https://goo.gl/images/NB7Bnk Brian is a hell of a showman too not just a Nitro pusher. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
There is a story behind the axle. I chose a dodge a-100 axle just like mr norms car used. I put it in my mill and lightened it up. Maybe a little too much. We were at sikeston dragway when the starter ring was ripped off the converter while doing dry hops. The car was in the air when it broke. It came down hard bending the axle. We borrowed a converter and stayed up late switching it over. The photo shoot was the next day at george rays so there was no time to get it straightened. Just my luck the most famous picture of the car shows the bent axle. Looking back i should have left a piece in the middle of the axle for support. If you look closely at the first pic there is a block of aluminum bolted to the axle in the middle. That fixed the bending problem.
I never met these guys, but it’s always good to remember and honor the mentors and teachers in our lives. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Thanks Brian to take your time telling also the background stories. This is so entertaining and educational that you are approved to continue!
What Brian isn't telling everyone is how good of teacher he is. As he said in a earlier post I ended up with his motor parts. It was a cool call when he ask me about his acquiring motor, and then the next couple of days, its all I could think about. My wife was getting tired of hearing about it. From the beginning Brian has answered any questions I have about this motor or any other ones. I personally have very little knowledge of a blown hemi let alone one like this. He has explained everything right down to the last bolt, and continues to. He gives me just enough info to start asking questions and then as I read and learn he answers them to. Baby steps, I have heard a lot. He has introduced me to some of his circle of friends, and am grateful for this. Brian has been a no bullshit type of guy, and takes this stuff very seriously. I hope to have my truck on the road with the hemi in the summer of 2019. Thanks again for the thread and the knowledge. Tony p.s. keep tipping the shine so ya need more and we could work out a shinning deal on the wheels
Brian I know your pain. I just lost one of my mentors yesterday. I hurt bad and not sure how I will pull off today.
im sorry to hear that. I have found the most comfort in remembering their lessons as im working on my car or passing their lessons on to someone else. I also have some of the cards they hand out at the funeral home with their picture on it tacked to the shop wall.
Thanks Brian. This one is going to take some time for me. Sorry about o/t talk on your great build. As being a student all my life your post and information is priceless to me. Thanks!
salty you are like family to me. this thread has room for you to get something off your chest. if not this thread is worthless. how about the next time we hook up at a track some where we have a few beers and you tell me all about your friend. he must be a interesting guy.
The mid plate was finished last week. It was brought straight to the polishers taking only a day to finish. My drag week co pilot mark janecky lent me his mock up plastic block. Its much easier to use due to its light weight. Front motor plates need to be made along with headers. The block makes mock up alot easier. Other small items like alternator brackets and a filter mount will be done later. The bruno drive was brought down to brunos last week for updates. We changed the input shaft from one inch to a inch and a quarter. The old one could break with tire shake at 2000hp. The new one can handle 5000 plus. It wont break now. It also received a full tune up. A new pump and drum along with a new band were installed. Today i talked to my friends at cometic gasket. They are backing the car again this year taking care of all my gasket needs. They offer metal re enforced gaskets that wont blow out and can be re used several times. Just what a race car needs. Thanks guys. They are also a sponsor for drag week this year. They will have product available during the week. Check them out they make a top quality product.
Looks like you are stepping up your game with a bigger blower this year. It’s the old hot rodders maxim, If some is good, more is better and too much is just enough! New spindles too, you can have correct Ackerman now.
the blower is staying the same. i just got it back today from littlefield. its a 8-71 retro gas blower. we wanted to go hi helix but they said it won't work on the street due to the tight tolerances. being a 8-71 it will need a adaptor plate to cover the larger opening in the kb manifold. we will drive it harder to produce 25lbs up from last years 13lbs. the new block will be able to handle it without cracking. with all of this extra boost the fuel pump will change to a steel 20 gallon nostalgia funny car pump. we ran a enderle 1100 16.8 gallon pump the last few years. we will also be adding eight extra port nozzles. a new moon tank is on the way for more tank volume. running out of fuel with this combo will make things go boom. we are not taking any chances. its getting serious now.
