Projects Front Engine Dragster update

Very nice Glen.................

 

car [ooks great nice workmenship good luck

 

What are the general specs on the Pontiac? Just curious.

 

1 set KRE heads 74CC chambers CMC ported to flow 310 CFM Head milled to get the chambers down to 69CC)
1 Set Titanium Valve Spring Retainers
1 Set Comp 930-16 Springs
1 Set long stem valves
1 Victor intake port matched
1 Set TIP Billet-tek valve covers
1 Set oil restrictors drilled to .043
1 Set ARP 190-3605 E&K Head Bolts
1 Ohio Crank Forged (stroked)
8 KB Pistons 941-30 - 4.155 bore
8 pro-warrior 6.8 H-Beam rods
1 Total Seal CR0690 35
8 Rod Bearings 8-720ch
4 Main Bearings 4040 M
1 Balance assembly
1 Moroso 20500 7 qt. Oil Pan
1 Moroso 24482 Pickup
1 SFI Flex Plate
1 Gasket Set
1 Crane cam Grind Number f-275/3934-2S-8

400 bored and stroked to 461

 

Well the Winter Car Nuts Projects have started!
They have not started without their problems.
We canceled last week as we just were not ready to accept that summer was over and was really hoping to get one more weekend of racing in.
That Sunday looked terrible (COLD) so we did not go to that track and it was canceled in mid event due to rain.
This Sunday is supposed to be warm, near 70, but it also looks like rain.
So it was decided to take the dragster apart in preparation for this winter’s project (Put a blower on to get to the coveted 8.5 index for NDRL racing).
I was over to pick the trailer up bright an early at 6:30 AM for the scheduled 8:30 start of the Car Nuts, only to find that the storage facility had sealed the parking lot and parked a van across the entrance . They did not open their office to 10:00 AM. I called all Car Nuts that had indicated that they would be here (this is a good example of why I always ask that you let me know that you are coming) and delayed the meeting start time.
10:00 AM rolled around and I was over again at the storage facility. Turns out they had sealed two days ago and it was ok to drive over the parking lot. I call all active Car Nuts and we met at my house.
We got the dragster out of the trailer and up into the garage. Drained the water out of the block and replaced it with antifreeze, and cycled the cooling system to get antifreeze into the radiator.
Now the fun starts!
First the old intake was removed, to remove the intake the valve covers had to be removed.


The BDS blower intake was put in place, first modification needed came to light, and the bolt holes will need to be enlarged as the heads have been mild and the bolt holes do not quite line up.
The second problem popped right up with the stock timing chain/water pump housing and the connection to the intake. I know that there has to be a small hole in the top of the water pump housing otherwise it will trap air in it and not pump water. I will have to do more research as others must have faced this problem before, but I can always run a small line from it to the water jacket. It also appears there is not enough room to put the top outlet in place.


The 8-71 blower was set in place and the next problem popped up. The blower is a Littlefield blower. Littlefield made two 8-71 blowers, one that put all the additional length to the rear and the second split the additional length between the front and rear. Mine appears to be all to the rear, which made the snout purchase easy as the front has the dimensions of a 6-71, However the side effect of that is the blower does not clear the distributor.


Well there are spacers which lift the blower up (2”, 3” and 4”). So up the blower went. We spaced it up 4” and there was lots of room, we came down to 3” and there was still lots of room.

We came down to 1 ¾ inches (the thickness of a two by four) and it just fits.

So, we have discovered that raising the blower will solve four problems, 1) distributor clearance, 2) water connection clearance,3) burst panel location can now be in the front, and 4) the water conduit in the intake does not have to be cut off. So the height of the spacer will be determined by how much height I need to put a burst panel on the front side of the engine.
We had to put the valve covers back on to see what it will look like.



Additional pictures can be seen at
http://www.leverfamilysite.com/2010_Front_Engine_Dragster_Week_2011_10_13.htm
.
.

 

Just found your build thread Glen , Thats a great looking car, Tim Jones

 

Thanks, I will read through your thread!

 

Way way cool!!!! Blower looks fantastic.

 

Beautiful car! Are you going to run fuel injection (I see a couple of nozzle bodies in the blower case) or the carburetor? Gas or methanol?

 

I agree.

This year will be carburetor, to go to fuel injection would mean to many changes.

I did purchase this though (see below)

I'm also going to get back on my wifes gasser http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=646840

 

I have put together a page on my web site of all the U-Tube videos that Tom Deyle has put together on the Car Nut Projects (Dragster, Firebird) over the years.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o></o>
They can be seen at this link<o></o>
<o></o>
http://www.leverfamilysite.com/2010_Front_Engine_Dragster_U-Tube_Videos.htm<o></o>

 

Great videos Glenn , Thanks Tim Jones

 

Once again I am behind in my updates; there have been three more meetings of the Car Nuts. I am truly learning just how much I do not know. If I do not do the updates right away they get harder to do and I forget stuff (is that because I’m an old fat guy?)
We left off with the blower spaced up with 2X4 blocks.
Car nuts meeting 10 /20/2012 had a great turn out. Lots of old members showed up.
Bob took on the task of unpacking new presents. Had a 4 inch spacer from Alkydigger, Pulleys, blower snout, two different idler pulley brackets, idler pulley and Pontiac crank snout form USA Supercharger, and a crank snout from RCD

First thing we did was remove the 2X4 blocks and install the 4 inch spacer between the intake and blower, and bolt on the snout. The spacer will need some machine work (burst panel installed and clearanced inside to the retro port on the blower.

