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Bonneville Salt Flats Discussion => Build Diaries => Topic started by: bubruins on January 04, 2023, 07:38:39 PM

Title: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on January 04, 2023, 07:38:39 PM
This build diary is the continuation of the thread "Sum's Salt Bullet....Lakester...." I purchased the project from Sumner and picked it up September 2022. Years ago I remember seeing his build thread and thinking it was the perfect layout for fast and stable lakester and I'm excited to continue it. I like the lakester class for the open construction rules and relative safety compared to other classes. Specifically, I like the wider track width than streamliners; yet purpose built aerodynamics and suspension not constrained by obstacles baked into the original vehicle as it had to be built by the manufacturer. Lakesters can also run big tires and do "testing" and other activities over here on the east coast on shorter courses.

My only land speed credit to date is a 103mph electric record at the Ohio mile back in 2013; though I've rebuilt several other cars and boats from piles of parts and had the good fortune to crew on several 200mph+ LSR teams. My priorities with the lakester are to get it moving under it's own power with the simplest means possible that won't drastically compromise the general design. Sumner had a few iterations for the powertrain throughout the years. As the car was purchased, it was configured for chain drive like a motorcycle powerplant to a Datsun differential and with independent rear suspension.

I think that the clearest path forward is cutting the rear suspension off, lengthening the rear of the car 18+" to accommodate the car style drivetrain, and converting to a solid axle mounted rigidly to the chassis. The front TTB style suspension will remain intact, but will be moved 12" rearward. I will use coilovers to save space from the separate spring/shock design as originally built which will make room for the fire suppression bottles up front. Moving the front axle rearward should help to move the center of gravity relatively forward which should help CP/CG. Additionally it should delete several sq. ft of surface area contributing to skin friction.

One of the unique things about this car is the side pods taking space between the axles. I originally thought that I would scrap the side pods and just fair the axles shorter. After more consideration of packaging and the potential of the shape with a rigid rear axle, I think the side pods are worth keeping. There will have to be modifications to the aluminum tanks to keep an orderly profile and stay within the track of the wheels.
 
The car is only 23" at the widest behind the shoulders. Using a Small Block Chevrolet or 90*V engine would be a tight fit and packaging of accessories and exhaust within the body present many challenges. I have a few lower performance SBC's I can use as a base, but all are considerably off the power and investment required for a record. After a lot of consideration the GM atlas engine family Sumner had started accumulating parts for fits the design envelope for this vehicle too well to ignore. Unlike Sumner I'm going straight for the 4.2l E/ motor at first. Trailblazer 4.2 liters are also plentiful with over 40 to pick from in local junkyards.

Since deciding on this path I bought a 2004 trailblazer for parts for $250, pulled the engine, harness, starter, accessories, and good battery, and then scrapped the remainder for $221. The early hurdles to overcome are fabricating an intake manifold that will fit and installing a drysump oil system with a custom pan. The factory oil pans are front sump and the engines are notorious for trapping oil in the head so a head scavenge port will be necessary for any high rpm pulls longer than a 1/4 mile pass. The transmission adapter was easily sourced from emtech. The car can be started on the stock exhaust manifold and driven to it's first test, but will need a custom manifold built before the first race. Cams, valvetrain, and engine internals are not order-able from a catalog, but are available largely thanks to a handful of dedicated enthusiasts. The 2002-2005 engines make 275hp stock and 2006-2008 make 291hp. The bore/stroke ratio isn't great for top end power potential, though a few built N/A motors have been spun 10,500 rpm and have made good power on gasoline. I think stock worn out 275hp and a disrespectful amount nitrous oxide is a more likely outcome early in this program.

The transmission will be the G-force G101a that Sumner bought for this project. It came with a V-Gate shifter and I believe it can be left hand shifted manually in the cockpit. It's tight in the drivers compartment which is good, but I'll need to mock up a shifter to see if it's possible to get in/get out of the car and shift within the required range safely.

The axle will be a winters 10? Quick Change rear end. I bought this axle from a dirt racer. It's a 4.86 ring gear with an aluminum 31 spline spool. This is not a great starting point as far as ratios go, but even the 4.86 is capable of the target speed I have in mind for an ECTA meet, testing on a dyno, and testing at local 1/8 and 1/4 mile drag strips. A 4.12 ring & pinion gear is available that will help or I can swap the entire housing for an extremeliner later. I'll need to order axles, tubes, and ends from Strange before I can mock up the driveline in the chassis spring 2023.

