Dodge Challenger Forum

Pistons are one of the hardest working components of an internal combustion engine, where temperatures inside cylinders can reach over 1,800 degrees F. Early pistons were of cast iron, but there were obvious benefits for engine balancing if a lighter alloy could be used. To produce pistons that could survive engine combustion temperatures, it was necessary to develop new alloys such as Y alloy and hiduminium (high-strength aluminum alloy), specifically for use as pistons. A few early gas...

The Trans-Am Series was created in 1966 by the Sports Club of America (SCCA). Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship, the name was changed to the Trans-American Championship for 1967. The series has in fact gone by a variety of different names through the years (too many to list), some linked to sponsors, some not. It has evolved over time from its original format as a Manufacturers' Championship series for modified passenger sedans and coupes to its current form as a...

Most of us know about windage trays, but what is their function and what exactly is “windage?” Simply put, windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object. Windage loss is the reduction in efficiency due to windage forces. As it pertains to internal combustion engines, windage is the power loss caused by the friction of the oil in the engine coming into non-lubrication contact with its internal moving parts. For the most part,...