tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81213642008-05-06T14:57:03.720-04:00Don M. TerrillBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1141098391638680122009-12-31T22:36:00.000-05:002008-01-08T19:49:12.936-05:00

My name is Don Terrill and you're reading the ONLY hardcore racing blog on the web. If you like the content here, you'll love my free hardcore newsletter - sign up today - 20,000+ racers can't be wrong.

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-53918370607255320082008-05-06T14:57:00.000-04:002008-05-06T14:57:03.811-04:00

10 Early Season Power Tips By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com It's your first time out this year and you're not happy with the results - Your car feels short on power. At this point most racers will go on a witch hunt to find the one item causing the entire shortfall. Rarely is this the case, more often it's 10 little things adding up to one big problem. Here are 10 I see over and over

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-21274303220238035552008-03-12T16:40:00.003-04:002008-03-12T16:37:56.130-04:00

Last Minute Horsepower By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com Ok, you're almost finished with your new engine - all the machine work is done and you're ready to assemble. But, you're starting to worry about power - it won't be enough. Now what? Well, this is no time to fiddle with cubic inches, compression or new cylinder heads, but there are still things you can do to help power that

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1145852607485461402008-03-12T14:15:00.001-04:002008-03-12T14:18:36.677-04:00

Competing with the "Big Guys" By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com This will go against how society has taught us to think, but I believe it's dangerous to assume someone else is better or smarter just because of their position or title. I'll even go one step further and say it's dangerous to think that way about anyone, at anytime, on any topic. Use this as your default until you see

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-17668364776967625532008-03-04T09:54:00.002-05:002008-03-04T14:08:32.211-05:00

2007's Most Popular Racing Posts By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com Fatal Mistakes.... Indexing spark plugs ?? Micrometer choices???? old school vs modern, can it be done PUMP GAS When does a firing order swap on a SBC become an advantage?? Cam profile in relation to airflow curve Interesting flat tappet pre break-in treatment. power pulses and rpm Rotating weight.....crankshaft....

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-56788619742784898802008-02-12T22:00:00.000-05:002008-02-12T10:05:40.489-05:00

The Car, It's a Drag By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com We focus on making more power, but we should also look at what's keeping the power from becoming speed. Frictional Losses caused by Tires: Rolling Friction = Cr * M * G Cr = coefficient of rolling resistance M = total mass of the vehicle with driver G = acceleration due to gravity As you can see

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1148595248624155372008-02-12T09:45:00.000-05:002008-02-12T09:45:50.104-05:00

Picking the Right Cylinder Heads By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com What needs to be decided and in what order: Head Design - It's been a long time since factory 23 degree Chevy heads were your best choice. If cost and rules won't stop you, get wild. Port Size - Manufacturers only advertise the Intake Port volume (cc), but the critical dimension is the area at the short turn - which is

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1145198199940025302008-01-09T14:02:00.000-05:002008-01-09T14:01:50.230-05:00

Airflow after Overlap By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com "I pick up the .300, .400, .500 numbers and the car goes 1 tenth quicker!!!!!!!!!!! and the experts say no!" I received this email from a racer who has spent his entire adult life trying to prove that mid-lift flow is the most important. What I want to know is who is he arguing with? Who ever said picking up mid flow doesn't

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1142361933703651412008-01-08T13:42:00.000-05:002008-01-09T16:28:12.835-05:00

AVOIDING Catastrophic Engine Failure By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com Have you ever noticed there are racers who have engine failures, one right after another? Then on the other hand, there are racers who never have any trouble, ever? Do you think it's luck? Not hardly! Here's how to be a member of group two: (1) Mock-Up I'm amazed how few people test fit engine parts before

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-35360865818931120732007-07-16T17:10:00.000-04:002007-07-16T18:25:43.178-04:00

Popular Racing Posts from the Past By Don Terrill - www.RacingSecrets.com Quench "flame channels" in piston vs. head quench Port Vanes? HONING procedure DYNO Tails two ring piston experience? Valve/Rocker/Pushrod Geometry Area under the curve Guys I need some advise on bearings How to tell if headers are too small? Discussion: "Porting by Numbers" Darin Morgan Widmer Terms Merged Carb Spacers

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1142917192497642022007-02-12T23:58:00.000-05:002007-02-28T15:37:44.471-05:00

Don't Drink the Racing Kool-Aid By Don Terrill (c) Kool-Aid Drinkers - The term was coined in 1978 when 913 members of the People's Temple cult committed mass suicide on the direction of one man - Jim Jones. Today the term is used to describe anyone so committed to a position that they senselessly ignore the facts or any other viewpoint. Areas where racers tend to drink the Kool-Aid: (1)

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1135528294708976782007-01-25T11:24:00.000-05:002007-01-25T13:32:05.856-05:00

Horsepower Loss by Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com A large percentage of the energy in each gallon of gas is lost to friction and heat. So, instead of looking at how to increase power, let's look at what's reducing it. Frictional Losses Pistons - Optimization of the skirt design for your application can help minimize piston to cylinder wall friction, but if it comes at the expense of

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1148595195655465222006-12-12T13:13:00.000-05:002006-12-12T11:12:33.964-05:00

Picking the Right Headers By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com Choosing the right Headers has as much to do with making more power as it does with where that power happens - at what RPM. What needs to be decided and in what order: Primary DiameterCollector DiameterPrimary LengthQuestions that need to be answered: Engine Size - More cubic inches = more cfm required. RPM - More rpm = more

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1135528522084700662006-11-14T16:07:00.000-05:002006-11-14T16:15:30.836-05:00

Big Power - Focus where it matters By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com When trying to make more power, it's very easy to waste a bunch of time on things that don't matter. The following lists will help to focus your time and money - Do these first and then consider other areas. Rules may limit some of your options, but these are the biggies. The Engine: Power-Adders - Considered by

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1147881743649417562006-06-09T16:33:00.000-04:002006-10-06T17:16:20.950-04:00

Picking the Right Carburetor By Don Terrill (c) - www.RacingSecrets.com Comparing carburetors by their manufacturer's cfm ratings is the number one mistake racers make when picking a carburetor. In the old days it was easy - Holley was the only game in town. Today, with more competition has come more methods for rating carburetor air flow - It has become very hard to compare apples to apples.

