Last month I took a guided tour with Don at his drag racing museum. He was very proud of having Smokey's machine there and spoke very fondly of his friendship with him.
I met Smokey in '99, he was the special guest at a dinner held in his honor. I worked at an aftermarket performance parts store/ warehouse. Even though we sat at the same (big!) table, I didn't get to talk to him because I wasn't very close to his seat and wasn't very important at the company. Anyway, what a legend. He was a true maverick in the sport of auto racing.
Brian, as a 19yo Embry-Riddle college student I worked across the alley from his Daytona Beach shop, I’d take my brown bag and lunch in the alley sitting on an open trailer parked there watching his genius in action, praying some of it would rub off!
I went to Riddle too. Late 60’ early 70’s. Went to welding class with his son. He could WELD. I Was a grid and pit marshal for the 24 hours and saw him and some of his cars. Good times got my A+P January 69.
There a big difference between breaking rules and knowing how to read between the lines. Smokey was a master at reading between the lines. When rule books get changed you sir are my hero. As always thanks.
@bennrossbach6501. Perfectly said. I get disgusted when someone posts, "Smokey" the biggest cheater ever. No, he just did what wasn't spelled out in the rule book!!
It's what is not in the rule book that is important. Yunick was a guy who knew that. So was Bill Jenkins. That's why there are so many rules in both the NASCAR and the NHRA rule books. Because of those two guys, and a few guys like them.
"NASCAR rules said you couldn't have a bellypan. So we made this big rotisserie to turn the cars upside down and we'd spend a week smoothing the underside of the car with body filler, blending everything in. Not a car went out of my shop that didn't have two hundred pounds of Bondo underneath. We didn't have a bellypan, but we had the next best thing. Course NASCAR found out and made us stop that pretty quick"
Met Smokey and his wife in the Orlando airport one morning. The hat was a dead giveaway to who he was. I introduced myself to him and his wife, and started asking him questions. His wife stopped me short and said that he couldn’t hear me so I needn’t try. Both of them were pleasant and I think he understood where I was coming from. A true innovator. Gone but never forgotten. Thanks for producing this video, Brian. Keep up the great work here and on TV.
Decades ago I read Smokeys Power Secrets, numerous times along with other engine books. Most of his ideas were totally sound engineering and I used many on my engines. Good low buck engines that stayed together for extended periods
Smokey Yunik , was also a WW2 veteran who served in the Army Air Corps as a B-17 pilot who flew over 50 misdions during his 4 years of service .. The man was brilliant, and he was dedicated to making the racing cars more efficient and powerful... Such an interesting person to learn from...
@@henrymorgan3982 Yes He was... So many of the people who were/are involved in motor racing , have impressive resume's and backgrounds to back-up their reputations... Smokey definitely fit into that group of innovators...
In one of my first years of opening my Speed Shop business,PURE PERFORMANCE, in Kansas City I had started going to the SEMA SHOW , automotive trade show held in Las Vegas NV. My wife and I were staying at the Flamingo hotel on the Strip getting ready to attend the show waiting for the elevator to come down and as the door opens there stood Smokey and his wife. Completely decked both in his signature Smokey Gear. Only the four of us I introduced myself and wife and thanked him for all the books and articles I'd read and absorbed resulting in my opening a successful business that supported my family for over two decades. Great memories
Smokey was a real American innovator. His "Say Smokey" column was the first thing I went to in Popular Science magazine as a youngster interested in engines. He also had a very interesting article on leakdown testing for engines in that magazine, which was the first time I had ever heard of the idea. It gave you more info and was considered more accurate than compression tests. Great American
@@61rampy65 if you into antique vehicles the stories apply very well and still have some relevance today , who knew fuel injection turbo’s and entertainment system would be a thing , do you think Gus would have an EV ? I like to think he would , as a spare car
I think I remember that. I was in Jr. Highschool at the time and di didn't knowi much about car so I don't have any precise articles of his, but my grandfather was a teacher and had kept, and bound into journals, every copy by the month and years of.. the National Geographic, Mechanics Illustrated, ( with Electronics, & Popular Science) Time magazines and t Readers Dige😂st bookclub edition's abreiviated stories. He didn't have to rebind those. It was a good thing that I liked reading. I just remember thinking about Smokey's collumes that t author was obviously knowledgeable about the subject. But what a funny name Kids!
Nice Brian, Mr. Yunick is one of my HERO"S (his book lives on my nightstand), the life he lived was freakin' crazy. My favorite theory of his racing career is "If the rule book doesn't say you can't means you can" (paraphrasing)
Back in early 80’s I built an engine for short track racing based entirely on Smokey’s book “Power Secrets”. I worked out perfectly and I was able to compete with the guys that had professionally built engines. Thank you Smokey!
I remember reading about the vapor engine in HOT ROD Magazine as I was graduating High School heading to College to get a degree in Mechanical Engineering. June 1984 issue on the Mototrend App. Thanks for the video as always Brian!
I won't repeat my post I submitted....you can read it for yourself if you like.😊 I was a "Car Craft" magazine follower myself, but when my wife and I just got married I saw that "Hot Rod" issue No.1 Volume 2 w/four blown engines on the front cover and had to have it. That's when I read that article and was hooked. BTW: I argued with several people over the years about that "homogenized system" and what it could do, and they'd argue about cold boxes too. But what finally won the argument was that article.....though since lost I held on to it for at least 10 years, memorized it and now wish I had it back.😅😊
In his book Smokey said he took psychedelic drugs in order to mentally solve mechanical problems and imagine a solution. Not LSD but mescaline from cactus. This undoubtedly led to things like the reverse rotation Indy car, The flywheel/bellhousing supercharger on the Fireball Roberts 1962 Pontiac, the hidden dry sump system he outlined in his book, and all the other fringe stuff he tried.
there is no one or will there be another mr smokey yunick! he was way ahead of anyone in his type of old generation engineering. long live the great smokey yunick.
THE PRE-LUBE IDEA WENT RIGHT INTO MY BRAND NEW E-ROD LT4 SUPERCHARGED ENGINE ON DAY ONE AND THEN THAT ENGINE WENT RIGHT INTO MY 1990 ""K""1500, IN FRONT OF A GEARSTAR 4L80 E "IV" TRANS IN FRONT OF A BUILT 241 T CASE WITH GEARSTARS UPGRADES TO A DANA HD DANA 60 3:73 WITH A TRU TRAC, TO 33 INCH KO2 BFGS!!! THE TRUCK IS A MONSTER! CRUISES AT 75MPH ALL DAY LONG WITH THE A/C ON FULL BLAST!! THE TRUCK IS LIFTED 4 INCHES AND THE FRONT SUSPENSION, BOX AND ALL,,,,, ARE BRAND NEW. THE TRCK IS NUTZ! THE BODY IS STRAIGHT AND PATINA"D STOCK CHEVY BABY BLUE WITH "FULL" POWER EVERYTHING. BEEN DRIVING IT EVERY DAY,,, SHOPPING AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS.
