Tomahawk Dragster

Discussion in 'Tomahawk Block Buildups' started by ken betts, Aug 15, 2011.

  1. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    In the next week or so we will post what is going on with the heads. As it looks now I will be traveling to the southeast to meet with a company on the billet heads. We are waiting for answers to a few questions from NHRA to decide the final direction on the heads. Several associated events with NHRA has slowed things down temporarily, not a major issue as we are very busy with a lot of other aspects of this project.
    Will let you know soon.
     
  2. killrbuick66455

    killrbuick66455 Well-Known Member

    Awesome!! John Thanks !!
     
  3. ken betts

    ken betts Well-Known Member

    Well it's about time! The Pro Charged Nitro-Methane TA block has been moved to a new shop that's excited about the project as much as I am. Finally it's moving along. The cam (.900 + lift, Some top fuel cams are over an inch) and lifters are complete and the block is being machined as I write. We are only missing the pan which will be made in Calif. due only to logistics. People who make pans for top fuel will be making the pan, and the external oiling system will be designed by one of the best in the business right here in Temecula Calif. We are only waiting for intake seats before the massive head work and intake begins. There is a CNC shop with a digitizer and 5 axis CNC real close to me. The heads will go there as soon as we finish them for enhanced programming to add material wherever we need it. We will actually have a drawing. All that work will happen in about 5 to ten days. It's great to have family friends who personally know all these top guys in the industry and work with them on a daily basis. There are as many non Buick enthusiasts out there as there are here working on this project. (Soon to be Buick enthusiasts) If you want to know the potential of this motor, go to the ATI Pro Charger web site and look up the naturally aspirated HP for the 139R on a big block. Then just add Nitro!
     
  4. 462 Chevelle

    462 Chevelle 462 chevelle

    Any recent updates?
     
  5. ken betts

    ken betts Well-Known Member

    Sorry for the long delays. We are not home yet, but I finally have someone I can trust to do the heads. He is working full time on them and going for an engineering degree at the same time. He is not going to take on any other jobs until all our head designs are finished. He is also a welder and can make our intake. I lost several months because I held off the machine work on the heads and then 6-7 months of no progress at all even after paying "almost" in full. My current head porter will take no money until its finished but he is related. I have 95% of all other parts to put the motor together. Thanks, ken
     
  6. Stg1Regal

    Stg1Regal Yep Traction Issues!:)

    That sounds fimilar.... Hmmmm a Little Twin Turbo Buick V6 back in the mid 80's, messing with the Mountian Motor Big Boys FENG SHUI ?


    Sounds like it's going to be one heck of a ride!!

    Good luck with the project, Im so ready to see a V8 Buick pop the 200mph cherry, better yet a doorslammer version.
    I know those V6 Turbos can...now time for the Big Blocks... yep plural.. need more than one.
     
  7. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    Chris 200 mph is not what we are trying to surpass:grin:. We are trying to go 200+ but that is in the first half of the track. The goal is into the 5 second club and 250+mph.

    Jenn and I will be pulling our front engine dragster into the shop this weekend and "finally" prepping it for the Tomahawk. I will post some pictures of the progress soon...
     
  8. Stg1Regal

    Stg1Regal Yep Traction Issues!:)

    Jesupercat...

    I say ""GO FOR IT!!" dang I was thinking maybe 210-215ish mph.... But 250? Heck yeah!!

    Do think it will be ready for BPG or the GS Nats?

    Man 250+ Mph... wow!!! :eek2::cool::TU:
     
  9. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    Chris not sure if it will make the BPG event this year. We are focused on just getting it up and running. We will probably have to go to Las Vegas to test as our 2 tracks in AZ have now closed:ball:.
    We are also in the process of a big cross country move which will put us within 30 miles of a track:TU:.
    The GS Nationals is what we are shooting for. The car may only be running to the 1/8 mile at that point if we do not get much time in for testing. With the combo we are running it takes 10-20 runs to get the bugs worked out before we can run out the top of the track. Banging the blower 4-5 feet in front of your face is something I hope I do not experience:eek2:
    A goal of mine is to get the car to hook hard enough at the launch to go under a 1.0 60' . I have run a 1 flat 60' with the 392 and that was a blast.
     