Transmission and axle yoke to flange adapters are from Nerat Demo and I'll need to machine a register inside the axle side. I had to order parts for a TH400 on the trans side and a Dana 60 10-spline on the axle side; neither of which I'm using. The Muncie part sold is 27 spline, unlike the 32 spline output shaft of the G101a. One concern I have is that the splines on the TH400 shaft do not engage as deep as a forged nascar yoke. On the limited power levels I plan to run at first I think this will be acceptable, but will need to be addressed before trying to make more power. On the axle side the Dana 60 and Winters quick change both share a 1.250" spline OD and 10 splines and the same seal diameter. Upon initial assembly I discovered I will need to shim the engagement of the splines a couple thousands of an inch, but the splines and seals fit great otherwise.

I just moved homes and shops and am still unpacking. I've got high hopes for getting the car moving under its own power in 2023. I've enjoyed browsing this forum for years and hope there will be some good feedback from the brain trust as this build moves forward.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: SPARKY on January 05, 2023, 12:02:39 AM
  Great to hear that you have a pretty well thought out approach and you are off to a good start.  :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: have fun!
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Rex Schimmer on January 05, 2023, 01:36:15 PM
Now that is great news!! So good to see that you are going to breath some fire into Sum's car. With the level of modifications that you have outlined it will certainly become "your" car soon. Keep us informed with your progress and as you already know this site is a great place to get information that you may need in your construction.

Rex
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on February 13, 2023, 11:10:34 AM
The cutting, grinding, and welding has commenced. The real goal for February is to prepare for getting on the chassis table in mid March. The easy part is ordering axles, tubes and ends from Strange Engineering. The hard part is knowing which width and ends to order. This decision depends on a whole chain reaction of factors.
The first axle width variable is the hardest and it's the aerodynamics. Packaging with the side pods is much easier, but what if they require 200hp more than no side pods? For stability I'd really like a wider track width, but at what cost? Then there's the #1 all time lakester controversy: do you want the wheels right next to the body or far away from the body? Seeing that 1:1 scale wind tunnel testing all variants is out of the question for me, the only choices left are relativism (wow that ## car sure is fast) or computational fluid dynamics. I remember back in 2015 I did a test using autodesk flow design using a model built in sketchup. I only had the time and resources to do one test and it was such a hypothetical streamliner idea it did not really matter to continue. This time around I have a few general shapes I want to test.

(https://1fatgmc.com/steven-lakester/23-02-11%20Page%202-1.jpg)

When I first bought the lakester project I thought that I would go and change the axle setup and wheelbase first and then scan the chassis to put it in CAD and test the aerodynamics. I didn't consider the importance of the track width. Superfastmatt's excellent video series on his streamliner project included CFD testing through a company called AirShaper. I have decided to invest the time and effort now to prepare and test a few models in the month of February so I can make the track width decision with more information. I only ran 3 simulations:
1) Sumner/Rex's original design
2) A narrow track width version with no side pods. The rationale here is that it's unlikely I'd build a wide track version without some storage in the side pod area.
3) A bare tube version showing approximate drag with no body. I wanted a rough idea of drag on a bare version in case I am able to test the car in that configuration at a 1 mile event.

(https://1fatgmc.com/steven-lakester/23-02-11%20Page%202-2.jpg)

The results of the CFD were that it would require 6.6% more horsepower to go 200mph with the narrow design than Sumner's original side pod design, even considering the reduction in frontal area. The bare tube version requires 93.0% more power to go 200mph than Sumner's original side pod design. I have not decided if I'll publish CD for this project yet, but I will say that Sumner's original design was near the leading edge of the competitor lakesters I've compiled in a database (based on published HP and Bonneville results).
The original design produced 130lb lift, narrow track was 33lb total lift, and bare tubes was 122lb lift. Ideally there would be a couple hundred pounds of negative lift at 200mph so there's a lot of room for improvement here. There's a lot of caveats in this very amateur analysis and this certainly shouldn't be used as proof that wide wheelbase is faster than narrow wheelbase.
I don't know if these results are within the margin of error. CFD is not the ultimate measuring tool, but that's the best information I have to work with in this case. I'm going to continue running CFD simulations throughout this project while working from a perspective of shapes that seem to work in what appear to be the most efficient lakesters. Hopefully in a couple years the great white dyno can judge for real.

