Messages

1

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Ram tube question. Probably stupidest question ever.

« on: March 14, 2018, 05:33:15 AM »

Epoxied mine.  Worked great, but permanent. 

You can disassemble and change lengths if you install rivets. 

2

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Safety equipment...

« on: March 14, 2018, 05:30:19 AM »

I've had 1 and 2 piece suits.  Like the 2 piece.  Profox makes a really good -15 suit for the money.  $900 for suit and jacket, and they offer a lot of over the counter sizes so you can get a good fit.  Has sewn in arm restraints.  They also recertify their products.  Not too thick either.  Seem to have most if not all sizes in stock. 

I've been on fire and got burned.  Burns are some of the worst and most painful injuries to recover from.  Spend the money and get good protection.....even if the track doesn't require it. 

3

Events / Re: Gear Jam Drags feedback...

« on: October 31, 2017, 10:07:43 AM »

Excellent. Some of those suggestions have all ready been mentioned to the promotor. It’s good when it comes from another source. Thanks.

4

Events / Gear Jam Drags feedback...

« on: October 31, 2017, 06:51:24 AM »

To any of my hot rodding freinds who knows anyone that has a front engine dragster or altered...

The Gear Jam event here in GA is looking for feedback on how they can inicrease car FED/Alt count at their events at Atlanta Dragway. The events are in April and October.

They are typically on Fri/Sat with a gamblers race Fri and 1/8 mile index racing on the second day.

What would it take to get you guys to come to the track?? The payoputs are decent, the track is good, the pits are paved..all the makings of a REALLY great event.

One suggestion is to move the event to a Sat/Sun format.

Another was to have 1/4 mile racing in the FED/Alt class compared to 1/8.

Seriously....what would it take??

Thanks for the input.

5

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Front engine digger wheelie bars

« on: September 12, 2017, 07:22:18 AM »

Heritage JrFuel is no allowed to run either a timed or RPM controlled shifter, driver controlled shifters only, also no delay or thottle controls.
I guess that's bracket racing, not heads-up racing.
Jon

The original never specified what class of racing he was in. 
Moot point anyhow.  Even if he wasn't allowed to use a shift timer in competition, he could us it in testing and work out to a point where the car launched well running it conventionally.....then remove/disconnect the timer.
No supposed to rely on the bar anyhow.

I'm not saying not to install one, just saying it's good way to gradually work your way up.

This method may not be for everyone, but I've had extremely good luck with this approach. 
When I first got my car (short 140", 420 hp), impossible to launch in first. Front would come straight up.
Put shift timer on .2, behaved perfectly.
Put 100# of weight on front.  Moved timer out .1 at a time.  Eventually got to a point where the front would come up 2-3" at the hit then immediately settle....and that's the worst it ever got no matter how long of a shift time was used.  Now I shift manually and run it out in 1st. No short shift. 

I plan on running 20% next time out.  Will set the timer back at .2 and work my way back out again. 

6

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Front engine digger wheelie bars

« on: September 04, 2017, 08:22:19 AM »

I run no bars, but use a shift timer as a learning device when changing combos.

In beginning, set up shift timer to shift almost immediately, then keep lengthening shift time till front end comes up. Then make changes to car to keep front down (weight, tire pressures, launch rpm, etc...).

7

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Weight bars

« on: May 08, 2017, 08:15:34 AM »

Add No Weight.
Kills E.T. & MPH. Costs money, Harder to push, looks Ugly.

Launch in High Gear. adding a Safety Lock-out Button to avoid down shifting, if a two speed.

That will calm that lil shorty down. Cost you maybe two tenths in E.T. and you keep MPH.
Plus no shifting means (one less thing) equally consistency.

My Daughter's car is a 174" triple slip joint, BBC 550 HP, Turbo400 3 speed, 370 Gear, 10.5x31x15 M/T tires. No-Electronics.

Launching in 2nd gear, only Costs us about two tenths E.T. No MPH loss 1/4 mile. Calms the car enough to keep the front down.
First gear launch, car will carry the front about 30' landing back down about 50' out, running a .100 faster at the 60'.

Enjoy

I agree launching in 2nd will settle it down, but....respectfully disagree on other stuff.

