What did you do on your Front Engine Dragster TODAY?

[lake_harley]

1st day at the drag strip to do some easy test passes. This was the 4th pass. Still not all-in at the line and my driver lifted at about 400'. Pleased that the car went straight and the driver said it didn't do anything ignorant.

Satisfied with the initial "mild" shake down passes, my plan is to completely disassemble, finish up some non-critical welds I couldn't get to before, clean and paint the chassis, and reassemble.

Based on the test passes I think I might have a race car on my hands!

Lynn

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

nice
sounded good

[wideopen231]

Well last weekend I took FED out for the local bracket race. Plan was to run TNT Friday night, bracket race Saturday and Sunday, giving me a good amount of runs to test. The first part went to crap Friday. Finally at the track Saturday. The car does not want to crank. After working it out. Get to line for a second-time trial. Very minor loi leak, talking drop every 4 or 5 seconds. Shut down. Driver forgets to kill primer and flood engine. Fix that fire up to make run track had said we could and the primer had a leak,which if I had known was issue would be nothing to kill the pump. Anyway, get back to trailer flood engine again, stupidity. Kill the starter dead. So one half-butt burnout, dead 450 starter, dead 150 solenoid and expenses equal 750 bucks for a nothing burnout. Thinking it was time for drinking.LOL

[wideopen231]

Bought the ol gal and new battery. Since did not kill starter and transbrake solenoid. Just a battery that showed 17v at starter but would not spin starter or engage transbrake.

[lake_harley]

My son came home for a couple days last week and we disassembled the dragster. Got it sandblasted Saturday prime Sunday and painted today. Now I'll see if I can get this jigsaw puzzle back together again.

Lynn

[lake_harley]

I got photos re-sized so I hope this works.

Lynn

[Paul New]

Looks great

[wideopen231]

just finished the new wheel and mounts for crankt trigger install on car. Next up is conversion to drop in jets.

[wideopen231]

Finished the mold for new nose piece. Taking advantage of the 40 in overhang. Most dragsters aerew limited to 30. I figure the little extra will screw with competition and is worht about ,007. Moving steering rack and battery fowars 7" both and moving rack n pinion to front of axle which allows fuel tanl to move 40 lbs foward 7" the new nose design allows battery to be moved. Not sure how much front wheel wight will chnage but going to find out, Figure to sit battery up soi can move back at any time.

[lake_harley]

I spent a good bit of time last week switching my "econo-rail" from a Rochester Q-jet and dual-plane intake to a Torker II with a dual line 600 Holley. We had been struggling this year to get it to match last year's performance and after several failed fixes to the fuel system and Q-jet I finally caved-in and decided to join the Holley crowd.

Did a test and tune Friday night and raced last night. By the 2nd run at the TnT we were within .05 seconds of the car's best ever run, and I think we set a new high on MPH. Seemed a bit "fat" on fuel so we did a smaller jet swap on the secondaries and plan to get a jet assortment this week to do some more tuning to the carb, thinking it is still a bit rich on the mild 305 Chevy. The car was pretty consistent again and not head scratching over what the problem might be made racing a whole lot more fun again.

FWIW.....we're just foot-braking in the ET bracket class so consistency is our goal.

Lynn

[wideopen231]

Well opened new can orf worms. New nose allows me to move battery forward 7",fuel tank 6" while moveing new rack and pinion to in front of axle. Tried 6" arms instead of 5". The steering inout take lot more to get same movement at outer rim,.I mean 22* or so and turning raidus it lot bigger or not near as sharp. Thinking 6 too much. going back to 5" or max 5.5".
 Welde steering shaft at all  steering knuckles. Most had one side welded and molted other. the bolts allowed too much slop in shaft. One was nothing but when you have 4 it b ecomes 5 or 6* at steering wheel with before actutal moving front end. Add that to fact dumbbutt adding the rackn pinion actually moved bolt hole 3/4 back on steering arm and made it stupid quick..

Saince can not get hard answer on how much effect moving b attery 7" will give I have set of scales on the way. Will get answer to few other question I came up woith about weight and effectiveness due to location. In theory moveing 45 lbs dbl distance from front axle should make 45 battery seem like lot more to chassis. If s will alow me to remove some weight w/o going airborn.