Well everyone, The Mark is planned to be featured in a magazine. :) I am humbly flattered, that my Mark build intrigued the editor of two magazines. We have spoken, and a feature is planned for the final stages of The Mark build.

They will be following Aric Carrion with Injected Engineering, while he builds my new forged motor, the swap, SC tube work, etc. taking photos of everything along the way.

I will post stuff here, as they come up with this part of the build.

Many Thanks to Aric, Ryan, and Tyler with Injected Engineering, as this build is all about their impeccable craftsmanship, and attention to detail.

http://www.injectedengineering.com

I also would like to thank Mr. Will Smith, with Buckaroo Communications - Ford Builder and Super Rod magazines for making my day :)

http://www.fordbuilder.com

http://www.superrod.com

Congratulations are in order. I'll shake your hand and deliver a suitable swat on the back tomorrow.

Congrats. They couldn't have picked a better car to write about.

Nice job, they definitely picked an amazing car to do it on.
Congrats :)

ŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻŻ
·Ï˘ċrµ§·

1994 Mark VIII

Thats great Mike congradulations too you and the men that did the work !!:D :D

Cingrats, Mike, you'll have to start practicing your autograph for all the fans :)

When does the build finish up on the new motor?

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

Congrats Mike. I dont even want to post a sarcastic remark, as it wouldnt do any good...you're probably feeling quite honored, and the "little people" like me couldnt touch you.

BTW...make sure you buy a new helmet...once that magazine hits the shelves, your head wont fit inside your old one.

I bet you had no idea when you commited to this long-term project, that your car would be a feature ride in a magazine. Just be sure to be extra carefull with it so nothing happens to it appearance wise...articles like "build ups" are fun to read, but the articles arent nearly as interesting without pictures, and your car photographs quite well.

I am happy for you. I am on the fence about selling my 94, and you're trudging along down the path of eternal ownership.




94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

Congratulations! That is amazingly cool, and I hope you will keep all of us posted on here about all the little details of what it is like to be a celebrity! :)

And I have to say... man that Mark sits low!

Very nice!!

Congradulations Mike!

Can't wait to see that one.

Thanks Everyone! :) I am thrilled to say the least. Aric has already sent a Teksid block to the machine shop last week, and has all the engine parts on order. Let the fun begin! :) Stay tuned...

Update - Spoke with Ryan@Injected yesterday, and it will be another week before the engine block is done. Tim Lynch at Pro Line Race Engines is doing the machine work on the 302 stroker kit. People who follow Outlaw 10.5 drag racing will recognize the name Tim Lynch. He is the man :)

http://www.prolineraceengines.com/index.php

The heads and cams are also on there way to Pro Line and Barry Doyle is going to refresh a set of Aric's heads and cams. Not sure what cams are being used, but I suspect they will not be Mark VIII grind cams.

So, before anything is set up with Will Smith for the magazine article, all this preliminary stuff needs to be done first. More to come in the next week or two... :)

It's always hurry and wait with you, Mike!

Let us know when it hits the stand, and where the autograph session will be. :)

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

lol Calvin :) Story of my life. The wait will be worth it though. Aric is very excited to get this going, and assures me I will not be disappointed with the results. There is no doubt in my mind that he will amaze me... again... :)

I have been reading Will's articles in Ford Builder magazine, and I must say, he can really tell a good story that is informative, and I can relate to.

I sure am lucky to have all these very talented guys in the middle of the Mark's build. :)

I wonder if at the beginning of the article they will start out by telling the readers how the car used to be a slow Gen 2 with continental wheels and white walls :P

that's a GOOD think Mike...provides more contrast in the "then and now" phase.

bet you cant wait to hear that sucker fire up for the first time.

so...question is, will you be adding weight to the vehicle in the form of a roll bar to conform with NHRA rules? ;)



94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

Nah, the only weight I've seen Mike adding to his Mark is definitely in the driver's seat. The man likes his fish & chips. :)

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

>... The man likes his fish & chips. :)

THAT'S a fact! A 3 piece disappears pdq.

Hey now... lol I do like my fish and chips... :9

I would like to see the Mark run a 11.5 on a hot summer night, and a 11.5 during SSHS in November. I have absolutely no intentions of ever putting a roll bar in the Mark, so I will just put a drive shaft safety loop in it, and have fun getting as close to 11.5 as I can without getting the boot from the track officials. :)

The bottom end is done, and back at Aric's shop. Here are the pictures of it. I do not have the spec's on everything, but I asked Ryan some general questions, and he said it has a forged steel crank shaft, and all the stuff I mentioned before like the 302 stroker, Manley rods and pistons, ARP bolts, etc. The heads and cams are still at Pro Line, and as soon as they are done, Aric is going to put all this stuff together. :)

Heads are done, and back at Aric's shop. :) He is good to go now for the engine build after the Fun Ford event here in Atlanta.

I must have missed something...what did they do to those heads? looks like the milled the mating surface only...I see filthy valves, combustion chamber and ports...

I am still amazed at how small the bottom end is on these motors...just goes to show...OHC motors...its mostly in the heads.




94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

lol :) This is what I know - They are 96-98 Cobra heads and cams that were freshened up. They were disassembled and cleaned, surfaced, and the valve tips were machined - valve job. The valve guides are new bronze, and were sized and matched to valves and the spring height has been set using new hardened valve spring shims. Everything was done to safely spin the motor at 7k rpm, and beyond...? :)

Here are a couple pictures from SSHS7, and a video of the best run of the day. Enjoy! :)


http://videos.streetfire.net/video/SC-Mark-VIII-SSHS7_139939.htm

Update - Will from Ford Builder magazine had a photo shoot of Aric building the motor at Injected Engineering today. Aric tore down the entire bottom end, and started over with the bare block for Will to shoot pictures from the very beginning.

We had a great day, and it was a real pleasure meeting Will. He is very well informed with the mn12 & fn10 chassis. He drove his really nice t-bird super coupe here, and he has more t-birds back at home.

Aric took it as far as he could, and really wanted to have the chains on it today, but wanted to put new tensioner's on the motor, so he has a new list of parts for Ryan to hunt down.

So, it should be very soon now for the new motor swap. :) Here are some pictures...

sweet. I like the way its going Mike...
does Aric have any ball-park HP/TQ figures with the new rolling assembly?

and I predict next on the list...some serious chassis bracing, and perhaps some NHRA required chassis updates?

If you run 11.50's...you're screwed...why?

