A Fuel Funnycar

Author
Discussion

The Enthusiast

Original Poster:

274 posts

212 months

Monday 18th September 2006
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Why dont sanctioning bodies (like in Methanol Dragster.) Compete A fuel funnycars with methanol funnycars? Has it been done?

NuthinFancy

229 posts

212 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
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It was done once and the driver got the car down to 5.70's at around 250mph. However after a near fatality with the enclosed area of a funny car with such a exotic combination the NHRA sanctioning body decided it was too dangerous and outlawed injected nitro funny cars from top alcohol.

Probably the right thing really, considering me and my dad tried injected nitro over 10 years ago and it all very VERY nearly ended in tragedy. It's dangerous but seen as too dangerous within the confined spaces of a funny car (and the fact the engine is in front of you in a funny car made it seem too dangerous too!)

Edited by NuthinFancy on Tuesday 19th September 13:01

Barry B

505 posts

212 months

Tuesday 19th September 2006
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Hi Joe.. I've often wondered about A/Fuel/FC myself, educate me mate, what are the dangers in nat. asp. injected nitro combinations that NHRA shy away from, that are not present in a blown application ? You and your family have forgotten more than I know about blown and injected engines so the big dummy's guide to 'blown & injected vs unblown & injected' nitro would be appreciated.

Edited by Barry B on Tuesday 19th September 15:19

AFD

163 posts

212 months

Friday 22nd September 2006
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NuthinFancy said:
It was done once and the driver got the car down to 5.70's at around 250mph. However after a near fatality with the enclosed area of a funny car with such a exotic combination the NHRA sanctioning body decided it was too dangerous and outlawed injected nitro funny cars from top alcohol.

Probably the right thing really, considering me and my dad tried injected nitro over 10 years ago and it all very VERY nearly ended in tragedy. It's dangerous but seen as too dangerous within the confined spaces of a funny car (and the fact the engine is in front of you in a funny car made it seem too dangerous too!)

Edited by NuthinFancy on Tuesday 19th September 13:01


Not being funny Joe, but ten years ago you would have been like seven years old, I doubt very much wether you were even near the car when it went bang

Barry B

505 posts

212 months

Friday 22nd September 2006
quotequote all
Barry B said:
what are the dangers in nat. asp. injected nitro combinations that NHRA shy away from, that are not present in a blown application ?


Anyone ??

AFD

163 posts

212 months

Friday 22nd September 2006
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Barry B said:
Barry B said:
what are the dangers in nat. asp. injected nitro combinations that NHRA shy away from, that are not present in a blown application ?


Anyone ??


A fuel engines, and I guess someone will be able to correct this if its wrong, but due to the volotile nature of the fuel, and I think the higher compression ratio, they have been know to just blow up, even when just standing still.

If Joe askes his Dad Doug to explain that would be better

NuthinFancy

229 posts

212 months

Monday 25th September 2006
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AFD said:

Not being funny Joe, but ten years ago you would have been like seven years old, I doubt very much wether you were even near the car when it went bang


10 years ago I was 10, and believe me, i've been working on my fathers race-cars since i've been 5 years old. Not many people can say they have 15 years of racecar experience by their 20th birthday. When the car blew up I was standing by the rear wheels and when it blew up I saw everything and I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

However, on a much lighter note, working on the car from a young age is a good apprenticeship I think, been working on the car and now I have the chance of a lifetime to get behind the wheel.

AFD: Don't be funny about it then, I wouldn't have lied about something so serious, so please, next time you have a problem with something, come to me privately and don't post it on a forum

However again! back on topic. The main reason they were outlawed back in the 90's was due to it's very unstable nature back then. However now due to new safety legislations like ballistic blankets (our engine explosion and resulting consequences was one of the cases put forward to the safety boards to get these new blankets over the car). The safety aspect outlawed a-fuel funny cars due to the engine positioned in front of them and it was deemed too unstable, the fact a big thick blastwall and cage blast covers are between yourself and the engine on dragsters made them safe enough.


Edited by NuthinFancy on Monday 25th September 11:39


Edited by NuthinFancy on Monday 25th September 11:39

BennettRacing

729 posts

212 months

Monday 25th September 2006
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In the States the A fuel motors are made to take there plugs out at the top end to stop them hydraulicing and they even go bang when getting them in/out of there rigs, as any remaining fuel in inlet drops into cylinder, then they start the car and bang. The static cylinder pressures that some of the cars have, add that with the extreme volatility of nitro under pressure is the reason why this combination has became so dangerous, the reason that Top Fuel do not have as much danger is that they run alot less static cylinder pressure due to the fact they run a blower, top Fuel only run about 6.5 to 1 compression ratio's compared to about 12 to 1 in A-fuel cars. It's why you see top fuel fellas starting the motor with a squeeze bottle of alcohol and almost instantly switching to nitro. You can't, or shouldn't do that in an A-fueler because it's unsafe with high compression.

Edited by BennettRacing on Monday 25th September 12:43

blownalky

146 posts

211 months

Tuesday 10th October 2006
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hi luke ,so you do take notice of
what im saying then?

BennettRacing

729 posts

212 months

Wednesday 11th October 2006
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blownalky said:
hi luke ,so you do take notice of
what im saying then?


Alright mate, course i do!

Taximan

119 posts

212 months

Thursday 12th October 2006
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BennettRacing

729 posts

212 months

Friday 13th October 2006
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Ouch

Dilligaf10

2,431 posts

211 months

Friday 13th October 2006
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NuthinFancy said:
It was done once and the driver got the car down to 5.70's at around 250mph. However after a near fatality with the enclosed area of a funny car with such a exotic combination the NHRA sanctioning body decided it was too dangerous and outlawed injected nitro funny cars from top alcohol.

Probably the right thing really, considering me and my dad tried injected nitro over 10 years ago and it all very VERY nearly ended in tragedy. It's dangerous but seen as too dangerous within the confined spaces of a funny car (and the fact the engine is in front of you in a funny car made it seem too dangerous too!)

Edited by NuthinFancy on Tuesday 19th September 13:01


Joe, I gather you are talking about the incident in which your Dad and Uncle Terry got hurt and the van door badly damaged?

NuthinFancy

229 posts

212 months

Friday 13th October 2006
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Yea i am, it wasn't nice to see at all, especially for a 10 year old paperbag

Edited by NuthinFancy on Friday 13th October 13:24

BennettRacing

729 posts

212 months

Friday 13th October 2006
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NuthinFancy said:
Yea i am, it wasn't nice to see at all, especially for a 10 year old paperbag

Edited by NuthinFancy on Friday 13th October 13:24


I remember that, I was about 20 foot away when it went, the only good thing (if any) is that it went van side rather than towards the crowd that were watching...We all could of been back to the play pen

NuthinFancy

229 posts

212 months

Friday 13th October 2006
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Well yea, every cloud has a silver lining. You can always take something good out of something bad. bowtie



Edited by NuthinFancy on Friday 13th October 17:00