A water Question

[Bodacious]

We are thinking on this winters mods. Now that we are no longer street driving the little Ram 50, the question of water or not comes into view.

Maybe I'm overlooking something, but, are some pulling engines really running with zero water (block and head)?

If so, considering what we do with the little Ram 50, could we say just fill the block/head with a nice 50% antifreeze mixture and keep the thing alive?

Again, I'm thinking weight reduction. No water pump, plumbing, radiator, etc...

 

[YoungDiesel27]

I switch to a solid filled block and dry head this year. It's a pain in the butt sometimes in the pits. If it is going to be more than a couple hundred yards to get to the sled I drag it up there. I never pulled it more than once in a night this year but think I could have easily. My favorite thing about the filled block besides not egging the cylinders, was just not having to worry about water pump, cooling fan, relays...just seemed like something alway went wrong and you overheated....I just worry about oil temp now and that's it.

 

[jasonc]

The last time I saw Darren Morrisons black drag truck running it was with no water. They had an air hose blowing into the block thrue where the water pump bolts on between rounds to cool it down.

 

[bgreen776]

I'd like to learn more about this

 

[bigstacks95]

Best think I ever did was switch to a full fill. No water to deal with, no radiator in the way, no pumps, fans, hoses, leaks etc.

The hardest part is making the oil cooling system work. Some guys don't run a cooler. I had to make a block off plate for the factory oil cooler out of aluminum, then I ran one of these:

http://www.jegs.com/i/Peterson+Fluid+Systems/615/09-0160/10002/-1

to one of these:

http://www.jegs.com/i/Derale/259/15850/10002/-1

With a remote oil filter adaptor mounted next to it. It works great and holds 75 psi of pressure.

 

[bigstacks95]

Here's a couple more pics from when I built the system. been using it for 2 seasons now. Kinda hard to see in the second pic. I can get better shots later if you guys want to see it.

 

[Bodacious]

Best think I ever did was switch to a full fill. No water to deal with, no radiator in the way, no pumps, fans, hoses, leaks etc.

The hardest part is making the oil cooling system work. Some guys don't run a cooler. I had to make a block off plate for the factory oil cooler out of aluminum, then I ran one of these:

http://www.jegs.com/i/Peterson+Fluid+Systems/615/09-0160/10002/-1

to one of these:

http://www.jegs.com/i/Derale/259/15850/10002/-1

With a remote oil filter adaptor mounted next to it. It works great and holds 75 psi of pressure.

Nice!! Where do you like to see your oil temps at before a pull and what is the highest safe oil temp???

It still sorta baffles my mind that engines actually live without water. lol ...and I'm mostly pointing my finger at the top of the piston and combustion chamber where the water would normally pull that heat away. When I hear a pulling truck is doing this stuff, I have no worries about a drag racing application.

 

[bigstacks95]

I run it as little as possible before a pull, if it is available I have someone tow me around with a tractor or a gator or something. The colder it is the better it runs. But there are a few places I have to drive it from my trailer, over the scale, then in line to pull. I shut it off as much as I can. As long as my gauge hasn't really come up then I'm good for a couple runs. 220 is about the temp oil starts to break down.

 

[Sarafin]

Dave and i have been talking about this a lot lately. Where is the line to when you need to fill the block? i have a stock S480/96/1.32 13mm Inj pump, and lowered compression pistons. Our discussion is weather or not the block will live for a year to avoid the cost of machining and an oil cooling system until next season. engine will be around 5K. The engine is stock bore so the walls are as thick as they're going to get. any input?

 

[Bodacious]

I'll let someone else give you better info, but, our mud/sand/drag set-up has been together for two years. We gave 'er a sniff of nitrous a time or two as well.

I personally feel a well set-up pulling chassis will load the engine much harder than any drag race set-up.

We are currently wet block/head +.20 bore, S480/87/1.0, 13mm P-pump, 5x25's, stock marines with valve reliefs.

 

[unfinished business]

I run it as little as possible before a pull, if it is available I have someone tow me around with a tractor or a gator or something. The colder it is the better it runs. But there are a few places I have to drive it from my trailer, over the scale, then in line to pull. I shut it off as much as I can. As long as my gauge hasn't really come up then I'm good for a couple runs. 220 is about the temp oil starts to break down.

Some synthetics have a normal operating temp of 220 degree f target. When u look at a lot of Ls engines the goal is to get the oil to around 220 degree asap.

 

[bigstacks95]

Some synthetics have a normal operating temp of 220 degree f target. When u look at a lot of Ls engines the goal is to get the oil to around 220 degree asap.

I do not run a Synthetic. I don't believe in them for a racing application. I run old school Spectro 20-50 with a ton of zinc in it. I will have to talk to my Spectro rep and see what he says for a break down temp, 220 is just the temp that I have been told by other engine builders to keep it under. As Jeremy (Disturbed) said in the other thread, you can defiantly tell that its running differently when the oil is up over 200 degrees.