11.49 or quicker requires a roll bar. the added weight of such tends to slow the car down a tenth or more...it is a crummy ET to be in...seriously...but a great crummy place to be.

I've seen so many cars dip in to the 11.40's, only to add the NHRA safety upgrades, and end up running 11.60's afterwords x( x( x(

cant wait to see it done, running, driven, pump-gas blown Mark VIII...that's so sweet.



94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

Thanks, Craig. :) As far as hp/tq numbers go, historically, we are going to either run out of fuel, have belt slip, or over spin the S trim blower somewhere in the 500 to upper 600rwhp range.

If the Focus fuel pump and KBBAP give up first, a Ford GT pump is going in. I would hate to do it, but I might consider new fuel lines if the GT pump is still not enough. I have no plans at the moment to go 8 rib, or bump up to a t-trim.

I would be happy to have the car in the mid 11 range, without a roll bar.

I'll be impressed when you need wheelie bars. :D

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

lol Don't tempt me... :) BTW, Calvin, Will is way into auto crossing his t-bird, and was in the lead in his class until he had to miss a weekend because of work. I did not ask him if he races down here or not, but he knows about racing at Turner field.

Cool. Tell him the car counts in Atlanta are much higher than most regions, last race, in the rain, 163 drivers. With sunny events, you get over 200 drivers.

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

ok, I'll let him know. He said the drive here was about 2 hours from his house. Maybe he might come down and give it a try...

......over on SCCOA Will said that FORD BUILDER was closing it's doors and that he didin't know what was going to happen with his write-ups.....
z

Wow, that is news to me. Will said they have about a dozen titles (magazines) that he shoots/does articles for within the company. In fact, he never really said that my car was definitely going to be in Ford Builder, but rather said Ford Builder, Street Rod, etc., wherever his boss decided to put the article kind of thing.

That is too bad. Ford Builder was one of the very few magazines that was not a 90% + Mustang content publication. I will post an update as soon as Will let's me know what is going on.

Update - I dropped the Mark off at Aric's shop last Friday. :) He is going to take the motor out, and send some parts to be powder coated, and transfer other stuff from the old motor to the new motor.

Will Smith is going to come back to Aric's to shoot photo's of the completed engine, then, come back again and shoot the feature photo's of the car when it is ready to go on the dyno.

I understand that the plan is to feature the Mark in a special edition of Super Rod magazine, that will focus on late model cars.

While the engine is out of the car, the engine bay is going to be cleaned up and made nice and purdy for the new motor. And, Aric has a couple sets of Mustang rims with slicks that are going to be test fitted on the back of the Mark, to get an idea of how wide of a slick tire can be fitted in the wheel well.

I am going to try and get a set of off the shelf Mustang drag rims if I can. If not, Ryan has a vendor that will custom make some drag rims.

The goal here, is to shoot for everything to be done and dialed in by the rescheduled Atlanta Fun Ford Weekend event, on June 13, 14, 15. :)

Good luck Mike...cant wait to see the finished product...AND the time slip!

I'd consider borrowing/purchasing a set of skinnies for the front for track use...they'll help quite a bit, if you can budget for a new set of skinnies...they are lighter, and have less drag than those fat fronts you are running.

That is IF the "ultimate low ET" is a goal for the article.



94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

Thanks, Craig :) Ryan and I talked about the fronts. They might be a little more difficult to find, since I will want them to match the rears, and they have to fit over the Brembos.

So, for now, my focus is on getting the thing to hook. I hope there is a 1.6 60'time in it. That should be good enough for a mid 11 second @ 120's run :)

Ryan called me today, and said the motor is out of the Mark! :) Waiting for the cam covers to return from powder coating, and then transfer the accessory parts over to the new motor.

Will is going to come back and take a couple more photos of the complete engine assembly, and then come back again when the Mark goes to the rollers for the dyno session, and the final photo shoot of the car.

All this is going to take place before Fun Ford Weekend at Atlanta Dragway - June 14th. I will try and get over to the shop tomorrow to take some pictures.

Oh the carnage... :) lol Take a look at all my junk scattered all over the place.

Some stuff is going to be pulled off the old motor - like the front cover, and get a chemical bath to make it look like new again.

Ryan has to go over and pick up the powder coated cam covers (used a pair of Aric's covers that I am trading him for}, and he is calling the Bradshaw Bros. and PI to see if they can either ship me a triple disc in a week and a half, or at least tell me if there is any chance the single disc in it now will survive at the track with the new motor.

Crunch time... :) Ryan found a extra set of 16" steel rims and MT slick's off my friend Steve's Marauder that bolted right up to the Mark. Just need to get one inner tube replaced, and see what Steve will sell them to me for. I have not seen them, but Ryan said they have a spare tire look to them - just much wider than my 255's I had on the stock rims. Here is a link to some more photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/papapeach/MarkMotorBuild/photo#s5205876708149637698

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo........



purdy. But then I do appreciate junk laying all over, makes me feel at home. :D


I think you better save "carnage", maybe call this trauma? ;)

lol Marvin :) They called me up to come back to the shop after work, and they had it all put away :)

Update - A lot has happened since lunch time today. The old motor is now torn down, and there is no obviously hurt pistons or valves found.

Aric is going to totally tear down the to the bare heads and block to see why there was compression loss in number 7 cylinder - not that it matters to me, but he wants to do it anyway.

He was able to get a hold of Vickie at PI this afternoon, and she is going to ship me a new 3600 stall triple disc torque converter, while Aric boxed up my PI 3600 single disc TC and shipped it back to her today. Hope to see the new triple disc here next week! :)

And, since the car is already taking up the lift, he is going to take out the Focus fuel pump and replace it with a Ford GT fuel pump to get that out of the way. I posted more pictures of the old motor in my prior post link, along with a picture of the Marauder slick that I am going to use at Fun Ford.

Here is a list of parts that are going on the car, that were not part of the original engine build quote.

All of these extra parts are for added durability, or to help reach the goal of somewhere in the 500rwhp range - *enough power to run a 11.5 time at the track all day long.

There is no roll bar in the Mark, so that 11.5 time is where I have to stop if I plan to race it at Atlanta Dragway.