Brian, your channel is friggin awesome! Keep the history coming for us rabid gearheads. Don't know if you know about his autobiography. If not, you absolutely NEED to get your hands on the 3 volume set. I promise you won't be disappointed. Basically unedited, with plenty of colorful language and great stories of boozing, chasing women and raising hell. He was one tough s.o.b. Flew 52 missions as a bomber pilot in WWII. Worked, lived and partied harder than most and as you probably know, wasn't afraid to speak his mind, with basically a "zero fucks given" attitude. SO much information in those books. I really think you need to continue covering his life with a whole series on him. People need to know what an amazing badass and innovator he was. You're a natural in the way you present your videos and if there's anybody that can do it well, it's you!
Hey Brian,I truly enjoy your presentations. Do you ever look at your data? Whatever YT calls it. When you see a minute or two of views. Or even incomplete views. Believe me. It ain't you. Your viewers get interrupted. So being the good folks that they are. They give their full attention to a real live human being. Then, once everyone is taken care of and settled in. They come back and watch the video from beginning to end with no interruption. I thought I would offer that up.
Love all your videos man I love that Smoky is who your 100th video is about he is really a great guy to read about. Keep up all the good work you do brother
Thank you so much Brian for doing this video on Smokey as he clearly belongs in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. His genius is legendary and please keep these excellent videos coming. You do a great job.
Just got done watching this piece on Smokey and want to both thank you for putting it together and ask you a question about a subject that seems to be fabricated about Smokey being called upon by Chevrolet to design a so-called BBC "hemi" engine that was to compete in NASCAR. Supposedly a handful were built by Smokey. If anybody can dig through the nuts and bolts of it and find the truth, that man would be you if there is any verifiable truth to it. Again, thank you as always! Cheers!
Smoky is also responsible for inventing the extended tip spark plug. When Chevy brought out the 283 in 57 they were having trouble fouling plugs. I no longer have his audio book to double check so perhaps someone else can add to this story. But smoky was working with a stark plug company and he mentions that he got screwed out of being able to patent the concept. Anyhow you can add the extended tip spark plug to his list of accomplishments.
Spark plugs company was Autolight, had a handshake deal with the Boss, who died of a heart attack before the paperwork was written for royalties. Industrial amnesia set in and froze Smoke out. Same with Holley carburetor design that he and Johnson came up with. Although Johnson also worked for GM at the same time maybe effected that one. Lesson learned he got more paranoid about secrets and patents, which are very expensive to get and often couldn't afford to process in relevant time. BTY, he did have several valuable patents in other areas including oil drilling.
@@jeffhill3681 I remember reading where later Champion spark Plug and Smokey got together and they used his design for extended tip spark plugs calling them Turbo Action if I remember correctly
Nice compilation, and a fitting tribute to Mr. Yunick. Although not patented, Smokey was also responsible for the innovative reverse flow cooling (which allowed higher compression at cooler head temps) incorporated in the second generation LT1 sbc.
I went to his compound in 2003 while at Gators and Garlits HOF banquet. He had already passed away,but I talked to his daughter as she had a little bookshop and etc. still open at the time. Took a few pics before it's demise. Was sad to see it go.
I used to eat lunch with Cecil Taylor and Bob Blackwell a couple times a week. That's the guy you need to do a Story on. he was a guy that knew Smokey Yunick and stayed at his place when he was in town to visit almost got Smokey with Weld on his 5 axis Mill the fist one made. He started as AJ Foyt's left front tire guy, and had relationships with Sammy Swindle and Gaerte Engines, Don Prudhomme and best friend of AJ Himself, and many more. Our joke always was, There is the Pope, I don't know the Pope, but see the guy next to him, that's Cecil Taylor. Ask Bob Blackwell sometime. Another good one Brian.
I worked with an old engineer that had a Vega he used as a test bed for this concept. It was so rube goldberg-ed up that it wasnt recognizable as an engine. Iron sleeves in the aluminum block, a radiator out of an olds 98, and about a mile of copper tubing in coils running everywhere. Herb claimed he got better than 60 mpg
Back in 1994, my near father-in-law, let's call him Russell, was a consultant for ARP. I got a phone call from him with the question do I know of Smokey Yunick and would I like to meet him? Oh yeah. Smokey was consulting with ARP on how to properly make cold-rolled threads and I was able to sit in on that meeting. People spoke in turn as Smokey puffed on his ever present pipe. When he stated " I have some thoughts on this..." you could hear a pin drop in the room. Afterward, I got my chance to shake his hand and I don't think I have washed that hand yet 😄. As far as his adiabatic motor, I remember reading a Popular Mechanics article about it. The article claimed that the engine ran smoothly and had a wide power band. As far as why these types of engines weren't used, I think it had to do with the later experimentation with ceramic internal parts containing so much heat that the intake would pressurize because of the very high intake temps causing high thermal expansion resulting in high pumping losses that took a lot of power to overcome. That was what I remember about the short-coming of this type of engine, not Smokey's in particular.
I started reading Hot Rod Magazine in the 1960's. Over the years there were many articles about Smokey, or written by him. I distinctly remember the Hot Vapor engine story in the 1980's. Many years later Hot Rod ran another story about how General Motors bought the patent and did nothing with it. Maybe they couldn't get it to work as well. A true genius. I always hoped to meet him and Bill Jenkins, but that ship has sailed.
I just started listening to this one, so forgive me if you covered this: Smokey wrote a crazy, amazing book “The Best Damn Garage In Town”. It’s a riot.
Smokey should be in the NASCAR Halll of Fame--and on the first ballet. He still is not there since he pissed off the France family. For that reason I will NEVER, EVER set foot in that place! Rest well my friend, you were extra special! Jeff
That was my Bible when I was learning to build SBC drag motors in the '70's. Still have it. Another was a book by Da Grump. It wasn't until my 60's that I understood an unexplained photo Jenkins included in the printing. It was an image of his foot in a white Converse tennis shoe w/ a hole cut near the big toe. 4-5 yrs ago, I was hobbling around w/ a sore azz ingrown toe nail on my big toe, needing to get some work done, & couldn't do it in sandals or barefoot. I was thinking about what to do when I suddenly flashed back 50 yrs; my wife looked at me real funny when I blurted, 'THAT'S why Grumpy had a hole cut in his Converse.'
