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BangShift Tech Video: Size Matters...Exhaust Collector Length Testing Part 1By Chad Reynolds Posted 04/26/2011

If you hang out at any racetrack, car show, or dyno shop for long enough, you'll hear all kinds of stories. Old wives tales about this thing or that thing making big power, cars that guys used to own, and tuning tricks seem to be at the top of the list. Well this weeks BangShift Tech story was pulled directly from one of those old wives tales meets tuning trick. Each and every one of us that has been around racing or hot rods for very long has heard the theory that the correct exhaust collector length is key to making power... Read More >

BangShift Tech: How much horsepower does a mechanical water pump really take to spin?By Chad Reynolds Posted 04/5/2011

BangShift.com is proud to be working at Westech Performance Group on a variety of Engine Tech stories in 2011, and some are going to be in depth and others will be interesting facts or fun tests to perform. This week's test is to see how much horsepower a mechanical water pump really costs you. With hot rodders always looking for the most out of their power plants, a lot are turning to electric pumps like the ones we use from Meziere. But for a guy with a typical Camaro with accessories and such, who is still running all his accessories, a mechanical pump may seem less daunting. We're using Weiand's Action Plus 9240 Aluminum Mechanical Pump on our 372 cubic inch Dart SHP test engine, to see just how much power the mechanical pump will need, and the results might surprise you... Read More >

BangShift Tech and Video: Does staggered jetting a Holley Carb really work?By Chad Reynolds Posted 03/23/2011

We learned several things during our staggered jetting test, and some might surprise you. We also came to a couple of conclusions. 4-Corner Jetting is not for everyone, and ignorance is bliss. And then there are the questions. But before we get into those, let's get into the test. Our goal was to determine whether we could effectively tune a single lean cylinder by adding jet size to only one corner of a Holley carburetor. Trick race guys do it. Would it prove to be a tuning tool that was worthwhile on our 530 horse street motor? Read More >

Engine Tech: How a programmable ignition can make anyone look like a proBy Chad Reynolds Posted 03/16/2011

BangShift.com is proud to announce that we have partnered with Westech Performance Group to bring you killer engine tech in 2011! From the complicated to the just plain fun, we'll have it all right here at BangShift.com, so stay tuned for more. We started off with two solid days on the Superflow Dyno, along with our pal Steve "Lightning Lash" Brule, and were able to knock out 7 tests your are going to want to see. This particular tech story is about using programmable timing systems to tune your car on the drag strip. This applies to street strip guys all the way up to Pro Stock. The turbo guys have been doing it with boost control for years, but the naturally aspirated guys have always seemed to struggle with actually pulling out the laptop. You will struggle no more my friends. Read More >

Great Tech Thread: How to Remove the Motor of Your 4th Gen Camaro/Firebird From The BottomBy Brian Lohnes Posted 02/3/2011

BangShift member Buddy blew the LT1 engine in his Camaro up about a year ago while ripping through the gears. This was not going to be a quick fix, the plant had to be pulled out of the car. At that time Buddy didn't have a shop, but since then he built a sweet place to wrench in, and decided to tackle the Camaro project. The major question became how to remove the engine. There are... Read More >

Engine Project Update: Tearing Down the 1960s Pontiac OHC SixBy Brian Lohnes Posted 01/4/2011

When we heard that our OG BangShift pal Randal was looking for an old Pontiac overhead cam six engine we got excited because we knew he'd find one and start a neat project. Our instincts were correct because he did find an engine and drug it... Read More >

Project Goliath Update: We Sort of Rebuilt the 292ci Six, It RunsBy Brian Lohnes Posted 05/12/2010

We know that the coil is mounted wrong, the spark plugs are only in hand tight, and the vacuum lines are routed like some sort of Chinese maze, but Goliath lives once again! Our big 1966 Chevy C50 truck rumbled to life a week after a mad thrash to reassemble the engine on a weirdly hot Spring day. The poorly timed 292 six sounded bad ass through... Read More >

Project Goliath Update: Our Perfect Plan Goes to HellBy Brian Lohnes Posted 04/21/2010

It was all going to be so perfect. We were going to re-ring one cylinder in Goliath's 292ci straight six and then it would be off to the shop to have the rotted cab floors repaired. That pipe dream ended when we popped the number two piston out, found a chunk of ring land missing, and then removed the number one piston just because and found the top ring broken in half. We're now going to re-ring all the pistons and replace the number two slug. Fear not, the bearings are staying. Read More >

Project Goliath Update: The One Cylinder Rebuild, Part OneBy Brian Lohnes Posted 03/22/2010

The great thing about having a couple of project vehicles beating around here at BangShift.com is that our pain and suffering gets to become your entertainment! This is the first of a two-part story on what we're calling a "one cylinder rebuild" on Goliath, our 1966 Chevy C50 monster truck. We had not intended to get into the engine at this time, but as you'll find out, the automotive gods love to lay waste to well made plans. Follow along as we tear down the 292ci inline six in the truck and discover that all is not well in horsepower-ville. Read More >

