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Topics - H.G. Wells

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1
Dan Dishon's Transmission Den / Longer coupler needed
« on: March 26, 2018, 11:37:13 AM »
Finally back to work on my new build, and need a longer coupler due to moving the motor farther out.

Looks like both Mark Williams and Strange have couplers for a max 6" space between the trans rear seal and the face of the rear end coupler.
What are you guys using that will span 7+ inches without going to a long shaft with sleeves like an altered?

2
Altereds / TH400 in an Altered
« on: March 24, 2018, 02:45:37 PM »
Looking for some guidance on a trans issue.

Helping a friend with a new altered and he is looking to swap the powertrain from his other car into a new hardtail altered chassis.
Altered was running a PG, but we want to run the current TH400 as a two speed in the altered. This gives a more favorable gear ratio, + saves $$ from buying a new trans. Driveshaft is not an issue as there is only 1/2 difference, but he was concerned about having a rear trans mount.
Never ran mounts on a glide in dragsters that I have played with, but not sure if the added weight of the TH would be a concern?
Anyone experience running a TH400 in an altered?

Ultimately this car will have a clutch.

3
Front Engine Dragsters / Chassis Paint
« on: July 31, 2016, 09:16:40 PM »
Have searched and found differing answers. What is everyone using for chassis paint?
Powder coating is not an option and I want something other than black. Leaning toward silver, but not a hammer finish.
I have little or no painting experience, but not afraid of jumping in. I have seen lacquer on chassis but it seems to be too delicate.
Too lazy for the WD40 routine on bare metal.


4
Roo Man's Room / Steering quick release
« on: March 05, 2016, 01:32:58 PM »
Does anyone recognize this quick release? It is an SFI piece, but no idea who made it.
If I remember right it came from Bob Boulton 15+ years ago. Looking for another one.


5
Roo Man's Room / Straight axle to A arm engineering.
« on: February 07, 2016, 04:49:20 PM »
Working on a new build and had planned on swapping the torsion bar and straight axle from my old bent car to the new chassis. builder has talked me into not reusing any of my 40+ year old stuff on this new car. (yea he is smarter than I am) I plan on using a bel-crank and two steering arms like I did when it was a straight axle. Since the track will be much more narrow I wonder if I would be better off with a third arm from the spindle and steering off of it with the drag link instead, so I would have just one link between the spindles? Any difference in the way it will steer?

6
Front Engine Dragsters / A arm vs straight axle.
« on: October 05, 2015, 02:02:12 PM »
I could use some advice. Starting a new build and planned to re use my torsion bar and axle from my old bent car. Well, as I am pulling parts from the old car before we start to lay out the new pipe I see that my axle is a little bent. If I cut my torsion bar off and clean it up and to re-weld to new car I think it would be ok. Probably. If I have to buy new axle, spindles/torsion bar/radius bars etc it will add a lot of $$ to the build too.

Old car was original 1969/70 and was very flexible. (to its detriment) I actually welded the torsion bar arms so it would not bounce as much.
New chassis will be much stiffer so I had hoped to use a front suspension and to keep the nostalgia look.

Builder has a jig for the A arms and will go either way I decide.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an A arm?   

7
Front Engine Dragsters / Searching for pics of lost FED
« on: September 30, 2015, 12:30:23 PM »
I am looking for pictures of a car that was destroyed in August of 1968 at Green Valley Tx.
The car was raced by John Wilson, Randy Wilsons dad and he and Aaron Cox are looking to build a recreation of this car. It was a T Bar chassis and the attached pic is the only one they can find. I have also attached a link to the story on WDIFL about John Wilson and the crash that took his life in this car.

They believe they can duplicate the chassis based on some of the old heads around here and pics of other T Bar cars. The real trick is going to be the body and paint. That is why the pics are needed.

Any help would be appreciated.

http://wdifl.com/Wilson.html

8
Spud Miller's Cave / Nozzle placement and quantity on tunnel ram.
« on: April 30, 2015, 06:05:46 PM »
Looking at a new combo without the blower. Want to mount my bird catcher on a tunnel ram on my 496. Should I move the nozzles to the ports, or run one set in the hat and one set in the ports? Would you have better atomization with 16 and better tuning by cylinder?  This will probably be alky only, but may end up running some nitro at some point if that makes a difference.  Wishing I had hung on to the stack set up that came on it, but not sure if there is an advantage one way or the other.

I appreciate the help.

