platforms. Aggressive LS Bootlegger Cams provide modern design advancements combined with old-school attitude to provide a killer exhaust note and tons of low- and

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Supercharged EFI FAST, XFI Sportsman Blow-Through Supercharger EFI System Nothing looks cooler than a supercharged engine, but the technology was stuck in the past – until now. Thanks to FAST, blowthrough applications that are traditionally carbureted now have the option to utilize an EFI setup. This XFI Sportsman-based system replaces the carburetor with an easy-to-install EZ-EFI 2.0 throttle body. It supports up to 15 psi of boost and 1,000 hp on gasoline, making it twice as powerful as any other singe throttle body blow-through product on the market. fuelairspark.com 877.334.8355 PPNDigital.com 55

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Give it a shot ZEX, GM LS Perimeter Plate System Adjustable from 100-250 hp, the complete ZEX LS Series Perimeter Plate Nitrous System provides optimum spray efficiency and fuel distribution for both cable and throttle-by-wire engines. It is a direct fit for all 90mm and larger, four-bolt style OEM and aftermarket throttle body/manifold combinations, as well as FAST LSXr/LSXrt 102mm Intake Manifolds. The perimeter plate system utilizes Cryo-Sync and Airflow Enhancement technology to create additional horsepower, while the 12 injection ports around the perimeter of the intake manifold’s inlet create a perfectly atomized blend of fuel and nitrous. zex.com 888.817.1008

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Eradicating speed Baer Brakes, EradiSpeed Baer Brake’s EradiSpeed line of products has expanded with the addition of Ford’s newest F-150. The EradiSpeed1 features a larger diameter cast directional rotor designed to help cooling once the vehicle is in motion. Other features include factory-type anchors to relocate the stock caliper and Baer’s signature slot, drill, and zinc exterior finish. In addition, this install does not require bleeding of the brakes, making for a simple bolt on installation!

The three EradiSpeed offerings are: EradiSpeed+: Stock size, direct replacement 2-piece rotors.

EradiSpeed1: Larger than stock 1-piece rotor that will include brackets to relocate your stock caliper to accept these larger rotor castings.

EradiSpeed+1: Larger than stock 2-piece rotor that will include brackets to relocate your stock caliper to accept these larger rotor castings. baer.com 602.233.1411 56 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

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Modular lubrication Driven Racing Oil, FR Oils Driven FR20 and FR50 Synthetic Oils are specifically engineered for both boosted and Naturally Aspirated high-performance engines from the blue oval. These oils address the unique concerns of these Ford power plants, such as properly lubricating the variable valve timing system, withstanding increased temperature due to power adders, and reducing oil consumption and vaporization. FR20 is a 5W-20 blend designed for two-, three-, and four-valve modular engines, while FR50 is a 5w-50 formula specifically for the 5.0 Coyote. drivenracingoil.com 866.611.1820 58 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Got ya covered Edelbrock, Elite II Series Valve Covers The original Elite Series accessories have been a staple in the Edelbrock Performance catalog since 1985. Edelbrock’s Elite II Series accessories are an all-new streamlined modern design that pays homage to the original. Elite II Series valve covers are a heavygauge, die-cast aluminum construction with a high quality polished finish for a show-winning look.

Designed to work with the high performance valve train components that reside under these sharp looking cover, they feature a leak-proof rail to ensure excellent head to cover sealing. They are a signature performance product line engine dress up part that benefits any underhood appearance. edlebrock.com 800.416-8628

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True grip Get a gold star Crane Cams, Gold-Race Rocker Arms A staple of the Crane Cams lineup, Gold-Race Rockers feature a heat-treated steel roller tip that is more efficient than standard scrub-type rockers, have a lower mass moment of inertia (meaning less weight on the valve), and come in ratios that will increase the net valve lift and duration of a camshaft.

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Eaton, TrueTrac The rebirth of the Camaro in 2010 as an all new high-performance machine has been a huge success. So much so that these already powerful vehicles have seen a lot of power adder improvements that place stress on the drivetrain. The engineers at Eaton know this and have created a Detroit TrueTrac differential more than up to the task. Compatible with street/strip, high performance, and even daily driver applications, this differential can be used with factory rear end components or high performance upgrades.

Operation of Helical-style gears drive the Detroit TrueTrac, which delivers smooth automatic transfer of torque for efficient power delivery. The TrueTrac durability comes from three pinion-gear sets, which share the load under demand bolstered by the limited slip operation. This unit fits the 218mm Camaro axle found in the 1SS, 2SS and manual transmission LS, 1LT, and 2LTSS models. Gearing ratios are 3.45 and 3.73:1. eaton.com 800.328.3850 PPNDigital.com 59

THE

WORLD IN Words Jeff Smith Photos Courtesy of the companies, Jeff Smith

A complete buyer’s guide to street manual five-speed gearboxes

N

ot all that long ago, if you wanted a performance manual transmission you could have any trans you wanted, as long as it was a four-speed. That was it — four forward gears with a limited number of ratios.

It was a simpler time, for sure. The problem was that fourth gear was always 1:1. What that meant for a street car was if you were sporting a set of 4.56:1 rear end gears, highway cruising wasn’t something you looked forward to since even at a pedestrian 60 mph you were probably spinning the engine close to 3,500 rpm.

Thankfully, the world is now full of manual gearboxes that not only offer overdrive ratios, but can also transmit copious amounts of torque and 60 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

horsepower without fear of sawing themselves in half. In fact, there are so many choices in the overdrive market we decided to concentrate just on the five-speeds.

There are several veteran gearboxes worthy of note, as well as a couple of newcomers you may not have heard about. We’re going to cover all of their important aspects from gear ratios, to torque capacity, weight, and even whether these boxes have reverse synchronizers.

The five-speed boxes under our review are the Richmond Street 5 speed (originally the Doug Nash 4+1), Richmond’s newer Street 5 Speed OD, the new Legend LGT-700, the latest addition Muscle 5 trans from McLeod, the

Tremec TKO 500 and 600 versions, and a selection of T-5-based transmissions from Modern Driveline and G-Force, among others. We even discovered a Mopar-specific five-speed from Passon Performance that looks very strong. We won’t include the Mustang-specific T-45 five-speed that came in 1996-’02 Mustangs as it does not appear to be a suitable performance candidate.

The Breakdown If we had to narrow down transmission selection into just two major categories, it would have to be the combination of gear ratio selection (emphasizing First gear) and torque capacity. This is interesting because

for a street car, these two factors can go hand-in-hand.

We’ll start with torque capacity, although for a typical street car, most if not all of these transmissions will be capable of handling the power created by typical street small-block engines.

As an example, a properly built, normally-aspirated street engine with good flowing heads and a decent cam can make 1.25 lb-ft of torque per cubic inch. So a 400c.i. small block would be capable of making around 500 lb-ft of torque (400 x 1.25 = 500).

With big blocks, the numbers grow pretty quickly, with a 468c.i. Rat motor for example capable of close to 600 lb-ft of torque. It’s this twisting effort that a manual transmission must endure. Smaller displacement engines that spin much higher have a different requirement since these engines will stress shift quality above 7,000 rpm.

Here, the extra weight and mass of larger gears makes that a more challenging situation and places emphasis on reduced gear deflection under load and synchro design.

With all this in mind, 21st Century manual transmissions must be capable of handling more torque than a ’60s era four-speed. One way to evaluate any manual transmission’s torque capacity is to look at the transmission’s center-to-center distance. This is the distance between the centerline of the input shaft and the centerline of the cluster gear.

As this distance increases, it allows larger gears to be used, which increases the tooth size and overlap between the input and the cluster. This is not the only criterion for estimating transmission strength since gear material, tooth design, heat treatment, and a dozen other factors play a critical role in power capacity, but this is one simple way to help establish a transmission’s capacity to transfer power from the engine to the rearend.

Another important factor in power capacity is the actual First gear ratio.

The power path through a manual transmission starts at the input shaft and, except when the input and output shafts are tied together in 1:1, the power then extends down to the cluster where it is routed back up through the mainshaft. This means the tooth engagement between the input shaft gear and the cluster must transfer and withstand the torque input in First, Second, and Third gears.

First gear ratios On the surface, it may appear the ideal First gear ratio for a street performance car would be the deepest (highest numerical) ratio. For most performance applications, that turns out to be not true. Much of this depends on what you plan to do with the car. Let’s start with the transmissions in this story.

First gear ratios extend from as deep as 4.41:1 to as tall as 2.66:1. That gives us quite a spread to work with.

It’s essential you know that the Overall First Gear Ratio (OFGR) is the product of multiplying First gear times by the rear gear ratio. The rear tire size will also have an effect on acceleration, but we’ll leave that for a later story. Let’s take that deepest ratio as an example.

Start with a typical street car like a ’71 Camaro with a small block. Let’s say the car weighs 3,600 pounds with a mild 355c.i. small block with a 3.42:1 rear gear and a 26-inch tall rear tire. If we bolted in that Richmond 5-speed with a 4.41:1 First gear ratio, this would produce an overall First gear ratio of 4.41 x 3.42 = 15.1:1.

This probably doesn’t mean much on the surface, but the standard OFGR for a street car is anywhere from 8:1 to 11:1, so right away we can see that this 15:1 ratio is way too deep. To put this in perspective, let’s look at the ratio a different way.

That 15.1:1 is the same OFGR as a close ratio Muncie four-speed (2.20:1 First gear) with a 6.86:1 rear end gear. Yikes!

So if your car is equipped with a rear gear anywhere between 3.08:1 and 3.55:1 ratios, one simple way to look for a First gear ratio is to divide the nominal 10:1 by the rear gear ratio to determine a decent First gear ratio. As an example, 10 / 3.55 = 2.81:1. In that case, the Tremec TKO 600’s 2.87:1 is nearly identical. The T-5’s 2.95:1 is also very close. This assumes a 10:1 ratio.

But to change that around a bit, let’s use a different application where the car is now a ’69 Caprice with a small displacement, fuel-injected 5.3L LS engine.

This means the First gear ratio has a direct effect on torque capacity, much like the relationship between the pinion gear and the ring gear in a rearend. As the ratio becomes deeper (numerically higher), the pinion gear becomes smaller in diameter with fewer teeth, while the ring gear tooth count increases.

The same is true with a manu-

In this case, the engine is small, making perhaps 375 to 390 lb-ft of torque, and the car is heavy — around 3,900 pounds.

In this instance, the owner probably desires both spirited performance and decent highway fuel mileage.

Plus, the car is currently equipped with a 3.08:1 rear gear. In this case, a deeper ratio First gear would help to get the car moving. Let’s place the overall First gear ratio at 11:1 and dividing by 3.08:1 gives us a First gear ratio of 3.57:1. The closest to that would be either the TKO-500 at 3.27:1 or perhaps the Richmond 5-speed Overdrive with its optional 3.33:1. The performance T-5 variants might also work here with their 2.95:1 ratios, but that would drop the overall First gear ratio to only 9.1:1.

Another consideration should also be the overdrive ratio. In this last case, the Tremec TKO-500 offers a 0.68:1 overdrive, which would reduce the 3.08:1 rear gear to a tall 2.09:1 effective rear gear ratio. In a car with a 26-inch tall tire, that would put the engine at 1,890 rpm at 70 mph. With EFI, that might work well. The overdrive ratios for our five-speeds are between 0.64:1 and 0.89:1 for the road race version of the TKO-600. The 0.64 is pretty steep, while the 0.89 is only an 11-percent overdrive, which for the highway isn’t enough.