MET-MBR0004 - Screw in type valve cover breather

FOMOCO-XR3Z6B209DB - Steel tensioner recall kit for 96-98 Mustang Cobra

INJ-9603MT - Injected Engineering manual serp belt stabilizer

OEM-MC-PW470 - Water pump for 96-98 Cobra

FOMOCO-F3LY6K297A - Timing chain guides

FOMOCO-1R3Z6M256AA - Timing chain guides

FOMOCO-1R3Z6L253AA - Timing chain guides

FOMOCO-1R3Z6L253BA - Timing chain guides

FOMOCO-F7LZ6K254AA - Timing chain tensioner for 4.6 4v C Head

FOMOCO-F7LZ6K254BA - Timing chain tensioner for 4.6 4v C Head

LFP-PFB81 - GT supercar fuel pump

ATI-918038 - ATI 8 rib 10% Overdrive harmonic balancer

PI-MDLOCK - Precision Industries Multi disc lock-up torque converter upgrade

I have to say, seeing what you've done with your car has inspired me to fix up my '96. I absolutely LOVE the look of those wheels and tires (and the big brakes) on the Mark.

Living in CA, though, I'm not sure I can really get away with doing anything to the engine, though I might get away with going to a true dual-exhaust and deleting the 3rd cat & resonator (hey, 10 horses right there...)

I'm just not looking forward to shopping around for a body shop to take care of all the parking-lot dings and the rotting clearcoat...

Do you mind my asking what the end-all cost for the brake project was (everything from the hubs on out, I guess?)

Your car is just absolutely gorgeous to look at...

erm. brainfart... too many windows open, and I meant to post this to your "big brakes" thread.

:P

Thanks. :) A rough guess for the brake calipers, SS brake lines, rotors, and hub conversion, ARP wheel studs, misc small stuff + labor will run somewhere up-to/around $5k.

Another update... Will Smith is going to be at Aric's shop tomorrow to finish the engine build photo shoot. :) I am going to stop by and take some more pictures of the progress also.

The cam covers are back from powder coat, and look cool. They are flat black with a wrinkle type of finish. Kinda looks like a new BBQ grill with a textured finish. I think it is going to offset all the shiny stuff - polished tube work, polished Cobra intake, polished ACCUFAB TB, and polished Vortech compressor real good.

I have a choice of plaques that go on the COP cover - The stock black/shiny letter "InTech 32 valve" one, or a Cobra one that has shiny silver/darker silver letters "32 Valve V8" Any opinions on which one to use?

Once the photo shoot is done, the motor is going in the car as soon as the PI TC arrives. The Ford GT fuel pump still needs to go in also. I will post some pictures tomorrow :)

With all the shiny stuff in there, it would probably make sense to break up the flat black with something else. You need more stuff to polish anyway...

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

with all the coinage you have spent there, and all the time ARIC has devoted to your build, I am actually shocked he hasnt had a set custom made with his company's logo on them.

something like these below, except with IE's logo/name.








as for finish...I'd go with a brushed look, like the old school wrinkle-finish valve covers from the old push-rod motor days(the Hi-Po 289's, etc)


my second choice, would be these:





it is a Ford motor(sort of), so you are allowed to have the FORD name under the hood.







94 sprung/97 on air
(former)President/Founder Club 16

Those are some nice covers, but they are a little too flashy for me.

Will Smith finished up the engine photo shoot with Aric today. :) He said the motor should be in the car by Friday.

Looks real nice, but Aric is going to tear it all back down and redo everything - without the audience, to make sure he does not miss anything.

He is going to replace the heater hose pipe that would not budge, new alternator, add the new Cobra IMRC controller because the Mark VIII bracket was not even close to fitting the Cobra intake, and a couple missing chain guides that he put old ones on to keep the photo shoot going.

I have added more pictures to the following link, and pasted some below.



http://picasaweb.google.com/papapeach/MarkMotorBuild/photo#s5208134351729977154

Mike:

What an awesome engine - beautiful job by Eric. Great looking valve covers. Very impressive work - very detailed. Perhaps you can give me a car length at FFW to make it a competition match. You should easily run mid-11's with your engine build.

Good Luck with the install.


Glenn Ford

Thanks, Glenn :) Aric has really put a bunch of time and effort into this car, and it show's. lol, I am not counting my chickens before they hatch, but I hope you are right that the Mark will run mid-11's out of the box.

We might be able to work something out with a handicap, but let me just say that your MM is no slouch, and has my utmost respect :) I know one thing, I will have to chase you down on the big end, because I do not think I will ever match your awesome short times :)

Here is the lunchtime update - Assembly is complete except for a couple fittings. Going in the car this afternoon! :) Updated pictures in the link, and a couple that show the progress.


http://picasaweb.google.com/papapeach/MarkMotorBuild/photo#s5208809931150102962

For the naive, what's the air filter on the valve cover for?

Also, the black box under the intake manifold, is that a servo for the second intake port gates?

The more I learn, the more ignorant I feel.

Don't feel bad asking questions. I bend Aric's ear every day with my questions too. The valve cover breather is to work with the PCV to help vent waste byproducts of combustion and pressurized air from the forced induction (supercharger). PCV recycles the air through the intake, and the breather - air goes to atmosphere.

You are correct - the black box is a new Cobra IMRC controller.

Aric had to make a executive decision today. His business enterprise is expanding, and he is doubling the size of his shop this weekend. So, that means the Mark has to come down from it's perch on the lift, and become a "roller" being towed by his golf cart so he can knock down a wall tomorrow.

He is going to come in on Monday - his day off (they are actually open Tue - Sat) to install the motor. Here are some pictures of his new space, where he is going to have more lifts, and his dyno from his other shop put in. He will finally be under one roof :) Here are some pictures. Congratulations, Aric, on the new space! :)

Mike,

With that new IMRC location, it presents a perfect opportunity to better cool the drivers side head. I am making some mods this weekend to help the DS head cooling and I wish I had all the room your new set up allows. Here are a couple of links to suppliers for the cooling mod I am referencing. I am doing it slightly different by sending the hot coolant back to the upper radiator as in the second system below.

http://www.socalterminators.com/ldc/index.html

http://www.evenflowcooling.com/home.html

Bob

>

Lemme guess- the green recliner installed just for you Mike? :7

Bob, I was advised that I did not need the mod. lol Marvin :) How did you know? :P


New motor is in the Mark! :) Link has been updated too with more pictures.



http://picasaweb.google.com/papapeach/MarkMotorBuild/photo#s5210009364393827010

gorgeous... absolutely gorgeous.

Now I want to build one.

Of course, facing ~8k in plumbing repairs to my house, maybe next year. :(

Mike:

Hard to fully understand the magnitude of work involved in this project - truly a beautiful job. Good luck on the dyno, see you Friday.

Glenn

Thanks, Guys. :) Glenn, I had to find a steering coupler real quick last night. The one in the Mark was bent while removing the old motor.

