Tech Page

  

Here you can find tips & tricks to make your car perform to its fullest potential. I will try and cover all aspects of upgrades. You might go faster, turn better, stop faster & you might win more races. At the end of the day you will have a smile on your face because your car didn't let you down.    

With all up-grades, every car will react differently and you will have to fine tune your car to make it work with your combination. 

 

😀 Our first tip is about plumbing systems!

 

 

Most likely, at one time in your life you have seen a killer custom car or race car that has had fittings like these and wondered , how do they work ? And where are the clamps to how can I use them on my car ?

 

Lets start with how these fittings came about. A/N fittings  were originally designed for use in aerospace and  military applications. The size & specifications were established by the military back in World War II, and stems from a joint standard agreed upon by the Army and Navy, hence AN. The Army-Navy involvement is also the origin of the red/blue color combination that was traditionally used in the anodized finishing process.

AN sizes range from -2 (dash two) to -32 in irregular steps, with each step equating to the OD (outside diameter) of the tubing in 1⁄16-inch increments. 

Therefore, a -8 AN size would be equal to 1⁄2-inch OD tube. However, this system does not specify the ID (inside diameter) of the tubing because the tube wall can vary in thickness. Each AN size also uses its own standard thread size.

A/N fittings use  37° flared tubing to form a metal-to-metal seal. They are similar to other 37° flared fittings, such as ( JIC ), which is their industrial variant . 

The two are interchangeable in theory, though this is typically not recommended due to the exacting specifications and demands of the aerospace industry. The differences between them relates to thread class and shape (how tight of a fit the threads are), and the metals used. 

Although similar, 37° AN and 45° SAE fittings and tooling are not interchangeable due to the different flare angles. Mixing them can cause leakage at the flare. You can get aluminum and stainless steel A/N fittings.

As an example , a Holley electric fuel pump has standard pipe threads , there are endless adapters that you can use to go from pipe thread to A/N thread making the use of braided line that much easier . Now you an get a fitting with a pipe thread on one end with a typical hose end on the other side , that way you can eliminate the adapter if you have a tight fit .

This example is a A/N -12 to 1/2 inch pipe thread adapter.

The pipe threaded end would fit the pump , while the 37 degree flare would fit the A/N hose end.

This is a scale to show how common automotive lines can be sized to A/N fittings.

 

 

AN O-Ring aka ORB

ORB or O-Ring Boss fittings utilize the same thread as AN, but the type of seal is an O-ring instead of a tapered surface. ORB fittings are commonly found on aftermarket fuel systems: Fuel rails, regulators, and pump hats, for example.

 

 

This hose fitting can be used to connect a custom oil line to an 18mm inlet fitting on engine or trans oil coolers. This custom fitting seals with an o-ring as opposed to using pipe threads. 

 

 

This fitting also swivels after it is fully tightened to ensure a kink free installation.

 

The main reason you would want to convert your car over to A/N fittings & lines is safety , then long lasting performance , the lines can be assembled and disassembled many times with out a chance of leaking , not unlike hose clamps.

You have many choices of hoses to chose from , if you are running E85 or Nitro-Methane you need lines like these, because a parts store rubber hose will fail and seep as soon as the fuel flows through it .

These are a must for oiling systems, great for wet sump and dry sumps , they have a higher burst pressure rating, 500-1000 PSI  . They also won't collapse under suction . 

💥Remember : 

When shopping for hoses and lines stick with a well known brand and don't mix brands between adapters and fittings, to prevent leaks . 

Only use pipe sealer on pipe threads and add just a drop of light oil or anti-seize to the flared threads to prevent galling.

Stay tuned for more !

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  What's up with roller rocker arms ?

 

If you have been into cars for the last thirty years I'm sure you heard the term roller motor or roller rockers & lifters. Well I'm going to give you a crash course on the roller rocker arm.

In racing friction kills horsepower and efficiency. By adding needle bearings to a roller and installing it to the tip rocker arm you virtually remove most of the friction caused by the tip dragging across the valve tip when it is commanded open by the camshaft.

When upgrading to a roller rocker arm you have options in ratios, for example a stock small-block Chevy rocker ratio is 1.5 but you can step-up to a 1.6 or 1.7 ratio. So you may be asking what does that mean and why should I care about it.

              The design of these rockers mimics some H-Beam connecting rods, creating a truss to transfer valve lift without deflection.

Lets say you have a stock 1.5 rocker arm and your camshaft has a.480 lift, multiply .480 by 1.5 and your valve will open .720 of an inch that is pretty good but if you want to increase air flow and gain more mid to high rpm horsepower upgrade to a 1.6 and your lift at the valve face will be increased to .768. 

 For a few hours of work you reduced friction by going to a roller tip and you increased valve lift without changing to a larger camshaft. The higher ratio does not change cam duration it only changes valve lift.

This could be worth 10-15 horsepower and with a good set of heads could net 20 or more horses. When choosing a set of rockers there are a few options in materials, aluminum, steel, stainless steel and high-end titanium. 

 

 

These are stainless steel and ride on a stainless shaft, the shaft system is far superior to a rocker stud system.

 

If you are running an aggressive roller cam and high rpm stay away from the aluminum as they are prone to cracking and failing. I recommend the stainless steel units as they are stronger and have a higher fatigue rate.

Unless you are running a sub 6-second race car there is no need for a titanium rocker arm . Yes they are cool because they are super light and very strong but they are very expensive , $5k to 8k depending on application. 

If there is something that you want to learn about in the hi-performance world, let me know and I will report on it. 

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This week's tip will improve your muscle cars performance !

Cold fuel will vaporize more quickly than hot fuel, so adding a cooler can add horsepower. You can buy one or you can save some cash by making one. Take a large coffee can and line a coil of copper tubing around inside of it. Drill holes at the top and bottom of the can for the copper line to enter and exit. 

Attach the appropriate fittings to the copper line to connect it in series to the Carb.

 Seal the line to the can to prevent leaks. Connect the fuel lines, fill the can with water, and inspect the can for leaks. If there are no leaks, fill the can to the top with ice, and install the lid. As fuel circulates through the copper coil, the ice will cool it. 

When it hits the hot manifold, it will vaporize instantly, and be ready to ignite when the plug fires! 

You can drop 1-2-tenths off a 1/4-mile time,and increase speed by 4-5 mph.

Moroso also makes a plastic version that keeps the ice colder and it doesn't rust out in a few seasons. It also uses a more efficient heat sink design.

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Engine building basics with this week's tips !

 

 When assembling the bottom end of an engine there are critical steps that should be taken. Besides
cleaning everything, Micro-polishing the crank can not only free up friction but extend the life of
crank bearings. Microscopic nicks and scratches can wipe them out in a hurry. It’s your
machinist's job is to smooth them all out to a mirror-like finish.
 

Honing the block correctly. Most high-output engines go through torque plate honing, which
simulates a head bolted to the block. 

The texture of your engine's cylinder walls will determine important things, like how long it'll last, whether or not it'll burn any oil, and whether or not the
rings will seal under boost or nitrous-oxide.
 

With these tips, your engine will live a happy life and make more power consistently over a longer
period of time.

 

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