TireSmoke.org

I remembered that article too. So I went back and tried to compare the other EFI manifolds to the TBSS intake. I wasn't sure how to make the comparison, so I just picked HP at 6000 rpm. The stock TBSS manifold made 550 HP at 6 grand. There were only a few that exceeded that.

With many thanks to my pal, Maverick, it's all back together and running. I took it out for a run to get it hot and then measured certain spots on the intake to compare with readings I took before I tore it apart. I wasn't expecting much, but lo and behold, it was 20 - 25 degrees cooler. What a great surprise!! This stuff must work after all!
Here are some inside photos:

Designing my pattern:







Under the TBSS manifold are two foam noise shields that must be accounted for when designing the heat shield.
Hence, the gaps in the heat shield.

In the end, in order to get everything in place, I had to remove the foam baffles from the valley floor (they were glued in) and insert them into the gaps in the shield like this:

Now the whole unit slips into place on the engine.

I'm amazed that that stuff made a temperature difference. It'll be interesting to
see what it does to the e.t.. I'm intrigued.......

GM

I'm amazed, too. I'm going to measure the temp over the next few days to see if my un-scientific method may have fooled me. This HeatShield stuff is about 1/8 thick and most of that is a kind of fiberglass mat for insulation.

The one test I saw, Super Chevy, I think, showed a 12 HP improvement. How much is that in the ET department?

I'm not sure 12 hp will get you a tenth or not, but if it did, I'd
do it! You're the guinea pig on this one!! We expect to see results!!

GM

In Super Chevy's test, they got a 43 degree drop in temp on a 2000 Vette Ls1. The dyno showed a 12 HP gain.
Here's the article: http://tinyurl.com/z72xc84

GM, I think you would be a better guinea pig than me. I don't get to the strip often enough to get consistent times. In fact I have the exact kit that you need. Remember I couldn't use the first one I bought. It's HeatShield Products PN 140020. Check it out. Hey. You'd get a TireSmoker's discount. How can you lose. It's an easy upgrade.

WXO...

I think what I'm going to do is see if BP's truck is faster than me.
If he is, I'll have you overnight it to me!!!

GM

It's going to be a few weeks before I'm running, so you should probably send it ground shipment now and save yourself the overnight fees.

-BP

Whoa! Tension is building...

When our trip to Rockingham Dragway was cancelled, Maverick, Jim Hall and I took a trip on Saturday Dec 3rd to Virginia Motorsports Park for some 1/4 mile racing. Most of this trip will be documented in Maverick's project thread for his '78 Lincoln Continental Coupe. It was a chilly 47 degree, sunny day and the cars were running well. An accident and subsequent cleanup delayed our start, so we were able to get only three runs in. Maverick and I were kind of pathetic at the starting line. First run, he screwed up. Second run, I messed up. Third run he hit some water on the track at the starting line and spun his tires. We never did get a good head to head run. From the time slips, though, we were running really close. I wish we both could have had good runs at the same time. Anyway, regardless, we had a great time. We were both pleased with our times for the day.
Too bad that spike buck on US Highway 15 decided to commit suicide on the front of my truck. I was following Maverick in the Lincoln so if the timing was just a little different, it would have been the Lincoln rather than my TBSS. There is a lot of front left damage, but the truck is totally street worthy except for the left headlight and turn signal. Also the radiator has a puncture and is a little bowed in. It is not leaking, though.

I like VMP's time slip. As you begin to go there more often, those starting line clinkers will disappear.

Those videos were still good fun. Grins.

Good fun for sure!! Wish you could have been here, Fred.

WXO, if you look at your best, run 1, and my only good run, run 2, I'm with you to the 1/8 mile but you get me in the top end. I thought my brick might have the advantage over your SUV in the top end but not so. Aerodynamics is obviously more than frontal cross section.

I'm looking for a secondary metering block with power valve to get the WOT AFR into the 12s rather than 13s. As we said, we'll try again in the Spring.

I forgot to mention that I was running drag radials this time. A couple of years ago I bought a set of stock TBSS wheels with a well used Nitto drag radials on them. I decided that it was time to bolt them on for yesterday's trip to VMP. I arbitrarily set them to 18 psi and went racing. What a difference from street tires! They just hook up and go. I don't have to be concerned about peddling the truck out of the hole. It's just one more variable that I don't have to worry about. I was leaving at about 1200 rpm. I wonder if there is anything to gain by increasing the rpm. I'll have to experiment when we go back in the spring.

A lot of people have different theories on the best way to launch for good ETs. On a car that I know will hook, I ALWAYS come out as far into the converter as I can get. To me it gets the most consistent launches and I think your TB would be no exception with the drag radials on it. That's a big tire and you don't have a crazy loose torque converter, so I think it will just stick and get. 18psi is a good number for the lower profile drag radials. That's where I run them on my S10 (255-50-16) and they hook pretty well all things considered. When I had my 275-60-15s on my Trans Am I ran them at 15psi because of the bigger sidewall.
For most drag radials they claim that you should do a small burnout to get just a little heat in them and clean them off, and pull up to stage. The exception is the Mickey Thompson's. I had those and they needed lots of smoke to get them to hook. Of course, they don't last very long...

I was really happy you guys got some good 1/4 mile passes on a nice cool day. Awesome!

-BP

I think, with drag radials and holding it at 2,200 rpms ( if it'll let you ) you
have at least a tenth of a second coming to you.

GM