More Hemi woes

[426Roadrunner68]

Went from a really good day to a really crappy day on Sunday. We got the Roadrunner out this weekend for the first points race of the season. Winter changes were a new bolt together ATI 8" converter, new valve springs, new valve covers, new valley plate, new spark plug wires. This is the first race with the new bolt together ATI converter. I get in the car friday night during test and tune. Car left great, felt just like it always did with the Turbo action converter. I get the time slip, I am stunned. 5.66 at 120.34 MPH. WOW. A new best. Next hit, track got tight and air got cool, car did a hell of a wheelstand (not intended), ran another 5.66 at 120 MPH. Ok cool, we got a good setup. Ready for the next day. My dad is a good bit heavier than I am, roughly 50 or more pounds. I am always a few hundreths quicker in his car due to the weight difference. Saturday, air is no where near as good, he gets in the car, goes 5.73 at 119 MPH. Next pass, has an issue. Not sure what happened. Had a big bog and backfire. The gasket that sits between the carb and hood seal somehow broke in half and was stuck in the secondary throttle blades. Ok. Race rained out saturday and they were racing both points races on Sunday. First pass, 5.75 at 118.67 MPH. Ok this is exactly the same difference as we all slowed up due to even worse weather conditions. Heard what I thought was a header leak, ok we will check it out later. First round, runs another 5.75 at 118 MPH. Gets the win. Come back, lets check out the header leak. Actually its coming from the rocker area, not the header. Pull the valve cover, check for broken springs, burnt up pushrods, broken rocker, etc. Get to #8 intake, its got no lash. Ok wtf. Pull rocker off. Pull pushrod out, broken tip down at the lifter. Wow. Ok thats it for the weekend. Got home, pulled the intake last night, tip is laying in the lifter cup. Lifter bore is scarred up but no excess metal anywhere. Pried the lifter out of the bore and am going to do a leak down test to make sure no valve is bent. Took off work tomorrow to see if me and my engine builder can fix it for Dragway 42 next weekend, or if we need to pull it out and take it apart.
Will post pics after I take some later today or tomorrow.

On a brighter note, I jumped into the bottom bulb class for the first time in 11 years with my Demon. First time EVER using the trans brake off the bottom bulb as I used to footbrake the car before going top bulb racing.
Sure as ****, 7 rounds later, God parked me in the winner circle. Wow, couldn't believe it. Overall hell of a weekend. Now onto getting ready for 42 Mopar race next weekend.

 

[mmissile]

NICE

 

[dvw]

Broken pushrod tip on the lifter end? Thats an odd failure. Congrats again on your win. This year we wll have beers. I'll be at 42, I hope.
Doug

 

[426Roadrunner68]

Broken pushrod tip on the lifter end? Thats an odd failure. Congrats again on your win. This year we wll have beers. I'll be at 42, I hope.
Doug

Thanks Doug! I’ll be there for sure.

Yes I know it is very odd that it happened at the lifter end. Unfortunately the valve is bent so we won’t be able to just patch the lifter bore and rock on with a new lifter. Gotta take the head off.

 

[dvw]

Damn

 

[426Roadrunner68]

Damage is mainly up top with some burs. This will get cleaned up no problem.

 

[Runcharger]

Too bad, hopefully the rest isn't too bad.

 

[dvw]

That'll live.
Doug

 

[Nxcoupe]

Will any of you guys be going to 42 to watch Buckeye Skips? I'll HOPEFULLY be racing in that DnD end of June, 1 of July. Be nice to meet some if you guys.

 

[426Roadrunner68]

That'll live.
Doug

Got the engine out of the car and got it over to Bowmans yesterday, tore the head off. However that gasket got sucked down into the engine is what seems to have caused the bent valve. There was no piston to valve contact. Not sure how it is even possible as the gasket and no signs of the gasket are found in the cylinder. Thankfully it should be an easy repair after we get a lifter and a valve. Will be back in service after we get home from 42.

 

[Budnicks]

Congrats on the win in the Demon

sorry I don't remember it
please refresh our knowledge, what's the combo in that car ?

school this old dude'
what's top bulb & bottom bulb racing ?
is that some sort of new slang ?

