Ram50

Well I guess I'll go ahead and tell. The truck weighs 2624lbs. Amazingly, even with all the stuff mounted in the bed and the engine slid back as far as it is, 63% of that weight is on the front end. I'm hoping with a somewhat aggressive bar set-up I can overcome the front bias without causing the chassis to unload after the initial hit.

We are going to do some cutting on the hood. It currently weighs 30lbs and I'm hoping we can safely hack 15lbs out of it.
 
That's good and bad ha. If you plan to run in the NHRDA you will have to run Pro Stock and really needs to at least run in the high 7's these days to be some what competitive. And I don't feel you have a chassis up to Pro Stock spec's or e.t.'s, maybe I'm wrong though. It's been a while since I've read through the build have you have the chassis inspected, did that frame pass NHRA insp. If so what cert. did they give you?
 
I don't feel you have a chassis up to Pro Stock spec's or e.t.'s
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You are correct. It is built well enough to get an 8.50 cert. which isn't saying much IMHO. I have not had it certified yet. The closest track is a 2.5 hr drive and is 1/8 mile. They are IHRA sanctioned and a chassis inspector usually shows up a couple times a year so I'm hoping to get a cert from him.

As far as the NHRDA events go, If we show up at one, I'll probably just bracket race. I didn't build it for any particular class. I have no real plans of airing the thing out for a full 1/4 mile. With the front so high, the thing may want to take flight above 120mph. I'm not sure I have the correct size nuts to run it in the 1/8th. lol
 
Bodacious said:
You are correct. It is built well enough to get an 8.50 cert. which isn't saying much IMHO. I have not had it certified yet. The closest track is a 2.5 hr drive and is 1/8 mile. They are IHRA sanctioned and a chassis inspector usually shows up a couple times a year so I'm hoping to get a cert from him.

As far as the NHRDA events go, If we show up at one, I'll probably just bracket race. I didn't build it for any particular class. I have no real plans of airing the thing out for a full 1/4 mile. With the front so high, the thing may want to take flight above 120mph. I'm not sure I have the correct size nuts to run it in the 1/8th. lol
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Cool, sounds like you have good expectations then. Call the guy set up a meeting to get your cert. he will poss. have some ideas or poss. modifications to get you were you want to be, then go index/bracket race it and have a blast! The gas guys that don't get to see diesel's often will dig the hell out of it and you'll have everyone at the fence watching when they hear you fire it up, I'd never seen so much attention from a car as when I'd take the Black Truck or Bone Shaker to the staging lanes at any local race. Have fun with it
 
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Bodacious is ALIVE. We had an oil leak...helps to tighten the oil cooler housing bolts. lol We also have a trans leak out the fabed fixed yoke. Gonna have to study on this one.

These videos are a little boring to watch, but, when they were being made, I was amped UP!!!

[ame="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/bodacious598/media/100_7373_zps4046e716.mp4.html"]100_7373_zps4046e716.mp4 Video by bodacious598 | Photobucket[/ame]

[ame="http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/bodacious598/media/100_7372_zpsfda92b2b.mp4.html"]100_7372_zpsfda92b2b.mp4 Video by bodacious598 | Photobucket[/ame]
 
Those videos might be boring to some, but for me they bring back many old and recent memories. Initial firing and break in of a new motor or new install or new build of great magnitude should be a rite of passage required for any boy to become a man.
 
^^^Great post, I completely agree. There is nothing like firing up a fresh engine that you have put together from bottom up.
 
bgreen776. I love what ya said in that post. We've had plenty here at the Stalnaker shop, but, this is the most meaningful to date.

