The 44 amps that the mags develop is NOT SENT TO THE PLUGS, it's the primary current generated. The ignition coil they use develops approximately 50k volts and over one amp to the plugs....On the clutch, the engagement is controlled by a "cannon", which is pneumatically controlled to allow the clutch fingers to apply in stages. There isn't enough traction to allow full clutch engagement so it's allowed to slip during the first part of the run, and is very carefully controlled to help manage the power and get the car down the track. The fuel system has more than one injector as well. There is usually 8-10 injectors in the hat on top of the blower, 1-2 in the intake port of the blower manifold, and another injector or two in the head directly above the intake valve. The actual design of these engines hasn't changed since the Chrysler Hemi was first introduced, it's only been refined to make and live under the power it develops with these combos. They are rules limited to 500 cubic inches, and also rpm limited now as well. Two spark plugs are used simply because one will not light the mixture. It's very common for them to lose a cylinder because the plugs failed. Just watch for liquid fuel coming out the exhaust....and the car will push to the direction of the side of the car that the cylinder isn't firing. The exhaust actually develops about another 7500 lbs of down force to help hold the car to the track, and the zoomies are angled to maximize that. They were putting more angle on them to help the car accelerate as well, but the NHRA limited the angles of the pipes to stop this....there is a lot more to these cars than most realize....
I think it's similar power. An arc welder uses low voltage and high amps. The ignition system uses high voltage and low amps. Both devices convert from one to the other with coils. It's the amps that actually melt the steal when you're welding.
I believe the 90% nitro isn't the optimum amount, its what the NHRA mandate as the maximum allowed nitro percentage . Back in the day 98% nitro was the percentage of choice.
As regards the " transmission " as the speed increases so do the centrifugal forces on the rear slicks, they grow in size and get narrower, this " acts' as a gear as it changes the ratio and allows a higher top speed.
Its interesting how these guys put videos together on a subject people love, with misinformation to get many comments, which tells youtube its interesting, so youtube recommends it to more people, and more people comment about it. Pretty common theme these days. Simple to do with AI able to write scripts, even voice it.
Top fuel dragster’s use this particular engine “formula” is because that’s the rules, if there wasn’t any rules I guarantee you these engines would be beyond insane
If there were no rules, basically all drag racing would be rotary. Piston engines can't even compete with their power density unless you start using weird sh*t like extremely over-square elliptical pistons that rev to 25k+ RPM but if you're dumping that much money into development making the ultimate rotary is a better choice, still. By rotary however, I don't mean just the Wankel, the Liquid-piston thingy would probably be up there too as it doesn't have the horrible apex-seal BS, I know apex seals have been improved a lot but @ ridiculous RPM & pressure they'd still be horrible. But thanks to all rotaries being black-balled due to superiority in power density we'll probably never even see liquid-piston being utilized in racing :( Such a shame! Liquid-piston engine could probably reach turbo / centrifugal supercharger -levels of RPM!!!
@@bo-dine7971if there were no rules in professional drag racing it would be all rocket cars. No internal combustion engine has matched the power output of a hydrogen peroxide rocket on the drag strip. Slammin’ Sammy (Sam Miller) ran over 400 mph in the 1/4 mile in the early 1980’s in a hydrogen peroxide rocket powered funny car. The speed record is unofficial however due to the regulations against rocket cars. Why didn’t his tires blow up? They weren’t directly driven. Nobody has been faster or quicker in the 1/4 mile since. (42 years) Rotary remains a minority for a reason. There is no motorsport it can dominate, it’s there as an alternative at best.
True. It's kinda like a clap of thunder that lasts for three seconds. And you can feel the concussion in your chest every time a cylinder fires too. Cool!
only one thing comes close, launching 8 inch mortar firework shells or being at a space shuttle launch... i have done all 3 and then some and those are the top most insane crap your pants moments, that and being almost directly under (in a boat) Niagra falls.
This isn't from an expert. Eg. top fuel dragsters use a LOW compression ratio. That's done because the supercharger is overdriven giving high boost, so the actual compressing pressure is at it's upper limit, with maximum amount of fuel mixture packed into the cylinders.
@@malcolmwhite6588 forced induction forces a fuel air charge into the cylinder under pressure which is then pressurized more by the engine's static compression ratio which is why they need 6:1 since the superchargers are already cramming nitro and air into the cylinder at such high pressures. And then an engine's dynamic compression ratio may be less than its static (6:1 for example in top fuel) depending on how late the intake valve closes IVC which leaving the intake valve open during the compression stroke allows some of that compression to bleed off and not pre-detonate the air fuel charge.
It seems that people who made comments know more about nitro burning Hemi engines than stated by the narrator. Comments about misinformation are correct. I'm no expert but even I noticed errors before reading the comments left by others.
For example these engines have a low compression ratio, 6:1. The narrator says they have a high compression ratio, which is false. The engine has an overdriven supercharger so the compression ratio has to be low. The pressure in the cylinders would be too high.
I've heard that if a top fuel dragster was idling at the end of turn 4 at the Indianapolis 500 track, and an Indy car came by at 220 mph, the dragster could launch as it passed from a dead stop and beat the Indy car to the quarter mile mark. Now THAT'S some acceleration....😬🤯
@@Springbonnie150 LOL. The 220 mph figure I threw out there is roughly their average lap speed, to the best of my knowledge (unfortunately the dragster wouldn't fare too well once he got to turn 1 - the Indy car would definitely win that battle!)😉
From what I've read, several points were missed. One advantage of the dual valve HEMI head is the huge airflow it allows. Another advantage of dual plugs is the rearmost plug helps ignite the fuel mixture during the high G loads that push the fuel to the back of the cylinders. One other topic completely missed is the supercharger, belt driven and needed to force the massive amount of air/fuel mixture into the cylinders. It takes 500HP just to drive the supercharger itself. The whole engine is surrounded by explosion blankets to help prevent shrapnel if one goes boom during a run. Lastly the tires on the prepped surface stick so well the torque literally rips the tire off the surface, twisting the rim as it goes down the track at 5 G's acceleration. Now put 4 of the dragsters side by side at the Charlotte 4 Wide Nationals and you have a 50,000HP fast moving earthquake watching from the stands! A most incredible experience.
The cross-plan crank makes the engine smoother, it doesn't increase performance. It's used because a flat plan crank has inherent secondary inballance(pistons move faster on the top half of each stroke, than bottom half), as with a 4-cylinder engine. It maybe necessary at this level of power and torque. A flat plan crank, saves weight, but has more vibrations.
Another benefit of a flat-plane crank on a v8 is that it's easier to tune the exhaust system, (no crossover pipe required.) Obviously this is not applicable if the exhaust headers don't feed into a collector, but instead point straight-up for down-force and there's a potent supercharger feeding into the engine.
You will never see a flat plane crank in one of these engines, or engines of very high output (2000+hp) due to those imbalance issues....the harmonics alone would destroy these engines in seconds.
No tuned exhaust on these. Exhaust is there to provide downforce to the car and allow as much burning gasses to escape as possible during the exhaust stroke...@@richard0crewe
I wonder why TF hasn’t made V12s yet. They don’t require counterweights or balancing shafts (and therefore can rev way higher), they produce more horsepower with the same per-cylinder displacement, and price isn’t really a factor since TF engines already cost a lot and can only do 1 run. The V8s currently in use are fully built custom motors that share nothing with any street engine, so aftermarket support really isn’t a factor for Top Fuel. A DOHC 12L V12 making 13k hp should be good for several runs, given that the current crop of 8.6L pushrod V8s can last about 5 seconds.
@@joshmonroe2562 Yes it is, it gives the mixture as much opportunity to ignite when the piston is in the optimal position, rather than the cylinder go " out" and just pump raw fuel out the header, each cylinder is producing some 800bhp and a shit ton of down force, so anything the builders can do to encourage a spark is what they do.
FYI - For one season about 15-20 years ago one team ran 3 magnetos / 3 plugs per cylinder and ran away from the other teams; the NHRA made a rule change in the off-season ending that practice.
Whatcha want to know about it? GMC Roots-style based, designated 14-71 (those numbers indicate the number of cylinders and cubic inches per cylinder it's designed to feed, back when they were developed for diesel applications). Spun at 50% overdrive and set back about 6 inches in order to equalize the distribution of the boosted air, it provides boost on the order of 65 psi, or about 4 1/2 atmospheres. Cost is somewhere in the $20,000 range not counting the drive unit, injector hat, etc. The power gain is stunning. NHRA runs a nitro dragster class minus the superchargers that develop 4-4500hp compared to 11,000 for the supercharged versions of what is otherwise a quite similar Hemi engine. Oh, and did I mention - engines with these giant superchargers are L..O..U..D !!
I've been told by an ex nitro engine mechanic that with a 4 valve head he severely doubted that the wall between the two exhaust valves wouldn't melt from the heat.
