let's chat

[brad hibbard]

let me start with saying many spark plug issues come from people damaging the spark plug when they set the gap
this is one reason why you will sometimes here big claims from someone that installs a Brisk or E3 plug
those two brands do not require the end user to adjust the gap which equates to them not damaging the plug.

we did some extensive testing and development with E3 several years ago and never really hit on anything better than what we have been doing for years so we moved away from it---not saying it's bad ---we just couldn't get it better in any category of spark plug evaluation

I have been intrigued by the Brisk spark plug and performed some limited testing with them where nothing really jumped out at me
BUT an associate of mine shared some information about fuels that are less than desirable to the tune and in those situations the Brisk plug out performed a standard plug
still nothing that is going to make a 5th place car a winner but in the overall picture when dealing with some bad fuels it may have some advantages

I spoke with one of the engineers from Brisk at PRI for most of the afternoon one day and once I was able to get him off of a sales pitch and discuss actual situations where there is a benefit and get him to admit there are some downsides as well---we had a productive conversation

I believe we will be offering the Brisk spark plug at Race-1 in 2020 but we will also maintain our pre gapped and lubed "old faithful" NGK plug

as a final note ---all spark plug companies emphasize that we torque our plugs into the head----over tightening will damage the plug just like improper gapping procedures
I am guilty as charged on the over tightening but everyone in the shop now reminds each other to use a torque wrench when installing plugs

I want to say Merry Christmas to everyone and I enjoy the productive conversation here on 4M
My wife has decided that we need a vacation so I am banned from the computer and the shop for a week and a half--LOL
hope everyone has great Christmas and a safe new year---

Brad
www.race-1.com

[fastford]

i guess im old school , we still use the ole autolite 23,s , i do index them though , but not sure that is worth doing or not......

[FtrSpeedy]

ok i got one, 602 crate, whats rough lifespan on water pump? into the 4th season now and engine has been running hotter (240+) than it used to (210). new radiator helped some but still hotter than i care to run. engine runs rich on fuel, tried new fan and tried different fans all with fan shroud, no restrictor or t-stat. bumped timing up a few degrees bumped timing down a few degrees with no changes.

[fastford]

ive have always ran a restrictor with a 5/8 hole in summer or thermostat in winter , did you not have one in before ?

[FtrSpeedy]

no there has never been a restrictor, always double pass deairation radiator, and fan shroud has never been changed or modified.

[brad hibbard]

I have definitely seen water pump impellers erode and not flow water properly---so yes I would say that is a good possibility
my first areas of concern you have already addressed (radiator and fan blade)

is the water system pushing water out?---this would be due to a leaky head gasket or cracked head

brad
www.race-1.com

[FtrSpeedy]

i did have to replace intake gaskets. some reason the front started leaking coolant into engine. cracked heads common? no not pushing water. the engine was brand new in late 2007, raced handful of nights than sat till 4 years ago. will sitting erode impellars? always filled with antifreeze.

[brad hibbard]

sitting will not erode impellers
the leaking intake gasket was due to improper tightening of the intake or lift plate abuse
the replacement gasket should have had spacers in it to prevent breakage when over tightened

I would check for any signs of "milky" oil in the valve cover and then air up each cylinder with radiator cap off and watch for bubbles

Brad
www.race-1.com

[FtrSpeedy]

alright ill check all that, thanks.

[billetbirdcage]

alright ill check all that, thanks.

Check pulleys for slippage. They wear and will/can slip over time, grab fan with hand and try to turn engine. It should not slip or least not much.


No 1 problem I see with running hot, belt slippage due to worn pulleys

[FtrSpeedy]

makes sense, ill change belt and pulley with water pump if i dont find any engine issues. thanks everyone for the advice

[brad hibbard]

You may not need to "change" anything (new belt is never a bad idea)
as birdcage mentioned "slippage"
pulleys absolutely do wear out but you may only need to tighten the belt

the way birdcage described to check belt tension is exactly the way we do it here
many people have no idea if there belts are slipping

before doing anything---I suggest you check for slippage---that way you can pin point the problem
if it is slipping change the belt and tension properly----sometimes it is hard to determine whether or not pulleys need replaced but if they are shiny that is an indication that they may need changed

Brad
www.race-1.com

[FtrSpeedy]

ok thinkin on it, belt slippage would make sense of my random loss of power steering. needless to say the old girl has issues im working on lol.

[Maverick man]

Possible gauge is not accurate? Maybe check engine tempWith temp gun and compare readings with the gauge.

[brad hibbard]

can anyone comment on the performance difference (on track) between E85 and C85?

we know from dyno testing that when calibrated properly C85 is worth some power but how does it drive on the track?---is it noticable?----other than cost are there any negatives to C85?

Brad
www.race-1.com

[billetbirdcage]

can anyone comment on the performance difference (on track) between E85 and C85?

we know from dyno testing that when calibrated properly C85 is worth some power but how does it drive on the track?---is it noticable?----other than cost are there any negatives to C85?

Brad
www.race-1.com

Been several years so not sure if the fuel has changed but C85 took off better on starts. Now take with a grain of salt as it could been carb calibrations (just being realistic as it does mess with fuel mixtures)

[doyle hargraves]

Recently went to pick my 604 crate up from the engine builder after a complete freshen. When I went to pick it up I was going to load it in the truck by lifting it with a plate mounted to the carb studs. The engine builder advised me not to do that and only lift it with a chain going diagonally from head to head because of the strain it puts on the small and lightly torqued intake bolt design. Anybody else do this? Kinda makes sense after I think about it

[keeks]

Doyle, I do the same. I never thought the plate on the intake was a good idea.

[MLR19]

Whats everyone's thoughts on carbon fiber vs aluminum drive shafts? They appear to weigh nearly the same. I know one of the positives of carbon fiber is safety, but is there a performance gain?

[brad hibbard]

on the subject of lift plates...
below is a link from our FAQ page with our rules
a printed sheet of these rules goes with every engine
we have been using lift plates for 14 years on these engines and have only had issues when the rules are not followed
http://race-1.com/p-26190-can-i-use-a-lift-plate.html

brad
www.race-1.com