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Thread: Inside a Top Fuel Dragster Engine.

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    Default Inside a Top Fuel Dragster Engine.

    Found this very interesting.
    Some of the terminology is a little out-there, but still worth watching for the engineering complexities.
    It's long, 1.5 hours, so grab a beer.


    Cheers, Tiny
    "You can lead a person to knowledge, but you can't make them think? If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
    The information is out there; you just have to let it in."

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    loved it

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    Just sat through it while working here, was well done but lots of tech info held back.

    Some interesting things to add to it.

    At the 53 Min mark they discuss degreeing the camshaft at Cyl1 as per standard, then they go onto discussing degreeing Cyl6 to check for block twist.

    An old school trick use to be degree Cyl1 and then recheck it again at the last furthest Cylinder at the other end of the block.

    Reason being is with massive valve spring seat pressures, the force being worked against the camshaft would cause it to twist.

    So checking the first and last cam lobe timing would tell the builder if the camshaft was twisted.

    On a added side note, to combat cam twist billet cams were developed that had the lobes joined to strengthen the camshaft.

    And the 101.30 mark they used a brownish substance to lube the studs and nuts.

    Normally people use ARP lube, however if you ever run out use peanut butter.....yes it works, yes it been tested, next best thing to getting consistent torque specs.

    Just to add to it, in case anyone here plans on using one of these lubes, the torque settings are much lower than a standard oiled bolt, so dont grab your workshop manual, read a setting and then lube and tighten it, you will be too tight.

    ARP give you a with ARP lube and without lube torque setting....

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    When an Engine becomes a controlled 4 second explosion

    I remember talking to the new driver of the Lamattina Top Fueler here in Oz years ago, we asked him what a pass is like, he said it feels like you put your foot on a landmine!
    If u want to go on an expedition get a Land Rover, if u want to come home from an expedition get a Landcruiser!

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    Hey Godzilla, good to see you're still about.

    I was surprised they used aluminium conrods, not steel or titanium.
    I guess it's cost saving for parts that get thrown away in short succession.
    Cheers, Tiny
    "You can lead a person to knowledge, but you can't make them think? If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.
    The information is out there; you just have to let it in."

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tiny View Post
    I was surprised they used aluminium conrods, not steel or titanium.
    I guess it's cost saving for parts that get thrown away in short succession.
    I was speaking to my machinist about a year ago, about a friends straight 6 cylinder 3.0L engine that had just gone into the 1800+ Hp territory.

    He mentioned that they were arguing about the need for alloy rods at that power level.

    Machinist was telling me that at those power levels the allow rods work like a shocker, absorbing the shock of the "explosion" and saving the rod bearings.

    And there i was thinking it had to do with weight savings for high RPM use......nope i was wrong.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Godzilla View Post

    Reason being is with massive valve spring seat pressures, the force being worked against the camshaft would cause it to twist.

    So checking the first and last cam lobe timing would tell the builder if the camshaft was twisted.
    This was known by all the fanatics of drag racing as in a V8 you have 16 lobes on a Camshaft (just about no one did this for street and strip) and considering the 308 Camshaft is skinnier than the chevs and the Fords (Twist and can break) and running 3 springs inside each other for 7500 RPM that I use to use I was told to advance the last 6 lobes in different specs. If you dont do this these last 6 lobs will retard the timing of the valves thus slowing the Engine down. Now Thanks to Bert Jones and his Son this was done in percentages of advance of the last 6 lobes (Blank Billet Cam for the 308's) and I pick up over 1.5 MPH over ther standard similar grind and most were mystified how a Legal 308 not stroked on a Heavy car can have such a high ET Speed at the traps of around 109 MPH. Yes this was done in the 1975'. I had the same speed at the traps the same as as 351 Ford and 350 Monaro with the same weight and because we we racing for the National record the record of a B/S Car Vrs A/Stret Cars They had to give me a start had a head start from the A/S Cars (351 Fords or 350 Monaro's). Yes they complained that I was Cheating as I was running 12.95 on street tyres and yet when It suit me I went over the line dropping 95 MPH (Sand Bagging) yet the 350 and Fords were going over around 110 MPH. They Never caught me. Besides the camshaft the motor was fully work over+ the Muncie + the 12 Bolt diff. Still Have the Car, Still has the Same engine in it and when you start it the Neighbour here hear it 250M away with the Exhaust on. I Miss those days.
    Last edited by Mr 672A; 24-09-19 at 05:46 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Godzilla View Post
    I was speaking to my machinist about a year ago, about a friends straight 6 cylinder 3.0L engine that had just gone into the 1800+ Hp territory.

    He mentioned that they were arguing about the need for alloy rods at that power level.

    Machinist was telling me that at those power levels the allow rods work like a shocker, absorbing the shock of the "explosion" and saving the rod bearings.

    And there i was thinking it had to do with weight savings for high RPM use......nope i was wrong.
    I remember year ago after a Top fuel Meet you can buy the worn out alloy rod and Pistons for just about nothing. Before I moved to QLD I throw them away as I had to save space on the truck.

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