 

[426Roadrunner68]

Congrats on the win in the Demon

sorry I don't remember it
please refresh our knowledge, what's the combo in that car ?

school this old dude'
what's top bulb & bottom bulb racing ?
is that some sort of new slang ?

Thank you sir, much appreciated.

Top bulb racing is using the delay box and trans brake. Bottom bulb is either footbrake racing, or using the transbrake with no delay box. I opted to use the transbrake with no delay box on the bottom bulb, something I have never done in my car.

Do you mean the combo in the Demon or the Roadrunner?

 

[Budnicks]

Thank you sir, much appreciated.

Top bulb racing is using the delay box and trans brake. Bottom bulb is either footbrake racing, or using the transbrake with no delay box. I opted to use the transbrake with no delay box on the bottom bulb, something I have never done in my car.

Do you mean the combo in the Demon or the Roadrunner?

OK I get it now,
not a new deal just called different things...
I assume most of it is on a 0.5 or 5/10ths Sportsman tree

not to bore anyone

Never did use a delay box, or any real driver aides, delays or otherwise
99% of what I did was 0.4 or 4/10ths Pro-tree
I did us a mechanical throttle stop for Super Series brackets S/C 8.90 & S/E 7.90
I did use a lot of trans-brakes, all 4 yellows lite at once
pretty successfully in the mid-teens lights
in A/Altered & AA/Gas comp eliminator, started that in the late 70's
77' when I turned 18, thru the early 80's
or NHRA old 7.90 S/E Super Eliminator, into the early 90's (it got shelved by NHRA)
class in my 2 Altereds, a 23 T 427cid BBC Methanol, Enderle Hat on a tunnelram
(that move, by the NHRA left a crapload of people's cars/combo out)
& a suspended 27 T with a Blown Enderle Inj. Milodon Mastodon Hemi (de-stroked to 526)
with a mechanical throttle stop (adjt. bolt in the floor) to slow them down, run the #s
w/no electronic aids other than Trans-brake
or my Top-Sportman doored cars 6.69 @ 217 best 92 Trans Am,
w/Lenco/Jeffco Crower slipper clutch
(wasn't really a good class in NHRA back then, nowhere-land sort of)
or Calif. Outlaw Pro-stock
(run bigger engines & less ballast/weights, like the Top Sportman stuff of IHRA)
mostly running mid 7's mid later 80's
or the 49 Ford w/BBC 477 - 499cid 8.50 Pro-Gas mid early 80's
budget minded, working stiff

did have quite a few Mopars during that era more of street racers, then track cars

Pretty much exclusively pro-tree & heads up

 

[Budnicks]

Thank you sir, much appreciated.

Do you mean the combo in the Demon or the Roadrunner?

Both, Either or combo would be cool...
Just curious...

I feel like my old stuff, is/was from the stone ages now...

again, congrats on the win

 

[dvw]

Thats me. Foot brake, no starting line chip, pushbutton shift, weight and timing to run index. If we miss index by .02 we made a big mistake.
Doug

 

[426Roadrunner68]

OK I get it now,
not a new deal just called different things...
I assume most of it is on a 0.5 or 5/10ths Sportsman tree

not to bore anyone

Never did use a delay box, or any real driver aides, delays or otherwise
99% of what I did was 0.4 or 4/10ths Pro-tree
I did us a mechanical throttle stop for Super Series brackets S/C 8.90 & S/E 7.90
I did use a lot of trans-brakes, all 4 yellows lite at once
pretty successfully in the mid-teens lights
in A/Altered & AA/Gas comp eliminator, started that in the late 70's
77' when I turned 18, thru the early 80's
or NHRA old 7.90 S/E Super Eliminator, into the early 90's (it got shelved by NHRA)
class in my 2 Altereds, a 23 T 427cid BBC Methanol, Enderle Hat on a tunnelram
(that move, by the NHRA left a crapload of people's cars/combo out)
& a suspended 27 T with a Blown Enderle Inj. Milodon Mastodon Hemi (de-stroked to 526)
with a mechanical throttle stop (adjt. bolt in the floor) to slow them down, run the #s
w/no electronic aids other than Trans-brake
or my Top-Sportman doored cars 6.69 @ 217 best 92 Trans Am,
w/Lenco/Jeffco Crower slipper clutch
(wasn't really a good class in NHRA back then, nowhere-land sort of)
or Calif. Outlaw Pro-stock
(run bigger engines & less ballast/weights, like the Top Sportman stuff of IHRA)
mostly running mid 7's mid later 80's
or the 49 Ford w/BBC 477 - 499cid 8.50 Pro-Gas mid early 80's
budget minded, working stiff