One way to quickly evaluate an overdrive ratio is to simply multiply the cruising rpm of your current non-overdrive 1:1 high gear transmission. So, if at 70 mph your current combination spins the engine at 3,200 rpm, then an overdrive ratio of 0.68 would drop to a nice cruising 2,176 rpm at the same 70 mph.

Hopefully these examples have helped you see you can use some simple math to help figure out which transmission ratios would work best for your combination.

Often, being conservative will produce the best overall package that you will enjoy driving for years to come.

al transmission. For example, as the First gear ratio gets deeper (again, numerically larger numbers) the capacity of these gears to support torque is reduced. This is evident in technical data from Richmond in rating its Super T-10 four-speeds. They rate their 2.43:1 First gear transmission at 375 lb-ft of torque capacity, but that same transmission with a 2.88:1 First gear PPNDigital.com 61

ratio is only rated at 300 lb-ft. That doesn’t mean the transmission won’t survive behind a strong engine; we have first-hand knowledge using the 2.88:1 trans in a 3,500-pound street car raced in numerous track days, drag races, and autocross using a 420c.i. small block that consistently makes 550 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque.

So you can see there’s probably quite a bit of room in torque ratings since there does not appear to be a standardized test employed in establishing these ratings.

Another aspect worth noting with regard to First gear ratio is the deeper the First gear ratio, the farther away it is from Fourth gear’s 1:1. This means there must be a greater rpm drop between each gear ratio in between First and Fourth to accommodate this deeper ratio. The greater the rpm drop between gears, the slower the maximum potential acceleration rate.

Stated another way, close ratio transmissions usually offer a taller First gear ratio but minimize the rpm drop for each gear change. The compromise is to find a First gear ratio deep enough yet still minimizing the rpm drop for each gear change. We plugged the ratios of a TKO 600 transmission into the Quarter Pro drag strip simulation program and shifting at 6,500 from Third (1.34:1) to Fourth gear (1:1) drops the rpm a touch more than 1,300 rpm.

We will evaluate each transmission separately, offering their specs for comparison. Beyond strength and price, it is our opinion the transmission’s First gear and overdrive ratios are the most important (but not the only) considerations for choosing a five-speed manual trans.

Each vehicle will have different requirements affecting which First gear and overdrive ratio that might be ideal. But for many muscle car and street performance applications, it would

FORD AND GM T-5: Gear ratios Gear First Second Third Fourth Fifth

Ratios 2.95 1.94 1.34 1.00 0.63

Ratios* 2.42 1.53 1.23 1.00 0.63

*G-Force only

FORD AND GM T-5: Trans specs Trans T-5

Center Dist.

3.03 inches

Weight 70 pounds

A modified T-5 like this one from Modern Driveline can handle a 375 to 400 lb-ft of torque small-block on the street, especially if you don’t abuse it with high rpm clutch dumps. This 2.95:1 First gear five-speed has been in our 355c.i. V8 S10 pickup for more than a year, and we’re about to go autocross racing with it.

appear First gear ratios between 2.40:1 and 3.00:1 will be the most popular, based on the street rear axle ratios spanning 3.00:1 to 4:00:1.

Rather than waste any more space, let’s dive into the details for each of these transmissions. See if one in particular jumps out as the one best for your car or truck.

Ford and GM T-5 We thought we’d start with the smallest and lightest of the five-speeds. This transmission actually started life as a mild-mannered gearbox for the 1980 AMC Spirit/Accord and made its performance debut in 1983 in 5.0 Mustangs.

The only T-5 worthy of discussion are the World Class (WC) boxes introduced in 1985 in 5.0 Mustangs and later in V8 Camaros and Firebirds, behind the 5.0L engines only. Since then, companies like D&D Performance, Modern Driveline, and G-Force have upgraded components and gear sets to produce a transmission that is durable enough to hold up behind 400 lb-ft of torque small-block engines.

The advantage of this transmission

Torque Cap. (lb-ft) 400–450

62 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Gear Oil ATF

Price $1,700–$2,900+

is it is the lightest of the performance five-speeds at around 70 pounds. One reason is because this transmission also has the smallest center-to-center distance at 3.03 inches.

The V8 version boxes spin a 2.95:1 First gear although G-Force also sells a 2.42:1 gear set that can be considered the closest to what we might call a close-ratio set. G-Force claims its stronger drag racing gear set can handle as much as 500 lb-ft or 600 hp in a 3,300-pound car with a drag radial tire.

Modern Driveline says its modified T-5’s are often used behind 450 hp engines, but they and G-Force prefer to deal one-on-one with specific customer applications. Stock WC T-5 transmissions are typically rated at 375 lb-ft.

The T-5 is an internal rail shifter transmission, which places the shifter inline with the transmission with internal linkage. When transplanting this transmission into an earlier car, you should know that sheet metal modifications will inevitably need to be made to the floor pan to accommodate the shifter because older, external shifter transmissions offset the linkage to the driver’s side of the tunnel.

Red Roberts’ Driveline Components builds offset shifters for the T-5

The McLeod Muscle Car 5-speed is patterned after the T-5 but with improvements that make it a great choice for small-block applications making 500 lb-ft of torque. It’s narrow enough to fit under the tight confines of ’64-’67 Chevelles or ’63-’67 Chevy II’s.

MCLEOD MUSCLE 5: Gear ratios

MCLEOD MUSCLE 5: Trans specs Trans Muscle 5

Center Dist.

3.03 inches

Weight 70 pounds

and other single rail transmission like the T-56 that allows you to reposition the shifter closer to its original location. His contact information is listed in the source guide.

McLeod Muscle 5 This is the latest addition to the aftermarket five-speed lineup from McLeod. This transmission is loosely based on the T-5 mainly because the center distance is the same as a T-5 and the gear ratios — at least the First offering — are also the same as the V8 GM T-5. Improvements include 8620 steel gears and a 32-spline output shaft, which is significantly larger than the production T-5’s 28-spline.

Most of the other transmissions in this range use the 32-spline output, which is most commonly used with the TH-400 automatic and higher output four-speeds. The input shaft is also slightly larger with a 1 1/8-inch diameter, 26-spline that is larger and stronger than the T-5.

McLeod chose to base this transmission around the T-5 primarily to save space. The transmission is among the smallest case transmissions and will fit under tight early muscle car floor pans with clearance compared to larger transmissions like the T-56.

The Muscle 5 is also a single-rail transmission so the shifter is positioned roughly equal with the transmission centerline. This will offer challenges and require some sheet metal changes to certain body styles.

Currently, McLeod is offering this transmission only in the GM configu-

Torque Cap. (lb-ft) 500 lb-ft

Gear Oil ATF

Price $2,795+

ration, but future plans include Ford and perhaps Mopar applications.

One of the Muscle 5’s selling points is this transmission utilizes a strengthening plate located where the input shaft ties to the output shaft. In production T-5 transmissions, deflection in this area is often the cause of Third gear failures.

The Muscle 5 increases its strength by placing a bulkhead to stiffen this

Gear First Second Third Fourth Fifth

Ratios 2.95 1.94 1.34 1.00 0.63

Ratios 2.42 1.53 1.23 1.00 0.63

area and prevent the main shaft from migrating from the cluster gear. So, if you are looking for a lightweight five-speed that can take some abuse, this might be a good choice. The transmission is new enough we have not had a chance to experience it first-hand. But by all appearances, it would make a great street fivespeed, especially with its 37 percent overdrive.

The Legend 700 offers exceptional strength with a decent overall weight and size that makes it a great choice for muscle cars. The various dedicated shifter locations offers 12 different positions based on body style requirements.

PPNDigital.com 63

LEGEND 700: Trans specs Trans Legend LGT-700

Center Dist.

3.35 inches

Weight 108 pounds

LEGEND 700: Gear ratios Gear First Second Third Fourth Fifth

Ratios 2.66 1.78 1.30 1.00 0.69/0.80

Ratios 2.97 2.07 1.43 1.00 0.80

Legend 700 This is also a relatively new five-speed produced by the Legend Gear and Transmission Company.

The transmission gets its name from its torque rating of 700 lb-ft that was tested at this level in each of the forward gears, including overdrive.

This is a robust transmission with a center distance of 3.35 inches, which places it in the same category as the T-56 six-speed at 85mm.

The trans is currently offered in two different 2.66:1 and 2.97:1 First gear ratios with either a 0.80:1 or 0.69: 1 overdrive.

As we mentioned in the intro, strength is created by building upon several different layers, and the Legend trans offers not only steel gears but 4140 steel shift forks with bronze shift pads and forged steel blocker rings.

The synchros use current technology carbon-Kevlar friction liners and Legend specifies using a Monolec

Torque Cap. (lb-ft) 700

Gear Oil Monolec ATF

Price $3,500–$5,000+

ATF trans fluid for lube. Speaking of synchros, this is the only trans in our collection with a synchronized reverse gear. So no more crunching gears into reverse.

The company’s technical specs reveal as many as 10 different shifter locations designed to make this transmission a direct fit for most popular applications. In fact, the trans face has provisions for nearly all performance GM, Ford, and Mopar transmission bolt patterns.

Like many of the newer transmission designs, this is a single-rail shifter transmission with the shifter inline, but shifting at high rpm should be easier since it only moves one rail, while many of the other transmissions move two rails during critical gear changes like from Second to Third.

The Legend also offers multiple tail shaft configurations that reposition

RICHMOND STREET 5-SPEED O.D.: Gear ratios Gear First Second Third Fourth Fifth

Ratios 2.89 1.85 1.31 1.00 0.77

Ratios 3.06 1.85 1.31 1.00 0.77

Ratios 3.33 1.85 1.31 1.00 0.77

RICHMOND STREET 5-SPEED O.D.: Trans specs Trans Center Dist.

Weight Torque Cap. (lb-ft) Gear Oil Richmond Street 5 O.D. 3.50 inches 106 pounds 600 Richmond Gear oil

The Richmond five speed overdrive transmission employs a unique case design that splits vertically, making service easier. One downside is the Long shifter sits relatively high on the trans, which will demand floor pan modifications. The overall trans length is actually shorter than a Super T-10 with the same output shaft splines.

64 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Price $3,500+

the shifter to a driver-side bias to fit older muscle car floor pans without modification. You can also spec an optional REM finish for the gears that should be beneficial for reducing trans operating temperature.

The multiple shifter and other options also push the price between $3,495 to $5,000, making it one of the most expensive transmissions in this review. But if it will take 700 lb-ft of continuous torque even in overdrive, it might be worth it!

Richmond Street Five-Speed O.D. Until now, we’ve been dealing with internal rail transmissions. The Richmond places the shifter on the outside, like the older four-speeds from the ’60s and ’70s.

Because of its unique design, the price reflects the fact the trans comes with a Long-style shifter. This transmission was designed to directly replace Richmond’s line of Super T-10 four-speeds, so the case is the same length as the Super T-10 and employs a TH-400 style 32-spline output shaft.

This means other than having to modify the floor to accommodate the shifter, this transmission is literally a bolt-in, at least for some GM cars.

The trans also sports the widest center distance of any of the transmissions listed in this review with a 3.50-inch distance, and with its 600 lb-ft of torque rating, it appears it can back that up.

