Racing Secrets

April 23, 2020

in Uncategorized by Dan

Spark Plug Reading Kit

Are You Getting
The Most Out Of Your Engine?

If you were to give the same engine to 10 different racers how many different results would you have? 10! I’ve seen it first hand, some racers are just better than others at getting the most out of their combination.

Me, I’ve never had the most money so I’ve had to learn how to tune.

At RacingSecrets.com we’ve been selling a spark plug inspection light for a couple of years now. We’ve always wanted to create a video to go along with it, but never had the time. Well, it’s finally done.

There is no other product like it on the market — at any price. Please read the full product descriptions below. Also, for the past few months we’ve been

Spark Plug Reading Kit
Creator: RacingSecrets.com
Includes – (Plug Light & Video)

What the VIDEO will teach you:

How NOT to Read Plugs

Using industry plug reading charts is fine for tuning up a tractor, but they have no place in any kind of racing.
I would say that 99% of the advice you see on how to read spark plugs will not work for racing.

Reading the Porcelain

This is the area where most racers think they’ve got it figured out — most don’t.
“The black specs on detonating plugs are aluminum” — WRONG! Some think it’s carbon, that’s wrong also. You’ll be blown away when you find out what it actually is and what it’s telling you.
What does the porcelain tell you about jetting?
What does the porcelain tell you about ignition timing?
What does the porcelain tell you about heat range?

Reading the Ground Strap

This area is ignored by most racers, yet it holds vital clues to what the engine wants.
How different combustion chamber shapes can effect reading of the ground strap.
What does the ground strap tell you about jetting?
What does the ground strap tell you about ignition timing?
What does the ground strap tell you about heat range?

Reading the Center Electrode

Another area that is completely ignored.
What does the center electrode tell you about jetting?
What does the center electrode tell you about ignition timing?
What does the center electrode tell you about heat range?

Gapping

Make a mistake here and risk blowing up your engine.
This area probably creates more arguments than any other, people hold strong beliefs that are not backed testing.

Indexing

How much power can be made by indexing.
When should you index your plugs.
How to properly do it.

Conclusion

You will learn how to set your jetting (air-fuel ratio) for best power.
You will learn how to set your ignition timing for best power.
You will learn how to select the proper heat range plug for best power.
AND, you will learn in what order your should set them — very important!

KIT CONTENTS:

Inspection Light

Pro Light
- Instrument quality
- Super High Intensity Bulb
- 4X viewing lens
- Adjustable rheostat
- 3 sizes of viewing speculas

Instructional Video (Included with both lights)

What people are saying about the VIDEO:

“This video absolutely debunks traditional views of spark plug analysis. Never seen anything like this in all the articles, magazines and books.”
J.T. Thannum
Germantown, TN

“The amount of knowledge I gathered about heat ranges of plugs, jetting of carburetors and checking for proper timing is priceless.”
F.D. Deitch
Clarington, OH

“The video condenses years of blood, sweat, tears and mistakes.”
R.D. Leigh
Witt, IL

“I would recommend this video to anyone wanting to get the most out of an engine”
Ron Streigle
Anaheim, CA

“If you think you know how to read a plug, you need to buy this video, thinking it, doesn’t make it so.”
Arnie Henrickson
Lacey, WA

“I can now rely on looking at plugs to judge the tune of my engine.”
T. Lemenager
Ashkum, IL

“I was really shocked when I looked at my first spark plug. I wish I would have had access to this 10 years ago.”
Toby Miller
Nappanee, IN

April 22, 2020

in Uncategorized by Dan

Horsepower Chain

The Horsepower Chain –
Racing Engines Optimized Through Hardcore Math

The 4 stroke internal combustion engine first ran in 1876. This engine design, known as the Otto cycle, has been thought of as having the following strokes – intake, compression, expansion and exhaust. This design is used in the vast majority of racing engines today. Engine builders, and racers alike, think about improving the performance of their engines using this 4 stroke approach, or what I prefer to call the “old 4 process.”

Sometimes people focus on the 4 critical camshaft timing events – intake valve opening (IVO), exhaust valve closing (EVC), intake valve closing (IVC), and exhaust valve opening (EVO) to characterize engine performance. This was a good step forward, but a finer breakdown is needed to really understand racing engines.

Instead of the traditional 4 strokes, the modern high performance engine should be thought of as having 7 distinct individual processes. This “7 process” approach focuses on air flow through the engine and is a result of two decades of research while developing the worlds most popular racing engine software — Quarter Jr’s “Engine Pro”

The New 7 Process Model:

Intake pumping
Intake ramming
Compression
Fuel burning and expansion
Exhaust blowdown
Exhaust pumping
Valve overlap

These 7 processes are linked together and affect each other in turn. In other words, the output from one process defines the input for the next. It follows logically that each of these 7 processes must be fully optimized in order to achieve the highest engine performance possible.

However, the overall engine is only as good as the weakest link in this chain of processes. Some changes may well improve one process, but hurt another. Identifying which of these 7 processes is holding the engine back is key to improving your engine’s performance.

The physics behind each of these 7 processes is very different. All we can adjust/change is the shape of the components that make up the engine. What is the absolute best combination of components? How do we find that best combination without just throwing parts at the engine?

