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In last month's installment of our Building the Beast LS3 engine build series, we covered the assembly of the top end of our 416ci LS3, a process that involved bolting the RHS heads and FAST intake onto the previously assembled short-block. After a few days spent at Grimes Automotive Machine, watching Merlin James and Garry Scott Grimes machine and assemble the engine (and turning the odd wrench myself), the collection of high-end parts had finally become a single, tough-looking unit. The aluminum engine—crowned with the matte-gray intake, gleaming red fuel rails, and high-rise valve covers in crinkle black—looked nothing but purposeful. And since its purpose is to go fast, it was time to move it off the engine stand and onto the dyno, to see exactly how ill- tempered this beast could be.
By the time I got there, the motor was in the dyno cell, surrounded by the various black umbilici connecting it to the many inputs and outputs required to make it run: fuel lines, sensors for the dyno gauges, and wiring for the MSD ignition box and FAST XFI computer, along with a set of well-heat-cycled headers routed to the outside of the building. Garry Grimes sat at the controls, his left hand resting on the lever that controlled the throttle, the computer monitor above him filled with the brightly colored lines of a bar graph. John Lee, who was doing the actual tuning, sat on his right, leaning over his laptop and alternately scrolling through data-logging results and air/fuel tables.
The drill is simple: With the engine having previously been warmed to operating temperature, the Start switch is pressed until it comes to life and drops into its restless idle, provided courtesy of the 0.605/0.615 lift cam from Comp. Check the needles on all the gauges to be sure they're on the safe side of the middle; make sure all the inputs look right on the computer. Then, gently at first, Garry's hand begins smoothly pushing the lever forward, and that saucer-sized throttle body turns from a gold-colored disk to a flat line, and just for a moment as it hits wide-open throttle there's an expectant pause. Secretariat inhales. Then the engine's steady hammering changes tone as it sucks in air and goes from a snarl to a roar, the needle on the big, white tach hits the 6,800 rpm redline, and it's time to throttle it down and take a look at the charts.
Garry hands me a dyno sheet, and I can't help but scan the fine, dot-matrix type for the bottom number on the page, the bragging one. 595. As we continue to run the motor and Lee makes fine adjustments via his laptop, the peak horsepower continues to climb. It goes over six quickly. 625. Still climbing, and always hitting the peak around 6,700 rpm.
The volumetric efficiency (or VE) of a motor is basically a mechanical function determined by such things as cam, compression ratio, and other factors, and it can't really be changed by tuning. The VE table used in tuning is generally used as a fuel table: When you change its settings, you're effectively telling the engine computer that the engine is using more or less air, and the computer adjusts the fuel accordingly. This adjustment of air/fuel ratio is key in getting the engine to produce peak power while remaining in a safe range, so it doesn't run too rich (too much fuel) or too lean (too little fuel), either of which could cause damage.
To get there, the FAST XFI lets you read manifold pressure, spark timing, injector pulse, and other factors, as well as controlling such esoteric variables as injector phasing (similar to timing advance, only with the fuel injectors rather than the spark plugs). After the data is reviewed, changes are made to the calibration to adjust timing and fuel flow as required to optimize power.
Although we had originally planned to rely on the LS3's stock E38 computer, we eventually opted for the FAST XFI, in part because our stroker uses a cable-mounted throttle body, which is incompatible with the E38. The XFI's other advantages, however, are significant, making it a well-justified upgrade even without that consideration factored in.
Specifically, it gives the user an amazing amount of control over the engine, including everything from basic functions to ancillary items such as fan temperature and fuel-pump operation, torque-converter lockup, and controls for forced induction and nitrous oxide—with a provision for up to four stages of the latter.
Another unique feature that makes the XFI very appealing is its ease of tuning. In the event you need tuning help and no one suitable is available locally, you can connect your laptop to the XFI, establish an Internet connection, and allow another user to connect to your ECU, see what's going on, and change parameters as necessary.
As a matter of basic setup, the XFI can run the motor in several different modes, including speed density and a "load indexed" speed density that compensates for variations in barometric pressure. Ever driven in the mountains with a car tuned for the coast? That's the sort of problem load-indexed speed density is designed to avoid.
Another choice is that of bank versus sequential firing of the fuel injectors. In bank mode (also called batch-fire mode), a batch of four injectors—assuming an eight-cylinder engine—fire at the same time. Typically, each batch consists of the injectors for one cylinder bank. In sequential, each cylinder's injector fires once for each time the spark plug fires.