Weight is a bit of an issue as it nearly equals the Legend at 106 pounds, but this is a direct result of gear size.

Our suggestion would be the 2.89:1 gear ratio as the other two First gear ratios are deeper but retain the same Second through Fifth ratios.

This makes the rpm drop between First and Second more precipitous.

Richmond offers these transmissions for most popular engines including Ford and Mopar applications although early Fords and Mopars may need floor pan massaging in order to accommodate the larger case.

The case design is also reminiscent of the older Richmond five-speed with its vertically split case to make servicing the transmission easier. It sports a large, engine-specific input shaft and the TH-400 style 32-spline output shaft that equals the largest of all the five-speeds. Like all these aftermarket transmissions, the Richmond comes with a back-up light switch as well as a mechanical speedometer drive.

RICHMOND 5-SPEED: Trans specs Center Dist.

3.50 inches

Weight 95 pounds

RICHMOND 5-SPEED: Gear ratios Gear First Second Third Fourth Fifth

Ratios 3.29 2.13 1.57 1.24 1.00

Ratios 4.06 2.22 1.57 1.24 1.00

Ratios 4.41 2.13 1.57 1.24 1.00

Richmond Five-Speed Before the Richmond Street FiveSpeed Overdrive transmission hit the market, Richmond offered an earlier five-speed that is the only box to not employ an overdrive.

The concept is actually quite interesting and worth closer scrutiny as it offers several benefits not found with its competitors. It’s possible that many enthusiasts might shy away from this transmission because it lacks an overdrive, but that is not necessarily a detriment. The concept dates back to the early 1980s when Doug Nash built the 4+1.

Richmond purchased the tooling for this transmission and continues to build this transmission complete with its vertically split case.

The idea was to stick a deep First gear ratio in front of a close-ratio box that would minimize the rpm drop between gears and then use Fifth gear as 1:1. This means instead of a deep 3.73:1 or 4.10:1 rear gear, you would maintain a stock 2.73:1 or 3.08:1 rear gear. Let’s do some quick math to illustrate the idea.

The most common Richmond version uses the 3.28:1 First gear ratio.

Multiply that times a 2.73:1 rear gear

Here is a comparison of a TKO-600 five-speed in the foreground, intended for an early Camaro, with a Richmond Super T-10 four-speed in the background. The TKO case is slightly longer, requiring a shorter driveshaft and is also about 45 pounds heavier than the four-speed, but the overdrive more than compensates for the added weight.

Torque Cap. (lb-ft) Gear Oil 500 Richmond Gear oil

Price $2,700+

and the result is 8.95:1. To put this in perspective, that’s the equivalent of a Muncie close ratio four-speed (2.20:1 First gear) with a 4.07:1 rear gear.

Plus, the Richmond 5 maintains a close gear spread.

The largest drop is between First and Second, which is what you want, while the drop from Third to Fourth is a mere 19 percent, which is desirous to minimize the rpm drop. For example, shifting into Fourth from 6,500 only drops the rpm to 5,265 rpm as opposed to other transmissions that have as much as a 28-percent drop (6,500 to 4,680 rpm).

Another advantage to the 1:1 Fifth gear is this is obviously a straight connection between the input and output shafts so no friction or power is lost in the transfer as it would be with an overdrive gear.

The accepted percentage of loss through an overdrive is roughly 2–3 percent. Another minor advantage is when you use the taller rear gear like a 3.08:1 for example, the pinion gear diameter is very large, offering increased tooth contact with the ring gear. Take a look at the difference in pinion diameters between a 4.56:1 and 3.08:1 pinion gears, and you will understand.

The Richmond five-speed is still hefty at 95 pounds but that’s still 11 pounds lighter than its overdrive brother. Its price is around $2,700 without the shifter. The dedicated Long shifter (PN HN-1000) is available separately and runs about $550. It’s important to

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Trans Richmond Street 5

Passon Five-Speed

TREMEC TKO 500/600: Trans specs Trans TKO 500 / 600

Center Dist.

3.26 inches

Weight 99 pounds

TREMEC TKO 500/600: Gear ratios Gear First Second Third Fourth Fifth

Ratios 600 2.87 1.89 1.28 1.00 0.64/ 0.89

Ratios 500 3.27 1.98 1.34 1.00 0.68

note this shifter sits very high on the transmission and will require significant floor pan surgery to fit most cars.

Tremec TKO 500/600 Five-Speeds Perhaps the best known of the aftermarket five-speeds is the TKO 500/600 transmissions. These two transmissions are essentially the same with differences centering on gear ratio selection and torque capacity.

The numbers reflect the torque ratings of the two transmissions with the difference attributable to the deeper First gear ratio of 3.27:1 for the 500 versus 2.87:1 for the 600. These transmissions offer completely different gear spreads, including the overdrive ratios with the 500 at 0.68:1 and the 600 with an even taller 0.64:1 ratio.

These are important considerations since a 36-percent overdrive will turn a 3.73:1 gear ratio into the equivalent of a 2.39:1 rear cog. This might sound good on the surface, but an engine with a carburetor and a big cam may not be very happy at a cruise rpm of 2,160 rpm at 70 mph

Torque Cap. (lb-ft) 500 or 600

Gear Oil Synchromesh

Price $2,400+

with a 26-inch tall tire.

Like most modern transmissions, the Tremecs are internal rail shifters, which positions the shifter at the centerline of the driveline.

For older muscle car conversions, there are several companies that specialize in altering the Tremec to fit within the shifter opening of many popular older body styles like the First generation Camaro and early Mustangs. Companies such as American Powertrain, Modern Driveline, Silver Sports Transmissions (SST) and several others offer either converted transmissions or swap kits for a specific application, complete with shifters, crossmembers, driveshafts, and hardware to make the conversion easier. SST even offers a synchro upgrade with bronze shaft arm pads that makes 7,000 rpm shifts a little easier.

Our personal choice between the two would be the 600 as much for its conservative First gear ratio, although its 0.64 overdrive at 36 percent is almost too much, especially for cars with a tall rear gear. Other pluses are its 31-spline output shaft that accepts a Ford C-6 style yoke and a dry weight of only 99 pounds. All of that combines to create a great street transmission.

This transmission is specifically designed as a Mopar five-speed overdrive replacement for the original Mopar A-833 four-speed.

The trans was designed and built

by Passon Performance in Sugarloaf, Pennsylvania, and owner Dave Passon says that unlike generic five-speeds, this trans is a direct replacement for any A, B, or E-body Mopar that originally came with a four-speed.

The trans is rated for 700 lb-ft of continuous torque application, which makes it incredibly strong and capable of living behind a monster stroke RB or Hemi engine.

The trans is compact in outside dimensions yet it is equal to the strongest center distance of 3.50-inches, and the gears are all 9310 alloy steel, offering an exceptionally high tensile strength.

There are three different versions based on the intended body style and extension housing, and the shifter minus handle is included. The case is cast from 356 T6 aluminum, and all the transmissions employ a 30-spline

PASSION FIVE-SPEED: Gear ratios Gear First Second Third Fourth Fifth

Ratio 2.64 1.92 1.40 1.00 0.70

PASSION FIVE-SPEED: Trans specs Trans Passon 5

Center Dist.

3.50 inches

Weight 105 pounds

Torque Cap. (lb-ft) 700

Gear Oil 75w140 Synthetic

Price $4,995+

The Passon five-speed is a Mopar-specific five-speed that touts a torque capacity of 700 lb-ft of continuous duty, making it among the strongest of the street five-speeds. It also comes with its own shifter and tail shaft designed specifically for A,B, and E body Mopars.

66  Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

output shaft. Passon also recommends using a 75W-140 synthetic for the gear lube, comparable with the lube generally used with the older manual transmissions.

There is only one gear ratio package available, but it is comparable to the fine-spline pre-’71 A-833 four-speed ratios, with the addition of a great 30-percent overdrive in Fifth gear. If you think about it, it’s just like bolting in an overdrive with no other modifications. Because this is a Mopar-specific transmission, you can expect its limited reach to be reflected in the price at $4,995, but this does include the shifter.

This would be a kick-ass trans for a biginch Max Wedge ’64 Savoy for someone with a penchant for banging gears in the best Ronnie Sox tradition.

Sources: American Powertrain, americanpowertrain. com; Bowler Transmissions, bowlertransmissions.com; D&D Performance, ddperformance.com; Driveline Components Company, redrobertsinc.com; G-Force Transmissions, gforcetransmissions.com; Jody’s Transmissions; Legend Gear & Transmission, legendgt.com; McLeod Racing, mcleodind.com; Modern Driveline, moderndriveline.com; Passon Performance, passonperformance.com; Richmond Gear, richmondgear.com; Rockland Standard Gear, rsgear.com ; Silver Sport Transmissions, shiftsst.com; Tremec, tremec.com

Center distances, torque ratings, and weight As a point of reference, a Richmond Super T-10 four-speed center distance is 3.25 inches and with a 2.43:1 First gear ratio. The trans weighs 70 pounds and is rated at 375 lb-ft of torque.

Transmission Legend 700 5-Speed Richmond Super Street 5-Speed O.D. Tremec TKO 500/600 Richmond 5-Speed Passon 5-Speed McLeod Muscle 5 G-Force Street 5 T-5 World Class

Center Dist. (inches) 3.35 3.50 3.26 3.25 3.50 3.03 3.03 3.03

GEAR RATIO MATH Determining Final Drive Ratio in Overdrive: Effective Rear Gear Ratio = Overdrive Ratio x Rear Gear Ratio Example: 0.77 x 3.55:1 = 2.73:1 Final Drive Ratio: (rpm x Tire Dia.) / (MPH x 336) Example: 2,800 rpm, 26" Dire Dia., 70 mph Final Drive Ratio: (2,800 x 26) / (70 x 336) = 2,800 / 23,520 = 3.09 Final Drive Ratio: 3.09:1

maximum

ppower po wer we er

Torque Rating (lb-ft) 700 600 500/600 N.A. 700 500 500 330

Weight: Dry (pounds) 108 106 99 95 105 70 70 70

Rpm at a Given Speed: (mph x rear gear ratio x 336) / tire dia.

Example: 70 MPH, 3.55 x 0.64 = 2.27:1 rear gear ratio, tire dia. 26" rpm: ( 70 x 2.27 x 336) / 26 = 53,390 / 26 = 2,053 rpm = 2,053 mph = (rpm x Dire Dia.) / (Gear Ratio x 336) Example: 2,300 rpm, 26" Tire Dia., 2.31:1 Gear Ratio mph: (2,300 x 26) / (2.31 x 336) = 59,800 / 776 = 77 mph mph = 77

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STEVE STROPE

DRIVEN TO

EXCEL

If personal drive could be turned into kilowatts, then that of Steve Strope, founder of the Pure Vision custom car-building emporium in Simi Valley, California, would be a hotspot on the Earth’s surface, easily visible from Mars.

From his humble beginning in Apalachin, New York, a farm town of about 1,000 people not far from the Pennsylvania border, Steve wanted to build custom cars. If it was a plastic car model, action figures, etc., he wanted to modify it. When he was older, he would customize his own vehicle, working in carports and garages, sometimes with only a single working power outlet, to create show-winning vehicles. It is clearly that personal drive which has made him successful and a winner of multiple GM and Ford Design Awards at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. It is abundantly clear his company’s name, Pure Vision, is an accurate description.

