Topic: Steve Morris explains bearings.

[Don R]

 I heard something you guys explained to me a while back about the ends of the shells sticking up above the case. There might be something you didn't know yet.

[Dresda500]

Great video.

[Don R]

 That guy shows it all, like when a bolt breaks off, goes in the engine and dings things up, it shows me that #$%* happens to pro engine builders, not just me. I asked an NHRA pro-stock racer/builder about backing off valve springs recently, he prefers to rotate the engine every couple weeks because backing them off it's too easy for a pushrod to drop out of position and damage a rocker. That's not just a "me" thing either.
 When his dyno broke, over revved an engine and blew a procharger part through the window of the dyno call he showed it all and admitted there were new dyno parts there waiting for the upgrade, he just didn't get to it yet.

[Dresda500]

That's interesting to hear about the valve springs. We quit that more than a decade ago an have never seen any difference. Of course I don'tr have a Pro Stock engine, but most all race springs are well under the yield limit of the material at full lift and its the heat that kills springs among other things, but I don't know many that do it longer. I think I'd be more worried about metallic creep of the roller or lobe nose than the spring honestly, although it wasn't specified why they those to rotate. I'd love to hear more if ya'll discussed in more detail.

[NitroHunter]

As a young crew guy I had always been taught to pull the pushrods out of our funnycar motors when sitting for extended periods like over the winter so as to keep the springs from loosing pressure. One of my full time racer pals thought this was ridiculous, so to prove it, after the World Finals one year, he pulled apart the heads, pressure tested one spring, then clamped it in a bench vise at virtually coil bind compression. Made a big show of testing and then writing the spring pressure on the vise with a sharpie. It sat untouched for about 3 months. The week before leaving for the Winternationals, he unclamped the spring and tested it, there was absolutely no pressure difference at any lift point. Now, these were springs did see close to .800" lift and we weren't even 400 lbs on the seat yet, but you get the idea. Still, I can't tell you how many guys who came up doing it continue the practice to this day - and we have WAY better springs.

[willbird]

As a young crew guy I had always been taught to pull the pushrods out of our funnycar motors when sitting for extended periods like over the winter so as to keep the springs from loosing pressure. One of my full time racer pals thought this was ridiculous, so to prove it, after the World Finals one year, he pulled apart the heads, pressure tested one spring, then clamped it in a bench vise at virtually coil bind compression. Made a big show of testing and then writing the spring pressure on the vise with a sharpie. It sat untouched for about 3 months. The week before leaving for the Winternationals, he unclamped the spring and tested it, there was absolutely no pressure difference at any lift point. Now, these were springs did see close to .800" lift and we weren't even 400 lbs on the seat yet, but you get the idea. Still, I can't tell you how many guys who came up doing it continue the practice to this day - and we have WAY better springs.

The stuff I have read always says that springs are "used up" by moving, so driving a car around, or dragging it around in/on a trailer will "use them up" but letting it sit in the garage for 20 years will not. I really like all of Steve's vids.

[Don R]

 I admit to being the guy that turns the motor to a certain point and loosens the 4 or 5 tightest springs. We have .830" intake lift and 400 pounds off of the seat.
  A pro-stock builder I know says he doesn't like to loosen the adjusters because it's too easy to get a pushrod out of place and damage something. He turns the motor over every couple weeks, mine goes to storage where I can't get in whenever I want to.

[willbird]

I admit to being the guy that turns the motor to a certain point and loosens the 4 or 5 tightest springs. We have .830" intake lift and 400 pounds off of the seat.
  A pro-stock builder I know says he doesn't like to loosen the adjusters because it's too easy to get a pushrod out of place and damage something. He turns the motor over every couple weeks, mine goes to storage where I can't get in whenever I want to.

I think there was a lot of engine science going on historically that we just never hear about. But the "spintron" setup they use now is pretty cool, they rotate an engine with an electric motor to study different things including the valve train. I just recently saw something about big 3 engines maybe in the 60's being spun with electric motors until the kw required to rotate them dropped to some level prior to actually firing them up.

Steve has shared some material about valve train harmonics during the "drive" portions of the drag and drive events many of his engines are designed and built for. There are apparently some harmonic issues that can be exposed by driving for hundreds of miles at one steady RPM.

[Don R]

 I recently saw a picture of rows of flathead V8's being broken in with electric motors. There must have been dozens if not hundreds of them all at once. The pic said they were considered done when the amp load dropped to a certain level.

[willbird]

I recently saw a picture of rows of flathead V8's being broken in with electric motors. There must have been dozens if not hundreds of them all at once. The pic said they were considered done when the amp load dropped to a certain level.

Yes that is the same one I saw, not sure where/how I stumbled across it. I think some of those old engines needed a rebuild at the mileage that modern stuff is just coming up for it's first oil change.