Projects rebuilding after the crash

I was wondering if it could make exhibition passes like last year with no water with a fresh head gasket and o-rings. Then remembered this is a very expensive new engine so maybe not.


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That sucks, but it was great watching it come alive. Have a safe trip home, and try not to get caught up in this hurricane thing.

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Wayne Gretzky said you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
Great meeting you in Atl and I'm sure you will be able to make this work next time. Seems like the draining the water idea should work.

 

wishing you the best!! You and Squirrel are HAMB heroes!!

 

Good you got back to GA. Glad you had some help. There's always next year.

 

Its 2am I'm a hr outside Chicago. I have had several hrs to think about the next moves with the car before the snow flies. The season around here is potentially over soon. The car will go back together this weekend minus the water. It will go to the fall out drags with some fuel changes.
I'm leaning out the engine every pass with little effect. The pump is that big. The next move will be to pinch the port nozzles all by five. I will also lower the main jet from 135 back to 100 and add a fuel loop with a 80 jet in that set at 40lbs. The blower over drive will go from 19 over to 25 over.
Things will happen with those changes. That's starting to give a nitro engine what it wants. There should be flames with that tune up.

 

It's really interesting this complete Hotrod Racer is a machine that envelopes you but you are wired with your mind to every square inch of its function with the heart in front of the firewall the most complex part of it and with every run down the track registering performance mostly from the gut and mind synchronizing to make alterations...and here we are again seeing that expertise in making adjustments to finish off with the fire still burning...that's great...

Does this mean you can still do street duty between ventures?...just add water...

I guess it's safe to say the tracking down the strip has improved greatly...so despite some negatives there are big positives.

 

Was the damage to the head done on the last run or on the road miles after?

 

I think it was involving the nitro heated engine and hot antifreeze/water at the track caused by a blown head gasket3. Pretty incredible the surface literally melted away. He did say molten metal landed perhaps on the glass at the track during a run just this recent run.

It also seemed there was excessive waiting during track switching as well that may have contributed to this.

 

Shame about the damage cutting drag week short, all good information for another hit next year though.

 

It happened at the end of the pass at Darlington. I can't street drive it. After I get the new gaskets on I will do a leak down on it. If the gasket seals it's off to the fall out in two weeks. It might take more time to clean the car up than to fix it. It's a mess right now.

 

Sorry for you misfortune Brian.
We will see you at the Fall Out.

 

Yes. I drove last night to just outside Chicago. Grabbed a few hrs of sleep. Came home got the car unloaded and torn back apart. The new tune up is in. It should scream at the fall out.

 

Us old truck guys have a saying when it all goes bad : old trucks are fun!

I guess you can change it up to : nitro cars are fun!



-Woog

 

Kind of walking around the shop in a fog after a few hours of sleep. Not meeting goals I set for myself can be a big motivator to do better. So I installed the second bypass to deal with the big pump. The upper pulley was changed to drive the blower at 25 over. To do this I need a 5 inch idler pulley so one was ordered along with the smaller nozzles. The head might work as is. I just don't like putting it on if it's not 100 percent. If things should go bad they will do it in a big way. That being said I'm off to Roger's in Iowa in the morning. I hate it when the cars not right. It will be right for the fall out.

 

Get some rest, fix it up, and back for the next one.


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@racer-x as naive as I am about this I will ask...You are running no water and installing a new head gasket on head with an incidental void. I suspect you will use a filler in that void area ie. silicone. Yes the steam creating water will be gone but there is still compression, boost and fuel. Will the absence of water and the new installation preparation prevent the water cool areas filling with gases and heat causing further potential problems?

Just thinking out loud and of concern. I cannot phathom how much is going on in your mind right now...and you've been down this road many a times.

Tough decision...have a good nights rest and thanks for sharing all the adventure without a sugar coating...

 

While your down there put the second set of plug holes in there. I know I guy with really cool mag valve covers that are collecting dust, and it’s easier than leaning the jets out


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This sounds like another sanding session with the intake after getting the head fixed.
Wish I was closer so you could tag me in.

 

Good call, for what you have invested, why chance it.

 

I can’t wait to see what this thing runs with the big tune up in it! Hats off to you Brian for sticking with it, impressive as always.


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In the last photo it shows some additional damage not directly connected to the water port. Was this still a result of the water port leak?

 

Yes. When the gasket let loose it exposed a large area. Almost at Roger's shop it will be like new soon.

 

The head is easily fixed. The o ring wire is removed first. The low spots welded. The head is decked a few thousandths. Last new receiver grooves cut.

A lot of times there are still witness marks after a repair, even with the best TIG weld.
Do you "pick up" the groove with the original size cutter or bump it up in diameter?

 

Hope it all works out Brian, so that you can make it to the Fall Out event a little later. If you have time, come back and let us know how the repairs go.
Was a real honor to meet you at Atlanta, and I will be following your exploits from here on out. You and Jim Forbes are true hard core hot rodders and deserve the highest accolades from us all.

 

Any one that regularly follows this thread knows I don't waste time fixing problems. I was up early to make the five hr drive to cedar falls Iowa. It was determined the best way to fix it would be to weld the low spots. One of the crew members from the orange crate dragster has a shop in cedar Rapids. Scott is a incredible welder and was willing to stop his work to do his thing. It only took about 15 minutes. While it cooled we caught up on our lives.
Up next was the resurfacing. It took .005 to clean it up.
Then it went in the mill to cut the receiver grooves. This critical step is very delicate. The tool has to be perfectly centered. If it isn't the groove will be too big and the wire will fall out.
New wire is gently tapped in. This is another delicate process.
A light touch with a tootsie roll on the combustion chamber edge and its done.
Work like this goes on regularly for a team running a fuel car. In fact this repair was very easy. It's a different story when the ends of valve are sticking out of the combustion chamber like frisbees or torched chambers or piston to head damage.
While this job was straight forward it was too much to do on drag week. There just wasn't enough time. View attachment 4033102 View attachment 4033103 View attachment 4033104 View attachment 4033105

 

Wow, quite a few spots got some weld fill. Nice work following closely. Love the car & your story

 

That cooling system sealer is good stuff. Got a lot of it on my windshield, had to scrape it off with a razor blade.

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Machinists are amazing in their craft as well. The Rockets wounds have been mended...

I guess in my naivety I thought you were going to run without surface repair...that is obviously not what was part of the plan. That is comforting.

Will this allow coolant filled racing or will removal of it prior to race be now standard procedure?

 

Neat, and look at the guys fingers, he's done this before!