Jerry, Keith,
Wasn't something said awhile back about aluminum rods stretching and
whacking thing they shouldn't during sustained high RPM operation? I don't
have to worry about that myself (No rods!) but I still have loads of
clearances to check during engine assembly. Unless you like to build lots
of short lived engines (Keith?) then it's best to put all the most durable
stuff you can afford into it right up front. You need to find a balance
somewhere between drag racing and NASCAR; Maximum performance with maximum
durability. At least enough of each to break a record!
Chuck "We don't need no stinking pistons!" Rothfuss
ECTA
>> On Thu, 8 Jul 1999, JERRY FOSTER wrote:
>>
>> > #1 Car weight. Do you build for super-light cars in the LSR business?
>>
>> There are two basic schools of thought in LSR racing. The "bigger hammer"
>> racers do things like fill their frame rails with lead, and carry fifty
>> gallons of water in the trunk, all in an attempt to gain traction. Others
>> feel that a lightweight car that sticks to the track thanks to good
>> aerodynamics will be quicker, faster, and ultimately safer. I belong to
>> the latter group, as does my boss, Russ Meeks, whose Modified Roadster
>> carries no ballast whatsoever.
>>
>> > #2 Engine assembly weight. Do you go with aluminum rods, small
>> > damper/balancer, lightweight crank, etc,?
>>
>> That depends on what you want the engine to do. It's not a dragster, so
>> some extra reciprocating mass may in fact be a good thing. Five miles is
>a
>> long way. Visualize yourself making a run on a track that long. Then
>> contemplate how you would want your car to handle, and how its engine
>> should respond. Think of what a flywheel does. Do you want more or less
>of
>> its effect?
>>
>> These differences in opinion are just more of the appeal of Land Speed
>> Record racing. We get to experiment and play around more than any of the
>> other racers.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Dave Mann
>>
>> Webmaster, Roadsters
>> http://roadsters.com/
>>
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>> | Dave Mann | Roadsters Advertising: |
>> | Roadsters | Dave Rocha |
>> | P.O. Box 67101 | (360) 835-8661 |
>> | Milwaukee, OR 97267 | dirtno1@aol.com |
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
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