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Old 07-04-2019, 08:36 AM
mgarblik mgarblik is offline
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Thanks Jack. We are locked, loaded, and ready for the Chi Town Hustler. Lots of effort in making the car as good as it can be . The weather doesn't look good unfortunately. It's been an extremely wet spring and early summer. Hope we can get it in for the fans and us!

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Old 07-04-2019, 10:48 AM
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Eric invited my wife and I to come down to watch, and I just talked to her to see if it's a go, she says yes, so if the weather holds looks like we'll be there.

Mike or Eric, do you have any idea of when we should arrive? The show is supposed to begin at 6 according to the website, gates open at 2, do we need to be there any earlier. Just asking because this isn't our normal racing venue. If we were going to a dirt track I know how far in advance we should be there.

Looking at Wunderground the weather forecast is mostly 50% chance of rain from 2 PM til midnight so I guess we shall see.

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Old 08-05-2019, 09:38 PM
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Back from Norwalk and the engine removed from the car after Saturday's big run is in the shop for evaluation. Has some piston damage to a couple cylinders and some other collateral damage. Doesn't look too bad for a nitro engine and worth it after a great run. Just wanted to say it was really nice to meet a number of you from the message board at the track. I have allot of pressure and responsibility on me at the track but still enjoy meeting people and talking Pontiacs whenever possible. Finally, I wanted to mention one thing that had particular meaning to me at Norwalk. When we ran our 250 MPH run, within 2 hours of the run, both the Butlers and the Kauffmans made their way from the other side of the track to our pit area to congratulate Eric and the team. That means allot to me. These premier builders and racers are of course in competition for business and with each other on the track and have no business ties to us in any way. But respect for what they do and have done for the Pontiac hobby is well understood. They have both done so much to keep us in contention with the other brands. It's nice to see Pontiac's against the other brands, not so much in fighting.
Anyway, once the engine is fully apart, I will post how she looks.

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Old 08-05-2019, 09:49 PM
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Originally Posted by mgarblik View Post
Back from Norwalk and the engine removed from the car after Saturday's big run is in the shop for evaluation. Has some piston damage to a couple cylinders and some other collateral damage. Doesn't look too bad for a nitro engine and worth it after a great run. Just wanted to say it was really nice to meet a number of you from the message board at the track. I have allot of pressure and responsibility on me at the track but still enjoy meeting people and talking Pontiacs whenever possible. Finally, I wanted to mention one thing that had particular meaning to me at Norwalk. When we ran our 250 MPH run, within 2 hours of the run, both the Butlers and the Kauffmans made their way from the other side of the track to our pit area to congratulate Eric and the team. That means allot to me. These premier builders and racers are of course in competition for business and with each other on the track and have no business ties to us in any way. But respect for what they do and have done for the Pontiac hobby is well understood. They have both done so much to keep us in contention with the other brands. It's nice to see Pontiac's against the other brands, not so much in fighting.
Anyway, once the engine is fully apart, I will post how she looks.
Nice job guys! I love the Butlers and have some ill will to the Kauffman but they both have gone way above to push the hobby forward.. I cant take that away from them... Nice to see they came over to congratulate you guys on a well deserved ; job well done..

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Old 08-05-2019, 10:26 PM
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Originally Posted by mgarblik View Post
Back from Norwalk and the engine removed from the car after Saturday's big run is in the shop for evaluation. Has some piston damage to a couple cylinders and some other collateral damage. Doesn't look too bad for a nitro engine and worth it after a great run. Just wanted to say it was really nice to meet a number of you from the message board at the track. I have allot of pressure and responsibility on me at the track but still enjoy meeting people and talking Pontiacs whenever possible. Finally, I wanted to mention one thing that had particular meaning to me at Norwalk. When we ran our 250 MPH run, within 2 hours of the run, both the Butlers and the Kauffmans made their way from the other side of the track to our pit area to congratulate Eric and the team. That means allot to me. These premier builders and racers are of course in competition for business and with each other on the track and have no business ties to us in any way. But respect for what they do and have done for the Pontiac hobby is well understood. They have both done so much to keep us in contention with the other brands. It's nice to see Pontiac's against the other brands, not so much in fighting.
Anyway, once the engine is fully apart, I will post how she looks.
Refresh my memory on the time. Wasn't it like 5.30's?

  #46  
Old 08-05-2019, 10:32 PM
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5.870 @ 250.37

Eric

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  #47  
Old 08-05-2019, 10:35 PM
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5.870 @ 250.37

Eric
What are the nostalgia hemi cars running Eric?

  #48  
Old 08-05-2019, 10:40 PM
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The legal competition ones with the deepest checkbooks are running 5.50's -5.60's at 260+ mph.

There's a couple of outlaw big pump match race cars running in the 5.40's/270-ish.

Eric

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  #49  
Old 08-05-2019, 10:41 PM
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5.870 @ 250.37

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Very good. Congrats and thanks

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Old 08-05-2019, 10:52 PM
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Needless to say that run has been anticipated for a long time. The wife and I both jumped raising a fist when it happened. I was happy it happened at Norwalk as there is no audience that would appreciate it more than the fans at the Pontiac Nationals. Great job Mike and Eric and most importantly, the crew, and Jerry, the guy that tunes the Nitro Tunnel Port RA V...…………….

BTW, Jerry gave me the whole rundown on how nitro is made, what it's characteristics, uses are, he even filled me in on how they used to transport it back in the day in rail tank cars, until in a railyard they were bumping cars and it blew up, he told me they found parts of the car 1/2 mile from the explosion. Ya wanna know anything about nitromethane, Jerry is like an encyclopedia on it. I looked it up tonight, the explosion happened in Mt. Pulaski IL in 1958.

