The Great Pumpkin - '71 Duster
Wow, almost two months since the last update. Lot going on with the car since then but the biggest news is that I finally got the car down the track a few times and it's getting close to the 11s. Last time out it went 12.20 @ 106 letting off in a first round breakout. If I ran it out the back door, it probably would have gone a 12.1 or so. It's close, I can taste it!
First time out was at Lebanon Valley Dragway on September 20 for the annual Mopar Day. The best the car did that day was 12.4 @ 99, again letting off on a first round double breakout win. I was stoked to get the win on my first time out, that was a great feeling.
I got smoked at the tree in the second round though. While trying to make up ground, I forgot to shift out of first and the race was over. I kept my foot in it though just to see what would happen but I went 12.8.
At the end of the run, I thought I smelled something burning. Oil pressure was OK, no smoke behind me so I didn't really think it was me. When I got my time slip, the track official told me I had to go right back to the lanes because the tower had the race in the wrong category and we had to re-run right away. Second chance!
So I'm pulling in to the lanes and I just happen to glance at my temp gauge - it was pegged! Crap! I was overheated and couldn't make the call so I limped it back to my pit. I popped the hood and discovered I had tossed the belt sometime during the last run. Not sure when it happened but I guess it was when I forgot to shift. It was still intact but it was toast, there was belt material everywhere. I was able to put it back on to get the water pump working but I didn't have a spare so my day was done. Good thing my buddy volunteered his Ram CTD to tow me up there and back from the Island. Thanks Chris!
Just as an aside, the 60 foot times are not so much at 1.7. I would like to knock 2 tenths off the start but I have a long way to go. The first day at LVD I forgot to dial the Calvert shocks down to s a softer setting. I'm not sure how much it affects things at my performance level but I ran them way softer the next time and I guess it helped a few hundredths or so but it was hard to tell.
On the whole, it leaves pretty soft. Frankly, I have a hard time footbraking it much past 1,500 rpm so I am leaving just off idle. If I can get it to hold at a higher rpm at the line, it might help. This combo produces little in the way of torque. I played with the accelerator pump a little. I took a big swing at it and put the blue cam in it and found that it liked it. The car annihilates the tires from a dead stop now which it never did before but it didn't really translate at the track.
I also think the gear change from the 4.30 that was in it to the 4.10 it has now certainly has an effect. 4.10 is really the practical limit for me to drive it any distance though so it's stating for now. It defiitely needs a better converter. I'm thinking a Dynamic 9.5" should be good for at least 2 tenths, all else being equal. If I get a truck to tow the car, I am going back to a 4.30 for sure!
Here is a video of the event. My car appears 15 seconds into the video right in front of the camera. It's cool to see it launch right up close. I make another appearance at around 5:20 in the other lane during rounds. This was my round win.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVKEOlYvpqA"]MOPAR DAY - YouTube[/ame]
The next time out was at ETown on October 18. It was basically a T'N'T day and they had a diesel truck/Jeep meet as well. There were a few muscle/drag cars on hand, nothing wild. I went just to go and get some more runs under my belt. I drove 80 miles through NYC traffic to the track without much issue. It was a little nerve racking going through the city but the car made it fine.
I got 3 runs that day. The MPH picked up over the last outing, I was up around 110 the whole day. Again, the best time of the day was a 12.20 @ 106 letting off before the stripe. The car picked up every run too. I started the day at 12.30. I was trying to figure out how to dial for the first round and I kept telling myself to write 12.20 but I second guessed it and wrote my 2nd time shot run of 12.28. If I had written 12.20 would have run right on my dial. Doh!
So I was done and it was time to go. I had advance made plans to visit my friend afterwards who lives about 10 miles from the track. I was going to hang with him for the night and go see a band down in Asbury Park. On the way there, the car seemed to be OK but when I pulled in to his driveway, I smelled coolant. It wasn't overheated thankfully but when I pooped the hood, there was coolant everywhere. The water pump took a dump probably not two minutes before I got to his place. I had a few tools with me but not enough to do the water pump. (my friend is not a car guy, no tools) I wasn't sure if it was just the water pump and didn't want to risk doing more damage during the 80 mile return trip through stop and go city traffic, so I had to get it home on the hook. Glad I made plans with him or I woulda been stuck on the side of the road somewhere between ETown and Suffolk County.
