Judson knows that there must be some trick to avoid that torque dip, and he is determined to find it. In 2008, he will enter a 400ci-based small-block Chevrolet in hopes of discovering the cure to the problem. After spending over 350 hours on each of the two engines, Judson feels that he might have had a better chance of winning had he concentrated on only one. These hours are not wasted, since he will enter a very similar 400ci-based Chevrolet, and try his hand at the 400M Ford motor.
Meanwhile, Judson's wife, Linda, runs the show at SAM, and Judson travels the country competing in engine builds, drag races, and other industry events. "I have met the coolest people in the world here," Judson says. "If I have any tip to give a team going into this competition, it is to start early and ship on time. At last year's event, I had my guys drive it to New York to beat the deadline. Talk about last minute!" Taking home last year's Third-place award and getting a closer look at the First- and Second-place engines have given Judson further motivation to come back in 2008 to try for First place.
The Chevrolet Bow Tie block used for the School of Automotive Machinists' entry was fitted with bronze lifter bushings from Precision Products to guarantee perfect alignment. Flat tappets and aggressive lobe profiles don't mix well with high spring loads and small-diameter lifters like the SBC's, so precise lifter alignment can mean the difference between a wiped lobe, and the winner's check.
Wiseco used a thermal coating on the face of the piston and a dry-film moly coating on the skirt. A Total Seal Diamond Finish ring set was used with stepped second rings and low-tension oil rings. Notice that the bearing was narrowed .100 inch to reduce friction. These Clevite bearings are made to withstand 1,200 hp, making the .100 inch a safe loss.
Beehive springs reduce resonance, and the naturally progressive rate reduces load to the valve when it isn't necessary. By not having a natural resonant frequency, the beehive spring does not have to fight internal rate losses, resulting in less overall pressure to control the valve.