  10. killrbuick66455

    killrbuick66455 Well-Known Member

    That's around 3500-5500 + HP :TU:
     
  11. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    Eric the total weight of the dragster with me in it, and about 110lbs of fuel, is under 1500lbs. We can go over 225mph with around 2000 HP. We will just have to see were the numbers fall.
    The first shot is 1/10 throttle with 1800lb car to warm the tires.Notice the injector butterflies are almost closed.
    The next 2 shots are the Supercat dragster 1st blown 2nd injected. I would say we don't displace much air in our profile:laugh:to slow things down to much.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. killrbuick66455

    killrbuick66455 Well-Known Member

    Well i guess i'm way off then...lol didn't figure the rail to be that light..
     
  13. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    Eric the car is very light. We will most likely be going up to a 14 gallon fuel tank which will add about 35 more lbs to the car. Most of these cars consume 11 gallons of fuel a run:shock:. We will have to weigh about 1800 lbs to run in Nostalgia top fuel so we will be adding a fair amount of ballast to the car where it is needed.
    For this year the weight will not matter much, as we are more focused on working out the bugs and having some fun .
    I will be adding a small front wing and rear canard wings just ahead of the rear wheels in the next month or so to increase the stability a bunch.
    Well back to the garage.......
     
  14. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    Just a quick update. Ken's heads should start advancing again now that the new flow-bench is up and running.
    So we have had our share of delays. Ken is in the middle of a house move and so are we, so that has slowed things down a bit on the dragster. We talked about a way to get the car out to the track so we could have some fun. So ..............I just got back from California with a "temporary" engine for the dragster. All the dimensions I need to finish the side engine plates are the same for the Tomahawk and the exhaust outlets so we can make up the zoomies. Jenn and I will get the engine shoe-horned in this weekend. I will post up some pictures as soon as we get moving on it.

    This engine will be used to get to the track so Ken and I can start having some fun. We aren't sure about getting to the BPG event because time is short. We are planning on running the car at the GS Nationals as long as we don't break things before then. Hoping to be on the track mid July @ Las Vegas at least the temps will be cool:(

    The engine is a 462 4 Port Hilborn methanol injected cast iron beast:grin:
    This should put us here:
    Power to Weight Ratio: 1.65
    60 Foot E.T. : 0.96
    1/8 Mile E.T. : 4.34
    1/8 Mile Trap Speed : 156.60
    1/4 Mile E.T. : 6.88
    1/4 Mile Trap Speed : 195
    1/4 Mile Trap RPM : 7,046
     
  15. buickfunnycar.com

    buickfunnycar.com Well-Known Member

    Subscribed...!:Brow:
     
  16. staged2ny

    staged2ny Silver Level contributor

  17. wildcat4

    wildcat4 Well-Known Member

    Enjoying reading along.
    Great work and I hope the best for you guys.
    Thanks for doing all this for us for the future of Buick racing.
     
  18. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    Thanks everyone.
    We are making progress with the car with the temporary engine now in place.
    Many of the parts I am making for the Temporary engine will fit the Tomahawk as well so we are progressing:TU:
    I will post more on this thread as we go along with the Nitro/Tomahawk.

    Here is a link with more pictures of what's going on with the dragster itself and where we have been and where we are currently. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?269714-Supercat-200-quot-Front-Engine-Dragster-Updates-History
     
  19. JESUPERCAT

    JESUPERCAT No Slow Boat

    Quick update.... The car is less than a week away from firing up the temporary engine.:TU:.
    Check the other thread for more on the 462 combo.

    Here are a few pictures of the 2-1/8 zoomies mounted on the temporary engine. These will be the zoomies we start with on the blown Tomahawk.

    Less than three weeks before racing at Bowling Green:3gears:
     

    Attached Files:

  20. crouchmtrsports

    crouchmtrsports crouchmtrsports

    Nice work John. Looking forward to seeing you make a pass in BG.
     

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