Ur running a 3 speed.  2nd gear in a 400 isn't 1:1...more like 1.48:1.  You loose more ET with glide (normally aspirated) cause 2nd gear is 1:1.

With pro tree.......hard to get good reaction time in lunching in second (unless you have trans brake that works in second). If racing full tree and foot brake it's a moot point.

I have a 140" WB, SBC making about 420 hp, glide w/brake and 30 x 10.5 inch tires....and no wheelie bar. 

Impossible to get out of the hole in first at full throttle with no weight on front when using TB. 60 ft times were abysmal....  I had to launch in 1st for reaction time and shift to second .2-.3 sec into run to keep front down.  Really ate into the ET.  If racing and index or dial in that's not a problem.  I just wanted more ET out of the car to see what it can do. 

Put 100# on front.  Can launch full throttle on the brake and knocked 2 tenths off 60 ft time. Goes straight as an arrow. Also picked up 3 tenths at 1/8th shifting 1.5 sec into the run.....which is no where near the 7k rpm it needs to shift at.....so there's WAY more in it. 

And with how well the fronts planted...have room to remove some weight off the front if I want...but seems to have a good balance now.

I know guys running 7.0 pro with 300# of weight on front, cutting 1.1 60 ft times and never touching the wheelie bar.  Didn't seem to slow them down much....lol

8

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Front axle ballast bar

« on: April 03, 2017, 02:31:45 PM »

EVERYTHING CAN BE SOLVED WITH DUCT TAPE!!

On a more serious note......thanks.  Appreciate the info...

9

Front Engine Dragsters / Front axle ballast bar

« on: April 03, 2017, 01:52:23 PM »

Want to add some weight to front axle with ballast clamps and a couple 2 inch diameter steel bars (total of about 40 lb).  Has anyone had issue with tech inspection with set ups like this?
 
Looked at the NHRA rules regarding ballast.  Says it must be attached be permanently attached to the car’s structure and must not extend in front of or behind the rear of the car’s body.  Just wondered if that considered the axle "structure".....

Putting a ballast box on front of chassis or moving batt, etc is not an option.

Thanks. 

10

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Jr Fuel tire diameter

« on: March 30, 2017, 09:03:16 AM »

Exactly

11

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Jr Fuel tire diameter

« on: March 28, 2017, 07:48:06 PM »

Thanks for the vid.  I've got a similar one of a friends car doing a wheel stand similar to yours during a test session. Always interested in the factors that lead up to incidents like this and what can be done to prevent them.

In accidents that I did sort of a case study on...seems human factors are the major cause. 

In my buddies wheelie, lack of judgement (trying too much too fast in a new car) led to the wheel stand and damage to the car.

In the second one, an experienced driver was unfamiliar with a new car,  lack of test runs (from half track runs on alcohol to full sub 7 second pass on a 95% load of nitro in a 115 inch car......in 4 runs)and pushing a car to performance levels it had never been run at  led to the car hitting the wall and flipping.

In the third, rushing to build the car and lack of test runs led to the car hitting the wall.  They finished the car the night before the race (new car chassis and all), and with no test runs tried to make a full pass.  The front of the digger narrowly missed the back of the car (and the driver) in the other lane. 

IMO, if proper procedures (with a healthy doser common sense) are used, the chances of an accident are drastically reduced.  I work in an jet engine test cell....so maybe it comes from that.  In any case, I've tried to follow that same methodology with my car.  Didn't rush the build, proper prep before heading to the track, and small steps in testing the performance of the car at the track.  So far its worked out well. Car went through the shakedown runs without incident and allowed me to gain confidence the car. Still haven't made a full clean pass (8 runs on the car) but it's getting really close to it...

Best thing is...I'm having a BLAST!!

12

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Jr Fuel tire diameter

« on: March 28, 2017, 04:34:16 PM »

Jon....thanks for the advise.

I agree with you on some points, but respectfully disagree on others (which might be due to my lack of experience...lol)

Ballast...agree and all ready have some for the front axle
Converter...agree but will probably have to wait for next season
Contact M/H....agree and all ready have

Wheelie bar....disagree.  Is there a chance of it doing a wheel stand?? Depends on how the car is set up to run. Not going to go into detail as to what my set up is, but results from the second time I took the car out proved that the set up is working.  60 ft times weren't anything to write home about, but quick 60 times don't win races..... consistent 60 ft times do.  And as I said before, I'd rather be slower and look more period correct than push the 60 ft limits of the car and have a bar hanging off the back of my car. May not be the popular choice...but it's mine.

