Messages

16

Front Engine Dragsters / NOS fuel install...

« on: January 24, 2019, 01:40:04 PM »

OK, need some advice here. I bought a single stage cross bar nitrous kit and am currently installing. Looking at plumbing the fuel solenoid. I have a 10an main fuel feed coming off of my fuel pump to the fuel pressure regulator that then splits it into duel 6an feed lines to my 750cfm 4150 carb. The directions specifically state that the fuel solenoid for the NOS must have its own separate regulator. However, in the limited space I have it would require quite a bit of plumbing to reduce the 10an down to 4an that connects to the solenoid and I would have to plumb a T valve into my 10an line. I also have a fuel pressure safety switch that will disable the NOS at 5lbs. I usually run my regulator at 8lbs. I understand what the directions state. It would be a heck of a lot easier and compact for me to plumb that solenoid from one of my 6an lines and use the regulator that I have for the carb than to cut into that 10 and add a separate regulator. Since I have the pressure safety switch is a separate regulator honestly needed? In short, could I honestly get away with this or should I go with a separate regulator?

17

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: post pics

« on: January 24, 2019, 05:03:58 AM »

I have found that if I download the pics from the camera to my computer, copy it to the desktop, open the pic in paint then use the size reducer to take the pic down to 30% then I have no problem posting pics. I am a member of a fishing forum that I have to do the same thing to post pics or else it will say file too big. Works every time....hope this helps.

18

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Spring upgrades....

« on: January 17, 2019, 12:28:54 PM »

As far as the Stahl adapter plates go, I have a bit of a dilemma. The exhaust ports in the plates are quite a bit smaller than the head ports. I saw a comment about this on Jegs when I ordered them and common sense tells me to open them up to the same diameter but want to get some advice on this. One would think that stuff like this on a SBC would kinda be universal but I guess not. Also, the bolts I took out that bolted the old adapter plate to the head looks like they were installed with anti-seize on them. When I bolt the new adapters on for good should I use anti-seize?

19

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Spring upgrades....

« on: January 17, 2019, 12:16:56 PM »

Having a ball working on my FED over the winter and always love to see the UPS truck pull up. This week they brought me a present from the Carolinas . Wideopen custom made me a set of zoomies at a very reasonable price and shipped them to me. Being that he used Stahl flanges I had to purchase a set of Stahl adapter plates that are better quality than what I had on to begin with. Love the new look of my FED now that I don't have to constantly watch those hot upsweep headers. Thank you Wideopen for a quality product and a job well done.

20

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Budget rail

« on: January 15, 2019, 04:03:45 AM »

As a newbie myself here I don't have much to offer but I can chime in a little. Sounds to me you are looking for something very similar to what I have....165" FED with a 327 and 9 inch rear. When I took mine to have the chassis inspected the fella did tell me it was constructed of mild steel. This car was built in the 90s with very little upgrades till I got it and it has been a fun car to start with. I don't know what length you are considering but at 165" it fits in a 24' trailer very neatly with plenty of extra room for gear. I currently have the 9 inch out of it replacing gaskets, o rings, ect…and found that it is manufactured by Strange with 4.56 gearing. This size and setup of this FED has been very consistant and affordable to me. They are right about the size of the rear. Is not a lot of wiggle room and the 9 inch is very comfortable to me when in the seat....any bigger and I could see problems getting in and out of the car. As a beginner to this type of racing I have been pleased to get down to mid 9s my first year....most people dream of a 10 second car. Good luck with the build and post some pics of it. This forum has proved extremely valuable to me for info. I think the first words some of these guys uttered as a child was......horsepower.

21

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Spring upgrades....

« on: January 09, 2019, 05:00:34 PM »

Thanks fellas.....that was just the answer I was hoping to hear. I do have room in the front to keep the bottle at an angle and if I don't have to have it perfectly centered then I have room to keep the bottle heater away from the fuel system. I never gave any thought to having more weight in the front but it makes sense. I have a complete kit coming from Nitrous Express on Friday and will post some pics of the installation

22

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Spring upgrades....

« on: January 09, 2019, 04:09:50 AM »

I have no idea about the weight, it is in the plans to take it to the scales this spring to find out. Since it is only a 165" FED I estimate between 1600-1800. I am already running 30lbs of extra weights on the nose. I lack about 3/4" of space to fit the bottle between the side rail and the fuel pump on either side now so I am thinking to move the pump and fuel line all the way over to one side and attempt the get the bottle centered as much as I can. This will also give me a few inches of space between the bottle heater and the fuel components.

23

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Spring upgrades....

« on: January 08, 2019, 03:10:53 PM »

OK, need some advice here......Just purchased a Pro Power cross bar NOS system from Nitrous Express with 2 10lb bottles. I am trying to figure out where I am going to mount the bottle for there are not a whole lot of options on this thing. I could mount it behind the seat but to change out bottles would be a major undertaking and really impractical. The only other option I have is to mount it in the nose but it would be in proximity of the fuel cell and the pump. I have purchased and plan to use a bottle heater. Placing it in the nose would be really practical for swapping out bottles but need no know if this would be acceptable.

24

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Spring upgrades....