No matter which of these modes you select, the computer relies on feedback from a wide-band oxygen sensor mounted in the exhaust collector. This sensor allows for "closed loop" fuel-flow adjustment, whereby the computer makes fine alterations based on actual engine performance. While some systems use a narrow-band sensor that simply toggles between telling the computer "too high" or "too low," a wide-band sensor assigns an actual numerical value, ranging between 9:1 and 16:1, to the air/fuel ratio.
An extension of this feature is the XFI's ability to run in Flex Fuel mode. Yes, with a little tuning and the addition of a Flex Fuel sensor, the XFI will adjust to accommodate different fuels, including E85, LP, compressed natural gas, and others, all of which function at a different ideal stoichiometric ratio than the 14.7:1 of pure gasoline. While I'm not wild about running a Corvette with any of these, in this world of ever-changing fuels, it sounds like cheap insurance to me.
Other tunable parameters include the way the computer offsets the injectors' opening based on fluctuating voltage from the battery (it used to have a table embedded in the computer's firmware; you can now adjust it on your own as well), after-start enrichment and decay (basically a choke-like effect), and rev limiting with both fuel and spark.
While the XFI can control all of these variables, doing so is not mandatory. The system offers three different levels of tuning—basic, intermediate, and advanced—so you can choose just how deep into the computer you want to go. No doubt, the roughly 200-page manual can seem a bit daunting, especially for those of us whose tuning experience consists of turning a screw on a Holley and listening until it "sounds right." With that in mind, I left the initial tune to a professional, and if you're in the same boat I am, you'd probably be wise to do the same.
There are, however, other parts of the tuning process that I'll be tackling myself later on, such as configuring the outputs for the shift light and tach. (As a side note, while the tach signal from a standard LS computer is usually a four-cylinder output, the XFI input is eight-cylinder—something you'll need to know if you intend to use aftermarket gauges, as we'll be doing.) The most important part we'll tune, however, is the traction control, which is contained in the intermediate tuning mode.
The recurring question about putting this engine in my car is whether or not the end result will be controllable. (In the words of my girlfriend's father, "So…what car are you going to drive my daughter in?") Personally, the most fearsome thing I've driven is a five-speed-equipped '71 Stingray with a 550hp 502. The idea of adding about a hundred hp to that and then expecting to drive it with a manual transmission, on hills and in the rain, is more than a little intimidating. Hence my appreciation for the XFI's intelligent traction control, or ITC for short.
ITC measures (and subsequently limits) wheelspin by using a shaft-speed input, usually with a sensor that's attached to the driveshaft. While FAST offers a series of different sending units that use a pickup and a separate magnet mounted to the driveshaft, these are typically set up for a Ford 9-inch rear. In our case, we'll be using the digital speedometer output from our T56 Magnum transmission for this purpose. The Magnum comes with both mechanical and electronic outputs, and since we're keeping a cable-driven speedometer, we won't have to worry about splitting the signal between the speedo and traction control.
The computer reads the shaft-speed input—not for overall speed, but for change in speed, since sudden wheelspin will cause a sharp increase in driveshaft speed. The degree of driveshaft acceleration at which tire slippage occurs is among the variables you can input into the computer based on your particular setup and needs. Once the motor goes in the car, we'll be focusing pretty heavily on getting this right, to make sure the car is as streetable as reasonably possible.
And exactly how much power are we expecting to tame with ITC? Our best numbers came in at 635 hp at 6,700, with a peak torque of 543 lb-ft at 4,800 rpm. On the final dyno sheet (which doesn't read below 3,178 rpm), the torque comes on at 476, never really dropping much below that, and stays above 500 from 4,400 to 6,600, making for a pretty stout midrange and top end.
Once testing was done, the engine was put to bed in a crate and couriered over to Tray Walden's Street Shop in Alabama to meet the six-speed trans, custom fuel tank, and all the other bits and pieces required to shoehorn it between the rails of our '72 coupe project car, aka Scarlett.
Get Ready.


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Bentley Readying EXP 9F Racers For 2013 Dakar Rally?