Found one in Florida, and is being overnight shipped. Should be here tomorrow. We are going down to the wire with this :) Glad the motor will get at least 80 miles on it driving to Atlanta Dragway before I race it. :)

Looks great, Mike. See you at the track this weekend.

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

fingers crossed for ya Mike...great project...hope to see a smile bigger than your checkbook when you get done!



94 sprung/97 on air
(former)President/Founder Club 16

Incredible, Mike... I remember your car being one of the first I drooled over when I joined this site, back when it still wore the chrome Continental wheels.

Now you've got a beast no one would suspect as being a beast...

Thanks again everyone :) I posted more pictures in the link located in my last post.

Mike:

Eric is to be congratulated on the quality of his work. His work is on par with Lidio. One truly amazing job.

Glenn

Mike, I looked at all your pics from your web posting and am impressed with all the mods.

In one of the pics; the sway bar is rubbing the rear tire. What did you have to do to solve that issue?

Thanks again, Guys :) A 1/2" wheel spacer was used to get the tire off the sway bar.

Tube work is done! :) Here is a link to the pictures:


http://picasaweb.google.com/papapeach/MarkMotorBuild/photo#s5213696473739937794

Needs more chrome!



.:9

Buy stock in billet polish... I see a increase in sales coming :)

hahaha... :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)


http://picasaweb.google.com/papapeach/MarkMotorBuild/photo#s5216696462923579074


http://videos.streetfire.net/video/The-Mark-is-ALIVE_168450.htm?ref=e9957d79-dfd4-425c-920b-994e015074e3

Hey, it runs.

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

Very happy day :) Aric is running it through a couple full cold/hot/cold cycles to make sure everything seals up and there are no leaks. He has a real fat tune in it now also. The tables between the old setup and new setup are not even close, so these are idle only heat cycles.

Once the Mark passes the no leak test, Aric is going to tear it down, and hit the shiny stuff with the buffer, fuss around with some vacuum lines, and make it look purdy. :)

Then, put it back together and on to the dyno!

that is going to be one wicked ride Mike.
cant wait to see video of it from 0-1320 feet.
hope it hooks up. if it does...you're gonna be flying.


congrats pal.



94 sprung/97 on air
(former)President/Founder Club 16

And now it's durable too... :D

Thanks, Craig and Marvin. :)

Here is the first Super Rod Magazine article that you can view online now of the Mark's engine build. This is the August 2008 issue of Super Rod, that you can find a Barnes and Noble, and other book stores. There will be a follow up feature done when the Mark is all done. :)

PS: Thanks again to Aric and Will for making this all happen!


http://www.superrod.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=AE61BCE2EFE94FB48E4DC360DD631B8F&tier=4&id=FBF3FFD6F7B64D1292E79984AC63B4E0&AudID=0CBB6B9BFBA748EA8B90D7672A976D29

Cool Mike. Congrats on getting published, can't wait to see the finished product, but probably not as much as you're looking forward to it.

Oh yeah, when did you buy a Mark 8 and sell your VIII? :P Damn hack writers...


Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

Mike:

Great job by Eric and Super sounding engine!!! But, we need NUMBERS!! Do I get the first dance card???

Glenn Ford :)

>Great job by Eric and Super sounding engine!!! But, we need NUMBERS!! Do I get the first dance card???

Sure you do Glenn... rest of us Mark guys are askeered of him now. ;( Only one that even has a shot at him heads up is still in a garage in Lower Alabama.... though he thinks he'll be ready in time for SSHS.

Gary's will still be shinier though. :+

Thanks, Guys :) I had no idea it was going to press until I stopped by Aric's shop yesterday. Ryan handed me the magazine and pointed to the bottom left corner of the cover, and there was Aric's picture of him working on the Mark's motor.

I laughed, and then he opened it and showed me the article. WOW, that was a cool moment. Had a grin on my face for the last two days now :)

BTW, Click on the download button to see the actual magazine article and all the pictures and comments. It launched a PDF file that I viewed in Adobe Reader.

Still looking forward to lining up with you Glenn!

Marvin, Go over and kick Jeff in the butt and get him going. Hard to believe, but I think his build has been going twice as long as mine :o

>Marvin, Go over and kick Jeff in the butt and get him going.
>Hard to believe, but I think his build has been going twice as
>long as mine :o

Hey, I can't even get him on the phone much these days.... His "work situation" has changed around a few times in the year or so the car has been under cover too. I'm amazed he's as far along as he is. We did discuss going to the track this weekend as spectators, does that count? :+

Mike:

Congratulations on the great magazine article on the Mark - well deserved - a truly beautiful and impressive job by Eric.

Well, I'm sure I will get my butt kicked real good since my max HP is about 480 with Lidio's "go for broke and don't call me if it blows" race tune with 110. But, that's basically what the car has been built to do - race. (Anything over 520 and I will need a car length.) Perhaps we can schedule something before SSHS8? Good luck with the dyno.

I plan on being at the AMS Friday Night Drags this Friday (1/8 mile). I enjoy beating more powerful Mustangs or other cars who think it is only grandpa's car on the line next to them until the DRs dig in. (Perhaps you can join me some Friday night.)

Good Info: The FRPP HD LSD kit is holding up very well. I did a few launches today and was pleased with the continuing good results. I would recommend this kit before going with an Eaton which is my next step if I blow my rear for the fourth time.

Glenn Ford :)

lol Marvin, No, that don't count. Jeff should be banned from the track until his Mark is done. :)

Thanks again, Glenn. Not sure yet what numbers the Mark will put down. But like I said before, I am probably going to find out what limits of the stock fuel lines, filter, and rails are with both pump and race fuel. :)

I definitely will be going to either Commerce or Reynolds before SSHS. I will post a thread when the Mark is ready to go to the track.

I have not changed the clutch pack yet on the trac lock that Scott L. installed a couple years ago. When it is ready, I will try that rebuild kit. :)

>Oh yeah, when did you buy a Mark 8 and sell your VIII? :P
>Damn hack writers...
>


I agree...hacks! They spend hours editing, re-writing, re-wording, and final proofing an article before it goes to print...how they missed the fact that the Mark series used roman numerals since day 1 just shows that.

but who cares...I'd rather have a Mark 8 in print, than a Mark VIII NOT in print!

congrats Mike....cant wait to see the numbers bro...then again...who cares about numbers...lets see that sucker RUN! and be sure when it does...someone gets some top-Quality footage ok?

enjoy the spotlight.