There was actually a quad cam 4-valve engine used in Australian Top Fuel a few decades ago but I believe the rules disallowed it once it started becoming competitive.
@@sharkskinboy McGee Quad Cam; it was kinda-sorta competitive. Expensive to build, run and maintain and at the time it was competing, NHRA was beginning its quest to standardize everything and basically stifle ingenuity and imagination in the PRO classes. What a shame; there was some really cool combinations back in the day.
For the ones that dont know. This engine design started in 1964 . It is the only piston engine design ever to run a sub 4 second run in the 1320. It has been and always will be the king of the 1320. Long live the Chrysler Hemi and its arcutecture design .
@@spolo123 Probably for multiple reasons including to reduce fuming, reduce heatsoak, and to help cool the engine. These engines have no coolant, so the fuel is used to cool the engines. I'm sure it has something to do with density of the fuel spray as well, but I don't know for sure.
Another thing not taken into consideration is R.P.M. ..... although it mite be a 7,000 R.P.M. engine, they are not even turning 750 Revolutions thru the whole process from start-up to shutdown !! Amazing !! 🤔
That's interesting. When I was watching the video, I was thinking "boy, that ignition system seems similar to a Cessna engine...2 magnetos and a pair of spark plugs per cylinder." There was even an experimental diesel cycle light aircraft engine about 15 years ago but I'm not sure what became of that.
Does everything have to be political ? what end does this serve?, besides virtue signaling to other complainers. ? most people would leave political interjection for when politics or the national economy actually is the topic, because it's not relaxing, nor something to be approached lightly. which is quite different from checking out engines for fun..
Relax, Politics is part of life. If you wanna keep your head in the sand that's on you. Not all political conversations and jokes are bad. Soon these will be banned so speak up.
If you take some time to search you'll find the rules where put in place for a reason. A few explosions that took place with the ohc experiment actually hurt some people. Nit to mention the ease of service between rounds.
Even though it is probably better for top fuel cars, seeing as they need to be rebuilt after every run. Overhead cams would require timing chains or belts, which I'm sure cannot be made durable enough to stand up to the forces in an engine like this. I'm somewhat surprised pushrods can do it.
@@Joshcheyka Irrelevant in a Top Fuel application, where RPM is limited to around 8000. OHC wouldn't add a thing except a bunch more work and expense. TF cars can't handle the power they have now until about 500 feet out when the clutch timers lock 1:1. F1 applications where you're looking at 20,000 rpm, of course.
Cylinder compression is probably 6:1. But, when you factor in the blower... That blower uses more power, than in any car you've ever been in, can create. steve
There's an reverser unit installed directly behind the clutch assembly. It either directs energy straight through to the tailshaft or if the lever-operated cable is pulled, directs the energy through a sun gear which turns the tailshaft backwards. "Neutral" is accomplished by depressing the clutch pedal, disengaging the 5-discs (or six) from the rest of the clutch assembly. That quite complex clutch is the key to a successful Top Fuel run - if not set properly and operating properly it makes no difference what's sitting in front of it.
The record is now over 341.68 mph. If there weren’t gearing limits to limit top speed we would regularly see 340-350 mph. 300 mph has already been done in the 1/8 mile.
Maybe .. maybe not. From what I've read in a few articles from crew chiefs, the engine is bogged down below redline by the time the car has reached the 1000 foot mark. If they aren't at redline with current gearing at that point, then taller gearing won't bump MPH up any. A 340 mph headwind made worse by aero for downforce is some serious drag ..
@@xenuno I'm not sure about that, either. One unique characteristic of a nitro-fueled engine is they pull harder under load, hence the reason for the mandated 3.20 gearing. "Redline"....actually a timing-retard device that kicks in at 7900rpm....wouldn't come into play if the car had, say, 2.80 gearing and who knows what speed it might attain since nobody's tried. My God; I believe 340 is fast enough...beyond that, you're in a serious danger zone for lots of reasons.
And a fresh engine lasts 1000 feet. Then has to be torn down and rebuilt. Along with the clutch pack. And teams usually only have a couple of hours to do this.
It is interesting that as the tires spin and expand in circumference, it can be figured into the gear ratios. It can gain up to one extra gear ratio. Less shifting. Depends on the category. Also they do not race for a 1/4 mile anymore. It is 1,000 yards now. The speeds were getting to be more than the tracks and dragsters could slow down safely. Among other issues of getting airborne !
These engines only use the spark plugs as ignition for a short time. Once the engine is at 100% the plugs have melted into nothing more than a glow plug. The plugs are specifically designed to do this.
They are not "specifically designed to do this"....the plugs melt due to the heat of combustion, and for no other reason. They use nothing more than a standard spark plug.
Glad I found this video. I had no idea these engines could run without functioning spark plugs or that fuel was injected at quantities approaching hydraulic lock!
@ccrider8483 they run so rich and dilute the oil so bad when they have a small failure with enough oil getting into to the cylinder that they'll runaway off the oil until it dies. Bad part is its already dieseling because the plugs are shot, and typically the engines cut off by just cutting the fuel, but now the oil is the fuel lol. There's a video of a white funny car in the early 90s (maybe earlier) at the big end they had to spray with co2 or something to kill the engine before it blew apart.
Well, you know, the quality of this clip is just plain awful, man. AI voice, aspects of burning and compressing the mix are just brushed aside, typical superficial stuff, you know?
Many have still not realized that it's not only narrated by AI, it's actually content the AI has scoured the net for, compiled, edited, created graphics for, scripted, and Then narrated. So it's a total gamble if ANY of it is accurate, as evidenced here. Total garbage in other words. It's computers trying to emulate human thought. Personally I'm not impressed. Turn off the power and delete the program.
What is the writer smoking. These engines dont have a high compression ratio, The compression ratio is around like 6.5:1, it varies a bit cyl to cyl as they tune the engine by compression ratio to keep the outer 4 cyl from leaning out
You should go into detail on the blower (screw compressor) configuration. There is very little mention of it in the video. It’s a key component of how the engine can generate the power that it does.
Look up towards the top of this thread; I provided detailed information about the superchargers. For what it's worth, the ones used in Top Fuel aren't screw compressors; they're not allowed. Roots-type 14-71 impeller units only. Screws are allowed in the supercharged Top Alcohol Dragster classes and Pro Modified.
Can someone clarify the fuel consumption.. 20 gal in a 1/4, which is done in under 4 sec?? Thats 300gpm, just cant see a pump big enough to supply that demand. Just wondering though, seems high but i can imagine they need a crap ton on fuel to make that power
Did you not see the fuel pump demonstration that was shown twice that was feeding just one cylinder? It went from a heavy flow to an open fire hydrant for about 4 seconds before shutting off. They have to carry enough to start the car, do the burnout, reverse back to beyond the starting line then idle up to just before the first bulb is lit on the tree then the crew chief look over to the crew chief in the other lane to see if he’s ready he will activate the tune-up for that run the driver will stage the car by lighting the two bulbs on the tree in his lane the other driver does the same and less than 4 seconds those two cars will have burned up 40 gallons of very expensive nitromethane.
20 gallons include starting the car, the burnout (when the fuel system is set "fat"), the backup, idling time during the staging process, the pass itself and a few gallons in reserve. You do NOT want to run one of these engines out of fuel at full throttle !
Some else he got wrong they don't use a wet sump oil system but a dry sump meaning no oil is stored in the oil pan but a tank on board as the oil is pump through the engine it is pump back out out by several pumps back to the oil tank there are several reasons for this just Google it
@michaelnieman6218.... REALLY?!!??.... You better tell the T/F teams, that they've been putting oil down the wrong hole and in the wrong place, all these years!! Dry Sump systems are mandatory in F/C, only because the engine sits so low in the chassis, that there is no room for an oil pan. In T/F, Dry Sump systems are strictly a "choice".... they are Not mandatory.... and though a few teams did "experiment with them, back in the early 2000's.... None of them are running dry sumps "today". For one thing, they're (dry) a PIA to evacuate the system and refill with fresh oil, they also add unnecessary complexity, expense and weight. Part of the reason some teams experimented with them, was... because of "oil downs" on NHRA National Event tracks... but, those large "puke cans" you see mounted between & just forward of the slicks on "fuelers", with the two hoses going to it... solved that issue... for the most part. If the engine "grenades" at some point on the track.... it really won't matter What kind of oiling system you had.
Fuel cars are limited to the rule book, but as a person who worked in this field when i was younger - its not the engine that is the limited factor, but the safety Safari and fans preventing disaster. fuel cars havent run 1320 feet in a long time, and are limited to 1000 feet. Go spend your weekends at a pro track, and you will soon discover that physics is govering force. tires, air(wind) clutch-slip,and the drivers ability to feather the pedal. The engine itself is capable of more power, but how could it ever be used. In turn, teams and rules are adjusted, so they smoke every motor with a single pass. Take John Force for Example, because what makes him a top teir driver isnt the ability to just floor it when it turns green, but he actualy feels the edge of grip/failure and feathers/rolls the pedal as traction grows. one fact that no one has mentioned in any of these videos, is the sound level of fuel cars. google this, but dig into the results. No one has actually confirmed the ACTUAL sound level of a FUEL car. (its close) Depending on location of measurement, (mid track,60ft,100ft,etc..) its been reported WELL OVER 150dB.
