Projects My Model A Truck will soon Scream under new Power

I do do this now......beatnik suggested this as well earlier.......I thought it was a good idea and I reoriented my gage to my eye sight while strapped in a few day's after he mentioned it....more data to take in and that is good to see what it is doing even while functioning correctly.........Thanks, Littleman Dave

 

Dave, it was great to finally meet you. Thanks for spending some time with us. Later, Mike

 

It was great to meet you as well !...Thanks for taking the time to stop by..along w/ everyone else....Dave


I spent last night reaming Nitrous and fuel jets even larger.and a different carb tune up on all six...going from a 91 or so HP a @ the rear wheels to 178.5 Hp @ the rear wheels...time to see what this thing is made of...if the weather works out this weekend...things should get interesting at the DragStrip...I discovered part of my problem I was having @ the ShowDown Drags was my bottle was practically out of the Voodoo juice, and I will remedy that today............Littleman

 

You're a junkie! Addicted! What are you gonna do with your life?!

 

Right now I am waiting for Saturday ! he he he.....The voodoo bottle has been filled..only thing left to do is run thru the valves..Littleman

 

Just back from the DragStrip..my little 355 w/ six-twos and a baby bottle ran.....10.37 @ 124.78, 60' @ 1.364 with just a foot brake, 1/8 mile 6.5125...and it was cold out today..........The track is having a test & tune / swapmeet next Saturday...Time to jet up the carbs a few thousands before then..........Littleman

 

so friggin sweet Dave....Time to jet up the carbs a few thousands before then..........NINES

 

I know you said this was the last year at the strip for the truck but I think you're not going to stop until you see the nines or blow the damn thing up.....lol

 

Nice!!!!!

 

Thanks guys !.......10.37 really is scooting in this Truck pretty good.....They tell me it pulled the drivers side front about 10''-12'' at launch and carried it a bit...It really was the hairyest launch to date, but did real well going down the track nice and straight.........Littleman

 

Trans brake, more rpm and more juice . . . and 9's!

 

I am saving the Trans-Brake for the next car..............Littleman

 

Well back from the DragWay 42 , it's another old Track here in Ohio.......Weather was a awsome 60-62 degrees...great weather for this time in Ohio.........But all my fun to be ended during the very first run...The Truck came out of the hole wicked.....I bet most think I am using a trans brake...not........But just after I cleared the 60' mark it just shut off and died...I quickly coasted over to the side and managed to get off the Track w/ no help..so racing could go on as long as I did not leave a mess..........My first thoughts were not good @ all.....I was thinking I melted this sucker down w/ the nitrous..I jumped out and looked under the Truck and no mess ?........I jumped in and real reluctantly turned the engine over....it turned over fine.....Two fine gentleman towed me back to my trailer...I popped the valve covers and all looked fine.......So I decided to check the basics..It's getting fuel check....moved onto spark, pulled a plug and has no spark @ the plug.....I run a bulkhead terminal for my coil since it mounted inside....to check the coil I pull the coil wire off on the outside, the terminal is close to the valve covers...turned it over and no spark, it will jump over to the valve cover when working.........I asked around for someones spare but had no luck....figured I'd try since it's 1 1/2 drive one way.....Since Summit racing was near by I looped on over on the way home and picked up a new coil........I hope it's it because the good racing days are going quick here in Ohio, I only have two more weekends then they all shut down......The only positive to a waste of one of my last chances was the 1.301 60' it clicked off before it shut down.............Goodtimes, Littleman

 

wow....1.301 you must be leaving on the bottle now...right?

my 10.03 run was a 1.33 60 ft, so if you have top end you are going to be very fast.

awesome....looks like you and I have a date next year at Mokan

 

Longshot, but...I heard someone swear off bulkhead passthrough terminals after having a couple of them fail.