When did you start modifying vehicles while living in New York?

When I was about 12, I discovered BMX, Bicycle Motocross. This was really my first hot rod. It was a thing that was mechanical, and I learned the basic techniques of how not to strip out nuts and bolts, how to grease things, lube things. So I was fixing and modifying this mechanical thing that I was riding. But BMX allowed me to bring parts and pieces and colors into the build of the bike.

In essence, I made the bike mine.

When we were all hanging on the trails and jumping the bikes, we knew which bike was whose. It was just like a hot rod — it was reflective of your personality.

At the same time, I was very much into cars and car magazines.

Early on, there were a couple of very influential cars in my life. At the small school I went to, there was an older kid with a black ’68 Plymouth Roadrunner with a 440c.i. engine, four-speed and Ansen Sprint wheels.

I would almost miss the bus everyday on the way home because I was all the way on the other side of the

parking lot to watch him fire up the car. I would stick around in the parking lot to hear him shift through the gears and then run across the parking lot to make the bus.

At about the same time, my cousin, Donny, had a mid-year second Gen Camaro. In the winter, it would have those big snow tires on the rear of the car just to get around. In the summer, the car would transform, and he would bolt up the Cragar S/S wheels, big rear tires with small front tires, High-Jacker air shocks in the rear along with Hooker side pipes. It was a killer street machine, and I would just look at it any time I could. When I would drive by his house, I would just stare at that car because it was just like the cool cars in the magazines.

What was your first car?

My cousin sold me a mid-1980s Olds Cutlass, and I started tinkering with that thing immediately. I learned a lot from that car, but it led to my buying an early 1970s VW Karman Ghia that was already set up for SCCA racing.

It came with the shaved Yokohama

race tires, and I drove that car in the winter. I drove that car up to college, and I nearly died about 500 times in that car driving with the slick tires sliding sideways down Route 17 around those big rigs. That car was really cool.

I sold the Ghia and got my ’67 El Camino. From about the age of 17 through 25, I toured the northeast as a professional musician. Regardless, back stage I always had my newest issue of Hot Rod Magazine or Car Craft. I was building this El Camino at home in my dad’s barn. Later, I used my aunt’s garage because I didn’t have a real garage.

How did you end up in California?

Fast forwarding to 1995, I had the opportunity to move out to southern California to get into the car world. I drove my El Camino out to the west coast and along the way, I stopped at the Street Machine Nationals in Ohio.

It was there that Hot Rod Editor Jeff Smith asked me if he could feature Steve’s original El Camino lit the fuse to a budding career in custom car creation.

PPNDigital.com 69

This cool graphic was responsible for the “Skully” nickname bestowed on the massive Mopar.

The “Skully” ’66 Dodge Charger was a Hot Rod magazine Top Ten Custom Car of the Year award winner.

my car in his magazine. The car ended up being featured in the October 1995 issue of that magazine. That was my first feature.

From 1995 through 1997, I was doing a variety of different things — all automotive. I sold the El Camino to a guy in Japan and set about building a ’66 Charger in my tandem underground parking garage. I think you can see a theme here; I just set up camp anywhere I could. I ended up taking the car on the 1998 Hot Rod Power Tour. That car was featured in Hot Rod, on the cover of Mopar Muscle, and Daytona Magazine in Japan.

The next year I was given the Top Ten car of the year award by Hot Rod.

What was your first big car build as a professional?

After the big award in 1999, Hot Rod asked me to build a give-away car for Gumout [best known for their engine cleaning spray].

I sheepishly had to tell them I had no shop. They graciously let me do it in their shop that was near the Van Nuys airport. So, during the day, I would work for Hot Wheels doing prototype designs and action diecasts for Mattel and then at night, I would build the ’66 El Camino for Hot Rod magazine.

On the Power Tour in 1998, I met a very nice guy named Martin Wienred, and he had a really nice black ’72 Challenger. I told him, “Hey I have a couple of really cool ideas for that car.” We proceeded to do that build in his driveway in Glendora, California. We took that car on Power Tour in 2000 or 2001, I can remember, and that car ended up being featured in a variety of magazines including Hot Rod, and also, received Top Ten car of the year. So far, we are doing pretty well without a real shop.

So after all this, when did you make this your profession?

I opened a real shop in 2002 and began struggling like any new

business. I had some really good customers at the beginning that let me build some cool stuff for them.

I built a Plymouth Duster that was called “Dust Ya” and also became Top Ten Car of the Year for Hot Rod. That was not only a cover car but a pull-out poster, screen saver, a little diecast car, and more. That car helped launch my new shop.

I moved on from there to my shop here in Simi Valley, where I am today. That was about 12 years ago.

It started with just one unit, and today I have three — with possibly a fourth unit soon. I have been blessed with an amazing group of, they are not employees, they are my friends.

We have created camaraderie and teamwork. We are a small shop.

It’s me and three guys. [In addition to that] I have my painter and his couple of guys. [Then there is] my interior guy, Eric Thorsen, and his one guy, and Mick Jenkins on paint.

Ten people in total touching the cars — we are not a big shop. But we went up to SEMA and won the design awards, back-to-back-toback-to-back. We have won the Ford Design Award three times and the GM Design award once... and we are gunning for it again.

Where do you find the inspiration for car builds?

So what ends up leaking out of my brain for these car builds is a mix and match of different ideas. It is a combination of stuff that inspired me and other stuff that I just really like. One of the main guys that really

The “Anvil” ’69 Mustang featured a host of carbon fiber body panels, canti-lever rear suspension, and a powerful “Boss 9” engine built by legendary builder Jon Kaase.

The “Black Ops” ’67 Ford Fairlane features amazing attention to detail and houses a massive Single Overhead Cam (SOHC) 427 Ford engine.

inspired me was Scott Sullivan. There were a lot of guys [in the 1980–90s] that built amazing stuff. But Scott I liked, because his builds were very straight-forward, extremely clean, and well executed. There was something about Scott’s approach that I really liked, and there was a very famous car that he created called “Cheese Wiz.” In the day of massive blowers, multiple turbochargers, giant wheelie bars and all of that stuff, “Cheese Wiz” came in and had an extremely subtle, detailed big-block Chevy [engine] that had a single carburetor.

It was just his execution and how he approached stuff that I really, really, really liked.

So, if you look at the stuff coming out of me currently, like the Martini Mustang or the Black Ops Fairlane, they incorporate a bunch of older race tech-looking stuff.

Steve Stanford is an amazing artist and designer. We often talk about how much we like old world race cars especially those from the 1960s and ’70s. It was a very magical time from a design sense. It was not total backyard built [like the ’40s and ’50s] — you know there were pieces being cast and made for these cars, but there were still some hand made pieces that showed the human elements to their character. Funny cars to Indy cars and all that had mechanical parts and pieces, mechanical linkages all influenced by aircraft technology — all that stuff was coming in. It all made for great looking cars. I like that stuff so

Martini Racing was a powerful force during the 1960s, sponsoring a number of racing vehicles. The Pure Vision ’66 Martini Mustang is the result of Steve Strope’s vision for a car that could have been.

it’s in my head a lot. If you saw my Buick Skylark Funny Car with the Zoomie headers and altered wheelbase, it was from this type of thought.

As far back as my El Camino project, I learned to start out with a theme and an idea. That allows you to set the standards that you follow throughout the build. I’ve seen a lot of cars over the years — hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of them from the thousands of car shows I’ve attended – that have a lot of money in the build and a lot of expensive parts but they are kind of a hodge podge — and to me they are not very well thought out.

I take a plan and even create a back-story for the car — “Well this car looked like this because this guy at the R&D center thought it would be cool if they designed this car that would do this and that.” Armed with this fabricated back-story, I now have some rules, a fence that I’m inside of [for the creation of the car build].

All of the parts that I include in this car build have to look like they came from that era. In the case of the Martini Mustang, this is the kind of car that Ford would have used during the Rally car era, co-sponsored with Martini Racing. What would they have used? Well they would have PPNDigital.com 71

Winner of the GM Design Award at SEMA, this twin turbocharged ’72 Camaro marked a significant change of pace for Pure Vision from Mopars and Fords. This award was the fourth SEMA Manufacturer’s Design award for Pure Vision.

grabbed a whole bunch of Shelby GT350R parts, because they already had those developed. And we are going to take some Rally racing pieces, the Clock & Chrono that generally sits on the dash and mount that to the Shelby radio block off plate.

That would have made sense right?

Standard

Dome

So, the plan for the right parts and pieces are governed by the design idea. That keeps me on the straight and narrow. Then it’s just up to me and the guys to make sure the build quality is there using these really cool parts.

purevisiondesign.com/

For even more...

For the rest of the interview, go to powerperformancenews.com or to our YouTube site and search “Steve Strope” to see and hear the rest of the really amazing interview.

YouTube videos of Steve and his car builds: youtu.be/hWUVkKhWXhY youtu.be/y36bo2QgGHY

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TUNE THE

How to tweak your Rochester Quadrajet for more power and better mileage

Words / Photos Jeff Smith

A

few months ago we detailed how JET Performance restored an absolutely desperate looking Q-jet to the point it looked like it had just rolled off the Chevy parts department counter back in 1970. It might be a good point here to also mention something that is often lost when discussing Q-jets.

While most guys want to head straight to wide-open-throttle (WOT) tuning. Frankly, that’s the easy part. Instead, let’s attack the idle and part-throttle first because that’s where street engines spend 98 percent of their time.

We’ll start by setting the idle mixture screws and idle speed. We’ll deal here with automatic transmission cars because the added in-gear load can sometimes create problems. Start by completely warming the engine and setting the idle speed where it’s comfortable and the engine will still idle in gear without experiencing problems.

74 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

First, check to make sure both idle mixture screws are adjusted equally.

Next with the transmission in Park and with a vacuum gauge hooked to read manifold vacuum, adjust the idle mixture screws in small increments until you can get the highest vacuum reading with the leanest idle screw setting. Remember, turning the idle mixtures screws in (clockwise) creates a smaller passage and a leaner idle mixture setting.

The Q-jet’s small primary venturis combined with those highly efficient boosters means that very small changes in throttle will affect fuel metering, starting with a tapered primary metering rod that moves up and down within a primary jet.

The rods are positioned by a hanger that moves with the primary metering piston that is pulled by engine vacuum. Underneath that piston is a spring. At low load, the high mani-

fold vacuum overcomes the spring pressure and pulls the hanger and metering rods deep into the primary jets. This reduces fuel flow, reducing the amount of fuel delivered. As you step on the throttle, load increases, vacuum decreases and spring pressure pushes the rods out of the jets, increasing fuel flow.

There are several ways to meter primary fuel flow. The variables are jet size, the power tip and taper on the metering rods, and the power valve spring tension.

For our 383, JET configured this Q-jet with a 76 primary jet and 39B tapered metering rods combined with the medium spring. Valdez opted for a V hanger with DA rods (0.044-inch power tip) for the secondary metering. The best place to start for tuning would be to install the lightest power valve spring. By reducing spring tension, less manifold vacuum is required

Start by setting the idle mixture to the leanest amount of fuel that will set the highest manifold vacuum and idle speed. Make sure the idle mixture screws are always nearly identical. This simple step makes a big difference with idle quality.

