Drag Racing Discussions > Front Engine Dragsters
Fabricated Fuel Injector
denverflatheader:
Jacin - myself and countless others on here completely understand. Each time you use the trailer and truck brings him (Stan or Carl) back just for a moment. Good job! Alan
p.s. I still have my first car from high school that I drag raced for the first time 45 years ago, it was my dad’s car. He didn’t know I took it to the track : ) or maybe he did know and just didn’t let on…
p.p.s. Supercat wrote “Keep up the background info it adds personality to what we do“ Wise words, how true, thanks for reminder.
RacinJacin:
Alan, yep absolutely! Funny you should mention having your first car from high school - so do I. Mine was also my Dad's. It was a little Rambler American with a straight 6. My dad blew it up and told me that IF I could fix it - I coud have it. Which I did by buying a junk Rambler Classic with a seized motor. A couple weeks of ATF down the cylinders and a breaker bar and it was spinning again. I was 15. The novelty of that whooping 196 cid engine quickly faded and when I was 16 I swapped in a 327 and a powerglide. I couldn't get the nut off the rear end to remove the drive shaft (AMC used a weird shaft with a tapered thread and a nut to lock onto a splined shaft) anyways I ended up cutting the driveshaft and welding a GM shaft to mate to the PG. Surprisingly it worked PERFECT no vibration whatsoever! Unfortunately the reality was at 16 I really couldn't weld for crap and whiile showing off doing a burnout in front of friends my lack of welding skills became evident as the driveshaft weld let go and I was suddenly all noise and NO movement!!! So once I drug it home I got a second chance to practice my welding skills! However this time I wasn't so lucky on the alignment and now I had a slight vibration around 60mph. But !!!! I was young and dumb and MOBILE again so away I went!! Eventually I broke that drive shaft and put a "real" one in (with a 9") so I could actually go racing. Some years later I removed the little small block and put a 392 hemi in there with you guessed it another cast iron PushButton trans. Dated in that car...Got married in that car...have wedding pictures with that car...drove my kids to games in that car. Somewhere along the line I made the front end tilt with a still functioning hood. All steel (It's not like you were gonna find anythng glass for such an oddball). Still have it and drive it occassionally. Ironically it's my sons favorite. It was always fun to drive with the Detroit Locker - I think that's alot of the reason my son likes it so much.
Jacin
RacinJacin:
The SAGA continues!! Today I tried my hand at heat treating! After checking a Hilborn Spool and determining they are around 60-65 Rockwell 'C' - I figured I should shoot for the same. And since I've never really heat treated anything before I figured I'd learn something one way or another.
In short, I made a new Spool from O1 (drill rod) & purposefully left a few thousandths extra on the OD. I took some used motor oil and put it in a coffee can with metal chips on the bottom (so the part would be fully surrounded in oil when I dropped it in there). I next preheated the oil until it just started to smoke a little. I then heated the spool with a neutral flame until it was non magnetic. I purposefully did not heat up the thin shaft near as hot as the larger section because I was afraid of warping it. I also thought it being 'soft' would be a good thing (or at least NOT a bad thing). Got 'er hot and dropped 'er in! After it completely cooled I cleaned the small shaft and stuck it in a collet. Using my rigged up tool post grinder I brought it to about a half thou over. I then polished the last few tenths off. In the pic mine is the LONGER one. So far I think it came out pretty good! Now keep in mind I am NOT saying any of this process was /is the RIGHT way - it' just th way I chose and the reasons why. Just tryin' to learn a little as I go. :-)
denverflatheader:
Jacin – your thread is really interesting.
I’ve not forged or heat-treated anything ever, but do have a few hand-forged knives, I appreciate the ability it takes to make one from scratch. When Jacin mentions heating to “non magnetic” those with curiosity think “what’s that?”
Hope Jacin doesn’t mind me providing a quick explanation, it’s good to know as we all have steel parts on our race cars that are hardened. In order to harden steel, you must heat it up to around 1500 degrees, and then quench it usually in oil. When heating the steel in your home forge, it’s difficult to tell when the red hot metal reaches 1500 degrees.
Steel is magnetic, but as you heat it to red hot, it demagnetizes and becomes less and less magnetic. When a magnet will not stick, it’s now around 1500 degrees and ready to be quenched. Alan
RacinJacin:
Denverflatheader, Me either (never heat treated anything until NOW). I was vaguely familiar with the process, just no practical experience, now I can say I have "a wee tiny little" practical experience. And NO - I do not mind a bit that you clarified - non-magnetic. Thank You for taking the time to add to that. I appreciate it very much! I'm here to learn - and if I can have others learn along with me - then I figure it's a HOMERUN!!
Jacin
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version