Mag's Racing Updates

We're done for a solid 3 weeks. Between dad's work schedule and a catastrophic brake system failure we've had, we're parking it.

FYI failure = Line lock froze up in the engaged position + apparently a bleeder screw was stripped out and no longer wanted to be a part of the brake system.

Long story short, this car's going to have a new wilwood brake system ALOT sooner than this winter.
 
sorry to hear about the setback mag. :( i'm sure you'll be back at it in no time.
 
SlowNeasy said:
sorry to hear about the setback mag. :( i'm sure you'll be back at it in no time.
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It has 1972 PINTO front brakes. Need I say more? We knew it had bad brakes...but the line lock not functioning (then locking up solid when it did) explains why we couldn't do a burnout.
 
So here's where we stand. We're pulling the transmission. Called a shop in florida, and he said he has a 355 small block in a 3200 pound car running 1.30 60' times. We're 427 big block in 2800 pounds doing 1.50's. So we're gonna pull the trans, send him the convertor, then pop the trans apart to see what first gear it is- If it's not the 1.88 pro-set, then we're ordering that too.

Right now our convertor flashes at 5200 and locks up at 4900. He's gonna rework it to lock at 5800 and flash at 6100. Or something like that.
 
Dad already got trans out and FEDEXed the convertor to florida. The guy is make it spragless and rework it for a higher lockup. Also, if we dont like it, he'll retool it as much as we want as long as we pay shipping both ways.

We popped the pan out, a little more clutch metal than we would have liked, but still not bad. It's a 1.76 gearset, but we dont know if it's helical cut or straight cut gears. We're just gonna button it back up until the end of the year, then we'll pull it back apart when we pull the motor apart.

Also, the back of the block says "HI PER PASS" so we know it's a 2 bolt main blcok at least. The casting number goes back to a 454 Chevelle, but the index i found said chevelles had 2 and 4 bolt mains and didn't say what type the casting was.

We're also going to get a deep pan for the trans and re-work the trans crossmember to accomodate.

Here's where we sent the convertor- http://www.fticonverters.com/
 
FTI called today. Convertor fix was easy, it was already spragless and basically had nothing wrong with it. So they re-pitchd to 6000 RPM and put it on the fedex truck at 2:00.
 
http://magnethead794.com/racing-team/

June 12, 2010- Sorry for the lack of updates, everyone. There have been some major changes in the last two weeks.

First off, immediately after the May 27 set of passes, we parked the car. It was having too many mechanical failures and inconsistencies for us to feel comfortable with it. First off, was that burn-outs were a temperamental thing- sometimes the front brakes held, sometimes they didn’t. We traced this down to a seized up Moroso line lock solenoid. After purchasing a TCI replacement, we found that the brand new TCI unit was not functioning, either. Thus, based off recommendations, we opted for the Jeg’s store-brand Line Lock solenoid. In garage hand-testing, it seems to be working. Secondly, based on the video feedback that we were getting, we felt that the Torque Convertor was too tight for the current motor configuration. Keeping in mind that it was set-up for the old nitrous configuration, we contacted FTI Torque Convertors, and had them change the stall speed from 5000 to 6000 RPM, in hopes that it will help invigorate the launch characteristics of the car. While the Torque convertor was at their facility in Florida, the car had more surgery back at home. With the convertor out, we verified that the transmission has a 1.76:1 SuperSet gear set with a TH400 input shaft, changed out the flywheel, and tossed the shallow transmission pan for a Deep pan, to help with cooling.

We are hoping that everything stays together and that we can make it to the Sunday test and tune to make 2 simple test passes, and return on Wednesday night for a more detailed test session.
 
http://magnethead794.com/racing-team/

June 13, 2010- We made big progress today, by making 4 passes, and having 3 of them all be almost good enough to call it a bracket car. The video from today has already been uploaded to the gallery. The first pass was a 6.578 at 103.71 (not bad, considering we were first car down the track), the second pass was a 6.602 at 103.44, Run 3 was a 6.596 at 103.76, and Run 4 was a 6.603 at 103.97. We tinkered with the launch chips, bouncing between 4900 and 5400 RPM to see how the changes effected the car (Run 1 was with a 5200). Our next scheduled track day, time permitting, will be this wednesday night. The plan is to launch without the chip, and see how it effects the car to leave on the convertor (old-school method).