The secondary system is a bit complex compared to a Holley but can be easily tuned. As the large air valve door opens, a small plastic cam lifts the secondary hanger. This hanger connects to the pair of secondary metering rods. Metering rods come in multiple tip diameters in long, medium, or short length tips. Changing rods or hangers is quick and easy.

For a more in depth version of this article and more installation pictures, search “Tune the Q” at PPNDigital.com.

to keep the primary metering rods in the jets, which leans the mixture by reducing fuel flow.

Secondary metering changes are far easier than on the primary side because we don’t have to remove anything except the air cleaner to make changes. The secondary metering jets are fixed so the variables to experiment with are the metering rods, the hanger, and the secondary opening rate. Q-jet secondary metering rods are tapered with three areas: a power tip, the tapered section, and the straight section at the top.

To access the primary metering rods, you will have to remove the carburetor lid. This requires removing nine lid screws (two are inside the primary throttle area), the secondary hanger and metering rods, the two large front 5/16-inch carb bolts, along with the accelerator pump arm and vacuum pull-off. Jet can sell you a slick accelerator pump arm that is easily removed with a small clip (arrow). That saves having to push out the roll pin pivot.

Q-jets are well known for experiencing a bog or hesitation when the secondaries open. This is easily fixed with a simple tightening of the secondary air valve door spring. A small, 3/32-inch Allen wrench (as shown) unlocks the adjustment while a small, straight-blade screwdriver adjusts the secondary air valve door spring tension. If the spring tension is too loose, the door will open before the engine needs it and will cause the bog.

The most important part of the rod is the power tip. The distance the metering rod tip travels in the jet is determined by the hanger. Each hanger is stamped with a single letter — B through V. The B hanger will pull the rods out the greatest distance while the V hanger the least.

If your metering rods have a long power tip, it’s not necessary to have a more aggressive hanger (like a B) since the tip will have achieved its maximum metering long before the door is fully open. In fact, it could be an advantage to keeping the mixture

somewhat on the lean side in that short amount of time that the air valve is transitioning to full open.

This is where a good wide-band oxygens sensor and a data logger could be very useful in setting up your Q-jet to be just right.

This short tuning reference has only just scratched the surface of what you can do with a Q-jet. Do your best Q-tune, and you will be amazed at how much better your engine will perform.

Source: Jet Performance Products, jetchip.com PPNDigital.com 75

THE

BEHIND SCENES

WITH

KRIDER RACING The beer was good, the tires, not so much

Words / Photos Shawn Brereton

C

ruising around the SEMA show in Las Vegas, there was no way not to run into cars entered in the Optima Search for the Ultimate Street Car (OUSCI) event.

The year-long televised racing series featured street legal cars in five different challenges: autocross, speed stop, road rally, engineering and design, and road course time trials. Cars that won their respective events across the country at different race tracks during the year were invited to the SEMA show in November to compete in the Optima Invitational Championship race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS).

76 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Since I was at SEMA anyway covering the show, I figured I would head out to the track and see some of the action.

On Friday night, Xceleration Media videographer Derric Curran met one of the Optima competitors, Rob Krider, who was running in a Z06 Corvette.

Derric was looking to bum a ride in the SEMA parade to the SEMA Ignited event, and he ended up jumping into Rob’s ’vette to capture the parade.

Derric said Rob was an easy-going guy and told me to look him up when I got to LVMS. I figured I could do a “day in the life of an OUSCI competitor.”

Saturday morning, I took an ex-

tremely expensive cab ride from The Strip in Las Vegas to LVMS — $75 gone. I walked around the track, taking in all of the serious machines that were competing in the OUSCI and found Rob Krider’s Corvette Z06 in the grid for the autocross competition.

It wasn’t hard to locate Rob as his car had his nickname, Rob “Right Foot” Krider, over the driver’s win-

dow. I learned this was a nickname he earned from his buddies after throwing the rods out of the bottom of a few racing engines.

When I arrived, Rob was in the driver’s seat, helmet on, getting ready to go out on course. With a GoPro in hand, I quickly introduced myself and asked if he minded me putting the camera on his car. All he said was, “Sure, stick it wherever you want.” I plopped the camera on the rear quarter panel, and off he went.

Rob “Right Foot” Krider was tail out in his 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, sliding the car around the tight course, and occasionally massacring cones in the process. According to Rob, “If you don’t hit a few cones, you’re not trying hard enough.”

Between runs, Rob’s friend and racing partner in Krider Racing/Double Nickel Nine Motorsports, Keith Kramer, adjusted tire pressures. Rob’s dad, Jim Krider, who is confined to a wheelchair from a racing accident in the 1980s, debriefed Rob about the latest runs.

After the autocross segment was completed, the team headed back to their trailer and was kind enough to offer me a place to store my camera equipment and a cold beverage.

Krider Racing was sponsored by Black Ops Brewing out of Fresno, California, and had cold beer on hand to give out at the races — not a bad sponsor to have. At the trailer, the guys went over the Corvette, made notes on their white board inside the trailer, and discussed their next challenge: the Speed Stop.

Rob indicated he thought they made a big mistake by not getting fresh rubber for the car before the OUSCI. The rules of the event are such that a competitor can only run one set of tires for the entire weekend.

Based on the extremely loose handling of the car in the autocross segment, it appeared the Michelin Pilot Super Sports on the Z06 had reached their limit and were dead.

“It’s like driving on plastic big wheel tires out there,” Rob said.

With no option to replace the tires in the middle of the event, essentially the guys were screwed and knew it.

All they could do was try to adjust the suspension and tire pressure to compensate for the hard tires.

The Speed Stop Challenge, which took place inside the bull ring at

LVMS, is where competitors accelerate, drive through the banking, and then into a stop box made of orange cones. Fastest time wins.

Rob played it smart and conservative on his first run and got a time in the books. After that, he went for it, drifting the car through the banking and then smashing the front of the ’vette into the wall of cones.

“Well, that didn’t work,” Keith stating the obvious over the team radios.

Rob went for it again and found the middle spot between being too conservative and completely reckless, barely stopping inside the box and narrowly missing the cones.

His time improved, but he was losing a lot at the line. He just

couldn’t get the Z06 out of the hole.

The monster LS7 505 hp engine just wanted to endlessly spin the hardened rear tires.

At the end of day one, knowing I had wasted a ton of money on my cab fare to LVMS, the team offered to give me a ride back to The Strip and even invited me to join them for dinner.

After Keith and Rob finished the Road Rally challenge (where they ended at Carroll Shelby’s museum) they met me and Jim at a restaurant for beers, steak, and bench racing.

During dinner, I learned about Jim Krider’s racing accident, which left him paralyzed but hasn’t slowed him down a bit. And I also learned what makes the Krider Racing team click.

PPNDigital.com 77

What I found out was the guys are serious gearheads who are willing to race anything they can get their hands on. They primarily compete in road racing, doing endurance races like the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in Nissan Sentra SE-Rs (the team is featured in the documentary film, Double Down).

But they run everything: dirt rallycross, drag racing, hillclimbs, even demolition derbies. Earlier in the year, Rob went 180.8 mph in his Z06 at the Mojave Mile top speed event.

“I still want to try ice racing and lawn mower racing,” Rob said.

In January of 2015, Rob and Keith were featured on the BBC television show Mud, Sweat & Gears building and racing a 1977 Pontiac Trans-Am in the premier episode of the show.

“That’s where we learned how reality TV is made,” Keith said. “There wasn’t much reality about it. We would start to work on the car, then the shop who built the Fast and the Furious cars would come in and finish all of our welding for us.”

The team earned their invitation to the OUSCI by winning the GTS class at Thunderhill Raceway during the first Optima race of the season. In that event, the Michelins were sticker new and still had some adhesion.

“Now they’re like rocks covered in Crisco,” Rob said.

For Sunday, the team had to complete the last event, the Road Course Time Trial Challenge. Jim said the goal was one thing, “Go fast, but don’t crash the Corvette.”

More Black Ops Brewing beers were consumed, a lot of racing lies told, and we called it a night around 2 a.m.

78 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

The guys were kind enough to give me a ride back to the track in the morning (I definitely picked the right folks to hook up with, they even gave me a team t-shirt). I hung out in the trailer while they systematically went over the Corvette before Rob took to the track.

The team had printed checklists to go over every detail of their car: wheel torque specs, tire pressures, charging the transponder, turning on the driver/crew chief radio. It was obvious it wasn’t their first trip to a race track.

With Rob in his well-worn Nomex racing suit, Keith strapped the Autopower 7-point harness over his HANS device and got him ready for the first session on track.

Optima divided the 100 competitors into four groups to alleviate traffic on course. Rob was assigned to the third run group. The team handed me

a radio so I could listen in as Keith and Jim spotted Rob around the track.

“Take it easy this first session, learn the course,” was Jim’s advice to his son.

Rob’s version of taking it easy turned out to be tire squealing mayhem. He used every centimeter of the track (and sometimes the dirt too) and ran the piss out of the Z06. Every corner the ’vette was sideways, and the rear tires were smoking.

He used the curbing on the inside of the turns to bounce the ’vette and make it rotate around the tight corners. Keith was on the radio trying to talk his friend down a bit “Okay, I think that’s enough.”

After the first session was in the books for the third run group, Rob had set the fastest lap of the day thus far.

He would be on the pole for the rest of the sessions that day.

Back in the trailer to discuss their passes, the mood was jovial. The tires were junk, but after some heat they got a little better and Rob felt comfortable running the Z06 to the edge (and beyond).

When the fourth run group finished its first pass, Rob’s time was knocked from the top spot. That meant there was work to do. Rob studied his GoPro footage on a laptop and the team discussed making changes to the car.

Keith has his own opinion.

“Who cares? We can’t make up enough points in this event to overcome what we lost yesterday in the Speed Stop Challenge. Let’s just be smart and conservative. Save the car for another event.”

Rob didn’t look convinced and gave his opinion of the situation.

“It seems like the harder I drive the car, the faster it goes. It isn’t a smooth drive. The car likes to be beaten on.”

Jim agreed and during the subsequent sessions I could hear Jim on the radio, “Beat that bitch!”

It worked, and on the last session of the day, Rob drove harder and his times improved. The Corvette came back to the trailer in one piece, although the Michelin tires looked like they had just suffered 100,000 miles of use in one 20-minute track session.

When the event ended, points in

all five of the challenges were added up, and a Z06 Corvette won the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational.

Unfortunately for Krider Racing, it wasn’t their Z06 Corvette.

But in the pits you wouldn’t have known it. The Black Ops Brewing beer was opened, and smiles were abundant on everyone on the team.

“This was a fun event,” Rob said.

“We got to come to Vegas, be in SEMA, meet cool car guys, and then drive like maniacs for the television cameras.

What could be better than that?”

“Winning would have been better,” Jim said with a grin on his face.

“That’s true,” admitted Rob as he took another swig of beer. “We do prefer to win. Maybe next year!”

Krider Racing is sponsored by Black Ops Brewing, GripLockTies, Autopower, K&N, Racepak, Sampson Racing Communications, I/O Port Racing Supplies, Performance In-Frame Tuning, Carbotech Performance Brakes, T.E.M. Machine Shop, Economy Stock Feed, J&B Farms, and Cadet Blues the novel.

z06life.com

PPNDigital.com 79

RESTO MOD

COOLING Designing the perfect LS Swap cooling system

Words / Photos Cam Benty

N

o underhood headache is as frustrating as an overheating engine. Historically, big horsepower classic muscle cars required big radiators to keep the engine from percolating under pressure. Four core copper radiators were common, dressed with clutch fans and V-Belt drives.

