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Shiftin’ With Confidence
Form meets function with the Aerospace Components Pro Eliminator shifter
By Michael Galimi
It is believed that one of the most critical design aspects of a new automobile’s interior is the steering wheel because of the regular interaction that the driver has with it. Moving to a racecar, that sentiment shifts (no pun intended) to include the gear selector, and what we often consider to be relatively simple acts while driving—steering and shifting—usually have much greater implications while on track. A slight correction with the wheel, or shifting at the just the right moment, can be the difference between winning and losing a round or a race.
The best solutions come from necessity and in the case of Aerospace Components, the company saw a need to design a new style shifter during the assembly of its first drag car. “The other brands were not practical when strapped into a race seat with a five-point harness,” said Aerospace Components co-founder Kim Kussy, who is also the President and CMO of the company. She continued, “the reverse lockout mechanisms required two hands to operate and made it virtually impossible without loosening the belts to get your car in Reverse or Park. So we set out to build a better shifter.”
The result is the Pro Eliminator shifter that can be operated using one hand, is very durable, and comes in several configurations to fit a variety of applications. The durability comes from design and raw materials. The design capabilities are vast, as Aerospace Components has worked with several government agencies, including NASA, and also in the aeronautical and aerospace fields. This has enabled the performance division to draw upon the engineering, computer modeling, programming, and machining capabilities to produce high-end racing products with relative ease.
Aerospace Components built the Pro Eliminator to be both durable and practical thanks to its one-handed operation, including the Reverse gear lockout.
A majority of the Pro Eliminator is constructed using T6061 billet aluminum, including the body and shifter handle. The gate plate and gear selector pin are hardened steel for even the most aggressive driving techniques. Aerospace Components also uses stainless steel hardware to keep the shifter quality high and long lasting. Despite the ruggedness, the Pro Eliminator checks in at a paltry two pounds or less depending on configuration. “When we were looking for a shifter, we wanted something a little nicer than the regular stuff out there,” shared Chris Knapp who is a weekend warrior and races a variety of cars on the Florida drag racing scene. Continuing, “The look and fit of the Aerospace Components Pro Eliminator was so much nicer than the other shifters out there.”
Aerospace Component’s Design Engineer Al Kussy, who is also the CEO and co-founder, and his team have designed and built the shifter under NHRA/IHRA guidelines, which dictate there is a Reverse lockout. The lockout gate prevents drivers from accidently moving the lever past Neutral and into the Reverse gear while the vehicle is in motion. Gear selection is a combination of pulling the shifter back with or without the lever; depending on which gear you are trying to engage. When moving the shifter up towards the Park position, to go from Neutral to Reverse, the driver must push the lever forward to release the safety lock feature and allow the shifter to engage Reverse. It is designed for one-handed use so a driver can remained strapped in the seat when performing that function. The video below is a “Kimmy’s Garage” video showing the one-handed operation of the Pro Eliminator shifter.
Versatility was incorporated into the Pro Eliminator as the transmission cable can be either fed into the shifter base from the front or rear allowing any variety of mounting locations. A cable mount and bell-crank setup for rear-mounted transmission cables are available at an additional cost and mount to most transmission pans for reverse cable operation.
The Pro Eliminator is currently available for use with a Powerglide transmission with a Three-speed version on the design table as you read this article. Knowing that every car is built differently, Aerospace Components offers the shifter to accept both front and rear cable attachment. An air solenoid or electric solenoid can be fastened to the back of the billet case for racers who wish to utilize an auto-shifting mechanism. “It is nice to have the option of running either the air or electronic auto-shift,” Knapp shares and he utilizes the electric shift on his racecar for consistency. Like all Aerospace Components products, the Pro Eliminator is made in the U.S.A.
A proprietary electronic shift solenoid is optional for Pro Eliminator shifters.
For air-shifted setups, Aerospace Components also offers the solenoid and shifting mechanism specifically for the Pro Eliminator shifter. The company sells billet C02 bottle brackets to compliment the air-shifter.
For the average street-going car enthusiast the act of steering and driving might be simple but for the drag racer it could be the difference between winning and losing as every thousandth of a second are paramount to success.
Bolt-On Horsepower
Aerospace Components vacuum pump systems relieve pressure and free up horsepower.
