Factory experimental

bill dedman · 01-15-2009, 10:45 PM

Rory said, "Personally, the sealed pre-set wastegate on a turbo or blowoff valve on a supercharged engine only seems fair."

In the lengthy discussion I had with owners'-drivers of turbo Stockers, I learned a few things. I learned, for instance, that with certain LEGAL engine modifications (such as a legal cam swap, the installation of headers to better supply the turbo with exhaust gas, and a superior spark advance curve, etc.,) BOOST can increase well beyond factory levels.

Now, I'm not talking out both sides of my mouth here, but we do need to be fair about this. If a turbo car has the option of changing cams, headers, etc, (like a normally-aspirated car,) and in the process, it causes the boost level to go up due to more air passing through the engine, how would it be fair to deny them that additional boost, if they came by it the same way a normally-aspirated car comes by the additional horsepower it accrues with the addition of headers, a better cam. etc.????

It's not going to be easy to answer that... But....what's good for the goose, etc...

Insofar as requiring "a sealed pre-set wastegate on a turbo or blowoff valve on a supercharged engine," IF something like that were ever to be done, wouldn't a tell-tale boost gauge to be read by the tech who does the fuel check and weighs the car after every run be a lot simpler and cheaper? He would have in his possession, a boost specification provided by the NHRA tech dept. that would represent the allowable psi for that particular engine, and when the car comes in for its fuel check and to be weighed, the tech would simply look at his chart for the car, and if the tell-tale gauge needle is stuck at a number beyond the chart spec, then that car cannot compete any more at that race. Just like if the fuel won't check, or the car's too light...

A tell-tale boost gauge is a lot cheaper and easier to install than a dedicated wastegate or blowoff valve, don't you think? Only needs one small piece of tubing...

Bill

01-15-2009, 10:45 PM	#11
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: Factory experimental Rory said, "Personally, the sealed pre-set wastegate on a turbo or blowoff valve on a supercharged engine only seems fair." In the lengthy discussion I had with owners'-drivers of turbo Stockers, I learned a few things. I learned, for instance, that with certain LEGAL engine modifications (such as a legal cam swap, the installation of headers to better supply the turbo with exhaust gas, and a superior spark advance curve, etc.,) BOOST can increase well beyond factory levels. Now, I'm not talking out both sides of my mouth here, but we do need to be fair about this. If a turbo car has the option of changing cams, headers, etc, (like a normally-aspirated car,) and in the process, it causes the boost level to go up due to more air passing through the engine, how would it be fair to deny them that additional boost, if they came by it the same way a normally-aspirated car comes by the additional horsepower it accrues with the addition of headers, a better cam. etc.???? It's not going to be easy to answer that... But....what's good for the goose, etc... Insofar as requiring "a sealed pre-set wastegate on a turbo or blowoff valve on a supercharged engine," IF something like that were ever to be done, wouldn't a tell-tale boost gauge to be read by the tech who does the fuel check and weighs the car after every run be a lot simpler and cheaper? He would have in his possession, a boost specification provided by the NHRA tech dept. that would represent the allowable psi for that particular engine, and when the car comes in for its fuel check and to be weighed, the tech would simply look at his chart for the car, and if the tell-tale gauge needle is stuck at a number beyond the chart spec, then that car cannot compete any more at that race. Just like if the fuel won't check, or the car's too light... A tell-tale boost gauge is a lot cheaper and easier to install than a dedicated wastegate or blowoff valve, don't you think? Only needs one small piece of tubing... Bill __________________ Bill Last edited by bill dedman; 01-16-2009 at 08:07 PM.