Luckily I have AAA Plus (for this exact reason) which gets you 100 miles free towing. I had to pay for tolls both ways which ended up being over $120 but it was still way cheaper than it would have been without it. Really hoping I can figure out a way to get a truck soon to be able to tow this car and not worry about breaking. I'd like to find an old D series. Well see.
So between the first race and last, I did a few things in regards to the pulley system which failed me that first outing. The v belt pulleys were not aligned which likely was the ultimate cause of tossing the belt. I mean, repeated 7,000 rpm runs don't help but if the belt is crooked, it's gonna go. So I got a pulley spacer kit to help align things and it seemed to work. I took it out a few times around here to see if I could pitch it again and it stayed put.
But even after all that, I realized the v belt design is basically flawed. I kept reading about belt issues and it seems that there is no definitive cure for this malady with v belts. You can align the pulleys all you want but if there is any flex, run out or harmonics, it's gonna fly. I decided to get get some serp belt pulleys to cure the issue for good. The wider belt is basically the only answer. Plus, they re CNC machined with negligible run out.
I went with a set of March pulleys in powder coated black. I believe some of the water pump issue was directly related to the new serp pulleys being under driven. I think they actually freed up a few hp as evidenced by the better times but I think it ultimately killed the water pump. Was it on it's death bed from the last race? Probably. Plus, I thought I had smelled coolant once or twice during the last month when I installed the March stuff but there were no visible leaks. I loaned my tester to a friend so I had no way to check the system so I let it go.
Once the car was back in my garage from Jersey, I confirmed that the pump was the only issue through a pressure test after I got my tool back. When I took off the pump, I saw that it was an 8 blade impeller. I figured the previous owner installed it because it's a heavy duty part. However, I believe you want a 6 blade impeller in a higher rpm application because it's less prone to cavitation. A/C cars got the 6 blade impeller because the crank pulley on those cars made the pump spin faster to help with the increased load on the cooling system with the A/C on. I could be wrong but that's how I understand it. So based on that, I had the wrong pump.
Did some more research on this subject and decided on a Flow Kooler which actually has a 16 blade impeller but has an anti cavitation plate built into it. It looks like an old water wheel in a mill while the stock impeller looks more like a regular fan blade. Hey, it looks racy so I bought it. Would a stocker have been fine? Probably but for an extra couple bucks, I got the better mousetrap. Its wild to think of all these choices that are available these days.
I also got a new silicone-lined bypass hose kit on Ebay from Rick Ehrenberg, a new t-stat and a fancy Billet Specialties water neck with an o-ring seal. Yep, there's those better mousetraps again! Hopefully this stuff is bulletproof and worry free. I hope to make it out the track one more time before the end of the season, shooting for Nov. 16.
Took some pics of the pulleys which I will show below. Just a small note; I had to modify the Flow Kooler pump a little since I don't have a heater and therefore no need for a heater hose cluttering up the bay. The 8 blade pump I took out had the heater hose outlet tapped for a threaded plug. The new one was not threaded because it's a rebuilt OE housing with the fancy Flow Kooler impeller and bearing installed in it, so I had to tap it for the plug. I understand Edlebrock water pumps come tapped already. I used a 1/2-20 tap and got a plug from the hardware store. If you do this, make sure you don't get any aluminum chips into your new pump! Seal the threads with teflon paste and forget about it.
Ok, enough words on to some pics.
Here's the March pulleys before installing them. I sourced the alternator pulley from a place called KRC Power Steering since March does not make a pulley for the Denso 60 A alternator. Works perfect.
Here is the finished product.
Here is the Flow Kooler. Note the fancy purple impeller.
Here is the heater hose outlet, tapped for the plug.
...And with the plug installed for good with the thread sealer.
Here's the Billet Specialties water neck with the o-ring seal. Super light part.
New silicone bypass hose with smooth-inside clamps.
So I have not installed any of this stuff yet because in the midst of all the cooling system/pulley issues I decided to do an intake and carb swap from the Victor W2/750 dp to an old school Strip Dominator and a Thermoquad. I got both the intake and Thermoquad from members here. (thanks dartrunner and EL5DEMON340) I am waiting on intake gaskets before I take everything apart. I have to bend up some new fuel line as well which is easier to do with the accessories off. I will post pics of all this stuff next update.
