PRI 2008 - Thursday Coverage

[mark@lsxtv]

It's time for another year of the hottest new racing products for the coming 2009 year. Sit down and buckle up for our first day's coverage.

Thursday Videos

• All-New Pro Port Casting from Edelbrock - Click Here
• TCI 6 Speed Automatic Transmission with Wireless Paddle Shifters - Click Here
• New Forgeline Wheels Including Carbon Fiber! - Click Here
• RHS and their ground-breaking engine block technology - Click Here
• New XFI Fuel Injection Systems - Click Here

Billet Specialties Comp Series Bead Lock Wheels

There are only a select amount of companies that make a serious racing bead lock wheel for drag racing; and Billet Specialties is now in the game with their 32-bolt bead lock wheel. This doubles the amount of bolts from a standard bead lock wheel, and according to Billet, has a number of features that prevent deformation and cracking. One such feature is the lightweight fasteners that feature a recessed washer, helping the bead lock bolts from deforming and distributing the stress evenly under high load situations.

The Billet five-star designs are offered from a 15x8 to a 16x16 width, with custom backspacing in one-inch increments. Billet Specialties' Scott Sandoval told us that they will competitively their wheel against other bead locks on the market. These two piece constructed wheels will also be offered in a black center section and will be made available by the end of January.

Check out more at http://www.billetspecialties.com

[mark@lsxtv]

LS-based engines are undisputedly the hottest engines on the market right now. With GM backing this solid platform, aftermarket companies have been coming out of the wood work with fresh LS based parts. JE has jumped on board by expanding their SRP Professional line of pistons.

The pistons will be offered in an inverted dish and high compression flat top for stroker engines. The high compression pistons will be offered from 10.6:1 to 12.1:1, depending on combustion chamber size. The inverted dome will also vary from 8.6:1 to 11.1:1. The addition of these pistons doubled the amount of SRP Professional pistons available.

The pistons feature a narrow wrist pin and an advanced ring package to help cut weight and reduce friction. The included rings are 1.2 MM uppers, 1.5 MM secondary and a 3 MM oil ring. JE claims an increase of 13 horsepower over OEM pistons.

Check out JE Pistons for more information.

[mark@lsxtv]

If you are making maximum horsepower and running high RPM, the last thing you want is deflection in your stud mount rocker arms. For maximum rigidity and the ability to run an offset system, a shaft mount system is the way to go.

Harland Sharp’s design uses a solid bar for the rockers to pivot on for ultimate rigidity. Many shaft rocker systems run the attachment bolts through the pivot shaft, but Harland Sharp’s design moves the fasteners to either side of the pivot bar. Harland offers custom pivot location heights to eliminate the need for shimming with the proper height.

The aluminum rockers are also outfitted with needle bearings on the trunion and have full roller tips. The rockers have the ability to be set up for a maximum offset of .550 left or right of center.

For more information check out Harland Sharp

[mark@lsxtv]

When your running a track oriented car on the street, there are a number of issues you can run into, one of them being a pump that isn’t good for the street. A large pump is designed to flow a lot of fuel and not run at cruising speeds. Magna Fuel has come out with a return system regulator for your carbureted engine that allows your fuel pump to run cooler, thus heating your fuel up less.

The all billet construction regulator is a 1:1 rate regulator that would also serve purpose on blow-thru applications. The valve in seat assembly keeps fuel pressure constant while the dual spring will allow the regulator to have better pressure control. The regulator comes with five ports plus the return and can support any type of fuel.

Check out Magna Fuel at: http://www.magnafuel.com

[poweradmin]

Edelbrock is stepping up big time in the LSX arena with a new LS Square port head aimed directly at the top echelons of LS drag racing, the Victor LS-R, and a new kick ass L92-style head, the Victor Jr. LS Pro-Port, that offers some upgrades over the stock GM casting. These new offers really signal that Edelbrock is ready to be at the forefront of the next-gen GM small block with not only a new hot street/strip head, but with a max-effort race head that could come to be the highest performance LSX racing head available.

Edelbrock new LSR Race Head

This new LSR head is no joke. Built with the GM LSX block in mind, it is already configured with the extra head-bolts that come standard with the GM Performance block, although they are not required if you are using a non-LSX block. The LSR is a canted valve head, offering maximum power potential and flow rates - if you can believe this, of as much as 450-cfm or even more, in fully ported configurations.



The head uses the GM SB2 valve cover footprint because of the canted valve design, although the stock exhaust port pattern is retained. These are Edelbrock PRO port heads, meaning that seats and guides are included (but not installed) but you'll need to have your head porter do the CNC porting magic to make the heads rock and roll for your full-race LSX engine.



Edelbrock's Victor Jr LS Head

The Victor JR LS head is billed as an upgrade to the GM L92 head, either for current LS3 or L92 head owners, or for those who want to upgrade from a standard cathedral port head. It features the L92 raised square port footprint, but with a LS7 12.2-degree valve angle, and dual intake bolt patterns for both LS7 and L92 intake ports. Because it's a PRO port design, it can be ported for either intake design.

The best part is that Edelbrock has engineered this head for use with not a costly shaft system, but for LS7 1.8:1 factory rocker arms, and .200-inch longer valves, so you can install beefy valve springs. Of course, for serious engines, racers may use high end Jesel, T&D, Comp or Crane shaft rockers, but it's nice to know you can use LS7 rockers for cost-savings. All in all, the Victor Jr head will prove to be a great upgrade for a factory LS3/L92 casting.

For more information, watch Edelbrock's website.

[mark@lsxtv]

Strange Aluminum & Steel Spools

If you are looking for the quality of Strange’s Lightweight Pro Race Spools, but you need something dependable and affordable, check out their new Standard Series Steel Spools. Especially if weight is not an issue, these spools are perfect because the material and heat treat is exactly the same as the Lightweight Pro Race Spools, minus the lightening holes.

