Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

Red Anderson (RIP) made a lot of the tools used in tech.I wonder if it's something he made up?.

Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

This whole thing made me think of some things. We all know about an optimal stock eliminator motor. That is one with minimal deck height,valve lift that is good by .005-,002,cylinder head chamber volumns within .5cc's, etc. and the catch here is that they pass all lift and cc checks when room temp, but might not when hot. We had a very detailed discussion on push rod length on here a few years back, fun discussion and good thinking by all contributors, but what could hot engine temps do to push rod length, and valve lift as checked? It's not the as-built dimensions that really matter in a tear down situation, it's the as-checked dimensions that turn up when checked. Temperature changes could trip any one of us up. It would be advantageous to build motors with .010" less lift, one half cc chamber volumn to the large side, and all rocker arm ratios in line with specs by .03 or so.How close can you push the limit and come up good at any temperature? Also, if an engine is checked with different measuring tools than the engine builder used,what is the margin of error?Again, the checker's conclusions will trump any engine builder's conclusion. Obviously, when you enter and sign that tech card,you assume any responsibility for any situation that may arise from you racing that day.

Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

Agree with Greg on temps. I see a lot of cars being towed to the teardown barn instead of driven. Keep that engine dead cool.

Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

From what I am reading here you guys are saying an engine needs to be cold when it goes to teardown.

Does that mean when it is running at its highest operating temperature it is illegal?

Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

It could mean that an optimal engine at room temperature could slip into the realm of illegality when operating temperature at the finish line, or after doing a heat soak in the timeslip, fuel test, and scale line,only to slip back into legality after it resumes room temperature. Also, cooling it off makes it nicer to work on. Anybody want to handle a 180 degree cylinder head?

Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

Realistically the only consistent way to do it is to check a part at close to ambient temperature. That is the temperature the engine was built at. It would be silly to expect engines to be machined and checked at 180 degrees. Jim

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Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

Absolutely.

Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

I always carried a solid lifter with my correct plunger height with me and NHRA used it many times with no problem. It would be well worth it for all racers to do the same. As a rule they usually only carry one lifter for each brand make to check with. You can't really expect them to carry 100 different lifters. Bring your own! Jim

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Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

Just so evereyone is clear, they did check Don's lift with his lifters in place, we pulled his out because last time I went thru tear down we put in a solid lifter in place of the hydraulic to check lift and I thought they would this time but they did not. NHRA should get off of this fine for sportsman racers or the car count will keep going down, but maybe that is the plan to start with? Seems like something the government would do!

Re: NHRA Levied Actions Against Don Davidson
 

In theory maybe. At my local track, they have NO WAY of checking the validity of an NHRA permanent number going through tech. Even if they could, said suspended racer could show up without his NHRA # on the car and no one would be the wiser.