Announcing: “The Horsepower Chain – Racing engines explained through hardcore math”

About the Book:

Includes the math behind the world’s most popular engine simulation software — “Engine Pro”
These equations were developed and tweaked during two decades of real-world testing from hundreds, if not thousands, of racers.
Includes practical advice for each of the seven processes — specific advice you can apply today.
This is an updated edition of “Engine Pro – The Book.” It has been expanded and professionally printed in the US.
Originally authored by Don Terrill – Former pole winning Nascar engine builder and former owner of SpeedTalk.com – Racing’s best tech forum.
Now revised and updated with additional content

Which process needs to be optimized to reach VEs over 100%, and specifically, which 3 items need to be improved.
There is one trend leading engine development — miss it and you’ll be left behind.
Everyone knows IVC is the most important valve event, but the second most important is not far behind and will surprise many
What is the source of many horsepower anomalies? Ever have an engine that just doesn’t run right?
Which process is a strongest predictor of the location of Peak TQ and HP
The only guaranteed, and simple, trick to improve the overlap process — Less than 1% of racers are doing it
Simple power mods many are missing — they are staring you right in the face
The small things that can net big gains
The revolutionary way to test exhaust flow (exhaust blowdown process). I don’t know of anyone doing it.
What one airflow measurement will predict 95% of your engine’s peak power
What lifts and pressure drops to measure your heads. Everyone I know is doing this wrong.
Which process is by far the most important and how to improve it
How to optimize intake pumping pulses, pressure waves
What 3 items control intake pressure waves
What small mistake can kill critical exhaust pressure waves
What is the optimal timing for finite amplitude pressure waves
What positive changes to intake pumping will negatively affect intake ramming
How to get the most energy out of your fuel
Which 3 engine design features control rpm range
Which 3 engine design features control peak torque
Which 4 engine design features control peak horsepower
What is the ideal intake pumping process
What is the ideal intake ramming process
What is the ideal compression process
What is the ideal fuel burning, expansion process
What is the ideal exhaust blowdown process
What is the ideal exhaust pumping process
What is the ideal overlap process
Which engine features control the intake pumping process
Which engine features control the intake ramming process
Which engine features control the compression process
Which engine features control the fuel burning, expansion process
Which engine features control the exhaust blowdown process
Which engine features control the exhaust pumping process
Which engine features control the overlap process
How to improve the intake pumping process
How to improve the intake ramming process
How to improve the compression process
How to improve the fuel burning, expansion process
How to improve the exhaust blowdown process
How to improve the exhaust pumping process
How to improve the overlap process
The 10 places to look for frictional losses
The optimal cooling system strategy
How to calculate the best cam lift for your application
How to calculate minimum recommended intake port area
How to calculate maximum recommended intake port area
How to balance negative work prior to TDC with positive work after TDC
When do we want pressure waves to arrive at the intake valve
Which valve event has the least affect on power
Which items need to be hot, and which items need to be cold
There’s a lot going on during overlap. What one modification helps both intake and exhaust
The ideal state before opening the intake valve
How intake pumping pulses affect plenum conditions
How the number of cylinders connected to the plenum affect conditions
Minimum volume for intake plenum
Max volume for intake plenum
Is there a reason to flow the throttle body and intake manifold together
Bore diameter affect on flow
What is the second most important process and how to optimize
Optimal intake cam duration @ .050″
How critical is it to have the right cam
How stroke affects required cam duration
What’s the number one thing to consider before deciding cam duration
How are valve lift and piston speed tied together
What is the critical effective compression ratio limit for each fuel type

Engine design equations
- Recommended intake lobe centerline (InLobeCL)
- Best Exhaust duration (ExCamDur)
- Best Lobe separation (LSA)
- Recommended intake valve lift (InVL)
- Intake valve diameter (InVD)
- Total intake tract volume (InVol)
- Total intake tract length (InTL)
- Intake suction wave (InTL.1)
- Intake closing wave (InTL.2)
- Max intake cross-sectional area (MaxInArea)
- Min intake cross-sectional area (MinInCSA)
- Recommended intake plenum volume (PlnVol)
- Recommended exhaust flow (ExCFM)
- Recommended exhaust valve diameter (ExVD)
- Max exhaust valve lift (ExVL)
- Min exhaust cross-sectional area (MinExCSA)
- Max exhaust cross-sectional area (MaxExArea)
- Primary header tube diameter (ExTD)
- Primary header tube length (ExTL)
- Collector diameter (ExCD)
Engine performance equations
- Shift RPM
- Redline RPM
- RPM @ Peak TQ
- Gross Peak TQ
- Net Peak TQ (Peak TQ)
- RPM @ Peak HP
- Gross Peak HP
- Net Peak HP (Peak HP)
Other equations
- Max piston speed
- Equivalent piston speed
- Normalized equivalent piston speed
- Crank Pin speed
- Mechanical efficiency
- Pumping Losses
- Friction Losses
- Port velocity
- Intake flow flux
- Ideal intake flow flux
- Intake flow coefficient
- Exhaust flow flux
- Theoretical HP per CFM for different fuel types
- Critical effective compression ratio limit for each fuel type
- Thermodynamic cycle efficiency
- Compression Ratio Volume Factor
- Effective compression ratio
- Trapped cylinder pressure
- Actual engine compression ratio (accounting for the IVC angle)
- Piston Position
- Intake Ramming VE%
- Intake Ramming Function (this equation was “stumbled” upon)
- Intake Pumping VE%
- Throttle Body Pressure Loss
- Throttle Body VE%
- IR Throttle Body VE%
- Power loss to curved runners
- Plenum effect for different type manifolds
- Intake manifold flow factor
- Recommended bore to throat ratio
- Potential power from multi valves
- Loss of rpm range from too small a cam
- Loss of torque from too small a cam
- Loss of rpm range from too large a cam
- Loss of torque from too large a cam
- How VE% affects effective compression
- Energy content per fuel type
Constants and Correction Factors
- Camshafts constants (CamK)
- Multi-valve constants
- Conversion factor used in the calculation of horsepower
- Conversion factor used in the calculation of RPM from piston speed
- 18 more…