(https://1fatgmc.com/steven-lakester/23-02-11%20Page%202-3.jpg)

The second axle width variable is the existing front axle and wheels that came with the car. While there have been a few notable exceptions, the general rule I see used in construction of other lakesters is for the rear tires to follow in the hole in the air left by the front tires. This seems to be more important the further the wheels are from the body.
Sumner did a great job of modifying some dodge hubs and ordering a set of offset front wheels to reduce the scrub radius, but this moved the wheel closer to the body than can be used due to interference with the back of the tire into the side pods. Another problem that would not have been an issue for Sumner but is a problem for me is that the front spindles and hubs are not set up for front brakes.
Front brakes are a requirement for ECTA events. While disc brake kits exists for 37-46 ford spindles, all that I have seen have cast iron rotors and I would like to believe that this car will approach speeds and forces that may compromise cast iron rotors. Making my own caliper mounts and using aftermarket rotors appears like the only choice.

(https://1fatgmc.com/steven-lakester/23-02-11%20Page%202-4.png)

Putting the car in CAD also revealed another issue before the engine swap. The winters axle puts the axle centerline well above the driveline axis (about 3 7/16"). Because the driveline is bolted together and relatively short, this puts the engine, transmission, and axle at a pretty severe angle tilting rearward and the bellhousing clearance to ground is far closer than I'd like. This is all assuming the use of the 26" rear tires that came with the lakester. I can only think of the following paths forward:
1) Run 18x30's on the back. I haven't priced those wheels/tires but I can't imagine this being the cheap option and would seemingly have more aero resistance. Setting the car up this way also requires a more exotic 19" custom wheel and tire for 1 mile land speed racing.
2) Use the GM 7.5" or Ford 9" axle and pinions provided. I'm not very invested in the winters now so it'd be a good time to swap before ordering axles. The cons here are the hassle between changing gears for short courses and I'm afraid I'll break/shock a 7.5" on concrete with the power I'm hoping to make. The 9" is not available with the gear ratios I'd like to imagine I'll need at Bonneville with a 26" tire. This also does not fix the bellhousing height problem but going to a 28" tire could be a compromise.
3) Go to a nascar reverse starter style bellhousing that is shorter like the quartermaster low ground clearance unit. The trouble with that particular unit only uses a 5.5" clutch and quartermaster does not sell a blank 5.5" and I already have a blank 7.25". If I could find a bellhousing that would allow a 110 tooth mini nascar flexplate to match the 7.25" clutch I think it could work. I can angle the whole engine back because it'll be drysump anyway. Transmission and axle oiling may have to be addressed.
4) Spend all the time and money on the front end for the rear end. Set up the car to run both a Winters for short track testing and the GM 7.5" for Bonneville all while it's on the chassis table. Optimize for the 7.5" in terms of pinion to axle offset and pinion length. Relatively high axles in short track also require taller tires which will be helpful for traction anyway. I think there are some 15" wheel & tire options that can work for this application. Order axles for the GM 7.5" wider than the Winters so that the brakes can hide better inside high offset wheels. I'll have to sleeve the OE 2.5" OD tubes with 1/4" wall 3" OD axle tube to fit appropriate axle ends. Option 4 feels like the right choice and is my current plan.

(https://1fatgmc.com/steven-lakester/23-02-11%20Page%202-5.jpg)

I sold my lathe in the move but managed to buy a small atlas craftsman 10" lathe in an estate sale locally. I was able to machine the driveshaft adapter on the axle side to register the transmission side and then I also had to cut a custom washer to take out the slack on the winters input shaft. The original washer had some foamy glue on it. Any idea what glue this is and what I should use to seal this joint before final assembly?
I bought an open box AC TIG machine last month and have been trying to teach myself TIG. I feel confident in my MIG ability and have learned what's good enough and needs work after years of endurance racing and hobby experimenting. In the last month I've been tinkering with little projects like fire pit stands and repairing tools for family so that I can at least get used to where the tools are now and organize them efficiently. Mission critical weldling like the header will be have to be farmed out to a pro but at least I can fit up the parts on my own.

