All 8 pistons have crushed/pinched 2nd ring lands to one degree or another.

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Some aluminum transfer from the piston to one of the cyl walls but surprisingly the rest look OK...... it looks worse than it really is and it'll clean up easily with a little acid on a rag.

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Bearings and crank look brand new. You'd never think they were 2 races into their 2nd season of a 1000+HP and 8000RPM racing engine.

Hard to believe I did this damage in only 6 passes.

I re-dyno'd the engine with my new carb and made 751 HP normally aspirated in Feb.... It also leaked down less than 2% on every hole. Engine was in perfect condition until I started trying to sort out some overly rich nitrous tune ups.

That first tuning/test pass is GA, the car left and pulled harder than I have ever felt before.... every pass after it has been lazy and slow... I am now thinking it was hurt a little on the first pass and all the subsequent tuning has been driving more nails in it's coffin.....

Well I'm working on getting 8 new pistons built, new set of rings and will use some acid to etch the alum transfer off the cyl wall. The nitrous kit is on it's way back to the mfgr to get flow tested to see what the heck is wrong with it......

Trying and get everything back together in time for the next race on the 30th of this month.

On the plus side after some new Penske shocks custom valved by Chris Bell at Kinetic Engineering and changes to lengthen the rear suspensions Instant Center, the car is driving straight and leaving great.

Just got to get the HP fixed.... Pistons are about $850, rings about $350, $250 in intake & head gaskets, shipping the intake back was $90.... This is gonna be expensive.
Will

ouch... that sucks...

what caused this? the extreme power output? Is this "normal wear" at these levels of compression and N2O?

Ouch

What's the plan going forward?

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Bad nitrous system tune up. Way too much fuel. The engine basically couldn't burn all the extra fuel from the nitrous kit and tried to hydro lock while running.

You can see how the ring land area under the top ring is pushed downward into the second ring, seizing/pinching it.

This is a very common failure with nitrous engines that are run way too rich.

I knew after that first pass that this new kit was way off on the tune ups but thought I could figure it out in a few passes.... well trying to take it easy and not make big changes ended up with a few passes one week then a few more passes the next week and the motor didn't make it very far on week 3.
Will

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I have parts coming to fix it and the intake/nitrous kit is is on it's way back to the mfgr to get flow tested - which this flow test should have been done when the kit was built as this is a one off custom kit.... but don't get me started on that.

Once the kit has been flow tested and we know how many pph of NO2 it flows for a given jet it's easy to calculate the amount of fuel required and getting the tune up sorted at the track will be pretty painless.

Delivery on the pistons and fly cutting the valve relief pockets is going to be very close to deciding whether I can get it all back together and make the next race or not.

If I can't get the 84 back together in time, I'm going to bring my 92 or 93ragtops vert and line it up just to get first round points. Both are easily fast enough to make the min ET for the class (7.50 1/8th mile) but in no way are either a threat to go past the first round - unless my opponent red lights or breaks.
Will

it must be nice to have a collection of insanely fast cars!!!

Does that show up on the O2 sensor?

Could you dyno it before a pass?

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It will, but I haven't had a WBO2 in the car until this last race.... Usually we just ready plugs as chasing an AF "number" with a NO2 car can get you in trouble.

However, I bought an NGK Powerdex AFX WBO2 used from a customer of ours who is upgrading. I wanted to see just where everything was at and mostly use it to see how good my carb was at part throttle under light loads like in the pit and return road... because my plugs looked absolutely horrible.

On my test hit Sat, the display was pegged at 9.00 the entire pass... Which is the lowest it will read.

Totally explains the plugs looking horrible because the carb is pretty good.... 14.1 at idle and never gets richer than 12.5 at part throttle - unless you hit the accelerator pump hard.

A chassis dyno is possible but on a 1100+HP engine the acceleration rate is so much faster than at the track I don't know how much useable data I would have afterwards.
Will

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Sucks Will.

We're waiting on a Fed X "morning delivery" for a trans bearing that was ordered yesterday. Supposed to leave for the track at lunchtime tomorrow.