Besides....if the car does wheelie and wheels get bent...you'll make some money off me....lol

I'm aware there are faster SBC's in FED's running alky, but that really has nothing to do with my car.  They may be running 7.60's, but they aren't doing it on my budget....lol.  Fact is my current motor is only capable of 410-425 hp in current config (not gonna tear down a perfectly reliable, proven motor just to go faster).  With everything perfect (right converter, best launch, good weather, maybe even a better cam since the blower cam is still in it, etc...)......the car should run 8.5.  But most times conditions aren't perfect, so that's why i'm shooting for 9.0 index with the current combination. Will easily be able to do that even in June at Bowling Green with 95 deg weather and REALLY bad air.  lol

Have no illusions about the car setting the world on fire. I know it won't.   Just wanted to build something that had the looks of a mid 60's FED (which my car doesn't just look like one....it actually IS one) but easy to maintain/operate, be reliable and reasonably consistent and take me a few rounds (which would be a step up from my last car...lol). So far, I'm right on target. 

Again, I appreciate the help.

13

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Jr Fuel tire diameter

« on: March 28, 2017, 06:06:48 AM »

I'm not launching in 2nd gear, launching in 1st.

I considered the first runs "high gear" runs because by the time the front end got loose, I let off the throttle let it settle, and then got back into it, the car was all ready into second gear at which time I was WOT.

The trans is a fresh BTE unit with SFI case and was built to handle a blown alcohol 7.0 car.  I doubt there's much my little NA 355 can do to it.....lol.

Estimated hp from weight and trap speed is 410-425 at crank.  Which matches other testing I did when engine was in my other car. 

Slicks are M/H 30x10.5x15. 

Ran the car this past weekend.  Was happy with the progress, but it has a slight intermittent miss that's been there since I built it.  Think I know where the problem lies and have a plan to address it before the next time out.

Here's a pic from this weekend.  A few feet off the line. 



Had some goals for the car before the build began.  Wanted something that looked mostly period correct (minus the updated chassis and clothing).  Had to be able to run it on my own (self start), which means it's driven to the lanes and back to pits.  Didn't want a cooling system or batt on the front of the car, and under no circumstances will it run it with a wheelie bar.  Yeah, I know it wont be able to push the limits coming off the line without one, but I'm willing to accept that for the sake of looking a little more period correct.

The plan is to run it on an 8.5 or 9.0 index.......the latter being more likely on straight alky, and 8.5 with a little pop, which the motor will easily handle.  It was making and easy 650+ hp in my Fiat with a blower....so I figure there's plenty of room for a 20% load....and possibly as much as 40%, which is about as much as I can run being a self starting car (as per recommendation from Spud). Though I doubt I'll ever run it with 40...

So far most of my goals have been met.  Am confident the remaining goals (better ET) will come around as I get used to the car and learn what it likes. 

14

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Jr Fuel tire diameter

« on: March 22, 2017, 04:45:46 AM »

John.....Yep...that's the way my car was set up originally.  Motor was set back 7 inches from it's current position.  They pushed it out for the glide at some point. 

I ended up going back to the 30 inch tire.  Tried the 33's to gain ground clearance and lower rpm at line, but the car looked like a cartoon. Lol. Tires were too tall which also made the tire too wide.  Ended up going back to the 30 inch tire.  Looks much better, and it handled great.

Car ran good first time out. Did a good shakedown run then opened it up after. Wasn't hitting it hard off the line cause still getting used to it, but ended up running 9.3 at 152.  Basically they were high gear runs cause I didn't go WOT till it was in 2nd about 1.5 sec into the run. 

This pic is the car with the 33's....



Here it is with the 30 inch tires. 

15

Front Engine Dragsters / Re: Jr Fuel tire diameter

« on: March 07, 2017, 09:58:47 AM »

Just finished a mid 60's Woody JF.  Has been modified for a glide and updated for 7.5 specs.  Getting ready to test soon. 

I had mocked it up with 33's for several reasons, but to me they just look too big. It came to me with 30x10.5 which just seem more proportional.  Gonna go back to them.