Blown Engine Fun

[thysonsacclaim]

Tractor pulling...

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/indoor-tractor-pulling-gone-awry/20drs1ie?q=Stupid+Videos&rel=msn&from=en-us_msnhp&form=msnrll&gt1=42007


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9hl8NV1tIA&playnext=1&list=PL109CDD58C6A5CF5B&index=24


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVLY2yyP-s4



Not sure about other places, but these are quite popular where I come from (Texas). Not quite my thing, but it is interesting to see the modifications and the occasional engine, crank or piston flying up into the sky. 

[TJ 450]

Classic, and dangerous too.

I like the way that manifold/head blows off, and the engines just go flying. Quite amusing.

Tim

[thysonsacclaim]

Yes, indeed!

I'd forgotten all about tractor pulling until someone sent me these videos.


I'm not sure I'd volunteer to drive these things with the tremendous power they put in them (100-300 PSI boost, thousands of HP, etc).

The Open Super Stocks are hybrids of the tractor-pulling world. They are the most powerful, single engine pulling vehicles in the world. They will put out 4,000-4,500 hp at a boost pressure of around 80-110 psi from up to 4 turbos. They'll develop a tire speed of 120-140 mph and pull a 65,000-lb. sled 300 feet in eight seconds.

I'd LOVE to have their engine mod budget, though 

[wbrian63]

20 or so years ago, I attended one of these "affairs" (to put the most inappropriate title on the event as possible) with a friend at the Houston Astrodome.

As we sat down in our seats, about 100-125 feet from the action, my friend handed me a pair of ear plugs. He said "you might need these."

He wasn't kidding. As the first tractor pulled up to the line and hooked on, the glub-glub-glub of the heavily camm'd multi-engine monster was reminiscent of dragsters at a 1/4-mile track, things I'd seen before without ear protection.

However, when the pulling started and the throttle came on, in went the ear plugs, and in stayed the ear plugs.

I'm sure the Astrodome, being enclosed, aggravated the effects, but with a dragster, it makes a lot of noise, but it's gone down the road in the blink of an eye, along with the noise. The pulling tractor never gets far enough away, and the noise lasts a seeming enternity.

Unless they blow up - then the noise stops abruptly. I think we did see one sling a rod or ventilate a blower.

Pure HP fueled by 100% testosterone...

[s class]

That first one lost more than a piston - gee - the head got blown clean off.  I'm betting those head bolt holes in the block were not so nice after that. 

[thysonsacclaim]

wbrian63,


The ones I saw were as a kid at the County Fair. They were un-modded things though; mostly old fashioned tractors. It was more of "which brand is better" rather than "let's mod the #$%@! out of this tractor!"

These are interesting to watch online (usually only if things blow up), but like you I don't think I'd go to one as shown. I used to live about 4 miles away from International Speedway and the way the track is shaped, the sound just goes straight up and carries for miles and miles. I hated the traffic, accidents and noise it brought.


s class,

Ya really! I find it funny that it's in Dutch, also. I never realized this was done outside the American South. The guy's remarks are also kinda funny from what I could understand of them.



The one thing I will say in favor besides the destruction, is that they only use stock blocks on the tractors (talking the ones without 4-6 engines) and really push them to their limits. I guess it takes a lot of forethought, as the original block could only take so much pressure, heat, force, etc.

Otherwise you end up with $15,000+++ in the pisser.