More to come.
Wow, almost two months since the last update. Lot going on with the car since then but the biggest news is that I finally got the car down the track a few times and it's getting close to the 11s. Last time out it went 12.20 @ 106 letting off in a first round breakout. If I ran it out the back door, it probably would have gone a 12.1 or so. It's close, I can taste it!
First time out was at Lebanon Valley Dragway on September 20 for the annual Mopar Day. The best the car did that day was 12.4 @ 99, again letting off on a first round double breakout win. I was stoked to get the win on my first time out, that was a great feeling.
I got smoked at the tree in the second round though. While trying to make up ground, I forgot to shift out of first and the race was over. I kept my foot in it though just to see what would happen but I went 12.8.
At the end of the run, I thought I smelled something burning. Oil pressure was OK, no smoke behind me so I didn't really think it was me. When I got my time slip, the track official told me I had to go right back to the lanes because the tower had the race in the wrong category and we had to re-run right away. Second chance!
So I'm pulling in to the lanes and I just happen to glance at my temp gauge - it was pegged! Crap! I was overheated and couldn't make the call so I limped it back to my pit. I popped the hood and discovered I had tossed the belt sometime during the last run. Not sure when it happened but I guess it was when I forgot to shift. It was still intact but it was toast, there was belt material everywhere. I was able to put it back on to get the water pump working but I didn't have a spare so my day was done. Good thing my buddy volunteered his Ram CTD to tow me up there and back from the Island. Thanks Chris!
Just as an aside, the 60 foot times are not so much at 1.7. I would like to knock 2 tenths off the start but I have a long way to go. The first day at LVD I forgot to dial the Calvert shocks down to s a softer setting. I'm not sure how much it affects things at my performance level but I ran them way softer the next time and I guess it helped a few hundredths or so but it was hard to tell.
On the whole, it leaves pretty soft. Frankly, I have a hard time footbraking it much past 1,500 rpm so I am leaving just off idle. If I can get it to hold at a higher rpm at the line, it might help. This combo produces little in the way of torque. I played with the accelerator pump a little. I took a big swing at it and put the blue cam in it and found that it liked it. The car annihilates the tires from a dead stop now which it never did before but it didn't really translate at the track.
I also think the gear change from the 4.30 that was in it to the 4.10 it has now certainly has an effect. 4.10 is really the practical limit for me to drive it any distance though so it's stating for now. It defiitely needs a better converter. I'm thinking a Dynamic 9.5" should be good for at least 2 tenths, all else being equal. If I get a truck to tow the car, I am going back to a 4.30 for sure!
Here is a video of the event. My car appears 15 seconds into the video right in front of the camera. It's cool to see it launch right up close. I make another appearance at around 5:20 in the other lane during rounds. This was my round win.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVKEOlYvpqA"]MOPAR DAY - YouTube[/ame]
The next time out was at ETown on October 18. It was basically a T'N'T day and they had a diesel truck/Jeep meet as well. There were a few muscle/drag cars on hand, nothing wild. I went just to go and get some more runs under my belt. I drove 80 miles through NYC traffic to the track without much issue. It was a little nerve racking going through the city but the car made it fine.
I got 3 runs that day. The MPH picked up over the last outing, I was up around 110 the whole day. Again, the best time of the day was a 12.20 @ 106 letting off before the stripe. The car picked up every run too. I started the day at 12.30. I was trying to figure out how to dial for the first round and I kept telling myself to write 12.20 but I second guessed it and wrote my 2nd time shot run of 12.28. If I had written 12.20 would have run right on my dial. Doh!
So I was done and it was time to go. I had advance made plans to visit my friend afterwards who lives about 10 miles from the track. I was going to hang with him for the night and go see a band down in Asbury Park. On the way there, the car seemed to be OK but when I pulled in to his driveway, I smelled coolant. It wasn't overheated thankfully but when I pooped the hood, there was coolant everywhere. The water pump took a dump probably not two minutes before I got to his place. I had a few tools with me but not enough to do the water pump. (my friend is not a car guy, no tools) I wasn't sure if it was just the water pump and didn't want to risk doing more damage during the 80 mile return trip through stop and go city traffic, so I had to get it home on the hook. Glad I made plans with him or I woulda been stuck on the side of the road somewhere between ETown and Suffolk County.
