Author Topic: Drag Week 2018  (Read 4927 times)

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cjshaker

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Drag Week 2018
« on: September 08, 2018, 07:31:49 AM »
I thought I'd start a new thread since the other one had gotten so long.

I left last night at 7:00 and drove through to Knoxville Tennessee, getting there at 2:30. The car did excellent and the engine ran great, getting over 14 mpg. I do have an issue of pushing a little oil out around the distributor, which seems typical for RPM intakes and highway driving. I'll try to address that when I get a chance. The rear main seal is leaking a bit, which I knew I should have changed, but I didn't want to take the crank out. Hopefully that won't get any worse.

The car drove beautifully though, and I'm about to push on to my destination in Atlanta. Hopefully I'll be able to keep you guys up to date on the Drag Week 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

thatdarncat

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #1 on: September 08, 2018, 08:59:20 AM »
Wishing you good luck and a fun adventure this year Doug. And hoping the rain misses you. Looking forward to your reports.
Kevin Rolph

1967 Cougar Drag Car ( under constuction )
1966 7 litre Galaxie
1966 Country Squire 390
1966 Cyclone GT 390
1968 Torino GT 390
1972 Gran Torino wagon
1978 Lincoln Mk V

428 GALAXIE

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #2 on: September 08, 2018, 09:18:35 AM »
Great that you solved that oiling problem. Glad to see least one 65 galaxie in drag week.

Good luck.
Mikko

Drew Pojedinec

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #3 on: September 08, 2018, 10:57:44 AM »
I've got a massive bag of distributor seals I got for like $.10 each, want me to bring one?

Heo

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2018, 11:35:05 AM »
Good luck Doug , i had a leak that i thougt was around the dist
but it was the hole for the dovel pin in the streetmaster intake.
Somehow the rtv did not seal it, i fixed it with a knife and a branch
from a birch tree along the road :D
Dont know if the RPM have that hole




The defenition of a Gentleman, is a man that can play the accordion.But dont do it

cjshaker

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2018, 03:32:13 PM »
I made it to my motel outside of Atlanta, but not without a little drama. First, the car ran great the whole way. I got into a couple of traffic jams in the heat of the day in Atlanta, but the car never went above 200*. Seems it'll do ok in the heat down here.

The drama was with the oil leak. I was happily cruising along when I noticed my pressure starting to fluctuate between 63-57 lbs. That was odd because the pressure never fluctuates unless it's RPM related. I stopped to check things out and found that it was 3 quarts low, and I was running 6 quarts. That's when I discovered the rear main leak. That was at about the 350 mile mark last night, so about a quart every 100 miles. But some of that was coming out from around the distributor also. I filled it back up and went on my way, hoping it wouldn't get worse. I checked it every fill-up and had to add about a quart or so. I could live with that as long as it didn't get worse.

I slept in the car last night at a Holiday Inn parking lot. I was too cheap to spend the money for 5 hours in a bed...lol Anyway, I filled the car up this morning, topped it off with oil and went on my way. In less than 100 miles the oil pressure started fluctuating again. That gave me a sick feeling thinking the rear main seal was giving out and getting worse. Lots of thoughts about not being able to make the week, or even getting it back home went through my head. 3+ quarts of oil in less than a hundred miles is a lot. I pulled over as soon as I could, looked under the car and saw oil dripping everywhere. I thought I was done for at that point. I opened the hood to check the oil....and found that the last guy that filled it up forgot to put the dipstick back in. It was still sitting on the fenderwell ::)  When I find that guy, I'm gonna give him 'what for' for being such a bonehead! :P

I filled it back up with oil, put the dipstick back in and crawled under the car. It was odd that nearly everything was dry, except for the left side of the engine and engine bay. I was wiping everything down when I found that the dipstick tube was also a culprit of the leaking. I hadn't pulled it out to reseal it when I was going through the engine. Ugh, shortcuts always bite you in the butt! I'm letting the car cool off now and then I'll head out to see if I can pull it and seal it up. If I can't get it out, I'll just try to get some sealer around it and stop it or slow it down.