Weather it's from a top fuel dragster or a funny car or even a blown hydro it is a Masterpiece of speed and technology.. Gasoline is for washing parts, Alcohol is for drinking and Nitromethane is for racing. Great video.
Many people dont know that those engines end up melting half the spark plugs but the heat from the melted plug is enough to keep ignition going so the power doesn't drop much at all. And another reason they have to rebuild the engine after every run. Because its basically murdering itself during every run
Fun fact they all use Mopar hemi engines. My friend and I are currently experimenting with a 345 hemi by removing a spark plug and installing a direct secondary injector and higher pressure fuel delivery system.
@codymoe4986 I should've stated that it's a hemi Chrysler design concept. Most definitely, it's not the same thing as what's coming out of the assembly lines. They actually don't even have any cool jackets in the block or the heads. They're only drilled for oiling system.
@0:24 _"this certainly earns them the title of Earth's fastest V8 engine vehicle"_ *CORRECTION* No they do not. They are the _quickest_, they take the shortest amount of time to cover 1000 feet from a standing start. But Earth's fastest V8 powered vehicle is The Speed Demon, a land speed streamliner with a 555 cid twin-turbo Chevy big block. The fastest a Top Fuel dragster ever went was 338.48 mph, by Brittany Force in 2022. The officially recorded (meaning a 2-run average of a flying mile) land speed record by The Speed Demon sits at 470 mph (470.016 in fact) set in 2020. The top speed, or exit speed, was recorded at 481.576 mph even!
@@cleverusernamecl5532 Really? Ask any drag racer about this... At the drag strip you can be the quickest, but not the fastest. Likewise, you can be the fastest, but not the quickest. The driver who is the quickest (shortest time to cover the 1000 ft) wins. Exit speed is not deciding. But if V8 piston powered land speed racers hit 400+ mph, compared to 338 mph for the fastest ever recorded drag car, then these blown top fuel dragsters are not the fastest racers out there.
@@billymanilli the only thing I mentioned that might not get replaced every run is the supercharger if it is still perfect. Rods, pistons and heads replaced after every run, absolutely
@@Dan-ez6dr HEADS?... Complete cylinder heads? replaced after every run? as in get rid of the ones that were run and replace with brand new? Is that what you're saying? If so: I'll respectively say that you might want to look into that one a little better. Things don't just get thrown away and replaced for the heck of it... it all costs a LOT of money. Even the rods will go back into the motor if they still check out ok... Each time the engine is run down the track, it "squishes" the rods a bit, and they end up being a thou (or a few) shorter than they were previously. They save these for reuse. In fact, one team I saw in the pits a few years back (forget who it was) had a whole top drawer full of used rods. They had all of them organized by length, and they'd be used to "mix and match" to get the piston to deck clearance they're looking for in each hole. I only know that from talking to the guy that was literally doing it.
The engine also uses some outdated tech which is required by the association governing the competition, eg. single cam with pushrods, roots rather than screw blower. I'm pretty sure that is done to prevent power and speeds getting too high for the cars to handle.
It is far from outdated tech. There are advacements in meterals all the time that are being employed to make the engines faster and stronger. Top Fuel cars don't race the 1/4 mile like a lot of other. They run 1000 feet instead of 1320 feet. That is because they are trying to limit the speed and have plenty of shutdown area for the cars. But the car owners and teams are still trying to squeeze every last bit of power out of this engine as they can while being safe about it.
The basic design is dated, yes, but these are far from low tech. The engines make approx 12,000hp, which is easily more than they can handle, so a run consists of power management. The car with the best setup wins. They shortened the track to 1000' for top fuel for safety as the cars were getting stupid fast but were eating parts like crazy. They have already eclipsed the mph records they set in the 1/4 mile now in 1000' and the crew chiefs have said the shorter tracks allow them to push the cars harder than before with less damage to parts. They are also rpm limited now to try and keep the speeds down, but the crew chiefs have figured out ways around that as well in their tuning. They used to turn more than 10,000rpm....I think they are limited to 8500 now.
@@markgoulette5056 You are right! In 1997 the record holder Joe Amato's Top Fuel dragster produced about 8,000HP and was capable of 4.51s run hitting 326 mph on the full quarter mile. 0-60 was about 0.8s while 0-100 was 1s. That time they started with 4g of acceleration which start to fall behind after the 2nd second passed by and by the end of the 1/4mi dropped to about 2-2.5g. Today's cars starts at 5-5.5g and at the end of the 1000' still maintain the 3.5-4g of acceleration when the parachutes deploy and generates a 2.5g deceleration. There's a 6g force transfer! That's the reason how they topped the top speed by 10mph even though the distance has been shortened by 1/4 of it. The sanctioning body (NHRA) made the decision in 2008 to reduce the racing distance for safety reasons, and because the last 330' does not add to much to the show, nor for the spectators nor for the participants, however it was quite common that the engine ran on 4-5 cylinders only at the end of the 1/4 mile, so the teams were quite happy about it as those engine failures happened over the last 2-300'. And they keep evolving as less than a decade ago the engine power laid around 11,000 HP. Since then there's a 1,000 HP gain. In the engine design there's no freedom at all. Even the valve angles are regulated so actually everybody uses the same engine (by design) because all the principles and the measures are set in the rule book.
In addition to some of the info (correct or not) the HP rating on these things is an estimation because there is no dyno available to run a test. As I understand, the TF dragster is on and off so quickly and the HP is so high there simply just isn't enough time and capacity to run a test. I believe they run a formula and extrapolate data based on vehicle weight MPH, distance and time to come about an HP and torque calculation. IDK the numbers off the top of my head anymore but its interesting to study the differences in thermal units of gas vs Nitro as well as the differences in total volume of fuel packed into the chamber in order to see how they get so much power out of the engine. Nitro has a lower energy rating than gas but having its own oxygen in the nitro part of the fuel composition has its advantages. As a joke, I tell friends when a discussion comes up that there is a half gallon of fuel in each cylinder on ignition.
There is no dyno available because there is no dyno CAPABLE of handling that kind of power..... Most railroad LOCOMOTIVES top out around 5-6000 HP..... One of these things puts out MORE POWER than ALL 8 engines on 2 747's PUT TOGETHER.
@@normmcrae1140 Huh? A CF6-50 engine puts out around 50,000 lbs of thrust. There's no simple equation to figure out HP from thrust because its comparing apples to oranges but at about 500 MPH 1 lb of thrust is about 1 HP. How do you think jet cars can do 300 MPH in the 1/4 mile with a Pratt & Whitney J60 that only puts out 3,300 lbs of thrust if it takes more than 8 CF6-50 to equal the power of a nitro TF car?
@@normmcrae1140 I'm not sure about that. A 747 weighs around 970,000 lbs and a TF car is 2,320. F=MA so the dragster has to accelerate 418 times faster. A 747 does 0-60 in 15 seconds and a dragster is 0.8 seconds. Unless I'm missing something the plane still wins.
They use 5 discs and six floaters. Two plugs per cylinder...each one fired by one of the mags....The timing for the mags is different for each one as well. I did not say 500 mm crank.....I said 500 cubic inch engine displacement...@@Latuya-y1n
Do you mean direct as in the engine speed/blower speed ratio? It's limited to 1.50 to 1, meaning the blower turns 12K. Before they took Denver off the circuit, NHRA allowed no-limit overdrive there.
Cross plane crankshaft is mainly so no more than one piston stops at any given time, which means that all combustion timing is spread out equally. Like my Yamaha 😅
Flat cranks and cross plane cranks both have firing intervals of 90 deg. Flat cranks fire LRLRLRLR while cross planes fire LLRLRRLR hence the glug glug glug sound of a stock engine when idling.
Other than mentioning the air intake needed for the 10% ethanol mixture, this video completely missed discussing that 5+ liter motor-driven air intake system. Would love to see another video discussing this critical component of the system. For example, if 90% of the fuel carries its own oxygen, why does the engine need such a massive super charger that saps power from the engine for the remaining 10% methanol?
88 Amps at 50,000 KV? That ain't right. That would be 4.4 MW of power albeit in a very brief pulse. Still not possible without huge capacitor banks for storage. This is just one of other problems in this vid. The trouble with AI.
Each mag provides 44 amps of primary current, not 44 amps to the plugs....the actual output to the plugs is about 50k volts, a little over one amp, and about 1200mj of energy. There is no direct relation of milijoules to amps...
Back in the 80's (I think it was) there was a top fuel guy who asked an engineer at NASA "how can we run sub 5 second passes" and he was told it wasn't actually possible. Now they're running sub 4 seconds!!