Run 1: 6.578, 103.71
Run 2: 6.602, 103.44
Run 3: 6.596, 103.76
Run 4: 6.603, 103.97
 
mike honcho said:
Sounds like you may be getting the handle on it.:beerbang:
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Yep, getting there.

Here's the thing. Our previous best was like a 6.60 or 6.61. We ran FASTER than that today, with 1000 feet WORSE air. I'd have to check the book, but i think on pro-mod night last month, we ran a 6.649, on a track prepped by pro-mods and Top Sportsman cars, at night, air density 2200 feet. Today, horrible track conditions, first car down the track, 3400 foot density altitiude, and we run a 6.578.

Nope, torque convertor change didn't change anything at all :sarcasm:.

I took these with my phone, thus quality is so-so.

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Bucky Badger said:
Someone needs a tripod;)
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Actually, here's how I do it. I have the camera strapped to the backside of my left wrist. The record button is really sensative and the "zoom-out" doesn't really exist, it's more of a "not quite zoomed in". In the standard postition, i kept hitting the button on accident. So i put it on the back side. We had a horrible wind, thats why it was shaking. We're trying to get somebody to record it from the stands for us, but we don't trust anybody with a $250 dollar camera and tripod yet. Mom doesnt want to go to the track :/
 
New website. (Kinda)

http://www.magnethead494.com

494 is our legal car number. The roadster was 794- division 7, car 94. So we took 494 for the camaro- division 4, car 94. We just haven't got the decals yet. When we do, we'll do a photo-shoot for new pics for the site. Right now it cycles through 3 pictures.
 
FYI if anybody is seeing the GoPro camera ad on this topic, We're looking to get one eventually. Every pro-mod team has one mounted to their roll cage, and they're used extensively in autocross. $150 for a self contained 2" square video camera is...a good deal. Hell, my handy-cam was nearly $200....

Pro-Mod night tomorrow night, we'll be there. We're learning that JEGS equipment is not very good. One gas jug had the threads strip out ($20), the other had the o-ring in the cap swell out ($20), one tire guage is inaccurate ($40), and the other, we found out tonight, quite working (only goes to 0.3psi) ($80). The Moroso line-lok on the car quit working, the new-in-package TCI line-lok didn't work out of the package, yet the Jegs line-lok does...Wonder for how long.. :\

Temporary decals. Weren't made how we wanted at all. Using them for now until we get a new print shop that will work with us.

A trick I pulled off: http://magnethead494.com/file.php?album=53&pos=0

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Bad news. There's something in the water with us RF racers. Nick lost is motor last week..

Yep. Lost ours tonight. It overheated (got to 250) and something went awery. Not sure what yet. Gotta run compression and leakdown checks.
 
http://magnethead494.com/ said:
June 20, 2010- I’ve been trying to put off writing this post, first because I just don’t want to write it, second, so i have the most accurate information to post here.

I’ll just say it first off: We broke the motor on Friday (June 18, Pro-Mod + Test/Tune night). We will not be back to the track for a solid month at least.
Everybody always asks what motor it has, then what color it is. It is a 454 Chevelle block, with a 427 crankshaft to help compensate for the NOS. Thankfully, this isn’t where our problem came from. That was the top end- Dart Pro-1 345cc heads. The valvesprings had previously been soft, but after the overheating accident on Friday (the water went beyond 250 degrees F), they lost alot more tension. Enough that we are afraid that one may break and drop a valve soon. The car as a whole is painted in House of Kolor Tangelo Pearl Orange (PBC-32).

As a result, we will be pulling the engine apart today (June 20) to start sorting parts out for the rebuild, to see what we broke and what we didn’t. Being a former pro-nitrous motor, we have no idea what to expect inside the engine, but we know it won’t be pretty. When we bought the car in April, cylinder pressures were at about 140 psi with 5-8% leakdown across all cylinders except #7, which was 15%. We chacked them today, and #1 has no leakdown (0%), which means it got better than it was previously. However, the other cylinders went down dramatically, as 3 were at 12% and #7 maintained 15%.