U using Muriatic acid?

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It's a lot of work keeping them all running.

The past couple years have been horrible to my 92.... it just sits in the garage and occasionally gets drug out on nice days and driven to work.

I need to get the paint fixed (espc the hood where a motor mount broke and the alternator fan chewed a hole in it) and I really want to get the engine back out of it so I can change the camshaft to something less aggressive - but that time and money are eaten up keeping the race car competitive.

I have a new set of drag radials for the 92 that I was going to put on last Sunday (and it really needs them).... but with having to pull the engine out of the race car that got put off..... I do have to drive up to Maryland on Friday, so I intend to throw the tires in the back, drive the 92 to work tomorrow, stop by the tire shop on my way home from work.... then I can take the 92 on a nice drive thru the mountains of Maryland on my way to pay for some of the parts to fix the race car.

With work, our daily drivers, keeping Elsies 79 in good running order and other everyday life it's tough to make the time sometimes... then there is the time I spend on my consulting business building/maintaining engines for other people.

FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS! It's good to have them. LOL.
Will

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Yes I plan to use some muriatic acid on a rag or a fine scotch-brite pad if necessary.

More of a "at the track in between rounds fix" but I just don't want to deal with everything required to hone the block.

The brgs are perfect and I'd need to take crank and cam out of it to hone the block... that lower pulley on the cam belt drive is a PITA to deal with and honing the block will get honing oil that's full of metal all over/in everything. That will require serious cleaning....

Good luck getting your trans brgs.
Will

Did you ramp up the amount?

1st a 50 then a 100 etc?

I realize that's a PITA and takes a lot a passes

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This is a single stage kit. Right now I have a 31N jet in it which should be about 300HP.... I do have an electronic progressive controller, which can ramp power in by fluttering the solenoids to get a lesser % (starting percentage) of that 300HP for a specified amount of time (ramp) before it goes 100%.

Actually the amount of power I was having to put to it early in the run should have clued me in that something was bad wrong with the engine. It's just a failure of me as a tuner being too focused on other things (driving the car, making suspension changes, ect) to put it all together.

Last year with the IRS and TH350 I was starting at 30% and had a .75 second ramp to 100% (of 200HP). This was best case because the car would drag the bumper off (huge wheelie) with any more starting percentage.

In Ga we made a 1 good test hit and 1 shitty test hit. Both had 35% starting percentage (of 300HP).... 100% in 1.2 seconds.

It went a 1.29 60ft on 30%.

For the first points race, I made 3 passes. Went from 40% to 50% to 60% starting percentage (of 300HP).... 100% in .75 second.

It went a 1.32 60ft on 60%.... and was way slower on the lesser amounts.

Now last weekend I upped it to 70% on my test hit.... and I was going to try 80% in the first round (glad I didn't). 100% in .5 second.

It only went 1.38 60ft on 70%

I should have known better, because the car kept getting slower on the 60ft but I just stupidly assumed the new suspension was hooked to the ground like super glue and the new Powerglide with its 1.80 low gear ratio (TH350 is a 2.52) and a super tight TQ Converter was the culprit and the car just needed more power earlier...

BTW in case your wondering - I am limited by class rules to a 36N jet which is just over 400HP with this kit and the 31N jet I have in it right now is the smallest setting.

Will

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Thanks Will.

Yea, on the honing. I've mostly used Muriatic on a bare block before honing.

Got the trans bearing - $14 plus $72 for shipping.

Then at lunchtime, the owner/driver says, I'm coming down with the flu or something, going to have to cancel.

"That's Racing"

That's awful Will. Good luck with the repairs.

I've been away for quite awhile, what's the scoop on your nitrous set up? Direct port or ???

What were your jet sizes? Are you using a Lamba adder (which actually subtracts from the target Lambda number but the still call it an 'adder') or just the jets to dial it in?

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Hey Josh
Its a custom built 2 solenoid direct port fogger with Annular nozzles. Dave Vasser at Nitrous Outlet built it for me.

