Hot Rods XO/PP Bonneville project

I'm seeing more and more post on social media lately about Bonneville. The crew and I are so disappointed
That we can't get parts in time to make it out there.
To our sponsors and all those who support team 640 we apologize for this problematic issue. We will and are looking at other resources for custom parts
In the future.
We as grass roots racers don't have money's to buy extra parts to have as backups. It seams like those company's we use don't treat us like the big money teams and we get put at the bottom of the list.
Anyway end of rant somehow it makes me feel better to blow off a little steam. Sorry guys we won't make it this year.. but we are working on it

 

Many don't realize the struggle that a lot of small guys face when trying to seek sponsorship or just get basic parts from companies as you are experiencing. We encountered that in NHRA when competing in Modified Production with an inline 6 and we dominated. Guys with V8's that couldn't even qualify half the time got big product support and sponsorship money while we couldn't even get those companies to even talk to us. Racing wants the V8's to rule the track, not inlines....

 

1) John, do you still have VA HAMB t-shirts?
2) Is it just me, or does @Druss look like a younger @jackandeuces?

 

Darn ,Gary I don't LQQK that old...Do I....

 

Yes we do have some T Shirts left. And hope to have new ones made once I'm able to pay for them.
The loss of our engine has been costly to say the least but we are making headway.

 

Well he'll! Today is the day we would normally be leaving for Bonneville. But we still don't have pistons or rods. What is happening in the world of manufacturing in the USA.
There is no way that it should take 3 to 4 months to produce a set of pistons or rods. You might say I am really disappointed about this. I would really like to know why this is happening in a country that should be leading the world in production and technology like we use to.
What the hell is happening here.
We are so disappointed That we are going to miss Speed Week 2022 and likely will miss the World Finals as well.
I have checked with other company's and they say the same thing 10 to 12 weeks from date of the order..
Too bad we can't use off the shelf parts for our engine as there are none.
Not happy today!!!

 

Almost makes one do an L+ swap. Almost.
There will be another day, John. Sit under the shade tree with a glass of something cool and relax.

Ben

 

We'll wait it out with you all the way...That does seem pretty heavy on the turnaround...and I understand the Whole teams frustration. Hopefully you'll receive them quicker than they are promising...That'd be the only silver lining...tarnished at that...

 

Please excuse me for a moment -
With all the delays in getting parts why in God's name are you not ordering spares for a second long block to take racing??? Am I the only one to see the Emperor has no clothes? If you want to LSR race on a grand scale you should realize the cost of a spare engine will be small compared to trucking across he country for a week of racing only to be sidelined by a parts failure. The argument that you can't afford one makes little sense. You can't afford not to have a spare, especially since your engine is one that you can't order up a crate motor out of a catalog. I doubt if you had ordered 13 pistons instead of six or seven that the wait would have been any longer.
I thoroughly support your efforts to run a vintage Ford six and have followed your quest from day 1. Wait until you are sufficiently stocked in spares to head on out for some serious racing, or disappointment may happen again.

 

You say that manufactures would not support a winning 6 cyl but gave support to V8 never would bes.
How many 6 cyl parts would they sell compared yo V8 parts?

 

We are working on a back up engine as we speak.
Lol Speed cost, how fast can one afford to go is in question here. Just takes time and money time we have, money we don't

 

Good move John. Stay after it.

 

I have been working on a new Crankshaft for the 640 engine as the old one didn't pass inspection, Bent crank
Deburing a good polish and balance. 40+hours so far preping this one

 

Hated to hear about the set back. I look forward to better reports next year. Love watching your thread. Stay at it

 

The crank has gone for balance. The pistons will be here sometime next week.
The rods are still a month out. The head is done, new cam is here. Once the pistons are fit to the bore they along with the bearings, Cam & Lifters, and wrist pins will go to Calico for Coatings.
By the time they get back I will have everything ready to put it together.

 

OK some of you will ask how can the crank be balanced withought the rest of the rotating assembly. The inline six crank is balanced by itself to a zero balance as inline engines are done this way then I will make sure that each piston, pin, rod, end for end and total weight are the same. I'll do that in house and save some money.
The dynamics of the inline engine rotating assembly has two pistons going up as two are going down with two half way down that cancels out each other's weight as the engine runs. The flywheel and clutch assembly is also balanced by itself to a zero balance
No Bob weights are used in this process.
Very different from v six or v eight balance requirements.

 

Looks like Bonneville is rained out until at least Monday just saw a post from the SCTA shuting down the salt until Monday possably longer.
Bummer for those who are there to race or spectate.

 

Bummer for sure, not like this place is just down the street for the most of us.

 

I can relate to that as our cost to come to Bonnevill and everything related to that trip from Virginia last year was just over $6.000
It would be devastating not to get to race after all that expense. And I'm sure we are a low budget team compared to those coming from over the water to America

 

They have been cancelled for 2022, in the long run staying home kinda worked out for you. Sucks big time for everyone out there.

 

Yuup it is costly withought any return for those who were there as well as a big hit on the SCTA coffers.
We dodged a bullet for sure

 

Dam, still waiting on rods and pistons.
Can't do anything until they get here.
Everything else is as ready to go..

 

I am building a flathead Ford for a client and I'm having the same problem getting parts. However not as long as for the XO/PP 640 engine.
For those looking for a better head gasket for flathead Cometic makes a custom gasket in several thickness so you can control the piston to head distance for any given head you may want to use.
Pricey but modern materials used in race applications.
COMETIC.COM

 

Great news Ross pistons were shipped today. Finally 13 weeks from order date. What the heck is going on that it would take that long to get a set of custom pistons.

 

That's good news. I hear a lot of people on waiting list for go fast parts.
Not sure what the wait is, supply or help?

 

Awesome news!

 

Well it begins!!
Fitting pistons today,once they are done they head to Calico for thermal Coatings once they come back I can finalize the piston to bores fit. The piston pins will get DLC coated along with the lifters then I'll line hone the block, prep it for the new crank. Then I can determine how much I need to deck the block to bring the piston out of the hole .017 giving me around .045 piston to head clearance. The head gasket once installed Will compress to .062 less .017 =.045 piston to head...

 

I have had the same problem. Ordered a set for my GMC from Ross back in March, they've only just shipped. They told me delays were due to Covid, staff away etc. I think we just have to expect that things can take a little longer in this screwed up world. I've never heard a bad thing about Ross Racing. My first time dealing with them, but I do expect a quality product when I get them. International shipping is a crap shoot, might not see them for a couple of months.

 

I have used Ross pistons for most of my racing career and have never had a bad product. And there service up to about 3 years ago was reasonable. It's getting hard to continue with Ross but I have the same problem with Crower As well . So I don't know. It's just a shame that it's gotten to this point

 

3 years ago Ross was 4-5 weeks and right in the money for my sons custom GMC’s . Everything is late now unless off the shelf. We’ve been lucky with CP for our 1/2 mile dirt engine, all were in stock.