Messages

61

Wanted to buy / BBC fuel pump drive

« on: November 18, 2018, 12:06:03 PM »

Anybody have a BBC fuel belt drive setup for a hilborn pump that they want to sell? Thought I would ask here before ordering a new one

62

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: November 18, 2018, 12:00:21 PM »

That is a serious right turn there. Mine don't seem to be turning any, but then the car goes right with them on or off the ground. Hoping to go out one more time in a couple weeks and see if I can et it any better. It is at least to the point of being predictable, now I just need to keep it from pushing right. I picked up just over .2 with the timing change, I don't really want to go back with it...lol

63

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: October 27, 2018, 05:08:58 AM »

I have as much weight forward as I really can move up there. Fuel tank and trans cooler all the way up. Then battery and radiator right in front of the engine. Never thought about the possibility of front suspension travel turning the wheels. I don't think it is, but it's worth checking for sure. I really wish the monsoons would quit, seems like a month or more between dry days that I get to go to the track

64

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: October 25, 2018, 03:02:23 PM »

Thanks Jon for all the info, seems like a few more Ideas to try. I have dropped the air down to 6psi. Haven't added a weigh bar yet, as lowering the wheelie bar got all the crazy launches under control, now it is just a slow push to the right instead of the I wonder which way it's gonna go this time action that I had going on.  I'll pull the tin back off and give everything a good check before the next time I go out. I had it all off when I was centering the wheelie bar, but didn't really check it closely. As for the converter, it was set up as a 6400 stall, and I'm shifting at 7200. But haven't been paying attention to the rpm drop to know the true stall speed. I really need to get this thing to run straight. I've had my hilborn setup back from Spud for a while now, but I want to have the car acting right before I open another can of tuning worms...lol I guess next time out I will switch the tires around. I don't think it is a lack of being in the groove, since it has done almost exactly the same thing 6 passes in a row and at 2 different tracks. after a quick slap of the throttle it goes as straight and smooth as you could ever ask for. I just need to fix the first 60 ft of the run.
Chris  if I haven't got this thing figured out by the end of hunting season I may have to take you up on the offer to help out. I could use a good pair of eyes on the outside of the car too

65

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: October 25, 2018, 03:18:20 AM »

To answer some of the questions, I've lowered the wheelie bars enough now that the front tires are staying on the ground, and still pushing the front to the right. Also have measured tires diameter is less than 1/8" different side to side. I don't really think the rear would be out of line, because the car was running straight as an arrow until this issue just popped up out of nowhere, but I will sure check it. It's a spool rear diff. I had thought about swapping tires, maybe that's next. I'm running out of time to get any runs this fall

66

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: October 23, 2018, 06:14:14 PM »

Still fighting right turns. Would adjusting the wheelie bar slightly to the left possibly help? I've tried just about every other thing I can come up with, with air pressure and launch rpm and nothing seems to be helping.

67

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: October 07, 2018, 04:17:34 AM »

Well, I took the car to the nostalgia event at Elk Creek Dragway last weekend. After getting the wheelie bar adjusted to dead center and lowering it back down to 1 3/4" off the ground, the car is at least predictable. The problem is it is turning right about 30 Ft out. I've tried adding air to the right tire and seemed to just make it worse. Can't figure out what is going on with this car. It used to go straight as a string, this summer I have only managed to make one pass that I didn't have to get out of it to keep it in the lane

68

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: September 16, 2018, 10:14:39 AM »

Well I had a little free time, and with the rainy weather today, it was time to get out in the garage and do a little checking on the dragster. I got it up on stands and stripped the wheels and tin off of it so I could pull a string on the centerline and check where the wheelie bars where hitting. Looks like I was about 1/2 off from center. Any thoughts to if that would be enough to drive the car hard in one direction or another? Also found some slop in one of the upper mounting tabs. It seems the whole had wallowed out, I'm thinking that could have been a part of my problem, letting the bars move. So I drilled it out and welded a hardened insert in the hole. I also checked my tire diameter, they are less than 1/8 different, so shouldn't be any problems there. Anything else I should check while I have the car stripped down? Hoping to take it over to elk creek nostalgia event at the and of the month.

69

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: don't get and and one thing I like about most everyone here

« on: August 27, 2018, 03:49:12 PM »

While I don't have as much time to get out to the track and run the car as I would like to have, I will agree that the build is as much or more fun to me than the finished product

70

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: August 22, 2018, 02:37:38 PM »

No, between being busy and the lousy weather, I haven't been able to get back out to the track

71

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: July 31, 2018, 03:19:27 AM »

Yes. It seemed to be helping until the MSD box went

72

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: July 28, 2018, 07:25:23 AM »

I made it out to the track last night, Car was still not going straight but at least it was predictable. It was carrying the front wheels and drifting to the right. Kept working with the tire pressure and wheelie bar and it was getting better. Last pass something crapped out in the ignition, and it lost a lot of power but it went straight. Not sure if I finally had it lined out or if it due to the loss of hp though. Guess I'll give it another shot in a week or two 

73

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: July 21, 2018, 03:46:18 PM »

Ok. Seems like some good suggestions here to try. Weather permitting I'm going to try to take it back to the track Friday night and play around with the timing and air pressure. I think I might try a lower launch rpm at some point too. If this doesn't work, who is a good source for a weight bar for the front axle?

74

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: July 19, 2018, 03:15:29 AM »

Hemi Dakota, I had 7.5 lbs in them. I would have tried adding a pound or 2 but had forgot the air tank at home

75

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: calming the car down on the starting line

« on: July 18, 2018, 03:59:22 PM »

last years runs were low 50's high 40's. Timing was only change. I made the change before the last run I tried to make last fall. Haven't made a clean pass since the change. But also have only had the chance to get it to the track once since then either. I'm still on a carb, so jetting is about all the fuel tuning I can do right now. My hilborn setup is at spuds place as we speak. I think the 5.0-4.90 expectation is pretty close for the topend I have right now. The heads are only flowing just over 400 at 700 lift. Too small for this motor I think. I wasn't planning on going this big, but a great deal on a high dollar crankshaft came along right after I had bought the new block, so here I am. The heads and cam were off the old 526 that the block died on before ever getting a full pass