Anything new from the straight 8 hot rodders?

[gnoub]

Mike:

Is #1950 your car? Pictures?

Thanks!

Gary

[Straight Eight]

We still hear fatefull news about zinc leaving our favorite oils. I wrote to Shell Oil about their Rotella brand. Here is my letter, and their answer.

I have been using Rotella 30 for Years in my antique Buicks and
understand the latest version of Rotella has dramatically reduced the
amount of zinc. The overhead valve engine with non rollers valve
mechanism theoretically needs the zinc for the sliding friction. What
has happened to Rotella? Can I continue to use it in my antique
engines, or should I find another oil made just for the antiques with
zinc added?
----------------------------------------------

Clifford, there has been no reduction of zinc in the straight weight
Rotella oils such as Rotella T 30. There has been a slight reduction in
zinc for the multigrade Rotella T oils in order to meets the new API
CJ-4 specification. Rotella T 30 should still work well in your antique
Buicks.

Thank you for your interest in Shell products.

Richard Moore
Staff Engineer
Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc.
Westhollow Technology Center, PO Box 4327, Houston, TX 77210, United
States of America
1-800-231-6950

[collis]

Hi Gary,
I'm a bit technogically challenged but I'll try to download some of this years pictures.
If you click on the "Showroom" then scroll down past "Buick Pictures" with the different years, some of last years pics are under "Buick Action" then " racing"
Mike

[gnoub]

Mike:

Thanks. Would love to know any details on the building of the motor.

Thanks!

Gary

[collis]

We're going to need to try to sqeeze a little more out of the old girl as we ran out of power this year and couldn't pull more that 4850 rpm with the bigger diameter tires. We know were a long ways over on the downhill side of the torque curve!
We running about 8 #s of boost now and will probable push that a little harder. Also, when the building the original exhaust, we were more interested in keeping it street legal and not cutting any more holes than we had to. As a result we have a not very "engineered" exhaust system that could likely be improved.
I was wondering if anyone has some advice on primary and collecter tube tuning, lengths and diameters and if there are any differences and tricks for the 320 straight 8. If AlleyCat has figured this out or any of the guys (or girls) that used to race these great engines, I sure would apprecite any advice.
Mike

[39CENT]

thats great, one of the few straight 8,s in competition. yes the straight 8,s have a sound of thier own.

[39CENT]

I had a set of headers from Jarvis Earl 38 buick, and they were 1 1/2 ", by 36 " long .

[collis]

thanks 39cent
excuse my ignorance, but was(is) Jarvis Earl a well known builder or racer?

[alleycat]

Actually Mike, Hunting for more power in the exhaust may not be that productive, considering that you have a blower on the other side. The str8 IS really responsive to headers, it's probably the biggest hp gain the quickest, but the blower alters things. The reason that headers work so well is that the str8 is a high rod ratio engine, like 1.9, and these engines can have reversion problems fairly quickly. A good header can actually produce a lower pressure signal at the end of the exhaust cycle which really helps the intake and when it goes resonant, the power curve really pulls up. A blower just blasts it through, no reversion problems! However, a good exhaust is still needed, it just does not need to be as fancy. Top fuel cars and funnys are a good example of this. Basicly, a two into one, 1 3/4 into 2'', down the side of the engine and out the side of the car the shortest route. On another note, you may want to reconsider your cam. HP is all about cylinder pressure and if the engine is down in this department, it's going to be tough to pick up power elsewhere. You mention that "it's way over the torque curve", the cam may be too short. The volumetric efficency of a engine follows the torque curve exactly. The cam determines potiential torque peak, intake and exhaust can adjust it around but not more than a few hundred rpm, a blower really changes things. If you have a way big cam it could be "blowing through" and unless you've got a huge lump of metal on top of that piston to make comp the cylinder pressure just won't happen......alleycat

[39CENT]

yes collis, Jarvis earl [in ca.]had a 320 strt 8 dragster in the 50,s. turning around 130!i read that in one of the 'small car mags'. and he mentioned that he had a 'special fuel' that would get him over 140. it sounded like he was messing with 'nitrous oxide' !