What did you do on your Front Engine Dragster TODAY?

[wideopen231]

yea normally here in NC 30 or 40 degrees.This year lots of single digit and my shop not setup for heating much. I like cold weather but working with steel when its been that cold for cpl days is just not a lot of fun.

  Blower style heater I use is sucking some $4.50 a gallon kerosene. ABout 20 bucks every other day or so.Bad part just got 2 custom cabinet jobs and for glue to setup I'm going to have to keep 55* plus  12 to 18 hrs per day.

[grapro]

Been working away on my chassis, finally got the roll bar done and been welding away on the chassis.

[gregm784]

Got new exhaust valves in yesterday, new valve springs, and the heads back on yesterday.  Looks like a motor again.  Now for the intake, blower, etc.  Maybe fire it next weekend and warm it up.

[afaulk]

FINALLY....got my pistons from Wiseco/Polymer Dynamics. EX-pensive, waiting on bearings and rings, then to the machine shop for balancing. Gear drive on the way from Good Vibrations, also EX-pensive.

[GlennLever]

Ordered new tires today, race season is approaching

http://proshop.summitracing.com/parts/hoo-18225/overview/

[dreracecar]

Your car, and whatever works for you , but for me personaly I dont like to run a return spring on the BV side unless its a reallllly light one. A heavy one can twist the shaft. The shaft is slotted completely and prone to bend/twist between the blades.

[Paladin AA/FA]

Not today, but May 2010.  Rooman becomes the fastest Australian in Kern County.

[GlennLever]

Here are some more

[Paladin AA/FA]

That was a fun weekend. 

[janjon]

Main hoop for the new roll cage is bent on new JD Squared bender and propped in place, sort of. I need both of those inches of headroom and 2 of the four inches of front clearance from front of cage to front of helmet, to meet spec. New cage is gonna be 5-point, replacing the existing 6-point, and  think it's gonna look better. Looks like I can fit and tack the new cage right on top of the old one, short of cutting out the helmet bars. Man, that 4130 is some springy stuff! Springback while still in the dies is not the same as springback when the tube is removed from the bender, several degrees. I THOUGHT I had bent it too far, but really not, had the tube in and out of the bender about 5 times before it was bent enough... I'll get the hang of it when I grow up, maybe.
Anyway, here's pics.
 I can't say enough about how helpful folks on here have been, thanks again.
John

[dreracecar]

Ok now heres a trick

start off with just building the 3 point cage, so now you have to make and fit the rear uprite to the front hoop and shoulder hoop. now determine where you want the second hoop located to the rear uprite and mark the center.Remove the rear uprite and lay it flat on mill or drill press and hole-saw the hoop tubing dia just below center so that when you are done cutting the hole the 2 pieces are still attached. Tack the uprite back on the shoulder hoop and lift the front section of the uprite out of the way and now fit the secondary hoop. once fitted, then bring the front section back down- tack- and then tack the front hoop in place. Doing it this way keeps the arc of the second hoop consistant, keeps the side paralle,and you only have 2 tubing ends to fit.

[Larry Gocha]

janjon what was the radius on your JD-2 die set for the hoop.

[janjon]

Wow, thanks, Bruce, my plan was otherwise, as you obviously know, so I guess it's kosher to split the rear upright at the secondary hoop instead of the other way around. 2.4C doesn't seem to dictate. I guess I could see that as maybe safer as well as easier. Would you say that holesawing the rear upright lower by about the wall thickness would be about the right amount off-center?

Thanks a bunch,
John

[janjon]

Larry, the die set I got is 1-1/5, 6-1/2 c/l radius. I saw a cage by either Bruce or Roo that I really liked and was told it was 7-1/2 radius, but 6-1/2 was the biggest JD-2 makes standard, and I think it will be just fine for me, especially since my hoop centers are only 19-1/2. I highly recommend JD-2s bender and tubing notcher, based on my minimal experience with their tools, and my vast experience with nothing else.
John

[dreracecar]

Yes , the saw teeth should barely nick the ID.  There are soooo many angles you have to consider doing it the other way, that my way is just doing a front hoop - just further back