Author Topic: Getting started for Drag Week 2018  (Read 26963 times)

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rwsmith3623

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #15 on: July 12, 2018, 11:27:22 AM »
Man, this party really died...

cjshaker

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #16 on: July 12, 2018, 01:38:51 PM »
lol...you calling me out? I'll report on all the progress, as soon as there is some. The whole idea behind Drag Week is to put off what needs to be done until the last second, then thrash to get it all done so that any and all issues show up during the event.

Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

turbohunter

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #17 on: July 12, 2018, 02:37:30 PM »
It happens during the summer. There are vacations and family stuff to get in the way. But you just wait for a couple months and the corn will be a poppin’.
Doug I’m kinda jazzed myself to see how you’re getting along. Good luck.
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


AlanCasida

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #18 on: July 12, 2018, 05:24:43 PM »
Shoot, I don't even have my engine back from the machine shop yet!

cjshaker

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #19 on: July 12, 2018, 08:06:54 PM »
I spent all night tonight moving 2 trailers, 2 tractors, both Mustangs, pulling the truck out to move the car hauler, all just to get the engine hoist in front of the Galaxie. The engine is ready to pull now, but it doesn't help when the garage is so crammed full that it takes an entire night just to perform a simple task ::)

That was my Son that commented, and he knows there's another distraction that has been drawing my time away, so it's a good thing he's calling me out. A recent purchase of mine...


I just can't stay off the darn thing.

Marc, I'll have the engine out this weekend and get a good look at things and start the cleaning process.
Alan, I hope there aren't any delays from the machine shop. I know things will go quickly once you get it back, but machine shops have a way of holding projects up.
Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

AlanCasida

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #20 on: July 12, 2018, 10:23:35 PM »
Very nice bike, Doug! I think I ought to have my motor back by next weekend or so. It'll be close by I think I'll be ready since I am not changing anything. I'll probably make my first pass in Georgia, though. It's Dragweek!
« Last Edit: July 12, 2018, 10:30:14 PM by AlanCasida »

turbohunter

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #21 on: July 13, 2018, 07:05:04 AM »
Oooooh, I don’t blame you. Nice ride.
Cool to have your kid on the forum also. Wish mine had any interest at all.
Marc
'61 F100 292Y
'66 Mustang Injected 428
'66 Q code Country Squire wagon


cjshaker

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #22 on: July 13, 2018, 09:48:19 AM »
He has a nice Fox body Mustang that had a centrifugal charged 302 in it. He's a Ford guy through and through, so he was brought up right ;)
Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

rwsmith3623

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #23 on: July 13, 2018, 05:54:33 PM »
I spent all night tonight moving 2 trailers, 2 tractors, both Mustangs, pulling the truck out to move the car hauler, all just to get the engine hoist in front of the Galaxie. The engine is ready to pull now, but it doesn't help when the garage is so crammed full that it takes an entire night just to perform a simple task ::)

That was my Son that commented, and he knows there's another distraction that has been drawing my time away, so it's a good thing he's calling me out. A recent purchase of mine...


I just can't stay off the darn thing.

Marc, I'll have the engine out this weekend and get a good look at things and start the cleaning process.
Alan, I hope there aren't any delays from the machine shop. I know things will go quickly once you get it back, but machine shops have a way of holding projects up.

Get off that bike and stop fartin around, I heard the guys at 1320 Video are doing a “slowest car at drag week” full feature video this year. This is our 15 minutes of fame, I can feel it.

cjshaker

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #24 on: July 14, 2018, 01:49:01 PM »
lol, now that's something we'd have an honest shot at. Maybe I'll leave the tools in the trunk to slow it down a bit. That should give you enough time to grab a bite to eat while I'm going down the track.
Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

GJCAT427

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #25 on: July 14, 2018, 08:08:00 PM »
Doug, I know all about those 2 wheel distractions. I`ve been riding the hell out of my 77 Super Glide the last couple of weeks. To make matters more complicated, I did a demo ride on a 2018 Fat Boy a week ago and went back today to do some dickering. There may be a 4th Harley in the overcrowded garage! Gotta get Ma to budge on terms.   

rwsmith3623

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #26 on: July 14, 2018, 11:47:04 PM »
Doug, I know all about those 2 wheel distractions. I`ve been riding the hell out of my 77 Super Glide the last couple of weeks. To make matters more complicated, I did a demo ride on a 2018 Fat Boy a week ago and went back today to do some dickering. There may be a 4th Harley in the overcrowded garage! Gotta get Ma to budge on terms.   

He’s no better. He’s got 3 bikes now, and he won’t give me any of them!

cjshaker

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #27 on: July 15, 2018, 07:49:13 PM »
I finally got rolling on the car this weekend. After pulling the carb apart, it was easy to see why it wouldn't run right. Eight years or so of sitting, and that crappy fuel really did a number it.