Today, one of the most popular Resto Mod builds involves dropping some version of LS engine between the frame rails of a classic GM (or Ford) muscle car. And why not? These engines make big power, are compatible with a huge number of upgrades and can deliver a wide range of benefits both performance and comfort oriented.

For our ’71 Pontiac Firebird project, it was important to have a cooling 80 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

system that was compatible with the 525 hp LS3 engine. Luckily the folks at Mattson’s Radiator, in Stanton, California, offer a complete drop-in system for LS swap applications. In addition to the obvious radiator fitment, they also offer everything needed to complete the install — electric fans, shroud, wiring harness and relay, air conditioning condenser, automatic transmission plate style cooler, and a lot more. If you stir in the fact that they have more than 50 years of experience, we felt they were a great place to fully understand everything involved.

As a new twist, the folks at SPAL, one of the greatest names in electric fans and fan systems today, have introduced a number of new break through products. At the head of the class are

their “brushless” fans that reduce heat and provide increased cooling, lower amp draw, great durability and the ability to run at less than 100 percent speed to avoid the very common electric fan roar that is a signature sound of muscle cars (and OE) today.

As noted, Mattson Radiator has taken fan installations to an art form.

Our installation was their first brushless fan system install in their long history, allowing them to integrate these new SPAL products into our LSswap application. While these fans are more expensive than the standard, high quality non-brushless fans (also offered by SPAL), the brushless products offer a better than good solution for those looking for the ultimate fan efficiency.

A triple pass radiator such as this directs coolant through the core three times. As opposed to rumor, a triple pass radiator will not overtax your water pump. This beautiful unit includes an A/C condenser as well – optional equipment. The shroud and fan mount were created by Mattson Radiator for this application, as was the custom radiator design.

SAVES: Energy, alternator life, battery life, belt life, maintenance and down time, smaller and lighter weight, highest torque/weight among all types of motors VERY HIGH RELIABILITY: No commutator or brushes to wear out VARIETY: Available in 12-, 16-, and 17inch fan diameters

Space Issues

SPAL Brushless Fans As noted, key to the brushless fan design is reduced friction that comes from internal motor brushes. The removal of the brushes also delivers these key points:

LONGER LIFE: 2 to 3 times longer than brushed motors

NO MAINTENANCE: No carbon brushes to be changed CLEANER: No dust residues QUIETER: No electronic and frictional noise NO ARCING (SPARK-FREE): Safe and less radio interference

MORE EFFICIENT = ENERGY SAVING: No brush friction, so power consumed is 28% less than brushed motors, based on the same output

Prior to building a system, it is important to determine how large of a space you have to work with. A simple measurement from the back edge of the core support to the nearest engine component (with all accessories in place) will let you know just what type of radiator/cooling system you will be creating. In our case, we had a full 9.5 inches of space — a massive amount according to Mattson, allowing us to build the best possible cooling unit possible. That is not always the case. Mattson notes there are some times when a compromise needs to be made. Regardless, there are various systems that can be designed –including the use of their Sidewinder, which offsets the fan for extremely limited space demands.

Radiator Sizing As noted earlier, to cool a big power engine in the past required a copper

radiator with a large number of rows to achieve maximum cooling. That was then — this is now.

Today, JR Mattson (grandson of the legendary founder) recommends a two-core radiator with a multiple pass design, which sends the coolant through the radiator two, or even three, times. If your engine requires that the top inlet and the bottom outlet be on the same side, a two-pass radiator sends the coolant through the top half of the radiator where it makes a 180 degree turn and flows through the bottom of the radiator before exiting.

For high horsepower LS engine platforms with more than 600 hp, Mattson recommends a “three pass” radiator where the coolant spends more time in the radiator, making two turns within the radiator core. The key here is the fitment since a three-pass radiator mandates the inlet and outlet be on opposite sides of the radiator.

For all of their radiator applications, Mattson uses aluminum rather than cooper, the latter of which is heavier and holds heat longer, making the classic copper less beneficial.

Mattson’s two-row aluminum radiator features large one-inch diameter tubes for smooth coolant flow. As opposed to four-core radiators that can actually block airflow, the two-row design is a free-flowing design and fits PPNDigital.com 81

The amount of space allotted for the radiator, shroud, fans, and A/C condenser is the determiner of the system design. In our case, we had 9.5 inches of space – a relatively HUGE amount of room.

These SPAL brushless fans are the state-of-the-art for radiator cooling.

They feature a host of benefits over standard brush-motor fans, including the ability to run efficiently at less than 100 percent speed to improve durability, improve cooling, and avoid that annoying roar that comes from cooling fans trying to cool off a hot engine.

in the limited space generally found with LS-powered classic muscle cars.

And speaking of space, that is a huge determiner as to cooling system design. While the serpentine belt system used on most LS engines is fairly narrow compared with classic V-Belts and clutch fan arrangements, there are other things to consider when building up a system. Key determiners include the position of the engine’s air intake, radiator hose locations and sizes, and the needs of the A/C system. Most air intake systems involve some kind of S-bend that takes the intake from the center of the engine and drafts air from either the right or left side of the engine. Your intake may be different, but it is good to determine this now in case there is a cooling system conflict.

One of the more progressive features of the Mattson Radiator design is maximization of radiator width. Measuring 31 inches wide (much larger than most factory openings), Mattson 82 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

For years, more rows of cooling tubes meant more cooling efficiency.

That is not the case today. The center radiator shown here is the best with one-inch tubes that allow the best airflow possible, much greater than the top radiator with the smaller tubes. The bottom radiator shows science gone awry with six rows — more is not better in this case!

systems are a big increase in cooling area over the OE units – and as such in cooling efficiency, not to mention heat transfer, is highly improved – to understate the obvious.

Fan Operation For smaller than 24-inch wide radiator cores, Mattson recommends a single 16-inch diameter electric fan, and for the wider radiator applications, a pair of twin 12-inch diameter fans. In many cases, the twin fans deliver increased “center-of-the-radiator” clearance. Again, the space between the accessory belts and the radiator will determine the parts selection.

Mattson also offers a Sidewinder fan that allows the fan to be off center for special applications where the fans will not clear engine components.

These fans are super powerful and draw a lot of air through the radiator.

The application is the determiner here, and your radiator specialist can help you decide.

Decision time: Manual or automatic fan operation? If you want to manually control your cooling, you can install a switch inside you interior that will allow you to turn on the fans when you see your temp gauge reach a certain point. Most folks chose the automatic method. Some electric fans are tuned through the relay to come on at 25- to 50-percent power to slowly cool the radiator. This is common with the new SPAL brushless fans.

Mattson suggests not to do this with non-brushless fans and rather have the fans come on at 100 percent to get the cooling completed quickly and efficiently. When correct engine temp is reached, they will simply click off. You should place the temp sensor near the top inlet for the radiator, which is the hottest point on the cooling circuit. While this would seem obvious, some folks place it at the bottom outlet, which is completely wrong and a prescription for overheating.

Mattson Radiator cool for 59 years When Jack Mattson started the radiator business, little did he know the legacy he had begun. Today, Mattson Radiator, combined with The Fan Man, are one of the go-to stops for folks looking to handle their cooling system issues. So for our LS swap project, it made sense to go to the experts to build the perfect system.

Jack Mattson Sr. is well known for not only his current line of products, but some legendary racecars. From Don Beebe’s record-setting fuel-altered to the Kurtis Kraft race cars of the ’50s, Mattson was the right guy for the job.

Regardless of the race car or street bound machine, Mattson stresses that they are able to fix the cooling issue knowing that there isn’t much they haven’t see in the last 50 years.

As noted by JR Mattson, “while other radiator companies have some great products, they don’t have Jack Mattson Sr. That makes all the difference!”

The position of the engine’s cooling outlet determines much of the radiator design on LS engines (and others for that matter). Our LS3 engine has a center outlet and a passenger side inlet allowing us to create a triple-flow radiator. Note the position of the thermostat. Our vehicle used a 190-degree thermostat to keep engine temp in the 210-220 degree range.

Mattson. “We can tune the cooling to the owner’s requirements through the selection of the thermostat. If they install a 165- or 180-degree thermostat, the engine will run under 200 degrees in most cases. If they install a 195-degree thermostat, the engine will run in the 200 to 230 degree range. Mattson’s suggestion is to make it run as cool as possible unless there are reasons suggested by the engine builder for the application.”

Installation To finish off the Mattson Radiator, they use a custom filler neck and cap. The overflow line attaches to the nipple shown here. The cap itself is very cool and dresses off the cooling system well.

Engine Temp

Theories regarding the most efficient peak engine operating temperatures abound. For some, an engine that runs more than 200 degrees is too hot. For others, 230 degrees is fine. It is really up to the owner and their engine builder to determine. As far as Mattson is concerned, neither is a problem.

“The LS engine is one of the most trouble free in terms of cooling,” states

For our ’71 Firebird — Second Gen F-Body, where the coolant outlet from the LS3 is in the center of the engine, we were able to create a three-pass radiator. This was great news – as noted earlier – since it allows coolant to pass through the radiator three times before exiting back into the engine. This is the maximum cooling efficiency possible.

With most radiators, there are rubber insulators that fit into the saddles at the bottom of the core support. For our radiator, custom brackets that slid over screws turned into the bottom of the support were used to keep the radiator in place. While that was a pretty smart design, it was the top radiator cover that

Mattson installed nutserts in the top of the core support and a custom panel that looks great and holds the radiator firmly in place. A pair of brackets holds the bottom of the radiator in place using rubber isolators to avoid vibration damage.

PPNDigital.com 83

was a real work of art — and a specialty of the Mattson Radiator fabricators.

While it is possible to use the factory style brackets on the top of the radiator, for best efficiency and that custom car look, Mattson constructed a cover that screws into nutserts placed in the top edge of the factory support. The top cover is made from aluminum and covers the entire core support and radiator system. With the twin brushless fans, specially constructed fan mount/ shroud and “huge” radiator measuring 31 inches in width, a solid mount that keeps the unit in place with no chance of dislodging is critical.

Wrap up As mentioned initially, designing a cooling system can be a challenge. Determined by the amount of space allotted and the amount of cooling system you can afford, there are plenty of options for a car owner. The new SPAL brushless fans are efficient and state-ofthe-art, delivering a long list of benefits. With two core aluminum radiators, you have increased efficiency, lighter weight, and multiple pass designs that allow the coolant to flow more than one time through the radiator.

Spotting common radiator issues If you spot this kind of irregularity on your radiator, you’ve got a problem. This misshapen row of fins simply means your radiator has been damaged, most commonly by overheating and excess pressure.

What occurred at some point was an expansion of the tubing, which in turn, changes the look of the fins. The only fix — a new radiator core.

While the radiator will continue to hold coolant, its efficiency is greatly compromised as airflow is blocked as the fins spread out. It is recommended that if you see this condition, you determine why this has occurred to avoid such issues in the future and change out the radiator core.

At no time in history have there been as many possible options for the car builder looking for problem-free cooling systems. Best of all, these systems work great with A/C,

automatic transmissions, and all the possible power options you can dream up.

Sources: Mattson Radiator, mattsoncustomradiator. com; SPAL Fans, spalusa.com

!

