Last month we spent some time in the shops of Hargett Racing as the team began outfitting a new Chevy 604 crate racing engine as it made the switch from Limited Dirt Late Model racing to the Crate class. The reasoning was simple--if not a bit depressing--the Limited class seems to be dying out with shrinking car counts and rulebooks that change from track to track. Meanwhile, the Crate Late Model class continues to grow with reduced operating costs, and the opportunity to travel to a greater variety of racetracks and even compete in a low-cost touring series.
But, as we've mentioned times before, having real success on the track with a crate involves more than simply dropping in a motor and hauling to the track. Smart crate racers, and even parts manufacturers, have been able to tune their cars and components around the quirks of this limited-horsepower engine. It all has become a game of making the most out of this powerplant's abilities.
Last month we documented the installation of Quarter Master's excellent bellhousing and flywheel kit. That kit includes a low-inertia aluminum flywheel and a high-torque starter. It can also be used to spin a power steering pump off the pulley that Super Late Model engines use to spin up the dry-sump oil pump. For more information on that installation, check out the Mar. '09 issue of Circle Track.
This time around we'll move to the front of the motor to install the water pump and an accessory drive system designed specifically for this motor by Jones Racing Products. This project will also include a fuel pump and regulator from CV Products which will help eliminate stumbles on the racetrack that plague so many race teams and a high-power ignition from MSD.
Nobody's Perfect
You can't see the balance plate that Quarter Master includes with its crate bellhousing and flywheel kit because we mounted it behind the flywheel. Don't do this.
If nobody is perfect, then everybody is somebody, right? Well, here's proof that we're definitely somebody. Last month we showed you this photo with the included balance plate mounted behind the flywheel. Quarter Master includes the balance plate because the 602 and 604 crates are externally balanced.
We mounted up the assembly with the balance plate against the crank, then the flywheel and finally the hub. But when we first cranked the engine, the whine from the starter told us it hadn't disengaged and something was wrong. The fix was as simple as swapping the flywheel and balance plate so that the plate is sandwiched between the flywheel and the drive hub. Now we know, and you do to.
1 Most crate engines, including...
1 Most crate engines, including the popular 602 and 604 Chevrolets, come with everything between the intake manifold and the oil pan, but lack a lot of necessary components to get it running. Last issue we installed the flywheel, starter, and bellhousing from Quarter Master. This time around we’re starting on the other end with the fuel system. The first step is to install the fuel pump pushrod. Make sure to use plenty of assembly lube on both ends. Some lube on the sides of the pushrod also helps hold it in place until you can get the fuel pump bolted up.
2 The fuel pump we chose...
2 The fuel pump we chose from CV Products is a billet aluminum piece that should shrug off normal racing abuse. It’s also a high-pressure unit that should be more than capable of keeping the float bowls filled.
3 CV also has this gauge...
3 CV also has this gauge that helps ensure the correct pushrod length. With the gauge pressed against the fuel pump mounting boss on the block, the pushrod should just barely touch the gauge as the engine is turned over. We’ve seen situations where fuel pumps have been ruined because of poor tolerances.
4 The fuel pump’s inlet and...
4 The fuel pump’s inlet and outlet fittings are clockable to avoid interference problems.
5 The high-flow fuel pump...
5 The high-flow fuel pump will quickly overload the Holley carb, so we’re mating it with CV’s Spin Fuel Regulator kit. The kit comes with the regulator and everything necessary to complete the carburetor fuel log. A lot of racers simply use a lower volume fuel pump without a regulator, but this leads to uneven fuel feed to the carburetor and can leave the engine mysteriously stumbling coming out of the turns. By mating the high-flow fuel pump to the regulator, we can ensure the carburetor receives a steady flow of fuel (normally between 4 to 7 pounds of pressure) without either spikes or drops in pressure.
6 Here’s the completed assembly...
6 Here’s the completed assembly ready to bolt up to the carb. This regulator is a relatively new design that uses lightweight internals capable of ultrafast movements. The result is that the regulator turns on and off more quickly so the carb sees more even flow no matter the engine rpm.
7 We’ll also install a fuel...
7 We’ll also install a fuel pressure gauge so that it’s easy to monitor the fuel flow to the carburetor’s float bowls. Fine tuning the pressure is easy and quick because the regulator is up high beside the carburetor (where it’s also most effective) and the adjustments for both high and low pressure are on the front of the regulator body.
8 Jones Racing Products has...
8 Jones Racing Products has designed a front-end kit specifically for the 602 and 604 motors that utilize pulleys sized to spin the water pump, alternator, and power steering pump at optimum speed in the engine’s normal rpm range. This should result in less parasitic drag on the motor. The kit arrives with everything you need to bolt right up to the crate motor.