« on: December 31, 2018, 03:05:39 PM »

Sounds sweet but just not in the cards for 2019. The big game plan is to dump 20-30k into an engine in 2020 but as to which engine will take me some time to decide. For right now I have to work with what I got and get some more seat time under my belt.

20-30k in an engine how quick are you wanting to run? That amount and you will need a lot of other to be upgraded.

Paul, if one day I can match the best time that you have posted I would be on top of the world but I also realize that won't be tomorrow, LOL. I don't think this FED of mine has had one upgrade done to it since it was built in the 90s so I am expecting to dump some coin into it. I would rather pay a little more for a better quality part than take a chance and have to pay for it twice. If I can get that quality part at a more reasonable price which leaves coin to allocate to other places then that is great. 20-30k is going to be the piggy bank for the year 2020. I am considering a 432 SB with a roots blower @ 850hp....average price is 20K. Got to give that some thought, I realize the stress I will put on the other components.

25

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Spring upgrades....

« on: December 31, 2018, 08:55:18 AM »

Wideopen, reply PM sent. Good info here, I do not run with any group or race in any class....my racing is done on test n tune and grudge night only for the shear thrill of the speed and personal satisfaction. I am at a disadvantage in that when I bought my FED it was from an estate sale of a fella in Texas that had passed away. Thus, I got no info on it other than how to start it. From what I can tell someone put some money into the engine....it is definitely not stock so if I could go higher on the NOS that would be great and a 1 second shave off my time would make me ecstatic. I am not ashamed to admit also that I am rather green at running a FED with no previous experience with spray so learning to safely handle the increase in power is also my goal. I am considering purchasing a Stinger system with all the bells and whistles in which I could increase the power as I gain experience. The one thing I don't want to do is have a melt down and end my season next year early so that is why I am trying to gain as much knowledge as I can. Although I know that detonation is always a possibility I have read that if one is careful and has the right setup that running an engine with spray should be fairly consistent on the same motor.

26

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Spring upgrades....

« on: December 31, 2018, 07:27:08 AM »

Sounds sweet but just not in the cards for 2019. The big game plan is to dump 20-30k into an engine in 2020 but as to which engine will take me some time to decide. For right now I have to work with what I got and get some more seat time under my belt.

27

Front Engine Dragsters / Spring upgrades....

« on: December 31, 2018, 05:19:20 AM »

Well last summer was a great summer that introduced me to the world of FED racing and I had a ball. Got a lot of good advice on this forum that enabled me to get into the mid 9s with my 327 small block. I am currently saving up coin to enable me to purchase a new engine but that will not be until the winter of 2020 so I am looking for some upgrades to install for this coming summer. I have pretty much decided to add some NOS to the mix, nothing big....maybe a 50 to 200 hp spray but need a little guidance on how to do this. The first piece I would like to add from this puzzle is a new set of pipes. I currently have a set of upswept headers on. They look great but to replace costs a bit more than I am willing to spend on pipes. I am looking at a set of 45* upsweep zoomies that I am keen on and are of reasonable price. In doing my research on spray I see that an EGT sensor seems to be a pretty vital part of the system. To do this however I will have to contact the company who makes the pipes and get them to fabricate a port into the zoomies for the sensor. Is my thinking pretty well on track to achieve a well functioning NOS system? If so is there a certain cylinder that is preferable to mount this sensor in? Any advice would be appreciated.

28

Drag Racing / Car/Competition number...

« on: July 26, 2018, 04:08:34 PM »

Well I just received an email today stating they accepted my runs and granted me a level 6 Sportsman license. They also attached a temporary license with my license number that I can use to race with until my official license comes in the mail. I am a little confused though. Every time I go to the strip they ask me if I have a permanent car number yet. I assume they are asking about a competition number which I thought would be assigned to me when I applied for my license. My license number is 164X.....is that also my competition number, the one that I would put on the side of my car? Is there another application I must fill out? This might be a stupid question but I have found at times some of the directions given by the NHRA aren't exactly crystal clear.

29

Drag Racing / Re: Sportsman License....

« on: July 18, 2018, 06:37:54 PM »

Made my last 2 runs at the track tonight to finish up my application for my NHRA license which I will mail in tomorrow. My 5th run I pulled a 9.769@139.57mph. I had my 2 step set to launch at 3600. For my last run I turned it up to 3800 and pulled my best time....9.638@140.65. Needless to say I am one happy camper and you got to admit....I am getting better. It is a long way from the 11.9 I started with. Now to put it up until I get a license number and do some preventative maintenance. I got a feeling this thing has a lot more to give to me but I just have to be cool till that license comes threw. Thanks to everyone on this forum who gave me advice and support...….and a special thanks to DusterDave!!!!!

30

Drag Racing / Re: Sportsman License....

« on: June 29, 2018, 06:08:41 PM »

Went to the track tonight and met some really nice racers....made my first 2 runs for my Sportsmans license and got them signed off. Also got my cockpit orientation signed off. Next Friday I hope to make another two passes and then finish up by the end of July. I am really starting to get use to this car now and actually look like I know what I am doing. My second hit I did a 9.893 and I even let off on it a bit during the run. I am going to have to figure out a way to tone it down on the next 2 passes into the 10s before I make my final runs....it is a bit hard to hold this thing back!!!