The Elephant In The Room: unloading the load from a B-body.

[fullmetaljacket]

That’s a pile of weight right there. With factory glass still I expect to see 3180 with 6 gallons of fuel, less driver next season.
When I built this car I installed Right Stuff rear disc brakes. Completely ignorant to their weight. A set of Strange rear discs weighing 24 lbs would be good for close to dropping 35 lbs. the majority being rotating weight. Thinking about that..
This picture is from last season. I’m legal to 10.00. Check my dial. Car weighed 3250 last season.
View attachment 1577334

Up north reaching for the North star.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

I don't know how many here are either reading and seeding or conspiring and spying, but Merry Christmas everyone.

 

[fourgearsavoy]

Whoa. That there is some new age water pump impeller. I have a FlowKooler that has worked beautifully for years, but doesn't have as many fins at this one. Who makes it?

It's a Flowkooler high flow I bought about 2 years ago

 

[fourgearsavoy]

Gus.
Both factory discs weigh 80 Lbs total. So do you mean that both sides Dynalites weigh in at less than one side factory disc which would mean that you cut 60+ Lbs off or each side Dynalite weighs less than each side of the factory discs which would mean that you cut off 40 Lbs?
Either way, congrats. You cut off a substantial amount which is also rotating weight. Watch those red eye's now.

Each side the Dynalite brakes weight just under 19 lbs. so yeah it's over 40 pounds total for the pair.

 

[fourgearsavoy]

Put Centerlines back on the Savoy for more weight savings.
Nice day at Norwalk last September.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Each side the Dynalite brakes weight just under 19 lbs. so yeah it's over 40 pounds total for the pair.

That's a great amount right up front. I wonder if you may have to adjust your staging technique especially with a stick. 40 Lbs of rotating weight can feel different for sure.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Here's a little detour from my madness to another ones madness. It's that sneaky Super Bee tribute with a few things deleted. It's all in the application and attention to detail. Would y'all believe that this delete plate is actually a large coffee can bottom? Yes indeed. Meticulously cut and painted to look like a factory part.

Rubber push in plugs are from the McMaster catalog.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Why in the world would battery relocation kits even be considered to be looked at any closer? Because there is hidden weight there that can be relocated elsewhere.
I'll post up soon with pictures.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

The age old practice and practicality of moving the battery from the front to the most right rear of the car is a ballast playbook classic, but the wiring to get it all there still goes through the whole length of the car from the firewall. That's a good amount of copper and it can weigh a few pounds.
Yeah, you guessed it. Accel's lightweight copper cad aluminum battery cable seen here in red got the nod.
Highly contested and yet not tested till now. There's a secret to making it all work hassle free and its in the sealing of the ends and connections. Apparently, moisture and exposure to the elements creates corrosion resistance that makes starting all that more difficult, but with the seals air tight and clean, no issues over the last 4 years or so.

Another contributor to trouble free service is a bulkhead/junction box at the firewall where the aluminum cable ends transitions to a full copper short cable down to the starter solenoid.

Copper cable that was replaced weighed in at a lucky 7 Lbs. It was also stiff as a board.
Even luckier was the aluminum cable weighing in at 3-1/2 Lbs and much more flexible. Shaved 3-1/2 Lbs throughout the length of the car.

 

[Cranky]

Try stopping at Dragway 42, Kil Kare or London Kentucky from 148 mph with drums. all around 1400 ft shut down.
Doug

Had no problem stopping with drums at the 'old' Houston International Speedway in the early 80's....11's all the way around and doubt the shut down was longer than that but was only going 126 at the time but there was many others going much faster that did it.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

I would think that decent stopping with drums at most sub 150 MPH runs is relative to the weight of the vessel itself. Lighter cars tend to accelerate with less stress and stop faster and shorter than MOST heavier cars.
Most tracks have shut down areas that are as long as the track itself or longer.
If only tracks would rethink their shut downs to be slightly up hill, most stops could be achieved Fred Flintstone style. LOL.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Here's a good connection point at the battery. Red is the aluminum strand cable.

 

[stage3]

went and seen santa today and brought home a world/bill mitchell aluminum crossbolted block. 140 lbs right off the front end and wont have to worry anymore about modern parts over powering 50 year old blocks held together with Bandaids.

block has mopar cast into it along with the world logo but is identical to the bill mitchell unit and has his decals in the box..P5153868. the price was Very right , Brand new in the shipping box..

 

[Cranky]

Believe it or not, factory steel fuel lines can be lighter at 5/16 or 3/8 in size then some of the fancy braided steel lines out there.

Braided stainless steel impregnated with nylon lined rubber can add up in pounds as the footage covers the entire length of a car, especially on a long and wide B-body.

As low tech as this subject should be, here's some high tech pronounced words that simply narrow down to rubber.

Only after learning that nylon braided viton (Fluoroelastomer) hoses were more than 30 percent lighter than my stainless steel PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) nylon braided hoses did I break out the pencils and blueprints to refigure the system. The Viton hoses are the alternatives that are super lightweight in low key black and available from various companies such as Raceflux, Aeroquip, Earl's and others.

I personally liked the old and true Moroso natural finish hard aluminum fuel lines, but they don't come without their minuses.
I almost broke my thumbs and wrists making the tight bends and turns in order to follow most of the factory fuel line route with the stuff, especially when the line size was #8. The tight bends and twists didn't allow for one of my tube bending tools to get in there enough to do the job, so a lot was done with the slinky spring bending tools or by hand.
Bending by hand was tedious because I wanted perfect mandrill type bends, but it was achieved.