The oil loss problem did seem to do much better with the dipstick in though..lol  So I think if I can get the dipstick and distributor leaks down, the rear main isn't leaking near as bad as I had thought, and I should be ok to make it through the week.

Drew, it has a new seal on the distributor. I used every seal in the rebuild kit that I got, except for the rear main >:(  I even tried putting a little Ultra Black behind the distributor seal and let it set up before I installed it, hoping it would put a little more pressure on the outside, because I know the RPM's tend to leak when your cruising at high speeds. I think the hole is a bit on the big side, or the replacement seals are too small, I'm not sure exactly which. Either way, I'm gonna try Barrys rubber band trick behind the seal and see if that'll put enough pressure on it to seal it up better. Now I just have to find a rubber band somewhere..lol

Heo, the RPM doesn't have that hole. I had to grind off the pin in the block when I had everything apart, to make the intake fit.

I also noticed black smoke on the drivers side exhaust when I punched it on one on-ramp. I don't know why only on one side, and why now, because it didn't do that before. It wasn't oil burning, it was obviously rich on that side, but only when I was into the throttle. I have a little investigating to do there.

So I'm gonna head back out and see what I can do with things, but at this point, it looks like I'll at least make it to the event. The engine seems happy though, it starts at the bump of the key every time and never misses a beat.
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

thatdarncat

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2018, 03:58:20 PM »
Doug, if you worry the oil leaks might get you shut off on the race track you wouldn't be the first person to strategically place some disposable baby diapers around any problem areas to catch the oil. I've seen a few Drag Weekers carry them with just in case. Years ago I had a front transmission seal leak start just before a big final round, I packed paper towels between the bellhousing & inspection plate of my C6, worked fine for that round. I know your bigger concern is going through the oil going down the road, but just thought I'd put it out there.
Kevin Rolph

1967 Cougar Drag Car ( under constuction )
1966 7 litre Galaxie
1966 Country Squire 390
1966 Cyclone GT 390
1968 Torino GT 390
1972 Gran Torino wagon
1978 Lincoln Mk V

Royce

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2018, 04:40:14 PM »
J.C. considers them essential for guys who run Y blocks  lol  They do work quite well.. 
1955 Thunderbird Competition Coupe Altered Chassis "War Bird" 383 Lincoln Y block 520 hp
1955 Thunderbird 292 275 hp Y Block
1956 Ford Victoria 292 Y block

1957 Mercury 2dr Wagon "Battle Wagon" drag car 
1957 Thunderbird Glass body Tube Chassis drag car 333 cu in 500 hp Ford Y block
1961 Starliner 390/375 clone
1965 GT40 tribute w/FE
1966 Falcon Pro Touring project
Kaase Boss 547. 840 HP 698 Torque  pump gas
1992 BMW V-12 5.0
2001 Lincoln 5.4 4 cam.
1968 Cougar XR7

cjshaker

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #8 on: September 08, 2018, 06:03:52 PM »
Kevin, getting kicked off the track did cross my mind, especially when I thought the rear main was blowing out. I did think about a strategically placed diaper. I've seen guys use them before also. But I think I can get it under control good enough that dripping while in the staging lanes won't be an issue. The distributor only leaks at extended highways speeds, I think I've got the dipstick tube sealed good enough that it won't be an issue for a while, and the rear main won't drip fast enough to cause a problem...I hope. I also thought about sealing up the flywheels bottom cover plate, which would hold in the fluids, and drilling a hole for a plug in the bottom of the bellhousing that I could pull and let drain after the days events. Not exactly an elegant idea, but hey, it's Drag Week 8)  I thought this was going to turn into an episode of Road Kill, but that hasn't happened yet..lol

I finally got a chance to upload the pictures of the rocker shafts, so I thought I'd post them to show why I had an issue. Here you can see the big difference in design that led to one oiling, and the other not...