Volkswagen has hogged the glory at Dakar for the past three years but, according to a report from Car magazine, another brand under the German auto giant's umbrella is interested in contesting the famed desert race. The British publication says Bentley is buying back VW's Race Touaregs from private teams, and plans to enter them in the 2013 race wearing EXP 9F SUV bodywork.
Though the EXP 9F concept has yet to receive the official green light, the controversially styled SUV is all but guaranteed to get approved for production. While a production version may still be several years away, Car suggests Bentley wants to start building off-road credibility for the nameplate before its arrival. And what better way to do that than enter in the Dakar?
The Race Touaregs, which won the Dakar rally consecutively from 2009-2011, were recently sold to private teams after VW withdrew its factory support in order to focus on its World Rally Championship campaign. Bentley is reportedly repurchasing these vehicles, which the automaker will use as the basis for its 2013 entries. The Race Touaregs looked very little like the production cars after which they were named, and it's hard to say how closely the purpose-built off-road racers will resemble the Bentley EXP 9F originally revealed at the Geneva Motor Show.
UPDATE: A Bentley representative tells us: "We are evaluating all motorsport options but no decision has been made."
For the 2011 Dakar rally, the Race Touareg packed a twin-turbo 2.5-liter diesel I-5 producing just under 300 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. Whether Bentley's racers will employ the same drivetrain is unknown. The production EXP 9F, however, is expected to get the twin-turbo 6.0-liter W-12 from the Continental, while a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 and supercharged V-6 plug-in hybrid could also be offered.
Source: Car

subset: commoncrawl


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Corporate Functions/Events
Bristol Motor Speedway and Bristol Dragway are available for your next corporate function.
Whether it's a company retreat, participation in a driving school or entertainment for your clients, Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway offer a unique environment for your event.
From the O. Bruton Smith Building Banquet Room to luxury skybox suites, an event at Bristol promises to be one you and your guests never will forget.
|Lyndsay Whitmore (click name to e-mail)


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Resources & Links
Theorem on the nth derivative of an k by k determinant
In differential equations, it is useful to be able to find the derivative of a determinant of functions; an interesting exercise is to "find an aestetically pleasing representation of the second derivative of a two by two determinant. " The following theorem is a generalization, being the nth derivative of an k by k determinant. This theorem was formulated by several students and colleagues in connection with my differential equations class in Spring 1993.


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For Immediate Release, August 16, 2012
Contact: Noah Greenwald, (503) 484-7495
Lawsuit Launched Challenging Army Corps of Engineers' Systemic Failure to
Protect Nation's Endangered Species
Flawed Permitting Program for Thousands of Projects Risks Salmon,
Sea Turtles, Scores of Other U.S. Species
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity launched federal litigation today to challenge the Army Corps of Engineers' "nationwide permit" program for failing to ensure that tens of thousands of construction and other projects every year do not harm the nation's endangered species. In a formal notice of intent to sue filed today under the Endangered Species Act, the Center informed the Corps that it has failed to structure its nationwide permit program to ensure that it will not threaten endangered species and their habitats around the country.
"For years the Corps of Engineers has systematically turned a blind eye to the plight of America's most vulnerable wildlife and plants. It's time for that to stop," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center. "Salmon, sea turtles and endangered species from coast to coast have been sentenced to a death by a thousand cuts under the Corps' deeply flawed permitting system."
While the nationwide permit program is intended to streamline Clean Water Act permitting for projects with "minimal" adverse effects, it has been mismanaged and abused. In March, the Corps issued 50 nationwide permits authorizing a wide range of activities without any public notice and little agency oversight, including residential and commercial development, oil and gas activities, commercial fishing and coal mining. The southern segment of the Keystone XL pipeline, for example, was federally permitted through a series of nationwide permits for utility lines.
The Center's legal notice echoes concerns from the National Marine Fisheries Service's 2012 report that found the Corps has failed to ensure its nationwide permit program does not jeopardize a host of endangered species, including salmon and a number of other fish species, sea turtles, corals, whales and other marine mammals; many species under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are also of concern — conservancy fairy shrimp, plants like the Howell's spectacular thelypody and Suisun thistle, Salt Creek tiger beetles, red wolves and Florida panthers, for instance.
The Fisheries Service reported dozens of examples in which nationwide permits affected protected wildlife and their critical habitat. It reprimanded the Corps for failing to keep track of how much habitat is affected and how many polluted discharges are occurring, as well as for failing to secure compliance with permit conditions.
