This is topic Interesting Facts about Top Fuel in forum Drag Racing at Northern California Ford Owners  .


To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://californiafords.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000921

---

Posted by bunchmyfunky (Member # 360) on :
 
Top Fuel Drag Racing Put Into Perspective:

* One Top Fuel dragster makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows of the
Daytona 500.

* At full throttle, a Top Fuel dragster consumes 11.5 gallons of
Nitromethane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same
rate but produces 25% less energy.

* A stock 426 HEMI does not produce enough horsepower to drive a Top Fuel
supercharger

* At full throttle the supercharger is ramming 3000 CFM of air into the
cylinders. The mixture is so compressed that the engine is on the verge of
hydraulic lock.

* Nitromethane burns yellow. The white flames seen above the exhaust stacks
is actually Hydrogen, which has been dissociated from water by the heat of
combustion.

* At stoichiometric, the nitromethane air/fuel ratio is 1.7:1. Flame front
temperature is 7050 degrees.

* The dual magnetos produce 44 amps to each plug. This is enough current to
arc weld.

* Spark plugs are totally consumed during a run. In fact, after half way,
the engine is dieseling from the compression and the glow of the exhaust
valves. After this point, the engine can only be shut down by cutting the
fuel flow.

* To accelerate to over 300 MPH in 4.5 seconds the dragster must average 4
Gs. For the dragster to reach 200 MPH by half-track required 8 Gs.

* Redline is quite high at 9500 RPM.

* Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew is working for free, and
nothing blows up, each run costs $1000 per second.

Perspective:
So you take your specially tuned $140,000 Lingerfelter "Twin Turbo"
Corvette, and start back about a mile or so, accelerating as fast as you
can, reaching your top speed of 200 MPH. This is really moving and would be
something anyone would be proud of. You're approaching the starting line
where the Top Fuel dragster is sitting - stopped - waiting for you. As you
cross the starting line, the light runs green.

Within 3 seconds you are deafened by the incredible whine of the dragster,
which has caught up to you. He passes and beats you to the end of the
1320-foot quarter mile.

THAT is acceleration .
 

---

Posted by jmcclesk (Member # 1355) on :
 

 

---

Posted by 98slowhoe (Member # 895) on :
 
Those facts are always amazing to read each and every month or so somebody posts them up.
 

---

Posted by RO2USH (Member # 2002) on :
 
knew most of that, but it's still cool to see
 

---

Posted by bunchmyfunky (Member # 360) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by 98slowhoe:
Those facts are always amazing to read each and every month or so somebody posts them up.

---

Hey I'm just trying to keep this forum moving.
 

---

Posted by Yellow94GT (Member # 431) on :
 
I never seen them before

All I can say is
 

---

Posted by 91PONY (Member # 206) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by bunchmyfunky:

quote:

---

Originally posted by 98slowhoe:
Those facts are always amazing to read each and every month or so somebody posts them up.

---

Hey I'm just trying to keep this forum moving.

---

Just remember Mark, there is always a smartass in every thread! LOL


 

---

Posted by 87 Saleen (Member # 1549) on :
 
That's the third time I've seen that on this board, and the third time I've read it on this board. I'm still amazed
 

---

Posted by 98slowhoe (Member # 895) on :
 

quote:

---

Originally posted by 91PONY:

quote:

---

Originally posted by bunchmyfunky:

quote:

---

Originally posted by 98slowhoe:
Those facts are always amazing to read each and every month or so somebody posts them up.

---

Hey I'm just trying to keep this forum moving.

---

Just remember Mark, there is always a smartass in every thread! LOL

---

Hey now I am just pretty much saying what 87 saleen said. It's just cause I am razzing ol'Markus sparkus! Plus I bet it's cause I am Brown!J/K
 

---