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How a ’63 Pontiac Catalina became part of NASA’s early space shuttle program

Text from NASA Archives and Stephan Wilkinson

B

ack in the early ’60s, NASA was developing early versions of the spacecraft that would become the modern-day space shuttle. Back then, they were looking into a design called a “lifting body,” so named because the entire fuselage of the craft helped it stay in the air.

They built a plywood mock-up of their design, and were going to do some test flights. Trouble is, they were on a shoestring budget (it was kind of a skunkworks operation). They needed a way to bring the model up to take-off speed, to test its flight and gliding ability.

NASA’s Muscle Car Pontiac Dick Eldredge designed the M2-F1 “lifting body” to weigh 600 pounds. However, like most prototype airplanes, it had grown in weight during fabrication, the completed vehicle weighing 86 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

in at 1,000 pounds. From the calculations of the M2-F1’s tow force and lift-off speed, it was determined that to do taxi tests with the M2-F1 before the wind-tunnel tests at NASA Ames, a ground-tow vehicle with greater power and speed than any of NASA’s trucks and vans could provide was needed.

First, they needed a ground vehicle that could tow the M2-F1 at a minimum of 100 mph. Secondly, the vehicle, at that speed, must be able to handle the 400-pound pull needed to keep the 1,000-pound lifting body airborne. In meeting these needs, they ended up with what was probably the first and only government-owned hot-rod convertible.

Once again, a volunteer came along who had the know-how needed. Working in operations at the NASA Flight Research Center at the time was Walter “Whitey” Wh-

iteside, a retired Air Force maintenance officer who also was a veteran dirt-bike rider and expert hot-rodder. Whitey volunteered to help by finding, purchasing, modifying, testing, maintaining, and driving the high-powered groundtow vehicle.

At the time, the Pontiac Catalina seemed the best choice due to its girth and big horsepower potential.

With Boyden “Bud” Bearse’s help in the procurement department, Whiteside was able to make a special order from the factory for a Pontiac Catalina ragtop convertible with the largest engine then available, a 421c.i. powerplant enhanced with a four-barrel carburetor and four-speed manual transmission. NASA engineers at the Flight Research Center equipped the Pontiac with its tow rig and airspeed measuring equipment.

With National Aeronoutics & Space Administration (NASA) letters on the door but flaking off from the high California desert, this Pontiac Catalina flew its way into the history books. The M2-F1 Lifting Body is seen here in a hangar with its hot rod Pontiac convertible tow vehicle at the Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The car was a 1963 Pontiac Catalina convertible, fitted with a 421c.i. tri-power engine like those being run at the Daytona 500 auto race.

Comparing lifting bodies to space capsules, an unofficial motto of the project was, “Don’t be Rescued from Outer Space — Fly Back in Style.”

Whiteside took the car to Bill Strope’s renowned hot-rod shop near Long Beach, California, where the straight-piped Pontiac was modified to run a consistent 140 mph.

There, auto-shop technicians also applied their hot-rod wizardry to the Pontiac, producing maximum torque at 100 mph as measured by a dynamometer.

They added a special gearbox, with transmission gear ratios significantly different from those that had helped the Bonneville win at the Salt Flats, enabling the Pontiac eventually (once drag slicks were installed) to tow the 1,000-pound M2-F1 to 110 mph in 30 seconds. The Pontiac’s enhanced engine got about four miles to the gallon.

Whiteside got full support from the NASA fabrication shops headed

by Ralph Sparks (Sparky). Sparks and his right-hand man, Emmet Hamilton, took responsibility for keeping the

Pontiac running and making any other required modifications.

For the safety of the driver and two onboard observers, Whiteside had roll bars added to the NASA muscle car. He also had radios and intercoms installed.

The front passenger bucket seat was reversed, and the back seat was removed, replaced by another bucket seat so that a second observer could sit facing sideways. Of course, the Pontiac had to have government plates, the NASA logo on both sides, and racing stripes.

And just so no one would be encouraged to think the car was someone’s personal toy paid for with government funds, the hood and trunk of the Pontiac were spray-painted high-visibility yellow so the convertible looked just like any other flightline vehicle.

When the car was finished at Strope’s shop, Whiteside drove it back

to the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California. A motorcycle fanatic and hot-rodder who loved speed, he found it difficult to hold back once he got the Pontiac outside Los Angeles and on the highway across the desert.

Realizing he would get his chance later to open up on the dry lakebed, he was being particularly careful to hold the Pontiac’s speed to the posted speed limit when he saw in the rearview mirror the red light of a California Highway Patrol vehicle closely tailing the Pontiac.

Pulling over to the side of the highway, Whiteside wondered what he’d done wrong. It turned out the officer was merely curious, having never before seen a government-owned convertible, especially one with a souped-up engine.

After a careful up-close look and Whiteside’s explanation of how the PPNDigital.com 87

Private photo furnished by Bertha Ryan, NASA digital image ED96 43663-1

Pontiac tow vehicle next to the M2-F1. Walter “Whitey” Whiteside purchased the Pontiac by special order and had it modified in a hot-rod shop near Long Beach for its special mission.

Equipped with a 421-cid engine, it had more than enough power to tow this early Space Shuttle prototype up to 110 mph.

car would be used, the officer drove away, shaking his head in amazement.

The Pontiac also caught the eye of other drivers whenever Whiteside took it out onto little-traveled desert highways northeast of Edwards AFB, often into Nevada with its then anything-goes speed limits, to calibrate the car’s speedometer, as typically done with research airplanes.

Laughing, Whiteside recently recalled one such venture with one of the base’s pilots in the car. As the Pontiac rumbled along, engine-exhaust system roaring as the speedometer moved above 100 mph, Whitey glanced at the silent pilot, only to find him ashen-faced and trying to disappear into the seat.

Despite favorable research on lifting bodies, there was little support for a flight program. Dryden engineer R. Dale Reed was intrigued with the lifting body concept, and reasoned that some sort of flight demonstration was needed before wingless aircraft could be taken seriously.

In February 1962, he built a model lifting body based upon the Ames M2 design, and air-launched it from a radio controlled “mothership.”

Home movies of these flights, plus the support of research pilot Milt Thompson, helped persuade the facilities director, Paul Bikle, to give the goahead for construction of a full-scale version, to be used as a wind tunnel model and possibly flown as a glider.

88 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

Comparing lifting bodies to space capsules, an unofficial motto of the project was, “Don’t be Rescued from Outer Space — Fly Back in Style.”

The construction of the M2-F1 was a joint effort by Dryden and a local glider manufacturer, the Briegleb Glider Company. The budget was $30,000. NASA craftsmen and engineers built the tubular steel interior frame. Its mahogany plywood shell was hand-made by Gus Briegleb and company. Ernie Lowder, a NASA craftsman who had worked on the Howard Hughes “Spruce Goose,” was assigned to help Briegleb.

Instead, it had elevons, which were attached to each of the two rudders. A large flap on the trailing edge of the body acted as an elevator. This unconventional arrangement prompted the engineers to rethink the flight control system as well.

They eventually devised two schemes.

One system was fairly traditional.

It used rudder pedal inputs to move the rudders for yaw control and stick inputs to provide differential deflections of the elevons for roll. The other system used stick inputs to control the rudders for yaw, while rudder pedal deflections moved the elevons for roll.

Milt Thompson tried both systems in the simulator and surprised the design team when he said he preferred system number two. He reasoned that although side slip delayed roll (which was a result of dihedral effect), the roll rate was twice as high using the rudders instead of the elevons. He said he would rather have the higher roll rates available to him if needed, while the slip could be overcome with proper piloting technique.

This was the system Thompson practiced on the simulator, and he used it during the initial auto tows.

Auto tows were done using a 1,000foot rope fastened to the NASA Pontiac. Rogers Dry Lake provided miles of unobstructed motoring.

Of course, no official approval was given to flight-test the M2-F1, which was supposed to be merely a full-scale wind-tunnel model. Sitting in the cockpit, Thompson reasoned, “Maybe it wouldn’t really be flying if we just lifted it off the lakebed a

What happened to the NASA muscle car once the M2-F1 program ended? Near the end of 1963, the Pontiac was shipped to NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia and used in tests at Wallops Island.

The prototype of a 21st Century spacecraft required the fabrication of hundreds of small wooden parts meticulously nailed and glued together. It was a product of craftsmanship that was nearly obsolete in the 1940s.

Final assembly of the remaining components (including aluminum tail surfaces, push rod controls, and landing gear from a Cessna 150) was done back at the NASA facility.

The M2-F1 did not have ailerons.

couple of inches.” Boosting confidence was data from earlier smallscale wind-tunnel tests. When approached, Bikle said, “Go for it, but be careful.”

The team was very careful as testing began on March 1, 1963, making several runs in car-tow at lower speeds, gradually working up to the nose lift-off speed of 60 mph on April 5, 1963. During these runs, Thompson became familiar with the cockpit and

The lifting body concept evolved in the late 1950s as researchers considered alternatives to ballistic reentries of piloted space capsules. The designs for hypersonic, wingless vehicles were on the boards at NASA Ames and NASA Langley facilities, while the US Air Force was gearing up for its Dyna-Soar program, which defined the need for a spacecraft that would land like an airplane.

with visibility out the top, through the nose window at his feet, and out the side window level with his feet — these windows were necessitated by the anticipated high angle of attack.

He also became adept at nose-gear steering and using the differential brakes and tow-line release.

After a week of these cautious towings at lower speeds, Thompson said he was ready to try a lift-off. Following Thompson’s radioed directions, Whiteside took the Pontiac and the

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The handiwork of Bill Strope and Micky Thompson, this car was far from stock.

The passenger seat was turned around 180 degrees to be able to watch the Lifting Body, and the “engineer” seat was turned sideways to keep track of other operations. Cables and wiring dressed out this sophisticated, for the time, hightech tow vehicle.

Overview

M2-F1 in tow up to 86 mph, the 1,000foot tow-line giving the pilot plenty of maneuvering room.

Slowly, Thompson brought the nose of the little lifting body up until the M2-F1 got light on its wheels.

Then, something totally unexpected happened. The M2-F1 began bouncing back and forth from right to left.

Thompson stopped the bounce by lowering the nose, putting weight back on the wheels. Several times he again brought the nose up until the M2F1 was light on its wheels, and each time the vehicle reacted the same way, Thompson ending the bounce by lowering the nose as he had the first time.

As noted, there were significant control issues with the Lifting Body, as it rolled uncontrollably, until a number of modifications, which took some time, were completed. During this down time, Whiteside had gone to innovator and drag racer Mickey Thompson’s hot rod shop in Long Beach to replace the Pontiac’s rear tires with drag slicks, a change that increased the car’s towing speed to 110 mph. Normally, drag racers use slicks to aid in traction and reduce tire spin. At about 90 mph, minus the slicks, the tires on the Pontiac would start smoking.

Looking at movies of the tests, engineers decided the bouncing was probably caused by unwanted rudder movements. Flight control system number two was replaced in favor of number one, and it never bounced again. Speeds on tow inched up to 110 mph, which allowed pilot Thompson to climb to about 20 feet, then glide for about 20 seconds after releasing the

line. That was the most that could be expected during an auto tow.

In the spring of 1963, the M2-F1 was shipped to Ames Research Center, where it was mounted on 20-foot poles inside the 40-foot by 80-foot wind tunnel. For two weeks, Thompson and engineers Dale Reed and Ed Brown took turns “flying” it as air blasted by at a 135 mph. They learned more about its flying qualities, and accumulated important data for the upcoming aero tows.