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Last edited by Sirrotica; 08-05-2019 at 11:12 PM.
  #51  
Old 08-05-2019, 11:46 PM
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Congrats Mike, Eric & crew on the outstanding performance numbers!
Wow! A Poncho has gone 250 in the quarter! That is a big deal!
How high were you spinning it in the lights ( do not know your gearing, etc )?

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  #52  
Old 08-05-2019, 11:59 PM
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BTW, Jerry gave me the whole rundown on how nitro is made, what it's characteristics, uses are, he even filled me in on how they used to transport it back in the day in rail tank cars, until in a railyard they were bumping cars and it blew up, he told me they found parts of the car 1/2 mile from the explosion. Ya wanna know anything about nitromethane, Jerry is like an encyclopedia on it. I looked it up tonight, the explosion happened in Mt. Pulaski IL in 1958.


I've been working in and out of there for years and have never heard that story. Wow

  #53  
Old 08-06-2019, 02:50 AM
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CONGRATS ERIC MIKE AND CREW!!!! That's Awesome you skipped right over the 5.90's and went into the 80's at 250+mph!!! That's just AWESOME!

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  #54  
Old 08-06-2019, 07:49 AM
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I've been working in and out of there for years and have never heard that story. Wow
According to the account I read it was 10,000 gallons in that rail tanker. I found also an account that another railcar loaded with nitromethane exploded in Niagara Falls NY. One persons remnants were never found in the IL explosion. Both incidents happened in 1958.

It was then banned being shipped in bulk tankers, and had to be shipped in 55 gallon drums.

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100% Pontiacs in my driveway!!! What's in your driveway?

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  #55  
Old 08-06-2019, 09:00 AM
Chief of the 60's Chief of the 60's is offline
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According to the account I read it was 10,000 gallons in that rail tanker. I found also an account that another railcar loaded with nitromethane exploded in Niagara Falls NY. One persons remnants were never found in the IL explosion. Both incidents happened in 1958.

It was then banned being shipped in bulk tankers, and had to be shipped in 55 gallon drums.
What year was the Niagara Falls explosion? I am trying to see if I remember that.

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Old 08-06-2019, 09:36 AM
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What year was the Niagara Falls explosion? I am trying to see if I remember that.

Quote:
According to the account I read it was 10,000 gallons in that rail tanker. I found also an account that another railcar loaded with nitromethane exploded in Niagara Falls NY. One persons remnants were never found in the IL explosion. Both incidents happened in 1958.

It was then banned being shipped in bulk tankers, and had to be shipped in 55 gallon drums.
It said in the post, 1958...…………..

June 1 in Mt. Pulaski IL, and Jan 22 in Niagara Falls.

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  #57  
Old 08-06-2019, 09:49 AM
mgarblik mgarblik is offline
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Congrats Mike, Eric & crew on the outstanding performance numbers!
Wow! A Poncho has gone 250 in the quarter! That is a big deal!
How high were you spinning it in the lights ( do not know your gearing, etc )?
Thanks Steve. Of course your love of the Pontiac V-8 and your "no corporate nonsense" approach is always in the back of our mind every time we question the sanity of what we are doing! The engine ran 8900 RPM's through the traps. 4.11:1 rear gear with a 36" tall tire. A little higher RPM than desired, but Eric wanted to make sure he cleared the traps under power. Great driving job, great weather, good engine build, great tune-up, great clutch. Everything was just right for that moment in time.

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Old 08-06-2019, 09:58 AM
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Awesome job, Mike, Eric & crew!

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  #59  
Old 08-06-2019, 10:53 AM
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It said in the post, 1958...…………..

June 1 in Mt. Pulaski IL, and Jan 22 in Niagara Falls.
DOH! Caffeine didn't sink in yet when I typed that. Still hasn't really.

Nope, don't remember it but I was only 1 back then. Interesting info though. Niagara Falls as well as a lot of Niagara County itself is a toxic wasteland.

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Old 08-11-2019, 06:17 PM
mgarblik mgarblik is offline
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Well, it's been a week since Norwalk and in the interest of full disclosure, I have some info from our engine tear down. On our engine that ran the big MPH, we did have some engine chaos right at the finish line as you know if you were there. Some data from the run from the computer. At the traps, 8900 RPM's, 41 lbs. boost, 90% nitromethane fuel. 8 EGT's grouped within 50 degrees the entire run.
Damage report: #1 piston failed first. Fuel trapped around top ring land exploded and blew the top of the piston off. Similar situation for #3, but not as severe. When a piston explodes, not a melted hole, it sends pieces of piston everywhere in the engine banging and chewing up everything it gets into. So pieces of #1 and 3 pistons were found in 6 different cylinders. Heads have not been taken apart yet but some damage from flying piston pieces and some bent valves from crap getting caught between the seat and valve faces. With 450 lb. seat pressure it's a bent valve anytime this happens. Looks like the heads can probably be brought back to life without welding. One exhaust rocker arm has the adjuster smashed and the push rod tip mauled from junk in the seats as well.
Now for some good news. All rod bearings perfect. All main bearings good. We had to run regular street main bearings because -.030 bearings are not available from anyone in a race series. All main studs stayed tight and the block looks perfect. May need to replace 1 sleeve, not sure. For a 250 MPH run, worth it and not much different than what we see in the hemi stuff at every race we attend. So I guess we are doing OK. I will post some pics in a week or so. Need to clean the parts up.

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