The jets were so plugged, and the bowls so full of crap that I'm surprised it ran at all! The visible crud on the bottom covered the entire bottom of both bowls. Much of it came floating out when I flushed the old gas out of it.



I went ahead and pulled it completely apart to start the cleaning process. I also found out that there is basically only ONE rebuild kit available for these old 4100's. Well, 2 I guess, but one doesn't contain the vacuum secondary diaphragm, which this one needed since the old one had a tear in it. Hopefully it's a decent kit.
Laid out with some components marked...



So today I got my butt in gear to pull the engine, despite 90 degree temps and bad humidity, which means the garage was about 95-100 inside :P

After getting it pulled out, I went to put it on my new geared engine stand, but couldn't since the old bolts I had weren't long enough with the new stand. So I started pulling stuff off to get it ready for cleaning, the new water and fuel pump, new gaskets etc. I decided to pull a valve cover off because I really wanted to get a look inside. I was not encouraged by what I saw inside!



The gunk and crud buildup was disheartening to say the least. While I've seen engines back in the day that were much worse, this is not what I wanted to see right before taking a 3000 mile trip. My concern is that some of this stuff will start to break up during the trip and either get into the oiling system, in which case it will either score pretty much everything in the engine, or it will just plug up the pump screen and/or filter and I'll lose oil pressure. I was pretty disappointed at that point, and since it was getting late and I had lost a few pounds from sweat, I threw in the towel, hopped on the bike and went to get an ice cream cone to cool off and think about what to do. I'm really at a crossroads here; either I throw in the towel, not wanting to risk a breakdown while a thousand miles from home, or I go ahead with the plan of re-gasket the engine and throw it back in in the hopes that it makes it back home, where I can pull the engine later on and give it a proper cleaning and rebuild.

Bob had mentioned running a cleaner through the engine, but I'm really against that idea. I know from experience that when there is a bunch of crud buildup in a high mileage stock engine, once all that crud is removed, a drastic loss of oil pressure is usually the result, unless everything is checked for tolerances and addressed or rebuilt properly. I don't have the time to do that.

What would you guys would do?
« Last Edit: July 15, 2018, 07:53:59 PM by cjshaker »
Doug Smith


'69 R-code Mach 1, 427 MR, 2x4, Jerico, 4.30 Locker
'70 F-350 390
'55 Ford Customline 2dr
'37 Ford Coupe

Barry_R

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #28 on: July 15, 2018, 08:16:33 PM »
Wanna do it one the cheap?  Pull the heads, intake, and oil pan.  Hose off the heads, and intake at the local quarter car wash (check the immediate for environmentalists first).  Use a gallon of mineral spirits from Home Depot and a dollar store paint brush on the lifter valley and rockers.  Reassemble with some new gaskets and a new pump pickup.  Resist the temptation to look at other parts - you really do not want to know.

You cannot have spent more than a hundy on the whole adventure including a chilled bottle of (alcohol infused?) assembly lube.

Pack a few energy bars and a cooler in case you need to wait for roadside assistance if it poops out. 
Odds are that an old FE engine will literally run forever.

jayb

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Re: Getting started for Drag Week 2018
« Reply #29 on: July 15, 2018, 10:58:12 PM »
+1 on what Barry said.  Collect all the gaskets you need and set aside a day for the cleanup.  Don't be too fussy, clean it up as best as you can and slam it back together.  It'll make it.

I remember during the first Drag Week, on day 3 the overall leader lost a ground wire on his fuel solenoid in his nitrous system.  Burned up half his pistons on his last pass.  He sent another competitor off to an auto parts store 100 miles away to get new pistons, then pulled the whole motor apart in the pits and swapped pistons and put in new rings in the middle of the night.  He gapped the rings with an angle grinder LOL!  Finally left the pits at Bowling Green at 3:00 AM, made it to National Trail about 10:00 AM.  Tore off another 8.55 at that track, same number he'd been running all week.  Said he was disappointed that it didn't go faster with a freshen up on the motor  ;D ;D  What you've got in front of you is nothing like that...

Jay Brown
- 1969 Mach 1, Drag Week 2005 Winner NA/BB, 511" FE (10.60s @ 129); Drag Week 2007 Runner-Up PA/BB, 490" Supercharged FE (9.35 @ 151)
- 1964 Ford Galaxie, Drag Week 2009 Winner Modified NA (9.50s @ 143), 585" SOHC
- 1969 Shelby Clone, Drag Week 2015 Winner Modified NA (Average 8.98 @ 149), 585" SOHC