@@georgedennison3338 Yeah. Good book, and great story. Lol. I still have the big block book. No big block, but still got a small block on stand in garage, and extra 4blt main block. Grew up with Grumpy's Toy on the wall. Dick Harrel Mr. Chevrolet Camaro funny car too. 🔧
@@loyalUSguy it's a disease. Have boxes of SBC racing parts in my garage attic, a 4 bolt under the bench, a couple steel cranks in the corner & I've had a set of GM's 'special' # pink rods under my toaster oven in the kitchen. Keep telling myself I'll find a reason to build one more 9 grand SBC before I die, just haven't found it, yet. Bought a 1 owner '75 ElCo in '98 to engine swap, polish & sell, then discovered it's a 948 produced ElCo Custom, limited edition, basically an ElCo version of the Laguna Chevy made from Montes for a few years. Swivel buckets, first production tilt wheel, all matching numbers, so I can't change it. It's been stored since '99, waiting for an ElCo lover to come along.
@@georgedennison3338 Sounds good. I had a '79 Malibu 4dr, factory 4spd, dash tach, etc. Dropped a 350 in it. Ran pretty good 💤💤 Too bad a very large oak tree landed dead center of roof while parked. Oh, well. Good project cars are getting tougher to find.
Ford spun-tested every Model A engine using a huge electric motor. The amount of juice it took to turn it indicated if it was ok or not. Less resistance, for example, might mean low compression and that one was pulled off the line to be diagnosed and fixed, or if it was too far gone it could be disassembled and the parts sent back to be melted down again. The good engines got a serial number stamped in em.
Hey Brian, I really appreciate your presentation of Smokey's genius. I had read Best Damn Garage in Town set The audio versions Sex, lies, & Super Speedways along with More Sex Lies & Super Speedways knocked me out John DeLorean read the first and the second had multiple readers from Don Gartlis, Ray Everham along with quite a few others. A testament to the respect he deserves. They seemed to get a kick out of reading his plain spoken writing style. Thanks again for another great video.
Back in late eighty's into the nineties I worked at McLaren Engines,a R& D shop in suburban Detroit. I worked on the hot vapor engine,,,,why didnt it ever go anywhere ? Because it plain old didnt work, but Smokey got the money for it as he was under contract with the General. One thing I did work on,,that did work, was the reverse cooling system,,,which is pretty much universal through all mfr,s,,, The engineer from Chevrolet,who worked with Smokey in his shop in Florida,,came back and forth with alot of crazy things to fool with,brought me back a autographed picture that Smokey took off his wall in his office,it was the Indy car with the hands for nerf bars. The fabricating skills were rather crude compared to the Indy Car stuff we were used to working on
I'm 54 born and raised in Detroit and remember McLaren well. I knew a guy or two who worked there at one time or another. There was a very small shop on Gulley Rd in Dearborn Heights I visited once as a local alarm repair technician at the time and made that one my last call on a warm summer Friday evening. A feller who was working there gave me a little tour. As far as Smokey's hot air engine I do believe his own version worked while in his hands. I don't believe the idea transferred over to engineers who may have tried to duplicate the idea. Like Brian said in the vid most of this knowledge went to the grave with Henry Yunick. That's my 2 pennies worth. I'm nearly certain if I tried to build a hot air engine out of a fiero in my backyard right now id fail miserably too. His design didn't translate well to the industry at the time because, well... secrets we may never know. In any event I enjoyed reading your comment. Hope you are well. I still live in Dearborn Heights but looks like I won't be very much longer, it's a long story.
@@williamstamper442 believe what you will,,,,but I was there and it wasnt effective,,,GM with all the resources never found it a viable working production invention. The way it worked back then is Smokey would come up with these zany ideas,,,and sell them to the automakers,,,and get them to finance it,,,what the hell,,,, ole Smokey was right about alot of inventions,,,but that wasnt one of them. Smokey was good at getting money from a lot of resources, believe me my hands physically were wrapped around that for at least a month,,,until it was deemed a great idea,,,but nowhere near anything for production.
I also remember a lot of press about the Smokey 'Hot Vapor' engine....but he was VERY reluctant to let anyone actually test it for themselves. He finally gave in and I believe it was Motor Trend who got his test car to evaluate and they weren't very impressed with it. The thing basically detonated and made lots of distressing sounds and IIRC Smokey said to 'Turn the radio up louder' or something along those lines. There was NO WAY that engine could EVER have made it into a production vehicle. Many people don't understand how rigorous the torture testing an engine for production must be able to endure before it can be released to the 'Great Unwashed' motorists. GM back in the day ran their engines at their rated power for 24 hours straight before they'd certify them for sale. That was why it was easy for us to get more power out of them....because we didn't expect them to endure such treatment and were willing to give up a little lifespan for more power.
I remember when Smokey's "Hot Cycle" engine was described in a car magazine I bought at a newsstand. If I recall correctly, the article claimed that there was already a deal signed to have the company known that owned the "Mr. Gasket" brand name manufacture kits to convert existing engines to use the fuel pre-heating. Apparently, they could get about 1.8 HP/c.i. out of most engines, and greatly improved fuel economy. At the end of the article, the authors mentioned that Smokey had an idea for a ceramic engine that would run oilless, and be able to tolerate even higher operating temperatures.
Hi Brian, I read about the Yanick Yin Yang motor in the 80's (think it was Popular Mechanics) that he made from I think was a Harly V twin and put in a Volks wagon, I never saw anything again. thought it went the same way that Tucker did with the big three squashing it because it would cost them money Rich
on the swirl combustion chambers, The Ford Tempo 2.3 in 1984 had HSC , high swirl combustion chambers. Don't know if they looked anything like Smokey's patent, but I can relate, the cars were slow.
Smokey’s book Best Damn Garage In Town The world according to Smokey is an absolute must read for any motor racing fan. Probably available on his website. It reads as if you were sitting across from him in his shop. Smokey also developed the Hydro boost brake system, Ralph Johnson & Smokey are responsible for the Holly Double pumper carburetor. Read Smokey’s book. You won’t be disappointed.
When the Baltimore Grand Prix street course was set up, there were barriers made from tires - stacks bolted together. I wonder if they were the same as Smokey's patented ones?
Over the years NASCAR has managed to squash creativity like Smoky used in favor of creating a BUMPER-CAR money machine that the public can't seem to resist.
