During the last couple months, things have gone rather quiet. I keep getting asked "Update the blog, now!!", but it really has been quiet.
Ive not made much progress on the cars, physically, but mentally ive been drawing up things i want done, considering new ideas, re-considering them ... my head is like a scrapbook if sorts that draws up images and designs until im happy, as most of my custom work is based on experience and the ability to see what I want before I start bending any metal.
I have a constant disorder with efficiency, and not just making a brutish motor on the principal "lets turn the boost up". Don't get me wrong, I love big turbos and big power, but I also love reliability, and getting the most out of every aspect, so im on say 600hp when others on similar setups are at 500.
Ive always had a line, or theory I use with my past years of building race motors or such ... "Its not hard to build a motor ... its very hard to build a exceptional motor".
One such factor is fuel cooling, what has plagued my mind for a number of years since my eight cylinder Chevrolet days. Even tho in the import turbo community we like to think we invented most things, we haven't. A lot of technology we take for granted, came off some NASCAR, GT, IMSA, NHRA or perhaps pro street car from the 70's, even 80's.
This is where fuel cooling comes into it. Proven so successful on high hp N/A engines in stock car racing, it was soon deemed illegal to use. Turbocharged cars tend to accommodate this old technology even more in todays day and age. Ive played with it, but never on my own motors so now this is what i want to be doing on the Skyline.Along with return-less fuel systems, where the aluminium fuel rail doesnt act like a fuel heater in a return style system.
"A look at the trunk area. I guess fuel cooling is very important to Amemiya-san as there are no less than three coolers that help bring fuel temps down. The two top ones look like adapted power steering fluid coolers and yes, that’s a small electric fan keeping air flowing over them!" speedhunters.com
Its only when you see fuel cooling playing such a strong part now in high pressure diesel setups for very high economy passenger cars, you have to think ... its all to do with efficiency.
During my last trip to Singapore, my good friend Alastair came to pick me up at a place called Far East Plaza, to take us to dinner at a German restaurant. He had been on the road for about 30mins, and it was a warm muggy night, around 27c or more.As he picked us up, he went to load my wheelchair into the boot of his Mitsubishi EVO10 street/circuit car, and as he popped the boot, I noticed the SARD surge tank, therefore of course wanted to get a feel of what the fuel temp is like.
I wasn't shocked to find i couldn't hold the surge tank for more than a second or two. What is the heat needed to do resist a human touching a warm item ?. Then the next question, what is the temp that fuel begins to evaporate ?. Even before both of those figures, long before fuel looses its density and you need to start spraying more to cover the difference.
There is no doubt cooler fuel increases torque, peak horsepower, and also provides a platform for much more stable tuning, and thus efficiency. When you see pure high end racecars, they run heat sinks on fuel pumps, coat components of radiant heat, use heat transfer resistant materials that cut down heat transfer and items such as fuel rails, are now composites for the ability to not transfer heat.
Add to this im researching parts online, what sizing, combinations, trying to be unique instead of just swiping my credit card thru the HKS catalog. So thats been in my head.
The other factor for lacking updates, has been that ive taken on a job, working for the man so to speak.
Ive stepped back from fabricating, after 21 years of running my own timeline, im burnt out, and tired. Im tired of ebay, and China killing the market with cheap parts that today's kiddies care not for quality, but for 'bling factor' as they call it. The US dollar is 1:1, so they aren't buying, EU is low on spending now, with the EU currency falling as well, and to top it all off, Aus Post is probably THE most expensive way of sending my ISR race parts out. Not a good time.
Living in Perth, doing what i do is not good at all. I still claim that if i lived in California, id be set for life.
But now im doing something out of the norm, away from cars, and enjoying it. This takes up a bit of my time, and with the festive season upon us, it (the cars in physical work) was something I just put off, until after the new year.
Ill have some more updates soon. Promise.