9 Jones’ attention to detail...
9 Jones’ attention to detail is obvious throughout. One nice touch is the water pump and alternator are shipped already mocked up with the correct spacers on the bolts and held in place by temporary retaining nuts. There’s no trying to mix and match spacers to get the correct fit because it has already been done for you.
10 The pulleys are ribbed...
10 The pulleys are ribbed so that the belts that drive the system draw less horsepower from the engine and slip less. The lower pulley is centered over this aluminum hub that mounts to the stock damper that’s included with the crate motor.
11 We did run into one issue...
11 We did run into one issue with install. The water pump Jones sources apparently is designed to be used with the old-school stamped metal timing cover. The 602 and 604 crates are fitted with a plastic timing chain cover that’s thicker. We had a slight interference which was solved by pulling a couple of the bolts that hold the timing cover in place and grinding the heads down a bit before reinstalling. After that, the water pump—with alternator attached—bolted up with no problem.
12 Here, driver Chris Hargett...
12 Here, driver Chris Hargett uses a straight edge to make sure the upper and lower pulleys are aligned.
13 The crank pulley needed...
13 The crank pulley needed to come out a bit in order to be correctly aligned with the water pump pulley. Adding a few of the shims that Jones includes quickly fixed the problem.
14 Accessories that vibrate...
14 Accessories that vibrate in their brackets not only draw extra horsepower to spin, but they also break sooner. Jones added this extra mount that secures the alternator to the cylinder head to provide an extra point of contact and help steady the entire assembly.
15 The power steering pump...
15 The power steering pump mounts up on the other side of the engine and also uses multiple attachment points to eliminate vibrations.
16 We like this pump design...
16 We like this pump design partly because it integrates the reservoir into the pump and bracket assembly. This eliminates hoses that can leak, and keeps the weight of the tank and fluid low and near the centerline of the race car. Clips hold the reservoir in place so if there is a problem with either the tank or the pump, just that component can be replaced.
17 Here’s a view from the...
17 Here’s a view from the back side. Belt tension can be adjusted by sliding the pump and reservoir independent from the bracket, which is firmly affixed to the block and cylinder head.
18 Jones designed the belts...
18 Jones designed the belts for minimum slippage. The alternator belt is a cogged design, while the main belt spinning the water and power steering pumps is grooved. Jones says that the power steering pump pulley has been purposely located to create an equilateral triangle (all three angles are equal). This provides maximum belt wrap around all three pulleys which helps eliminate belt slip.
19 Jones even includes synthetic...
19 Jones even includes synthetic power steering fluid designed to work best with its system.
20 Here’s a shot of the completed...
20 Here’s a shot of the completed assembly. Some racers, like Hargett, prefer to run a 16-volt electrical system. These electrical systems can be hard on standard 12-volt alternators. For this reason, Jones also offers an alternator specifically designed to charge 16-volt batteries. When ordering, make sure to mention which type of electrical system you are using.
21 The distributor is a billet...
21 The distributor is a billet unit from MSD. Besides its excellent performance, one of the great features of this distributor is the adjustable collar. This collar determines the depth which the distributor extends into the block. By adjusting the height of the collar, you can precisely set the distributor gear engagement with its mating gear on the cam. Taking the time to make sure the distributor gear isn’t bottomed out against the cam gear (you should be able to move the rotor up and down a bit by hand) will not only help the distributor gear last longer, but it also helps everything spin more freely.
22 Dirt track racing is a...
22 Dirt track racing is a rough environment for electrical systems, and washing your car can be even tougher. To help protect the distributor as well as the MSD 6AL “brain” box, replace the stock plugs with waterproof weatherpack plugs which are available from almost all speed shops.
23 We’re also using MSD’s...
23 We’re also using MSD’s 8.5mm Superconductor wires which combine maximum shielding protection from electrical noise and good conductivity so that all the energy from the ignition makes it to the spark plugs. A low compression motor like the 604 doesn’t require a lot of energy to get the spark to fire the air/fuel charge, but we do want all the energy possible to help speed up the flame kernel to make the combustion process as efficient as possible.
24 We’re routing the wires...
24 We’re routing the wires underneath the Kooks headers we’ll be mounting up later. To eliminate the possibility of ruining a wire by melting it against a hot header, we used MSD’s wire looms to secure the wires so that they stay tight against the head.
25 All that’s left to do...
25 All that’s left to do at this point is install the protective cap on top of the distributor to make sure the wires don’t get accidentally snatched off.
26 Finally, the 604 crate...
26 Finally, the 604 crate is installed in the chassis. You might notice we’ve also installed heat shielding to the plug wires to provide a bit of additional protection from heat. It’s time to go racing!