Oh, and your 15 minutes of fame is up in.....

94 sprung/97 on air
(former)President/Founder Club 16

Thanks, Craig. I hope to go to the track real soon. :)

Boy does that sound familiar...


Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

>....and be sure when it does...someone gets some top-Quality footage ok?

Oh oh... I guess we better hope Cal makes it to the track with him, Sounds like Craig doesn't want the Wendyvison stuff this time around. }(

Did you tell Jeff he's banned from the track until the car runs? I got a voicemail this weekend that he'd stayed up all night and gotten it fired up... something about a lot of homeless spiders... Haven't had a chance to call and debrief him but going to try today.

The only other Mark VIII that would have any chance against Mike would be the legendary Mark VIII of Scott Levine of Atlanta. His Mark is over 600 HP and is a real runner. But, as we all know Scott is recovering from a serious operation. So his Mark will not be avaialble for sometime.

There is only a few serious Marauder contenders and one is Tom's in FL who ran 11.3 this year. Tom's MM is over 600 HP. Another is Brian's MM in TN. He will be installing his new stroker motor this month and should be pushing 600+ HP. Of course there is Marty's MM with over 600 HP. He moved recently to Hiram West of Atlanta. But, I am not sure his MM is even running anymore. I bet Brian would be willing to come to Commerce something this Summer to join us. It would be an interesting day. I just destroyed my Nittos at the AMS Friday Nite Drags so it looks like I will be getting the new MT 305s.

Glenn Ford :-)

I just finished up some chassis work and hoping Mike and I can meet up some time. I haven't been to the track yet, but hope to in the near future. Be fun to see the results as we both went a little different in our power adders. In the mean time all the pros to him in getting good press for the Mark Vlll's.
Keep up the good work Mike the car sertainly looks sharp !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI17C_PL2To

Thanks, Guys! :) lol Marvin :) Calvin had the Wendyvision switch on the last time he did a video of the Mark. I think he was shooting three cameras, on his cell phone, and drinking a bottle of water when he did this video:


http://videos.streetfire.net/video/SC-Mark-VIII-at-the-track_124964.htm

Jeff is still banned from the track. Wait until he tells you that he has to go to Lonnies to finish the tube work and tune it. That should put him somewhere around January lol :)

Glenn, I tried to hook Scott up with Jeremi way.... before his surgery to help him sort out the wiring on his Mark, and convert it over to COP. The man has no time for that monster. :( I hope he is doing well. Is he back at Team Ford yet?

lol There are a ton of MM's that will spank my ass all over the track. lol, get in line :) I think Steve Schingler wants some too... I know my place in the food chain :)

Charlie, You know I would love to line up against you and your beast. That would be bad ass. Try and consider coming to SSHS8. Even if you don't race, we have a great time! :)

>Charlie, ....Try and consider coming to SSHS8. Even if you don't race, we have a great time! :)

If Charlie's Roadboss I'll second that... I wanna see his car in person and I can't think of a good reason to drive to MI for a meet (or figure a way for Uncle to send me on training nearby). I gotta stay out of Ohio since my first ex wife lives there. :P

Cal's thumb must've slipped he never screws up photography! Ok, he never posts anything he screws up maybe... But he is the ubergeek, you'd think something as simple as a video camera wouldn't get the best of him ever.

Mike:

You are definitely are up there with the "Great White Sharks" of heavy weights. I am just snack food for your new beast. So I can only hope for a bad tire spin in the other lane to win.

Any numbers??? When are you going to the Dyno?


Glenn Ford :-)


PS: Still looking for an 18' trailer if you know of any for sale.

lol Marvin, That's Mr. Roadboss to you... lol :) You can call him Charlie when you meet him in person :)

Thanks, Glenn. And you are correct, anything can happen at the track. No numbers yet. I think it is going to the dyno any day now.

I will ask Ryan again about the trailer. He said he would keep a look out for one. I will let you know.

>lol Marvin, That's Mr. Roadboss to you... lol :) You can
>call him Charlie when you meet him in person :)

Oh, I see... another uppity Yankee like you is he? x(











.:+

Who wha...? I'm a southern boy. lol Ask DOM, I even tried boiled peanuts on the half shell. ewe... once... :9 x(

Charlie on the other hand..., is one of the nicest men you will ever have the pleasure to meet. :) And, he has a kick butt Mark to boot! :)

>Who wha...? I'm a southern boy. lol Ask DOM, I even tried
>boiled peanuts on the half shell. ewe... once... :9 x(

I'm pretty sure eatin' Hardee's biscuits by the ton ain't the only qualification to be a "southern boy". I bet you don't even know how to spell the plural of ya'll? Real southerners eat boiled peanuts with the shell - and they drive their hotrods on DIRT roads. :P

Speaking of southern boys, I think I got all of yall beat.

Mike, congratulations. What a beast.. I only got 1 ride in it with the old motor, I can't wait to see it now, Ya think I could get another ride?
If anybody happens to get an extra copy of the magazines I would love to have a copy. Don't really have any book stores by me, Lots of bait and tackle stores though.

I can't wait for SSHS8.

lol Marvin, Well then, I am a citified southern boy :)

Thanks, Gary. Sure, you can have another ride. Maybe I'll turn off the traction control this time ;) I am going to buy some extra issues anyway, so I got you covered. I looked last weekend, and the August issue was not on the shelf yet.

I am having a plaque made with all the pages of the article. I believe there are 5 of them, so it is going to be a large one. Ryan had made all the arrangements for the plaque, and they are going to hang their copy of it on the wall at the shop.

So, he had the salesman call me to see if I wanted one too. I will probably bring it along with me when I go to car shows, race track, etc., and set it up on a easel. :)

Hey everyone, The August Super Rod magazine is on the shelves now. :) lol Better get your copy before I buy them all up :)

I am having all 5 pages of the motor build article put on a black and silver plaque. Here is a link to the company making it, and samples of what it will look like.



http://www.inthenewsonline.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67

Are ya gonna git one of them thar purdy gurls to be in tha pitchures too?

lol Gary :) Good one!

lol The Mark goes Hollywood! :) Here are a couple screen shots of actors talking about the Mark during the newly released to DVD movie 10,000 BC!

>Are ya gonna git one of them thar purdy gurls to be in tha pitchures too?

Damn Gary, I told you not to post the pictures of my secret weapon!!! I was going for the centerfold in "Florida Tractors & Babes" magazine with this shot... :P

I don't get 'Super Rod' around here anywhere. Could someone ship me a copy if I pay them?

