Congrats to Tom Dauber for his Runner-Up win with his Reher-Morrison 583 20º engine!
Reher-Morrison Blog
Congratulations Tom Dauber!!
Congratulations Dave & Jeff Pierce!
Congratulations Bryce Hatfield!
Congratulations JJ Gossett!
Congratulations Colton Wheeler!
Congratulations Linzi Theobald Meserve!!
Congratulations to Christopher Dodd!
Theobald Family does it again!
Sorry for this late news, it’s been a busy week! Last weekend at the D6 closer in Woodburn OR, Parker Theobald won in SuperPro in his Reher-Morrison 583 powered Mullis dragster and Linzi (Theobald) Meserve Runnered-up in her Reher-Morrison 632 powered Racetech Top Dragster.
Both cars in the finals! Woohoo!
Theobald Family! – Several Reher-Morrison Engines
July 14th Tanner Theobald wins Top Dragster at the NHRA D6 race at Woodburn Dragstrip,OR with his Reher-Morrison 583 Powered Trick Dragster.
July 19th Tanner Theobald goes to the semi-final in Top Dragster at the NHRA D7 race at Sonoma Raceway, CA with his sisters Reher-Morrison 632 Powered Race Tech Dragster.
July 28th Linzi Theobald Meserve runners-up in Super Gas to Bo Butner at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals race at Sonoma Raceway, CA in her Reher-Morrison 583 Powered ’68 Barracuda
August 10th Parker Theobald wins the Super-Pro 10K NightFire race in Boise, ID in his Reher Morrison 583 Powered Mullis Dragster, then runners-up the next day at the 5K. Also named to “Drag Champ” top ten list for the week
Rich Smith – 762 Nitrous Engine
Brent Bockover – 632 All Aluminum BBC
Jim Prevo – 632 Super Series Engine
Tech Talk #100 – The End of the Road
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“My goal was to encourage readers to think seriously about the topics I wrote about.”
One hundred is just a number – one more than 99, one less than 101. Yet racers see significance in certain numerals, from Eddie Hill’s “First in the Fours” to Lee Shepherd recording the first
Tech Talk #99 – More About Oil: A Slippery Subject
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“Controlling the supply of oil in the shutdown area should be a top priority.”
More drag racing engines are damaged in the shutdown area than during a race. This is a bold statement, but
Tech Talk #98 – Oil Is Everything
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“It’s better to allow a little trash to circulate inside the engine than to risk a catastrophic failure due to insufficient oil flow.”
Oil is the lifeblood of a racing engine. I know this isn’t breaking news for most racers, but that doesn’t diminish oil’s importance. The majority of catastrophic engine failures are caused by lack of lubrication.
Wayne Horton – 665ci All Aluminum BBC
These are a couple of bad ass hot rods! Both are powered by Reher Morrison 665 All Aluminum engines. Wayne Horton GTO 693 @ 197, Erice Cabral Camaro 705 @ 194. Sponsored and owned by Dick Clark.
Congrats guys on your winner and runner up!
Tech Talk #97 – The Pump Gas Project
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“A powerful engine that runs reliably on pump gas has a lot of appeal for performance enthusiasts.”
The sign on the door reads “Reher-Morrison Racing Engines,” but in fact a surprising number of engines we build end up on the street.
Brian Reklaitis – 12º 583ci BBC
Hello! I wanted to share a picture with you of my first win of the year with my new Reher-Morrison 583 Big Block engine. I won this engine at the 2015 Sunnen Engine Charity Sweepstakes. Engine runs great! 7.04 @ 190 first pass off the trailer in 3000′ DA. There is definitely a 6.9 in there!
Thank you!!
Brian Reklaitis
Pittson, Pennsylvania
Tech Talk #96 – Compression Lesson
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“Excessive valve clearance is the enemy of compression – and compression is your best friend in a naturally aspirated racing engine.”
