Messages

61

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: GOT MY LICENSE...FINALLY

« on: May 27, 2019, 12:14:42 PM »

"Thanks, guys. We got it to go 5.86@123 mph in the eighth. Next time up we will step it up a little. How do you guys handle the bounce after the stripe? I had to let off the brake and reapply a couple times to make it stop bouncing, but I'm pretty sure it was airborne a few times."

xlr8 – don’t know if this is your first fed.  With repetition comes familiarity what to do; at the stripe, after a dozen or so passes, it’ll just come naturally how to apply the brakes smoothly so you avoid the bounce.  The more passes you make, every part slows down compared to your first time and you become more and more comfortable making passes.  Congratulations.  Alan

62

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Fabricated Fuel Injector

« on: May 27, 2019, 12:12:27 PM »

28 sq. in., excellent, do you know what the original Scott Slot was, I think it was closer to 30 sq. in.  For that mirror finish, the more you do and learn the tricks, the easier and faster it goes...

63

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Fabricated Fuel Injector

« on: May 27, 2019, 11:50:20 AM »

Jacin – enjoyed seeing your video.  Yes will certainly improve the looks of a 409, or hemi.  I’ve sanded, buffed and polished a few items, worth all the effort as verified by your video.  You must have alot of unrestricted time, 99.9 percent of the rest of us would just buy a metering valve : )  Quick question, what’s the butterfly diameter?  Alan

64

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: FED & Transbrake

« on: May 21, 2019, 05:03:46 AM »

Hi Mark - have you looked out the window yet, you’d think we’re in the middle of Winter here.  Alan

65

Spud Miller's Cave / Re: Main jet and nozzle size

« on: May 13, 2019, 12:42:02 PM »

Yes, I don’t know why the change either.  Maybe a reason will be added.

66

Spud Miller's Cave / Re: Main jet and nozzle size

« on: May 13, 2019, 09:40:07 AM »

Hi dreracecar - I’ll use an extreme example to illustrate:  As I understand for Bill, he’s wanting to maintain a matching amount of fuel passing through his engine during the same time period using either a .037 or .040 nozzle. 

Please picture an empty swimming pool, then filled with a garden hose and it takes 10 hours to fill.  Now picture the same empty swimming pool, filled with a larger fire hose and you want it to take a similar 10 hours to fill.  To accomplish, you would reduce the water flow pressure.

In Bill’s tune-up, with a larger .040 nozzle (firehose), you would decrease pressure to maintain the same volume of fuel moved through his engine with the .037 nozzle (water hose).

I’ll mention again what both you (dreracecar) and fuel749 suggested is what I would do first.  Without knowing the status of your fuel pump, and if it’s just marginal doing the job, making a change could create other troubleshooting issues.  It may work fine initially, and with a change push it beyond it’s capability and maybe you go lean.

67

Spud Miller's Cave / Re: Main jet and nozzle size

« on: May 12, 2019, 06:51:02 AM »

Bill - a nozzle change with larger holes from .037 to .040 requires less pressure to maintain your engine’s current fuel tune-up.  Part of the formula needed for calculating your new main pill starting point is your present fuel pump output.  Both fuel749 and dreracecar suggestions are good ones to accomplish the calculation.

Your question and sharing your current .088 main pill actually reminded me of FIE’s Technical Article regarding main pill sizes.  Your proposed nozzle change should allow you to move from a .088 main pill to a .100 or larger.  According to Spud’s Technical Article, that’s an excellent decision on your part for tuning methanol.  Spud has much useful information in his Library, and compares a “big benefit” of selecting a main pill area between .100 to .130 for methanol which promotes a 6% - 8% area (i.e. diameter) change using .005 main pill increments (e.g.  .100, .105, .110 etc.).

To make tuning your methanol engine easier, please read Spud’s Technical Article, the last paragraph that starts with “Ideally,” here’s the link (thank you Spud):
     
http://www.fuelinjectionent.com/bigpumpmyth.php


p.s.  nice formula presentation
          \/      \/      \/

68

Your Builds / Photo Gallery / Re: K-88 / 6 Cylinder

« on: May 08, 2019, 07:32:32 AM »

Plus a 12 port, better than money in the bank.  That makes five early GMC 12 ports I’m aware which reside in Colorado, seems above average for one State.  I don’t know how many are out there.

FTF – quite the vision you share, doing your part helping our Earth rotate : )

69

Your Builds / Photo Gallery / Re: K-88 / 6 Cylinder

« on: May 02, 2019, 07:13:09 AM »

Countn Carbs – enjoyed seeing your pictures, first-rate progress.  Fabcraft centers are nice, yet expensive; spool, modern gearset, eliminating ring gear spacer, new billet caps all help peace of mind.  For a 9.3 incher last made in 1964, 55 years ago, I like the decisions on your build, slow and well thought out. 