There is NOTHING that runs like top fuel . Rails, funnies, and boats . Just when I thought I knew precisely every aspect of top fuel after 55 years of being there(and three things stated in this article were incorrect) one aspect I question is torque ? I’ve been told by a few crew chiefs that the torque was 8500, not 11,000 as stated ? Something to confirm at Charlotte, Norwalk, or Brainard this year !
1Blackman82,,,,, While Bob did run 341.68 mph during qualifying at Bradenton in Feb. (9th) for the "Pro Superstar Shootout"..... it is & was Not a "recognized" Official Nat'l Record, because it was Not at an NHRA (or even IHRA, or WRA) Sanctioned National Event. Robert Hight (John Force Racing team & John's son in-law) still owns Both ends of the Official NHRA F/C records (3.793 et. at 339.87 mph) set back in 2017, Aug. & July respectively.
BS! How many amps does it take to weld 3/4" steel plate? Any welder knows the rule of thumb, at least for stick is 1 amp per 1 thousandth.....that is 750 amps. My tig/stick welder tops out at 460 amps but even then the only process that might be used is robotic sub arc. Most weld beads aren't much more than even half an inch on heavy equipment, which is probably dual shield. Heavy welds are done in multiple passes. The video claimed 44 amps from the coils, but didn't specify what voltage it was at, so the power is unknown without searching for it. 44*8=352 amps. That is a lot, but I would be extremely surprised to hear of a 3/4" single pass with that little amperage. Yes, I have heard that when the spark goes out on a cylinder that they can easily break rods. Clay McMillan has a good youtube channel covering his runs in a top fuel car as well as the intricate details of the tear down and damage from what goes wrong.
You're still missing additional info such as the axle and gear ratio if any. And ending the explanation on how they use the large tires to change overall shaft to wheel ratio when they start their run by becoming taller.
They are running 2.73:1 rear gears as mandated by the rules. The tires are also high growth slicks, with a base diameter of 37". The tires are also mandated by the rules
And that ladies and gentlemen is why you shouldn't mess with Americans,I mean we build this stuff for fun, you really don't want to see what we could throw together if we were pissed. Lol, great video
I'm not so sure about the 'fun' part...it's more about chasing down and acquiring sponsor's cash, and having enough parts to finish the season. Rare to see ANYONE smiling in the pits these days.
The versions in funny cars are. There's less room for conventional deep pans. Most dragsters use wet sumps since they're simpler and clearance isn't a problem. You'll see if you watch them rebuild an engine in the pits.
Nobody mentioned the fact that the engine needs to be completely disassembled and rebuilt after each run nor was it mentioned that the clutches undergo such forces that the clutch pack friction welds itself together the majority of the time and has to be replaced after each run.
Surprisingly, not much different. By 8-900 feet most of the acceleration is over with and 5 G's is down to 2 or 3 tenths of a G. 10mph maybe, at most. Why? Blame it on massive aero drag at those speeds that even 11,000 horses struggle to overcome.
I wish they weren’t limited to 500ci. Open this up, wider tires, let these guys really push the engines well above 11,000HP and go a full quarter mile. Now that would be insane to watch!
@lsc2001 They can't because absolutely zero race tracks could handle it. The whole reason for the track length being shortened to 1000 ft was 1, slow them down, and 2 allow them to stop. Would it be cool to see? Hell yes it would. I don't think those engines could handle going a 1/2 mile.
The 44 amps that the mags develop is NOT SENT TO THE PLUGS, it's the primary current generated. The ignition coil they use develops approximately 50k volts and over one amp to the plugs....On the clutch, the engagement is controlled by a "cannon", which is pneumatically controlled to allow the clutch fingers to apply in stages. There isn't enough traction to allow full clutch engagement so it's allowed to slip during the first part of the run, and is very carefully controlled to help manage the power and get the car down the track. The fuel system has more than one injector as well. There is usually 8-10 injectors in the hat on top of the blower, 1-2 in the intake port of the blower manifold, and another injector or two in the head directly above the intake valve. The actual design of these engines hasn't changed since the Chrysler Hemi was first introduced, it's only been refined to make and live under the power it develops with these combos. They are rules limited to 500 cubic inches, and also rpm limited now as well. Two spark plugs are used simply because one will not light the mixture. It's very common for them to lose a cylinder because the plugs failed. Just watch for liquid fuel coming out the exhaust....and the car will push to the direction of the side of the car that the cylinder isn't firing. The exhaust actually develops about another 7500 lbs of down force to help hold the car to the track, and the zoomies are angled to maximize that. They were putting more angle on them to help the car accelerate as well, but the NHRA limited the angles of the pipes to stop this....there is a lot more to these cars than most realize....
I think it's similar power. An arc welder uses low voltage and high amps. The ignition system uses high voltage and low amps. Both devices convert from one to the other with coils. It's the amps that actually melt the steal when you're welding.
I believe the 90% nitro isn't the optimum amount, its what the NHRA mandate as the maximum allowed nitro percentage .
Back in the day 98% nitro was the percentage of choice.
As regards the " transmission " as the speed increases so do the centrifugal forces on the rear slicks, they grow in size and get narrower, this " acts' as a gear as it changes the ratio and allows a higher top speed.
Its interesting how these guys put videos together on a subject people love, with misinformation to get many comments, which tells youtube its interesting, so youtube recommends it to more people, and more people comment about it. Pretty common theme these days. Simple to do with AI able to write scripts, even voice it.
@@umakemerandy3669True, but still a pretty good video overall.
Top fuel dragster’s use this particular engine “formula” is because that’s the rules, if there wasn’t any rules I guarantee you these engines would be beyond insane
No prep cars lol
If there were no rules, basically all drag racing would be rotary. Piston engines can't even compete with their power density unless you start using weird sh*t like extremely over-square elliptical pistons that rev to 25k+ RPM but if you're dumping that much money into development making the ultimate rotary is a better choice, still.
By rotary however, I don't mean just the Wankel, the Liquid-piston thingy would probably be up there too as it doesn't have the horrible apex-seal BS, I know apex seals have been improved a lot but @ ridiculous RPM & pressure they'd still be horrible. But thanks to all rotaries being black-balled due to superiority in power density we'll probably never even see liquid-piston being utilized in racing :( Such a shame! Liquid-piston engine could probably reach turbo / centrifugal supercharger -levels of RPM!!!
@@bo-dine7971if there were no rules in professional drag racing it would be all rocket cars. No internal combustion engine has matched the power output of a hydrogen peroxide rocket on the drag strip. Slammin’ Sammy (Sam Miller) ran over 400 mph in the 1/4 mile in the early 1980’s in a hydrogen peroxide rocket powered funny car. The speed record is unofficial however due to the regulations against rocket cars. Why didn’t his tires blow up? They weren’t directly driven.
Nobody has been faster or quicker in the 1/4 mile since. (42 years) Rotary remains a minority for a reason. There is no motorsport it can dominate, it’s there as an alternative at best.
@@Luxo087that was close to hilarious. Drag racers could care less about rockets/jets. They have a place, but not at a drag strip.
Rocket engines are significantly faster only because there is no drivetrain for friction or power loss.
Although that’s not really a fair comparison.
There is nothing else like feeling these machines in person!
True. It's kinda like a clap of thunder that lasts for three seconds. And you can feel the concussion in your chest every time a cylinder fires too. Cool!
only one thing comes close, launching 8 inch mortar firework shells or being at a space shuttle launch... i have done all 3 and then some and those are the top most insane crap your pants moments, that and being almost directly under (in a boat) Niagra falls.
@@steveleisner6029 sounds like sex with my first wife😂
Absolutely 💯
Bring earplugs and get up close.
This isn't from an expert. Eg. top fuel dragsters use a LOW compression ratio. That's done because the supercharger is overdriven giving high boost, so the actual compressing pressure is at it's upper limit, with maximum amount of fuel mixture packed into the cylinders.
Pretty sure this vid is ai generated.
yep, another BS AI narrated if not generated video of wrong information
Wow that’s clever. How is the compression rationed?
@@malcolmwhite6588 forced induction forces a fuel air charge into the cylinder under pressure which is then pressurized more by the engine's static compression ratio which is why they need 6:1 since the superchargers are already cramming nitro and air into the cylinder at such high pressures. And then an engine's dynamic compression ratio may be less than its static (6:1 for example in top fuel) depending on how late the intake valve closes IVC which leaving the intake valve open during the compression stroke allows some of that compression to bleed off and not pre-detonate the air fuel charge.
@@bloodwolf2427 fantastic answer, and also very easy to understand. Thank you so much👍😊
It seems that people who made comments know more about nitro burning Hemi engines than stated by the narrator. Comments about misinformation are correct. I'm no expert but even I noticed errors before reading the comments left by others.