Luckily I have AAA Plus (for this exact reason) which gets you 100 miles free towing. I had to pay for tolls both ways which ended up being over $120 but it was still way cheaper than it would have been without it. Really hoping I can figure out a way to get a truck soon to be able to tow this car and not worry about breaking. I'd like to find an old D series. Well see.
So between the first race and last, I did a few things in regards to the pulley system which failed me that first outing. The v belt pulleys were not aligned which likely was the ultimate cause of tossing the belt. I mean, repeated 7,000 rpm runs don't help but if the belt is crooked, it's gonna go. So I got a pulley spacer kit to help align things and it seemed to work. I took it out a few times around here to see if I could pitch it again and it stayed put.
But even after all that, I realized the v belt design is basically flawed. I kept reading about belt issues and it seems that there is no definitive cure for this malady with v belts. You can align the pulleys all you want but if there is any flex, run out or harmonics, it's gonna fly. I decided to get get some serp belt pulleys to cure the issue for good. The wider belt is basically the only answer. Plus, they re CNC machined with negligible run out.
I went with a set of March pulleys in powder coated black. I believe some of the water pump issue was directly related to the new serp pulleys being under driven. I think they actually freed up a few hp as evidenced by the better times but I think it ultimately killed the water pump. Was it on it's death bed from the last race? Probably. Plus, I thought I had smelled coolant once or twice during the last month when I installed the March stuff but there were no visible leaks. I loaned my tester to a friend so I had no way to check the system so I let it go.
Once the car was back in my garage from Jersey, I confirmed that the pump was the only issue through a pressure test after I got my tool back. When I took off the pump, I saw that it was an 8 blade impeller. I figured the previous owner installed it because it's a heavy duty part. However, I believe you want a 6 blade impeller in a higher rpm application because it's less prone to cavitation. A/C cars got the 6 blade impeller because the crank pulley on those cars made the pump spin faster to help with the increased load on the cooling system with the A/C on. I could be wrong but that's how I understand it. So based on that, I had the wrong pump.
Did some more research on this subject and decided on a Flow Kooler which actually has a 16 blade impeller but has an anti cavitation plate built into it. It looks like an old water wheel in a mill while the stock impeller looks more like a regular fan blade. Hey, it looks racy so I bought it. Would a stocker have been fine? Probably but for an extra couple bucks, I got the better mousetrap. Its wild to think of all these choices that are available these days.
I also got a new silicone-lined bypass hose kit on Ebay from Rick Ehrenberg, a new t-stat and a fancy Billet Specialties water neck with an o-ring seal. Yep, there's those better mousetraps again! Hopefully this stuff is bulletproof and worry free. I hope to make it out the track one more time before the end of the season, shooting for Nov. 16.
Took some pics of the pulleys which I will show below. Just a small note; I had to modify the Flow Kooler pump a little since I don't have a heater and therefore no need for a heater hose cluttering up the bay. The 8 blade pump I took out had the heater hose outlet tapped for a threaded plug. The new one was not threaded because it's a rebuilt OE housing with the fancy Flow Kooler impeller and bearing installed in it, so I had to tap it for the plug. I understand Edlebrock water pumps come tapped already. I used a 1/2-20 tap and got a plug from the hardware store. If you do this, make sure you don't get any aluminum chips into your new pump! Seal the threads with teflon paste and forget about it.
Ok, enough words on to some pics.
Here's the March pulleys before installing them. I sourced the alternator pulley from a place called KRC Power Steering since March does not make a pulley for the Denso 60 A alternator. Works perfect.
Here is the finished product.
Here is the Flow Kooler. Note the fancy purple impeller.
Here is the heater hose outlet, tapped for the plug.
...And with the plug installed for good with the thread sealer.
Here's the Billet Specialties water neck with the o-ring seal. Super light part.
New silicone bypass hose with smooth-inside clamps.
So I have not installed any of this stuff yet because in the midst of all the cooling system/pulley issues I decided to do an intake and carb swap from the Victor W2/750 dp to an old school Strip Dominator and a Thermoquad. I got both the intake and Thermoquad from members here. (thanks dartrunner and EL5DEMON340) I am waiting on intake gaskets before I take everything apart. I have to bend up some new fuel line as well which is easier to do with the accessories off. I will post pics of all this stuff next update.
More to come.