“It’s getting serious now” ? I really am still laughing as I post this. Brian your so freakin funny sometimes. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Don't worry about me...its tough enough to follow all this technika lingo as it is but I get a fair bit of it. It's quite high in the hierarchy of racing it seems as as its real serious stuff. It all is but the Nitro end of things adds way more to the whole experience of getting all bang on no exceptions. Pretty dam near flying an F-18 really. No surprise as there is a life behind the wheel and all around. I will say its a honor to be amongst this group of vintage flavored go fast hoodlums witnessing this science.
Well thats enough for today. It felt good to be out in the shop again getting things done. The late model has the oil pump on the left side of the engine. The oil pump might cause problems with the steering shaft. I dont have the pump yet as its being made right now. I have about 4-5 inches to play with. The early hemis pump is inside the pan out of the way. The motor plates go to the polisher this week. Im into shiny stuff.
Thats pretty cool using that Plastic Block...can't help but think of The Big Deuce model...But you have the Ultra rare Big Mopar...big configuration change thats for sure...but plenty to fill the void.
Its going to come in handy this weekend when i start making the zoomies. The plastic block has threaded inserts were ever a bolt would ussually go. I dont want to scratch or damage the aluminum block.
The plastic “stock” blocks have the exhaust ports in the same locations as your cool guy heads? Also did I miss anything on the status of the front wheels getting polished to the old sets level? Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
My heads and flanges are drilled for 16 studs. That way i can move the flanges were i need them. My exhaust ports are moved way up for huge flow gains. Due to my need to roll the car around only the recently purchased bear claws are at the polisher. The front rims will be polished when i get the rears back. I swear at those mag rims everytime i polish them and i swear by them when im done. Nothing looks like polished mag.
For some out there this is nothing new. For others not familiar with a nitro engine this tech stuff is for you. The pistons showed up today. I will drop off the crank and one rod; piston; rod bearing set; buttons; one set of rings so the crank can get balanced. Due to the volume of fuel thats burned the weight of the fuel is also figured into the balancing. The buttons replace the spiro locks to hold the pin in place. The oil rings hold the buttons in place. Thats why the buttons are grooved. This is a lot safer way to hold the pin in place and alot faster to disassemble when a piston needs to be replaced. Spiro locks and snap rings can become disloged ruining the bore. They are also a pain to work with. The pistons have a hard coating on them to prevent scuffing. Due to the low compression of a nitro engine the big hemi dome normally found is not needed. Its a flat top piston with a intake relief cut into it. The pin is the larger diameter and wall thickness. The pistons still only weigh 791 grams. Several sets of dykes rings were ordered. The dykes style ring is prefered for better sealing. The gap is increased not only to prevent butting it also lets pressure build up behind the ring for better sealing. I picked up a few sets of rod bearings. The top bearing takes the abuse. Therefore extra sleeves of top bearings were ordered. The tops dont have the dowel holes. When engine maintainance is performed the bearings are measured. If they are out of spec ussually smashed wider and thinner a new top shell is put in. The lowers can ussually be reused. Nitro cars are all about spares. This little pile is enough to get me going but not enough for a season. These parts while special are really bread and butter for a nitro or alchohol engine.
^^ seven, wants to give the rest of the field a fighting chance. Oh plus one spare. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
just 12 they aint cheap. i can get more in 5-7 days if needed. i figured if i burn more than four right away we have problems that are bigger than pistons. its just nice to have a few around. i don't intend on chasing the hp to the point its on the edge of burning pistons every pass. i will run fat and safe. i can't afford it other wise.
Im just waiting on the sleeves. They should be delivered before the end of the month. We are shooting for a mid february weekend for assemble.
Looks like aluminum buttons must be the latest thinking. We used to use Teflon in gasoline strokers. First ones I ever saw were done by Gilly at Moldex crank. I sure miss that old guy.
I was using aluminum and magnesium buttons 20 years ago. Im not sure when the teflon buttons went away.
The Jalopy Journal
