SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/643686
HERE YOU CAN SEE HOW THE NEW FUEL PICKUP USING THE TWO HYDRAMATS SIT AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE TROPHY TRUCK FUEL CELL. THE HYDRAMAT SYSTEM DIDN'T REQUIRE ANY CHANGE TO THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM ALREADY IN PLACE, UTILIZING THE SAME LINES, FITTINGS, AND FUEL PUMPS HERBST-SMITH ALREADY USES. might have to use lower-grade fuel often found in Mexico. Several off-road teams have begun experimenting with the Holley HydraMat, including Herbst-Smith Fabrication in Huntington Beach, California, where SCORE Journal caught up with shop manager Todd Gorsuch to find out how they tested the HydraMat, and how they are incorporating it into one of their race vehicles. Gorsuch first heard about the Holley HydraMat online, and presented it to the team to undergo their own field testing, in order to prevent any chance of fuel starvation that can occur under the rugged conditions during a SCORE Baja race. "We did some bench testing on the HydraMat and then used it on Larry Roeseler's Trophy Truck. We were amazed at how well the HydraMat worked, drawing all of the fuel out of the cell," said Gorsuch. "We're going to be using it in competition during the 2016 race season. We eliminated one problem already by using it, and because it serves as a pre-filter too, that really helps us." Herbst- Smith Fabrication logged more than 1,000 miles on Roeseler's Trophy Truck during testing of the HydraMat, while pre- running the Baja 1000. Prior to its introduction, racers were having to use specialty fuel pickups and pumps to do similar things at greater cost, and with much less reliability. Despite this, none of those systems are truly able to extract fuel quite like the HydraMat does. HOW IT WORKS "It can be used with a carbureted engine, but its real magic is with fuel injection," says Larry Tipton, senior fuel system engineer at Holley Performance Productions. "Carburetor fuel bowls tend to take up the slack when your fuel pickup in the tank becomes uncovered. But in a 068 SCORE JOURNAL