Indy Teardown Warning

[Jeff Johnson]

Soon to be released by NHRA the following statement.....This "Technical Enhancement" will raise the price of a entry by...…..

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Jeff Johnson

Soon to be released by NHRA the following statement.....This "Technical Enhancement" will raise the price of a entry by...…..

LOL..........You nailed it !

[Ken Miele]

The more I think about this the more questions I have. I was talking to my engine builder and he had a good point. We have all the tools that NHRA uses to check our engines. Now there is a new tool that my engine builder does not have. How can we make sure we are in compliance if we do not have the same tool. So now we have to get the same tool and training to make sure our heads are correct. How many engine shops are going to spend $60,000 plus for this new equipment. And from what I have been reading this equipment is not like a cc check, or checking with bore gauge and dial caliper. Its not as easy as going through easy pass, either your green to go or red stop, the person has to be highly trained with the right equipment. I know some will say, if you have a stock head you have nothing to worry about, but that's bs. Core shift and old casting molds are a reality, and heads can look different from casting run to casting run.

My last questions is where and who do we send our heads to make sure we are in compliance before we go racing to make sure there are no issues I would think we need to send both heads to not have any issues.

There has been no announcement if this is supposed to happened, but the info I have been receiving seems like its a good possibility it will. I wish NHRA would confirm or deny this. I know its not something NHRA does, getting involved with social media, but it would ease a lot of racers heading to Indy if they new what to expect.

[Jeff Swanson]

I don't see how NHRA could possibly have enough data to apply this to regular stockers. They may start collecting data from cars going thru teardown to start to build a database though.

Now FS cars are a different story, and I'm guessing that this is more aimed at those cars.

[Tom Broome]

Originally Posted by Ken Miele

The more I think about this the more questions I have. I was talking to my engine builder and he had a good point. We have all the tools that NHRA uses to check our engines. Now there is a new tool that my engine builder does not have. How can we make sure we are in compliance if we do not have the same tool. So now we have to get the same tool and training to make sure our heads are correct. How many engine shops are going to spend $60,000 plus for this new equipment. And from what I have been reading this equipment is not like a cc check, or checking with bore gauge and dial caliper. Its not as easy as going through easy pass, either your green to go or red stop, the person has to be highly trained with the right equipment. I know some will say, if you have a stock head you have nothing to worry about, but that's bs. Core shift and old casting molds are a reality, and heads can look different from casting run to casting run.

My last questions is where and who do we send our heads to make sure we are in compliance before we go racing to make sure there are no issues I would think we need to send both heads to not have any issues.

There has been no announcement if this is supposed to happened, but the info I have been receiving seems like its a good possibility it will. I wish NHRA would confirm or deny this. I know its not something NHRA does, getting involved with social media, but it would ease a lot of racers heading to Indy if they new what to expect.

I'm going to address your issues in reverse order.
Why would NHRA confirm or deny any of the speculation referenced here? Let the rumor mill take care of the problem, racers will once again be prepared to pass tech whenever wherever. There was a time you didn't go to Indy with any question that you could pass tech. They might find something you overlooked, but you better have had some pretty good sleight of hand if you went with bogus stuff.


Who do you send your heads to? Who will have the data files NHRA uses?


Do the engine builders need the same equipment as NHRA? If, and it's a big IF all of this speculation actually applies to "classic" stockers (old stuff)....I'm not sure it does. But if an engine builder that builds older combinations with old castings isn't really cheating the heads....I'm talking grinding and spray welding....he doesn't need the equipment. He won't have access to the data anyway.
My opinion.....You know what's real BS? Thinking that core shift or old core boxes will cause a head to scan as illegal. If the head was that bad would it even run well enough to need to be torn down? Would it even cc correctly (small enough)? Wouldn't the engine builder have disqualified the casting before it ever got that far?


Question for those out there, are there still heads around with altered casting numbers? It happened in the past.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Tom Broome

I'm going to address your issues in reverse order.
Why would NHRA confirm or deny any of the speculation referenced here? Let the rumor mill take care of the problem, racers will once again be prepared to pass tech whenever wherever. There was a time you didn't go to Indy with any question that you could pass tech. They might find something you overlooked, but you better have had some pretty good sleight of hand if you went with bogus stuff.


Who do you send your heads to? Who will have the data files NHRA uses?


Do the engine builders need the same equipment as NHRA? If, and it's a big IF all of this speculation actually applies to "classic" stockers (old stuff)....I'm not sure it does. But if an engine builder that builds older combinations with old castings isn't really cheating the heads....I'm talking grinding and spray welding....he doesn't need the equipment. He won't have access to the data anyway.
My opinion.....You know what's real BS? Thinking that core shift or old core boxes will cause a head to scan as illegal. If the head was that bad would it even run well enough to need to be torn down? Would it even cc correctly (small enough)? Wouldn't the engine builder have disqualified the casting before it ever got that far?


Question for those out there, are there still heads around with altered casting numbers? It happened in the past.

Great Post !
I remember an intake manifold for a Ford CJ 428 that weighed 10 lbs less than a real stock one......And I remember an intake manifold with an altered casting number just a few years ago.