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Saturday Coverage | 2022 PRI Show

Today the PRI Show headed to the finish line. Much like a race, the show is a whirlwind of activity that is seemingly over just as it started. By all accounts, the show is a huge success, with attendance up by as much as 15 percent over last year, and the energy on the floor is positive. Moreover, racers and race cars from our series are well represented in the displays around the Indianapolis Convention Center.
 
Of course, we stayed on the case looking for more new high-performance hardware that could come into play next season. Until then, check out what we found at PRI.

 
Last night NMCA celebrated its 2022 Champions and Top 10 finishers, which put an exclamation point on this year's racing and set the stage for the shift to the 2023 campaign.


As builders push the performance envelope, particularly with power adders, sealing the heads to the block becomes more challenging. For those combinations with huge cylinder pressure, SCE added the Gas-Stopper option to multi-layer steel gaskets. It is a precisely calculated, semi-extra layer that increases clamp load for improved combustion sealing.

Because of consistent demand from customers, Innovators West adapted its popular crank trigger wheel for LS engines to work with serpentine belt drive systems. This allows street-going LS machines to utilize this adjustable piece with the company’s LSX Race Damper.

JE showed off several of its Ultra Series pistons for modern Chevrolet and Ford muscle cars, like this GM Gen V LT unit. These pistons make use of the company’s Grain Flow Optimized Forging, which aligns the grain of the metal to enhance strength. These off-the-shelf units all benefit from a ceramic crown coating, a skirt coating, lateral gas ports, and more. The company also showed off its new SP3 piston rings, which benefit from a DLC-coated, carbon-steel compression ring. The coating is said to reduce drag and improve power. 

While fuel systems are its calling card, Aeromotive is pumping other fluids now as well. The company’s new universal, remote-mount water pump will work in street and strip applications. It uses a brushed electric motor to move as much as 27 gallons per minute at 13.5 volts. 

SunCoast Performance made a name for itself by optimizing the performance of Ford’s vaunted 10R80 automatic transmission. While it is still innovating on that trans, it now offers a torque converter for the Blue Oval’s 6R80 six-speed automatic. This triple-disc, billet converter features furnace-brazed fins for improved stability, a billet lockup-apply piston that applies 100 square inches of friction material, and a billet balloon plate built to survive high-rpm shifts. It will work in a wide variety of applications, including street/strip vehicles.

If the factory IRS in your 2010-2015 Camaro isn’t cutting it at the drag strip, Moser Engineering created this Live Axle package. It converts the factory rearend to a Moser 12-bolt unit with a torque-arm rear suspension. The complete kit was originally designed for Stock Eliminator racing, but it complements high-powered street/strip machines in need of more durability and traction.

With Ford’s Godzilla engine growing in popularity, Ultimate Headers answered the car with these Fox-swap long-tube headers for the 7.3-liter engine. Designed for compatibility with Team Z’s Fox Mustang K-member, they are based on the Ultimate’s investment-cast stainless steel flanges. That exhaust jewelry ensures no warpage and a reliable sealing surface. The tubes are rugged 321 stainless steel and work with tight-radius cast elbows to deliver improved airflow and fitment. 

McLeod continues to expand its driveline empire with the addition of PowerTrain Technology’s multi-disc metallic racing clutches to its product line. These small-diameter — 4.5-, 5.5-, and 7.25-inch — clutches can be scaled to harness huge power while reducing rotational mass and hastening shifts. They also get the job done with manageable levels of pedal effort. 

With LT engines becoming a mainstay for Late Model Engines, a new billet LT block opens the door to huge reliable power. Not only is the block light and robust, but it offers six head bolt holes to deliver more clamping force and seal in huge cylinder pressure. LME combines that block with its heads, intake, and other hardware to deliver a 2,000-horsepower-capable LT combination. LME is also making a strong push into the Godzilla space with the introduction of its new billet front cover with built-in G-rotor oil pump, which allows running and MSD distributor and a carbureter if so desired. This cover took home the Best Engine Product of PRI Award.

To ensure better protection for electronic fuel injectors, Kinsler developed this dual-layer fuel filter element. Its tan exterior layer is a 10-micron paper filter, while the white inner layer filters down to 3 microns. This arrangement is said to offer superior filtration protection with minimal restriction or pressure drop. 

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