Steve, our technical advisor, held class on setting up a belt drive for a blower

We tried the snout, snout idler, and crank hub from USA Super charger.
We found that the crank hub from USA blower moved the belt way out in front of the engine, and would require the battery to be moved. On the really nice side, everything lined up in a perfect plain for the belt. The belt would clear the water pump with lots of clearance. The degree wheel was way away from the pointer so a new pointer would have to be made

The idler (blower mounted) bracket was tried and it was founded that it would have to be spaced way out to work.
We ponder this set up and decided that we did not like all the leverage on the end of the crankshaft, that we wanted to move everything closer to the front of the engine.
So everything was ripped back of, the RCD hub was installed on the crank shaft, the blower mounted idler pulley bracket was installed and we found that nothing lined up. The snout is too long, and cannot be used, the crank pulley needs to be spaced out by ½ inch to get the belt to clear the pump, and the idler pulley needs to be spaced out 5/16 of and inch to line up with the crank pulley, which just happens to be the thickness of the harmonic balancer retaining washer.

With the RCD hub and degree wheel the pointer is now in a perfect location

So….. it actually took going back and forth several times with these setups to come to the conclusion that the hard way is the best way.
The snout needs to be replaced with a shorter one, two spacers need to be made one for the idler pulley and one for the crank pulley, and then everything will line up, the belt is nice and close to the front of the engine and has a 1/8 inch clearance to the water pump. Now we have to find a belt that fits. In addition the spacer needs to be machined, which means I have to find someone to do it.
We are abjured for the day, with lots of research to do and parts to find.
I have attached several photos, as always you can go to the web site for a full update and lots of pictures.
This update is at this link
http://www.leverfamilysite.com/2010_Front_Engine_Dragster_Week_2012_10_20.htm

 

Looks good Glenn , Good luck on the parts hunt ,, Tim Jones

 

Thanks,
Ok, how did this happen?

They Multiplied!

The Barndoor is up for action now on fee-bay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/221149921127?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

The bug catcher will be shortly after I clean it up.

The carb is plan "B" if the injection does not work out.

The Birdcatcher is currently plan "A"

 

The Barn Door is sold, to a member on this board!

I’m still playing catch up with the Car Nut's Updateds on the blower install this is from 10 27 2012.

I’m sure that I have forgotten something and put something out of order.

Ok, This is a small update compared to the last one as it is pretty much a duplication of the last one, except many parts were returned and different ones were ordered.

Below is a list of the new parts that were ordered
Ordered from Littlefield
Blower Snout 5.120
3/8 pulley spacer for crank pulley
Starter belt shield
Ordered from Good Vibrations Motorsports
3 Pack green gasket set for blower
Burst panel frame with 10/32 screws
3 pack burst panel
4.25 idler pulley with standoff and hardened washer Off set unknown (might be 1 inch, need 1 ¼).
4 X 5/8 / 18 bolt
t-nut
USA Supercharger
Belt, 190 tooth rubber with Kevlar fiber
Top plate for single dominator carb
ARP
2 ½ / 5/8 /18 crank bolt

We bolted the new parts on

Spaced the idler pulley and crank shaft pulley out temperately and cranked the engine over to see where the belt would run

This can be seen on a short u-tube video at this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQV_4MDGEQs&feature=youtu.be
Settled on the BirdCatcher injector hat as plan “A”

So now we are ready for some machine work next week;
Clearance the spacer between the blower and intake for the forward outlet of the retro blower, machine the front so that the burst panel can be mounted, open up a path from the front to the rear of the intake in the spacer. Machine a spacer for the idler pulley, machine a spacer for the crank pulley.

 

Where does the fuel pump mount?

 

It will be belt driven of the crank. Mount fabrication will start this weekend. Drive pulley was set up this past weekend and will be in the next update

 

The big pulley goes on the crank and the little one on the supercharger. Just messing with you. JC

 

I wish, the bottom end just would not be able to take it on this engine, next year (2014 season)

 

looks great!!

 

Glenn which rims are you running on the back of your FED ?

Screws or beadlock on the rims ?

Again, AWSOME looking hot rod.....

Thx....

 

They are Mickey Thomson and the tires are screwed to the rims.

 

OK on the fuel pump mounting, But I found it much simpler on my car (which also runs a water pump) is to run a cam driven W/P and to use that as my F/P extention. No belts,brackets,bolts, pump and lines are easy to get at and service.Only thing I do is replace the impeller every couple of years. Been running like that for 15 years and have not surfaced the alu. heads- just valves

 

I was thinking the Same as DRE..... Also the same reason my Oil pump is my fuel pump spacer.....neat and clean

 

My "plan" is to go to a remote water pump on the next engine, use a dual drive off the cam to run both the fuel pump and the mag (I will use a distrubutor next season).

The mechanical fuel injection for this season was an after thought, I was going to use the carb for one more season.

The learning curve on how to set up the mechanical fuel injection should take me the rest of the winter. I just do not want to add any additional work load. I also have a gasser I'm suposed to be building for my wife next season.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=646840

She has already told me two years is ok, and I feel bad about it.

 

Neat simple clean

 

Yes.

I actually have the Moon timing chain cover for a Pontiac, but as I said above, that is two seasons down the road. That engine will be a serious engine build 1000 HP plus.

What pump is that?

I have an enderle 80A-1 coming, should be here tomorrow.

 

Mike Kuhl "RIVER RAT"

I pump water thru the heads only from a tank mounted to the engine. Running 7.0's , only see 190* water temp

 

Do you drive to the staging lanes and drive back to the pits after a run?

I love the dragster, first shot I have seen of it here on the HAMB