By Michael Galimi
Bolt-on power adders are prevalent in the street car market as many manufacturers produce easy-to-install forced induction components and, of course, nitrous oxide systems. The results are well documented with output increases as high as several hundred horsepower. This month I checked out a bolt-on power adder of sorts, well more of a power enabler, in the form of an Aerospace Components vacuum pump kit. It doesn’t offer the kind of big improvements as a turbocharger, supercharger, or nitrous kit but it does enable your race engine to perform better. Adding a vacuum pump is a simple bolt-on component, which isn’t normally associated with a racing engine either.
An Aerospace Component vacuum pump replaces the generic open element breathers or popular valve cover-to-exhaust hoses that are designed to help pull out crankcase gases. The Aerospace Components pump is driven by the crankshaft to create vacuum to relieve those pressures more effectively and help the engine create 20 to 40 more horsepower in the process. As I said, this isn’t a power adder but a bolt-on component that enables a race engine to generate more horsepower.
Aerospace Components sells vacuum pump kits to fit most popular big-block and small-block engines as well as universal setups. The vacuum pump mounts easily to the front of the engine, is spun by the crankshaft via the supplied mandrel and lower pulley setup, and a breather tank collects the spent gases and retains discarded oil.
“The pump does is exactly what it is suppose to do and that is to reduce windage and the affects of it,” said Keith Jones of Total Seal, a leading piston ring manufacturer who supplies piston rings to racers that span from the upper echelon of professional drag racing to daily drivers. Jones gave us a simple example that if one were to build a 565ci big-block Chevy that means there is 565ci of pumping effort above and below the piston rings. “All of that volume has to have a place to go and open breathers just aren’t going to get the job done,” he said. By adding a vacuum pump, it will help relieve the crankcase of that pressure.
The vacuum pump comes with a universal pulley combination that works for any application. An adjustable bleeder valve fine-tunes the vacuum that is pulled from the crankcase.
Ignoring the excessive windage in many engine combinations can lead to piston ring seal issues such as loss of the seal, blow-by, and—according to Jones—excessive oil consumption as the oil is held in suspension with what he called a “roping affect” that doesn’t drain back to the pan. “I’ve seen severe cases where the windage was so bad that it would blow oil out of the breathers,” he said. The excessive oil expelled out of the breathers is due to the valvetrain oil drainage being pushed back up the same hole that the crankcase is using to relieve pressure. Often times that is diagnosed as a ring seal issue but when in reality it is due to excessive windage, which the Aerospace Components vacuum pump is designed to reduce.
Matt Scranton, former NHRA Sport Compact champion and NHRA Pro Stock driver weighed in our on conversation. He currently operates Scranton Racing Development and utilizes the in-house dyno for various engine projects and manufacturer testing. He recently performed a back-to-back to test with an Aerospace Components vacuum pump on a class-restricted Bonneville Salt Flats land speed engine. “We gained right at 21hp with 12 inches of vacuum on a 461hp engine,” said Scranton. He continued to tell us that several 632ci engines that have come through the shop typically gain around 40hp with the addition of a vacuum pump. He continued, “the vacuum pump helps seal the rings better and allows you to add a lighter tension oil ring to help with power. It is also great for a nitrous engine to help control oil through the rings to prevent detonation.”
All kits come with AN12 ports on the vacuum pump and Aerospace Components supplies one 90-degree fitting, three straight AN12 fittings, and six-feet of stainless steel braided hose to give the end-user plenty of options for connecting the pump to the valve cover and plenty of hose to mount the breather tank in a variety of locations under the hood.
The Aerospace Components vacuum pump is made from high-quality 6061-T6 billet aluminum, including the carrier for low rotational mass. The one-piece shaft is also 6061-T6 billet aluminum and offers zero run-out while rolling on double-sealed ball bearings. The vanes are made from carbon fiber for durability and light rotating weight. All pumps come with a properly sized pulley and Aerospace Components offers mandrels to fit any engine application. The vacuum is regulated through an adjustable relief valve. Aerospace Components does offer various kits to fit popular engines, which includes the vacuum pump, engine-specific brackets, mounting hardware, hose and fittings to attach the pump to the valve covers and billet breather tank (included), relief valve, and other supporting components. All of the components are made in the U.S.A.
Here is the relief valve that attaches to the pump and allows the user to fine tune the vacuum that the Aerospace Components pump is removing from the crankcase. Typically a high-rpm engine will need to bleed off a greater amount of air to regulate the crankcase vacuum because the pump will be turning at a much higher rpm since it is connected to the engine.
“We go back to 1996 with Aerospace Components—the parts are high-quality, they fit, they work, and they are reliable,” said Scranton. And with 20-40hp gains normally seen with the Aerospace Components vacuum pump, bolt-on horsepower isn’t just a term regulated to the forced induction/nitrous oxide injection power adder market.
