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4/7/03
QUESTION 1
Scott,
My dad and I want to start getting into the
drag scene. He has an 88/89 Toyota pickup truck.
I have looked everywhere for something about
these trucks in the drag scene, but have had
no luck. Can you possibly point me in the right
direction? What kind of "big" engine could be
put in this chassis?
Thanks.
Joe
Dear Joe,
A pickup truck is a hard thing to drag race
because of the weight imbalance (more on the
front than on the rear) making weight transfer
difficult. I have seen pickup trucks bracket
raced successfully with a little work.
A small block Chevy is usually the engine
of choice and with some rear suspension work,
makes a nice package.
Scott
QUESTION 2
Dear Scott,
I am running a 454 with a solid roller cam. I am looking for any type of secret
valve lash techniques which may help me. The
compression has been knocked down to about 9.5:1
to 10:1. I am running a tunnel ram with a single
750 Speed Demon, which I am looking to
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swap
to an 815 Mighty Demon. I am running a 3.5:1
ring and a 28-inch tire. I am also looking to
swap in its place a set of 4.3:1 gears.
Any tuning tips would be appreciated.
Pat
Dear Pat,
Use the lash setting recommended by the
cam manufacturer. Set lash as follows: with
the exhaust valve fully opened, set the lash
on the intake valve. Rotate the engine so that
the intake valve fully opens and then just begins
to close (roughly 20 degrees rotation of the
crank). Then set the exhaust lash.
As far as your induction system, a tunnel
ram operates efficiently at 5000 rpm plus and
usually likes two carbs. If you are set on a
single carb, use a 1050 or bigger Dominator.
A little more gear will help, especially
with a tunnel ram.
Hope that helps.
Scott
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