Orginally the tune up he gave me was a 31N and 24F@7psi.... after flowing it we now have 31N and 22F@7psi... but I'm going to put it on a chassis dyno and verify before it hits the track again.

I've been struggling with it this season big time.... Just made too many changes to the car over last winter and none of my previous data is very useful.

I'll get it sorted. Engine is all fixed. Just got to put it back in the car and get it to the dyno.
Will

I'm glad to hear the engine is back together. Good luck with it Will. Shoot me a note the next time you head to Richmond or VMP, maybe the stars will align and I can make it out there.

Look forward to the results

Just wanted to update this a little.

We got the car back together and tried to make the August race but the car just wouldn't run right.... idle was iffy and the C&S carb needed constant adjustment, basically adjusting it around and ending back to where we started from... then it would run ok for a few mins and start acting up agin....which is very odd.

I got the track and unloaded, tried to drive it over to the tech shack and was having serious drive ability problems at part throttle and idle so I just turned around and loaded it back up rather than go out there and hurt something.

Once home I pulled the C&S carb off and took it apart.... Holy crap was it screwed up. Reckon there was some fuel left in it at some point that evaporated and according to VP race fuel what happened is "Lead Salts" were left behind and stopped up the idle and transition circuits of the metering blocks.

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Talked to my brother and he was going to send my old QFT 950 up here and before he shipped it, he checked it out and it was the same way.... bad thing is it had only been run on the dyno this year.

So note to self - VP C-16 will do some bad stuff to your carbs if you let them sit.... not sure what I'll do here since we only race once a month but wow what a mess made out of 2 pretty expensive carbs. VPs recommendation was to turn the pump off and run the car out of fuel after each race or go and start it more often between races.

So I've gotten both the C&S and the QFT carbs cleaned out and fixed. They are sitting on the bench at home waiting to go back on the car for the Sept 12 race.

I'm also done with my car trailer... that SOB has caused me as much grief as everything else in the last year... tearing the exhaust off every time I load the fricken car up. 16ft box, 2ft beaver tail and 3.5ft ramps.... just can't jack it up high enough to clear the exhaust now that the car sits lower in the rear with the straight rear end and 3 link under it. I've had this trailer a long time and it tows well and is well built.... Just not designed well for low ride height cars and here I am - Multiple Corvette owner......

Driving 2hrs up to PA this weekend to buy a new car trailer. New one will be an 18ft box with a 4ft beavertail and 5ft ramps. Almost $2500.00, I didn't need to spend right now but I just can't stand to use the old one another weekend.

This is the new trailer I'm buying.

http://www.americantrailerllc.com/tra ... y-diamond-deck-car-hauler

So next race is Sept 12 at Mason Dixon Dragway in MD.
Will

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That's stupid, especially from VP.
I'll have to check the Weber on the Kent.

Decent price on the open trailer, is that with the 7,000lb. axles?

I selling my Featherlite but it won't fit a full size car.

I spent a lot of time at Mason/Dixon in my youth.

Let me tell you. That lead salts stuff was a nightmare to clean out. Mineral Spirits just turned it into a spreadable but non removable paste. Same with carb cleaner.

I ended up drying it back out and attacking it with a dremel and wire brushes.

The trailer is 2 3500lb axles so 7000lb total GVW. Seems expensive to me because I only paid 1800 for my current trailer but that was over 10yrs ago.... few other racers have the new one I'm buying and it's a nice enough trailer and well built. Would be nice but at this time I can't afford an aluminum one or an enclosed.

I really like Mason Dixon. Beautiful place to race. They also put in the work to make the surface hook. Elmer and his track crew give us a great place to race at.
Will

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I may buy an open one if I sell the FeatherLite.
Yea, 10 years ago, $1,800. $1,800 out here gets you the cheapo wood deck, a good wood deck is $2,100, diamond plate is $2,500, tilt is $3,200.

A guy on Apexspeed saw my ad and told me he just priced a new FeatherLite like mine , 18ft Cargo trailer (not a car trailer) at $10,000. I paid $8.

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