30+ yrs ago I ran fuel line through a 3 foot pipe that was full of engine water. The flapper air valve in the air cleaner that took heat off the exhaust manifold, was jammed so manifold heat always entered the carb. The "initial" timing was advanced 1-2°. I ran the lowest octane gas in summer with 0.o ping/detonation @ hard acceleration. All pollutants decreased @ idle & cruise. 1 of the pollutants @ idle or cruise went from 10.00% down to 00.37%. That's over a 95% DEcrease. The only thing that increased was carbon dioxide. That's what we exhale, plants inhale & you'll find as soda pop bubbles. I could remove the idle speed screw, an the engine idled smoothly. It was a 69 Pontiac 350 V8 with well over 100,000 mi. on the meter.
@@davemilster Can't say from memory. This was 35+/- yrs. ago. The readout papers' ink faded in a briefcase. The papers were 2 yrs. apart. Pre & post hot pipe installation. CA smog checks are every other yr. The smog nachine tests 3 pollutants @ idle & cruise. Carbon dioxide isn't really a pollutant, it's a green house gas. Carbon is also 1 of 3, i think, of the most prevalent elements on earth. Everything went down @ cruise & idle. Only c.d. went up @ idle & cruise.
Ford had a engine assembly evaluation machine that evaluates a non-running engine at various stages of assembly. Not sure if they patented it or disclosed.
I'd recommend anyone interested in cars or racing to find a copy of "Best Damn Garage in Town". Parts of it are pure gold. Others are nearly unreadable. But overall I'd recommend it. It's not easy to find because (I'm guessing here) he says some pretty non politically correct things. Ok - some are blatantly racist. But there's other stuff in there that I found very interesting. Like, which is bigger, a 7 liter engine at 5000 rpm or a 3.5 liter at 10,000? I never thought of that. Everything else being equal, they are the same. And stuff about getting surplus smoke machines from the military (used for aerodynamic research before computer models), sawing cylinder heads in half and using the smoke to visualize what was really happening in the ports. Nobody really understood that before Smokey came along. And guessing again, I'd say Zeldovich NOx formation was probably the hurdle that stood in the way of the hot air engine gaining acceptance.
I have seen a spin tron type Machine in use, in Australia in the mid 90's at a camshaft manufacturers workshop, spinning doorslammer engines to over 11,000 rpm under strobe lights, was awesome to watch the valve springs dancing in the light
I owned an engine that a very talented mechanic built from the instructions and specs he got out of a Smokey Yunick book. It was a Chevy block with 6 inch Oldsmobile Rocket rods in it. The mechanic put the engine together and took it apart 8 times before he ever put fuel and electric to it, to start it for the first time. It was the baddest engine I ever owned, and I hated to let it go.
At 5:38 you state "never been applied.."😊 Well maybe not in cars. Penske applied a similar "swirl" in the Detroit Diesel (DDEC), 15:1 - 16.25 Static Compression! Single Long Intake & Short Exhaust Ports with Dual Intake and Exhaust Valves, per cylinder.😊 Single Overhead Roller Cam & Injectors that boost, Lift pump (80-100psi) to 2800+psi(?) at Injector Tip😊 Central Dome & Circular Dish Piston and Flat Cylinder Head Surface. Injector centered over Dome, causing spray to be distributed into a Swirling 0 - 40+ psi Turbo Boost. Fast throttle response with high torque Most Efficient Diesel on the market for years!
Decades ago I read in a car magazine an article he wrote that stated that drum brakes were superior to discs. I do not doubt that he was devious and brilliant but hey, look at every car on the road today.
3:21 - this idea didn’t totally go nowhere, there is a pretty similar aftermarket system for Harley engines that does basically this. That being said most of the serious bearings in a Harley are rollers and don’t necessarily need constant oil pressure to survive.
Last month I took a guided tour with Don at his drag racing museum. He was very proud of having Smokey's machine there and spoke very fondly of his friendship with him.
I met Smokey in '99, he was the special guest at a dinner held in his honor. I worked at an aftermarket performance parts store/ warehouse. Even though we sat at the same (big!) table, I didn't get to talk to him because I wasn't very close to his seat and wasn't very important at the company. Anyway, what a legend. He was a true maverick in the sport of auto racing.
Took a class from Smokey Back in the 90’s. One of the greatest out of the box thinkers. RIP Smokey
Brian, as a 19yo Embry-Riddle college student I worked across the alley from his Daytona Beach shop, I’d take my brown bag and lunch in the alley sitting on an open trailer parked there watching his genius in action, praying some of it would rub off!
Lucky man! Wish l was beside you
I went to Riddle too. Late 60’ early 70’s. Went to welding class with his son. He could WELD. I Was a grid and pit marshal for the 24 hours and saw him and some of his cars. Good times got my A+P January 69.
His cars MAGICALLY APPEARED legal😅
Howbout a 15/16 scale chevelle .😅
I have heard about the 15/16 Chevy also heard it never happened and that it did. Would be great to know the truth of that story.
There a big difference between breaking rules and knowing how to read between the lines. Smokey was a master at reading between the lines. When rule books get changed you sir are my hero. As always thanks.
@bennrossbach6501. Perfectly said. I get disgusted when someone posts, "Smokey" the biggest cheater ever. No, he just did what wasn't spelled out in the rule book!!
It's what is not in the rule book that is important.
Yunick was a guy who knew that. So was Bill Jenkins. That's why there are so many rules in both the NASCAR and the NHRA rule books. Because of those two guys, and a few guys like them.
"NASCAR rules said you couldn't have a bellypan. So we made this big rotisserie to turn the cars upside down and we'd spend a week smoothing the underside of the car with body filler, blending everything in. Not a car went out of my shop that didn't have two hundred pounds of Bondo underneath. We didn't have a bellypan, but we had the next best thing. Course NASCAR found out and made us stop that pretty quick"
Met Smokey and his wife in the Orlando airport one morning. The hat was a dead giveaway to who he was. I introduced myself to him and his wife, and started asking him questions. His wife stopped me short and said that he couldn’t hear me so I needn’t try. Both of them were pleasant and I think he understood where I was coming from. A true innovator. Gone but never forgotten. Thanks for producing this video, Brian. Keep up the great work here and on TV.
Decades ago I read Smokeys Power Secrets, numerous times along with other engine books. Most of his ideas were totally sound engineering and I used many on my engines. Good low buck engines that stayed together for extended periods
Smokey's Power Secrets book and Bill Jenkins book were my bibles during my race tuning/hotrod engine building years. I learned a lot from these guys !
Lottco, ditto, 2 of my favorites and heroes
Smokey Yunik , was also a WW2 veteran who served in the Army Air Corps as a B-17 pilot who flew over 50 misdions during his 4 years of service .. The man was brilliant, and he was dedicated to making the racing cars more efficient and powerful... Such an interesting person to learn from...
