[Elarson]

We're making progress on the heads for the Boss Bird. The machine shop is under contract and we should have the first set in the next month or two. The matching header flanges are being made at a waterjet cutting shop. To review some of the important design parameters:

billet aluminum
Ram Air V port layout
about an inch taller than factory heads
stock valve cover interface
designed around 9/16" studs (off-the-shelf length from ARP)
beryllium-copper valve seats
approx. 145 cc chambers with no quench area
(10) header bolts
cut-back exhaust ports
header flanges designed to take the 3" outer tube for funny car headers
room for 9/16" intake pushrods and 5/8" exhaust pushrods
twice the oil drainback area of e-heads
no water jackets
lots of wall thickness everywhere....rugged, rugged, rugged.

I've attached pictures from our 3D CAD model. I'll post pix of the real thing when they're available.

Eric

(update...can't get jpegs to upload...I'll keep trying)

[Tom Vaught]

No Pics Visible

Tom V.

ps Should be a great race head for Nitro/methanol type stuff.

[Elarson]

second try on pictures....

[Scott Roberts]

Will you guy's be selling them at some point?

[Elarson]

still trying to get jpegs to upload....not smart enuff, I guess. I'll try again later....apologies.

As far as selling them........we're going to sort them out on our own engine first. Once we're sure that they are satisfactory, we'll figure out the cost to make a run of them. We'll be keeping a list of everyone who is interested. Fair warning...they won't be cheap.

FYI: after designing these billet heads, I have TREMENDOUS respect for anyone who has designed a water-jacketed head. I'm not sure how we could have stuffed anything else into these ones.

Eric

[Scott Roberts]

Originally Posted by Elarson

still trying to get jpegs to upload....not smart enuff, I guess. I'll try again later....apologies.

As far as selling them........we're going to sort them out on our own engine first. Once we're sure that they are satisfactory, we'll figure out the cost to make a run of them. We'll be keeping a list of everyone who is interested. Fair warning...they won't be cheap.
FYI: after designing these billet heads, I have TREMENDOUS respect for anyone who has designed a water-jacketed head. I'm not sure how we could have stuffed anything else into these ones.

Eric

Going FAAAAAAAAAAAAAST never is!

[WDCreech]

posted by Elerson:
still trying to get jpegs to upload....not smart enuff, I guess. I'll try again later....apologies.

The forum is having trouble with attachments, so what I did was get a Photobucket account and post away. It's easy and it's fast. If a computor nit wit, like me, can figure it out, anyone can!

[Formulas]

Will you be testing at Kil Kare ?
I havnt been there in ages, last time i was there Ault/James was winding up their Corvette to 10-11K and some cat had a Dyno Don pro stock pinto knock off but with a 4 cylinder engine and would run real good.. lived next to Loxley bros body shop in Alpha they had a alterd or T`bucket with a 426 Hemi in it...I really miss those days...

[Elarson]

We'll test at Kil Kare....they run a great operation there and they'll be understanding if the first few shakedown runs aren't pretty. Ault & James? That goes back a few years.

Thanks for the Photobucket suggestion. My teenage daughter says she can show that to me.

It may be tomorrow before I get that worked out. arrrrrgggh.

Eric

[gtogeezer]

Hey Eric,

Have you syill got the first IA block you used?

Dick

[Elarson]

Hey Dick!

Both of our original IA blocks are still in service. We've thrown a lot of abuse at them and they just keep coming back for more. I don't have my records here at the house. How many seasons has that been.... 8 or 9?? And there's lots more left.

Eric

[Scott Rex]

Originally Posted by Elarson

Hey Dick!

Both of our original IA blocks are still in service. We've thrown a lot of abuse at them and they just keep coming back for more. I don't have my records here at the house. How many seasons has that been.... 8 or 9?? And there's lots more left.

Eric

Eric, if you email me the picture(s) I'll upload them to my server so everyone can see them.

scott@rexracing.com

[GTOLou]

Don't tell Gach - but I have posted pics on his site and then linked them.

[gtogeezer]

Eric,

We delivered the first blocks in late 98 and early 99, so it's been 9-10 yrs!

Keep me updated on your heads.

gtogeezer@tampabay.rr.com


Dick

[TIN TIGR]

there is a reason the hemi rules in blown fuel..nothing to do with overall head flow..its all in the overlap numbers and the straight line shot the hemi provides..i think its cool what your doing, but wedges cant do what the hemi does..i wish you luck..

[Elarson]

We don't need to make 8000 hp. So sacrificing some performance potential for a substantial amount of coolness is a good trade-off. Besides, anyone with a checkbook can build a nitro hemi. There's no challenge there.

Eric

[60man]

Originally Posted by Elarson

We don't need to make 8000 hp. So sacrificing some performance potential for a substantial amount of coolness is a good trade-off. Besides, anyone with a checkbook can build a nitro hemi. There's no challenge there.

Eric

Well said...

[HotCat_63]

Any luck with those pictures? I can't wait to see these heads!

[Brian Baker]

To expound on Eric's reply to Tin Tigr, the VRA legal cars are running high 5's on nitro'. This is using "old school" technology...6-71 blower, one magneto (points type), one 20-gpm pump. Back east here, the Hemi Hunter front engined dragster runs a BBC on nitro' and has been 6.20's. In speaking with their team, they try to keep it conservative to keep parts attrition down, but if they were to turn up the wick, 5.80's could be achievable. Eric is going down a road not travelled by many...in fact, Arnie is probably the last person to run nitro' through a Pontiac engine in any great percentage, and that was 1971. I don't think he's looking to set the world on fire, just looking to run 6.50 or better and put on a great show without eating parts on every pass.

[Elarson]

Brian did a pretty good job of summing up our approach. We're building the car to NHRA "Special Fuel" rules which allow for 6.00 ET. Any quicker and we'd have to have the full John Force-type equipment....achievable, but at much more cost.

My goal is for every Pontiac fan in the stands to experience the full nitro show w/o having to settle for a Brand X car. I'm sure that Steve Barcak has the same concept in mind. Oh, yea.....and it promises to be a rocketship to drive.

Eric