(https://1fatgmc.com/steven-lakester/23-02-11%20Page%202-6.jpg)

Last but not least for January was a swap meet. I managed to buy a set of Strange steel drag brakes with high temp pads for all four wheels, two sets of winters quick change gears that'll suffice for testing, a drysump pan I can use for parts, and a trick flo GM 7.5" braced differential cover. The strange brakes are actually the dual caliper for the back of a dragster and I managed to score a separate, but matching set of rotors. The axle ends will have to be the strange symmetrical style in order to use the bracket but it means at Bonneville I can run the dual caliper setup which hopefully would spread the heat input and give me double the power until boiling high temp brake fluid in the event of a chute failure.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on June 02, 2023, 10:06:34 PM
Dropped the car off at the Coffey shop for the critical work I don't trust myself with. Excited to have a 4.2l drivetrain n this chassis!
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on August 12, 2023, 02:36:29 PM
Car has cleared the queue and is making big progress this week. Axle assembled and car was welded to the chassis table! Flange to flange is 55.5" so I'm committing to the wide stance. Next steps for Coffey Fabrication and Race Prep are to build engine, mid, trans, and axle mounts. Hopefully it'll be a roller with the Vortec 4200 engine in the coming weeks.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on August 12, 2023, 05:21:19 PM
I should have posted some time ago about trying to solve the lift problem. Basic dilemma is the CFD results say the car is making 320# lift at 200mph even with a pretty good airfoil profile for much of the chord of the side pods. The idea behind spill plates was to lengthen the transition behind the tires and therefore make the relatively weak wing shape more effective. With the plates it only makes 130# of lift. However, it created unacceptable amounts of drag. Anyone have any ideas about how to keep the drag low but turn the lift into negative lift? I'd be glad to send a .STL or .SKP file to anyone interested in solving the problem.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Rex Schimmer on August 12, 2023, 05:30:50 PM
Have you tried various ride heights, specifically a little rake which could give your side pods a little bit of angle of attack. You might also see what a 1/2 inch wicker across the back would do.

Good to see you working on the car looks like good thinking and progress.

Rex
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: sabat on August 12, 2023, 07:37:29 PM
Those welds... Coffey FTW.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on August 12, 2023, 10:11:07 PM
@Sabat This is my second Coffey built race car. The first was a midship runabout 2 seater that we endurance raced, wrecked, and continued to race.

@Rex yes I'm on simulation 7 now and unfortunately adding rake didn't significantly change the lift, but it did add a little drag by testing with taller rear tires. I could try dropping the front or getting there another way. I've been trying to keep 6" under the whole car like a certain successful roadster.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Rex Schimmer on August 15, 2023, 07:59:23 PM
Good plan! the Contrivance guys are pretty smart with aero. (The absolutely most ugly modified roadster ever built but what makes it so pretty is that it holds or has held at one time all of the blown and unblown records from E to AA!!!)

Another thought for your lakester would be a small ground effects tunnel which cab provide good down force without a big aero cost. Ed Fenn added one to his lakester with great results.

Rex
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Stan Back on August 16, 2023, 06:19:58 PM
Contrivance?

In my opinion that's gotta be the most successful Bonneville car ever built!
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: jdincau on August 16, 2023, 06:49:23 PM
Contrivance?

In my opinion that's gotta be the most successful Bonneville car ever built!

By a mile!
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on August 27, 2023, 09:56:45 AM
For trivia- I checked the spillplate results in the HP calculator and for the target speed it would require 110 more horsepower with that simple change.

The latest challenge has been the realization that I did not account for enough room in CAD for a proper frame. Here's the latest idea:
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on September 27, 2023, 07:13:06 PM
Facebook reminded me that I picked up the lakester one year ago. The car was cut off the chassis table and is on it's own wheels as of today. Here are some pictures from earlier this week. My goal from the start was for the car to drive it's first 10 feet in 2023. Three months to get a standalone wired up, boat gas tank ratchet strapped on, and a starter ring gear for the nascar style reverse starter.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on October 12, 2023, 11:00:54 PM
Exciting day. Car is home on its own wheels. Race wheels are different sizes and offsets. 
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on November 28, 2023, 07:21:24 PM
Long time no update. I have mocked up a couple of triple disc clutches and have a reverse starter ring gear (NASCAR style) that has successfully spun the motor over. I think that's the first Atlas 4200 that's been done with that combo. Now the engine is connected to the rear tires and it would start and run. If it had a fuel system. And an ECU.