Now if weight is an issue along with price, you need to look into the Strange Standard Series Aluminum Spools. These spools are machined from 7075 forged aluminum which is ideal for the oval track, where you want to be as light as possible.

The best part about both of the standard series spools, is that they are an easy swap from the OEM type units. You can even use your stock axles. Strange offers these spools in GM 12-Bolt 8.50” & 8.20” as well as Ford Standard Series Spools.



Strange Bolt-In Shocks

At the Strange booth we were able to check out some of their new bolt-in shocks offered for various Buick, Chevy, Dodge, Plymouth & Pontiac models. These shocks come in single or double adjustable dampening. All come with billet steel cross bars and polyurethane bushings. With a wide range of adjustments you can use these shocks for street, drag, circle track, and road race.

Check them out on www.strangeengineering.net

[mark@lsxtv]

Magnaflow now offers two new types of high flow performance catalytic converters; race cats have a straight through design consisting of a platinum, palladium and rhodium material. When the material heats up, toxic fumes in the engine's exhaust are reduced due to a chemical reaction. These cats quiet the exhaust with their stainless mesh, while cutting down on emissions just enough for cat-required drag racing classes.

The spun high flow cats come in both ceramic and the more durable metallic materials. You’ll find the filtering capabilities are 300 CPI with the metallic cats and 400 CPI on the ceramic version. As far as flow goes, the metallic flows 330 CFM while the ceramic cats flow 180-200 CFM. Both cats are applicable up to 5.9-liter or 6000 pounds.

For more information log on to http://www.magnaflow.com

[Tom@LSXTV]

Lowering under hood temperatures is always a positive thing. One way to help lower those temperatures is to coat your headers with a coating that will keep heat in its place – out through the exhaust. Tech Line coatings are a DIY that you can use on almost anything you can shoot with a paint gun. You will need a source for baking certain coatings, but please don’t use the one in your kitchen! The coatings that do not require baking can be installed in a few hours. They are sold in 6-ounce containers that will allow you to coat a set of headers and even some of your piping, if you apply the coating right.

You can find more info at www.techlinecoatings.com


Tech Line has many different coating options to match the coating with your paint theme.

If you are reading this post and wondering how you can do more than just coat your own headers, you are in luck. Tech Line has developed a program with Texas A&M that gives someone the chance to become a trained applicator of Tech Line’s performance coatings. The partnership is offered in your choice of six different, three-day training courses. You will learn everything from product selection to mixing and preparation before coating. The best part is that you never have to leave your shop to complete the course; samples are sent to you and then after you complete the coating work, simply send them back to be reviewed and tested for quality. If you pass, then your certification is good for two years.

For more info on this program send an email to Dr. David Anderson at iet@tamu-commerce.edu

[Tom@LSXTV]

Building an engine requires many small parts that come together to make one big thing – one of those is gaskets. Cometic Gasket’s new Street Pro kits make it easy to get all the gaskets you need for your engine build from a one-stop shop. Available in both top and bottom end kits for many different applications. Check out everything these kits come with below.

Street Pro Top End kit:

• MLS head gasket
• Intake gasket with manifold end seals
• Exhaust manifold gasket
• EGR gasket (if needed)
• Valve cover gasket
• Distributor gasket
• Carburetor gasket
• Air cleaner gaskets
• Thermostat housing gasket
• Intake and exhaust valve
• Throttle body gaskets (as needed)

Street Pro Bottom End kit:

• Oil pan set
• Timing cover gasket(s) and seal
• Rear main seal
• Water pump mounting gasket
• Fuel pump mounting gaskets (as needed)

For more info on these kits visit www.cometic.com

[mark@lsxtv]

AEM’s New Engine Position Module

AEM just came out with a solution for eliminating a distributor on early-model Ford and Chevy engines with AEM's Engine Position Module. The EPM also allows for the use of coil-on-plug or wasted-spark ignition systems. One of the advantages includes immediate signal generation regardless of engine speed by using dual zero-speed optical sensors. The EPM adapts to most cams and distributor drives and can be used with almost any aftermarket engine management system.

Some of the coolest features include:
• Easy installation due to the very simple four-wire connection
• Manufactured from 6061 T-6 Aluminum
• Constant output signal amplitude and waveform at any RPM
• 24-tooth crank/1 tooth cam pattern
• Shock absorbing elastomer drive system

AEM’s Engine Position Modules are available for:
• All Ford 289 & 302 Small Blocks
• All Ford 351 Windsor Small Blocks
• All Ford 5.0L Small Blocks with EFI from 1986-1993
• All Chevy Small Blocks & Big Blocks with Distributors



Filter Minder Gauge by AEM

Ever go to replace your air filter and you find a horribly dirty filter that should have been replaced months earlier? Well, now AEM has a solution to allow you to monitor the performance of your air filter and know exactly when it is time for a new filter. It’s called the Filter Minder Gauge and it detects when a drop in vacuum pressure exceeds the spring rate, indicating that your filter is ready to be replaced. AEM has parts available for most cars and light trucks as well as high performance and off-road applications.

AEM Releases a New Analog Gauge-Type Wideband UEGO Controller

If you want to monitor your air/fuel ratio but you can’t quite afford a digital gauge, AEM has a great new product for you – their new Analog Gauge-Type Wideband UEGO Controller. It features advanced sensor control with differential analog output and like the digital version, it does not require a laptop for monitoring. One of the features unique to the analog version includes, two status lights with user-selectable backlighting that is infinitely adjustable in color

Check out these new gauges on www.aempower.com