|
Okuma America is the U.S. affiliate
of the Okuma Corporation, a world leader in CNC (Computer Numeric
Control) machining technology. Established in 1984, the company
provides manufacturing solutions to Okuma's Western Hemisphere
customers and is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Bill
Miller Engineering's factory in Carson City Nevada uses Okuma Simulturn CNC Machining Centers to manufacture BME Forged Aluminum
Connecting Rods, BME Forged Aluminum Racing Pistons, BME Wrist Pins
and the Gibson-Miller Supercharger
|
|
 |
|
Most sponsors don't work on the car
but most major sponsors aren't Okuma America. Here,
Okuma America President, Larry Schwartz, (at right in
yellow) gets his hands dirty working with the BME Crew
as they adjust the angle of the BME/Okuma Dragster's
front wing. |
|
 |
|
In Bill
Miller Engineering's Carson City manufacturing facility, Okuma Simulturn machining centers
make BME parts like the Top Fuel piston being inspected by this BME Team
Member.
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
Bill
Miller heartily endorses Red Line Synthetic lubricants, such as the
"Heavy Shockproof" Gear Lubricant he uses in the BME Dragster's rear
axle.
|
 |
|
Red Line
70WT Nitro Race Oil is formulated specifically for
use in blown-fuel drag race engines. It uses the
superior ester base stocks which are the core of
every lubricant Red Line makes, along with a special
additive package designed to improve the reliability
of 8000-hp, supercharged, nitromethane burning
engines. Image: BME Ltd. |
|
Red Line Synthetic Oil Corporation is the world's supplier of
premium synthetic lubricants and additives. Founded in 1979, Red
Line offers over 80 products, including engine oils, gear oils,
automatic transmission fluids, assembly lubes, fuel additives,
and its popular WaterWetter coolant additive for the automotive,
motorcycle, marine, and industrial markets. Based in Benicia,
California, the company has earned a outstanding reputation with
racers for creating products that perform and protect better
than any on the market. The world�s top racing teams and most
discriminating automotive enthusiasts prefer Red Line synthetic
lubricants. Like many cars in NHRA's top class, the BME Top Fuel
Dragster uses Red Line 70WT Race Oil and Red Line Heavy
Shockproof Gear Lubricant. |
For 80 years, the Goodyear Tire and
Rubber Company has been the world's largest tire maker. It's, also, the
only major tire manufacturer based in the United States. The Akron, Ohio
company was founded in 1898 and, today, is an 18-billion dollar business
employing 80,000 people world-wide. Goodyear makes everything from
golf-cart tires to 14-foot high mining truck tires and everything in
between including, passenger car tires, truck tires, aircraft tires and,
of course, racing tires, such as the Eagle Dragway Specials and Eagle
Top Fuel Frontrunners on the BME Dragster.
 |
|
Goodyear's Eagle Dragway Special is
designed to fit "beadlock" wheels. The wheels and tires are
hand-assembled and balanced by BME crewmembers at the start
of each event. In the background at top right are the BME
Dragster's two Top Fuel Frontrunners, special tires designed
by Goodyear specifically for us on the front axle of Top
Fuel Dragsters and Nitro Funny Cars. Image: BME Ltd. |
|
 Autolite has
been making spark plugs since the mid-1930s and has a
comprehensive line covering everything from lawn mowers
to aircraft including a wide selection of racing spark
plugs. Autolite supports a number of IHRA and NHRA Top
Fuel race teams including BME. Bill Miller says spark
plugs, "...are critical to a good-running Top Fuel
motor." The Brand Anderson Hemi in the BME Dragster has
two plugs per cylinder and all 16 are changed after each
warm-up or each run. At each race, if the engine uses
one set of plugs for race weekend of warm-ups and uses a
new set for each run, that's as many as 9 sets of plugs
or 144 spark plugs.
BME runs 15
races a season so, in a year's time, that's a many as
2160 spark plugs. Needless to say, the BME Top Fuel
Team's spark plug sponsor, Autolite, has a key role in
the Team's success.
|
|
 |
|
The BME Top
Fuel Dragster uses Autolite AR5383 Racing Spark Plugs
which are specially designed for supercharged,
nitro-burning engines. |
|
 |
|
While the
oil filter used on the BME Top Fuel Dragster is larger
than the one on your passenger car, its construction and
design are quite similar. |
|
|
 |
|
Interestingly, Autolite blown-fuel plugs are more like
the plugs in your car or truck engine than you might
think. They use a similar design and the same materials
except that, to be durable under the extreme pressure
and temperature in a nitro class drag racing engine, the
electrodes are extra large. Additionally, due to the
very high combustion temperature in a supercharged
engine running on nitromethane, they are a very cold
heat range. Autolite's racing expert, Don Ward, tells us
they are as cold a heat range can be manufactured.
FRAM has
been manufacturing filters since the early-1930s and is
one of the world's best known automotive filter brands.
There's a FRAM Filter for just about anything with an
engine including all sorts of race cars.
FRAM is the
official filter of the NHRA. The BME Top Fuel Dragster
uses FRAM Oil Filters.
Both
Autolite Spark Plugs and FRAM Filters are part of
Honeywell Consumer Products Group. |
Automotive
Racing Products ("ARP") is the world leader in automotive
fastener technology. ARP's product line includes virtually every
fastener found in an automotive engine and driveline, ranging
from quality, OEM replacement parts to exotic, specialty
hardware for racing applications such as Top Fuel dragsters.
ARP�s customer list reads like a �who�s who� of motorsports.
Virtually every major championship on the planet has been won
with engines prepared by Automotive Racing Products' customers.
The BME Dragster uses ARP fasteners exclusively. In addition,
for the last 30 years, Bill Miller Engineering has never used
anything but ARP fasteners in its products. In keeping with
BME's ruthless pursuit of quality, nothing but the finest
cap-screw-type rod bolts are used in BME Forged Aluminum
Connecting Rods for blown-fuel Chrysler applications. ARP makes
these bolts to BME's specifications from "ARP2000", a special
hybrid alloy. In addition, BME/ARP rod bolts receive a special,
proprietary, heat-treating process designed by BME specifically
for the blown-fuel drag race application. The bolts are
heat-treated in vertical racks which ensures complete, 360-deg.
penetration. These bolts have rolled threads but the rolling is
done after heat-treating which provides up to 10-times more
fatigue life than bolts with threads rolled before
heat-treating. |
|
 |
|
When you buy a BME
rod for a supercharged drag race engine, the last
thing you need to worry about are rod bolts. |
|
XRP markets fluid transfer products for
motorsports. Since 1989, XRP's reputation has been staked on
manufacturing "aerospace-or-better" quality hoses and fittings to the
racing community. XRP's close relationship with the BME Top Fuel Team
and other leading professional race teams has led to the development of
many innovative products. XRP's in-house manufacturing capabilities are
known in the industry for a rapid response in developing unique items to
meet immediate, special needs. XRP's diverse line of fluid transfer
products are some of the best available to racers. Proof of that is that
every hose and fitting on the BME Top Fuel Dragster was made by XRP.
 |
|
Perhaps the most important control device
on a Top Fuel Dragster is the "barrel valve", the part in
this picture with all the hoses, which controls fuel flow to
the engine right when the driver, Troy Buff (at left working
on the supercharger drive) whacks the throttle wide open at
the start of a run. All Hoses and fittings on the BME
Dragster, including those connecting to the barrel valve,
are made by XRP. Image: BME Ltd. |
[
Close This Window
]
|
