This type of Potvin drive is made so the secondary gears are can be changed to overdrive the blower more. Potvin Doug had a coupler spline drive off the double keyed crank made. Very simular to a dragster driveline coupler.
With the blower sitting in the front, I asked Potvin Doug how he times the advance on his Magneto ? He has the flywheel marked up to TDC to 50 degrees BTDC. Doug also rotates the motor with a bump starter switch or by moving the flywheel with a wrench on the torque converter bolts. No thanks.
The 331 triple nickel heads are on ! Triple valve spring, titaium retainers with large locks, ported, stainless valves, O-ringed, steel guides. the rockers are a combination from Rocker Arm Specialites and with John Dearmore Roller Rockers for the exhaust side. Black fuel fittings and Earls black lines for the fuel system next !
Potvin Dug and Leavin Lori Peterson are getting closer to firing it up. New 331 triple nickel heads on their 392, new roller lifters from Crower, Smith Bros. push rods and their new rocker arm set up. The rocker arm set up has stock stands, hard chrome shafts with adjustable intake rockers and Dearmore Racing Ent. adjustable aluminum roller rockers. Due to the 240lbs. of seat pressure, the long length of the exhaust arms and roller cam lift ramp, the weak link are the stock exhaust arms. The stock oiling system for the rocker arms are maintained. The arms bronze bushings are groove at the oiling holes in the shafts. John Dearmore's builds rocker arm assemblies for all application from street to Nascar trucks to 800 cu. in. Mountain Motors, 10,300 rpm nostilgia Top Fuel motors that have ran 5.60 @ 260 mph with 400 lbs of seat pressure. The fuel system is plumbed, throttle and fuel pump shutoff are all done. No Zoomies for this monster, it's Weedburners headers ! The motor was spun for oil pressure with 50wt Valvoline racing oil at 75 lbs of pressure. Plans are to fire it real soon so stay tuned.
Doug Peterson with his daughter driving is living proof ,dreams come true. Today at Sacramento Drag Strip, at 3:30 pm, on Alcohol fuel only made a pass that was amazing for their Potvin blower 392, early 1700 lbs 1960s style dragster. Lori left the line at idle, high gear only, 1.50 sixty foot, 7.002 at 1000 ft, shutof...f at 1100 ft and ran a 8.09 e.t. @ 176 mph. I would say there is a 7.70 in that dragster ! SO COOL
Potvin Doug Peterson is putting new rods, pistons, rings and bearings in. The Powerglide two speed has been gone over with a trans brake for high gear. A full set of John Dearmore DRE Roller Rocker Arms are going in the heads. The old block with over 150 passes on it ran 8.09....LOOK OUT 7.50 !
Sometimes plans go the wrong way. With the new long block, more compression, new trans with a working trans brake and a 3:54 rearend ratio doug and Lori went to Sacramento for testing passes. The higher rearend ratio didn't work out as planned. The wheel speed at the launch was too slow. It bogged, but after 1/2 track it hauled the mail. The ilde rpm was raised and the barrel valve was fattened up 2 flats. Lori came out of the burnout box really hard smoking the M & H slicks. Left at an idle in high gear and rolled into the throttle hard, got sideways, drove through it never lifting and clicked it at 1200 ft. 8:34 et at 178 mph. Doug and Lori are taking baby steps. The motor seem fine, but they will put in the 3:90 ratio back in after Kingdon Drags this weekend. The Peterson's want to run in the 7:60 class and it will get there. Just remember Lori hasn't left in low gear yet with rpms up, the trans brake on and drive it all the way through yet.
Sooooooooo BADASS, http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=616646134, click on the videos.
Here is an update ! 2-25-12 history was made with doug, patty and lori peterson's potvin dragster at sacramento. 7.85 & 7.87 @177 mph. Lori's first time into the 7 second zone ! Oooohhhh yeah !
Just as you called it early on in this thread, Riceman! Congratulations to all involved in this unique, old school type build... Great FED story, thanks for the news!
The latest news is that Doug and Lori put on a wheelie roller . It seems like their blower woes are fixed and Lori is ready to make a fast pass. They have been talking about running the 7.60 class. The car has an easy 7.50 in it.
From the driver, Lori Peterson. We did it!! We are now the quickest ever front-mount blower dragster in history! We set the new record today at Sacramento Raceway with a pass of 7.73 @ 177.9 mph!!! The original record of 7.79 was set in 1965 by Prieto, Cagle & Yates.
The Jalopy Journal