Black Friday bought a MS3pro Evo from DIYautotune along with smart coils and several connectors. Not really on track for a 12/31/23 first drive, but progress nonetheless. I've also spent far too much time lately trying to be a cheapskate and learn what I can about turbochargers so I don't have to consult a professional. I'm planning on running e85-e100 fuel. The mass of fuel entering combustion and consequently needing room in the exhaust turbine has been an interesting development. I initially thought that a relatively large compressor was a good idea for Bonneville due to the thinner air. Now I'm thinking an 80/117 compressor 96/88 turbine with a 1.30ar may be the best (affordable) option. Any thoughts on that for a 4.2l on fuel?

For the fuel system I'm leaning towards a cable driven mechanical style pump. Question for the group: Would it be a good idea to run an electric fuel pump to prime a mechanical fuel system, or is it best to keep it simple and only run mechanical?
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Stan Back on November 28, 2023, 08:14:17 PM
I think there's nothing wrong with an electric "squirter" start-up system.  A push-button thing to get things going.  I've driven a car with one and it helps cranking power to get things going.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: johnneilson on November 28, 2023, 10:06:59 PM
Huh?
you bought a MS3 pro EFI and want to run a mechanical pump?
OK, it might just be a little easier to run the electric and go.

J
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Dynoroom on November 29, 2023, 09:58:50 AM
Black Friday bought a MS3pro Evo from DIYautotune along with smart coils and several connectors. Not really on track for a 12/31/23 first drive, but progress nonetheless. I've also spent far too much time lately trying to be a cheapskate and learn what I can about turbochargers so I don't have to consult a professional. I'm planning on running e85-e100 fuel. The mass of fuel entering combustion and consequently needing room in the exhaust turbine has been an interesting development. I initially thought that a relatively large compressor was a good idea for Bonneville due to the thinner air. Now I'm thinking an 80/117 compressor 96/88 turbine with a 1.30ar may be the best (affordable) option. Any thoughts on that for a 4.2l on fuel?

For the fuel system I'm leaning towards a cable driven mechanical style pump. Question for the group: Would it be a good idea to run an electric fuel pump to prime a mechanical fuel system, or is it best to keep it simple and only run mechanical?

Generally speaking, the turbocharger compressor flow rate is directly related to the engine power output. If you want 1,000 hp for example, you need enough air to make it with. The turbine side can have a choking effect if too small, but it is less of a problem compared to the compressor side. Yes, the Pressure Ratio will go up a bit as compared to sea level, so you do need to take that into consideration when designing the system.  

Regarding the fuel pump, Yes, I run a cable driven mechanical fuel pump with an electric primer pump. Works great. Running E-85 or any fuel for that matter in a high horsepower engine a mechanical pump is a good idea. As the flow & pressure demands go up, the amperage goes way up & actual electric pump flow rate drops. Not the best situation for a race engine.


Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: johnneilson on November 29, 2023, 11:18:21 PM
Mike,

At what power levels are you referring to that you need a mechanical pump?

Yes, have seen some sketchy electric pump installations, especially the wiring.

John
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Dynoroom on November 30, 2023, 12:21:35 PM
Mike,

At what power levels are you referring to that you need a mechanical pump?

Yes, have seen some sketchy electric pump installations, especially the wiring.

John

John,
 I'm not saying you can't run an electric fuel pump, what I am saying is a mechanical pump is "better" in an application using E-85 or methanal. Any electric pump will draw more amperage and flow less as the power requirements go up. I've added a chart from RC Engineering showing a very good Bosch electric fuel pump for reference. Many turbocharger racing engine will use a higher static fuel pressure of say 50 or 60 psi. This will be stepped up by whatever boost is used to the engine, so if we have a 60 psi static and 20 lbs boost you are now at 80 psi fuel pressure. using the chart as an example, if you were running a 850 hp engine on gas you might need 75.40 gph of fuel. This same engine on E-85 might need 95.5 gph of fuel. Yes, you can get an electric pump that will do that, it's just easier to use a mechanical pump that the flow rate will rise with engine speed and there will be no power draw on the rest of the electrical system to run the ECU, water pumps, etc. Just my point of view.