It cost me a few pounds of pressure, but it still does not drop below 22 when fully hot and idling in gear. At highway speeds, which is 2100 rpm @ 60 mph, it maintains 64 pounds. My last full tank that I used, I measured 15.1 mpg, being very careful to fill the tank to the exact same amount each time, which is half way up the neck. One tankful measured 18.7 mpg, and another measured 19 even, but I don't know if that's accurate or if there was a  discrepancy with the pumps readout. I have maintained my speed at exactly 60 mph the entire trip, except when going past Cincinnati and Atlanta.
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

machoneman

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2018, 06:44:22 PM »
Good God man, how do you do only 60 on any highway and not get run over!  :(
Bob Maag

cjshaker

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2018, 06:56:44 PM »
60 on a highway isn't a problem, Bob. Doing 60 on an interstate requires a dedicated attitude of I Don't Give A Damn..lol  Driving late last night wasn't an issue, not much traffic at 12-3 am. Driving today, I did make a few people mad, but I also got a lot of thumbs up. Every time I stop to get fuel, somebody wants to talk about the car.  :)

But if you think that's bad, you should have been there the last 2 years in my Mach 1, with 4:30 gears and no overdrive. 55 was my top speed then.
« Last Edit: September 08, 2018, 06:59:57 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

Stangman

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2018, 07:32:03 PM »


But if you think that's bad, you should have been there the last 2 years in my Mach 1, with 4:30 gears and no overdrive. 55 was my top speed then.
[/quote]


I can relate to that Doug I had 4.11s with a 26 inch tire every time I would go somewhere with a few cars they would be like Joey try and keep up. At 55 miles per hour I was at at like 2700 that’s why I went to the 3.70s.
That’s some miles to the gallon your getting. I’m glad you got most of your problems taken care of.
Are you by yourself. Are you talking to yourself yet, hey have a good time be careful

Barry_R

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2018, 07:33:14 PM »
A few quick and dirty solutions.

A piece of 3/8 fuel line tubing makes a really good dipstick tube, and fits into the hole better than the original tubing does.
You will need to cobble up some sort of upper support - a hose clamp and a bolt or a zip tie and some duct tape....

Hose off the distributor hole with brake clean and put a bead of silicone around that are before you go to sleep.  Every so often we need to put a "rubber band" behind the distributor seal - but silicone will work in a pinch as long as you do not anticipate making timing changes on the fly.

cjshaker

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2018, 08:55:28 PM »
You all know that I left DW early this year, so just thought I'd post a few pictures of when I was there.

Here's a shot just before I went to the staging lanes. I was wiping the underneath of the car of any oil so it didn't drip on the line. I had gotten most of the leaking under control, so it wasn't an issue.



A couple of shots before my hour long trip down the strip..lol  I love the look of the steel wheels on it, but I should have taken off the front hub caps to match the rears.





This was the true test of the car; my trip through the Smokey Mountain Bi-Way on the way back home. There were plenty of steep grades and the car handled them beautifully. It hardly grunted on the steep up grades, and that was fully loaded with at least 500+ lbs of tools, luggage, coolers and gear. This is my favorite part of the country, and where I like to camp and backpack. It was a beautiful drive back.







Finally, here's a video of driving through a section in the mountains. You'll have to ignore the Google Maps lady who wouldn't shut up while I was taking the video.

https://youtu.be/kBtLB0qQGKk



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

Stangman

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #14 on: September 11, 2018, 11:26:18 PM »
No I didn’t know that you left was looking for you on the video. Sorry to here that, car
looks great and sits nice. I assume the oil leaks were to much. Ok next year. Just read the other
Posts and yes your son and wife are more important. My brother lives in Raliegh. I talked to him today and all the people around him aren’t leaving. Sounds or I should say looks like that might be a mistake going by the news
« Last Edit: September 11, 2018, 11:44:24 PM by Stangman »

cjshaker

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #15 on: September 12, 2018, 10:35:02 AM »
Joe, yeah it's not looking good. My son lives just 3 miles inland on the southern coast of North Carolina, right where the eye of the hurricane is suppose to hit. They're leaving today to head farther inland. They're calling for the hurricane to be the worst ever to hit in that area. Hoping everyone stays safe.
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

Heo

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #16 on: September 12, 2018, 11:08:40 AM »
I saw satelite photos of that hurricane ...its a monster



The defenition of a Gentleman, is a man that can play the accordion.But dont do it

Drew Pojedinec

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #17 on: September 12, 2018, 11:54:43 AM »
Good thing I’ll be in the Bahamas. I’ll just catch the next storm.
Hope your son and fam do alright, and their house stays high and dry.

