What did you do on your Front Engine Dragster TODAY?

[JeffV8]

They have to be resized. My iPhone pics come out side ways when I post on here

[GlennLever]

They have to be resized. My iPhone pics come out side ways when I post on here

Feel free to send them to me and i will post, or just post them and I will fix them (this might be easier ( post and I will fix))

[wideopen231]

Finally got chance to do some work on intake.While its not totally finished its lot closer.If not for trying to polish part and deciding dang that would look good ,I would have gotten more done and if not adding polishing of intake adapter and hat I would not have near as much left. Pics are under my build section.

[janjon]

To Bruce:
 As regards "How did you like my method of fitting the second hoop?"
It beat the xxxx out of the alternative. You advised just nicking the upper tubing wall with the holesaw; I intentionally dropped it a touch lower to keep from breaking the front portion off from fatigue during the fitting phase. Thinking I would have to repeatedly bend it up and down, but soon realized I could just slip the secondary hoop in and out of  the hole from the ends while sneaking up on the fit. I did get a whole lot better at notch angles and the necessary skews of the notches as the process went on. Thanks for helping me through my first roll cage rodeo!!! The OOPS pile consists of one lonely piece of 1" helmet bar material. Now I gotta fully weld everything without blowing holes...

John Williams

[coupemerc]

Spent the last two nights hand grinding the cylinder heads for push rod clearance. Still pulling metal chips out of my ears.

[afaulk]

Got my crank (BRC 3.625 stroke) back from balancing last Friday and spent a few hrs in the shop over the weekend. I'd hoped the GRP blown alky aluminum rods would clear the block but no such luck  . Relieving the pan rail and bottom of the cylinder to clear the rods is time consuming . No hi-tech solutions here, just a large die grinder and carbide burr. Aluminum shavings in my BVD's. Looking forward to final assy. and start up in a couple weeks. Spring will be here soon and IT WILL BE LOUD!

Make shure you check your rod to cam clearance . I use the same stroke with an alluminum rod and a few were touching . Bill

Finally got rod side clearances and block clearance issues resolved. Installed cam/RCD single idler gear drive and degreed cam. I've got a little puppy of a camshaft, solid, flat tappet. Engine turns freely, next to try and measure rod/cam clearance. Rods are GRP and have a bevel on the inside corner of the big end.  RCD could include an instruction sheet....... for approx. $.10. Found their info on the Good Vibrations website.
I run a 3.5" stroke and run a small base circle cam

[Nocero]

What radius dies are you using and are the hoops bent in one shot?

Not TODAY, technically, but this past weekend. New cage is fitted and tacked. I think I pretty much nailed the look I wanted.

[dreracecar]

98% of all roll cage bends are off a 6" radi.  Some builders use a 7" for a single bend hoop if the drivers are big. For a double bend hoop obviously its two operations.

I use a 6" single bend radi for the main hoops and a 7"radi for the rear upright as I feel it fits the helmet conture shape better

[Nocero]

Thanks for the reply. I have to do an intro and plan on starting my own build thread so I don't want to hijack this one, but one more question I'm die shopping right now so what would you recommend 120, 180, or 240degree dies?
On a side note I've read a bunch of your posts on here and on the hamb and I think it's great how helpfull and willing to share your knowledge you are. That tip a couple posts up is awesome and probably saved a lot of time and money for several people.

[rooman]

I use a 7" CLR die for my cage hoops. Most of the cars from the 3 point days used 6" but with the newer helmets being larger and the rules requiring side pads for the quicker cars I find that the larger radius works better for me.
Nocero, I have a 240 degree die for the 7" radius.

Roo

[Nocero]

Thank you also Rooman

[wideopen231]

Well today I sacrificed a family member for my FED. I sold my whipple charger that I had on my TA/D. Like loosing family member anyway. For first time since 1988 I will not have a blower around. Good thing is money goes towards finishing the FED,so like new member being born after 3 years of labor pains.

Here she is sitting on the one who caused her death.


Ok actually sitting on the 5 run block it helped kill and it has the holes to prove it. Hey got to have fun at this stuff or its really wasting money. In lieu of flowers send cash.

[janjon]

Today Version 2 of my 5-point cage reaches the 3-point stage. Version 1 met my height and depth needs, but the depth increase results in the entry/exit opening getting smaller to the point where I can get in, but need to crank my shins sideways with a pipe wrench. Also the top (windscreen) part of the cowl, and the dash panel, with gauges and switches, would need to be moved forward to let the cowl sit in place, and me be able to get in (and OUT). The new version angles the rear upright  parallel with the rear shoulder hoop support, and this moves the front hoop rearward.
 Also Version 2 is 1-5/8 moly tube, this being a nod to NHRA general regs for FED 10.00 and slower, as opposed to SFI 2.6A, which Version 1 is built to.
This will let me run at "tough-tech" tracks, of which there are two in the area, as long as I run it 10.000 or slower, as opposed to the local (closer) track I go to that doesn't check JACK or know jack either, evidently. This being Friday-night "run whatcha" night, to be fair.
 Anyway, will tack up, tack on, climb in, assess appearance and accessibility and go from there...
 And the new 1-5/8 dies are 6-1/2 CLR, BTW.

[janjon]

Hello FEDders:
A little more progress tonight, the back support got notched as per Bruce's suggestion, the secondary hoop made and fitted, tacked, along with the back support to the shoulder hoop at center rear. We wind up with a bit of "dump" of the top part of the back support, which I think looks good with the rear of it being back-swept. Will see how it looks once the helmet bars are in.
 One thing about this larger (and .083w) tubing is that the bending effort is much more than 1-1/2" .065w and the springback is FEROCIOUS! Approaching 90 degrees with my JD Squared Model 3, the springback is almost as much as the bend, and makes it hard to engage the next notch of the ratchet bar with the end bolt of the die drive bars. Went to .083 because they said that's min. wall for that size tube without wrinkling. I know there's anti-springback mechanisms available but  I found that 1" helmet bar material (3' is more than enough) placed between the two bolts on the end of the drive bars allows you to take out the springback enough to engage the next notch on the ratchet bar easily, but if I were doing very much of this, the air-over-hydraulic setup would be on order.
John

[ss4]

Cage is looking good.  with the extra diagonal bar by the axle bracket can you remove the axle from the chassis with cutting a bar out?