Aluminum lines are rumored to crack and rupture over time, but after 10 years of use, I beg to argue that point in that who ever came up with that assessment, must have not known what they were doing. Aluminum should not be applied where there is a good chance that it will vibrate. Secure it well and be done with it, but on the same token, keep an eye on it being that lots of parts are often eyed.
If it were up to me, I would have had a 3/8 factory steel line and called it a day, but the Aeromotive 1000 pump and filter out back and the fuel log upfront demanded for a #8 feed line and a #6 return line. Being that the return #6 line had a semi-different route and a few more complex bends compared to the feed line, Raceflux Viton got the nod for the return line.

The aluminum line and Viton return line were light to say the least. 3-1/2 Lbs and not counting all the aluminum AN fittings and second inline 100 micron filter.

The old braided steel lines with all aluminum fittings weighed 12-3/4 Lbs.

I was shocked to find that the stainless lines were more or less 9-1/4 Lbs heavier.

View attachment 1576966

I've stayed away from steel braided cable....

Here's a little detour from my madness to another ones madness. It's that sneaky Super Bee tribute with a few things deleted. It's all in the application and attention to detail. Would y'all believe that this delete plate is actually a large coffee can bottom? Yes indeed. Meticulously cut and painted to look like a factory part.

Rubber push in plugs are from the McMaster catalog.

View attachment 1577783

Way cool oh the coffee can bottom!! Done stuff like that in the past too lol

The age old practice and practicality of moving the battery from the front to the most right rear of the car is a ballast playbook classic, but the wiring to get it all there still goes through the whole length of the car from the firewall. That's a good amount of copper and it can weigh a few pounds.
Yeah, you guessed it. Accel's lightweight copper cad aluminum battery cable seen here in red got the nod.
Highly contested and yet not tested till now. There's a secret to making it all work hassle free and its in the sealing of the ends and connections. Apparently, moisture and exposure to the elements creates corrosion resistance that makes starting all that more difficult, but with the seals air tight and clean, no issues over the last 4 years or so.

Another contributor to trouble free service is a bulkhead/junction box at the firewall where the aluminum cable ends transitions to a full copper short cable down to the starter solenoid.

Copper cable that was replaced weighed in at a lucky 7 Lbs. It was also stiff as a board.
Even luckier was the aluminum cable weighing in at 3-1/2 Lbs and much more flexible. Shaved 3-1/2 Lbs throughout the length of the car.

View attachment 1577815

I'm more of one to like placing weight in the middle of the car....seems to make it react in the pitch rotation faster than having the weight out on the ends. Just depends on how the car reacts. If it pitches too fast...move the weight out more to the rear and then test.....if that makes sense.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

I've stayed away from steel braided cable....


Way cool oh the coffee can bottom!! Done stuff like that in the past too lol

I'm more of one to like placing weight in the middle of the car....seems to make it react in the pitch rotation faster than having the weight out on the ends. Just depends on how the car reacts. If it pitches too fast...move the weight out more to the rear and then test.....if that makes sense.

Yes, different reaction dynamics to different chassis.

 

[malex]

went and seen santa today and brought home a world/bill mitchell aluminum crossbolted block. 140 lbs right off the front end and wont have to worry anymore about modern parts over powering 50 year old blocks held together with Bandaids.

block has mopar cast into it along with the world logo but is identical to the bill mitchell unit and has his decals in the box..P5153868. the price was Very right , Brand new in the shipping box..

View attachment 1577881

View attachment 1577882

View attachment 1577883

View attachment 1577884

View attachment 1577885

View attachment 1577886

View attachment 1577888

View attachment 1577889

Holy Smokes…. What a Christmas present that is. Very nice.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

Holy Smokes…. What a Christmas present that is. Very nice.

Cheeses Christmas. Talk about Upstaging. LOL.
If I would have known that this thread influenced you to go out and fetch one of those beautiful blocks, I would have insisted on a contract for some kind of kick backs here. LOL.
Serious, what a beautiful piece.
Out of curiosity, are they now readily available like that? I seem to always read that there is always some kind of drama delay and theater revolving around any aluminum or new age super hero iron blocks.
What's the scoop?

 

[stage3]

Cheeses Christmas. Talk about Upstaging. LOL.
If I would have known that this thread influenced you to go out and fetch one of those beautiful blocks, I would have insisted on a contract for some kind of kick backs here. LOL.
Serious, what a beautiful piece.
Out of curiosity, are they now readily available like that? I seem to always read that there is always some kind of drama delay and theater revolving around any aluminum or new age super hero iron blocks.
What's the scoop?

available right now, just needs final hone on lifter bores, cylinders and check line bore, deck. Std machine shop procedures. includes screw in freeze plugs, oil galley plugs, distributor bushing, etc, ready to assemble after lite honing..with taxs and shipping it would be close to 8 grand ! this 1 was sold in 2011 and i paid the 2011 price..if u r watching,,THANKS !!

Bill Mitchell Products BMP 088555 – Aluminum Engine Block Wedge Block 10.720 Deck, 4.490 Bore, Billet Caps – Bill Mitchell Products

 

[fourgearsavoy]

I like to find weight loss in pounds. For example carburetors can weigh a lot. The new aluminum carburetors are 3-5 pounds less than the old zinc carburetors are.
This one is 4 lbs lighter than the old 850 I had before.

 

[fullmetaljacket]

I like to find weight loss in pounds. For example carburetors can weigh a lot. The new aluminum carburetors are 3-5 pounds less than the old zinc carburetors are.
This one is 4 lbs lighter than the old 850 I had before.

View attachment 1578427

Looks just like mine. I was wondering where it went. LOL.
Actually the last one I got set up by Thumper Dart looks exactly like this one and was a little lighter than the previous model.