Heo

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #18 on: September 12, 2018, 05:50:44 PM »
Doug. I understand that you want to keep the Galaxie  stock as
a driver for camping trips and so on. They realy deliver
cruising with comfort, thats why i looking for a lighter
car for the stroker engine. And keep my Galaxie as it is
with highway gearing and all. The streetmaster and the
cam only makes it run better down low. Its Nice to cruise at higway
speed with the throtle blades just opened, and all you hear
is the wind and a mellow deep burble from the rear
My wife hurt her neck and back in a car crash 20 years ago
and have constant pain and says the Galaxie with the soft ride is
best for her on our bad roads

It looks cool with slicks and the white steelwheels 8). Nice cenerys in
those mountains, me and Ollie passed through similar mountains but
must have been far more to the north. The YouHaul truck had a hard
time going up some of the grades. Ollie asked me  what engine it had
and i said probably a 351 windsor so we dubbed it Sir Windsor of Missery
until we found out it was a V10 ;D



The defenition of a Gentleman, is a man that can play the accordion.But dont do it

cjshaker

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #19 on: September 12, 2018, 10:49:59 PM »
Heo, when I replace the rear seal, I will probably go through the lower end with new bearings, rings and possibly a newer cam design, but nothing that would be considered a 'performance' cam. It could use a good set of firm shocks to replace the cheap ones that are on it. Soft springs with firm shocks make for a great ride. It has a really nice tone to it also, with the duals and glasspacks. Just rumbles along, but not loud at all inside the car. That's part of what makes the car such a joy to drive. I think you know that I'm pretty old school when it comes to everything, so it'll fit me and my camping style to a T :)

And yes, you and Ollie were much farther north. There are several mountain ranges in the Appalachians, and the Smokeys, which border eastern Tennessee and North Carolina, are the highest and most scenic. Beautiful and rugged land.

Funny story for you; when I go camping, I really rough it. We were camping at Cass Scenic Railroad one time, which is a place I love to visit, and I was hiking the track to the top of the mountain. It's an old logging railroad with steep grades and switchbacks that climbs to a very high altitude. They run old Baldwin narrow gauge steam engines that were made just miles from where I live. Anyway, I heard the steam engine lugging up the track one day while hiking so I got off the track and sat down on a big rock a ways up the hill to watch it go by, wearing old hiking clothes, my well worn leather brimmed hat and holding my walking stick that I've used for probably 25 years, which is a very small tree that was chewed down by a beaver. The train comes by, loaded with tourist passengers, and they see this scruffy looking character sitting on the rock. They all started grabbing their cameras and started taking pictures of me, and I mean almost everyone. Apparently I looked the part...lol  I still laugh when I think of them looking back on their pictures and talking about the local Mountain Man they saw while taking their ride. ;D
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

Heo

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Re: Drag Week 2018
« Reply #20 on: September 13, 2018, 03:12:20 AM »
Funny coincidence, My Galaxie is sold new in Roanoke Virginia that
i understand is up in the Appalachians. I have the receipt or window sticker
or what what i shall call it. With the cost off  the options it has, i think the fourspeed was $188 :D
And there was several West Virginia and North Carolina licence plates from the 70s with the car,
The Swedish cops didn't liked when i used the WV plates ::) :D

Must be nice hiking in those mountains ...old style....with just your flintlock rifle
a pouch of salt and some chewing tobacco. What you say, shall i cast me some bullets
fill up the powder horn and set sail for the new world and we go explore the untamed
wilderness ;D ;D....Seriously would love to go hiking there but i don't think I'm fit enough anymore



The defenition of a Gentleman, is a man that can play the accordion.But dont do it