I can't wait for saturday to find out if anyone will be tipping the can this weekend in Missouri. Nitro that is. Anybody willing to admit it in advance or ya just going to surprise us? I'll be the one with the biggest smile in your pit.
we would like to do it, but have no idea how to tune for it? carbureted small block on alky.. any help? tricky
"You are talking about the most exotic straight chain hydro-carbon in existence." (John "Thunder Lungs" Lunberg) Experience in this field is hard earned, expensive, and only possessed by very few people. The few that have the knowledge and p*** it on are to me a**** the greatest people on earth. Just a guess - Take the jets out completely, switch to a pump off of a firetruck, add about 60 degrees more lead. Bring plenty pairs of shorts. Also have somebody take a picture after every run to do***ent you having the biggest smile on the planet. Seriously if anybody would share how they do it that would be very cool. Cause you know we all would run it at least once if we could.
I'm not an expert like the real pro's are, but I run the stuff, have a lot of fun, and don't break any parts because my SBC is built to handle nitro. I run an A/Fuel roadster (that won't be at Mokan because it has a tube ch***is). But I and some of my fuel racing buddies will be there. Look for the Texas Timing ***ociation tent in the pits, over by the Gizzlehopper AA/Fuel Compe***ion Coupe. Come by and pick our brains, and see if we know anything that might be useful for you. Runnin' pop is cool, but ya gotta be realistic about things. First suggestion is that carburetors are not the way to go. Injection is so much easier to tune, whether you're burning alky, straight can, or that liquid we fuel racers use to clean parts called gasoline. But since you have carbs, and they are apparently set-up for alky, you may be close enough to run some light percentage. If you don't have forged pistons and aluminum rods, or if you have compression over about 12 or 13 to 1, be really careful. Nitro doesn't burn like gas when the spark plug fires, it explodes. Jet it on up a bit. If you're too lean, the idle will be real fast, the engine will be popping on the big end, and you run the chance of disappearing in a big ol' cloud of oil smoke just about the time you hit the finish line. If the engine blubbers at idle, and runs pretty smooth on the top end, you may be about right. Always better for your parts to be a little too fat than a little too lean. On low percentage, try about 35˚ to 40˚ lead, just a few degrees more than you run on alky. If you're running straight can, you wanna be up around 60˚. In between is in between. Maybe the thing you most want to know is that 10% or 15% nitro in your methanol will put a lot of stinkum in the air without running a severe chance of destroying the engine, as long as you have it jetted fat enough and the right advance in it. Again, I've run the stuff for a while, but do not consider myself any sort of an expert. There is a lot to learn and know about running fuel. I've run it for years, but I'm just a pissant compared to those hoary old pros that run huge engines on big percentage and a blower. Go ahead. Get started with the learning curve. It's fun, and people are really impressed when their nose burns and the tears begin to flow.
his was posted by Kerry a few days a go. Great read on the subject. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=387638&highlight=nitro
LOL,,,be prepared to spend some money. Not just for the nitro. Although it is costly per gallon, it is nothing compared to the parts the stuff can spit out. I have done the following: chunked entire crankshafts out on the track, removed cylinder heads without removing the head bolts, tossed blowers over the roof of the car, jerked the teeth off of 9" Ford rear ends and other dastardly things. However, if you want to run the stuff on a carb already set up for alky, do the following at a minimum. Pull the jets out and toss them. You won't need them. Install the lightest power valve you can find so it opens immediately and jack up the timing "slightly". If already running alky, then mix up a 15% batch and put it in the tank. Adjust from there. Remember this,,,,it is ok to run fat on nitro, it won't hurt a thing. However, it is NEVER OK to run lean,,,ever. Nitro loves to melt **** whenever it gets a chance,,,and it NEVER p***es up a chance,,,NEVER. Run lean once,,,,,buy new pistons or worse. Oh, and get yourself a fire suit.................. Good luck,,,or just stand close to the GizzleHOpper on Friday night at the motel and get a lung full,,,,free of charge.
holy cow !! thanks a ton for all the info, great stuff.. !!yup, stood right next to the gizzlehopper last year.. sweeeeeeet !!! gotta talk my driver into the nitro.. he's all for it, but reminded me about the marginal shut down length.. (we're knocking on 170 mph.) not really sure if we'll pull it off this year.. but i'm pretty excited about it.. we're running 36 degrees timing,.. compression ratio is like 15:1,it's a 400 chevy, dart block,steel caps,steel rods,some racey j-e pistons,and some el-cheap-o e-bay heads.. . made 651 ponies on the dyno..we're not setting the world on fire, but havin' fun !! the thing usually runs like 8.35 ish,@165 ish.. not sure is that good or bad? it's a 140" front engine car,with a carburetor..( it's actually our dyno carb) anybody know what it should be runnin'? 3.90 gear, i know the zoomies are killing us on power, but they make the car "look right".. we added lead to the front of the car,and it goes faster !! anyway,thanks again for all the advice,...sounds "do-able" se ya friday.. tricky
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