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3 - Re: Dream machine

To: Bryan.Vandiver@Eng.Sun.COM, spridgets@autox.team.net, bmantz@roanoke.infi.net
Subject: 3 - Re: Dream machine
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 16:38:51 EDT
Bryan,

I don't have a garage and when I have to work on my car, even pulling an 
engine, changing the oil or whatever I have to do it in the great outdoors in 
England.  This means that it is not unusual to get either wet or cold.  
Although at present it is about an hours drive to get to a dyno in the early 
days of ownership of this car I had to drive about 3 hours (in an English 
winter with no heater).  From what I have seen on postings to the list, a lot 
of folk don't see drives of a couple of hours to be a problem and I would 
have expected a chassis dyno to be within a couple of hours of most parts of 
the USA.  It is expensive here to spend time on the dyno, and given that the 
only car I run (and I do have a family) is my Sprite and bearing my house 
that doesn't have a garage or driveway it ought to be apparent that if I can 
find money for dyno time those listers with several cars might be able to as 
well.  The best money I ever spent on performance tuning the engine in my car 
was spent on dyno time and David Vizard says as much himself in his book.  

If the lower spec cams work with you then I can't disagree with that.  What 
you say about torque lower down is also true.  However, what gear used in 
climbing a  hill has as much to do with the final drive ratio as the torque 
output of the engine.  For example a car with a 4.5 final drive ratio is more 
likely to be in 3rd than a car with a 3.9 or even 3.7  but this says nothing 
about torque.  I also still stand by my statement about making a DCOE and 286 
cam work by using the Full Radius rams (like Ron just raved about, before he 
went off list, hmm) and the CV exhaust (recommended by David Vizard) I bet 
with those 2 mods my 1312 286 cam produces more torque over 2,000rpm than 
your engine with a milder cam and smaller carb does.

Finally, my car might be the exception to the rule but if so it is because I 
read Vizard cover to cover and spent my money (when I had some) smart rather 
than on parts that didn't deliver.


Daniel1312

In a message dated 24/08/00 21:11:57 GMT Daylight Time, 
Bryan.Vandiver@Eng.Sun.COM writes:

<< Daniel,
 
 It really sounds like your car is 'an exception to the rule' and not typical 
of 
 what can normally be achived, by the average home mechanic. Unfortuately, 
most 
 of us don't happen to have a 'dyno' handy to put our cars on, and must rely 
on 
 the 'tune by ear' method. Even so, dyno time at a shop can be quite 
expensive, 
 and may not be a practical use of funds for the average spridget owner. I'll 
 still stick by my recommendation for the milder cams. The lower the torque 
 curve, the more drivable the vehicle. I rather be in 3rd or 4th gear running 
up 
 hills than 2nd any day.
  >>

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