by moore1 | Nov 27, 2017 | News |
Innovators West is introducing two new belt-drive systems for LS engines. The first will suit engines of stock cam height and be available January 2018. The second will serve raised-cam engines and made available shortly thereafter. The new design incorporates precision-machined gears, a billet aluminum two-piece backing plate for easy cam changes and a two-piece upper pulley that provides externally adjustable cam timing of plus-or-minus 10 degrees. More importantly, these systems are designed to install without additional machining. Their direct fitment entirely eliminates the toil and cost of removing the engine, dismantling the block, machining it and reinstalling. Lastly, these belt-drive assemblies are further distinguished by the inclusion of high quality Super Torque belts as well as the renowned Torrington cam thrust bearing and a non-adjustable idler pulley for belt tensioning. Superior high-vacuum seals are optional. Visit Innovators West at the 2017 PRI Show, Booth #2038 For further information contact: Innovators West, Inc. 2816 Centennial Rd., Salina, KS 67401 Attn: Chris Rose (785) 825-6166 or sales@innovatorswest.com...
by moore1 | Nov 22, 2017 | Induction, News |
By Fergus Ogilvy: The two most common uncertainties about the prospects of supercharging are fitment and engine tune. Will the supercharger fit under the hood and will it operate with all its accessories: alternator, power steering pump, and air conditioning compressor? The second relates to tuning in general and the preferred compression ratio and camshaft specification in particular. For the most part, a supercharger that doesn’t fit under the hood is undesirable in most quarters. So, woe betides the manufacturer that requires a hood hole to accommodate it, for he will most likely perish in obscurity. Owners desperately seeking attention may relish the thought of a monstrous supercharger towering above, but for the average Muscle car owner, hardly. With regard to the configuration of alternators, steering pumps and compressors, the approach taken by most manufacturers is determined by first identifying the vehicle. These are briefly explored below under the headings Chevrolet or Chrysler or Ford. Select the one that is relevant. Installations Chevrolet: Considering TorqStorm Superchargers, their units for small-block Chevrolets are available in right- or left-hand options, whatever works best. Better still, to avoid unknown complications, they provide a supercharger option that includes all accessories. Similar options are available for Chevrolet big-blocks. Of the most sought-after kits, it is the LS model that raises most questions. These engines (4.8L, 5.3L, and 6.0L) are favored because of their notable power output and value for money; truck engines are inexpensive. But the supercharger maker must be notified that the engine is, in fact, from a truck as their dimensions differ. TorqStorm’s LS truck supercharger kit is designed to operate with...
by moore1 | Nov 22, 2017 | News |
In this video Ray Bohacz explains how to diagnose and solve common problems associated with HEI ignition systems. These include marking the unit before dismantling, the care required during dismantling, checking the pick-up with an Ohmmeter, and examining the ignition module, which replaces the breakers by turning the coil on and off, and the remedy for overheating that causes intermittent spark. A calm analytical brain and a manner that has won him many friends and viewers, Ray Bohacz is articulate and meticulous in his technical video presentations. Watch and learn from Ray’s good advice. New Jersey native Ray Bohacz is a respected engine builder. Though he relished the challenge of preparing race-winning engines, his earliest memories were linked to farming and its many aspects—particularly its mechanics. Recently he has combined these interests by demonstrating the value of short, technical trouble-solving videos....
