Messages

31

Roo Man's Room / Re: Straight axle to A arm engineering.

« on: February 08, 2016, 07:55:07 AM »

Thanks Keith, yes I was looking for info on bel-crank vs spindle mount.
I did struggle with straight axle vs A arm and see advantages to both, this one will be an A arm car with about 13 degrees caster.

32

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?

33

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: battery disconnect with mag kill

« on: January 25, 2016, 08:05:36 PM »

When my car was configured with a battery I used a morse cable at the rear to activate the shut off that was located at the front of the motor, between the starter and the battery. 

The relay was only used to ground the mag and was a very simple deal. As long as the power was feeding the relay the circuit to the mag was open. When the power was shut off to the relay the relay sent the mag to ground.

34

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: battery disconnect with mag kill

« on: January 25, 2016, 01:43:20 PM »

I cannot find the pn on the set up that I used, but I believe it was from Jegs and is simply a normally open relay that sends the mag to ground when the power is shut off to the relay. This was on the car when it had a battery to self start. Use a regular master kill switch wired to the relay. 

But Bruce is right and I have told more that one tech guy "why do I need a battery shut off if I don't have a battery". (when the car did not carry a battery to start just a small dry cell to run the shift light and brake)

35

Matt Shaff's Engine Shop / Re: Rodeck 481 BBC block info needed

« on: December 31, 2015, 10:36:57 AM »

Isn't Rodeck still around?

Address: 2134 Tractor St, Paso Robles, CA 93446
Phone:(805) 237-6040

I know my brother called him about a block a couple years ago. Grumpy old fart, but he did answer the questions.
And he was quick to say that they did not support the old stuff.

Is the one you are looking at a dry sump?

36

Spud Miller's Cave / Re: Video: Measuring and Comparing Magneto Generators

« on: December 21, 2015, 06:48:55 AM »

Thanks for that great information.
Hope you keep it.

37

Spud Miller's Cave / Re: propolen oxide

« on: December 16, 2015, 02:00:30 PM »

It is highly reactive to rust and I believe copper. I will try to find an article on it that I remember.
When I sold race gas for a living I would occasionally have a customer ask for it. I refused to deal with it because as Spud said it was dangerous, probably more so than some of the other additives, with the exception of hydrazine. It would go off just because it wanted to.

38

Spud Miller's Cave / Re: Do it yourself: Points mag Rev-limiter

« on: October 10, 2015, 01:29:50 PM »

Hey, Thanks.
I know the last one you modified in house and sold was not your favorite set up.

39

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: times and combos

« on: October 06, 2015, 11:30:46 AM »

Good job with the Caddy motor. Thanks for bringing this thread back up.

40

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: A arm vs straight axle.

« on: October 05, 2015, 06:01:21 PM »

This is the info I am looking for. Roo, the old spindles are fine and could be re-used. I do remember having to turn the bushings since the kingpins did not seem to be any standard size.  The drive-ability difference is really my big question.  I had thought about having a new axle built with my spindles and bolting it directly to the frame. And the nostalgia look is a big deal for me. The drivers compartment is not tall, it will be a 5pt cage and will build a body that is more curve and less break.

From a weight standpoint what is the lightest?

41

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?   

42

Spud Miller's Cave / Re: top end lube

« on: October 05, 2015, 10:03:21 AM »

I asked Frank Parks that question many years ago. His response was, why would you add anything to your fuel that did not add horsepower. Made sense to me at the time. Now, with that you have to make sure you have good valve clearance and not hanging valves and you must service the fuel system after the race.

When I started with alky injection I was selling race gas for a living so I made a show of no filter and no additive just as a marketing gesture to show how good my product was. I can see how a little lube would make maintenance a little easier, but that ratio seems kinda thick.

43

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Searching for pics of lost FED

« on: October 05, 2015, 09:53:07 AM »

Thanks Froggy, if it was in a mag the guys are not aware of it.
The car only existed for a few months before the crash.

44

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Searching for pics of lost FED

« on: October 01, 2015, 07:33:50 AM »

Don, thanks for that.
I will give Milsap a call and see if he has some pics of the front.
Cox and Wilson have some contacts with plans of that T-Bar chassis of that era, but are finding that they do not want to share.

The guys are not looking for parts, just picture to recreate. I will let them know you are interested.

45

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