Did not know that. An American Legend.
@@henrymorgan3982 Yes He was... So many of the people who were/are involved in motor racing , have impressive resume's and backgrounds to back-up their reputations... Smokey definitely fit into that group of innovators...
In one of my first years of opening my Speed Shop business,PURE PERFORMANCE, in Kansas City I had started going to the SEMA SHOW , automotive trade show held in Las Vegas NV. My wife and I were staying at the Flamingo hotel on the Strip getting ready to attend the show waiting for the elevator to come down and as the door opens there stood Smokey and his wife. Completely decked both in his signature Smokey Gear. Only the four of us I introduced myself and wife and thanked him for all the books and articles I'd read and absorbed resulting in my opening a successful business that supported my family for over two decades. Great memories
Smokey was a real American innovator. His "Say Smokey" column was the first thing I went to in Popular Science magazine as a youngster interested in engines. He also had a very interesting article on leakdown testing for engines in that magazine, which was the first time I had ever heard of the idea. It gave you more info and was considered more accurate than compression tests. Great American
Please never stop uploading to TH-cam, Brian. I don't even care what the topic is. Just keep these kickass videos coming please.
In the 70's / 80'a era there was a column in the magazine Popular Science titled " Say Smokey . . . " where readers would post automotive questions
Another column I think many would recall was the Tge Model Garage with Gus , all those stories are posted on line
@@heartland96a Yep, Gus was the precursor and more of a story telling exercise / mini 1940's radio mystery program
I read Smokey's column and the Gus Wilson stories religiously every single month- and I was around 12-18 years old.
@@61rampy65 if you into antique vehicles the stories apply very well and still have some relevance today , who knew fuel injection turbo’s and entertainment system would be a thing , do you think Gus would have an EV ? I like to think he would , as a spare car
I think I remember that. I was in Jr. Highschool at the time and di didn't knowi much about car so I don't have any precise articles of his, but my grandfather was a teacher and had kept, and bound into journals, every copy by the month and years of.. the National Geographic, Mechanics Illustrated, ( with Electronics, & Popular Science) Time magazines and t Readers Dige😂st bookclub edition's abreiviated stories. He didn't have to rebind those. It was a good thing that I liked reading. I just remember thinking about Smokey's collumes that t author was obviously knowledgeable about the subject. But what a funny name
Kids!
"If you can spot it, you got it..." Thank you for shining some light on Smokey's brilliant, sometimes kooky- ideas. 14:35
I met Smokey once in Daytona and he was as cool as a cucumber ! Nice guy 👍🏻
Nice Brian, Mr. Yunick is one of my HERO"S (his book lives on my nightstand), the life he lived was freakin' crazy. My favorite theory of his racing career is "If the rule book doesn't say you can't means you can" (paraphrasing)
Back in early 80’s I built an engine for short track racing based entirely on Smokey’s book “Power Secrets”. I worked out perfectly and I was able to compete with the guys that had professionally built engines. Thank you Smokey!
Been waiting on an episode for the GOAT
The Best “Over-Engineering” Engineer ever.
Haha well said
He is the man!
I remember reading about the vapor engine in HOT ROD Magazine as I was graduating High School heading to College to get a degree in Mechanical Engineering. June 1984 issue on the Mototrend App. Thanks for the video as always Brian!
Always remember reading articles by Smokie. Smokey and David Vizard. Just think what they would have done. Putting those two great minds together
I won't repeat my post I submitted....you can read it for yourself if you like.😊 I was a "Car Craft" magazine follower myself, but when my wife and I just got married I saw that "Hot Rod" issue No.1 Volume 2 w/four blown engines on the front cover and had to have it. That's when I read that article and was hooked. BTW: I argued with several people over the years about that "homogenized system" and what it could do, and they'd argue about cold boxes too. But what finally won the argument was that article.....though since lost I held on to it for at least 10 years, memorized it and now wish I had it back.😅😊
In his book Smokey said he took psychedelic drugs in order to mentally solve mechanical problems and imagine a solution. Not LSD but mescaline from cactus. This undoubtedly led to things like the reverse rotation Indy car, The flywheel/bellhousing supercharger on the Fireball Roberts 1962 Pontiac, the hidden dry sump system he outlined in his book, and all the other fringe stuff he tried.
Man that's crazy, the dude was microdosing before any Silicon Valley kid ever came up with the word!😂😂
Grand Slam!!! Anything Smokey is always a good thing.
there is no one or will there be another mr smokey yunick! he was way ahead of anyone in his type of old generation engineering. long live the great smokey yunick.
my brother lived in daytona and knew smokey's son.... he got me an autographed power secrets book.... most awsome . just like brian's video's, awsome.
That was AWESOME. The guy was truly AMAZING.
That race track idea is incredible.
Thanks for sharing this video.
Smokey Yunick , a true genius, way ahead of his time. Many , many thanks for that one.
THE PRE-LUBE IDEA WENT RIGHT INTO MY BRAND NEW E-ROD LT4 SUPERCHARGED ENGINE ON DAY ONE AND THEN THAT ENGINE WENT RIGHT INTO MY 1990 ""K""1500, IN FRONT OF A GEARSTAR 4L80 E "IV" TRANS IN FRONT OF A BUILT 241 T CASE WITH GEARSTARS UPGRADES TO A DANA HD DANA 60 3:73 WITH A TRU TRAC, TO 33 INCH KO2 BFGS!!! THE TRUCK IS A MONSTER! CRUISES AT 75MPH ALL DAY LONG WITH THE A/C ON FULL BLAST!! THE TRUCK IS LIFTED 4 INCHES AND THE FRONT SUSPENSION, BOX AND ALL,,,,, ARE BRAND NEW. THE TRCK IS NUTZ! THE BODY IS STRAIGHT AND PATINA"D STOCK CHEVY BABY BLUE WITH "FULL" POWER EVERYTHING. BEEN DRIVING IT EVERY DAY,,, SHOPPING AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS.
He definitely had a lot of unique ideas. Always fun hearing about racing history.
I've got an Old and very grease stained copy of his Power Secrets Book. The Man was a Pure Genius and Out of the Box Thinker. Thx 👍👍
Brian, your channel is friggin awesome! Keep the history coming for us rabid gearheads.
Don't know if you know about his autobiography. If not, you absolutely NEED to get your hands on the 3 volume set. I promise you won't be disappointed. Basically unedited, with plenty of colorful language and great stories of boozing, chasing women and raising hell. He was one tough s.o.b. Flew 52 missions as a bomber pilot in WWII. Worked, lived and partied harder than most and as you probably know, wasn't afraid to speak his mind, with basically a "zero fucks given" attitude. SO much information in those books. I really think you need to continue covering his life with a whole series on him. People need to know what an amazing badass and innovator he was. You're a natural in the way you present your videos and if there's anybody that can do it well, it's you!
