Sledgehammer!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 794
Likes: 1
From: Groton Ct
John Lingenfelter built the engine for the Sledghammer and actually drove the car to the 254mph top speed at the Transportation Research and Development Center in Ohio. Rumor is Reeves Callaway was running the car but backed out at around 230mph. John knew the car had more into it so he jumped in and ran it himself. The rest is history.
I don't think anyone has really tried to break the record with a C5 or C6. If LPE's new C6 Z06 can do 226mph in a standing mile, I'm sure it can break 255mph around a test track. Now you just have to convince them to go after the record!
Jersey
I don't think anyone has really tried to break the record with a C5 or C6. If LPE's new C6 Z06 can do 226mph in a standing mile, I'm sure it can break 255mph around a test track. Now you just have to convince them to go after the record!
Jersey
Actually if you talk to MV on the forum, he works for Callaway, and he has posted the the motor in the car was in fact a Callaway motor, LPE had also built a motor for the car but the day the record was set it was with the Callaway Motor.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 34
That is all intercooler.
the 4 nose holes feed straight into the intercoolers. there are ducts that exhaust the intercooler air out the top of the hood.
the side fender gills feed the turbo intake air. they had to drill holes into the frame to get the air into teh turbos.
the rear fender gills have coolers mounted in them.
Some of the AC equip was mounted back there to make room for the drysump up front.
I believe the lower holes in the nose next to the turn markers are shooting straight to the intercoolers as well, and probably bleed off some air for the radiator.
Oil coolers mounted out in front of the wheels, under the car.
this concludes our tour of the sledgehammers "speed" holes.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,321
Likes: 0
From: Dallas Texas
the radiator has been lowered do to almost horizontal. The intercoolers are huge and replace the radiator position.
That is all intercooler.
the 4 nose holes feed straight into the intercoolers. there are ducts that exhaust the intercooler air out the top of the hood.
the side fender gills feed the turbo intake air. they had to drill holes into the frame to get the air into teh turbos.
the rear fender gills have coolers mounted in them.
Some of the AC equip was mounted back there to make room for the drysump up front.
I believe the lower holes in the nose next to the turn markers are shooting straight to the intercoolers as well, and probably bleed off some air for the radiator.
Oil coolers mounted out in front of the wheels, under the car.
this concludes our tour of the sledgehammers "speed" holes.
That is all intercooler.
the 4 nose holes feed straight into the intercoolers. there are ducts that exhaust the intercooler air out the top of the hood.
the side fender gills feed the turbo intake air. they had to drill holes into the frame to get the air into teh turbos.
the rear fender gills have coolers mounted in them.
Some of the AC equip was mounted back there to make room for the drysump up front.
I believe the lower holes in the nose next to the turn markers are shooting straight to the intercoolers as well, and probably bleed off some air for the radiator.
Oil coolers mounted out in front of the wheels, under the car.
this concludes our tour of the sledgehammers "speed" holes.
Shahram
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 6,976
Likes: 527
From: Clouds Over California
the radiator has been lowered do to almost horizontal. The intercoolers are huge and replace the radiator position.
That is all intercooler.
the 4 nose holes feed straight into the intercoolers. there are ducts that exhaust the intercooler air out the top of the hood.
the side fender gills feed the turbo intake air. they had to drill holes into the frame to get the air into teh turbos.
the rear fender gills have coolers mounted in them.
Some of the AC equip was mounted back there to make room for the drysump up front.
I believe the lower holes in the nose next to the turn markers are shooting straight to the intercoolers as well, and probably bleed off some air for the radiator.
Oil coolers mounted out in front of the wheels, under the car.
this concludes our tour of the sledgehammers "speed" holes.
That is all intercooler.
the 4 nose holes feed straight into the intercoolers. there are ducts that exhaust the intercooler air out the top of the hood.
the side fender gills feed the turbo intake air. they had to drill holes into the frame to get the air into teh turbos.
the rear fender gills have coolers mounted in them.