Pontiac’s Aero Successor A NASA C-47 was used for all of the aero tows. The first was on Aug. 16, 1963. The M2-F1 had recently been equipped with an ejection seat and small rockets in the tail to extend the landing flare for about 5 seconds (if needed), and Thompson prepared for the flight with a few more tows behind the Pontiac. Forward visibility in the M2-F1 was very limited on tow, requiring Thompson to fly about 20 feet higher than the C-47 so he could see the plane through the nose window.

Towing speed was about 100 mph.

Tow release was at 12,000 feet. The lifting body descended at an average rate of about 3,600 feet per minute.

At 1,000 feet above the ground, the nose was lowered to increase speed to about 150 mph; flare was at 200 feet from a 20 degree dive. The landing was smooth, and the lifting body program was on its way. The M2-F1 proved the lifting body concept and led the way for subsequent, metal “heavyweight” designs. Chuck Yeager, Bruce Peterson and Don Mallick also flew the M2-F1.

More than 400 ground tows and 100-plus aircraft tow flights were carried out with the M2-F1. The success of Dryden’s M2-F1 program led to NASA’s development and construction of two heavyweight lifting bodies — the M2-F2 and the HL-10, both built by the Northrop Corporation — based on studies at NASA’s Ames and Langley research centers and the X-24 program. The Lifting Body program also heavily influenced the Space Shuttle program.

The Pontiac towed the M2-F1 for the first time on March 1, 1963, and before April was over, it had towed it a total of 48 times. While the Pontiac was prominently a part of the M2-F1 adventure, it was no secret the car didn’t exactly resemble the usual flight-line vehicle. According to Whiteside, whenever someone from NASA Headquarters was visiting the Flight Research Center, Bikle would slip away momentarily to phone him, telling him to hide the car. Whiteside would pull the Pontiac behind a shed and throw a cover over it, the Pontiac “grounded” until the visitor left.

What happened to the NASA muscle car once the M2-F1 program ended? Near the end of 1963, the Pontiac was shipped to NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia and used in tests at Wallops Island. There was some regret expressed at the NASA Flight Research Center when the Pontiac left, fairly much captured in a comment printed at the time in the X-Press, the NASA newspaper at Edwards Air Force Base: “No longer can we drive along the lakebed and pass the airplanes in flight.”

The good news is that the car has been located in Georgia and plans are to restore this amazing piece of history to be placed in the Air Force Flight Test Museum expected to open in the next few years at Edwards Air Force Base. Our plans are to cover that restoration — and when we do, you will come along for the ride.

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PPNDigital.com 91

THIS

AMC IS A

Crane’s SR Series cams offer low maintenance and less tension for street to strip

Words Brandon Flannery Photos Sting Ray Photography

T

wenty years ago, today’s performance expectations would sound like the stuff of science fiction.

Thanks to technology, the seemingly impossible has come to be.

When we think of cars that compete in events like Hot Rod’s Drag Week, it’s almost hard to believe. Cars making over 2,000 hp not only have to spend five days making passes at a different drag strip each day, they have to drive between each stop on a 1,400-mile road trip without the aid of a support vehicle. For cars competing in the Unlimited Iron class, like Bryant Goldstone’s AMC Javelin, this becomes even more impressive.

Cars in the Unlimited Iron class retain their factory steel bodies and glass windows. These are “street cars” taken to the highest level, versus a purpose-built race car that’s been massaged backwards to fit the street.

There is a bit of honor in making a 3,400-pound car boogie.

Bryant has owned this car for more than 30 years. He’s been an active drag racer since high school and has owned this car most of that time. It was built and bracket raced for many years before being parked while another car took its place. With the development of Drag Week, the AMC was pulled out and rebuilt to compete, replacing Bryant’s radical Chevelle.

For power, Bryant called upon his father-in-law, Norman Beerhorst, who runs Ultra Tech Engines in Mishawaka, Indiana. Norman has been in business since 1987 and knows a thing or two about making big power. He’s a regular Drag Week contributor who had four engines in different cars competing in this year’s competition. A testament to his abilities, all four completed the adventure.

“The SR Series supplies the valve motion for my turbocharged engines without the worry of constant valve train maintenance,” Beerhorst says of his camshaft choice from Crane Cams for Drag Week engines. “Not having to take the valve covers off and check valve lash at every event was quite an advantage on this grueling tour. The SR Series delivered horsepower with reliability.”

For the AMC, he built a 572c.i. bigblock Chevy that made 2,500 hp on the dyno with 30 pounds of boost. It’s fed with twin 88mm Precision turbos through a set of conventional style Edelbrock Victor heads ported by CurPPNDigital.com 93

tis Boggs from Race Flow Development. A Big Stuff 3 ECU allows the car to be tuned for long drives and then make 210 mph quarter-mile blasts.

In fact, he took first in the Ultimate Iron class. He was also the first of that class in the 6s and to run 200 mph for 2015, going home the second quickest and fastest overall winner with a 6-second average and a 208 mph average speed for all five events. The AMC was the fourth car in the history of Drag Week to achieve this consistency. His best for the week was a 6.78 at 210 mph, and then he drove on surface streets and in traffic to the next destination.

Keep in mind this is a steel-bodied car with real glass that weighs 3,400 pounds.

There are many aspects that allow a car with over 2,000 hp go from street to strip. Today’s computer-based tunability in timing and fuel management does things racers could only dream about a few decades ago. While they all add up to the final result, the focus of this article is a part that (at the moment) cannot be controlled with a mouse click: The valvetrain.

The camshaft and related hardware has seen as much development as the electronics, and interestingly enough, part of this development has been in response to events like Drag Week. Norman Beerhorst of Ultra Tech has worked with Crane Cams since the beginning, and together they have found solutions.

Bryant’s Javelin uses their SR Se94 Power & Performance News / Vol. 7, No. 1

ries Mechanical Roller camshafts, a very happy compromise between the needs of an all-out race mechanical roller and a more street-friendly hydraulic roller camshaft. We contacted Allan Bechtloff at Crane for more information on how and why this series works.

“The SR Series profiles are designed to be easy on the valvetrain,” he says. “They can run with less valve spring tension and require lower maintenance. They do not beat up the valve train, so the lash stays consistent. You may adjust the lash on these mechanical once a year or less. They’re also used in road racing and off-shore boats mainly for their increase in power and endurance.”

Bechtloff says applications like boats that need to run around 5,200 rpm for extended periods of time and what he calls his “Gentleman Road Racers,” who run their race cars on the ragged edge in 12-hour endurance races and use downshifting as part of their braking, require high lift that does not falter, similar to that of a solid lifter cam. Under these conditions, solid lifters, which ride directly on the cam lobes, are under a tremendous amount of stress. The advantage of the roller lifter comes in the form of their ability to smooth out the opening and closing ramp of the valve, allowing a lower spring pressure. The reduction in friction also comes into play.

Spring tension technology has come a long way. “In the old days we

just threw more spring pressure at it,” says Bechtloff. “With developments like the Spintron testing we were able to observe what was really happening and how to maximize performance with compatible components.

We actually found less is more with the right setup.”

He adds the racing roller cams in everyone’s catalogs often accidently end up on the street, in an offshore boat, or in a 24-hour endurance race application.

These cams may make great horsepower but require increased spring tension and lots of maintenance because they tend to beat up the valve train.

While some may think high-rpm are a spring’s biggest challenge, it’s actually the initial moments of opening and closing. A spring at rest is suddenly shocked into motion. Obviously the higher the spring pressure, the more of a jolt it experiences as it’s put into the task of opening and then again as it snaps shut. Mechanical Roller cams utilize grinds with smoother transitions on opening and closing that traditional flat tappets simply cannot follow without scuffing the cam. (See figure 1.)

Another challenge for engines with high spring pressures and flat tappets is idling. Idling on the street for extended periods of time can be very taxing on the valve train as the spring has to compensate for the mass of the valve. As rpm increases the forces created by the mass of the valve in motion has to be controlled by the valve spring, otherwise the valve may “float.” With more aggressive cams the common practices is to increase the valve spring tension. But at low idle speeds this spring tension may be excessive, and that backed up energy travels down through the pushrod to the tappet and ultimately back into the lobe, or in the case of race roller cams, the needle bearings on the axles. The SR Series mechanical roller allows lower spring tension, and thus is much easier on parts.

Oiling at low rpm is another factor.

There’s plenty of oil at higher rpm, and the friction caused with flat tappet cams requires them to be bathed in it.

Rollers are much more forgiving.

“Most people know that the OEM automotive companies introduced their roller cams around the time overdrive transmissions became popular,” says Bechtloff. “While we might assume they were chosen

because of the car’s potential to be driven faster, the opposite is actually the truth. Thanks to overdrive, their engines were now spending most of their time at much lower rpm, especially on the highway. They were literally eating cams due to the lack of oil splash. The roller cams were brought in for longevity at low rpm thanks to their lower friction.”

In today’s world, we might feel bad about spinning an old car at 3,000 rpm across two states, but in reality that’s where that engine is happy. Now with an overdrive, 2,000 rpm can be seen as excessive.

So let’s crunch some numbers. In a big-block Chevy, a race roller camshaft card might call for 250 to more than 1,000 pounds of spring pressure on cars with twin turbos or top-level horsepower. With an SR Series cam, they call for 165 to 190 pounds for cars with blowers or boosted cars with blow-off valves. That’s a sizeable savings in wear and tear.

If we take a SR Series lobe lift, small, medium and large (.374, .400 or .427 inches respectively) and pair that with a 1.7-ratio rocker, we can get .636-, .680-, and .726-inch lifts, and maybe back off .020-inch for lash on the .726, bringing it

FIGURE 1

FLAT TAPPET WITH ROLLER PROFILE

ROLLER TAPPET WITH ROLLER PROFILE

The edge of a flat tappet will “dig into” the ramp of an agressive roller tappet profile to .706-inch to compensate for heat expansion of the block and heads. That’s more than enough lift with not a lot of spring pressure. Additionally, today’s head porting and testing has created increased flow capacities that don’t require over-lifting to make big power.

Though Bechtloff says the SR Series cams are “interwoven through their catalog” and not in a section of their own at the moment, they are there. It’s as simple as calling their tech staff if you can’t locate them on your own.

The allure of low spring pressure, valve train longevity, and less maintenance while making big power seems almost as far-fetched as driving a 2,000-hp car on a thousand mile road trip while clicking off 6-second quarter-mile times and 200 mph trap speeds. Through both the technical savvy of Crane’s cam engineers and the input and demand from guys like Ultra Tech, the future is now.

Source: Crane Cams, cranecams.com

For more info and pics, search “AMC BEAST” at PPNDigital.com.

PPNDigital.com 95

Parting SHOT

Racing Against Time When it comes to fast Ford builders, the name Bud Moore is often top of the list. This classic image was used to promote the 1967 Mercury Cougar Trans Am racing team which features legendary drivers Parnelli Jones (second from the left) and Dan Gurney (holding his helmet upside down). Bud Moore (far right) had quite a year as the Cougar came within a whisker of winning and defeating the Mustangs that had won in a rout the year before. The guy in the goggles? Fran Hernandez, head of Lincoln/Mercury’s Racing Program.

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