cid Archives - Auto Services

March 22, 2023

Turbocharged 388 cid LS-Swapped 1973 Toyota Celica

Engine of the 7 days is presented by

At the tail end of day just one through Unwell 7 days 2023, we were going for walks the pits and headed for our motor vehicle to commence the journey from Orlando, FL to Bradenton. Having said that, when we handed by Steve Groenink and his 1973 Toyota Celica with a sweet-looking, turbocharged, 388 cubic inch LS motor stuffed concerning the frame rails, we realized our generate throughout the state could wait a several extra minutes.

Steve had run a fast 7.08 at 198 mph before that working day and was joyful to converse with us about his vintage Celica and its LS-swapped motor combo. As it turned out, Steve has owned this Celica for a although now and has significant strategies and lofty objectives for it, as predicted.

“I’ve owned the Celica for 11 decades,” Groenink instructed us. “I uncovered it in a farmer’s field. It had been deserted for 27 several years. I paid out like $600 for it and it was a basket circumstance, but all the trim and all the glass was there. I’ve experienced two or three diverse builds of it over the a long time. This current LS setup I finished in about 2017. I have put 5,000-6,000 avenue miles on it considering that then.”

Steve’s 388 cubic inch LS engine options a Principle Efficiency LSR aluminum block, a Callies Magnum center-counterweighted crankshaft with a 3.650” stroke, MGP aluminum rods, Diamond LS2K pistons, and a Brain Tooley Racing hydraulic roller camshaft.

“The heads are from a now defunct company named SPS,” Groenink states. “The male now works for Frankenstein, so they are very similar to a Frankenstein M311 head casting.”

The valvetrain includes titanium consumption valves and Inconel exhaust valves with a Texas Velocity ingestion up prime and a Shearer Fab intercooler. Serving to the 388 LS motor make major electricity is a Precision XPR 98mm turbo that commonly sees 30-40-lbs. of improve.

“To operate that 7.08, it was about 32-lbs.,” he claims. “I’ve type of set my personalized restrict at about 40-lbs. [of boost] for the week, so we’ll see what it does. I’ll likely just hold the same tune-up in it, but my best purpose is to operate a 6.90 at around 200 mph, so it’s right there.”

The LS motor is cranking out an believed 1,400-1,600 wheel horsepower. And considering that Steve has beforehand scattered an engine owing to weaker rods, he’s upgraded to aluminum rods and would like to preserve the motor below the 1,800-1,900 hp array.

“It must make the ambitions I want to make with that horsepower,” he provides.

As for effectiveness off the observe, Steve suggests the Celica is reputable on the avenue with the exception of a problem he was obtaining with a radiator fan controller. Nevertheless, minimal problems like that are not commonly an challenge for seasoned drag-and-travel competition like Steve.

“In the past, we did Miles of Mayhem (in Canada) and concluded next in general in 2021,” he suggests. “Then, previous yr, I experienced just gotten the engine together and experienced a little bit of an situation, so I just did not want to hazard it, so we pulled out on working day one particular. This is my initial time at Ill Week, which is turning into the Environment Collection of Drag and Travel. I figured if I’m heading to make the generate, I’m likely to make the travel in this article. It is the ideal of the most effective prep. The auto is on a radial tire, so we desired to make certain we have superior tracks for it.”

A variety of competitors at Ill 7 days travelled a superior distance to appreciate the week in Florida, but Steve was among the the furthest, clocking 3,200 miles to get to Orlando from southern Alberta, Canada.

Acquiring travelled that length designed even harder to find out that Steve and his Celica had to bow out of competitors in Unwell Week 2023 following the finish of day a single because of to concerns obtaining to Bradenton from Orlando. We eagerly await his next drag-and-push occasion and seeing him crack off a 6.90 go!

