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From: Pettis Performance 565 with two stages of Nitrous Supply nitrous 1.082, 4.61 at 155, 7.17 at 192
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (Doug2500)
Great Article!!
What makes the turbos so easy on engines?
Boost does not kill motors, rpms do. Turbo motors spin much lower rpms to make the power a natually aspirated motor does. Look at Monty's (427) I believe he only turned 6800 rpms to make 1200 HP. 6800 rpms is nothing for that motor. A 500 inch pro stock motor has to turn around 10,000 rpms to make the same power.
The reason turbos make more power than blowers, even though they work on the same boost princilpal is due to the parasitic looses due to the motor having to turn the blower. If you look at a top fuel motor the best gues is the blower sucks up close to 500 hp. Turbos are almost free hp, they work off the exhaust gases, rather than relying on the motor to drive the supercharger. I may be off base here but I think we could start to see turbos in other classes of drag racing, top fuel?
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (Doug2500)
My take on them is that they aren't as shocking as nitrous. If you've ever seen a HP graph of a nitrous shot the gains are instantaneous. There will always be a slope to a graph as a turbo comes on, even if it's only .5 seconds.
Then vs a supercharger - the turbo motor doesn't have the load of the supercharger to drive. That's the one thing I can think of. It'd take someone experienced with supercharged motors to give you the whole story.
From: Pettis Performance 565 with two stages of Nitrous Supply nitrous 1.082, 4.61 at 155, 7.17 at 192
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (SloRvette)
[QUOTE]
They're specifically outlawed in the rules for fuel cars.
I follow drag racing very closely, I did not know that. I guess you learn something everyday. I wonder about pro-mod or the other supercharger classes, top alcohol etc.
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (69 N.O.X. RATT)
Top fuelers make too much power already, its all in the clutch setup. When they made the fuel rule (90% nitro I think) they went faster. Pro Stock cars cost 2 times what fuel cars and funny cars do because they live and die by an extra couple horsepower.
From: Pettis Performance 565 with two stages of Nitrous Supply nitrous 1.082, 4.61 at 155, 7.17 at 192
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (korvetkeith)
Top fuelers make too much power already, its all in the clutch setup. When they made the fuel rule (90% nitro I think) they went faster. Pro Stock cars cost 2 times what fuel cars and funny cars do because they live and die by an extra couple horsepower.
Top fuelers do make a lot of power, however the clutch is hooked up before the car crosses the line, so theorectically they could use more power. It is true to buy a competitive pro stock motor is more money than a fuel motor, however the maintenance of fuel cars is far more (Approx $ 10,000.00 PER RUN) by the end of a season a fuel car is a lot more money.
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (69 N.O.X. RATT)
Top fuelers do make a lot of power, however the clutch is hooked up before the car crosses the line, so theorectically they could use more power. It is true to buy a competitive pro stock motor is more money than a fuel motor, however the maintenance of fuel cars is far more (Approx $ 10,000.00 PER RUN) by the end of a season a fuel car is a lot more money.
I don't think so, I recall reading that the average fuel car was worth 150k while the pro stocker was worth 300k. I don't think the fuelers make 150 runs in a season that it would require to make up the difference. And you have to consider that the Pro Stockers aren't exactly using the same motor all season either.
From: Pettis Performance 565 with two stages of Nitrous Supply nitrous 1.082, 4.61 at 155, 7.17 at 192
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (korvetkeith)
If the prices you quote are accurate, which I have no reason to disbelieve the difference would be made up in 15 runs plus the cost of maintance of the prostocker. funny cars are a little more expensive due to the fact the bodies are made of carbon fiber.
Fuel cars are ungodly exspensive to run. I have an article from one of the popular magizens that breaks down the cost. I will see if I can dig it up and post some of the cost.
As far as using the same motor all season, fuel cars are very lucky to get the same motor to last a race.
From: Pettis Performance 565 with two stages of Nitrous Supply nitrous 1.082, 4.61 at 155, 7.17 at 192
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (69 N.O.X. RATT)
From Car and Driver Aug. 2002. They did an article on Lee beard (Top fuel funny car crew chief.)
Beard says he keeps 14 ready to run engines on stand by, each costs 60,000.00 he said they built a "clutch dyno" where they spin a 1500 pound flywheel at 8000 rpms, to replicate the forces of a fuel motor, The dyno cost 750,000.00
I also dug up an old Car Craft. Thye did a article on Schucks fuel funny car team. They list the following costs
Cylinder heads 13,000.00 per set
Valve covers (magnesium) 3,000.00 per set
Nitro methane 13 bucks a gallon 14-15 gallons per run
$80,000 per season in clutches
500.00 per tire good for 8 passes max
Carbon fiber body 15,000.00
5000,00 paint job
Each set off rods and pistons last three rounds max
Super charger capable of 3600 cfm 6,500.00
Bare block 7,000.00
I thnk the most amazing fact is the clutch dyno, cam you imagine a 1500 pound flywheel at 8000 RPMS !! to replicate the power of a fuel motor. That is an unimaginable amount of power.
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (69 N.O.X. RATT)
One problem - Ken doesn't build street cars. Getting power out of a full race car has been done - many many times. Getting that kind of power into a street car & making it idle is far more exciting to me - very few have done it & nobody has done it at the kind of power levels I'm looking for. I do appreciate the article, but it's not really what I'm looking for. Ken builds race cars.
Re: Dutweiller Article - Merlin read this (Merlin522)
It wasn't so much the idea of Ken building a engine for you. The main thing I'd think you'd get out of the article is the kind of sized turbos you'd need to support the hp that you're looking for.