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

ECORSA Motorsport Non-petroleum Racing Oil

Evolve Lubricants
evolvelube.com

Environmental concerns are putting pressure on motorsports, especially in the area of increasing sustainability in fuels, lubricants, and even tires. The new ECORSA Motorsport racing oil from Evolve Lubricants in Reno, Nevada, is an advanced plant-based oil that is proven to be very efficient in reducing heat and friction in a racing environment.

“There’s no sacrifice in racing green,” stressed Rick Lee.

Currently available in 20W50, 10W40 and 10W40 for motorcycles with more viscosity options coming soon, ECORSA Motorsport oil comes from carbon-negative base stocks that can be made from a variety of plants, including soybean, palm, rapeseed, and others. While bio-degradable engine lubricants have been around for some time, they were esters and not true hydrocarbons. Evolve has developed a process that produces a true hydrocarbon molecule with a thicker carbon backbone and extreme linear design.

“We have a unique molecular structure that draws heat through this long chain more efficiently,” explained Lee.

Testing by Porsche AG with results presented at a prestigious engine conference showed low viscosity changes and a 12-horsepower gain over the course of a 100-hour test. That oil was the company’s production-car formula, which has the basic formula as the race oil, the latter boasting additional additives for extreme use. Evolve also has a diesel formula for tow vehicles. —Mike Magda

Forged Superlite (FSL) Sprint Inboard Race Kit

Wilwood Engineering
wilwood.com

When it comes to brakes in the sprint car market, racers must balance the benefits of weight savings, costs, and performance along with the driver’s personal style. In addressing all those objectives, Wilwood Engineering in Camarillo, California, developed the Forged Superlite (FSL) rear inboard brake kit.

“Danny Dietrich—who is one of the hardest drivers on brakes in sprint cars—asked for a setup to meet his braking demands in the central Pennsylvania sprint world, and we developed this package,” said Dave Brzozowski. “After numerous wins during 2021, we have finally released this setup, and it has taken off with teams.”

Anchoring the kit is a 12.19- x 0.81-inch rotor constructed from proprietary Spec37 high-friction iron. The rotor features 36 directional cooling vanes and is dynamically mounted to an aluminum two-piece hub and adapter. The forged-aluminum FSL4R Superlite caliper is unique in that the two piston bores are different diameters: 1.88 and 1.75 inch. This arrangement provides progressive engagement and increased brake pad life.

“This kit provides the highest brake torque available with pad options to customize feel and track conditions,” added Brzozowski. “A FSL4R stagger bore caliper, fade-free Spec 37 rotor, and .80-inch thick pads all contribute to the most reliable brake lap after lap in the harshest environment.” —Mike Magda

Viking 2450 ADV Series Welding Helmet

Lincoln Electric
lincolnelectric.com

Welders have long been asking for integrated LED lights on their helmets, and the new Viking 2450 ADV series helmet now offers that feature as standard equipment. 

“The intelligent modular LED light was custom designed to improve productivity, quality, and safety in one simple attachment. It dynamically adjusts to the environment to improve users’ visibility of the weld, work piece, and weld joint,” said Mike Clifford of Lincoln Electric, Cleveland, Ohio.

The LED light is turned on and off with a low-profile external control. The light illuminates the work area for increased workspace visibility during off-welding time. The LED automatically turns off when the welder strikes an arc to save battery power. The light also features a removable battery pack powered by one AA battery. 

These auto-darkening helmets also feature a cutting-edge user interface and 4C optics. Moisture- and abrasion-resistant push buttons easily control shade, sensitivity, delay, and mode. The 4C optics provide 1/1/1/1 optical clarity to provide the best view of the material, arc, and puddle.

The helmet features an extra-large 9.3-square-inch lens, and the helmet comes with a three-year warranty. Comfort is enhanced with the innovative X6 headgear that distributes weight and optimizes balance. —Mike Magda

HBM453 Flow Meter

J-Tec Associates
j-tecassociates.com

Need a quick check of possible blow-by in your race car’s engine? J-Tec’s HBM453 flow meter provides an indication of piston-ring leakage under actual operating conditions by measuring the flow out of the crankcase vent or sump vent.

“Just hook it into one of the crankcase vents on the engine, most likely on the valve cover, and plumb it in with a fitting of their choosing. Use a rubber hose and hose clamps for an airtight seal,” said Tom Oliver. 

The flow meter can help detect problems of ring flutter, improper ring gap, cylinder wall distortion, ring clearance, and ring tension. The handheld meter is easy to use in the field with a digital readout.