One of the most common mistakes I see in engine building is excessive valve clearance. One of the rules at our shop is that we always check the valve clearance in any engine that we didn’t build before it’s torn down.
Tech Talk #95 – Analyzing the LS Engine
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“As a professional engine builder, I’m not concerned about the brand on a block.”
Growing up among gearheads, we all knew guys who swore lifetime allegiance to a brand. It was a snap to identify the Chevy guys, the Ford guys, and the Chrysler guys.
Tech Talk #94 – Are You Connected?
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“The connections that were formed 30 or 40 years ago still play a role in my daily life as a professional engine builder.”
The state of the art in engine building is a moving target. A set of cylinder heads that is on the cutting edge this year can become outdated parts by the next season.
Tech Talk #93 – All About Connecting Rods
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“I can’t say categorically whether steel or aluminum connecting rods will make an engine perform better.”
Back in the early ’70s, when Buddy Morrison and I were building engines in the back room of Mansfield Auto Supply, choosing connecting rods was simple.
Mike Greene – 12º Raptor 598ci BBC
-Top Dragster-
Another first-time winner got the job done in Dart Machinery Top Dragster at Thunder Road, as Mike Greene of Burleson, TX., survived from the number 11 qualifying spot to beat number 12 starter Derrik Sholar in the final.
Greene qualified his Reher-Morrison 598 BBC powered ’08 Undercover dragster with a 4.13 pass at 171.31 mph and dialed in at 4.13 for three of his four elimination rounds. He ran 4.18 against the .13 in his first round win over Louisiana’s own Michael Kile, then went 4.14 on the 4.13 dial in to beat Jeb Adams, who broke out by a hundredth in round two. In the semis, Greene dialed in at 4.12 and ran another 4.14, but courtesy of an excellent .006 reaction time after Cody Moore ran dead on his 4.18 dial.
That left only the final, where a 4.16 against his 4.13 dial in got the job done for Greene as Sholar also broke out by a hundredth under his 4.22 dial in.
-Mike Greene-
“My 12º Raptor headed Reher-Morrison engine is the best, most consistent fast engine I’ve ever owned. I can run this car down the track like a bracket car and even drive it to the lanes and back to my trailer after a run. I can’t thank the guys at the shop for everything they do.
Thanks.”
Mike Greene
Burleson, TX.
Kyle Rickman – 632ci All Aluminum
632ci All Aluminum
Single 4bbl Carburetor
Dry Sump Oiling System
4 Link Dragster
8.90 @ 189.00 SuperComp Trim
Kyle Rickman
Combine, TX.
Tech Talk #92 – The Detonation Investigation
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“The burning fuel-air mixture becomes an acetylene torch that can melt pistons, cylinder heads, and blocks.”
In the days before electronic controls, it was common to hear the sound of detonation in a street engine during hard acceleration – a distinctive knocking or metallic ringing sound.
Tech Talk #91 – Drag Racing in the Digital Age: Laptops and Air Pumps
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“Behind every successful New Age engine is someone with a laptop computer.”
I didn’t actually start drag racing during the age of the dinosaurs, but sometimes it feels like I did.
Chris Eidson Division IV Bracket Finals Championship!
Congratulations to Chris Eidson on his Division IV Bracket Finals Championship! Chris won the Pro category and then went on to win the run off between Pro and Super Pro winner for the trip to Pomona and the bracket racing World Finals!
Chris utilizes a Reher-Morrison 565ci in his ’63 Corvette roadster. To win a bracket race championship it takes a good car, a good driver, and a dependable engine that can go 8 to 10 rounds, one after another. That’s what Chris got in his 565 Reher-Morrison engine.
Chris! Good luck at Pomona!
Jim Prevo – 632ci All Aluminum
Once again a kick ass motor.
1930#
4 link
.971″ 60′
4.04″ in 1/8 and 6.34″ in 1/4
Exceeded my expectations and many that of my competitors.