I got in a hurry on my last big build (The ranger pictured in previous post). The engine was broke in on a dyno so I had already heard it run. I installed the 598 BBF and wanted to here it run. I didn't have a throttle cable so I set the idle up just enough to move it out of the garage and just reached down and threw the tranny in gear. On the first try, she fired up and I jumped in the truck and threw it in reverse. When the tranny pulled down the RPM's, she loaded up and died. Without thinking, I jumped out, held the throttle open and cranked the engine over. Mind you, to hit the starter button and run the throttle, I had to be standing behind the front wheel (no front clip). When the engine lit, the tranny was still in reverse and the drivers side front tire ran completely over top of me. I had QR78 buckshots on it at the time and saved my t-shirt with the perfect tread markings on it so people would believe me. I was not injured at all and that's when I knew she was light!!! lol

Back to the new Bodacious, I took it outside today and tried to boost with the trans brake. It looks like a re-stall is in order. Even with the 40* temps, she wouldn't even come close to building boost. We took her on her maiden voyage as well. The roads dried out some and I couldn't stand it any longer. It is really laggy. However, when things do start to pressure up, OMG!!!! Craig was riding with me and videoing. we'll try to get it up later. At one point, I was able to hold it down long enough to see 65psi of boost. I can't wait to get this thing on the track.
 
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How does a trans brake work? I thought a trans brake mechanically locked so you could push n push against it and build boost but not be able to move, regardless of the stall of the convertor? Is that not what they do?
 
It locks it in first and reverse at the same time, when the button is released reverse pressure is released.
 
You have to go through the converter regardless. Lower stall, quicker spool. Obviously.
 
If you have not already fill that glide with hyd. oil, Not ATF. A few hard times on the brake building boost and that pretty red atf will be white and smell like ****, not to mention it's hard on the wet clutches. I use tractor supply brand and never had a problem, about 50-55 bucks a 5 gallon pale. It will lower your stall speed around 200-250 rpm so no use adding it until you do your first re stall. .02 cents Oh and look for around 2500 on the brake she will still be good n tight on the other end, at least so long as you can turn it to 5k, I imagine your sweet spot to shift will be 4700

Tucker
 
stock600, glad you posted 'cause I was about to PM ya on your stall speed. I'm running an s480 with spooling valve. We checked the spooling valve and it fully opens at 30psi and begins to open around 20psi. This converter is so tight you have to get on the brakes pretty hard to stop it at idle. My old tach I saved from the vega drag car may be bad as we are having trouble getting it to work. My neighbor is gonna let me borrow one tomorrow to check my wiring. Before I pull the trans, I'd like to take it down the road and have someone watch the tach to see pretty close where the thing starts boosting. I was hoping this would give me some idea where to go with the converter. As it stands now, I'd say another 1500rpm needs added to get into the boost.

Hey SmokeShow, you basically have the right idea. If I had a set up that would build boost at a low rpm, I'd be good to go. However, in order to allow this set up to build boost the converter needs loosened up so the engine can rev higher before the converter starts applying the torque. This is why a lockup converter is best for a diesel application IMO. With a lock up, I could let the stall speed go way loose allowing for instant spool without all the starting line spooling crap and then lock 'er up when I got off the line. The looser or higher stall the converter is, the more rpms it takes to keep it engaged on the upper end. With the lock up, all those worries go away. Hope I helped ya understand it a little??
 
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Clear as mud. :D


whats the loping about? just needs idle tuning or some attribute to a firebreathing beast of pump?!?! :)
 
I'm not sure why it lopes. I've heard the same thing out of some of the more powerfull pulling trucks. I have to admit I think it's kinda cool sounding. I also think it would fit right in at an antique tractor pull with that lope.lol
 
With a single 80mm you may have to go even looser than that poss. in the 3k-3200 range to get it to lite? Poss. still be good on the other end as long as you pull some rpm through the stripe.

The lope is just a combo of the gov. springs, low compression, and to much turbo. (at idle anyways)
 
Stall Speed

I think you will find that when you get it loose enough that it will stall way to high when the power come on. I don't know 12 valve stuff very well but when the boost comes on it will totally change the converter and run away from the motor. Sounds good and I can't wait to see it run down the track.
 
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