Bridgeport, NJ, 4/12/08-- Gates open at 2:00. We roll in at 3:10, and the pits are dang near full, so we pit near the end. Unload the car, set the wing, dump in some fuel, and wait. About 4:30, somebody decides we should start the car just to make sure it works. Car doesn't have a starter, so its gotta be push started; our 4-wheeler doesn't have the nuts to make it happen. The guy pitted next to us has a big 4WD unit, and he cheerfully pushes it off. It fires with some hesitation, runs for about 20 seconds, and dies. We push it again. Same deal. Crew chief decides its not getting fuel, so off comes the fuel filter and stacks.
Now, here's some background. I'm helping this dirt track team that has run Modifieds in DIRT and NASCAR for the last ten years, and this year decided to try Sprints with the URC. This is more or less a new thing for them, and this is the first race barring two practices the previous Saturdays. Somebody had shown the crew chief how to set the idle, but other than that, none of us really know anything whatsoever about a Hilborn setup. Its on a 360 CID SBC, direct drive to a live axle. Except the engine block and brake rotors, most everything is chromoly, carbon fiber, aluminum, or something else lightweight.
So anyway, a bunch of veterans come over help. "Oh yeah," says one. "You have to take the stacks off, pull the tubes, and clean them-- every week. They get clogged quick."
"Your ground wire for your mag box is not good," notes another. "Its really thin. Here, stick my spare box with a good heavy ground wire on, see if that does it."
"You checked the filter? Did you prime the pump?" asks another. "They will not prime themselves, you know."
So by now, we feel pretty dumb. Out come the tubes, and sure enough, they are clogged. Blow them out with brake clean, and back in they go. Prime the pump, and give it a push. It fires. Hooray, off to the track for warmups. Out on the track, it fires, and shuts off. Push it back into the pits, swap boxes with a better ground. Push it, if fires-- and stays running. Its 5:40.
Went out for qualifying, got lapped. Same in the consolation race. Several things of note-- this is not a Modified. It must be driven like the Sprint car it is. Also, when brakes are glowing red hot through both corners at 100+, it is hard on them. They did not work after the race. The push truck took the car back to the trailer, fast. Too fast for the brakes not working, anyway. The driver could not stop, and wound up real far inside the trailer on top of the tire rack, assorted lawn chairs, and the engine water heater. Quite a site coming back to the pit, a car halfway up through the trailer with a driver stuck in the car, not able to get himself out of the car.
So, we didn't qualify, but we sure learned a whole lot about keeping Hilborns working and how much power a mag makes. Good, valuable stuff. Have a long way to go to get the chassis set up, especially since there is about 15 different tracks the circuit will hit this summer. It will be some of the best fun we've had yet.
They start with a new iron Bowtie block, and carve it all up to save weight. The blocks must be flimsy. This pic is looking at the area the fuel pump boss used to be. Note the silicon caulk plugging the pushrod hole. This is how they all do it are; epoxy allegedly breaks out.
And this is where the oil filter boss was. Also siliconed.
Working on the injectors. At one point, there was 7 guys on the car, and two kids running tools. I took ten seconds to step back and snap this pic with my phone. I had just finished cleaning the rear four tubes.
Complete motor.
Now, here's some background. I'm helping this dirt track team that has run Modifieds in DIRT and NASCAR for the last ten years, and this year decided to try Sprints with the URC. This is more or less a new thing for them, and this is the first race barring two practices the previous Saturdays. Somebody had shown the crew chief how to set the idle, but other than that, none of us really know anything whatsoever about a Hilborn setup. Its on a 360 CID SBC, direct drive to a live axle. Except the engine block and brake rotors, most everything is chromoly, carbon fiber, aluminum, or something else lightweight.
So anyway, a bunch of veterans come over help. "Oh yeah," says one. "You have to take the stacks off, pull the tubes, and clean them-- every week. They get clogged quick."
"Your ground wire for your mag box is not good," notes another. "Its really thin. Here, stick my spare box with a good heavy ground wire on, see if that does it."
"You checked the filter? Did you prime the pump?" asks another. "They will not prime themselves, you know."
So by now, we feel pretty dumb. Out come the tubes, and sure enough, they are clogged. Blow them out with brake clean, and back in they go. Prime the pump, and give it a push. It fires. Hooray, off to the track for warmups. Out on the track, it fires, and shuts off. Push it back into the pits, swap boxes with a better ground. Push it, if fires-- and stays running. Its 5:40.
Went out for qualifying, got lapped. Same in the consolation race. Several things of note-- this is not a Modified. It must be driven like the Sprint car it is. Also, when brakes are glowing red hot through both corners at 100+, it is hard on them. They did not work after the race. The push truck took the car back to the trailer, fast. Too fast for the brakes not working, anyway. The driver could not stop, and wound up real far inside the trailer on top of the tire rack, assorted lawn chairs, and the engine water heater. Quite a site coming back to the pit, a car halfway up through the trailer with a driver stuck in the car, not able to get himself out of the car.
So, we didn't qualify, but we sure learned a whole lot about keeping Hilborns working and how much power a mag makes. Good, valuable stuff. Have a long way to go to get the chassis set up, especially since there is about 15 different tracks the circuit will hit this summer. It will be some of the best fun we've had yet.
They start with a new iron Bowtie block, and carve it all up to save weight. The blocks must be flimsy. This pic is looking at the area the fuel pump boss used to be. Note the silicon caulk plugging the pushrod hole. This is how they all do it are; epoxy allegedly breaks out.
And this is where the oil filter boss was. Also siliconed.
Working on the injectors. At one point, there was 7 guys on the car, and two kids running tools. I took ten seconds to step back and snap this pic with my phone. I had just finished cleaning the rear four tubes.
Complete motor.
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