Mark Coffin wrote:
...
>He told me that he left only a .022" piston to head clearance. Now, I
>figured that this was WAY too small of a clearance, but he replied "if
>the pistons ain't hitting the head, you ain't gonna make horsepower."
KABOOM {Tale of woe deleted}
FYI, this month's issue of Circle Track has an article on failure
analysis. Although they didn't specifically mention piston to head
clearance, one item said that piston manufacturers often have very
sophisticated analysis equipment at their disposal. Analysis in their
labs may give a measurement of the excess force this banging produced.
An engine builder may be more inclined to listen to a piston maker than
some angry racer the builder figures just over-revved his motor and
wants to blame him. Any builder that treated me that way certainly
would not get any more of my business.
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