We had a Chrysler Dragster here at the base last month with the 500 cid Hemi
in it ... that puppy was sweeeeeeeeeeet! I'd love to have the balls it takes
to drive one of those!
Aaron
99 RC V6 4X2
----- Original Message -----
From: mrdancer <mrdancer2@home.your.underwear.com>
To: <dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net>
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 2:27 AM
Subject: DML: Food For Thought
> From the alt.hi-po.mopars newsgroup...
>
> -One Dragster's 500-inch (Chrysler) Hemi engine makes more horsepower then
> the first 8 rows at Daytona.
>
> -Top Fuel Engines ONLY turn 540 revolutions from light to light!
>
> -Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro
PER
> SECOND, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747, but with
4
> times the energy volume.
>
> -The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes
>
> -Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on
> overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before
> ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.
>
> -Dual Magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an
> arc welder in each cylinder.
>
> -At stoichiometric(exact)1.7:1 air/fuel mixture(for nitro), the flame
front
> of nitromethane measures 7050ºF.
>
> -Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the
> stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric
water
> vapor by the searing exhaust gases.
>
> -Spark Plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2 way,
> the engine is dieseling from compression-plus the glow of exhaust valves
at
> 1400ºF. The engine can only be shut down by cutting of it's fuel flow.
>
> -If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in
> those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder
heads
> off the block in pieces, or blow the block in 1/2.
>
> -Dragsters twist the crank(torsionally)so far(20º in the big end of the
> track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear to
> re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the
> pistons.
>
> -To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average
of
> over 4Gs. But in reaching 200mph well before 1/2 track, launch
acceleration
> is closer to 8Gs.
>
> -Drivers shut off before the finish line, or even dual parachutes will not
> stop the car.
>
> -If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once
> NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.
>
> -Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this
sentence.
>
>
>
> --
> Remove .your.underwear to reply
> --
>
>
>
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