We don’t know our long-term plan of action yet. We do know that we will be meeting with engineers at Reher-Morrison Racing Engines very soon, about our current heads as well as our engine package for next year. The idea we are currently hoping to use, provided the bottom-end checks out alright, is to simply change the valvesprings, and get the engine to last until winter. Then we will either change the bottom end for the origional 454 crankshaft to put us at 468 cubic inches, or buy a 509 or 540 short block, and use our top end on it.

-Steve Jr
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Summed up, basically there is alot of piston slap (else the bore-over was done by an inaccurate machine), the pistons are old (TRW L2308A-060), and it's a low compression motor (11.4:1).

Not sure options yet, but probably gonna pull the block out of the car. We knew we wouldn't like what we found. Just didn't know it'd be this not-like-worthy.

Here's our 2 options, laid out:

re-bore our block to .100 over (if needed- probably), new pistons and crank, new cam, new valvesprings

540 Reher-Morrison short block, cam, valvesprings

Basically, it's between building our own 468 short block, or buying a 540 short block. Top end needs are the same either way. Gonna see what the price difference is between the 2 bottom end choices.
 
The block is at Reher-Morrison getting Sonic'd and machined. Dad has the list of internals- Reher std cam, Ross 14:1 50cc pistons, and going .100 over for 505 cubic inches. Then taking the $2000 we save by using our block, and put that towards the willwood brake system.
 
Got some interesting things going in the garage. Pics tonight, since i'm getting ready to head to work right now. But the front end is completely striped down, just took the shocks out, dad's sanding everything back to bare metal, engine stuff will be here wednesday via freight, we're ordering 4 corner wilwood discs, we're tackling everything. Going to change water pumps to a CSR unibody, may change to a 3 core radiator, just alot of things changing and moving around. Had the block sonic checked last week, right now it's .060 over, we're gonna go .040 more to be a full .100 overbore, with a 4.25" crank, to put us at 505 cubic inches. This should put us as a 5.50-5.60 1/8 mile and 8.60 quarter mile, based on Reher's database of combinations.
 
http://magnethead794.com/racing-team/ said:
July 17, 2010- I finally got some new pictures uploaded from the garage (see the "Near-Live Update" link above). Reher-Morrison, 5 miles up the road, has possession of our engine block and all components. They are boring it out to .100 over (454 block), and we hand-picked our rotating assembly, which will put us at 505 cubic inches. With the engine out, we have sent off the G-Force seat belts to be Re-certified, and have put Wilwood DragLite Disk Brakes on the car- 11" Front, 12" Rear. We are also going to make a few ergonomic changes inside the ****pit.

Based on the table of information that Reher-Morrison has informed us of, our prediction is that we should be able to go 5.60 in the 1/8 mile, up from a 6.60 with the (slightly hurt) 427.

The 427 that was in the car, was built specifically to be a nitrous motor. It was a 454 4-bolt passenger block, with a forged 427 Crackshaft, Low-Compression (11.5:1) pistons, a custom-ground camshaft by Crane Cams, and Dart Pro-1 345cc heads. Of that, the heads and block are the only parts that we are re-using.

Our "not gettring re-used" pile is growing quite large. We have the entire Nitrous package (bottles, heaters, wiring, Edelbrock 454-R intake with both stages installed), MSD 7AL2 ignition, MSD Three-step box, MSD Timing retard module, 427 forged crankshaft, the custom-ground Camshaft, Timing set (with unknown degree bushing), oil pump, basically everything except the block, heads, pushrods, and distributor.

New package: Scat 4140 Forged steel 4.25 Stroker Crank, Callies Comp-Star H Beam Rods, Ross 14:1 Compression Pistons, Erson Reher-Morrison Spec Camshaft, Comp Cams Roller Lifters, Manley Timing Chain, 4.350 Bore (.100 over). So far, Reher-Morrison has line honed the block and surfaced the deck, and the block should be bored this week. They are also going to do a Mock-up to check Valve-Piston clearance before Ballancing the motor and handing it back to us.
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Our "not gettring re-used" pile is growing quite large. We have the entire Nitrous package (bottles, heaters, wiring, Edelbrock 454-R intake with both stages installed), MSD 7AL2 ignition, MSD Three-step box, MSD Timing retard module, 427 forged crankshaft, the custom-ground Camshaft, Timing set (with unknown degree bushing), oil pump, basically everything except the block, heads, pushrods, and distributor.
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what are you going to do with these? is there a market for used parts?
 