by moore1 | Nov 20, 2017 | News, Racing Matters |
The story of Bob Ida. By Ray T. Bohacz: By the time Neil Diamond’s single, “Brooklyn Roads”, made it to the Billboard Top 100 in May of 1968, Bob Ida was already more than a decade into what would eventually become a lifetime of automotive and racing legendary. His journey was inspired by a ’32 Ford hot rod. The one he saw on 79th Street when he was around 12 years old. The same Brooklyn Street that had spawned dreams of castles and kings by the young Mr. Diamond, filled Bob Ida’s mind with thoughts of “what if”: What if the Tucker Corporation had succeeded in business? Would this life of a first-generation Italian-American young man—the son of a Tucker dealer that was in business for only three days—be different? What if a blown 354 Hemi could be successfully installed in an Austin-Healey? What if the camshaft was advanced by three degrees? What if Ida Automotive fails? A modern Comp car throttle-stopping its way down the “thirteen-twenty” with fits and jerks seems a suitable metaphor for his life—even more fittingly, the days that comprise Bob Ida. Ida’s story is one of determination, passion, and talent with the requisite stumbling blocks, heartaches, failures and tears that were not viewed as setbacks but instead growth spurts on the road to destiny. It was America in the 1950s and ’60s where nothing was impossible. It was and is Bob Ida. Does the man make the car or the car make the man? The chance encounter with the ’32 Ford had been both inspirational and challenging, for when he looked at it,...
by moore1 | Oct 31, 2017 | Engine Builds, News, Racing Matters, Top Stories |
By Alfie Bilk: Jon Kaase has won this year’s Amsoil Engine Masters Challenge Vintage class with a 473ci 1958 MEL (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) engine. Exploring the classic turf in distinctive fashion, it was not the first time Kaase had arrived with an unorthodox relic endowed with bewildering technology. Held annually in early October at the University of Northwestern Ohio, his entry produced 770hp with torque never less than 630lb-ft during the entire scored rpm range of 3,700-6,200rpm. The engine’s peak torque was recorded at 715lb-ft. Earning a check in the sum of $13,700, it was Kaase’s seventh victory at the prestigious affair, which coincided a few days before his sixty-fifth birthday. This year’s Vintage rules specified factory cast iron cylinder heads and prohibited welding or the application of epoxy to the ports. Also, it was stipulated that the engine block must retain its original bore spacing and original block deck angle. A further constraint for Kaase was the fact that he had to return the MEL block to its owner, Royce Brechler, in a functioning condition. The origins that preceded the workings of a bright mind MEL engines had wedge-shaped combustion chambers formed between a flat cylinder head surface and an angle-milled block deck angle that was ten degrees off square with the bore axis. The piston crown determined the compression ratio and combustion chamber shape—a concept similar to Chevrolet’s 409, a design also introduced originally in 1958. Yet to each cylinder head deck, Kaase added four slugs of round bronze bar stock by counter-boring the heads to accept them. Measuring 4.600in diameter and 1.250in tall and protruding downwards, each set...
by moore1 | Sep 27, 2017 | News |
Wilwood has released four new brake kits for the OE-style Pinto / Mustang II spindles and Wilwood’s replacement ProSpindle for Mustang II style suspensions. These kits offer Wilwood’s high-tech styling and proven big brake performance. They also include an all-new hub configured specifically for 5 x 5.00in stud pattern wheels. Kits feature 12.19in diameter x 0.81 inch-thick vented rotors in either the HP smooth face or SRP drilled and slotted style. Choices of four piston FDLI or six piston DP6 calipers are available in 24 colors, including their signature gloss black and competition red, to personalize any custom street, strip, or show-quality hot rod project. MSRP starts at $1,203.99. For more information, contact Wilwood Engineering at info@wilwood.com WILWOOD ENGINEERING VOLUNTARILY RECALLS SELECT MASTER CYLINDERS IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL Wilwood Engineering, Inc. of Camarillo, California has notified NHTSA of a defect in certain 7/8in bore Tandem Master Cylinders (with integral reservoir) and its intent to voluntarily rebuild or repair the affected parts. Wilwood® customers have been notified of this recall starting mid-July. The voluntary recall is limited to the following part numbers: 260-9439 260-12900 261-13271 (with proportioning valve) 261-13272 (with proportioning valve) These aftermarket master cylinders and kits are offered in different finishes indicated by a suffix (plain, black (“BK”) and ball burnished (“P”). The part numbers above were distributed by Wilwood between 2 January 2006 and 31 October 2016. It is critical that affected customers contact Wilwood if they are using recalled 7/8in bore Tandem Master Cylinders (with integral reservoir) or know of someone who may have one of the recalled parts. Consumer Contact: Wilwood Customer...
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