Tech
Weldon Racing Pumps Meet High-Flying Standards
(Photos courtesy Weldon Pump; Click to enlarge)
If ever there was an unfair advantage for a fuel pump maker, it must surely lie with Weldon. Every pump element they produce for a high performance or racing engine, whether auto or marine, has already been certified for flight by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
FAA regulations prohibit the use of non-metallic parts in the construction of fuel pumps, which if applied to the racing industry would eliminate the products of virtually every other pump maker. The problem with Phenolic resins and thermoplastics, usually Delrin®, and the thin-wall aluminum housings that usually contain them is that they expand when they become warm. As a result they require much greater operating clearances, and for this reason it is impossible for them to compete with the efficiency, the strength, and the trueness of a racing pump made of tool steel and bronze.
Moreover, FAA representatives can appear at Weldon’s door, should they wish, without notice and demand to inspect every component within the building, review every record pertaining to every piece of bar stock in their raw material racks, or test every member of the workforce for drugs. These stringent regulations are, presumably, mandated, for one reason: to ensure aircraft do not fall from the skies due to fuel pump failure. Obviously such regulations benefit Weldon’s racing fuel pumps appreciably, as both they and the aerospace pumps are all produced in the same factory, controlled by the same standards, and assembled by the same teams. Continue Reading »
TECH EXCLUSIVE: BUILDING PRESSURE
Building horsepower involves paying attention to detail. Without following that simple initiative, one cannot expect to end up with a powerplant that is able to traverse the quarter-mile in the shortest amount of time
One of the more important aspects involved in the production of horsepower involves the calculation of the compression ratio within a cylinder’s combustion chamber. In extremely simple terminology, compression ratio is the difference in the volume of the cylinder and cylinder head combustion chamber with the piston at BDC (Bottom Dead Center) divided by the volume of the cylinder/combustion chamber combination with the piston at TDC (Top Dead Center). Continue Reading »
DIAMOND’S NEW INBOARD BILLET PISTONS WITH BUTTONS
Diamond’s new inboard billet pistons with buttons are designed for racers who regularly replace pistons in a hurry and who desire the special features of a modern inboard piston design. Continue Reading »
First hand-adjustable pump/bypass combination from Weldon
Weldon, the only racing fuel pump maker who uses all-metallic internal pumping components—no plastics or Phenolics permitted—has announced a new and innovative fuel pump with an integral bypassing regulator. Called the Sportsman, it is light weight (4.1Lb) and supports race engines producing over 1200 horsepower. Continue Reading »