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1142472108969969642006-05-17T11:55:00.000-04:002006-05-17T11:59:21.813-04:00

Picking the Right Torque Converter By Don Terrill (c)2006 - www.RacingSecrets.com What needs to be decided and in what order: Converter Size - This is physical size of the converter - the outside diameter. Choose too small and you'll end up with too much stall. Choose too large and you'll end up with too little stall or a converter that's very inefficient (high % of slippage). Stator - A

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1142471999051896602006-04-14T14:44:00.000-04:002006-04-24T00:16:04.410-04:00

Picking the Right Camshaft By Don Terrill (c)2006 What needs to be decided and in what order:Lobe Family - This is a group of lobes that have similar open/close ramps, but different durations. I truly believe the smartest thing Comp Cams every did was publish lobe specs in the back of their catalog - it instantly made me a fan. Intake Duration - If I had never run a Spin-Tron this would be my

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1136757262294460852006-02-20T15:57:00.000-05:002006-02-20T15:56:37.006-05:00

Case Study: Qualifying for Daytona By Don Terrill (c)2006 A few years back a group of local racers came to me to build an engine to run at Daytona - A place they'd never been. "Are they crazy?" Nope, actually Daytona is a great choice when you've got a driver new to the division. Why? Because Daytona requires the use of a restrictor plate that turns a tiger into a pussy cat. For the most

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1135527849272690942006-02-14T15:44:00.000-05:002006-02-14T15:45:11.213-05:00

Baseline Power By Don Terrill (c)2006 At the core of every racer is a deep desire to constantly improve performance. This desire, while responsible for many successes, can also lead to unnecessary failures. Sometimes the application just doesn't call for the most power - In that case, fall back on what you know works: YOUR baseline CombinationYOUR baseline CamshaftYOUR baseline Cylinder

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1137712549149908232006-02-13T14:00:00.000-05:002006-02-13T15:10:14.990-05:00

Car, Driver, Engine - Eliminate Two! By Don Terrill (c)2006 While talking to teams contemplating a move to the next level, I always give the same advice "you've got three variables: the Car, the Driver and the Engine - You need to eliminate ANY two as potential problems before you show up for your first race." In other words, if your driver is of unknown quality, you'd better have a good car

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1134596805961693082006-01-10T21:38:00.000-05:002006-01-10T21:39:41.563-05:00

Top Racing Threads of '05 By Don Terrill (c)2005 Here are some Speed Talk threads worth reading from 2005 - in no particular order:Wave Tuning GoalsEngine MathFixing Bad Port WorkExhaust Porting HelpHarmonic Dampener(Thread 2)Porting QuestionNitrous OxideTubulence and Valve LiftHead Porters: Where did you learn to port Cylinder Heads?Questions on Porting ohc heads!Port flow between floor and

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1134594605133100672006-01-01T16:08:00.000-05:002006-01-10T21:40:10.536-05:00

Top 10 Racing Articles of '05 By Don Terrill (c)2005 Here's a list of my favorite '05 blog posts - in no particular order: Oil Ring TensionDon't Blame the Rod BoltTHE Engine Warm Up MistakeChasing The Weak LinkMind of a ChildStarting a New EngineToo Smart By HalfQuantity Has a Quality All Its OwnBack to the Throttle (Stock Cars only)10 Power Plays (Drag Cars only)Last year's list (Top 10 of '

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1133702056507805982005-12-04T08:13:00.000-05:002005-12-12T23:14:41.016-05:00

The Engine Building Davinci Code By Don Terrill (c)2005 It's there, written into every sanctioning body rule book, clues to the Holy Grail of horsepower. The clues are not encoded or hidden, they are in plain sight - you just need to ask the right questions: Why did they feel the need to write this rule? What did a racer do to prompt this rule change? How can I "legally" apply this to

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1122307565591774382005-11-07T14:14:00.000-05:002005-11-07T14:14:44.946-05:00

Invention Factory By Don Terrill (c)2005 Thomas Alva Edison was born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio; the seventh and last child of Samuel and Nancy Edison. When Edison was seven his family moved to Port Huron, Michigan. Edison lived here until he struck out on his own at the age of sixteen. Edison had very little formal education as a child, attending school only for a few months. He was

Don M. Terrilltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121364.post-1125662079032876982005-10-18T16:48:00.000-04:002005-10-18T16:49:07.003-04:00

13 Gas Saving Tips By Don Terrill (c)2005 I've never heard so much whining in all my life, and not just from the normal whiners, but from people I view as deep thinkers. Listen to them and you'd swear they're not going to survive - gas prices are going to kill them. I don't know what it is, but gas prices go up and people lose all sense of reality. I'm going to give some tips for saving gas,

Don M. Terrill