did have quite a few Mopars during that era more of street racers, then track cars
View attachment 2045334

Pretty much exclusively pro-tree & heads up

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Dang! You have had quite the career thats for sure. Very impressive.

 

[426Roadrunner68]

Both, Either or combo would be cool...
Just curious...

I feel like my old stuff, is/was from the stone ages now...

again, congrats on the win

Thanks again!

The Demon is a 540" wedge, indy low deck aluminum block, 440-1 heads, 14.8:1 compression, 112 race gas, 1175 Dominator on single plane intake, 285/296@.050, 111 LSA, .776/.752 with 1.6 rockers. Car weighs 2825-2835 depending on fuel, with me in it of course. 727 trans with brake, ATI converter, 32x13.5w-15 hoosier slick, 4.56 gears, dana 60, back half car with 4 link and anti roll bar. Viking shocks with coil over springs, rack and pinion on the front of the car, and viking shocks with coil overs on the rear as well. Car has been best of 1.16 60', 5.38 @ 127 MPH. This year I put a different converter in and so far its been great. It typically runs between 5.45-5.50. This year with some worn out slicks and fighting traction, have been as slow as 5.57 spinning its balls off. Somehow made it to the winner circle fighting traction.

And yes, I do have all the driver aids lol. Which I am not afraid to admit. Starting line enhancer so I don't have to worry about when to get on the trans brake when I am top bulb racing, delay box, air shifter, bump up and down buttons. In the delay box class, I am already at a disadvantage running a 3 speed with gas compared to alcohol. So I need every advantage I can get. Plus I never know what my car is going to do on the starting line when it launches, makes for a fun ride, but sometimes have my hands full so the air shifter is a must. Especially for top end racing.

The Roadrunner is a bit more of my childhood car that I was raised around. It is an original Hemi J code 68 hardtop 4 speed dana car. We still have the original motor. Currently it is a 572" Hemi, Stage V street replacement heads, 14.4:1 compression, Ray Barton single plane intake, 1250 Dominator, 112 race gas, 286/290@.050, 112 LSA, .791/.775 with 1.6 intake and 1.5 exhaust. Car weighs 3485 with my dad in it,. 727 footbrake, ATI converter, 29.5x11.5W-15 hoosier slick, 4.56 gears, dana 60, calvert split mono leaf rear suspension with a ladder bar and housing floater. Santhuff front shocks, strange rear shocks. Stock front end. Car has been a best of 5.66 at 120MPH with me in it. That is this year with the new converter. In worse air with my dad in the car, before it tweaked the valve, it was running between 5.73-5.75 at 119 MPH. Best 60' of 1.24. My dad is always about 2 hundreths slower in the car than I am because of our weight difference. So naturally, I always have the best ET in the car. LOL.

 

[426Roadrunner68]

Thats me. Foot brake, no starting line chip, pushbutton shift, weight and timing to run index. If we miss index by .02 we made a big mistake.
Doug

Your type of racing requires a whole other level of knowledge, experience, dedication, and driver skill. Too much for me to handle Doug, lol. Which is why I am always impressed.

 

[stage3]

a best of 5.66 at 120MPH with me in it.

calculated with wallace racing calculators.
Your Flywheel HP is 949
computed from your vehicle weight of 3485 pounds and ET of 5.66 seconds.

 

[426Roadrunner68]

calculated with wallace racing calculators.
Your Flywheel HP is 949
computed from your vehicle weight of 3485 pounds and ET of 5.66 seconds.

Thanks. I surely believe it. We are extremely happy with it. Especially with only running the street replacement head from Stage V.