Hundreds of new product announcements cross the desks of PRI editors each month. Following are our top picks for March.

Talon Crate Engine

Honda Performance Development
hpd.honda.com

The same engine that the Honda off-road factory race team used to win the UTV Stock NA class at the 2022 King of the Hammers is now available as a crate engine.

“The intention of this engine offering is to provide a source for new engine assemblies to Talon racers,” explained Andrew Salzano of Honda Performance Development (HPD), Santa Clarita, California. “HPD pursued sourcing of these factory stock engines because we heard from Talon racers that it has been difficult to find replacement parts for engine rebuilds due to supply chain challenges. Some racers also have a desire to start racing with a completely new and fresh engine or may want to have a spare engine ready to go.”

The Talon crate offering is a liquid-cooled Unicam (overhead cam) parallel-twin four-stroke engine with four valves per cylinder. It displaces 999cc and has a 10.0:1 compression ratio. It’s equipped with an electric starter and is paired with a six-speed automatic, dual-clutch transmission with reverse.

Included with the engine is a comprehensive service manual to help with the installation.

“What we were able to do was acquire brand new, factory-built stock Talon engines that racers can use for direct replacement or to do their own racing engine development,” added Salzano. “As such they are offered for competition use only and without any warranty.” —Mike Magda

 

Supercharger Belt

Dayco
daycoaftermarket.com

Dayco in Roseville, Michigan, is now offering relief to Factory Super Stock racers who have problems keeping the supercharger belt in place on their late-model cars. Designed for extreme-duty use, these belts have been engineered with a proprietary EPDM construction using aramid fibers. They are available with eight or 10 ribs, depending on the application.

Dayco engineers partnered with Watson Racing and Chris Duncan Racing to develop a belt suited for racing.

“We worked closely with the Dayco tech guys this year, testing their new supercharger belt, and the results have been incredible,” said Chuck Watson II, driver of the 2019 Cobra Jet Mustang that won the NMCA Factory Super Cars championship. “The belt’s design is definitely better than what we used previously. We noticed a huge difference under boost conditions because the belt was able to keep its grip.”

Some of the popular applications include Ford Mustang GT500, Chevy Camaro ZL1, Dodge Challenger Demon, Ford Lightning, and Chevy Corvette Z06. The belt also enhances under-hood aesthetics with an imprinted Dayco racing logo.

In addition to the supercharger belt, Dayco brought an 8-mm blower belt to the racing circuit this past year. It features high-strength Teflon coated teeth for cogged drive pulleys and a carbon cord construction. It comes in multiple lengths and 50-, 75-, and 84-mm widths. —Mike Magda

 

Automated Load-control Valve

YourDyno
yourdyno.com

Engine builders seeking more consistency and repeatability out of their dynamometers should take a look at the automated load-control valves and complementary software now available from YourDyno in Nesbru, Norway. The valves are offered in 1.00-, 1.25-, and 2.00-inch sizes to fit most popular water brakes.

“An effective automated load control setup is essential for water brakes and takes the human out of loading your engine consistently, run after run,” said Kevin Hamilton.

Coupled with the valve is a special water brake control mode called Load Control. This algorithm allows the engine to accelerate faster where it is strong and less where it is weaker.

“This allows for a more natural sweep through the rpm range, compared with traditional PID control,” noted Hamilton. “This natural sweep is more repeatable and much less likely to oscillate, in particular with engines with an abrupt torque curve.”

The valve is constructed from stainless steel and is designed to work even in harsh environments. It includes a fast-reacting servo driver and the load-control software.

“Installation is simple. We offer the option of a female NPT-style connector or a hose-nipple style. Either of these would be spliced into your existing plumbing, or you could use metal or PVC for a new install. Electronics are plug-and-play, and we do include detailed installation instructions,” added Hamilton. —Mike Magda

 

Upgraded IRS Components

Mark Williams Enterprises
markwilliams.com

When vintage racers running C2 and C3 Corvettes were having reliability problems with the independent rear suspensions, they asked Mark Williams Enterprises (MW) in Louisville, Colorado, for help.

“Our task was to beef up the components wherever possible,” said Mark Williams.

These Vettes came with 17-spline inboard yoke shafts that were prone to failure under stress. The MW replacements have a stronger, 30-spline design and are CNC machined from 300M steel. Other enhancements include axle hub kits, a pinion yoke, and 1350 series half-shafts.

