Video: Steve Morris Develops Unique Top Dragster Turbo Package

In the Top Dragster class, consistency is the name of the game. And in years past, consistency was most likely the last attribute that could be connected with a turbocharged engine combination. Steve Morris and the Steve Morris Engines team are out to change that misconception with this interesting engine package.

“We decided to do something different, and what is traditional for us to do — what others said won’t work,” says SME’s Alex Esnaola. “So we developed a turbocharged combination. The common misconceptions with turbocharged combinations are lag, response time, and consistency, and it’s really tough for the racer. The electronics available today have made it so that the so-called negative aspects have been minimized dramatically.”

Placing the turbocharger in the rear of the engine compartment uncluttered the area behind the driver substantially.

Placing the turbocharger in the rear of the engine compartment uncluttered the area behind the driver substantially.

The decision was made to use an electronic fuel-injected, coil-pack-ignited, turbocharged combination designed to run on methanol fuel. Although the engine in the video, designed for Todd Zeller, shows the turbocharger packaged in the front of the engine, upon final installation the decision was made to place the turbocharger in the rear of the engine. This opened up the front of the engine and improved the packaging substantially.

The engine is based around SME’s proven big-block Chevy engine package which can make monstrous horsepower numbers when pushed hard. But in this particular application, the engine is detuned quite a bit; in theory this will extend the lifespan of the engine substantially. The ultimate goal is to create an engine package that is easy to install, remains trouble-free for the racer, and will run the number each and every time down the track without fail.

“When the engine is developed properly, lag , or spool time, is cut down dramatically. We know that in an apples-to-apples comparison, when a turbocharger moves an equivalent amount of air volume as a centrifugal supercharger, there is more power potential available from the turbocharged engine since there is virtually no parasitic loss. Plus, you maintain whatever boost ramp or boost level you want throughout the shift, unlike with a centrifugal supercharger that has an RPM drop and corresponding loss of power on the shift,” Esnaola explains.

Tubing runs are simple and as direct as possible. A pair of Turbosmart's blowoff valves are in the straight run above the valve cover.

The use of methanol fuel allows the SME team to omit the traditional intercooler from the package, as the methanol fuel keeps the intake charge considerably cooler than gasoline. With the omission of the intercooler, a substantial amount of weight can be removed from the configuration, and the packaging simplified immensely in the process.

Turbosmart‘s 60mm PowerGate60 wastegate and dual blowoff valves allow for excellent consistency and control over boost levels, especially when combined with the electronic controls found in the Holley Dominator engine management system. As one of Bullseye Power‘s largest and well-connected dealers, SME was able to supply the 98mm turbocharger for the combination.

A 98mm turbocharger housing full of Bullseye Power's billet BatMo wheel motivates this super-consistent combination.

A 98mm turbocharger housing full of Bullseye Power’s billet BatMo wheel motivates this super-consistent combination.

This consistency is what makes the engine package so attractive; in testing the engine has shown remarkable performance on just a few shakedown runs.

As seen below, on the first outing in Zellner’s dragster, the first test hit showed an excellent 1.019 60-foot clocking. The second pass had the clocks stop with a 1.011 short time and 4.36 eighth-mile at 161.88 mph, while the third pass with the same tuneup resulted in a 1.013 short time and 4.365 ET at 161.79 mph.

“These numbers were run at only 12.5 pounds of boost pressure!” says Esnaola.

“For a Top Dragster guy who’s been running NA or a [nitrous] kit or two to be competitive and is tired of filling bottles and the maintenance that goes along with it, we have simplified the electronics dramatically with this combination,” says Esnaola.

With 22 pounds of boost pressure routed through the big-block, the engine cranked off 2,001 horsepower at a tame, engine-friendly 6,700 rpm. Over 1,400 pound-feet of torque are available from the test start of 4,500 rpm up though the end of the testing at 6,900 rpm.

“We’re not spinning the engine to the moon or pushing the engine combination super-hard; this bodes well for sustained performance,” says Esnaola.

This RPM range is exceptionally low for a race engine combination capable of low 4-second elapsed times in the under-2,000 pound dragster. The engine will be used in competition up to approximately 8,000 rpm; the boost curve programmed in will allow the engine to maintain the horsepower level through the entire RPM range.

“We have infinite control of boost, power levels, and timing and fuel controls all through simple keyboard functions,” says Steve Morris. “It’s very easy to use — ‘I want to go this fast, a few keystrokes and you’re going that fast.’ That’s all it is. No gear changes, very simple, very easy on parts, and will fit in your dragster quite nicely.”

The use of the Holley engine management system combines all of the major functions into one box — boost control, individual cylinder timing, and the coil-near-plug ignition are all controlled by the Dominator. This greatly simplifies the engine installation for the customer as well; there is no need for separate systems to control each function of the engine.

In fact, Esnaola explains that they’ll be able to deliver the package complete with the Holley’s touch-screen controller, which will allow the user to build numerous tuneups through testing, then simply select the required tuneup for the desired ET and go out and run the number.

Alternate views of the engine in the dragster's chassis.

In the video, Morris discusses the individual cylinder tuning and how the use of an EGT sensor in each exhaust tube shows the user which cylinder may be running hot or cold, and how to thus improve and fine-tune the calibration to further dial in the engine’s performance.

The Holley system is even capable of datalogging each of the controllable engine functions. There’s a G-meter, driveshaft meter, and many other functions already built-in. For an in-depth dive on the Dominator’s capabilities, check out this article.

“We did the turbocharger for one set of reasons, and the electronic fuel injection for a completely different set of reasons. The engine will run efficiently from idle to full RPM, and we have closed-loop correction. You simply don’t have that type of control with a blow-through carburetor version of this engine,” says Esnaola.

Technology is amazing, isn’t it?

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About the author

Jason Reiss

Jason draws on over 15 years of experience in the automotive publishing industry, and collaborates with many of the industry's movers and shakers to create compelling technical articles and high-quality race coverage.
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