Bucky Badger said:
Looking good, I wished I would have learned to work on engines:(
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Actually, when you take your time, it's not that bad.

Now, working in a clean room, that's bad.

The oil pan is going to be painted gold, with chevy orange block, blue annodized CSR water pump, and the aluminum motor plates. Should look good when done.

This is one of the cars that run in Denton- She found me on facebook somehow. neato idea. They change it every pass.

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Found out chrome timing cover doesn't fit double roller chain. Other than that, has been fairly simple. The Spira-loc's for the wristpins were aggrivating at first. Four of them per piston is a tad tedious. Not to mention 6 rings per piston (4 oil rings, 2 compression rings).

Checking endplay. Turned up around .008"

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Four of the 6 total piston rings:

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Putting in the Spira-lox:

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Well, half of the short block is done. Put 4 more pistons in it, and we can start on the valvetrain.

Here's what I come up with for compression ratio. The pistons claim to be about 14:1.

4.25" stroke (verified from TDC to BTC using caliper)
4.350" bore (verified with caliper)
51cc dome on piston (per Ross)
121cc combustion chamber (per DART)
.041" head gasket (our choice)

Volume of cylinder = pi-r-squared-height
raw cylinder volume = 3.141591 * ((4.350/2)^2) * 4.25 = 3.141591 * 4.730625 * 4.25 = 63.16217792859375 cubic inches
combustion chamber volume = chamber volume = 121cc
head gasket volume = 3.141591 * ((4.350/2)^2) * .041 = 3.141591 * 4.730625 * .041 = 0.60932956662241684118679603655609 cubic inches

Compression ratio = everything (BDC) divided by something (TDC), with combustion chamber cc including gasket due to zerp deck height
= (((63.162.... ci - 51cc) + (121cc + .6... ci )) / (70cc + .6... ci))
= (((60.04996697859375 ci) + (121cc + 9.98512261 cc)) / (70cc + 9.98512261 cc))
= (((60.04996697859375 ci) + 130.98512261 cc) / 79.98512261 cc)
= (((60.04996697859375 ci) + 7.9932026 ci) / 79.98512261 cc)
= ((68.04316957859375 ci) / 79.98512261 cc)
= ((68.04316957859375 ci / 4.88099165 ci))

= 13.940439660164907268382645153675:1 compression.



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So, here's our schedule, subject to change:

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Fri, Aug 20 get the long block assembled, prime oil systems, check for leaks

Sat, Aug 21 install motor plates, get engine in the car

Sun, Aug 22 Fire 'er up and break in the camshaft (20 minutes at 2000 RPM)

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Wed, Aug 25 Test and Tune, Kennedale (if all goes well, just half passes)

Fri, Aug 27 Test and Tune, Kennedale (assuming convertor is tight enough based on Wednesday's test)

Sat, Aug 28 Pro-Mods at Crandall (Dallas Raceway)

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Wed, Sept 01 Test and Tune, Kennedale

Fri, Sept 3 Test and Tune, Kennedale

Sat, Sept 4 Pro-Mods at Crandall (Dallas Raceway)

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Wed, Sept 8 TBD

Fri, Sept 10 TBD

Sat, Sept 11 TBD

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Wed, Sept 15 TBD (Possibly Test and Tune, Kennedale)

Fri, Sept 17 Pro-Mods at Kennedale

Sat, Sept 18 No Action

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Wed, Sept 22 TBD (Probably no action)

Fri, Sept 24 TBD (possibly test passes, Outlaw Top Sportsman)

Sat, Sept 25 5.80 Index Race at Crandall For Sure, Weather Permitting

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Nothing but Testing, if anything

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Sat, Oct 30 1/4 Million Dollar Bracket Race at Crandall (Dallas Raceway)
 
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