 

Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on November 30, 2023, 12:50:40 PM
One reason I'm favoring mechanical primary fuel pump is for less hassle in regulation. You start having a hard time finding a regulator that'll flow enough fuel to support big power like 1000lph+, but then also deal with an engine at idle or partial throttle. Of course you can turn on 2nd or 3rd electric fuel pumps based on a number of factors, but this adds complexity and room for failure that's potentially devastating.

Edited to say: I have a smaller aeromotive boost referenced regulator I'm planning to run with the mechanical pump. I hope that'll be adequate, but should be able to be tested on the dyno.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Rex Schimmer on November 30, 2023, 02:41:29 PM
You need a fuel pump that is oversize to the engine's fuel requirement, i.e. if your engine needs 100 gph to make the desired power you need a fuel pump that is probably at least 1.5 times that flow rate at the max horsepower rpm. The extra 50% is required to provide enough flow through the pressure regulator valve to provide accurate pressure control and pressure change response. All of this of course makes the selection of the pressure control valve very important.

If you use an electric fuel pump or pumps, as the required fuel pressure increases the pump horsepower requirement increases at a faster rate than the pressure, due to increased inefficiency, which means a much higher draw on the battery. If you are looking at substantial boost pressure (40-50 psi) then the required fuel pressure must be increased to maintain a constant differential pressure across the injector which means you may have a fuel pressure requirement in excess of 100-120+ psi. Many electric fuel pumps begin to be very inefficient at these pressures because of internal leakage and may not be able to provide sufficient fuel. A mechanical pump can be sized to prevent this from happening although they also suffer from increased internal leakage due to increased pressure. Good mechanical pumps (Kinsler) are provided with accurate flow vs. pressure curves which helps you to select the correct size pump. Finding this info on most electric pumps is difficult.

Rex
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on May 03, 2024, 05:02:52 PM
I've been learning some lessons in the past few months, but have not been physically adding anything onto the car.
1st, I learned how to actually 3d print models of the car. While I've been doing CFD for fun to learn about drag coefficients and predicted lift, the models will be used to help refine CP/CG and they look good on the desk at work.
2nd, Bought a big ol turbo on marketplace. S482 FI, 3" vband inlet. Bought a used drysump setup which I believe I can make work on the atlas 4200. Bought a 2000hp air to water intercooler. No lessons here, just less in the wallet.
3rd, "Reman" injectors on eBay are junk. Thankful for friends with fun test toys.
4th, Titanium is cheaper in racecars than humans. Bad mountain bike accident, but I'm well on the way to recovery. The downtime from the normal level of nonsense has been filled with 3d printing and modeling.

There are a couple of events in 2024 I'd like to have the car at least running and able to drive off the trailer for. Wish I could make it to Blytheville to watch the race this weekend, but hard to justify the drive in the sling and with 5 broken ribs still healing.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Rex Schimmer on May 04, 2024, 01:08:50 PM
Is the "new" ti hardware on your clavicle? I have broken my left one 3 times but only once in multiple places. I did it once and got 6 ribs at the same time, all on dirt bikes.So I can say I really do feel for you. It does make doing almost anything difficult so we won't hold it against you that you are not working on the lakester.

Are you planning to put the intercooler in a water box? Big time aero drag if you run air through it. Most of them can easily be cut down to a smaller size and still be very effective.

Get well!!!
Rex
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on May 04, 2024, 01:24:38 PM
Indeed, it is the clavicle but you beat me on rib count. First time ever breaking a bone for me!

The intercooler is a drag racing style air to water so the only air passing through is boost from turbo. Rated for heat saturation over a 8 second drag pass, but should be plenty for my power goals for a minute. The question will be if 14 gallons of ice water is enough on an e85/e100 tune.
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: Rex Schimmer on May 04, 2024, 05:04:28 PM
Just the fact that you are using ice makes a big difference in the cooling capacity. Are you to pump the water though the intercooler? If so make sure that the water flow rate is high, the faster the water runs through the cooler the more heat you will take out.

Rex
Title: Re: Midship Raceabout 1 Seater - Lakester
Post by: bubruins on May 04, 2024, 07:56:17 PM
I am. I'm not sure which pump I'll use. For the engine cooling water I've purchased a Davies Craig standalone electric unit that modulates water bases on temp. For the intercooler it's tempting to use the same, but $300, could be saved using a boat bilge pump.