oil downs and the future of alcohol classes

Will

I attended the Dallas Event and I can assure you the people in the grandstands did not want to see another TAD go down the track after they had had several oil downs.

From my seat it was the Blown cars that were stinking up the place. I don't know if it was because the season was nearing the end and parts are getting tired, but it sucked.

If memory serves me right it was the final qualifying session that was the worst. I would not have blamed the NHRA for forceing the TAD to wait until monday to run with the rest of the sportsman racers. I realize that not all of the TAD's were oiling the track but the ones that did made all look bad.

You are correct in that the teams need to do something. Maybe they should have oil patrols and if you oil they come visit and help you pack up. I'm just kidding of couse but something needs to be done.

TAD/TAFC is a bitching class but not when they have so many oil downs.

 

I would love to see the TAD and TAFC class take the inititive and put belly pans on the cars. similar to the TF class. That would cetainly look like the class was trying and doing something above and beyond.
Dean

[ October 21, 2003, 05:10 PM: Message edited by: The Zone ]

 

I think Dean is on the right track.

No one likes the oil down situation, and if the BAD teams show that they are working to help solve the problem, that could only be a plus. As others have mentioned, if the correct equipment, diapers, etc. are used properly, they will most often work. Buy if they are not in good condition, fit properly, or are used correctly, they will not work as well as they can. I have a 3-month old and it is the same deal there. If you don't put it on right, you have a mess to clean up! The belly pan would be good insurance, and be a minimal impact.

Also, I don't know who makes it or sells it, but there is a valve out there that when the blower boost goes beyond a preset amount, in the event of a valvetrain problem, it closes off the Main Jet return line. This helps to keep the other cylinders alive when the system becomes overboosted. The result is less engine damage and less probability for oil escaping the block. Anyone know more about this?

 

Belly pans for all sounds good ! NHRA has to watch other classes like at Etown this year the BLOWmods(slow TAFC)had more oil downs and cars going off the track in 1 round than alkys all weekend but nhra still punished Alkys to run after pros on Sunday! BLOWmods are a waste go back to IHRA!

 

Scott
I agree with your statement on how you put the bag or bucket on the car. We have been running the same bag for years. My brother Gage has always wanted the bucket or somthing easier to put on our car. At the Div5 points meet in IA this year we put 3 holes in block NHRA was picking large pieces of the block but there was not a drop of oil left on the track, so to that I would like to thank Dennis Taylor and the guys. Maybe we were just lucky but Newer to me is not always better.

 

I am pretty sure John Scialpi has something similar to that valve Scott. I don't remember if it is for the fuel system or set up to work on the rpms on the car. But I think it is like you said. He is a very smart guy. Someone else designed it though.

Dean

 

I was at Dallas, the only two oildowns I saw from the Alky cars that I can remember was by Doug Foley and Chris Ricketts! Don't recall any TAFC oildowns. I think the rules in place(First a warning, second a $250 fine are fair! Anybody who has that big a problem doesn't belong at a Natl. event IMHO!

 

We also run a Taylor diaper, and can't recall it ever allowing oil on the track. Not sure what the problem could be with the cars that do make a mess, but we windowed 2 blocks this year, one was a large hole that took out part of the sleeve, but from the outside you couldn't even tell the engine was blown up until we got back to the pits. We make sure (as I'm sure most do) that the bag is pulled up tight.

 

Belly pans are not the answer because they are no more than a band-aid over a bullet wound. We need to get the bullet out. Scott Nelson's suggestion is in the right direction. Come up with ways to stop the source of the oil down, not just catching the remains.

[ October 22, 2003, 12:40 PM: Message edited by: Smokey ]

 

I think the dry sump systems on the funny cars are the most vulnerable. An oil pan designed to hold 4 maybe 5 quarts of oil when there is probably 8-10 (maybe more?) quarts of oil in the engine at 1000'.
Am I missing something? Why do people think the dry sump system is less likely to oil the track?
Just curious.

 

We use a Taylor bag also. kicked 4 rods out at Indy last year and not a drop of oil on the track. We kicked 1 and 2 out at Columbus Div race and the only reason we got oil on the track was that the rod took off the line on the oil pump as it was leaving the block. Dennis makes a great product and we wouldn't want to run with anything else.

 

I don't know about that idea. I'm sure that it would do a great job and what it is intended to do, but to me it sounds like something else that could malfunction on something that already has so much that could go wrong...correct me if I am in error by saying this though.

 

I take my hat off to Dennis Taylor and his ballistic diapers. Throughout this season we have tested Dennis's diaper a time or two. Even had a small oil fire going in the diaper after one of our runs in Houston ( along side of Vern Moats flying his tafc ) But never a drop of oil on the track. We have a belly pan on the Fuel Funny Car that we all work on and are considering putting one on the TAFC. May not stop everything but sure would help in the event of a large engine failure. I think its inevitable, NHRA will mandate something for the alky cars before too long, might as well get ahead of the game if we can.

 

Dennis makes a very nice carbon fiber tray that fits under the existing diaper, I think it cost about $300. If you haven't already bought one you need to buy it. It's not heavy, easy to remove and install, it keeps your diaper nice and snug to the oil pan.

 

We are all sitting here talking about great ways to contain our oil when it leaves the motor but the real question is how do we keep it in the pan?
And right now i think that will be impossible with the way we have to run these things i guess that is why they call it racing (to the check book) I have over heard some guys talking that they would like to see NHRA only alow 1 motor per race or maybe a motor inthe car and 1 spare. Instead of giving the advantage to the big buck teams. To me I still like running no mater if we are up against the bigbuck guy or the guy at the bottom (which lately has been us) So ill keep my taylor bag some extra oil, jb weld, and go have some fun with you guys and gals next year

 

There are a ton of different ways to oil the track, not just from the pan. We can't put a bag around the whole thing. Out of all the oil downs this year how many came from something besides kicked rods (pan)? Anyone know?