Jim Prevo
Mundelein, IL
Benny Strand – 855ci
We are now the fastest 1/8 mile nitrous car in Europe. 3.9226/188.34 with a Reher-Morrison engine and power glide.
Benny Strand
Iggesund, Sweden
Gordon Leland – 781ci
David and the Gang –
We appreciate the time and care you take to keep us running strong and Reliable.
Reliable Power is all we asked for and that’s what we got. Thanks!
Gordon Leland
Alamo Hot Rod Center
San Antonio, TX
Tech Talk #90 – Pistons and Pressure Spikes
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“The pressure curves explained what I’ve learned about racing engines through years of experience and observation.”
Unless your race car is powered by a jet engine or a turbine, a critical factor in engine performance is the pressure exerted on the pistons. The goal in race engine development is to maximize the cylinder pressure that pushes against the pistons and thereby rotates the crankshaft.
Tech Talk #89 – The Eyes Inside Your Engine
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“Spark plugs are the best source of information on what’s really happening in the cylinders.”
If you really want to know what’s happening inside an engine, look at its spark plugs. The spark plugs are eyewitnesses to the combustion process, and their expert testimony provides insights into what is really happening inside the cylinders.
Tech Talk #88 – All That Glitters at the Trade Show
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“CNC is a manufacturing process, not a thought process.”
When the racing season ends, the show season begins. This winter I made the journey to Indianapolis to attend the Performance Racing Industry trade show. After several years in Orlando, the PRI Show returned to its former home in Indy, and it was amazing.
Tech Talk #87 – Myths and Misconceptions About Power Adders
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“The only source of power in any internal combustion engine is the energy in the fuel.”
The hottest topic in engine building these days is power adders. It seems like every magazine, website, and online forum is talking up nitrous oxide injection, superchargers, and turbochargers. What’s the big deal?
Tech Talk #86 – Spin and Win: Evaluating Valvetrains the Old-Fashioned Way
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“In my experience, one of the best indicators of valvetrain stability is also the simplest.”
My longtime friend, teammate, and business partner, the late Buddy Morrison, had a direct approach to problem solving. When Buddy wanted to learn about oil control and crankcase windage in a racing engine, he convinced me that it was a good idea to make a dyno run on an engine without an oil pan.
Tech Talk #85 – How Not to Build a Racing Engine
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“Here’s a Reher analogy you’ve never read before: A racing engine is like a bowl of Jello.”
My daily fitness regimen is a brisk morning walk at Texas Raceway near my home in Kennedale, Texas. It’s just me, my dog, and a drag strip.
Tech Talk #84 – Dry Sumps Save Lives
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“In a wet-sump engine, the rotating assembly whips the oil like a milkshake in a blender.”
It’s great to be back in the pages of National Dragster after taking a break from writing columns. I appreciate the many comments from racers and readers, and I’ll attempt to come up with interesting topics now that I’m back on the keyboard. Continue reading
Tech Talk #83 – Engines Are Engines
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“I’ve learned that engines with pistons and valves are fundamentally alike.”
I count myself among the fortunate people who enjoy going to work every day. The fact is that I love working on engines – all kinds of engines. After nearly 40 years of messing around with motors, I’ve learned that there are more similarities than differences in various types of engines.
Tech Talk #82 – The 400-Horsepower Tune-up
By David Reher, Reher-Morrison Racing Engines
“A basic nitrous oxide injection system can make a huge difference in fast Sportsman racing.”
I’ve been around drag racing long enough that I can remember when racers first reached many of the sport’s performance milestones that are being celebrated during NHRA’s 60th anniversary season. There was a time when a 6-second elapsed time was sensational. Don Garlits was so elated to run in the sixes that he famously shaved his beard on the starting line after winning the 1967 U.S. Nationals. Today, however, six-second runs are commonplace – and they have become the price of admission in fast sportsman eliminators like Top Dragster and Top Sportsman.