Thanks, Mike

>I don't get 'Super Rod' around here anywhere.

Same here... I spent 20 minutes hunting it at our brand spanking new Borders down here on the beach and no love. One of you ATL guys pick me up a copy and I'll pay you for it ar SSHS?









P.S. I ain't payin' more than the cover cost Mike... :D

Well, I stopped by Borders and also Barnes & Noble, and had no luck finding them. I did find 5 copies at Books A Million, and purchased them all. I went to their web site, and they sell the single August issue there. Here is a link - ships in 24 hours :)



http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/mag?id=4163338067752&mid=0000004196

The Mark went to the dyno today. To summarize, need more boost :) The new motor makes more power than the old motor without breaking a sweat, and it is nice to see the torque up also.

So, there is a short list of things Aric wants to do, and then back to the dyno for round two. :)

Here is a video of me following The Mark part way back to the shop today. Stay tuned...


http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Following-The-Mark_172416.htm

Mike:

Nice to see your progress on the Mark. Good Luck on the dyno.

Glenn

PS: Try and make Team Ford this weekend. They are having Jerry W. tune cars and running a Dyno Weekend. I am going to try and make it on Sunday. Scott will be back at work on Monday. Jason left to work at Northpoint Ford.

>The Mark went to the dyno today. To summarize, need more boost :)


Wow! Never thought I'd hear that! :P :+



So when does work on the cage begin? You know Dennis had his all covered with matching leather and stuff... .

Thanks, Glenn. Not sure if I can make it up to Team, but sounds like a fun time. I was there the last time JW & DR were there tuning GT's, and it was real cool :)

lol Marvin, Yep going to go with a 2.75 pulley this time. Should be good for 14-15 psi when you factor in the 10% overdrive damper. At least, that is what I have been told... :)

Here are a couple pictures of the plaque I had made of the magazine article. It looks real good hanging on the wall in the garage :)

Looks like that's going to be one big biscuit eatin' grin on your face, at least until they toss you. :+ Hopefully I'll get to see it make a pass before you "retire" it to show duty only.

I got my copy of the article last night at Books a Million. 2 copies left on the shelf here.

lol, Yes, already have the grin. Although, Aric asked me if he could drive it into a wall yesterday. :o The Mark has been fighting him with everything. Yesterday, it was the idle - pulse and stall.

He tried to fix it by tune, but no joy. It ended up being the new ACCUFAB throttle body. It just needed some manual adjusting while data logging, and voila! Success! :) Just waiting for the 2.75 pulley, and PMAS HPX MAF to come in, and it is back to the dyno. :)

I hope you are right about the track. That would be cool :) Glad you found a copy of the article.

The bugs have been worked out, and The Mark has been on the dyno the past few days while Aric builds all the files from scratch.

Once he finishes the preliminary file loads, The Mark will go on the rack hopefully for the last time to take the blower and tubes off. Aric needs to align the blower for the new 2.70 pulley, install the serpentine belt stabilizer, and polish all the tubes again.

The new intake tube was modified today to get me by until Joey Bell can make another new tube.

That said, tomorrow, Aric is planning to do the final dyno pulls. I will try to make it over to the shop to get it on video. :)

Friday, JC is going to detail The Mark, and then I get to bring it home for the car show on Saturday! :) Here are some pictures I took today:

Looking good, Mike. Guess we'll see it at next month's gathering :)

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

So when's the cage going in Mike?

I hope so, Calvin :)

No cage, Gary. :) The Mark was already fast enough before the new motor. Another laundry list of mods would need to be done to get it into the 10's to justify the cage, and I am not willing to even try going there. So, it will stay a 11.5 second and up car.

>
>No cage, Gary. :) So, it will stay a 11.5
>second and up car.


Mikey...you might want to take a look at a current NHRA rulebook.

you start running 11.50's, that's one thing...dip in to the 11.499999999 and quicker, you're gonna need a few goodies ie seat belts SFI 16.1, a manual reverse lock-out shifter, and yes...a roll bar.

that is if you plan to run it at a NHRA sanctioned track or event.

That is just one bitchin ride pal...11.50's with functioning air ride, leather, opera-style lighting, and a working stereo/CD player.

that's what I call Bon-a Fied!


Oh, and it's time to lose the Cobra emblem off the intake.


94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

>Oh, and it's time to lose the Cobra emblem off the intake.

I was thinkin' the same thing. Some of the ones on the newer Lincoln SUVs look like they'd be right at home in that spot....

Thanks, guys :) Yes, I agree there are too many snakes under the hood. That is going to change.

Well, The Mark ran real good until it ran out of blower :) The S trim ran out of steam around 16.7 psi. I thought for sure fuel would be the show stopper, but the GT pump and the KB BAP have a lot more to give.

That stroker motor really helped out in the torque department. The old motor and 3.1 pulley on the dyno produced 402/318. The new motor with the 3.1 pulley produced 410/344. The new motor with the 2.7 pulley produced 470/403. :)

Before I even start thinking about a T trim, I am going to take it to the track and see where I am at. Remember, I stop at 11.5 in the 1/4 mile. :) Aric is concerned about oil being scavenged into the blower from the valve cover, so he is going to install a external oil recovery tank/breather. Here are some pictures of the action tonight. I will post videos when he puts the bumper back on, and does another pull with any fine adjustments made.

>Remember, I stop at 11.5 in the 1/4 mile.<


Yeah man I can stop whenever I want......HMMMM Where have I heard that before? :7

lol OK then, That applies as long as I take it to the track to race it. There is a ton of room to grow with the motor. The S trim is like a governor for The Mark now :)

Operative word being "now".

After driving around the city this weekend, I am happy that The Mark is still very well mannered. I have not matted the go pedal yet, but there was no drama driving it around town. :)

There is a small list of things that still need to be done before I go to the track. It needs a throttle return spring, because the go peddle has a feather touch to it, and I need some resistance for better feel.

The oil recovery/breather needs to go on asap. Recycling the valve cover air is also venting oil into the intercooler tube and sprays oil out of the blow-off valve, that makes a mess of the front bumper, and is not very good for the motor.

It also needs a second blow-off valve welded in the intercooler tube on the passenger side of the car. Almost 17psi of boost at WOT then off the throttle is too much for the single BOV to handle.

Coolant system needs to be burped some more.

Serp belt stabilizer needs to be put on.

Aric needs to road test it still, to make sure the road tuning - shifting done on the dyno, is also good on the street.