“Carl Greatches of ACG Enterprises, a well-known SVRA prep shop, installed the MW components in his team cars, and they are winning races with no problems,” reported Williams. “Other racers have noticed and are coming aboard. We have also developed upgrades for Jaguar, Viper, and Pantera IRS drivelines.”

Another of the Corvette upgrades involves the ring-gear carrier for the positraction unit. Under racing conditions, the cast-iron carrier will crack and last only a few races.

“We resolved the problem by making the short stub axles out of aircraft-alloy forgings and upgrading to the 30-spline tooth count,” explained Williams. “The original carrier was made of a cast-iron material, which is common at about 40,000-pound tensile strength. We produced a new carrier from a billet bar that is heat-treated to more than 230,000-pound strength.” —Mike Magda

 

Extra-tall Cleanable Oil Filter

System 1 Filtration Products
system1filters.com

Racers can now opt for an extra-tall oil filter from System 1 Filtration Products in Tulare, California. The new model measures 7.750 inches in length and 3.750 inches in diameter. The reusable, cleanable filter is equipped with a 35-micron stainless-steel element that provides excellent filtration for up to 20W-50 oil viscosities while offering unrestricted flow.

“The primary benefit is that the engine oil can easily be examined and potential problems nipped in the bud,” explained Mark Mittel. “The stainless-steel mesh filter elements are cleanable, eliminating ongoing replacement costs. A typical oval track racer might use two replaceable filters in a weekend. It adds up quickly. A System 1 cleanable filter eliminates these ongoing expenses.”

The filter case is machined from billet aluminum and black anodized. The system is sealed with O-rings. Fittings are available for all popular applications, including metric.

“There are many race teams that have been relying on System 1 products for quite some time. They include Kalitta Motorsports in drag racing, the McMillin Racing clan in off-road, plus pulling teams like Midnight Motorsports. They are very popular among modified racers, too,” said Mittel. “In addition to its drag racing roots, System 1 filtration systems are employed by off-road racers, tractor pullers, in various oval track venues, endurance racing, and marine applications.” —Mike Magda

 

Race Bearings for Can-Am X3

King Engine Bearings
kingbearings.com

King Engine Bearings in Livingston, New Jersey, has designed the new Can-Am X3 bearings specifically for off-road applications.

“High-performance Polaris and Can Am engines needed a stronger bearing to keep up with the added horsepower and torque,” explained Ron Sledge. “OE-style bearings were simply not good enough.”

King Engine Bearings was approached by rod and crankshaft supplier Brian Crower to produce race-ready bearings. Utilizing King’s pMaxKote polymer layer construction, the bearings are more suited to high loads and will resist seizure.

“The Polaris and Can-Am racing bearings feature pMaxKote bearing material and will take the heavy loading while also providing extra lubrication and conformability,” said Sledge. “This product is also offered in undersizes, so expensive crankshafts can be salvaged.”

Sledge said testing with more than 200 installed units in Polaris engines has not shown any signs of wear. So far, feedback is not available from the relatively new Can-Am applications.

“We are expecting similar results as the Polaris,” added Sledge. —Mike Magda

 

5.3L LS1 Enforcer Cylinder Heads

Air Flow Research (AFR)
airflowresearch.com

The new AFR LS1 Enforcer cylinder head is a budget-friendly design with 210cc intake port volume and 2.000/1.570 valves sizes.

“This item can apply to a few different forms of racing and classes, such as grudge, no-prep, autocross, drifting, and more,” said Tim Torrecarion of Air Flow Research, Valencia, California. “It was designed for the small-bore (3.780-inch) LS enthusiast, specifically the 5.3- and 4.8-liter engines.”

The Enforcer features AFR’s permanent mold “as-cast” technology on the intake runner, exhaust port, and combustion chamber surfaces. This allows for accurate and repeatable port location and flow performance. The valves are set at 15 degrees, and the deck thickness is .425-inch. The cylinder head comes with a 66cc combustion chamber, and the intake and exhaust ports are in the stock location so that typical intake manifolds and exhaust headers will fit.

Other features include competition five-angle valve job, PAC 1.290-inch valve springs (140 pounds on the seat) and seven-degree chromoly retainers. The head is cast from A356 aluminum.

“There are not a lot of options when it comes to cylinder heads for the customer that is starting with a Vortec 5300 engine,” said Torrecarion. “Based upon flow numbers, this head can support 530 horsepower, normally aspirated. With a power adder it will be closer to 1,000 horsepower.” —Mike Magda