Californian fires

[supersparky]

Most of the top tier radio controlled boats ran straight nitro 10-20 years ago. Dunno what they do now, I've lost track of the old workmate that racing them.
Back in the day it was almost always too much nitro or too much advance that destroyed engines.
Water in the supercharger has been guilty killing a few motors in the open hydroplanes that run in the Griffith Cup at Lake Mulwala.

[jon_d]

They must make a noise when let go.

[T1 Terry]

They must make a noise when let go.

They make a lot of noise before they let go as well, the exhaust pulses break the sound barrier on a Top Fuel drag motor, including the boats .... Some sort of crazy to drive a Top Fuel Drag boat .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrbzuLTCQLY as an example

T1 Terry

[BernieQ2]

It's been a long time ago since I seen anyone using a timing light

[Greynomad]

T1,
That’s probably what I witnessed at a second drag meet.
The engine exploded in the staging area as they were creeping up to the lights.
The head — still attached to the top half of the left bank of cylinders — was found 200yards away in the bushes.
Luckily the right bank remained attached. Had that blown it would have landed among us spectators.
The left bank plus cylinder head was brought over to the fence to show us — once it had cooled down.
I think it was not long after that the ANDRA mob banned the use of Hydrazine as a fuel additive.

[Greynomad]

It's been a long time ago since I seen anyone using a timing light

My dad used to tell me about his early days as a junior mechanic. (Late 1920s~early 1930s)
His first job on a Yank Tank with a V8, he reckoned that setting the idle speed didn’t require a timing light, but a calendar!
(ps. I still have his timing light.)

[Greynomad]

T1,
Watched the link to the hydrofoil boats.
Reminds me of the early 60s.
Toronto Speedboats Club had a couple of hydrofoil boats doing demo runs. I think they were running Holden straight sixes (grey motor?).
From memory (unreliable these days) I think cavitation severely eroded their propellers, which had to be replaced after about two or three runs.
I’d hate to see what the supercharged Nitro V8s did to their props!!

[Newcastle George]

Talking timing ligts. My father never used one just held onto the spark plug lead in one hand and placed his thumb against number one plug hole while i turned the start key and then he adjusted the distributor as necessary.

George

[Greynomad]

Risking triggering a heart attack every time!

Even using only the thumb and finger of one hand doesn’t bypass the jolt to the heart.

[Noggins]

My mate had a Ford mercury, side valve V8
We used to take it in turns stopping the motor by laying our arms over the spark plugs,
Then my mate tried it on an English Thames truck (with the Ford V8 side valve motor)
After getting some feeling back in his arms he declared "Never Again"