Engine of the 7 days is sponsored by PennGrade Motor Oil, Elring – Das Primary and NPW Organizations. If you have an engine you’d like to highlight in this collection, make sure you email Engine Builder Editor Greg Jones at [email protected]

March 15, 2023

Twin-Turbo 429 cid Ford Boss Engine

Engine of the Week is presented by

We’re not accurately confident what it is about a Ford motor in a Ford automobile these days, but it grabs our notice every single time we see it. It’s possible it is for the reason that the Ford in a Ford combo isn’t as commonplace as it as soon as was presented all the LS swaps that have occurred, but a best instance of a terrific Ford combo crossed our path during Unwell 7 days 2023.

We have been at Orlando Pace Planet on day one particular of the drag-and-travel function when we handed Earl Schexnayder of Schexnayder Racing and his orange 2000 Cobra Mustang with a twin-turbo 429 cid Ford Manager engine. Earl was working on a new tune for his upcoming go, but was form sufficient to give us some time to stroll us via the vehicle and engine aspects.

As it turned out, Earl is no stranger to the drag-and-travel scene, nor is his Cobra Mustang. Earl has been coming into drag-and-push gatherings since 2009 when he gained his class with his previous Ford truck with a twin-turbo significant block Ford.

“The very first one I went on we had a blast,” Schexnayder claims. “I constructed the Mustang in 2010 following profitable in 2009 with my previous truck. In 2011, we began doing drag-and-drives in the Mustang, so it’s been close to the block.”

We also discovered that Earl had registered for the inaugural Ill Week in 2022, but owing to receiving Covid just a several times prior, he had to dropout. For that reason, his presence at this year’s party was eagerly awaited. And it’s no shock to find out that Earl is a Ford man through and by means of.

“I’ve usually been the underdog,” Schexnayder claims. “Everything I have acquired is Ford powered. I have received a Coyote auto. I’ve bought an old truck with a twin-turbo massive block Ford, and I’ve obtained this Cobra Mustang.”

Earl’s store, Schexnayder Racing, found in Arnaudville, LA, does engine function on big block and small block engines and platforms these kinds of as Ford, LS, Chevy, Dodge and Chrysler. They are also gurus at dealing with electrical power adders these kinds of as blowers, turbos and nitrous. It arrives as no surprise that Earl’s have 429 cid Ford Boss motor characteristics a twin-turbo set up as well as a number of prime-notch motor factors.

Schexnayder’s 429 Boss motor capabilities Manager Nine Kaase cylinder heads, a billet Crower crank, R&R metal connecting rods, Crower lifters, an LSM camshaft, T&D rockers, PAC springs, a Jeff Johnson billet oil pan and billet oil filter, a Danny B belt push, an Innovators West balancer, a ProTorque torque converter, a Turbo 400 trans, a 3,500-lb. Equipment Seller overdrive, and it is all controlled by the Haltech Nexus R5, which is their newest EFI procedure out.

“All these components come from amazing businesses,” he states. “It’s a testomony that I’ve experienced this engine 13 decades and it’s by no means blown up. It’s a rather sturdy piece. It operates on each pump fuel and M1. The motor has twin 91mm turbos and it’s our very first time out on radials, so we’ve been accomplishing some screening and acquiring the hold of it.”

The twin 91mm turbos aren’t just for excellent seems to be and a amazing factor. Earl states he runs 22-23-lbs. of increase to the turbos, which benefits in 1,850 horsepower to the wheels. That type of electrical power is capable of some speedy ETs, and that’s unquestionably the circumstance for Earl’s Mustang. Nonetheless, his license only certifies him to run 7.50 and slower.

“If I operate a 7.49 or quicker, I’m out,” he told us. “We went 7.62, 7.70 and 7.69 previously. It’s not a bracket car or truck, so it is hard. If I wasn’t limited, we’re making an attempt to get into the 6s with it. It is run a 4.60 in the eighth. We’re making an attempt to run 4.50s in the eighth and it must run 6.90s. That is what we’re striving for and even now be avenue authorized.”

Earl competed in Sick 7 days 2023 in the Pro Avenue class, and ended the week in fourth location with operates of 7.62 at 153 mph, 7.83 at 141 mph, 7.75 at 153 mph, 8.77 at 116 mph, 9.77 at 99 mph for an typical of 8.35 at 132 mph. With a purpose of just building it via to the conclusion, Earl accomplished that intention. Now the quest for the 6s commences.

Motor of the 7 days is sponsored by PennGrade Motor Oil, Elring – Das Initial and NPW Companies. If you have an motor you’d like to spotlight in this sequence, remember to email Engine Builder Editor Greg Jones at [email protected]

November 15, 2022

5,000 HP Twin-Turbo 526 cid Hemi Engine

Engine of the Week is presented by

There were more than a few cool-looking engine bays at the 2022 Builder’s Brawl this past summer, but none in our opinion topped that of Cory Clemens of Clemens Motorsports Unlimited LLC. His Pro275 drag car, nicknamed King of the Jungle II, is a Trans Am featuring a gray, black, gold and burgundy red paint job, and his engine bay houses a massive, twin-turbo, 526 cubic inch Hemi engine. It stood out, even amongst a crowd of other super-clean, super stout drag cars, so we had to know more about the engine and the builder/driver behind it.

As it turned out, Cory started building this car when he was just 16 years old. His family owns and operates Clemens Motorsports Unlimited LLC out of Osage Beach, MO. The shop has been around for over 30 years, doing everything from running professorial race teams to working on major marketing projects for performance businesses.

“All my life you could find me at the drag strip,” Cory Clemens says. “Whether that was watching my dad race his Pro Mod, to making laps in my high school car, or even helping out on some of the pro teams. I’ve driven everything from Jr. Dragsters to Pro Street cars and even Super Comp dragsters, and I don’t plan on stopping there.”

The 2022 Builder’s Brawl was held at World Wide Technology Raceway

Cory has aspirations of one day driving a Top Fuel dragster. His Pro275 Trans Am is a good stepping stone for sure. The car he had at the Builder’s Brawl was a four-year build.

“We debuted this car at PRI in 2019,” Clemens told us. “It’s a Pro275 car that we built for LDR (Limited Drag Radial), but we ended up getting bumped up. Currently, we’re doing more No Prep and No Time racing and that kind of thing.

“Pretty much anything you see on the car, I did it. It was a four-year project I did in high school. It involved a lot of tin work and bar bending. I learned how to weld and really got good at that. At our shop, I do a lot of roll cages for guys. I do a lot of sheet metal work and just help anywhere I can for customers. We also do some parts sales. I wired, plumbed and welded the car. If it was done, I did it. That’s what I love to do.”

The 526 cid Hemi engine features a billet Brad Anderson Enterprises block and cylinder heads, as well as a Bryant crankshaft, CP connecting rods, an LSM camshaft, Manton pushrods, Manton rockers, a Hogan’s sheet metal intake, custom valve covers, a Peterson oiling system, and twin 88mm Garrett turbos with TiAL wastegates.

“It’s got the best of the best that we could put in it,” Clemens says. “It’s billet everything. We did everything we could do to get an edge.”

Of course, helping the Hemi gain an edge are those sizable Garrett twin turbos, as well as ComSYNC EFI. According to Cory, he usually pumps about 50-lbs. of boost through them and starts a run somewhere in the 7-10-lb. range, depending on the track and application. All of that equates to a billet Hemi capable of making around 4,800-5,000 horsepower.

When Cory runs something like a Duck X Production race, he says the team shoots for a 3.80-4.00 pass. However, his expectations were a little different, he says, with the No Prep stuff.

“Here at Builder’s Brawl, we’re hoping to run 4.50-4.80,” he noted. “That’s what we’re kind of shooting for as our goal for the weekend. We’d be happy with that because this is one of our first No Prep races. If we can get anything under a 5.00 flat we’d be really stoked.”

This Pro275 Trans Am and its twin-turbo Hemi engine are definitely a killer combo, and we look forward to seeing many, many more years of Cory in the driver’s seat. Needless to say, we’re glad we stopped and found out a little bit more about Cory Clemens and his drag car. More photos below…

Engine of the Week is sponsored by PennGrade Motor Oil, Elring – Das Original and Engine & Performance Warehouse Inc./NPW Companies. If you have an engine you’d like to highlight in this series, please email Engine Builder Editor Greg Jones at [email protected]