For example these engines have a low compression ratio, 6:1. The narrator says they have a high compression ratio, which is false. The engine has an overdriven supercharger so the compression ratio has to be low. The pressure in the cylinders would be too high.
The narrator is a computer reading a script
The narrator is just reading it out. Not his job to get the facts right.
@@a34rwl It's not a person. This an increasingly common AI cash grab of nonsense to get the clicks.
It's an AI read and generated bunch of garbage. It's increasingly common and so far easy to identity from the first few words of spoken tone.
I’ve never heard so much misinformation in 10 minutes before.
Thanks, I was literally about to waste my time
I couldn't agree more: the LAST thing you want in a top fuel motor is HIGH static compression!!! RIDICULOUS!!!
Fact
What misinformation is the fake news putting out in this?
@@joeljenkins2876yeah they like 8-1 lot 20-1
I've heard that if a top fuel dragster was idling at the end of turn 4 at the Indianapolis 500 track, and an Indy car came by at 220 mph, the dragster could launch as it passed from a dead stop and beat the Indy car to the quarter mile mark. Now THAT'S some acceleration....😬🤯
They need to work on Indy cars a bit more then!
0-300 in a couple seconds
@@Springbonnie150 LOL. The 220 mph figure I threw out there is roughly their average lap speed, to the best of my knowledge (unfortunately the dragster wouldn't fare too well once he got to turn 1 - the Indy car would definitely win that battle!)😉
That's true. At an average speed of 220MPH a car would cover quarter of a mile in 4.1 seconds.
no it couldn't the front straight of indy is not prepped like a drag strip it would just spin the tires it would not be able to get traction.
From what I've read, several points were missed. One advantage of the dual valve HEMI head is the huge airflow it allows. Another advantage of dual plugs is the rearmost plug helps ignite the fuel mixture during the high G loads that push the fuel to the back of the cylinders. One other topic completely missed is the supercharger, belt driven and needed to force the massive amount of air/fuel mixture into the cylinders. It takes 500HP just to drive the supercharger itself. The whole engine is surrounded by explosion blankets to help prevent shrapnel if one goes boom during a run. Lastly the tires on the prepped surface stick so well the torque literally rips the tire off the surface, twisting the rim as it goes down the track at 5 G's acceleration. Now put 4 of the dragsters side by side at the Charlotte 4 Wide Nationals and you have a 50,000HP fast moving earthquake watching from the stands! A most incredible experience.
The cross-plan crank makes the engine smoother, it doesn't increase performance. It's used because a flat plan crank has inherent secondary inballance(pistons move faster on the top half of each stroke, than bottom half), as with a 4-cylinder engine.
It maybe necessary at this level of power and torque. A flat plan crank, saves weight, but has more vibrations.
Another benefit of a flat-plane crank on a v8 is that it's easier to tune the exhaust system, (no crossover pipe required.) Obviously this is not applicable if the exhaust headers don't feed into a collector, but instead point straight-up for down-force and there's a potent supercharger feeding into the engine.
You will never see a flat plane crank in one of these engines, or engines of very high output (2000+hp) due to those imbalance issues....the harmonics alone would destroy these engines in seconds.
No tuned exhaust on these. Exhaust is there to provide downforce to the car and allow as much burning gasses to escape as possible during the exhaust stroke...@@richard0crewe
Exactly 💯 as the Yamaha motorcycle with the cross plane had less power on the track, but because of that it gained traction, and won every time 🤗
I wonder why TF hasn’t made V12s yet. They don’t require counterweights or balancing shafts (and therefore can rev way higher), they produce more horsepower with the same per-cylinder displacement, and price isn’t really a factor since TF engines already cost a lot and can only do 1 run. The V8s currently in use are fully built custom motors that share nothing with any street engine, so aftermarket support really isn’t a factor for Top Fuel. A DOHC 12L V12 making 13k hp should be good for several runs, given that the current crop of 8.6L pushrod V8s can last about 5 seconds.
Twin plugs are to maximize flame spread speed with the very rich mixtures - not simply redundancy.
@@cd2920Is it relevant when the damn cylinder is borderline hydro locked!?! Lol
@@joshmonroe2562
Yes it is, it gives the mixture as much opportunity to ignite when the piston is in the optimal position, rather than the cylinder go " out" and just pump raw fuel out the header, each cylinder is producing some 800bhp and a shit ton of down force, so anything the builders can do to encourage a spark is what they do.
What BS HP and torque claims! Haha run all the.nitromethane toilet cleaner you want I’m not buying this BS!
FYI - For one season about 15-20 years ago one team ran 3 magnetos / 3 plugs per cylinder and ran away from the other teams; the NHRA made a rule change in the off-season ending that practice.
@@jlo13800 HP and torque are calculated from the acceleration achieved. 3.7 seconds to 338 MPH (544 KPH!). No dyno can do a direct measurement.
Welcome to the modern era, where anyone can make videos and claim anything to be true and nobody does anything about it. RIP Truth
why not talk about the super charger right on top of the engine?
It consumes 1000hp alone
Whatcha want to know about it? GMC Roots-style based, designated 14-71 (those numbers indicate the number of cylinders and cubic inches per cylinder it's designed to feed, back when they were developed for diesel applications). Spun at 50% overdrive and set back about 6 inches in order to equalize the distribution of the boosted air, it provides boost on the order of 65 psi, or about 4 1/2 atmospheres. Cost is somewhere in the $20,000 range not counting the drive unit, injector hat, etc. The power gain is stunning. NHRA runs a nitro dragster class minus the superchargers that develop 4-4500hp compared to 11,000 for the supercharged versions of what is otherwise a quite similar Hemi engine. Oh, and did I mention - engines with these giant superchargers are L..O..U..D !!
I've been told by an ex nitro engine mechanic that with a 4 valve head he severely doubted that the wall between the two exhaust valves wouldn't melt from the heat.
Same problem the small block Chevy's had, so they spread the 2 inner ports apart
There was actually a quad cam 4-valve engine used in Australian Top Fuel a few decades ago but I believe the rules disallowed it once it started becoming competitive.
Sainty Engineering in Sydney made a 3-valve.
@@sharkskinboy McGee Quad Cam; it was kinda-sorta competitive. Expensive to build, run and maintain and at the time it was competing, NHRA was beginning its quest to standardize everything and basically stifle ingenuity and imagination in the PRO classes. What a shame; there was some really cool combinations back in the day.
For the ones that dont know. This engine design started in 1964 . It is the only piston engine design ever to run a sub 4 second run in the 1320.
It has been and always will be the king of the 1320. Long live the Chrysler Hemi and its arcutecture design .
Another interesting fact is we refrigerate our fuel down to around 40 degrees
Why is that? For safety or function?
@@spolo123 Probably for multiple reasons including to reduce fuming, reduce heatsoak, and to help cool the engine. These engines have no coolant, so the fuel is used to cool the engines. I'm sure it has something to do with density of the fuel spray as well, but I don't know for sure.
Best V8 engine on the planet, Chrysler engineering.
ALL Top Fuel and Funny car engines are based on the Chrysler Hemi
Blocks are identical to the Chrysler 426 Hemi..
@@mypronouniswtf5559 Top fuel engines use a 500 cubic inch Chrysler HEMI, Not 426.
Just the ones run in the NHRA...
Anyone know about Ford's hemis? 429 Boss & 427 SOHC? The latter was used in top fuel applications.
Ford is the ONLY auto manufacturer that has a top fuel hemi today. Chrysler hasn't made one since the last century.
It astounds me at how much fuel goes into the combustion chamber. It looked to me like it was practically poured in.
You are correct, it practically is poured in at close to a 1:7 ratio compared to 14:1 with a gasser
Nitromethane carries its own oxygen and doesn't need *nearly* as much air as more conventional fuels.
That video is representing ONE cylinder. That amount of fuel would be times 8 for a wide open throttle.
It runs on the verge of hydrolock so yeah its a lot. Raw fuel is also used to cool the zoomies (headers).
@@GoatPilot04 i would say it runs past the verg of hydro lock as a LOT of unburnt fuel makes it past the valves and headers!
Another thing not taken into consideration is R.P.M. ..... although it mite be a 7,000 R.P.M. engine, they are not even turning 750 Revolutions thru the whole process from start-up to shutdown !! Amazing !! 🤔
we topped them out at 8ooo to9ooo, but the number of revolutions from start to finish blows most people's mind
8500 to 8750 is common early in the run. I have seen over 11000 without catastrophic failure.
No coils on top fuel - they run magnetos.
Which have coils
That's interesting. When I was watching the video, I was thinking "boy, that ignition system seems similar to a Cessna engine...2 magnetos and a pair of spark plugs per cylinder." There was even an experimental diesel cycle light aircraft engine about 15 years ago but I'm not sure what became of that.
@@TheDesmotolol i was about to say the same thing..😂😂😂
There is one coil per mag, so yes there is coils. The video is calling the mags coils which is wrong
Exactly - Magnetos generate MUCH more spark energy that standard coils.
