But but but, THAT was part of the fun of running a FOX - watching for the gap in the smoke trail..!
Stock Fox head basically has NO thoughts to combustion chamber so this should be a really good thing
No you have to clarify which stock head you are talking about!! I learned about the RANGERS head recently and found I had three of the early 50's vintage engines with those on them. Turns out there was some information on Stunthanger about them. Jim lee told me about them when emailing back and forth about the Silver Bullet and he has some experience running the RANGERS head. In my view it's kinda sorta an accidental "flat" hemi head. I'm going to try one on a more modern engine with a muffler on a Ringmaster when the weather warms up more consistently.. A stuffer back plate can only help, in my opinion. It keeps the rod located for best performance, and filling in as much excess crank case volume as it can has to help fuel draw. The stock back plate is incredibly loose and sloppy with tons of volume around it's perimeter, besides not being into the case as far as it could be.
Now, just to ward off negative comments, I am doing this all for fun!! I'm not claiming that I want to turn the .35 into a NATS winner again!! I have stone stock examples that runs just fine, and I'm completely happy with them. But the 350 Chevy small block runs just fine in stock form and no one leaves them alone!!! If you can make any engine run smoother, be a more reliable runner, and make better power. and get some enjoyment out of doing that, what is the harm being done!! Think how many of these things are out there and how few C/L stunt engines are being produced these days. I would hazard a guess there are way more Fox.35s out there than LA.40s. Plus, if the Silver Bullet is a success and Jim sells a lot of them, it will help to keep him supplied mustache wax!!
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee