Here are some photos I grabbed at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading PA during the NHRA Nationals in October. Since we all drive relatively underpowered cars, you might want to look at what it takes to develop 1200HP per cylinder. In the first photo, notice the fuel rail under the valve cover to deliver additional fuel through two more injectors for each cylinder. Next, notice the ballistic blanket on the supercharger in case of a blower explosion. The 5 clutch discs are hot enough to cook a meal on after just a 4-second run. Last, the pressure plate which engages the clutch through centrifugal force.

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'83 300D, 126K miles.

Last, the business end of a cylinder head. The heads and block are machined from a solid aluminum billet. Each run burns about 6 gallons of nitromethane in less than 4 seconds. If you've never attended one of these events, it's definitely something you should do.

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'83 300D, 126K miles.

1200HP per cylinder !!!!
Time to trot out the old Marmon V16

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1982 300SD " Wotan" ..On the road as of Jan 8, 2007 with Historic Tags

I agree, if you've never experienced it live you don't know what you are missing.

If I am not mistaken there is no water type engine coolant system on top fuel engines.

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Jim

Love that classic hemi head with two valves!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

You are correct, the engines run dry. I suppose the latent head absorbed by 6 gallons of fuel helps to cool them, and the heat load lasts for less than 4 seconds. Then they're disassembled and rebuilt in 45 minutes. At least at Maple Grove, you can tour the pit area and watch all the crews at work.

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'83 300D, 126K miles.

And , fuel cars don't run a transmission, the clutch comes on in stages slipping all the way down track with motor at near constant RPM.

The slicks have tons of tangential spring causing effective radius to shrink at the start. At speed the tire grows in diameter. So, the tire becomes a CVT.

Two spark plugs per cylinder also. Life expectancy of the engine, or at least the bearings, is quite short. Even if the engine is turning 9000 or 10,000 rpm, in a 4 second run it has only turned 600-700 revolutions. Of course the car has to do a burnout and stage, so it turns some more revolutions, but it's not many! Dunno how often the bearings are changed.

Contrast this to a medium speed diesel which might get 50,000 hours on a set of main bearings, running at ~720 RPM, total of 2,160,000,000 revolutions....

Rgds,
Chris W.
'95 E300D.

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Objects in closer are mirror than they appear.