The only thing faster than these engines is the way our Government spends our tax dollars. The Government needs to hydro lock soon.
You can say that again....
Does everything have to be political ? what end does this serve?, besides virtue signaling to other complainers. ? most people would leave political interjection for when politics or the national economy actually is the topic, because it's not relaxing, nor something to be approached lightly. which is quite different from checking out engines for fun..
Relax, Politics is part of life. If you wanna keep your head in the sand that's on you. Not all political conversations and jokes are bad. Soon these will be banned so speak up.
They spend non-tax dollars (borrowed) even faster.
Same for our South African government.
Overhead valves (instead of overhead cams) are used because the rules dictate it, not because it's better.
If you take some time to search you'll find the rules where put in place for a reason. A few explosions that took place with the ohc experiment actually hurt some people. Nit to mention the ease of service between rounds.
It's better
Even though it is probably better for top fuel cars, seeing as they need to be rebuilt after every run. Overhead cams would require timing chains or belts, which I'm sure cannot be made durable enough to stand up to the forces in an engine like this. I'm somewhat surprised pushrods can do it.
@@Joshcheyka Irrelevant in a Top Fuel application, where RPM is limited to around 8000. OHC wouldn't add a thing except a bunch more work and expense. TF cars can't handle the power they have now until about 500 feet out when the clutch timers lock 1:1. F1 applications where you're looking at 20,000 rpm, of course.
That fuel delivery volume is insane.
Compression ratio is only 6.0: 1
Lmfao... ONLY*
STUPID@@bubbasteamchannel120
Cylinder compression is probably 6:1.
But, when you factor in the blower...
That blower uses more power, than
in any car you've ever been in, can
create.
steve
How do they reverse after burnout ?? must be a gear box in there somewhere... wonder how that works...
There's an reverser unit installed directly behind the clutch assembly. It either directs energy straight through to the tailshaft or if the lever-operated cable is pulled, directs the energy through a sun gear which turns the tailshaft backwards. "Neutral" is accomplished by depressing the clutch pedal, disengaging the 5-discs (or six) from the rest of the clutch assembly. That quite complex clutch is the key to a successful Top Fuel run - if not set properly and operating properly it makes no difference what's sitting in front of it.
Wow, that fuel flow is insane I love it!!
You forgot to mention the BIG AIR PUMP on top ya know the Supercharger…???
No mention of the supercharger?
Does anyone know if the two cylinder spark plugs are fired simultaneously, or are they staggered by a few milliseconds. Just curious.
Would be interesting to know. Staggered would make alot more sense.. or maybe even a multiple fire configuration incase the first attempt won't fire
Same time, need a lot of spark at the same exact second to ignite that much fuel.
The record is now over 341.68 mph. If there weren’t gearing limits to limit top speed we would regularly see 340-350 mph. 300 mph has already been done in the 1/8 mile.
Maybe .. maybe not. From what I've read in a few articles from crew chiefs, the engine is bogged down below redline by the time the car has reached the 1000 foot mark. If they aren't at redline with current gearing at that point, then taller gearing won't bump MPH up any. A 340 mph headwind made worse by aero for downforce is some serious drag ..
@@xenuno I'm not sure about that, either. One unique characteristic of a nitro-fueled engine is they pull harder under load, hence the reason for the mandated 3.20 gearing. "Redline"....actually a timing-retard device that kicks in at 7900rpm....wouldn't come into play if the car had, say, 2.80 gearing and who knows what speed it might attain since nobody's tried. My God; I believe 340 is fast enough...beyond that, you're in a serious danger zone for lots of reasons.
And a fresh engine lasts 1000 feet. Then has to be torn down and rebuilt.
Along with the clutch pack.
And teams usually only have a couple of hours to do this.
They get 45 minutes....most are done in about 30
But would I have to slightly modify the firewall to fit it in my twingo?
OHV and 2 valves/cylinder.Oldie but goodie
It is interesting that as the tires spin and expand in circumference, it can be figured into the gear ratios. It can gain up to one extra gear ratio. Less shifting. Depends on the category.
Also they do not race for a 1/4 mile anymore. It is 1,000 yards now. The speeds were getting to be more than the tracks and dragsters could slow down safely. Among other issues of getting airborne !
Is Calypso from twisted metal giving motor spec. Info.?
Top Fuel dragsters are the quickest accelerating vehicle OF ANY KIND on the entire planet!!!
Are the coils mentioned magnetos?
Magnetos still use a coil to increase voltage from the generator. Still uses a primary and secondary ignition system like a standard distributor.
These engines only use the spark plugs as ignition for a short time. Once the engine is at 100% the plugs have melted into nothing more than a glow plug. The plugs are specifically designed to do this.
They are not "specifically designed to do this"....the plugs melt due to the heat of combustion, and for no other reason. They use nothing more than a standard spark plug.
When the tuneup is good, the plugs that come out look surprisingly good!!! I worked on a nitro funny car team 😊😊😊😊
Glad I found this video. I had no idea these engines could run without functioning spark plugs or that fuel was injected at quantities approaching hydraulic lock!
@ccrider8483 they run so rich and dilute the oil so bad when they have a small failure with enough oil getting into to the cylinder that they'll runaway off the oil until it dies. Bad part is its already dieseling because the plugs are shot, and typically the engines cut off by just cutting the fuel, but now the oil is the fuel lol. There's a video of a white funny car in the early 90s (maybe earlier) at the big end they had to spray with co2 or something to kill the engine before it blew apart.
Well, you know, the quality of this clip is just plain awful, man. AI voice, aspects of burning and compressing the mix are just brushed aside, typical superficial stuff, you know?
Many have still not realized that it's not only narrated by AI, it's actually content the AI has scoured the net for, compiled, edited, created graphics for, scripted, and Then narrated. So it's a total gamble if ANY of it is accurate, as evidenced here. Total garbage in other words. It's computers trying to emulate human thought. Personally I'm not impressed. Turn off the power and delete the program.
What is the writer smoking. These engines dont have a high compression ratio, The compression ratio is around like 6.5:1, it varies a bit cyl to cyl as they tune the engine by compression ratio to keep the outer 4 cyl from leaning out
You should go into detail on the blower (screw compressor) configuration. There is very little mention of it in the video. It’s a key component of how the engine can generate the power that it does.
Look up towards the top of this thread; I provided detailed information about the superchargers. For what it's worth, the ones used in Top Fuel aren't screw compressors; they're not allowed. Roots-type 14-71 impeller units only. Screws are allowed in the supercharged Top Alcohol Dragster classes and Pro Modified.
Can someone clarify the fuel consumption.. 20 gal in a 1/4, which is done in under 4 sec?? Thats 300gpm, just cant see a pump big enough to supply that demand. Just wondering though, seems high but i can imagine they need a crap ton on fuel to make that power
The fuel pump can flow 100 US gallons per minute at 7500 rpm and 500 psi of fuel pressure, quite impressive to say the least.
Did you not see the fuel pump demonstration that was shown twice that was feeding just one cylinder? It went from a heavy flow to an open fire hydrant for about 4 seconds before shutting off. They have to carry enough to start the car, do the burnout, reverse back to beyond the starting line then idle up to just before the first bulb is lit on the tree then the crew chief look over to the crew chief in the other lane to see if he’s ready he will activate the tune-up for that run the driver will stage the car by lighting the two bulbs on the tree in his lane the other driver does the same and less than 4 seconds those two cars will have burned up 40 gallons of very expensive nitromethane.
20 gallons include starting the car, the burnout (when the fuel system is set "fat"), the backup, idling time during the staging process, the pass itself and a few gallons in reserve. You do NOT want to run one of these engines out of fuel at full throttle !
Some else he got wrong they don't use a wet sump oil system but a dry sump meaning no oil is stored in the oil pan but a tank on board as the oil is pump through the engine it is pump back out out by several pumps back to the oil tank there are several reasons for this just Google it
@michaelnieman6218.... REALLY?!!??.... You better tell the T/F teams, that they've been putting oil down the wrong hole and in the wrong place, all these years!! Dry Sump systems are mandatory in F/C, only because the engine sits so low in the chassis, that there is no room for an oil pan.
In T/F, Dry Sump systems are strictly a "choice".... they are Not mandatory.... and though a few teams did "experiment with them, back in the early 2000's.... None of them are running dry sumps "today". For one thing, they're (dry) a PIA to evacuate the system and refill with fresh oil, they also add unnecessary complexity, expense and weight.