The inner tube on one of the slicks needs to be replaced.

Should be good to go if all this stuff gets done this week :)

Can't wait to see, hear, smell, ride in it Mike!

Mike, if you're running tubes inside your slicks, there is a MUST DO that the tire shop needs to know about.

go buy a bottle of baby powder.

the tube and inside tire area will rub, causing damage to the tube simply due to inflation.

when a tube is installed, and aired up for the first time, there will be folds, much like our air springs work. These folds will chafe and can cause heavy spots in the circumference as well as possible leaks. The folds can also rub the tire, and chafe causing a leak.

the baby powder is a nice cure, along with double-inflation. Here is how we installed tubes in drag slicks:

with tire off rim, sprinkle some baby powder inside...quite liberally. Then rotate/bounce the tire so the baby powder spreads around the entire inside of the tire's carcass. Install one bead on to the rim. Install the tube. Install the other tire bead.

inflate to 30 psi

then, deflate the tube....this is how the wrinkles disappear. Upon initial inflation, the tube will develop folds...but as you deflate it, the folds open up, and the tube settles in to a natural donut shape, and as you re-inflate it, the folds disappear. The baby powder helps the tube settle in to its natural shape, and smooths out the rubber-to-rubber surface contact.

re-inflate and install bead screws(if used) and balance.


cant wait to see numbers at the track...dynos tell numbers...time slips tell the whole story.

doing the math, I think you're right in the 11.65-11.75 ET range

this is using a rough calculation of course...

best of luck...

94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

Thanks for the tip, Craig. I will let Ryan know. I hope you are right on the times. I would be happy with that in summer air.

I finally got around to putting together the dyno video. As you will see, the MAF intake tube needs to be better secured, or a second blow-off valve needs to be added to relieve the tube pressure when lifting off WOT at 7000 + rpm's. :)


http://videos.streetfire.net/video/The-Marks-New-Motor-Dyno_182210.htm

The Mark has been back with Aric since last Tuesday. He is going through the punch list now to get it ready for SSHS8. The first thing on the list, is to address the MAF tube.

He is going to put a second Vortech mini-race blow-off valve on the passenger side tube just beyond the aftercooler exit that leads to the throttle body.

The one already on the car is located in the drivers side tube just before the aftercooler entrance. The two blow-off valves, and the cam cover oil recovery tank are all hidden from view from the engine compartment.

Here is a picture of the general area for the new blow-off valve








If the second blow-off valve does not solve the tube problem, he is going to weld on a boost bracket to the tube, and the intake to fasten it down.

Next on the list is the belt stabilizer, throttle return spring, and the driver's side cam cover breather that needs to be tied into the oil recovery tank.

Then, the rest is computer stuff. I want the ABS and traction control turned off for good. I have the fuse pulled for the ABS, and need to somehow disconnect the traction control. After that, more driveability tuning, shift points, tc lock-up, etc. Then it is time to go to the track finally! :)

Looking good. I noticed your car in the part II writeup in Street Rod today. Very cool.

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

Thanks, Calvin :) lol Surprise! Here is a link to the part 2 article:

http://www.superrod.com/Media/PublicationsArticle/SR_0810_5LiterModMotor_2.pdf

Does that rim size fit with no mods?

thanks,
Mike

95 Mark VIII

Yes, no mods were done to the car to make the wheels fit. Here is a link to all the dimensions, and alternatives for my set up courtesy of Injected Engineering:

http://www.injectedengineering.com/forum/mark-viii-thunderbird-custom-wheel-specs-t-86.html

The belt stabilizer, and blow-off valve are installed :) One last part needs to be installed - the Vortech mounting bracket has a small idler pulley, and the bearing started to squeal. This appears to be a common problem, and a heavy duty upgraded replacement part is offered by Vortech now, and it should be here within the next day or two. That should be it then. The Mark will be DONE!...for the hardware anyways :)

The Mark is going on the dyno one final time, to make sure everything is still good, and the second blow-off valve solved the MAF tube problem. Ryan also wanted to do a video of the final pull for the website.

Aric is working on a private rental of Silver Dollar Raceway in Reynolds, GA for a track tuning session of some of his customers cars that will be at SSHS8. I think there were possibly four cars that were mentioned of right now that he will tune.

Ryan is going to call Will, and discuss the final chapter of the magazine article, and if the calendar is good for everyone, invite him to the track to see The Mark in action. :)

That's great news Mike...it would be cool if you folks got to use the track for a true TEST and TUNE session...

it would be great if we can start a new thread for your car's discussion too! ;)

this one is one LOOOOOOoooooooong THREAD.




94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

Thanks, Craig. Aric said that is the best way to track tune. We are going to rent one race prepped lane and divide the cost between the car owners. He can park his rig on the other side staging lane, and work right there on the starting line. Still waiting on a date when this will happen, but it will have to be in the next couple weeks, since SSHS8 is now a month away.

The Mark was on it's way to a 500 RWHP pull today. Aric was fine tuning the race tune for SSHS8, and adding some timing to the upper rpm range that was showing very promising results with the hp and tq curve when compared to the 470/403 pull a month ago, and then all of a sudden, the impeller fins decided to dig into the head unit housing.

He is calling Vortech next week to discuss why this has happened a second time, and what the solution should be to fix this for good. Like either going with the straight cut v1 s or t trim instead of the v2 sq.

Minor setback. Still planning to have The Mark ready by SSHS8 Here is a video of some of today's action

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/Blower-Failure_190758.htm

Man, that stinks, Mike. Hopefully they get a new one in and running this week. Last minute sucks.

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

Yep, Did not see that coming. The last blower took Vortech at least a month to replace.

Hang in there Mike :-)

Thanks, Gary. :)

The compressor is on it's way back to Vortech. Should be there by this Friday. Ryan and Aric are calling Vortech next Tuesday to make sure they have it in hand, and to discuss what will be better for my application. Either a t-trim, or e-trim from what Ryan told me today, would be the best choices to pick from.

The difference between them, is how much cfm they produce, and how fast you can spin the impeller. T-trim has more cfm, and has a lower impeller max rpm speed than the E-trim.

Not sure if there are any disadvantages from one to the other, but it seems more people go with the more popular T-trim vs the E-trim.

Thats unfortunate, Mike, best of luck getting that sorted out.

S

Thanks, Scott. :) The Mark will be back on the road by this weekend. Aric is going to loan me one of his personal head units until mine comes back from Vortech. A very nice gesture. Thanks, Aric and Ryan!

