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RE: Neophyte Bonding with TR3A

To: "'Jeff Wilt '" <jwilt@leighengineering.com>,
Subject: RE: Neophyte Bonding with TR3A
From: Bill Babcock <BillB@bnj.com>
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 07:55:07 -0800
 I never doubted that a TR3 motor will pull beyond 6K, I shift Peyote at
6800 in moments of limited mechanical sympathy (like when someone is
trying to pass me), but it has a billet crank and Carillos. My cheater TR3
spit two rods in it's relatively short racing life. Cost me two blocks.
Both failures in the same place--the much-cursed oil hole in the rod. I
didn't want to go crazy with the motor when I knew I couldn't really
outdrive it, so I started shifting at 5800 instead of 6000. From then on
the motors lasted forever. 200 RPM is not worth a blown motor.

In my humble opinion you and Susan are absolutely right about not getting
carried away with mechanicals until the car is at it's limits. I think you
can do remarkable things with tires and suspension setup for not much
money (or even just a little track time, a pyrometer and a tire pressure
guage). Sooner or later you hit the end of that and it's time to make it
faster. Then you hit the rational end of that road and you need a
different car or a little Prozac. 

You can't beat a fast car with a slow car no matter how good a driver you
are. But most of the time in amateur racing the best setup is a stock car
and a hopped up driver.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeff Wilt
To: 'Larry Young '; @leighengineering.com; Bill Babcock
Sent: 2/17/2002 6:15 PM
Subject: RE: Neophyte Bonding with TR3A

Hey there - and (ahem) it will pull well beyond 6K....the comment about
not fiddling with the car was the main secret to the success I had with
the car.  I finally had the times down to consistent levels, and I was
fighting the urge to tinker.  Easier to drive better than to change
mechanicals.  And just when i thought I had reached the need for
mechanical changes to go faster - a buddy made one tire pressure
recommendation and voila - I hadn't caught the car yet after all.  If
Larry has gotten the good tires my thought would be to not tinker this
season.  Later!  Former #39 owner! (and carless - any ideas?)  Jeff
Wilt---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Bill Babcock <BillB@bnj.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 17:21:15 -0800

> Rods seem to be the weak point. With stock rods I'd try to stay below
>6000. If you switch to a shorter duration cam (whigh sounds likr a good
>idea with the kind of compression you've got) you'll pull nicely at
lower
>RPM and will naturally shift at 5700-5800 cause it's start running out
of
>steam. Or get some good rods and let 'er rip. I would stick with what
you
>got for as long as you can stand not fiddling.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Larry Young
>To: fot@autox.team.net; Jeff Wilt
>Sent: 2/17/2002 10:49 AM
>Subject: Re: Neophyte Bonding with TR3A
>
>Bill,
>Bob tells me this engine is a fairly conservative race engine with
>10.5:1
>compression, stock rods and a stock nitrided crank.  I've been using
>6,000 as
>the redline based on what I've read here.  Should I take that down a
>little?
>It's really easy to get carried away, because with this cam, the car is
>pulling real good at 6,000 (better than after shifting up), so it take
>some
>self discipline.  This is a really good car for a beginning racer, but
>I'm
>always thinking ahead.  Since Hallet is like my home turf, I'd like to
>be
>ready when those Texas and Colorado boys show up in the fall.
>Larry
>
>Bill Babcock wrote:
>
>> 6000 in third at the end of the straight. Hmmm. You are aware there
is
>a
>> fourth gear aren't you?

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