 

patman, I have read the same.......mine as of now is still working......I just installed the new coil and still no spark...I just finished testing my MSD6A box per MSD 's instructions and it appears to be doing it's job......... thinking the Unilight ignition module finally took a dump......This is the same Unilight I bought back in 1987 w/ my graduation money so it's fairly old and well used.................Littleman


Glen, it was a great 60' but only counts if successful at the top end as well as you know...maybe next time........and yes, I was on the button @ launch......he he he....I really did think I melted it down that time........Their was a guy with a full on nitrous built engine , multi stage this and that..running sick times..no doubt big money..he looked at my setup and told me I was nuts.....it made my day......Littleman

 

Hey Dave, what are your 1/8 Mile E.T.'s and MPH ???

 

Today, i did not get a full run due to ignition trouble, but the 10.37 from last time out was a 1.364 60', 6.5125 1/8. 102.64 mph..........124.78 in th 1/4.........It is hurting in the mph dept. I think........Dave

 

It looks like the Trucks official journey is over now.........What I thought was a no spark problem...after installing a new coil on Sunday and ignition module today....and still no spark...I pulled the cap off the dizzy after cranking it over and looked down @ the rotor and thought to myself wow...the rotor stopped exactly in the same spot........then thought yikes..
I grabbed my stool so I could turn it over to see the dizzy.....It did not spin while I turned it over....it needs to spin to send the signal to spark.......I pulled the dizzy and it looks fine, dropped it back in and it engages the oil pump and you cannot rotate the rotor when engaged in the oil pump..........So it may have broke the camshaft or something up front w/ the timing chain and hopefully not too much damage to anything else...

I will need to tear it down for it to tell the story........on the bright side..I needed a spare coil and ignition module for the trailer......and that camshaft had mucho room for improvement anyways.........The Truck is probably retired from the DragStrip and time to build a lighter car and our local tracks are only open this weekend and next and then closed for the winter....I learned so much from running this Truck !....I am not going to lie, the thought of not running it at the DragStrip anymore puts me just shy of having tears in my eyes, but I think it's time.........so its best time is a 10.37 @ 124 and change w/ a 1.364 60'.........It's last attempt before failure it only made it just past 60' w/ a 1.300 60' time, but what I did not tell you before was that I had to lift slightly before the 60' mark because it left so nasty it pulled the wheel out of my hand again and this time I had my homemade nitrous system administrating a 250 hp shot or so.........To all that have been remotely interested in this thread.........Thanks for taking the time to read it, Littleman

And all them hours spent machining them six carbs was so worth it !

I will post my findings w/ the tear down........I need a spare race engine....

 

so whats the next plan?

 

Now you can get Death's Doorstep done. PLEASE!

 

Wow, that is a killer 60ft!! I think my best is around 1.32.

 

youre breaking my heart dave..THE NUMBER....WHAT ABOUT THE NUMBER? haha I must say, ive learned a lot going through this thread, reading your updates, and even getting to watch you tune and run....Inspiration at its best....


ps...you got 1 more weekend..hahahaha

 

Your a wise-man Dave, I tip my hat to you brother. You have gone where most will never go with a old HotRod. Put it back in street trim and enjoy it now.

 

It was nice riding with ya Dave during the metamorphosis of this mean machine, tuck it away and build that "race car" now.

 

Thanks for all the posts.....It was a fun ride.

Im excited to read about your next build

 

Memories of that last launch will last a lifetime. Thanks for taking the
time to take us all for a ride with this thread,can't wait to see what comes next! BTW,I'll put in my guess that the timing chain has failed.

 

Thanks everyone............I went in for the night....took a shower and was watching some t.v. for once.....and just could not resist going back out to the garage to do a quick check on what may have happen......I took the drivers side valve cover off and turned the engine over...by watching the rocker arms , I figured it would be a quick way to show me if the chain failed or a snapped camshaft and if so where...Everything looked fine except cylinder 7's exhaust rocker had zero movement...that's the last lobe towards the rear of the camshaft near the drive gear for the dizzy...Looks like it snapped in the rear.............Will start tear down after work tomarrow and it's a Comp Cam's stick........Littleman

 

That's probably good news. When the cam broke the distibutor stopped and killed the engine and the oil pump stopped also. That prevented pumping broken pieces of metal throughout the engine. I broke a roller lifter once and by the time I heard it, it was too late. Little pieces of needle bearings got pumped into the oil mains

 

Thanks for sharing Littleman...can't wait to see what comes next