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Are you a GearHead?

Are you a Gear Head

  • Yes, I have the need for speed!

    Votes: 15 93.8%
  • No, why would anybody do that?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • WTF is a gear head?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • GearHeads should go to hell for all their pollution and noise!

    Votes: 1 6.3%

  • Total voters
    16

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
How many gearheads we have here?


Top Fuel Dragster Trivia

One TF dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower than the first 8 rows at the Daytona 500.

Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro per second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 but with 4 times the energy volume.

A stock hemi will not produce enough power to drive the dragster's supercharger.


Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.

Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.

At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame front of nitromethane measures 7050 degrees F.

Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.

Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2 way,> the engine is dieseling from compression - plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.

If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half.

To exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track,launch acceleration is closer to 8G's.

If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.

Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have completed reading this sentence.

Top Fuel Engines turn ONLY 540 revolutions from light to light!

The redline is actually quite high at 9500rpm.

Putting all of this in perspective:

You are driving an average Lingenfelter powered "twin-turbo" Corvette. Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying start, but you still run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph.
At this moment, the dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot hard down, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within seconds the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the finish line, a quarter mile away from where you passed him.

That, folks, is acceleration.

Think about it, from a standing start, this phenomenal machine has spotted you 200mph and not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 feet.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Just way too cool.

When are you putting a triplet of those engines in Plain Vanilla?
 

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I don't think anybody makes a drive that could handle that kinda power. Plus I like to go boating more than just a few seconds. And the biggest problem - I need another zero on the end of my W2 earnings.
 

Deadly Sushi

The One, The Only, Sushi
SUPER Site Supporter
I used to be. But I now have 4 cyl. Camry. BUUUUUT.... its black and I spraypainted the hubcaps gunmetal. :thumb:
 

BigAl

Gone But Not Forgotten
SUPER Site Supporter
I'm not a GearHead ,but my wife calls me a Butthead a lot . Does that count ???
 

Av8r3400

Gone Flyin'
Mr. Waybomb said:
... Top Fuel Engines turn ONLY 540 revolutions from light to light! ...[/qoute]

@ 300mph and 9000 rpm, the motor would turn 475 revolutions in .25 miles.

Equasion: (.25 miles / 300 mph ) x 60 minutes per hour = .05 minutes
.05 minutes x 9500 rpm = 475

So, given the acceleration curve and varying rpm during that acceleration, I believe this is a valid number.

(I began this post trying to invalidate this number, but I cannot. :respect: )
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Great post Fred. That opens my eyes to the power involved in running top fuel dragsters. Awesome.

I sure have the need for speed! But I just don't have the dollars. :(
I 'get by' with a little 454 in my Baja. :D
 

Wannafish

Floppy Member
SUPER Site Supporter
I used to have a need for speed. Motorcycles were my thing. Now I find it just takes too darn long to heal!
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
I wish I could be a gearhead. Let's see: Diesel truck, Diesel Tractor, weighted down Crapsman lawnmower, 20 year old mountain bike with flat tires, de-throttled Barbie Jeep, ........ Nope, I'm going no where fast these days! :(
 

waybomb

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
PBinWA said:
I wish I could be a gearhead. Let's see: Diesel truck, :(

Big Turbo, Intercooler, and Propane injection. Won't hardly cost anything! Probably could get all the parts for a few hundred by making friends at the local truck garage. Some rebuilding skills. And you are killing all the mosquitoes in the neighborhood with the clouds of black smoke you'll make.

I have an 82 Mercedes 300SD. Small 5 cylinder diesel. I kinda tuned it up a bit - you should see the smoke! Haven't done the propane yet, but I'll get around to it.
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
waybomb said:
Big Turbo, Intercooler, and Propane injection.

Oh yeah, I had all that planned out! Then I got married . . .then I bought 5 acres and a fixer-upper . . . then the first kid . . . then the second. Yup - ain't gonna happen anytime soon. :cry:
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
PBinWA said:
.....de-throttled Barbie Jeep, ........ Nope, I'm going no where fast these days! :(

PB has a Barbie Jeep??? :eek: Why?

I suppose it's PINK, otherwise why would it be a barbie jeep? :confused:
 

Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
PBinWA said:
It's purple! As to why - see the above post - kid 1 + 2.


If you get tired of it drive it on down to Ohio. I've always wanted to see how a jeep would do on my trails. :D
 

Dargo

Like a bad penny...
GOLD Site Supporter
PBinWA said:
I wish I could be a gearhead. Let's see: Diesel truck, Diesel Tractor, weighted down Crapsman lawnmower, 20 year old mountain bike with flat tires, de-throttled Barbie Jeep, ........ Nope, I'm going no where fast these days! :(


Diesel truck...no problem

Old car...no problem :tiphat:
 

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Doc

Bottoms Up
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Geesh Tom, the idea is to go fast ....not stop. :eek:

Brent, SWEET Chevy! Is that a 65 chevelle?

I owned a 66 chevelle convertable at one time. I sure would enjoy restoring one of those. You actually have room in the engine compartment to get to things. :applause:
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
TOMLESCOEQUIP said:
Brent.........Are you insane ?? Why haven't you gotten rid of that old single line master cylinder yet ??
Note the date in the picture.

Considering what's left of his car after our party, the master cylinder is the least of his worries.

Brent - Were you able to get the car out of impound? Did insurance help you at all?
 

TOMLESCOEQUIP

Just Plinkin Away the $$
Brent........Don't bother fixing that old chevy........Take the insurance check & some of your petty $$ laying around & get one of these instead.
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
TOMLESCOEQUIP said:
Brent........Don't bother fixing that old chevy........Take the insurance check & some of your petty $$ laying around & get one of these instead.
Sweet!

Brent - When you get it, can you swing by my place and take me for a ride? :wave: It appears it's only about 1 hour travel time (although you'll need to replace the tires at least once and stop for fuel 4 times).

Oh, the $1.6M price tag seems very reasonable. :rolleyes:
 

TOMLESCOEQUIP

Just Plinkin Away the $$
bczoom said:
Oh, the $1.6M price tag seems very reasonable. :rolleyes:

Isn't $ 1.6M the quote the EPA figured to pump out the pool a Dargo's following the party ?????????
 

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humor_me

New member
PBinWA said:
Oh yeah, I had all that planned out! Then I got married . . .then I bought 5 acres and a fixer-upper . . . then the first kid . . . then the second. Yup - ain't gonna happen anytime soon. :cry:

I think similar things happened to a lot of us...sort of kills the spirit one day at a time...:toilet:

And yes! another zero on the W2 would help immensely:coolshade
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
TOMLESCOEQUIP said:
Brent........Don't bother fixing that old chevy........Take the insurance check & some of your petty $$ laying around & get one of these instead.

That's it! I'm selling everything and getting one of those! I'm sure my kids are worth at least a million! :whistle:

Favorite quote: At this speed the tires will only last 15 minutes but that's OK because we'll be out of fuel in 12.:respect:
 
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