In my view of the world, three discoveries changed the
course of human development: fire, which ultimately led
to the invention of internal combustion; the wheel,
which evolved into the drag racing slick; and the engine
dynamometer, which has been the great equalizer in drag
racing.
We have two
dynamometers at Reher-Morrison Racing, and it's a rare
day indeed when they are not in use. Whether we are
testing one of our own Pro Stock engines, a customer's
Comp eliminator small-block, or a Super Series bracket
racing big-block, the knowledge we gain in the dyno
cells ultimately finds its way into every engine we
build.
We may be
testing a new honing procedure on a Pro Stock truck
engine; if the rings seal faster and the crankcase
vacuum increases, we'll apply that same technique to our
other motors. When we determine the piston-to-wall
clearance that produces the best combination of skirt
life and power, we'll use that same dimension in other
applications that use a similar forging.
Automobile manufacturers frequently talk about
"technology transfer" between their racing
programs and production cars. I'm not an
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expert
on that end of the business, but I do know about
technology transfer between our Pro Stock and Super
Series engines. It's no secret that reducing parasitic
losses is a top priority in Pro Stock, and like many
engine builders we are cutting down the bearings to
reduce friction. We use a coating on the bearings in our
race motors to extend the life of these narrow bearings.
We are now using the same coating on our 555ci Super
Series engine bearings because many of our customers use
alcohol in these engines. We've seen some signs of
bearing distress in alcohol engines because the volume
of methanol that washes down into the crankcase on
initial start-up impairs the oil's lubricating
qualities. We had already proven the effectiveness of
this bearing coating in our Pro Stock engines, so it was
logical to use the same treatment on our most powerful
bracket racing big-blocks.
We have also
learned a tremendous amount about the behavior of
camshafts and valvetrain components on the dyno and on
our spin fixture. Obviously I would never recommend a
Pro Stock-style camshaft with an inch of valve lift for
a bracket engine - but I would recommend a profile from
a similar camshaft "family" that I know has
smooth acceleration and good valvetrain stability. |