Watered Down
Aerospace Components Water Pump keeps its cool when the competition heats up
By Michael Galimi
Right now—as I type this story—it is hot outside. The heat index is pegged at 101-degrees with the humidity and air temperature combined. For many racers across the country triple digit heat is a part of life during certain times of the year. Even in milder conditions, a properly operating cooling system will keep your engine running smoothly and consistently as water circulates through the engine, staving off hot-spots in the cylinder heads and block.
An integral part to the cooling system is the water pump and practically a standard in drag racing is an electric motor to turn the pump. Without a water pump the coolant (water in drag racing applications) couldn’t circulate through the engine, into the radiator to get cooled off, and back into the engine to soak in more heat. Aerospace Components has tapped into its engineering and manufacturing prowess to deliver a durable and high-functioning electric water pump.
Aerospace Components took great care in adding an electric motor that was durable and powerful but also offers a low amp draw (4 amps).
“We all know how hot it has been this summer and the pump [ed note—Aerospace Components Water Pump] is meeting those demands; it performs as good as it looks,” said noted NMCA racer Dave Theisen who competes in the competitive heads-up category of NA 10.5. His 1969 Pontiac Firebird is powered by a 611ci big-block Chevy that routinely pushes Theisen into the high 7s at nearly 175 mph.
The current line-up of Aerospace Components water pumps covers big-block Chevy, small-block Chevy, small-block Ford, the 4.6L and 5.4L Ford Modular engine families, and a universal kit. Each water pump retails in the low $400 dollar range, keeping it affordable given its exceptional capabilities, quality, and it pays back to NMRA, NMCA, and NMCA WEST racers in the form of contingency cash rewards for the winner and runner-up finishers.
The water pump is designed to clear most belt-drive systems on big-block and small-block Chevy and small-block Ford applications.
Aerospace Components Water Pumps, regardless of the application, are capable of flowing 37 gallons per hour (gph) in most applications. Obviously the line size, 12- or 16-volt electrical system, and any water restrictions will have an effect on the flow rate. The water flow pushed by the pump is sufficient to keep the engine cool during longer drive cycles and in higher horsepower applications that have high-compression or a power adder; both are contributors to higher cylinder pressures leading to greater heat production from the engine.
The electric motor that Aerospace Components includes on all of its water pump kits has a very low amperage draw of just 4 amps. Limiting the amp draw of components means it lessens the tax on the electrical system, leaving plenty of juice for other systems like throttle stops, delay boxes, massive electric fuel pumps, lights, etc. And lest you think that the low amp draw comes at the cost of the motor’s capabilities, the Aerospace Components water pump motor moves 37 gph and is rated for continuous duty.
Like so many other Aerospace Components, Al Kussy incorporated a lot of 6061 T6 billet aluminum into the water pump’s design. Every water pump setup, from its universal pump to the big-block Chevy kit, includes a 6061 T6 billet aluminum housing and impeller. Additionally, a high-performance shaft seal is utilized for longevity and durability in the harsh racing environments. Aerospace Components also includes stainless steel hardware in all of its kits.
In typical Aerospace Components fashion, high-quality 6061 T6 billet aluminum is standard in many aspects of the race part. All Aerospace Components products are Made in the U.S.A.
For those who require a remote mounted water pump or repurposing it for use in an air-to-water intercooler system, the company sells a universal kit. It has a single one-inch NPT inlet and two ¾-inch NPT outlets. For the big-block and small-block Chevy and Ford applications, Aerospace Components gives the buyer a choice for the inlet fitting size and each one of those kits clears most aftermarket camshaft belt-drive systems. NMCA West racer Ricky Deuschle said it best when he described the water pump and his other Aerospace Components products, “Boy, what a product!” He went on to tell us that as a career machinist, he is very impressed with the quality as well as the performance of all the Aerospace Components parts he runs on the family’s racecars.
How does it work in the real world? Deuschle offered a story about his recent outing at the Auto Club Speedway, which is located in Fontana, CA. The Deuschle family runs three Top Sportsman racecars and a 1969 Camaro Z/28 in Super Gas, each vehicle is equipped with virtually the entire Aerospace Components catalog of parts. This particular race weekend saw 100-degree weather in Southern California. Any experienced bracket racer knows that as elimination day wears on, the time between rounds diminishes. With just 20 minutes to cool down and prepare the cars, Deuschle said his car and his sisters’ rides were all pushing their water temperature needles to 200 degrees or more. A quick flip of a switch activated the water pump for each car and within 15 minutes the temperature dropped to a more acceptable 130 degrees. The quick cool down allowed the cars to perform without the risk of popping a head gasket or another failure from high water temperature.