9
Junior Dragsters / Outlaw Jr dragster story in Nitro Madness
« on: February 14, 2015, 02:28:43 PM »
http://www.nitromadness.com/onlinemag/FLASH/index.html

This really is a well built. cool little car.

10
Spud Miller's Cave / Spark plugs for blown combo
« on: July 30, 2014, 04:39:40 PM »
I searched and read a couple different threads on spark plugs, but did not see this addressed and would like some guidance.

Finally got to make a few passes this weekend with a 496, alky, Merlin iron heads, 8:71, around 6 lbs of boost, SM3 (hopped up by Spud) and built enough heat to read the plugs. (a little lean)
Not sure if I am ahead or behind.

Running a Champion  670 v59c picked up cheap from one of the guys with a similar combo.
Not a fan of Champion and always ran NGK with my inject small block.
Gapped at .016

I do not know enough about heat range to pick what I need, so what heat range do I need? NGK R5674-10 or do I need to go to a hotter -7?
Are the heat range number standardized between brands? bigger# is colder?

11
Events / San Antonio TX Nostalgia
« on: July 10, 2014, 08:07:44 AM »
For those of you in Texas, we have one coming up on July 19th that will be a good show.

I know the outlaw fuel altereds will be here, a handful of funnys and all manner of nostalgia cars.

http://www.sanantonioraceway.com/

12
Matt Shaff's Engine Shop / Pulled threads on #3 main
« on: May 04, 2014, 12:50:27 PM »
Looking for some guidance from those that have experience with this.
Putting new bearings in a cast iron block BBC. Has ARP studs and when I went to torque #3 main one of the outer studs pulled the threads out.  Looks like some of them were already rusty and on their way out.  Thought I would helicoil it till I realized that one went into an oil passage and I did not trust myself to get all the little crunchy parts out if I drilled and tapped it.  I have not disassembled the motor yet.   Thought about stuffing a piece of hose thru the outer galley plug and making sure not to drill into it, but wonder how many other threads are about to go. 

Will a heli coil hold or do I go with a timesert or one of the better pieces?
Pull the whole thing apart and take it to a machine shop and have them check all the holes? One of the inner holes thread did not look so hot either.

This is on a blown 496.

13
Events / San Antonio Nitro Jam
« on: March 14, 2014, 07:39:09 AM »
Just a reminder for the folks around San Antonio. 
March 28,29 IHRA Nitro Jam.  Not sure if there will be much Nostalgia activity, but there will be Nitro in the air.

14
Front Engine Dragsters / March Meet coverage
« on: March 09, 2014, 10:18:39 AM »
Not sure if anyone has posted, so if it is a duplicate carry on.

Bang Shift live coverage of the Bakersfield race.
http://bangshift.com/bs-productions-live-broadcast-page.html

15
Your Builds / Photo Gallery / Intro
« on: February 02, 2013, 11:40:07 AM »
Hello all.
My dame is David Wells, but some of you already know me as H.G. Wells a nickname I picked up while working my way thru school as a mechanic.
Now pushing 50 I learned to wrench as a kid on my older brothers stuff and ended up with a FED after too many street racing incidents and while working for a fuel distributor in OKC selling racing fuel.  While there I arranged sponsorship for several teams from motorcross and dragboats to one JR Fuel car.  I spent a lot of time with that team and endud up building my own JR fuel car back when an 8.50 may get you into the field and everyone was racing for second when Frank and Scott Parks showed up.
I knew I could not spend the money to keep up with that group and instead did just some nostalgia racing untill my move to Amarillo TX.  While looking for a new trailer I ended up with an early 70's RED and a nice BBC stroker motor.  I had a hard time running a car on my own and recruited some help in a young man named Chris Daniel. My thought was he would be my crew, but soon found he could cut a light and weighed 60 pounds less than I did so he became the driver. Then we got stupid and hung an 8:71 on this BBC and stuffed it in my FED and tried to play with a 7.60 index bunch.  While running at a neat little airport/dragstrip in Lubbock TX the car was bent badly in an altercation with a car crossing into our lane.  Todays thought is to front half that chassis and put it back into service, but I know I would be better off building new pipe and not piecing the old stuff back together.  So we are putting the big motor back in the RED but without the huffer just to stay out there and do a little bracket racing. 

So I am glad to be here and learn more, and want to thank Spud (who set up my fuel system and will do my next) and Rooman (who does not know me but has given me great tips over the years as well as helping my driver Chris with his CAD design for our next car) for funding this site.

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