Hi-Po Flathead Bottom End Strengthening help.

[38flattie]

...and you are correct for the vintage engines in vintage cars.

Lakesters and streamliners are 'special construction', where "Innovation is encouraged, within the rules". They are allowed to use engine management. Look at all the stuff Ron Main's Flatfire had. EFI, Turbos, etc, are also allowed.

Doesn't Doug and the boys use engine management on the Salt Cat lakester?

[dieselgeek]

I didnt say you couldnt run FI or electronic ignition, I said it couldnt be computer controlled going down the track, meaning the computer couldnt make timing or fuel mixture changes as its going down the track, Thats what Ron Mains original roadster had that they DQ'd years back when he first brought it to the salt.

Our EFI computer is making thousands of changes per second to fuel and timing while going down the track at Bonneville. I think there is confusion somewhere, or else we owe a lot of records back to someone at Bonneville.

[38flattie]

Scott, I think it only applies to vintage engines, and maybe the Classic catagory.

[dieselgeek]

Scott, I think it only applies to vintage engines, and maybe the Classic catagory.

Agreed, but the Buick ran EFI in the XXO engine classes, which are vintage, no? Tonight I'll dig out this year's rulebook and perhaps end the confusion.

[38flattie]

It ran in the Modified catagory, which allows the mods. The Vintage Catagory does not. It ran XXO/BGCC, so the mods were legal. They are not legal in XXO/BVGSS, the V being for Vintage. The engine managemant is not allowed in Classic, either, but neither do they have a provision to run a XXO engine.

Hope this helps.

[Rizzle]

It sounds like an msd box like the 6010 is allowed, since it isn't comp controlled, just programmed. The fuel control baffles me, how do you do efi without the ecu changing things, unless you mean open loop with no feedback?

[38flattie]

The Buick engine was a XXO engine, but it did not run in Vintage class-it ran modified. Therefore it could run EFI and engine management.

[mtkawboy]

I cant find my rulebook, I could be wrong, Im old. Im waiting to here from Doug Grieves about it. Maybe I misunderstood him

[mtkawboy]

I stand corrected, sorry about that.

[38flattie]

I stand corrected, sorry about that.

It's a never ending learning process, is't it?

We finally rolled out our new racing web site! I think Bob did a great job- now we just have to do our job, and fill up the pics and such!

www.flatcadracing.org

Here's the Caddy flathead, on the 496HP dyno run.

http://youtu.be/89rVb497_4c

We finished the day at 570HP, 544 ft/lbs torque, at 5500 rpm's and 14.2 psi torque!

So, what else can I do to make this survive??!!

[Dave Flanders]

What material are those main fasteners? I hear one of the big improvements in Toyota 2JZ high boost motors is a switch to L19 (or better) head fasteners. They are only 12mm so they need all the help they can get - kind of like only having three mains.

[38flattie]

Dave, all the studs on the engine are ARP 8740 studs.

[38flattie]

I'm going to try and tie the top girdle to the bottom girdle, and possibley plate the center webbing.

What else can I do to try and nullet-proof this thing?

[CREngines]

Change your fasteners to 9/16". Did this on a big mopar recently. 140ftlbs on a 9/16 stud is something to the tune of 20 to 30 percent increase in clamp load over a half inch stud. If your having trouble keeping bearings in it consider aluminum caps and rods. It will help lessen the shock loads. Do the wide cap like you proposed for sure.

[91vette]

I'm just a little confused about the exhaust coming out of the side the fenders like in the pictures. I would think that would disturb the aerodynamics more than the exhaust coming out the back.

DD

Confused? don't worry, you're right - the optimum exhaust routing would be at the rear of the car, unfortunately in the real world - it's not always possible to route it that way. That's the case here. One of many compromises we have to live with.

It's very busy under the car, and the ride height dictates a few compromises. Our Aero guy is suggesting lowering the exhaust to just behind the front wheel and we may try that next year. Meanwhile, it's headed to Bonneville this August for shakedown runs.

The interior is wide open run the pipes through there enclosed in a box and have Russ put some of his magic coatings on them to keep temperature in check. Base drag is the hand reaching out holding you back and filling it is is everything as a plus it has been documented since WWII that 10% of the hp is recovered as thrust. Going out the side is a large problem not to be blown off and the wheel well another loser as well. The wheel wells need to be vented if anything not more air added. I have been there from 91 to 2009 with some good results about 13 records for cars and bikes as an engineer as I have no aspirations to drive or ride. I have found the order of importance to be fix the aero then suspension check the aero again the open the hood last. Aero is a V cubed issue and you can not go fast if the vehicle can not deliver the available power to the track surface once that is optimized then worry about available power. The other thing is never carry any ballast that is not proven on your vehicle that you really need it. I have some pretty firm thoughts about how to go fast at Bonneville that divides a run into several segments that all have to be optimized but maybe for a different thread on a different day.
Dave