Baseline readings can be noted when the engine is assembled and running for the first time. Then if there’s any perceived problem, a reading can be obtained quickly in the field. Oliver said the flow meter will not work if the engine is equipped with a vacuum pump.

“The vacuum pump would have to be disconnected,” added Oliver.

The readout unit is powered by four AA batteries, and it supplies the necessary power to the actual flow meter. The meter measures flow from .80 to 16 CFM. —Mike Magda

Big Block Chevy 3-inch Intake Manifold Kit

Hilborn Fuel Injection
holley.com/brands/hilborn/

Nostalgia-racing gassers and dragsters will drool over this Hilborn EFI-R intake manifold that features 3-inch butterflies and stacks.

“Hilborn EFI-R injector manifolds are designed to deliver extreme airflow for high-horsepower racing engines and produce an intimidating aesthetic,” said Evan Perkins of Holley Performance Products, Bowling Green, Kentucky. “They combine the benefits of stack injection and tunable runner length with all of the modern attributes of electronic multiport fuel injection.”

Separate kits will work with either a 9.800- or 10.200-inch deck height. The intake is a heat-treated aluminum casting with dark gray ceramic coating. The machined valley cover provides two -10AN O-ring sealed ports for crankcase breather or dry-sump scavenge pickup.

Large 3-inch butterflies provide maximum airflow and are recommended for race applications. Similar BBC intakes are available with 2 7/16- or 2 5/8-inch butterflies for street performance. High injector placement helps optimize fuel conditioning.

“The big difference with Hilborn EFI-R injector manifolds is the integration of Holley’s years of EFI experience. This is a very ‘old school meets new school in all the right ways’ type of product,” added Perkins. “For example, a series of tubes converge into a vacuum block to deliver a more consistent signal to the MAP sensor. Rather than a manifold that leaves the end user piecing the rest of the setup together, Holley’s involvement creates a complete racing manifold solution.” —Mike Magda

Digital Nitrous Pressure Gauge

Nitrous Outlet
nitrousoutlet.com

Tired of getting out of the car and opening the trunk to check the pressure in your nitrous bottle? Now you can monitor the pressure in the system at all times from the driver’s seat with the new digital nitrous pressure gauge from Nitrous Outlet in Waco, Texas.

“Reading nitrous pressure with a sensor is typically far more accurate than a mechanical gauge. Racers can also mount the sensor at any location along the main feed line or in the gauge port on their bottle, and have the gauge mounted somewhere else. This helps make pressure readings more accessible and easily readable at a glance,” said Mark Wennin.

The gauge measures 2 1/16 inch and comes with a 0–1,500 psi pressure sensor, wiring, and mounting hardware. It also features a backlit display, tinted lens, and LED digital readout. Installation is simple: mount the gauge; install the pressure switch; plug in the harness; and connect to a power source, ground, and headlight dimmer switch.

“When combined with our remote bottle opener, the racer can operate the entire nitrous system from the driver’s seat,” added Wennin.

The remote bottle opener allows the racer to open and close the nitrous bottle from the cockpit of the vehicle. The high-torque motor operates on 12 volts and will fully open and close the bottle valve under full pressure. —Mike Magda

Extreme Duty Inconel Exhaust Valves

Manley Performance Products
manleyperformance.com

Higher combustion pressures achieved with increasing boost levels put a strain on exhaust valves, so Manley Performance Products in Lakewood, New Jersey, expanded its Extreme Duty valve line. Originally developed for supercharged, nitromethane-burning engines, these valves are manufactured from the company’s unique XH-432 XtremeAlloy Inconel material and proprietary heat-treat process. They are engineered to operate in temperatures exceeding 1,600 degrees F.

“For racers and engine builders who have engines producing excessive EGTs, combined with higher stress levels, these properly manufactured and heat-treated Inconel exhaust valves provide the safety margin necessary to prevent catastrophic engine failure,” said Trip Manley. 

In addition to stocking a line of application-specific valves for most popular engine families, Manley offers Extreme Duty valves through its Gen II program for custom valve orders. Manley keeps an inventory of ‘blanks’ in popular stem diameters and finishes them to the desired length and head specs. Notable features of the Extreme Duty line include swirl polishing, chrome stems, and hard tips. 

“Our 3/8-inch stem, overcut fillet area, special heat-treated Inconel exhaust valves help allow Top Fuel and Funny Car teams get down the track without failure in a brutal high temperature and stress environment,” added Manley. “The same goes in many offshore powerboat applications.” —Mike Magda