Part of the reason some teams experimented with them, was... because of "oil downs" on NHRA National Event tracks... but, those large "puke cans" you see mounted between & just forward of the slicks on "fuelers", with the two hoses going to it... solved that issue... for the most part. If the engine "grenades" at some point on the track.... it really won't matter What kind of oiling system you had.
they want to get the engine as low as poss'
Fuel cars are limited to the rule book, but as a person who worked in this field when i was younger - its not the engine that is the limited factor, but the safety Safari and fans preventing disaster. fuel cars havent run 1320 feet in a long time, and are limited to 1000 feet. Go spend your weekends at a pro track, and you will soon discover that physics is govering force. tires, air(wind) clutch-slip,and the drivers ability to feather the pedal. The engine itself is capable of more power, but how could it ever be used. In turn, teams and rules are adjusted, so they smoke every motor with a single pass. Take John Force for Example, because what makes him a top teir driver isnt the ability to just floor it when it turns green, but he actualy feels the edge of grip/failure and feathers/rolls the pedal as traction grows. one fact that no one has mentioned in any of these videos, is the sound level of fuel cars. google this, but dig into the results. No one has actually confirmed the ACTUAL sound level of a FUEL car. (its close) Depending on location of measurement, (mid track,60ft,100ft,etc..) its been reported WELL OVER 150dB.
Weather it's from a top fuel dragster or a funny car or even a blown hydro it is a Masterpiece of speed and technology.. Gasoline is for washing parts, Alcohol is for drinking and Nitromethane is for racing. Great video.
Actually nitromethane is a really good solvent too
It's a very expensive cleaner but it still works well.
What is 8.2 liters in cubic inch's
Ceskoslovenska.
Very interesting and well explained! Racing has surely been taken to a science.
How do the heads have a unique aspect of the oiling system.
My clevo must be top fuel inspired then
Many people dont know that those engines end up melting half the spark plugs but the heat from the melted plug is enough to keep ignition going so the power doesn't drop much at all. And another reason they have to rebuild the engine after every run. Because its basically murdering itself during every run
Fun fact they all use Mopar hemi engines. My friend and I are currently experimenting with a 345 hemi by removing a spark plug and installing a direct secondary injector and higher pressure fuel delivery system.
Pretty sure they use aftermarket blocks, with similar specs, and not actual MOPAR parts...
@codymoe4986 I should've stated that it's a hemi Chrysler design concept. Most definitely, it's not the same thing as what's coming out of the assembly lines.
They actually don't even have any cool jackets in the block or the heads. They're only drilled for oiling system.
@0:24 _"this certainly earns them the title of Earth's fastest V8 engine vehicle"_ *CORRECTION* No they do not.
They are the _quickest_, they take the shortest amount of time to cover 1000 feet from a standing start.
But Earth's fastest V8 powered vehicle is The Speed Demon, a land speed streamliner with a 555 cid twin-turbo Chevy big block.
The fastest a Top Fuel dragster ever went was 338.48 mph, by Brittany Force in 2022.
The officially recorded (meaning a 2-run average of a flying mile) land speed record by The Speed Demon sits at 470 mph (470.016 in fact) set in 2020. The top speed, or exit speed, was recorded at 481.576 mph even!
You're being pedantic....
@@cleverusernamecl5532 Really? Ask any drag racer about this...
At the drag strip you can be the quickest, but not the fastest. Likewise, you can be the fastest, but not the quickest. The driver who is the quickest (shortest time to cover the 1000 ft) wins. Exit speed is not deciding.
But if V8 piston powered land speed racers hit 400+ mph, compared to 338 mph for the fastest ever recorded drag car, then these blown top fuel dragsters are not the fastest racers out there.
those engine usually need a full rebuild after every run as well dont they?
New rods, pistons, cyl heads and blower every time. If there is any bearing damage a new short block goes in.
@@Dan-ez6dr yup I thought i heard about them having to do that once
@@Dan-ez6dr they inspect it all every time, but no... it does not get all of that stuff replaced EVERY time.
@@billymanilli the only thing I mentioned that might not get replaced every run is the supercharger if it is still perfect. Rods, pistons and heads replaced after every run, absolutely
@@Dan-ez6dr HEADS?... Complete cylinder heads? replaced after every run? as in get rid of the ones that were run and replace with brand new? Is that what you're saying? If so: I'll respectively say that you might want to look into that one a little better.
Things don't just get thrown away and replaced for the heck of it... it all costs a LOT of money.
Even the rods will go back into the motor if they still check out ok... Each time the engine is run down the track, it "squishes" the rods a bit, and they end up being a thou (or a few) shorter than they were previously. They save these for reuse.
In fact, one team I saw in the pits a few years back (forget who it was) had a whole top drawer full of used rods. They had all of them organized by length, and they'd be used to "mix and match" to get the piston to deck clearance they're looking for in each hole. I only know that from talking to the guy that was literally doing it.
The engine also uses some outdated tech which is required by the association governing the competition, eg. single cam with pushrods, roots rather than screw blower. I'm pretty sure that is done to prevent power and speeds getting too high for the cars to handle.
It is far from outdated tech. There are advacements in meterals all the time that are being employed to make the engines faster and stronger. Top Fuel cars don't race the 1/4 mile like a lot of other. They run 1000 feet instead of 1320 feet. That is because they are trying to limit the speed and have plenty of shutdown area for the cars. But the car owners and teams are still trying to squeeze every last bit of power out of this engine as they can while being safe about it.
@@twisted2291
The engine layout is that of the Chrysler Hemi (2nd generation) that came out in 1964. That's a 60 year old design.
The basic design is dated, yes, but these are far from low tech. The engines make approx 12,000hp, which is easily more than they can handle, so a run consists of power management. The car with the best setup wins. They shortened the track to 1000' for top fuel for safety as the cars were getting stupid fast but were eating parts like crazy. They have already eclipsed the mph records they set in the 1/4 mile now in 1000' and the crew chiefs have said the shorter tracks allow them to push the cars harder than before with less damage to parts. They are also rpm limited now to try and keep the speeds down, but the crew chiefs have figured out ways around that as well in their tuning. They used to turn more than 10,000rpm....I think they are limited to 8500 now.
@@markgoulette5056 You are right! In 1997 the record holder Joe Amato's Top Fuel dragster produced about 8,000HP and was capable of 4.51s run hitting 326 mph on the full quarter mile. 0-60 was about 0.8s while 0-100 was 1s. That time they started with 4g of acceleration which start to fall behind after the 2nd second passed by and by the end of the 1/4mi dropped to about 2-2.5g. Today's cars starts at 5-5.5g and at the end of the 1000' still maintain the 3.5-4g of acceleration when the parachutes deploy and generates a 2.5g deceleration. There's a 6g force transfer! That's the reason how they topped the top speed by 10mph even though the distance has been shortened by 1/4 of it.
The sanctioning body (NHRA) made the decision in 2008 to reduce the racing distance for safety reasons, and because the last 330' does not add to much to the show, nor for the spectators nor for the participants, however it was quite common that the engine ran on 4-5 cylinders only at the end of the 1/4 mile, so the teams were quite happy about it as those engine failures happened over the last 2-300'.
And they keep evolving as less than a decade ago the engine power laid around 11,000 HP. Since then there's a 1,000 HP gain.
In the engine design there's no freedom at all. Even the valve angles are regulated so actually everybody uses the same engine (by design) because all the principles and the measures are set in the rule book.
@@charlesvan13 The block is VERY loosely based on the 426 Hemi - but it's seen a lot of updates since then.
In addition to some of the info (correct or not) the HP rating on these things is an estimation because there is no dyno available to run a test. As I understand, the TF dragster is on and off so quickly and the HP is so high there simply just isn't enough time and capacity to run a test. I believe they run a formula and extrapolate data based on vehicle weight MPH, distance and time to come about an HP and torque calculation. IDK the numbers off the top of my head anymore but its interesting to study the differences in thermal units of gas vs Nitro as well as the differences in total volume of fuel packed into the chamber in order to see how they get so much power out of the engine. Nitro has a lower energy rating than gas but having its own oxygen in the nitro part of the fuel composition has its advantages. As a joke, I tell friends when a discussion comes up that there is a half gallon of fuel in each cylinder on ignition.
There is no dyno available because there is no dyno CAPABLE of handling that kind of power..... Most railroad LOCOMOTIVES top out around 5-6000 HP.....
One of these things puts out MORE POWER than ALL 8 engines on 2 747's PUT TOGETHER.
@@normmcrae1140 Huh? A CF6-50 engine puts out around 50,000 lbs of thrust. There's no simple equation to figure out HP from thrust because its comparing apples to oranges but at about 500 MPH 1 lb of thrust is about 1 HP. How do you think jet cars can do 300 MPH in the 1/4 mile with a Pratt & Whitney J60 that only puts out 3,300 lbs of thrust if it takes more than 8 CF6-50 to equal the power of a nitro TF car?
@@compt3ck True - there is no real comparison of Thrust to Horsepower - UNLESS you compare mass and acceleration.....
And the HEMI comes out on top.
@@normmcrae1140 I'm not sure about that. A 747 weighs around 970,000 lbs and a TF car is 2,320. F=MA so the dragster has to accelerate 418 times faster. A 747 does 0-60 in 15 seconds and a dragster is 0.8 seconds. Unless I'm missing something the plane still wins.