Talked to Ryan, and he said the blower made it back to Vortech. After talking to the Vortech guy, everyone agrees The Mark needs a t-trim.

For now, they are going to pulley it back up to the Reichard Racing 3.1, since I already have that pulley. Vortech said I should be able to make around the same amount of boost using the 3.1 on the t-trim, as the 2.7 did on the s-trim.

No eta yet when Vortech is sending the blower back. 2 1/2 weeks to sshs8... The suspense is driving me crazy :)

The Mark is going back to Aric's shop tomorrow to have the new T-trim blower installed, and re-tune it again. :)

They are also going to re-plumb the driver's side cam cover oil filler/vent so that it will now vent through a hose into the oil recovery tank hidden in the driver's fender. That should stop the oil spray from the cam cover vent going all over the engine and header.

And finally, they are going to replace that pesky aftercooler silicone coupler that kept popping off at SSHS8 last month. :)

That should do it for now... Have not set a time for Will to do the final feature photo shoot yet. More than likely, I will call him after Aric is done with The Mark to see when he is available. :)

Your car looks really nice . the paint job could be jazzed up a little . congrats on your stardom . mike

Jazzed up a little?
Can you say sleeper?
Mike, I can't get over how good your car looks, I forgot to get you to show me the magazines. Oh well, next fall.

Thanks, Mike and Gary :) lol I thought about doing something with the paint, like ghost flames so light that you really have to look hard to even see them. But that idea got a weird look, and a you better not... from Aric, Ryan, and Tyler - like they would confiscate the car before that would happen. lol :) So, it is going to remain a sleeper for now...

The Mark is done. Just waiting for it's turn to get back on the dyno and dial it in for the T-trim. Ryan said they put a 3.3 pulley on it instead of the 3.1, and they are not going to spin the motor past 7k rpm's. There is a concern that fuel might be an issue now, so I guess we might see what the stock lines and rails can actually handle with the Ford GT fuel pump and the KBBAP.

I am really curious to see the dyno numbers and boost comparison between the s-trim and t-trim. Should make for some interesting reading. :)

The Mark is still at the shop relaxing while the guys take some time off for the holidays. Hope to have it home soon!

Some cool news though, Boze/ZEForged, the manufacturer that built the one of a kind forged wheels for The Mark, has posted pictures of the car in their website gallery :)

Check it out here: http://www.bozeforged.com/gallery.html

The Mark is all done, and back at home now. :) The T-Trim ended up making the same horsepower as the S-Trim - except the T-trim is being under spinned with a giant 3.33 pulley on there while the S-Trim had a 2.7 pulley on it. Torque is down 20 due to the spool curve of that big pulley. Ryan is sending me the dyno sheet. I think the T-Trim made 16 psig at around 7k rpm.

The breather filter on the cam cover is history - spewed oil everywhere, and it has been modified to vent to the catch can /breather hidden in the fender now. The ipod is also in, and is now in the center console glove box.

Here are a couple pictures, and a video. Enjoy! :)



http://videos.streetfire.net/video/The-Mark-All-DONE_210647.htm

Looking good, Mike. Where's the oil in the catch can go?

When are you heading back to the track? Not sure when Atlanta Dragway opens up again, usually it's the 2nd or 3rd week of February.

Calvin Louie
1989 Porsche 928 S4 - Linen Metallic / Linen

Thanks, Calvin. The catch can has a petcock valve on the bottom to drain the oil out. Hopefully, it will hold enough oil to only need draining once a year, or at least drained during a normal oil change while the car is on the rack.

As far as the track goes, I did not like the inner tube MT ET Streets on steel wheels at SSHS, as they killed my 60's, and played havoc with computer shifting the car since they are so much taller than the front tires. They are for sale now.

So, I am on the lookout for another set of wheels, or, possibly putting a set of MT DR's on the Boze rims. I have one driver and two spectator tickets from the rainout the Friday before SSHS last year for free admission, so I am tempted to take it up there and try the street tires at least once just to say I tried it.

Mike, if oil blow-off continues to be a problem, perhaps they could look in to ventilating the crank case pressure via twin electric pumps.

On our Alky-injected Camaro, we run twin GM electric pumps, wired individually through relays, and wired in to our MSD box with a RPM-activated switch. They are also hard-wired through a toggle switch for optional manual operation(cold warm ups, etc).

They are effective, inexpensive, and actually free up horsepower(time slip proven).

They vent in to a catch-can(over-flow bottle sized) with a pit-cock for drainage.

The alcohol motors have a lot of cylinder wash, and crank case pressures can become problematic with blow-by.

One night they stopped working(faulty wiring) and the car fell off 18/100ths(almost 2 tenths) and we couldnt figure out why until we lifted the hood off to re-fuel and saw oil seepage from the valve cover gaskets, distributor gasket, and oil fill cap. We checked the vac. pumps, and they were not working. Found the problem, fixed it, and the car picked up 2 tenths, right back where it was.

We installed one on a friends 67 Camaro street/strip car and he went from 11.80's to 11.70's on a consistent basis. They are becoming very popular, as they are a factory GM part that comes with a complete wiring kit, for around $110/each.

Just a thought. Giving the oil someplace to go when crankcase pressures force it out is a good thing. But actually evacuating crankcase pressure is a BETTER thing. Saves the engine from having to work through the pressure, and frees up HP...which is a GREAT thing.

There's a reason Pro Stock engines have them, although many use a belt-driven version. The belt might steal 7 hp from the motor, but the air pump/smog pump frees up 20 hp, so it is a +13hp pay off.




94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

So is the cage gonna be chrome or interior color? }(

sad part about slapping cages in, is the added weight never off-sets the chassis bracing, and the car slows down ;)

I cant tell you how many cars we saw running 11.90's (back when the NHRA roll bar rule was 11.99 or quicker) would weld in a roll bar, and then run 12.0's hahaha

whatever happens Mike...that is one bad mutha.



94 sprung/97 on air
President/Founder Club 16

No doubt Craig, you should see and hear it up close.
I got a ride in it last season before the forged motor and sideways was easy above 40 mph then, Truly a beast in sheepskin.

So titaniun cage?

Just kidding Mike

>So titaniun cage?


I can hear the wheels turning in his brain calculator from here.... 'How much will that tax return be this year?'

Thanks for the info, Craig. :) lol you guys, no rollbar!

Yet }(

>Your car looks really nice . the paint job could be jazzed up
>a little . congrats on your stardom . mike

The only thing prettier than this is a 96 in same color - congrats~!