Event Coverage What are YOU doing to get ready for the 2015 Meltdown Drags?

Jim and Norb:

I think you're both right:
Tall tires+4.11 gear+taller first gear in the tremec+aluminum flywheel= drop off in performance from last year.

It's an HO block with a real decent Anderson Motorsports cam and some pretty good heads.
The heads would bolt right on a 351 but the intake would require spacer plates,and he would need a new oil pan and distributor,that's why we've been talking about stroker kits,so he could retain all his current stuff...

And Norb,
I don't think my Dad would be up for towing the Shaker for 8 hrs behind his BBC powered Willys coupe,but I did pick up a new tow rig last week:


Hoping to get back to work on that motor,and a few other small details right after Christmas,and have that thing ready to snap crackle and pop by springtime.

Scott

 

Last time I weighed car it was 3400 with my fat butt in it...
It's a roller block 302, 30 over with hyper bomb Pistons... Scott didn't have the scratch for forged Pistons... Ported World JR heads matched to intake runners, 1.60 roller rockers. With Anderson N41 cam... Stock rods & crank.... Fidanza flywheel.
Trans is a Liberty TKO600 & rear is a N-case Detroit locker 9 inch with 4.11 gears... I think they will handle some power, driveshaft is new but I think that be first to go with some higher power levels...?
Jimbo...

 

Jim I think you need to ditch the ol tunnel ran put some low compression Pistons in it bolt a weiand belt driven air cleaner on it and go for it probly could step the gears up to a 3:70 ratio and loose that aluminum flywheel with everything else you got that thing would be a screamer the Willys ran a 11.68 @ 132 mph last weekend that is with only 6 lbs of boost and 3:39 gears in the quickchange with some good slicks I could drop the gear ratio and pull it outta the hole better but I'm kinda fond of the ol pie crust cheaters and yes I'm looking for a rematch with the hairy hauler next year now that I have one of those good mopar 833 Trans in it

 

Scott how hard was that pill to swallow to buy a brand C tow rig?
Jim you can try skipping the burnout that should give you some tire spin on the launch to help keep the RPM up.
But you should find a steel flywheel you are drag racing not roundy round.
If you find out that you can't make any HP with some compression and some sharp tuning skills you can do like Bender and put one of those artificial lungs on it.

 

HHmmmm how about a front view pic. of that nice new tow rig.

The low profile tires should really help with trailer sway. (But watch the bumps)

 

Every Stock & Super Stock racer I know, who runs a 289/302 Ford, or 283/302 Chevy 4 spd car with their 3.000 & less strokes will tell you that the light wheel will not work. A bad mother Super Stock 283 Nova, will make 500Hp and run somewhere between 2850-3050 lbs. They all use heavier fly wheels, and the tall tire, moderate gear is making it worse. What 1st. Gear ratio in your trans Jim?
PS. A current D/S Z28 Camaro Stocker will run a heavier wheel (30lbsish) 5.57-5.86 gear, 9" x 28-30" tire 3.00-3.25 low gear Tran, and leaves/shifts with the rev's on Jupiter. I know Jim is not trying to make his a ragged edge car, but this gives you an idea. By the way, that long runner tunnel ram has proven to make up to 15 lb ft. more avg. torque at 3500 rpm than the best two plains. One of our engines lost 10hp @ peak , but picked up 10lb ft. @ peak with a single 4 bbl. as cast Weiand tunnel ram, over a professionally porter Victor Jr./spacer.

 

Jim, if she's dead hooked and bogging, the quick fix, is raise the tire pressure & leave rpm & let her spin the tires a bit and get her running legs going.

 

RIC, thanks for info...! The TKO has a 2.87 first gear ratio, the T5 that was in it had 3.35 first gear ratio... I think I have the Ford Motorsport flywheel somewhere... Ugh I really don't want to change out flywheels! When you say add tire pressure, there's 32 in it now are you saying add like 45-50 & see what happens?
Jimbo...

 

It wouldnt cost you anything to put the heavy flywheel back on, then if bolt pattern is same borrow the drag radials.

I am guessing they are 26" tall on the 89, then see if you can spin em the 1st 20 ft.

 

I too noticed that and was wondering if/when anyone else was going to bring it up too.... lol

NOW YOU'RE TALKING!

my Big Woody likes being blown too

 

Don't go past the manufactures suggestion on psi. If you have 32 psi in them, and it Boggs when you drop the clutch, there's your answer. You have lots a pretty health 1st gear, a descent rear gear, probably a high clamp pressure plate, and that lite wheel doesn't have enough inertia still . Is your aluminum wheel 12-15lbs?

 

Try this again
Show off

 

Buy the way Ric do you have a recipe for some 09 pistons???

 

Hey RIC, the flywheel weights in at 13.5 pounds... Norb I found 2 steel flywheels, I gotta think where I hid the one I took off it! It was like new... Hum... I just can't get motivated to pull trans & change flywheels! Times like this I wish Scott was around to help!
Jimbo...

 

AJ, love the pic! Very cool...!
Jimbo...

 

The 347 in the Fairlane has a billet steel flywheel. That 55 is probably close to the same weight. You need a steel flywheel to keep the R's up apon launch. Especially in a heavy car. We have messed with countless SBF set-ups, THEY NEED AND LOVE a 6000 RPM or better launch to get them motivated.

 

Be care full what you put on, flywheels had two different balance weights for Ford 302.

Make sure the balance weight is for an HO 302, if that is what your crank assembly is?

We learned this the hard way on Jays HO 302 a while back.

Maybe some one here can tell you how to I.D. your flywheels.

 

Norb:

It's not the crank you have to worry about,it's the balancer.
SBF's used a 28 oz and a 50 oz.
As long as you get the same on both ends you are fine,but if you mix me,you'll know it as soon as you start it up.
5.0' were 50oz stock.

Scott

 

Jim how far are you from Byron ?
I have that trip down pretty good now.
I can get up there and give you a hand or you can give me one and get you back on track.
And I can bring this small block up there also if you need something else to play with.

 

My middle initial is W. brother, come on now.

 

Well I am in the market for some with the stock stroke.
Every one is building them with more stroke I thought I would be different.

 

Looks like our piston/pin/ring combo would remove about 5 lbs. from the assembly (2240 grams).., that's a fair bit more than the entire bob weight of our small block! Put some more compression, modern cam grind, and some cylinder head fluffing & go blow the stuffing outta that Chevy rear end.

 

So what would you say the RPM range would be on these and what length rod are they for?
And the plan is to do an upgrade on the rear end this winter just not sure what way we are going with it yet as we are not wanting to put a ford under it.

 

I say 8 3/4 Chrysler they are hell for stout plus I have a jig to put all the brackets on it can do a 9"as well give me a shout when you are ready

 

Make sure you replace the main caps on the 8-3/4.

 

The car owner for some reason wants to keep it all GM.

 

An Olds/Pontiac would do the trick,and be plenty beefy,plus it would be kind of in line with what guys building big hp '09's might have used back then.

There's plenty of parts available too,cause aftermarket support is good for them.
I can dig up some sources for you if you want,James

Scott

 

That would be kool.
Sure wish I would have saved my spares from my Nova 2 days and ditched the first wife instead.

 

Fair enough then definitely use an olds or Pontiac my jig can be modified to use one of those housings I just never had one to set it up with