Some of the AC equip was mounted back there to make room for the drysump up front.
I believe the lower holes in the nose next to the turn markers are shooting straight to the intercoolers as well, and probably bleed off some air for the radiator.
Oil coolers mounted out in front of the wheels, under the car.
this concludes our tour of the sledgehammers "speed" holes.
All I can say is WOW...to some really cool engineering.
I like how the hot bleed air after the intercoolers are director out of the rear vents in the hood. I also like how the intake air into the compressor is drawn.....looks like some decent size turbines as well......4 Supertrapps looks pretty cool as well.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,014
Likes: 633
St. Jude Donor '10
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,521
Likes: 146
From: Watertown CT
I assume youre talking about him driving the car.
FWIW...LPE built some R&D motors for the project but a Callaway built motor made the run and resides in the car today.
Its absolutely ridiculous the number of uninformed fans that credit him with the car's performance...yet for some reason its called the CALLAWAY Sledgehammer.
This same topic is alive in C4 right now.
Even if it was an LPE short block in the car(which its not) really how much of a difference would that make? The engineering of the project was done by Callaway, the build of the car was done by Callaway...John Lingenfelter drove it to its top speed.
Give credit where its due.
FWIW...LPE built some R&D motors for the project but a Callaway built motor made the run and resides in the car today.
Its absolutely ridiculous the number of uninformed fans that credit him with the car's performance...yet for some reason its called the CALLAWAY Sledgehammer.
This same topic is alive in C4 right now.Even if it was an LPE short block in the car(which its not) really how much of a difference would that make? The engineering of the project was done by Callaway, the build of the car was done by Callaway...John Lingenfelter drove it to its top speed.
Give credit where its due.
How much faster would it have gone with JL's engine in there????
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 25,889
Likes: 7
From: Virginia Beach
CI 3-5-6-7-8 Veteran
That's some awesome engineering... love it. My buddy Sonny (SonnyinVA) does Maxton Mile runs in his 409 ci 300 shot C4. He says the C4 is better at high speeds because it's longer and narrower than a C5.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 34
http://www.z06-corvette.com/super/co...ehammer-13.jpg
this is what was choking it at speed. read about the little vents he had to make. btw the picture shown in that page of the article with the turbos would be a production B2K
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 361
Likes: 2
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 829
Likes: 2
From: Arlington Heights Illinois
Great post. Interesting that the same basic things that road racers do to keep engine temps down under extended sessions were utilized:
1. Separate well ventilated oil coolers.
2. Routing air to the radiators and intercoolers(for those RR FI) and removing warm air from the engine compartment. Check out a number of the World challenge cars that have well ventilated hoods and have great forced air intakes/well shrouded pathway to the radiator.
Interesting how the intercoolers are set up so they don't block air flow or conflict with the cooling of the radiator.
1. Separate well ventilated oil coolers.
2. Routing air to the radiators and intercoolers(for those RR FI) and removing warm air from the engine compartment. Check out a number of the World challenge cars that have well ventilated hoods and have great forced air intakes/well shrouded pathway to the radiator.
Interesting how the intercoolers are set up so they don't block air flow or conflict with the cooling of the radiator.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,443
Likes: 4
From: Grand Rapids Mi
If you ever see the engineering book on the Sledgehammer you will realize the amount of effort and engineering that went into this project! 
Both Reeves Callaway and John Lingenfelter are/were very great engineering minds in the high performance world!! At the time the Sledgehammer was run at Ohio's TRC facility it was run with the smaller horsepower motor of those built for testing and they still set the record that stood for many years!! I think we have all benefited greatly from both of these two!!! 
Both Reeves Callaway and John Lingenfelter are/were very great engineering minds in the high performance world!! At the time the Sledgehammer was run at Ohio's TRC facility it was run with the smaller horsepower motor of those built for testing and they still set the record that stood for many years!! I think we have all benefited greatly from both of these two!!!
Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 505
Likes: 0
From: MA
I assume youre talking about him driving the car.
FWIW...LPE built some R&D motors for the project but a Callaway built motor made the run and resides in the car today.
Its absolutely ridiculous the number of uninformed fans that credit him with the car's performance...yet for some reason its called the CALLAWAY Sledgehammer. This same topic is alive in C4 right now.
Even if it was an LPE short block in the car(which its not) really how much of a difference would that make? The engineering of the project was done by Callaway, the build of the car was done by Callaway...John Lingenfelter drove it to its top speed.
Give credit where its due.
FWIW...LPE built some R&D motors for the project but a Callaway built motor made the run and resides in the car today.
Its absolutely ridiculous the number of uninformed fans that credit him with the car's performance...yet for some reason its called the CALLAWAY Sledgehammer.
This same topic is alive in C4 right now.Even if it was an LPE short block in the car(which its not) really how much of a difference would that make? The engineering of the project was done by Callaway, the build of the car was done by Callaway...John Lingenfelter drove it to its top speed.
Give credit where its due.
I remember back in the day having a conversation about this event with John Lingenfelter himself. I was told that Callaways motors did not make enough power to hit thier goal. In fact it was John's motor that was in the car when it set the record and John was driving it. Supposedly Reeves attempted it but claimed he had an ear ache and was having problems driving and the rest is history. These are two great engineers I think someones pride might of got a little hurt but time heals everything.
R.I.P. John Lingenfelter - a good friend
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 34
I remember back in the day having a conversation about this event with John Lingenfelter himself. I was told that Callaways motors did not make enough power to hit thier goal. In fact it was John's motor that was in the car when it set the record and John was driving it. Supposedly Reeves attempted it but claimed he had an ear ache and was having problems driving and the rest is history. These are two great engineers I think someones pride might of got a little hurt but time heals everything.
R.I.P. John Lingenfelter - a good friend
R.I.P. John Lingenfelter - a good friend
I know callaway took GM's R&D over from 14 failed GM turbo c4's. Callaway blew up all the stock L-98's in testing thier set up and decided too over build the short block because they had a quick deadline for delivery and could not be fooling around with the GM junk.
I guess I ask, while not trying to imply that LPE has no idea about this, but what did LPE know about turbos in the mid 80's?
to me, LPE is know for turbo C5's, which is 10 years later.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,014
Likes: 633
St. Jude Donor '10
I was told that Callaways motors did not make enough power to hit thier goal. In fact it was John's motor that was in the car when it set the record and John was driving it.
Reeves said he blew up all the LPE motors on the dyno. It never was a power issue it was a longevity issue. The LPE blocks died during development and testing. A Callaway built motor made the run, and until the day someone can prove otherwise giving John credit for anything other than driving the car is a joke and an insult to Callaway cars.
Last edited by SurfnSun; Sep 28, 2007 at 05:26 PM.
Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 505
Likes: 0
From: MA
I have to ask a simple question, what was LPE doing in the 80's for corvette? I have no idea.
I know callaway took GM's R&D over from 14 failed GM turbo c4's. Callaway blew up all the stock L-98's in testing thier set up and decided too over build the short block because they had a quick deadline for delivery and could not be fooling around with the GM junk.
I guess I ask, while not trying to imply that LPE has no idea about this, but what did LPE know about turbos in the mid 80's?
to me, LPE is know for turbo C5's, which is 10 years later.
I know callaway took GM's R&D over from 14 failed GM turbo c4's. Callaway blew up all the stock L-98's in testing thier set up and decided too over build the short block because they had a quick deadline for delivery and could not be fooling around with the GM junk.
I guess I ask, while not trying to imply that LPE has no idea about this, but what did LPE know about turbos in the mid 80's?
to me, LPE is know for turbo C5's, which is 10 years later.
