When we walked up to the Mastercam booth at the 2015 PRI Show, and our friend Darrell Reid of Reid Rocker Arms was standing there, we knew this place was legit. The next thing you know he’s telling us about all the bad ass manufacturing and machining that is possible because of the Mastercam software and then starts showing off this GIANT turbo impeller and the most awesome Top Fuel intake manifold we’ve ever seen. I’m talking works of art here. And this is all before showing off his own parts. That’s how cool all this stuff is. Word on the street is that DSR bought up a bunch of these intake manifolds, as in a dozen or so in order to keep anyone else from getting one before the season starts. Apparently they work that well. Just look at them. I want one on my coffee table!
Even 5 years ago the machining capabilities that the industry had available to them, and that anyone envisioned, were not even close to what is possible today. Look at the photo of the giant Turbo Impeller. At the back of the table is a billet aluminum knee or hip or shoulder or some damn thing. It’s crazy! Amazing things are possible and the technology has continued to make it more an more affordable to produce.
Lets face it, for most people some software on a computer is incredibly boring. And we’re not going to try to claim that the software that Mastercam will get you all excited either, but what it creates surely will. If you are interested in the software, or more info on what it takes to become a CNC machinist, visit Mastercam.com.
cubic chunk’s of aluminum , paid for with cubic stacks of hundred dollar bill’s. But thats O.K. -DSR can afford it. soon they will have half of both fuel fields and the little guy will be that much further down
There is no little guy in professional fuel racing, don’t kid yourself.
$2400, sportsman racers pay more for a sheetmetal carb manifold
It blows me away the designer could find cutter access to all areas of the manifold, especially the ovoid-appearing runners.
Technology has sure come a long way from our manually-operated Bridgeports with Trav-a-dials and that mirrored location deal!
Its 2-piece, designed to seperate and release pressure
Oh , now you want ‘ Trav-a-dials ‘ too ??!!!
Can’t count how many times you turned a handle ?
Just bustin’ ’em . Ever used ‘ optics ‘ to get to .00001’s ?
How things have changed ….early 80’s my boss complained about what an NC (ie tape drive ) Bridgeport did – no at machine over write’s could be done.
But the operator was still wrong
I will always like manual lathes + millers
Old , Don , is one hell-ofva- guy !!!
Tom Shelar (High Speed Motorsports) developed that manifold at Jim Heads request. Its a 2-piece design held together with 6 blower studs that will break and split the manifold to relieve pressure at a whopping 310 sq inches as opposed to the standard 10 sq inches of the burst panels.
Another feature is that most of the fuel system is located in the bottom half so that the seperation does not involve those lines, just replace the studs and bolt it back together.
The safety aspect is that now the lower half stays with the block and keeps the lifter valley sealed from hot oil and the main source of fire that occurs.
Having the top piece as ridged as it is also keeps the blower case from getting tweeked rendering it junk in some cases.
One piece mag manifolds shatter and shrapnel goes thru the body and potential of a chunk cutting down a rear tire.
Price wise they a cheaper than a mag AJ mainifold that has to be replaced or repaired.
When I talked to Tom at the CHRR he had a run of 200 manifolds to be done by the end of this year. Side note—-start to finnish it takes 10 hrs to machine one complete manifold.
DSR buying 12 is enough for 6 cars and that leaves 188 for everyone else.
The Blower Shop (Valencia CA) is the distributor for the manifolds
Sorry its 130 sq inches of pressure release
Yes the CAM software is Impressive – But the Real Design work blooms from the Creative Minds of Talented people & INCREDIBLE 3D Modeling Software.
Created in Solidworks?