The set is incredible. I have an early autographed edition.
@@brianlohnes3079 Same here. So what do you think about doing some more videos on him?
Hey Brian,I truly enjoy your presentations.
Do you ever look at your data? Whatever YT calls it.
When you see a minute or two of views. Or even incomplete views. Believe me. It ain't you. Your viewers get interrupted. So being the good folks that they are. They give their full attention to a real live human being. Then, once everyone is taken care of and settled in. They come back and watch the video from beginning to end with no interruption. I thought I would offer that up.
Everyone's all tucked in.
One of my favorite car guys of all time.
Love all your videos man I love that Smoky is who your 100th video is about he is really a great guy to read about. Keep up all the good work you do brother
All of the above about Smokey is true but one attribute that is rarely touched on is what a truly kind and fun Man he was.
Smokey Yunick and Penzoil. I remember in high school reading " ask Smokey " in poular science magazine.
Thank you so much Brian for doing this video on Smokey as he clearly belongs in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. His genius is legendary and please keep these excellent videos coming. You do a great job.
Just got done watching this piece on Smokey and want to both thank you for putting it together and ask you a question about a subject that seems to be fabricated about Smokey being called upon by Chevrolet to design a so-called BBC "hemi" engine that was to compete in NASCAR. Supposedly a handful were built by Smokey. If anybody can dig through the nuts and bolts of it and find the truth, that man would be you if there is any verifiable truth to it. Again, thank you as always! Cheers!
Thanks Brian good episode I followed him since the 60s, he was kind of a modern day renaissance man.
Smoky is also responsible for inventing the extended tip spark plug. When Chevy brought out the 283 in 57 they were having trouble fouling plugs. I no longer have his audio book to double check so perhaps someone else can add to this story. But smoky was working with a stark plug company and he mentions that he got screwed out of being able to patent the concept. Anyhow you can add the extended tip spark plug to his list of accomplishments.
Spark plugs company was Autolight, had a handshake deal with the Boss, who died of a heart attack before the paperwork was written for royalties. Industrial amnesia set in and froze Smoke out.
Same with Holley carburetor design that he and Johnson came up with. Although Johnson also worked for GM at the same time maybe effected that one.
Lesson learned he got more paranoid about secrets and patents, which are very expensive to get and often couldn't afford to process in relevant time.
BTY, he did have several valuable patents in other areas including oil drilling.
@@jeffhill3681 I remember reading where later Champion spark Plug and Smokey got together and they used his design for extended tip spark plugs calling them Turbo Action if I remember correctly
Nice compilation, and a fitting tribute to Mr. Yunick. Although not patented, Smokey was also responsible for the innovative reverse flow cooling (which allowed higher compression at cooler head temps) incorporated in the second generation LT1 sbc.
Had GM not put the water pump above the optispark... it might have lived a lot longer.
Even Smokey had to follow the Laws of physics.
I heard that he had a massive library of chemistry and physics books
I wouldn't doubt that one bit, I do have have a few in my library as well.....
I went to his compound in 2003 while at Gators and Garlits HOF banquet. He had already passed away,but I talked to his daughter as she had a little bookshop and etc. still open at the time. Took a few pics before it's demise. Was sad to see it go.
My favorite Smokey "trick" is the clutch flywheel supercharger. The 2" diameter fuel line is another favorite. If it doesn't say no in the rules......
I used to eat lunch with Cecil Taylor and Bob Blackwell a couple times a week. That's the guy you need to do a Story on. he was a guy that knew Smokey Yunick and stayed at his place when he was in town to visit almost got Smokey with Weld on his 5 axis Mill the fist one made. He started as AJ Foyt's left front tire guy, and had relationships with Sammy Swindle and Gaerte Engines, Don Prudhomme and best friend of AJ Himself, and many more. Our joke always was, There is the Pope, I don't know the Pope, but see the guy next to him, that's Cecil Taylor. Ask Bob Blackwell sometime. Another good one Brian.
I worked with an old engineer that had a Vega he used as a test bed for this concept. It was so rube goldberg-ed up that it wasnt recognizable as an engine. Iron sleeves in the aluminum block, a radiator out of an olds 98, and about a mile of copper tubing in coils running everywhere. Herb claimed he got better than 60 mpg
Very interesting man
After seeing this I think Mr Yunick described the current NASCAR cup car with the exception of the brand sticker on the bumpers.
BRIAN YOU EARNED THAT AWARD BROTHER!!! CONGRATS TO YOU!! Would love to see you on the Cooper Bogetti Podcast!!!
An American Legend. Genius.
Back in 1994, my near father-in-law, let's call him Russell, was a consultant for ARP. I got a phone call from him with the question do I know of Smokey Yunick and would I like to meet him? Oh yeah. Smokey was consulting with ARP on how to properly make cold-rolled threads and I was able to sit in on that meeting. People spoke in turn as Smokey puffed on his ever present pipe. When he stated " I have some thoughts on this..." you could hear a pin drop in the room. Afterward, I got my chance to shake his hand and I don't think I have washed that hand yet 😄. As far as his adiabatic motor, I remember reading a Popular Mechanics article about it. The article claimed that the engine ran smoothly and had a wide power band. As far as why these types of engines weren't used, I think it had to do with the later experimentation with ceramic internal parts containing so much heat that the intake would pressurize because of the very high intake temps causing high thermal expansion resulting in high pumping losses that took a lot of power to overcome. That was what I remember about the short-coming of this type of engine, not Smokey's in particular.
I started reading Hot Rod Magazine in the 1960's. Over the years there were many articles about Smokey, or written by him. I distinctly remember the Hot Vapor engine story in the 1980's. Many years later Hot Rod ran another story about how General Motors bought the patent and did nothing with it. Maybe they couldn't get it to work as well. A true genius. I always hoped to meet him and Bill Jenkins, but that ship has sailed.
I was lucky enough to drive 1 of his mini stock race cars ,in 91 when I was 18,, my older brother knew him well
I just started listening to this one, so forgive me if you covered this: Smokey wrote a crazy, amazing book “The Best Damn Garage In Town”. It’s a riot.
Smokey should be in the NASCAR Halll of Fame--and on the first ballet. He still is not there since he pissed off the France family. For that reason I will NEVER, EVER set foot in that place! Rest well my friend, you were extra special! Jeff
And then the France family basically built todays cup series after Smokey’s design!
