Projects Austin Somerset Gasser Build (DragNasty)

I'm counting on it lol


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I did get a new set of points in the mail.

 

See....

 

Oh hell we better watch out James has a "new" set of points we have seen what he can do with a bunch of used stuff imagine how it will run with something new lol


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For sure
It will just brake
But if its runnin who knows.

 

sounds great, keep at it.
Cheers,
Drewfus

 

That is looking pretty damn good!! You*****!!

 

Not exactly what I thought I would doing this evening!


But while mowing the yard this afternoon, Dad found this:


Yep that is one my wheel studs from the driver's side. Looks like we did not have the rear lugs torqued down. It was checked off my knock out list from a month ago but obviously not. Broke the one and bent two more on the same side. What a pain in the back side to deal with...and you don't have to say it...YES...I am contemplating how nice a radius wheel well would have been!

Fortunately we did not damage the rims etc. Just have to replace the studs and put it all back together.

 

Glad it wasn't more serious!

 

That*****s!

 

Wow, praise the Lord that you didn't "find it" at the strip at about 1000'!!!
When you say he "found it mowing the yard", does that mean that it shot thru the window of the house?!?

 

Okay so you have your dad mow the yard???
Just thinking .... Drive studs maybe with a blown big block and a 4 gear.

 

LOL...no fortunately the only thing I have to fix this week is the car.

 

Well she is about 85 percent back together this morning after a late night session in the shop.


So...studs are replaced, axles reinstalled, rotors and calipers back in place, wheels and tires back up and under, quarter elliptic leaf springs and upper wheelie bar down tubes bolted back on, upper mounting points for coil over shocks bolted back in place, Parachute strap mount put back on and rear mounts for fuel cell reinstalled. All we have left to do tonight is install the fuel cell including all the fuel lines etc., install new stainless steel rear break lines (since I destroyed both sides when I forgot to unhook them before raising the body) and then bleed the brakes.

Sounds like a lot of steps doesn't it. Well consider this: Nearly all of that would have to be done for a simple flat tire! Note to self..."if you don't sell this car (like you always do) radius the rear wheel wells this winter!"

 

I hate when that happens

 

The Austin is back on her feet again after another late night session.


All we have left to do is bleed the brakes and put some fresh e85 back in and we are ready to test and tune at MOKAN Friday night! (hoping the weather cooperates)...

And by the way...we took this opportunity while she was hanging in the air to nut and bolt check everything...front to back.

 

Last night, with the sun shinning at MOKAN Dragway and rain still falling at my house 75 miles east, we had to just sit and wait it out. Finally around 6:30 (two hours late) we were able to hit the road for a Friday night test and tune session. It was a mixed bag for us last night as probably half the cars in the spectator parking lot could have out ran us in the quarter but as with all test and tune sessions when done right, we did learn a lot.

So our round one objectives were to make the stupid line lock work and put some heat in the slicks, something we failed to do in four tries the first night out. As you can see, we checked that off the list! ...And how about Dad in his fancy Dragnasty gear?!



Another objective for the night was to get up to speed and watch what a decent pull in 2nd and 3rd gear does to the AFR situation. I wasn't planning on launching at all this round but as I rolled into the lights, they staged another car beside me so I decided to see if I could cut a light. This was about a 3000 rpm launch (other car went red) and then I just went about my business which was to watch the o2 sensor at the big end.



We were shooting for a mid to upper 11 on the AFR at WOT but we were a bit rich at 10.3. But I would much rather be a notch or so fat as the other direction. However, the other thing I noticed on the big end was a lower than expected RPM...it seemed to take the car a while to wrap out etc. It just felt like it never had any boost come on at all.

So the next round with AFR worries set aside, I shifted my attention to the boost gauge I also decide since I was getting decent heat in the tires to maybe launch a little bit harder. So I popped the clutch just over 3500 and ran through the gears again. It was exactly what I expected, at near WOT in 3rd gear we were still pulling 5 inches of vacuum (no where near boost). So today I am checking all the blower gear ratio charts and chasing an upper blower pulley to spin the supercharger faster. Right now we are not even close to recovering the horsepower to just to spin the stupid thing (let alone boost). That is an issue we will soon resolve!

But to end on a high note, as I coasted back to a stop in the pits, I could see my sister and Dad "high-fiving!" I knew it couldn't be about the run because I shut off early (hell I didn't even grab the time slip on the way by). When I got out of the car Dad came over and said it pulled the wheels on the launch! It was nothing noticeable from the seat of my pants but after watching the video, sure enough...





Not a bad little launch considering it was only 3500 or so RPM and no boost!

 

What's your ratio now on the blower and what cubes was the engine ?

 

Well the sad thing is that your A/F readings will be out the window when you get some boost.

 

Yep! The story of my life.

 

We are 30 over on the 454 so call it 462 on cubes and right now we have a 38 tooth on the bottom and a 35 on top. Now there was no real investment in this pulley choice (monetarily or cognitively) as this is simply what came with the Supercharger kit which was meant from the factory to be an under driven set up. At the time, I checked the Weiand 6-71 ratio chart online and it showed 9% if we flipped them. I thought that sounded about right....but it is obvious we are not spinning it fast enough.

 

I wouldn't start trying to tune the pullys until you made a few full on passes.

 

Well no reason to make any more passes if we are not making any boost. The tuning will start all over again here in a bit but we have to get some boost first. Otherwise we are just burning 30 to 40 percent of our horsepower and getting nothing in return. With some pondering and education from Wrenchbender (HAMB), I ordered a 32 upper pulley. That will officially put us at 19% if you believe the extremely generic "conservative" ratio charts.

 

Those charts are usually correct on the percentage of overdrive just not on the amount of boost that percentage shows there are too many variables to consider but they are a good ballpark


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Do you run 2, O2 sensors? I was planning on a AFR gauge in my build and I was wondering if they made a gauge that could incorporate 2 sensors, 1 for each bank. Your car is coming along good. Sure is 1 nice build. Just wondering, couldn't you cut the rear fender opening out, flange it so you could install flush mount zoose fasteners? You could paint them so they wouldn't stand out. That way you could just pop the panel off when removing wheels. I had a 67 chevy II drag car, tube chassis and really low, and it was a pain to swap slicks. Like I said, really nice ride, keep posting progress, I look forward to it.

 

I didn't see a simple gauge and sensor system that offered two o2 sensors and one gauge. I think you would need one of the more advanced kits with a computer processor etc.

 

In our flatcad bonneville racer we have one in each pipe but we also run a data collection system otherwise we would have six gauges and that system ain't cheap by any means but when it comes to keeping the engine from grenading it's cheap insurance


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The blower pulley charts are close to start with but blowers are like finger prints no two the same.

 

I don't know anything about the quality of this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/191776737214?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

 

This wouldn't be a bad idea if you are not comfortable in the car yet.
Just another thought if you have 97 jets can you go big enough with your metering blocks?