Belly Tank Build Diary

[Mike Brown]

A photo of the switch installed on the steering wheel in the car. 

[manta22]

Mike, that looks like an Otto Controls push button switch.

[Mike Brown]

Neil,

The button I used came from Jegs.  I have used the same button with a mushroom head for line lock on another application.  The buttons have been sturdy and are very compact with the coiled cord connection potted on the back.  Otto also makes good stuff. 

[Mike Brown]

We were not able to complete the first dyno tuneup with the new 1,050cc injectors due to a cooling water tank leak.  I fixed the leak and we made it back to the dyno.  After a few pulls to get the fueling corrected for the new injectors we made a fourth gear pull.  Previous best corrected rear wheel horsepower was 601.8.  With no changes other than injectors and spark plugs the result was 630hp.  We made a pull with a 75hp shot of nitrous and the power jumped quickly 70hp at the rear wheels.  I am more than pleased with the injectors from Injector Dynamics.  We can continue to run VP's MS109 fuel without fear of destroying the injectors with the MTBE.  The following is a link to one of the pulls, https://www.facebook.com/michael.e.brown.754/videos/476745360579175. 

[Mike Brown]

After repairing my water tank I had to loosen a hose (all my water connections are garden hose) to get the air out of pump before it would begin working.  There is a vent line on that side of the tank but unfortunately my pump is higher than the top of the tank.  This has been a problem from time to time when I refill the tank after winter.  So I machined my hose adapter for a drain petcock. 

[Mike Brown]

Of course everything about a belly tank is will it fit inside the body.  I machined the tapped hole for the petcock at an angle on the adapter block that I knew fit under the body. 

[Mike Brown]

Always looking for more seat time in my lakester I decided to give dirt drag racing a try.  A local autoparts supplier, KOI, puts on 200' drag races in the dirt at many locations throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.  I contacted them about making a few runs with the lakester and they said, "bring it on down".  I needed tires other than road race slicks and I still had the M&H drag radials that were ruined on my 221.44 mph run.  I decided to grind them into a sort of paddle tire.  I got a 16 grit brazed carbide grinding disc from Harbor Freight and fabricated a fixture to grind the tires.  A little messy but easily done. 

[Mike Brown]

I made three practice runs.  Not wanting to ruin my clutch I rolled out easy from the start and then rolled into the throttle.  I ran the 2.48:1 final drive ratio and stayed in first gear.  Near the finish line I bumped into the rev limiter.  My crew suggested short shifting into second gear.  That resulted in a wild ride with the tires breaking loose and the rear end shifting a foot or more to the side.  I was able to keep the car in the lane but it was exciting for a short moment.  I stayed with first gear passes and just modulated the throttle.  All my passes were in the 4-1/2 second range.  I won one race and lost two but it was a great experience.  It definitely required driving the car.  A link to a test pass is as follows, https://www.facebook.com/koidragracing.racing/videos/1272046383581484.  If you hold Ctrl and click on the link it should take you directly to the video. 

[manta22]

Drag racing on dirt? That's a new one on me!

[Jack Gifford]

Track length?

[bubruins]

This is so awesome! Great idea on the tires.

[Mike Brown]

Track length?

The track length is a very short 200 feet.

[Mike Brown]

Drag racing on dirt? That's a new one on me!

Koi races at county fairs on tractor pulling tracks.  Two main groups, side by sides, motorcycles, quads then mostly four wheel drive diesel trucks.  They consider the lakester “full size” so I raced with the trucks.

[Jack Gifford]

I've been around vehicles all my 82 years but never a "side-by-side". Educate me...

[Mike Brown]

I've been around vehicles all my 82 years but never a "side-by-side". Educate me...

Just like in drag racing they use a "tree" with lights to start the race.  There are photo beams across the track for each lane.  "Staging" is done independently by pulling forward until the first beam is broken then the second beam.  When both lanes are staged in a "pro tree" all the yellow lights flash for .4 seconds then the green light to go comes on.  If you leave before the green light comes on you lose with a red light.  First car across the finish line wins.  This event was double eliminations, you keep racing until your second loss.  You must stay within bounds, they don't like that, and it will get you kicked out of the event.  There were lots of different classes for the trucks.  I didn't fit well into most, so they let me run in a 4.0 index class.  Almost anything goes but you cannot run faster than 4.0 seconds in 200 feet or you lose.  I estimate that there was 50+ vehicles competing.  When they race side by sides, quads and motorcycles they have had over 100 competitors.  The top speeds are slow so not much attention is paid to tech inspections.  For me it equated to more seat time with questionable traction, you really had to drive the lakester.  Looking back at the data I did hit .85gs of acceleration at one time.  My reaction time (time from green until the car left the photo beams) was very slow because I did not want to ruin my clutch with the 2.48:1 final drive ratio.  I did get accused of sand bagging the start only to run some of the trucks down near the end but that is just the nature of my vehicle.  It was all fun.