Holey Moses Carb?

whats the duro on the tires?you may be over prepping your tires.the other guys just pulling away after a couple of laps suggests the chassis is tightening up.
 
more than likely put him outta his power and momentum range. Usually 2 higher than normal for red and green. The 17 combo maybe ??? I wouldn’t go 16.
We ran a green plate race a few weeks ago on a 1/4 mile and 17/63 was where we needed to be. 5800 rpm all night.
 
When you say "he keeps up for the first 2 or 3 laps" I wonder, how is the carb jetted and what are the rules on jetting?

This is not a "I can do this and I'll win" situation. It's time to get serious. There is no "one thing" to going fast!

Do you have a stopwatch? I use to split up the track and find where I was fast and where I was slow. Is the kart slow through the turns or slow down the straight? Pick 3 spots, start of the turn, end of the turn, end of the straight. Both turns, both straights. Time your kart, time other karts, find out where your slow. Slow down this trait = HP, or lack thereof. Slow through the turns = 1st handling, 2nd HP.

Whenever I was slow at the track the first thing I did was check the compression pressure. You need a "good" gauge! Compression is the HHoly Grail.

Describe your track, turn radius, straight length.

Going fast is not easy. I have a set up sheet with almost 100 places for entry. Corner weights, staggers, tire pressures, tire temps, etc. etc., all important.

And you thought this was going to be easy. It sounds like you're fairly close, now the hard work begins.
 
Whenever I was slow at the track the first thing I did was check the compression pressure. You need a "good" gauge! Compression is the HHoly Grail
How many times in the past Al have the experts informed you that compression is not the holy grail in this engine??? Some of the builders are pre loading the valves so that statement is not accurate. Stop telling people that about the clone
 
How many times in the past Al have the experts informed you that compression is not the holy grail in this engine??? Some of the builders are pre loading the valves so that statement is not accurate. Stop telling people that about the clone
And why do you keep telling people that compression is not important? Why do you suppose tech inspectors do cc checks if not to make sure people don't exceed the stock compression? Why do to leak down tests? Why do people consider the leak down test so important if not for compression? Why do you think ring seal is so important if not for compression? I wish you would quit telling people it's not important! lol.
It's
"Compression is the Holy Grail"

And stop telling me what I can and cannot say!
 
Way to take it personal Al. Compression isnt the holy grail, the whole engine package working together is....

Don just so happens to be an expert and knows what he is talking about so probably not best to argue with him in his field of expertise.
 
Question for Al.
When you competed it was a totally different scene. You competed when 2 stroke engines were the only engine.
Now with 4 stroke engines they all have compression releases built into the camshaft of the engines. All the stock flatheads, clones, Predators, Animals Lo206 engines have A compression releases built into the cam shaft. You being an engineer should not have a problem with calculating the error of compression check, when the variable is a compression release that cannot be controlled. that makes the whole process UN reliable. and inaccurate. To put it mildly Useless. as it gives no real data that can be used.
Now if someone is running an open, or Modified engine, the compression release is usually the first thing to go. Then a compression could be performed. BUT a leak-down test that shows how much compression you are losing . and will tell you exactly where the leak is. You can pinpoint which valve is leaking or if it is the rings or valve guides. In my opinion is a much better test that can give you exact problem location.
Compared to a compression check that just says you have X amount of compression. But does not indicate where the problem is. That is the reason that we do not use compression testers anymore. I have a really good Craftsman compression guage hanging in my garage. I only use it on small 2 cycle engines that friends ask me to repair. But they are getting more and more rare as battery powered lawn mowers, chainsaws, weed eaters, an other small tools take over. Compare it to a Home phone installation. A few still exist, but are disappearing very fast.
 
Not that I don't appreciate your efforts to educate me, but I've been doing this for over 50 years, I believe I know what I'm talking about.

The compression release does present a problem, but that problem is easily overcome.

The leak down test is good, I don't deny that, it's just that it's slow and cumbersome to perform between the heats. The compression test, on the other hand, is a quick and easy way to tell if there's a problem with the rings and/or the valves. "Even with a compression release".
 
Not that I don't appreciate your efforts to educate me, but I've been doing this for over 50 years, I believe I know what I'm talking about.

The compression release does present a problem, but that problem is easily overcome.

The leak down test is good, I don't deny that, it's just that it's slow and cumbersome to perform between the heats. The compression test, on the other hand, is a quick and easy way to tell if there's a problem with the rings and/or the valves. "Even with a compression release".
Al I raced my first kart in 1961 at the age of 10. I raced my first car at 13 . Built it also. . so don't tell me about experience . The last time I raced was last Saturday, Open modified Animal that I built! the next race will be tomorrow night. Again Open modified animal.
Now you said the compression release is easily overcome? Tell me how! Why don't you educate me.

If you have to check compression between heats, Again compression release is still your biggest problem to overcome. You are in trouble. Parts are much higher quality now as they were even 10 15 years ago. And light years ahead of what was available in 1970.

I will say that you have invented a lot of stuff and were a very tough competitor. You really knew how to make those mini macs fly.
But we don't race them anymore! The only thing that is the same is that volumetric efficiency, And delta T. Is still the holy grail as far as I am concerned and always has been. The exhaust that you developed actually increased volumetric efficiency. So did the ports that you engineered. You have great knowledge! But technology has passed by. Time to admit that in one area your 50 year old Holy grail has been replaced with something better. I have had to do that many times in my life.
 
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Al I raced my first kart in 1961 at the age of 10. I raced my first car at 13 . Built it also. . so don't tell me about experience . The last time I raced was last Saturday, Open modified Animal that I built! the next race will be tomorrow night. Again Open modified animal.
Now you said the compression release is easily overcome? Tell me how! Why don't you educate me.
With your experience and expertise, I'm pretty sure it would be pretty much a waste of my time trying to educate you. I think I'll pass!
 
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