Thanks again for another great piece!
Now I wish I still had my "How to Hotrod Small Block Chevies" book.
Introduced me to Smokey.
That was my Bible when I was learning to build SBC drag motors in the '70's. Still have it.
Another was a book by Da Grump. It wasn't until my 60's that I understood an unexplained photo Jenkins included in the printing. It was an image of his foot in a white Converse tennis shoe w/ a hole cut near the big toe.
4-5 yrs ago, I was hobbling around w/ a sore azz ingrown toe nail on my big toe, needing to get some work done, & couldn't do it in sandals or barefoot.
I was thinking about what to do when I suddenly flashed back 50 yrs; my wife looked at me real funny when I blurted, 'THAT'S why Grumpy had a hole cut in his Converse.'
@@georgedennison3338 Yeah. Good book, and great story. Lol.
I still have the big block book.
No big block, but still got a small block on stand in garage, and extra 4blt main block.
Grew up with Grumpy's Toy on the wall. Dick Harrel Mr. Chevrolet Camaro funny car too.
🔧
@@loyalUSguy it's a disease. Have boxes of SBC racing parts in my garage attic, a 4 bolt under the bench, a couple steel cranks in the corner & I've had a set of GM's 'special' # pink rods under my toaster oven in the kitchen.
Keep telling myself I'll find a reason to build one more 9 grand SBC before I die, just haven't found it, yet.
Bought a 1 owner '75 ElCo in '98 to engine swap, polish & sell, then discovered it's a 948 produced ElCo Custom, limited edition, basically an ElCo version of the Laguna Chevy made from Montes for a few years. Swivel buckets, first production tilt wheel, all matching numbers, so I can't change it. It's been stored since '99, waiting for an ElCo lover to come along.
@@georgedennison3338 Sounds good. I had a '79 Malibu 4dr, factory 4spd, dash tach, etc. Dropped a 350 in it. Ran pretty good 💤💤 Too bad a very large oak tree landed dead center of roof while parked. Oh, well. Good project cars are getting tougher to find.
@@loyalUSguy Ouch, but I guess an oak to the roof is better than to the grill... healthier, too.
Ford spun-tested every Model A engine using a huge electric motor. The amount of juice it took to turn it indicated if it was ok or not. Less resistance, for example, might mean low compression and that one was pulled off the line to be diagnosed and fixed, or if it was too far gone it could be disassembled and the parts sent back to be melted down again. The good engines got a serial number stamped in em.
Congratulations 🎉👏 on your induction into the Hall of Fame!! Well deserved Sir..
What HOF are you talking about?
Another Classic Brian, Thank you!
Amazing info,i will watch your videos.Thanks👌👌👌👍
Hey Brian, I really appreciate your presentation of Smokey's genius.
I had read Best Damn Garage in Town set
The audio versions Sex, lies, & Super Speedways along with More Sex Lies & Super Speedways knocked me out
John DeLorean read the first and the second had multiple readers from Don Gartlis, Ray Everham along with quite a few others. A testament to the respect he deserves. They seemed to get a kick out of reading his plain spoken writing style.
Thanks again for another great video.
The man was a genius ahead of his time
Great Video. Hes one of my favs!
Roush had a version of the spintron in the late eighties. As a former employee of that time, I can confirm the use and similar reasons were used.
Another great job on one of my favorites in racing! Thank You!!
Awesome Video Brian
Back in late eighty's into the nineties I worked at McLaren Engines,a R& D shop in suburban Detroit. I worked on the hot vapor engine,,,,why didnt it ever go anywhere ? Because it plain old didnt work, but Smokey got the money for it as he was under contract with the General. One thing I did work on,,that did work, was the reverse cooling system,,,which is pretty much universal through all mfr,s,,, The engineer from Chevrolet,who worked with Smokey in his shop in Florida,,came back and forth with alot of crazy things to fool with,brought me back a autographed picture that Smokey took off his wall in his office,it was the Indy car with the hands for nerf bars. The fabricating skills were rather crude compared to the Indy Car stuff we were used to working on
I'm 54 born and raised in Detroit and remember McLaren well. I knew a guy or two who worked there at one time or another. There was a very small shop on Gulley Rd in Dearborn Heights I visited once as a local alarm repair technician at the time and made that one my last call on a warm summer Friday evening. A feller who was working there gave me a little tour.
As far as Smokey's hot air engine I do believe his own version worked while in his hands. I don't believe the idea transferred over to engineers who may have tried to duplicate the idea. Like Brian said in the vid most of this knowledge went to the grave with Henry Yunick.
That's my 2 pennies worth. I'm nearly certain if I tried to build a hot air engine out of a fiero in my backyard right now id fail miserably too. His design didn't translate well to the industry at the time because, well... secrets we may never know. In any event I enjoyed reading your comment. Hope you are well. I still live in Dearborn Heights but looks like I won't be very much longer, it's a long story.
@@williamstamper442 believe what you will,,,,but I was there and it wasnt effective,,,GM with all the resources never found it a viable working production invention. The way it worked back then is Smokey would come up with these zany ideas,,,and sell them to the automakers,,,and get them to finance it,,,what the hell,,,, ole Smokey was right about alot of inventions,,,but that wasnt one of them. Smokey was good at getting money from a lot of resources, believe me my hands physically were wrapped around that for at least a month,,,until it was deemed a great idea,,,but nowhere near anything for production.
I also remember a lot of press about the Smokey 'Hot Vapor' engine....but he was VERY reluctant to let anyone actually test it for themselves. He finally gave in and I believe it was Motor Trend who got his test car to evaluate and they weren't very impressed with it. The thing basically detonated and made lots of distressing sounds and IIRC Smokey said to 'Turn the radio up louder' or something along those lines. There was NO WAY that engine could EVER have made it into a production vehicle. Many people don't understand how rigorous the torture testing an engine for production must be able to endure before it can be released to the 'Great Unwashed' motorists. GM back in the day ran their engines at their rated power for 24 hours straight before they'd certify them for sale. That was why it was easy for us to get more power out of them....because we didn't expect them to endure such treatment and were willing to give up a little lifespan for more power.
@@recoilrob324 Very well said,I really could write a interesting book about the goings on in that world
In the 50's Mac. Illustrated did an interview with Smokey. One of his statements was," most people forget about setting up there carburetor."
Both the Smoketron and the hot vapour Fiero are on display at the Garlits museum in Ocala.