They use a torque sensor that goes inbetween the driveshaft and the differential and that is how they figure the horsepower on one of these engines
How many liters 18 plus Allen Johnson pe or Sherman 19 liters tank
500 cubic inches, or about 8 liters. Most teams run 498 to stay within the rules
@@markgoulette5056 500 mm crankshaft lolz how many clutches n spark plugs per cylinder
@@markgoulette5056 nice mark I bet that flys in that funny car
They use 5 discs and six floaters. Two plugs per cylinder...each one fired by one of the mags....The timing for the mags is different for each one as well. I did not say 500 mm crank.....I said 500 cubic inch engine displacement...@@Latuya-y1n
the fuel rate with throttle open is something else ...
Aren’t the blowers direct drive now?
No, always used a belt. A very thick belt to handle the HP and they still shred them all the time.
Do you mean direct as in the engine speed/blower speed ratio? It's limited to 1.50 to 1, meaning the blower turns 12K. Before they took Denver off the circuit, NHRA allowed no-limit overdrive there.
Cross plane crankshaft is mainly so no more than one piston stops at any given time, which means that all combustion timing is spread out equally. Like my Yamaha 😅
Flat cranks and cross plane cranks both have firing intervals of 90 deg. Flat cranks fire LRLRLRLR while cross planes fire LLRLRRLR hence the glug glug glug sound of a stock engine when idling.
Nothing on the blower?
how much is that engine? I wanna put it into my golf gti 😁
Forget the engine, that transmission is wild😂🤯
Other than mentioning the air intake needed for the 10% ethanol mixture, this video completely missed discussing that 5+ liter motor-driven air intake system. Would love to see another video discussing this critical component of the system.
For example, if 90% of the fuel carries its own oxygen, why does the engine need such a massive super charger that saps power from the engine for the remaining 10% methanol?
thank you I am mechanic and I have learned many things
from France
the craziest engines are found in tractor pulling, 11,1 liter engines that produce nearly 6000 hp and 8100nm of torque
88 Amps at 50,000 KV? That ain't right. That would be 4.4 MW of power albeit in a very brief pulse. Still not possible without huge capacitor banks for storage. This is just one of other problems in this vid. The trouble with AI.
Each mag provides 44 amps of primary current, not 44 amps to the plugs....the actual output to the plugs is about 50k volts, a little over one amp, and about 1200mj of energy. There is no direct relation of milijoules to amps...
@markgoulette5056
You make total sense.
Back in the 80's (I think it was) there was a top fuel guy who asked an engineer at NASA "how can we run sub 5 second passes" and he was told it wasn't actually possible. Now they're running sub 4 seconds!!
the model is so good that the mopar cover is backwards.
There is NOTHING that runs like top fuel . Rails, funnies, and boats . Just when I thought I knew precisely every aspect of top fuel after 55 years of being there(and three things stated in this article were incorrect) one aspect I question is torque ? I’ve been told by a few crew chiefs that the torque was 8500, not 11,000 as stated ? Something to confirm at Charlotte, Norwalk, or Brainard this year !
Torque is a simple equation if you know the Horsepower and RPMs at such.
Beautiful work. I enjoyed this video. All was explained in a simple, yet thoughtfull manner.
How's the mileage? 80 gallons a mile.
I wonder how strong a combustion cycle is. Probably as atrong or stronger than a grenade
Will it last for 100,000 miles and get at least 13 Miles per gallon?
Dumb azz question
The new world record for drag racing is now 341.68 mph set by bob tasca lll
1Blackman82,,,,, While Bob did run 341.68 mph during qualifying at Bradenton in Feb. (9th) for the "Pro Superstar Shootout"..... it is & was Not a "recognized" Official Nat'l Record, because it was Not at an NHRA (or even IHRA, or WRA) Sanctioned National Event. Robert Hight (John Force Racing team & John's son in-law) still owns Both ends of the Official NHRA F/C records (3.793 et. at 339.87 mph) set back in 2017, Aug. & July respectively.
Would LOVE to see the 632 crate motor as the new block standard - could you Imagine ?
That's some next level fuel consumption!
So much fuel they’re on the very limit of hydro locking the cylinders, with enough current at the plug to weld 3/4” steel plate.
Serious machinery.
BS! How many amps does it take to weld 3/4" steel plate? Any welder knows the rule of thumb, at least for stick is 1 amp per 1 thousandth.....that is 750 amps. My tig/stick welder tops out at 460 amps but even then the only process that might be used is robotic sub arc. Most weld beads aren't much more than even half an inch on heavy equipment, which is probably dual shield. Heavy welds are done in multiple passes. The video claimed 44 amps from the coils, but didn't specify what voltage it was at, so the power is unknown without searching for it. 44*8=352 amps. That is a lot, but I would be extremely surprised to hear of a 3/4" single pass with that little amperage. Yes, I have heard that when the spark goes out on a cylinder that they can easily break rods. Clay McMillan has a good youtube channel covering his runs in a top fuel car as well as the intricate details of the tear down and damage from what goes wrong.
"Do you think there is something faster than a dragter?" rockets engines : :v
Not from zero to 1000 feet...
What is the RPM at full power?
They are RPM Limited by the rules to 8400 I believe. If they didn't do this speeds would be 350 mph and the tires would be coming apart very often.
@@crewchiefprosoftware4043 7900 now, via a rapid timing-retard device.
That blower saps about 400 hp from the crank btw
I have heard double that figure, but I am no pro on this for sure.
You're still missing additional info such as the axle and gear ratio if any. And ending the explanation on how they use the large tires to change overall shaft to wheel ratio when they start their run by becoming taller.
They are running 2.73:1 rear gears as mandated by the rules. The tires are also high growth slicks, with a base diameter of 37". The tires are also mandated by the rules
Damn they get 330+mph from a 2:73 gear, who would ever thought 😮
@@chev500l8 you also have those tall tires
And that ladies and gentlemen is why you shouldn't mess with Americans,I mean we build this stuff for fun, you really don't want to see what we could throw together if we were pissed. Lol, great video
I'm not so sure about the 'fun' part...it's more about chasing down and acquiring sponsor's cash, and having enough parts to finish the season. Rare to see ANYONE smiling in the pits these days.
@@roberttammerawitchey4652 point well taken. I was just being a little pro American that's all.
Thought these were dry sump engines and not wet sump
The versions in funny cars are. There's less room for conventional deep pans. Most dragsters use wet sumps since they're simpler and clearance isn't a problem. You'll see if you watch them rebuild an engine in the pits.
How about the blower?
nice vidéo tank et merci bien and now is 341 MPH just for 1000 feet.....
There was a rumor of a 3 amp deal with 24 plugs, but NHRA put a stop to that.
9:43 Was hoping you'd show this. Amazing.
Honda guys: My turbo 4 cylinder can smoke your V8
My V8 ⬆️⬆️ 😂😂😂😂😂
*flips over, blows up, still sliding towards a wall at 250mph
Nobody mentioned the fact that the engine needs to be completely disassembled and rebuilt after each run nor was it mentioned that the clutches undergo such forces that the clutch pack friction welds itself together the majority of the time and has to be replaced after each run.
You do realize the 2 “high power coils” you mentioned are actually distributors?
I thought those engines were dry sum?? I still think they are.
You missed the cannon on the clutch pack..it was good though.
No multiple overhead cams or variable valve timing.
Might as well use all that forced induction to make it two stroke for bonus points and more fun.
I think the real story is the tires. How to get 4+ G's of acceleration. Friction coefficient of tires greater than 4 seems amazing.
Geez, I remember what a big deal it was when Don Garlits finally broke the 250 mph limit! That was almost 50 years ago.
Big Daddy and The Greek made the first 200 mph runs in 1960.
Fun fact they use the Inconnel Used at the Rocketdyne F1 in the Saturn V roclet
The clutch " floaters" are steel not titanium 😊😊😊😊😊 the flywheel and the pressure plate or hat are titanium 😊😊😊
Thanks for yoyr correction bro 🙏🙏🙏
Imagine what the speeds would be if it was still 1320 ft. lanes
Surprisingly, not much different. By 8-900 feet most of the acceleration is over with and 5 G's is down to 2 or 3 tenths of a G. 10mph maybe, at most. Why? Blame it on massive aero drag at those speeds that even 11,000 horses struggle to overcome.
I wish they weren’t limited to 500ci. Open this up, wider tires, let these guys really push the engines well above 11,000HP and go a full quarter mile. Now that would be insane to watch!
@lsc2001 They can't because absolutely zero race tracks could handle it. The whole reason for the track length being shortened to 1000 ft was 1, slow them down, and 2 allow them to stop. Would it be cool to see? Hell yes it would. I don't think those engines could handle going a 1/2 mile.
Most fueller motors are around a 496ci. Not quite 8.2L but very close.
They also run 42 injectors
I'm baffled by the wet oil dump. Where does the oil go during the run?!