The water pump might not be the latest go-fast goody like a new supercharger or a set of cylinder heads, but in the heat of racing, particularly in the summer months, keeping the engine ready for action is vital to success. That includes maintaining reasonable water temperatures through the burnout and during a pass down the quarter-mile. Additionally, running the electric pump in the pits keeps water circulating to cool down the engine before the next round of eliminations.
Crossing the Line
In a world with a blurred line between street and race, Aerospace Components braking systems have a clear definition.
By Michael Galimi
In life we make a lot of decisions, for a gearhead one of the biggest choices when building a drag strip bound car (or truck) is to decide if it will be a racecar or street car. There are plenty of bench racing sessions that can make an excuse for a nitro Funny Car getting tagged and idled down Main Street, however when it comes to braking systems there is the proverbial line in the sand. Depending on which side of the line your vehicle sits, Aerospace Components has a specific braking system to suite its needs.
Aerospace Components has several application-specific designs for the Mustangs of any year, the latest generation Camaro, and general applications but when it comes to the type of use, the only two choices are Pro Street or Drag Race. Both types of brake systems utilize the same high quality parts like billet aluminum components, Hawk performance pads, exceed all NHRA/IHRA requirements, and all of brake kits are proudly made in the U.S.A. But the differences between Pro Street and Drag Race braking systems lie in the specifications.
Kim Kussy of Aerospace Components was kind enough to sit down with us to run through the checklist of different aspects of their braking systems. She shared that the rotors, calipers, brake pads, and mounting brackets are not the same between the two classifications. The line in the sand with Aerospace Components is the minimum weight of the vehicle, with the driver. For cars/trucks over 3,000 pounds—street or strip—the Pro Street brakes must be standard. We must note that lightweight street cars under the 3,000 pound threshold must still run Pro Street brakes; that is not negotiable. Drag Race brake systems are cleared for use under the 3,000 pounds with strip-only applications.
Beginning with the rotors, Pro Street and Drag Race have drastically different performance life as drag racing brakes help decelerate the vehicle and then the car gets a break from the action. On the street, however, the braking systems are constantly in use as the rotors heat up, cool off, heat up, cool off, etc. during the typical stop and go traffic and longer drive time. That said, Aerospace Components builds its drag racing brakes to be lightweight for the ultimate in performance and it begins with a steel plate. The drag racing rotors are thin at just 5/16-inch thick and feature dilled holes to help save rotating weight. On the Pro Street side, Aerospace Components uses a cast iron rotor with a 13/16-inch thickness and its vented through the center so air can pump through the rotor and lower the temperatures quicker between stops.
Comparing the Drag Race (left) and Pro Street (right) rotors, one can see the drastic difference in size and design. A solid steel 5/16th inch thick plate is the foundation for the lightweight racing rotors while all vehicles over 3,000 pounds will require the 13/16-inch thick rotors in the Pro Street kit.
The calipers are designed nearly identical with the Pro Street ones being slightly thicker to fit over the matching rotors. In both instances, Aerospace Component calipers use four-pistons and are made in billet aluminum. Aerospace Components also offers single and dual piston calipers for certain dedicated drag racing applications. A set of dual rear calipers, which are popular in turbo applications and foot-brake racing, are available in both street and strip formats. The caliper mounting brackets that are included in Aerospace Components brake kits are slightly different for each application in order to accommodate the slightly larger diameter rotors.
The billet aluminum calipers look nearly identical between the Pro Street and Drag Race braking systems. The major difference between the two is the overall thickness, the Pro Street rotors are thicker than the drag-only ones, and therefore the calipers are sized appropriately.
Hawk brake pads are used exclusively in all Aerospace Components brake systems and the company uses different pads depending on the application. For Drag Racing kits, a more efficient cold stopping pad has been selected and it is far more aggressive than any street brake pad. The Pro Street kits include a brake pad that has a broader heat range and it is slightly less aggressive to help prevent wear on the softer cast iron rotors.
The line in the sand sits at 3,000 pounds and Aerospace Components is firm on that threshold along with street-use requiring Pro Street brakes, regardless of the minimum weight. As some enthusiasts make excuses for a thinly veiled racecar with license plates, the braking systems from Aerospace Components aren’t open for speculation.