A great man I had his book it great 👍 a master of getting the job done and winning
I remember when Smokey's "Hot Cycle" engine was described in a car magazine I bought at a newsstand. If I recall correctly, the article claimed that there was already a deal signed to have the company known that owned the "Mr. Gasket" brand name manufacture kits to convert existing engines to use the fuel pre-heating. Apparently, they could get about 1.8 HP/c.i. out of most engines, and greatly improved fuel economy. At the end of the article, the authors mentioned that Smokey had an idea for a ceramic engine that would run oilless, and be able to tolerate even higher operating temperatures.
He was a B-17 pilot in WWII. Genius. Forward Thinker
Actually a B-25 not a 17
Smokey and his Fireman was a B-17
Thanks for another great video! I’ve always been curious about the hot vapor engine patent.
Love your videos
Hi Brian, I read about the Yanick Yin Yang motor in the 80's (think it was Popular Mechanics) that he made from I think was a Harly V twin and put in a Volks wagon, I never saw anything again. thought it went the same way that Tucker did with the big three squashing it because it would cost them money
Rich
His vapor water engine in the DMC Delorean was awesome.
Rest in Peace, Smokey. I am sure he is finding ways to one-up the competition in the big sky, even against Junior Johnson
fantastic as usual!
on the swirl combustion chambers, The Ford Tempo 2.3 in 1984 had HSC , high swirl combustion chambers. Don't know if they looked anything like Smokey's patent, but I can relate, the cars were slow.
Smokey’s book Best Damn Garage In Town
The world according to Smokey is an absolute must read for any motor racing fan. Probably available on his website. It reads as if you were sitting across from him in his shop. Smokey also developed the Hydro boost brake system, Ralph Johnson & Smokey are responsible for the Holly Double pumper carburetor. Read Smokey’s book. You won’t be disappointed.
Create a patent-- expose your creativity and tricks to the world for personal use as in auto racing..
My chief mechanic was like Smoky; if the rules don’t say I can’t do something then I can do it. Way to go, Charlie.
When the Baltimore Grand Prix street course was set up, there were barriers made from tires - stacks bolted together. I wonder if they were the same as Smokey's patented ones?
Smokey was way ahead of his time. Maybe even today.
I remember Yunkick's adiabatic engine and was very excited about it. Of course it never came to be.
Over the years NASCAR has managed to squash creativity like Smoky used in favor of creating a BUMPER-CAR money machine that the public can't seem to resist.
Thanks
Very
Informative ❤
30+ yrs ago I ran fuel line through a 3 foot pipe that was full of engine water. The flapper air valve in the air cleaner that took heat off the exhaust manifold, was jammed so manifold heat always entered the carb. The "initial" timing was advanced 1-2°. I ran the lowest octane gas in summer with 0.o
ping/detonation @ hard acceleration. All pollutants decreased @ idle & cruise. 1 of the pollutants @ idle or cruise went from 10.00% down to 00.37%. That's over a 95% DEcrease. The only thing that increased was carbon dioxide. That's what we exhale, plants inhale & you'll find as soda pop bubbles. I could remove the idle speed screw, an the engine idled smoothly. It was a 69 Pontiac 350 V8 with well over 100,000 mi. on the meter.
Did you monitor NOx? What was that effect?
@@davemilster Can't say from memory. This was 35+/- yrs. ago. The readout papers' ink faded in a briefcase. The papers were 2 yrs. apart. Pre & post hot pipe installation. CA smog checks are every other yr. The smog nachine tests 3 pollutants @ idle & cruise. Carbon dioxide isn't really a pollutant, it's a green house gas. Carbon is also 1 of 3, i think, of the most prevalent elements on earth. Everything went down @ cruise & idle. Only c.d. went up @ idle & cruise.
Exelent info/video!!❤
He was also part of the Hudson Hornet racing teams
Swirl has , been used and that design look very like what’s used in some diesels more so
Ford had a engine assembly evaluation machine that evaluates a non-running engine at various stages of assembly. Not sure if they patented it or disclosed.
I'd recommend anyone interested in cars or racing to find a copy of "Best Damn Garage in Town". Parts of it are pure gold. Others are nearly unreadable. But overall I'd recommend it. It's not easy to find because (I'm guessing here) he says some pretty non politically correct things. Ok - some are blatantly racist. But there's other stuff in there that I found very interesting. Like, which is bigger, a 7 liter engine at 5000 rpm or a 3.5 liter at 10,000? I never thought of that. Everything else being equal, they are the same. And stuff about getting surplus smoke machines from the military (used for aerodynamic research before computer models), sawing cylinder heads in half and using the smoke to visualize what was really happening in the ports. Nobody really understood that before Smokey came along. And guessing again, I'd say Zeldovich NOx formation was probably the hurdle that stood in the way of the hot air engine gaining acceptance.
THIS MAN WAS WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIME, PERIOD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He invented tires for that fiero that lasted over 100,000 miles!!
He got his name from all the stove bolt Chevrolets he was involved with.
I have seen a spin tron type Machine in use, in Australia in the mid 90's at a camshaft manufacturers workshop, spinning doorslammer engines to over 11,000 rpm under strobe lights, was awesome to watch the valve springs dancing in the light
I owned an engine that a very talented mechanic built from the instructions and specs he got out of a Smokey Yunick book. It was a Chevy block with 6 inch Oldsmobile Rocket rods
in it. The mechanic put the engine together and took it apart 8 times before he ever put fuel and electric to it, to start it for the first time. It was the baddest engine I ever owned, and
I hated to let it go.
At 5:38 you state "never been applied.."😊
Well maybe not in cars.
Penske applied a similar "swirl" in the Detroit Diesel (DDEC), 15:1 - 16.25 Static Compression!
Single Long Intake & Short Exhaust Ports with Dual Intake and Exhaust Valves, per cylinder.😊
Single Overhead Roller Cam & Injectors that boost, Lift pump (80-100psi) to 2800+psi(?) at Injector Tip😊
Central Dome & Circular Dish Piston and Flat Cylinder Head Surface.
Injector centered over Dome, causing spray to be distributed into a Swirling 0 - 40+ psi Turbo Boost.
Fast throttle response with high torque
Most Efficient Diesel on the market for years!
Decades ago I read in a car magazine an article he wrote that stated that drum brakes were superior to discs. I do not doubt that he was devious and brilliant but hey, look at every car on the road today.
3:21 - this idea didn’t totally go nowhere, there is a pretty similar aftermarket system for Harley engines that does basically this. That being said most of the serious bearings in a Harley are rollers and don’t necessarily need constant oil pressure to survive.
dude you are the Steve Magnante of vintage American motorsports 😀
Moroso used to sell those breather assembly's. Ralph Johnson was a very smart guy really the same level as Smokey at a minimum.