In 1989, Lingenfelter tackled the Bonnevüle Salt Flats with an '89 Firebird Trans Am that was equipped with a twin-turbocharged 355-cid small-block that produced a reported 1,400 horsepower. The car was fitted with six nitrous-oxide bottles (for intercooler cooling, not induction) in an attempt to run 300 mph. The car ran an amazing 298 mph before problems set in and the attempt was scuttled. Not bad for a guy who does'nt know how to build a turbo motor huh??
Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 505
Likes: 0
From: MA
Ive had this conversation with Reeves over dinner with the last year and a half.
Since the car was built at Old Lyme how would John know which motor was installed in the car? Was he present? Figuring that he had his own business to run, Id venture to say that he wasn't. Did LPE stamp the short blocks they built? I doubt since their recording keeping is known to be sub-par from that era. How would they even know? Callaway on the other hand still has records for nearly every car dating back to the very first b2k.
Reeves said he blew up all the LPE motors on the dyno. It never was a power issue it was a longevity issue. The LPE blocks died during development and testing. A Callaway built motor made the run, and until the day someone can prove otherwise giving John credit for anything other than driving the car is a joke and an insult to Callaway cars.
Since the car was built at Old Lyme how would John know which motor was installed in the car? Was he present? Figuring that he had his own business to run, Id venture to say that he wasn't. Did LPE stamp the short blocks they built? I doubt since their recording keeping is known to be sub-par from that era. How would they even know? Callaway on the other hand still has records for nearly every car dating back to the very first b2k.
Reeves said he blew up all the LPE motors on the dyno. It never was a power issue it was a longevity issue. The LPE blocks died during development and testing. A Callaway built motor made the run, and until the day someone can prove otherwise giving John credit for anything other than driving the car is a joke and an insult to Callaway cars.
I find it very strange, why would John even be there to help Callaway make sure the motor was tuned and running right if it was'nt his motor??
John must of had nothing else better to do.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,014
Likes: 633
St. Jude Donor '10
I don't know if you had the means to be at a track when the fastest street legal car in the world was going to set its record run would... you want to be there?
For the record, Im not saying he didn't have a hand in the project...Callaway needed motors built to run on the dyno. LPE was able to help out. Perhaps he wanted to see what the end result was of all of his motors that Callaway trashed.
As I stated before...assuming you've look at all the pictures, it would be not too far off to say a shortblock assembly is probably the most unimpressive part of the car at that point anyway.
Originally Posted by SurfnSun
Even if it was an LPE short block in the car(which its not) really how much of a difference would that make?
Last edited by SurfnSun; Sep 28, 2007 at 06:29 PM.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 361
Likes: 2
This guy and the one with the yellow TPI plenum could form a support group 
From the last time this subject was discussed:
(MCV = Callaway Mike V.)
The above is 100% accurate (254.76 mph). The engine in the car for this session was supplied by Callaway.
I've never seen a direct quote from John claiming that he built the engine that was in the car when it ran the 254. Several of us here at Callaway knew John personally. He was no liar.
Pointing this out is absolutely not intended to cast any dispersions on LPE's capabilities. They have built and continue to build very powerful engines.
I've never seen a direct quote from John claiming that he built the engine that was in the car when it ran the 254. Several of us here at Callaway knew John personally. He was no liar.
Pointing this out is absolutely not intended to cast any dispersions on LPE's capabilities. They have built and continue to build very powerful engines.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 6,366
Likes: 34
In 1989, Lingenfelter tackled the Bonnevüle Salt Flats with an '89 Firebird Trans Am that was equipped with a twin-turbocharged 355-cid small-block that produced a reported 1,400 horsepower. The car was fitted with six nitrous-oxide bottles (for intercooler cooling, not induction) in an attempt to run 300 mph. The car ran an amazing 298 mph before problems set in and the attempt was scuttled. Not bad for a guy who does'nt know how to build a turbo motor huh??
A year later and he is out trying to go 300...