The Fisheries Service estimated that under nationwide permits that are particularly harmful to listed species, more than 43,000 activities will occur every year (217,000 over five years), affecting nearly 60,000 acres of U.S. wetlands, coasts, lakes, rivers and streams by 2017. These impacts are in addition to the nearly 140,000 acres affected since 1982. Only in limited circumstances will the Corps even know of a project and the potential for species impacts before the activities occur, and even then, the public will not be informed before development.
"While small projects under nationwide permits may appear benign, their cumulative impact is fragmenting habitat, destroying wetlands and polluting waters," said Greenwald.
Concerns about the Corps' nationwide permit program have been longstanding. In 2005, a court found the Corps failed to consider the impacts of nationwide permits on endangered species, and the Congressional Research Service this year faulted the Corps' issuance of the permits that failed to protect aquatic resources, provide oversight and adhere to the Clean Water Act's "minimal adverse effects" requirement.
"Despite clear directives from courts and fellow government agencies, the Corps continues to parrot the same old, tired excuses, sweeping these systemic flaws under the rug," added Greenwald. "It's well past time for the Corps to reform the program, and it must suspend the program until it does so."
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 375,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
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In March of this year, forex volatility was about as lifeless across GBP, DXY, EUR and JPY as it had been for the past five years: pretty much matching a low in October 2012. In April, volatility across those currencies was as low as it had been since before the 2008 crash, matching the record set in May 2007. July, August, May and June of this year were the four least volatile months for forex since 1994 (see chart, all data from IG's forex pages). Before this summer, average volatility across those four currencies had only dropped below 4% once in 20 years. Over the summer, it remained there for four consecutive months.
The true effects of such a sustained drought in forex will probably not be fully known for some time yet. For now, though, it appears that the rains have come: September saw volatility creep back up above 6%, and October 9%.
EUR/GBP/DXY/JPY average volatility over 20 years.
But it may be premature to declare that life on the markets has fully returned to normal: after all, there was an abnormal amount of activity across indices and equities in October, and forex hit a thoroughly average figure.
The record-low interest rates and policy of quantitative easing employed by major economies (specifically those of the four currencies examined above, though many others have followed suit) has often been blamed for the lack of currency movements. The logic behind such a claim is clear: the low return on cash makes trading forex less enticing to investors. Thus, removing liquidity takes away forex's single biggest incentive.
No interest rate rise has come about in the past two months, however, and forex movement has returned. This has also been true for previous periods when interest rates have been suppressed – by the Bank of Japan and Bank of England for several years after the millennium – which, while generally acting as a dampener on forex volatility, were also home to some notable peaks.
Of course, it is impossible to know whether those peaks would have been accentuated if the UK and Japan had higher interest rates; it does appear, though, that other currencies saw greater movement over the same period.
DXY, EUR, GBP & JPY volatility July 2002 – January 2004. UK currency movement suppressed by low interest rates, but occasionally very liquid.
The returning forex volatility in September and October may not have been caused by an anticipated rate rise, but it could have been caused by the final realisation on the markets that a rate rise was not in fact imminent.
October's most volatile days were those that came immediately after the International Monetary Fund released a decidedly pessimistic view of global growth, and low inflation made it clear that no central bank would be going near rate rises for some time yet. The long running status quo, where America's place at the forefront of the race to a rate rise ensured that investors stayed away from other currencies, was broken.
US vs EUR/GBP/JPY currency volatility Aug-Oct 2014. USD liquidity briefly catches up as fears of US strength take hold.
The playing field was abruptly levelled during the week of October 8 and beyond, as the dollar's stability was eroded and it challenged the average volatility of EUR, GBP and JPY. Since then though, several releases have – once again – changed the game somewhat.
Stress tests across Europe have sent banks back into the doldrums once more. US QE is about to end. If more hawkish sentiment from the Federal Reserve arrives, combined with good non-farm payrolls and GDP data, a confident US bull market may once again take hold.
Two possible scenarios have become apparent, then. In one, forex volatility is back, part of the re-emergence of risk trading that will come to define this financial year. In the other, a wobble on the long road to recovery changed the picture briefly, and we will soon see currencies settle once again. In part, the choice of which one takes hold is in the hands of traders, central banks and businesses. Either way, more unpredictability is surely on the way in the next few months.
Forex volatility has come back, but for how long? is republished with permission from IG.com