Many unfamiliar with the early GMC and Ford six cylinder engines from the 1950s through the 1960s don’t realize some have close to 4 inch stroke.  One remarkable advantage with the longer stroke coupled with the inline arrangement is the accompanying low-end torque.  Your familiarity with that fact clearly drew you to Fabcraft knowing your 60 feet will put that 55 plus year old rear under stress.  Alan

70

Electronics / Re: Circuit Protection for a Winch

« on: April 23, 2019, 07:38:55 AM »

MikenMpls - your winch acts similar to a 12 volt DC car engine starter, when first engaging motion, it requires much more amperage.  And even more so for a winch, I’m guessing maybe 2-4 times until the load (i.e. dragster or stuck vehicle) is moving.  Due to this initial amp loading, selecting a correct fuse is not so easy without calculating your specific locked rotor amperage.
 
If you’re interested in a safeguard, an easier route is to install a shutoff switch inline on the positive cable between the battery and winch.  When using your winch, turn on power.  If your winch overheats or has another issue, you can turn off power immediately, as opposed to having to disconnect a cable from a battery terminal.

My latest Summit catalog, page 100 shows a Hella Battery Disconnect switch for $17.25.  Max continuous rating is 100 amps at 12 volts, Max peak load (for 10 seconds) is 1,000 amps at 12 volts.  Alan

71

Spud Miller's Cave / Re: FIE Tech Reference Library

« on: February 08, 2019, 01:17:55 PM »

Spud - well worth the wait, thanks for making your valuable reference library easily available.  I was particularly impressed with FIE’s new Super Metering Valve and how you incorporated a separate idle circuit with simplified needle valve control; beneficial phenomenal idea.  Alan

72

Dan Dishon's Transmission Den / Re: shifter help

« on: January 26, 2019, 11:05:38 AM »

Adding some basic info concerning the universal shift lever unit.  The pg trans could be located in front or behind the driver and the pg shifter could be a front or rear cable exit model.
 
Your situation will determine the position of the universal shift lever, whether to install pointing up or down.  Empirical test is the best.  Install cable in your pg shifter.  Move shift lever from Park to low gear and note how the opposite cable end that will connect to the universal shift lever moves.     

With this information, you will know whether your shifter pulls or pushes the morse cable to engage Park to low gear.  Install universal shift lever pointing either up or down on the pg trans for your situation.  Alan

73

Dan Dishon's Transmission Den / Re: TB battery

« on: January 18, 2019, 07:03:41 AM »

The TB like all solenoids merely changes electric energy to mechanical force.  Differing volts and watts help determine the amp output for your selected battery. Knowing your amp need helps select your battery.

Most TB will need between 8 to 10 amps dependent on the battery volts and watts specifications.  More amps (aka current) flowing through the TB generates more heat, which simultaneously increases ohms (aka resistance) and this resistance lowers the current so your TB is not as powerful.

For example the Dewalt Flexvolt tool battery DCB612 has the following specifications:  20V/60V maximum, 240 watts, 12 amp hour.

At 240 watts / 20 volts = 12 amp hour
At 240 watts / 60 volts = 4 amp hour

In answer to your question, you need your TB volt and amp hour needs.  For example, the TB specification sheet may state:  Maximum current draw:  8 amps at 12.5 volts DC

And although the Dewalt DCB612 tool battery example will work, it would be overkill for your TB needs at 12.5 volts.  Alan

74

Drag Racing / Re: Solar battery tenders

« on: January 01, 2019, 08:06:15 AM »

Luke – Happy New Year.  For a battery maintainer, no experience to share.  I’d guess in today’s electronic movement, there would be a smart controller built-in so you would never need to disconnect.  It should have a pre-set range for a typical 12 volt battery to maintain, and once achieved, the unit should auto-disconnect to not overcharge that safe range.  Your truck connected with alternator running should enable an auto-disconnect.

One more thought, three different people could buy that battery maintainer and each have a different outcome.  One could live in Alaska, one in Colorado and one in Hawaii, each with varying degree of sun light.  One could have a new battery, one a battery that’s 5 years old and another with a battery at the end of its service life.  All three will have a different experience.  If we were testing a new torque wrench, all three would probably have the same outcome.

If you want to try it for the $19.99 cost, I would recommend this path.  Test your 12 volt battery initially with a volt meter to establish a baseline.  Then connect battery maintainer and keep a record of the amount of sun light received each day along with a volt meter reading at sun set.  The volt meter readings after a week will determine if the unit works in your situation.

If it does not maintain your 12 volt (plus some) battery charge after a week, return it.  The advertisement states this unit’s solar array outputs 2.4 watts.  Your next step would be to upgrade to their 5 watt solar array, which costs more at $38.85.  If the 5 watt does not work, then return and try their 10 watt solar array, which again cost more at $57.94.  If I were to buy one for my situation, I would start with the 10 watt solar array.  Alan

75

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: cheap performance gains

« on: December 06, 2018, 05:48:37 PM »

Your mind moves in direction what most of us want to accomplish, dissect every individual item and make it better, to go faster at reasonable cost.  And have to agree with your modify tuneup and see immediate change, we’ve all done that over and over.  The front wheels, still seems a tough wager to collect on…