What happened to the Honda thing?
 

I rarely stop in to check these days but was wondering what ever happened to the new Honda spec motor? I don't see any out here, and don't seem to hear about any running anywhere. Anybody know if that program is still alive, or what the prospects for the focus / Ignite / Honda midget series are?:32:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Revolution

You must be pretty bruised up by now. It is kinda of hard battling the powers that be when they have a mind of their own and a conclusion of their own also. You Are On To Something. I think The platform is good for 400 horsepower+ with a stock block and cylinder head and still be a very reliable engine. If I had the money I would love to invest in a billet crank, Ti rods and valves, a set of good pistons, a good port job combined with a properly sized for expected Horsepower Engler-Electronic injection system. I think it could be done for less than $15,000.00. and be much more than competitive with any National Midget motor being built today. On top of that it would be much cheaper to maintain and race.

Your mind is in the right place, keep on thinking ahead of the curve and someday you just might slip one past the gate keepers.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Appreciate the encouragement, but I have lost interest in dealing with certain aspects of the job related to getting your nose all browned up. Doing other, more rewarding things these days but still building a few "specials". We'll see how it goes, but was just wondering if the little spec Honda is ever getting off the ground or if... lets just say now that the checks are all cashed, interest has waned.....?

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Revolution

Research and development is an occupation onto itself. Bull $hit and brown nosing is another endeavor all onto itself. My son an engineer likes to say a salesman can say that anything is possible to the client and then after he sells it he gives it to the engineer to figure out how to make it happen in less time than it took him to sell it. It is very hard to wear both hats. Honda can afford both types of people.

We don't hear much about the little Honda on IOW, probably a publicity snafu on the behalf of USAC. The Honda sound like a good little motor, if Honda has anything to do with it it will be reliable, and a little pricey also. I have a 25 year old Honda push mower that I paid $600.00 for back then, my friends thought I was nuts. Well my wife can still go out to the garage pull it out> pull it once and away she goes cutting her little back yard.

I for one appreciate your work, and am very sorry more did not come out of your efforts.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Your wife cuts the lawn???

How does that happen?

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

USAC has only just now updated the Rules section on usacracing.com, changing out the old Appendix "E" for Ignite Midgets with a new HPD Midget section. Of note is the fact that Focus engines are still legal (not unexpected; I'm sure there will be a grandfather period although I didn't see one listed), and the fact that the Rules regarding the Honda K24 engine are still incomplete. My guess is there are still R&D issues to be resolved; I had heard from someone involved in some of the testing late last year (who shall go unnamed because he made me swear I would maintain his anonymity) that they were experiencing overheating issues on the Ignite fuel, which may be one of the reasons that Focus engines are now required to run straight methanol and the K24 is mandated to burn VP C85 ethanol.

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Spicoli

You gota make a few sacrifices when you race, don't you.;) We got a few acres of land I cut most of it with a tractor. She has all of her flowers and stuff in her little back yard and when they said "Finish Mower" that is what they mean it finishes everything that gets in it's way. I have been accused of finishing off a few trees with that thing, and it would probably be true.

Jim? Overheating huh we had the same problem running on Gasoline fixed real easy with aftermarket cooling fan, about $75.00. Ethanol just don't seem to make good racing fuel DOES IT, Since USAC is going so green they need to talk to them guys in Ohio about Electric Midgets, no mufflers required, there goes a little more business I guess.

You know, OLD E.T. Morris used to run his Sprinter off of straight from the barrel un-cut 200 Proof Ezra Brooks whiskey, and I don't remember any problems, just a little better smell than methanol. Wonder if that 15% additives mostly gasoline could be the culprit. Has any body tried 100% Ethanol?


Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Originally Posted by DAD:
Has any body tried 100% Ethanol?
Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Actually, to use 100% ethanol, you would need to own a state liquor license. That's why they add gasoline ..... so you can't drink it.

mac miller in INDY

Dad. Not knocking your son for being a engineer. But I do deal with them on a daily bases. So when the engineer gets done scratching this head because the salesman has sold a "great idea". He goes and finds a machinest to make it happen. Lol

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Mac

Things was a little more lax back in the 50's and early 60's. E.T. ran a distillery in Frankfort Ky. I know it came out before the federal stamp went on the barrel, and he probabulay used a denaturent but not 15% gasoline. That seems a bit much.

Us kentuckyians invented this device known as a "still" it does a good job of getting rid of that gasoline mixed with your shine.:5::5:

What I am trying to say is Revolution was on the verge of a revolution in the Midget racing industry. With more funding and support he was going to singlehanded make midget racing both cheaper and better. Honda has the funds to convert their little motor to whatever fuel they desire and the additional funds to grease their way right into a very small nitch market, that should prove not to be much proffit for them, but some marketing value I guess. The racer on the other hand is left with a rather expensive yet anemic little motor to race.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Leohr

Unless the engineer is a software engineer, Then a machinest doesn't help much. I was blessed to know a machinest-engineer and yes he could out think most mechanical engineers. I can relate to mechanical engineers, civil engineers, but I for one have not got a clue as to what my son does. I know it has something to do with them cash registers in all the big filling stations and how they count money and call up the armored car people when they need to drop a load.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Dad,
I was just having a little fun with you. If your around a machine shop much its a on going battle between machinist and engineers. We dish out as much crap to each other as possible in the shop that I'm a forman at.

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Leohr

I like to stir things between different tradsmen etc. "A mechanical engineer is just a machinest without all the practical math knowledge and manual dexterity."

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Lol. Will have to remember that.

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

LOL..a person should never be allowed to be an engineer without first spending a couple years trying building the stupid crap that engineers come up with.

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Mac

Sophomore engineering students are usually required to take a machine shop course for a semester as well as an engineering drawing class. Hands on practice for a couple of months before they tell the machinest what they want them to do, and the machinest tells them no way.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Originally Posted by MC@Performance Fab:
LOL..a person should never be allowed to be an engineer without first spending a couple years trying building the stupid crap that engineers come up with.

Or, as your Automotive Service Technician would add, fix the darn thing.

steiny
:32:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Steiny

We just go to our All-Data it tells us just how we are supposed to do it, complete with out of vehicle pictures ever once in a while for clarity, no pics they assume we already know how to do it. But then it will also tell us we will need a Kent-Moore XEJ-6969ru tool to get at it.

Now we got cars that you have to take the intake off to replace the starter, or pull a drive axle out to replace an alternator.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Originally Posted by DAD:
Steiny

We just go to our All-Data it tells us just how we are supposed to do it, complete with out of vehicle pictures ever once in a while for clarity, no pics they assume we already know how to do it. But then it will also tell us we will need a Kent-Moore XEJ-6969ru tool to get at it.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

I come from the pre-computer days. Like 60's era Pontiacs & Buicks which required the removal of the right front inner fender to replace the heater core or blower motor. Or 70's era Chevy Monza V8's which required that the left motor mount be disconnected and the motor raised to change the #3 spark plug.

steiny
:32:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Steiny

Been there done that. We would take a panel slitter make a couple of in-cessions, roll the inner fender panel back, do the deed roll the inner fender back put a couple of bolts back in and move on. A ways working that darned flat rate. Me and the guys were talking about those self de-cambering Vegas and Monzas. I couldn't think what they called the bar they put between the strut towers? Was it Transport bar?

Honest Dad himself:6::6::6:

Re: What happened to the Honda thing?
 

Originally Posted by DAD:
Mac



What I am trying to say is Revolution was on the verge of a revolution in the Midget racing industry. With more funding and support he was going to singlehanded make midget racing both cheaper and better. Honda has the funds to convert their little motor to whatever fuel they desire and the additional funds to grease their way right into a very small nitch market, that should prove not to be much proffit for them, but some marketing value I guess. The racer on the other hand is left with a rather expensive yet anemic little motor to race.

Honest Dad himself:6::6:

The truth is you can make anything run on anything if you really want to.