Shop Tour: Accufab Manufacturing and Racing with John Mihovetz HimselfBy Chad Posted 01/14/2010

We were blown away last weekend when we showed up at Accufab in Ontario, California, with our buddy Larry Larson. We expected the "no camera policy" to be in full effect, but it was just the opposite. We were invited in with open arms, and got to check out all the manufacturing and race operations, including the engine building room. In fact, Accufab owner an racer John Mihovetz himself gave us the penny tour and explained some of the details that go into building his 2,500-horsepower Mod Motors. Read More >

Basic Tech: Rebuilding A Rochester B CarburetorBy Brian Lohnes Posted 01/4/2010

Goliath, our lumbering 1966 Chevy C50 project truck, is equipped with a 292ci straight six engine. That workaday mill is not exactly what you'd call a performance piece in stock condition. That being said, it still cranks out nearly 300 ft/lbs and it moves the big truck along pretty well. Ever since we got the truck we knew that the carb had issues. It stumbled badly, generally ran bad, had no fast idle when the choke was applied, and frequently "sneezed" through the carb when cold. It was time for a rebuild of the not-so-mighty Rochester B 1-barrel carb. It's no Dominator, but this little piece is a pretty cool fuel mixer. Read More >

It Came From the Forums: Holley Carb RebuildBy Brian Lohnes Posted 09/28/2009

Our forums are ripe with all kinds of good technical info. Forum member "milner351" recently tackled the rebuild of a Holley double pumper carb and did so with great photos and blow by blow instructions. Some of our other members interjected with great info as well. If you have never rebuilt a carb before, this is a great read. Read More >

Chart of Common V8 Firing Orders, Courtesy MSDBy Chad Posted 09/14/2009

This is pretty neat. BangShift.com sponsor MSD Ignition has produced a chart of many common V8 firing orders (plus the air-cooled VW), handy to hang in the shop. We've pasted it below, but you can download your own at the MSD site here. Read More >

Video: Nascar Dodge R5/P7 Race Engine Lucas Oil TestBy Chad Posted 07/23/2009

The name Lucas Oil can be found in conjunction with every kind of motorsport imaginable, and in order to provide lubricants for all these applications, the company has to do a lot of testing. At BangShift.com, we're lucky enough to have a great relationship with the gang over at Lucas, so they let us hang out at Westech Performance Group while they test oil in race and street engines of all kinds. This week, we were there while a Dodge R5/P7 NASCAR Sprint Cup engine was being tested. How does 800-plus horsepower and 9,000-plus rpm sound to you? It sounds real good to us. Read More >

Attila the Jav: New Parts SpotlightBy Brian Lohnes Posted 07/18/2009

We're making plodding progress with our project 1968 Javelin that we've named Attila after the legendary warrior that scared the pants off the Romans way back in the day. Attila was kinda ugly, crude, and by all accounts, one mean dude. The Jav fits all those traits to the letter. Read More >

Attila the Jav: Quick Bore CheckBy Brian Lohnes Posted 07/14/2009

A couple weeks back we tore our AMC 360 project motor down to the block in anticipation of its trip to the machine shop where magic will be performed and the true seeds of horespower will be sown. In order to have the most accurate info possible in our conversations with the machinist, we needed to check our bores, here's how we did it. Read More >

Attila the Jav: We Tear Down Our AMC 360By Brian Lohnes Posted 06/26/2009

Being an eternal optimist has its pitfalls. Mainly it's the times when you've talked yourself into thinking something is a lock when it really isn't. Such is the case with our smog-era AMC 360 that will find its way into the gullet of Attilla the Jav, BangShift.com's former dirt-track stock car 1968 AMC Javelin. Read More >

Video: Lucas Oil's 800 Horsepower, 515ci Test EngineBy Chad Posted 06/18/2009

The crew over at Lucas Oil, including BangShift.com friend Tom Bogner, is always trying to keep ahead of the competition, which means lots of oil testing. "Oil testing" means horsepower and torque, and lots of time spent on the dyno at Westech Performance Group. Read More >

A/Fuel Tech Part 2: The $13,000 Intake ManifoldBy Brian Lohnes Posted 06/1/2009

Last week we announced that BangShift.com will deliver a weekly tech series that looks inside an NHRA A/Fuel, nitro-burning, 5-second dragster, and the first installment included some basics of what these cars are all about. This second part is a short installment, taking a look at the intake manifold that sits atop the injected nitro Hemi that powers the Veale and Brown A/Fueler that Scott Darrow and Ethan Brown tune. Read More >

Video: 1,400 Horsepower 565ci Rat Motor on Nitrous!By Chad Posted 05/22/2009

You want to see some real big-boy power? Check out this 565ci big-block Chevy with Big Chief heads, twin Dominators on a sheetmetal intake, dry-sump oiling, and something like 650 hp worth of nitrous! It's from Dave Ebbert at DNE Racing Development, and we saw it running the numbers at Westech Performance Group. Read More >

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