November, 2010 - Now get this, running down the track, after the fastest run this car has made (13.97) with the mods I've done so far (conservative) I'd had the same symptoms as I had with the blown head gasket!  Now I'm peeved.  Now I KNOW it's not running lean, and I was data logging at the time!  Took it back to the dealership, as the motor was under warranty, for diagnosis.  They had the car for two weeks and still had not determined what the problem was.  This time there was no water  in the oil but it was compression on the number 6 cylinder was very low.  So, my question was, well, what could cause this?  The answer from the mechanic, is it could be many things.  So, after some discussion with the mechanic and the service writer, I finally went over their heads to the service manager.  All I was getting from them was that it wouldn't be covered under warranty because I had done so many modifications to the motor.  My issue was that they had the car for two weeks and still did not have an answer as to what was wrong.  I wanted that mechanics full attention to my car until it was done!  I told them if money was the issue, I would pay for the car to be pulled apart to make the determination.  Then the mechanic wants to pull the motor first which is $1900.  Which makes no sense from my side as if I pay to pull it and find out that it could have been fixed in the car, I'm out $1900.  If I pay you $300 to pull it apart in the car and then find out you have to pull the motor, I'm only out $300.  Make sense to you?  They pulled it apart, found that the number 6 piston had a significant chunk broken out of it, determined that the mods I had made would not have broken it, that it was probably a a flaw when it was cast, and covered it under warranty.  And they (the service writer and the mechanic) weren't even going to have the warranty guy come and make the determination!  I had to go to the service manager myself and tell him, I wanted them to look at it and make the determination themselves, not for us to assume it wouldn't be covered because I knew what I had changed and nothing I had changed would have broken the piston!

May. 2010 - Well, it's been half a year and I've finally gotten the Boost-a-pump and line lock installed.  We've been so busy with other projects (another car) that this took a step back.  I didn't have to finish it in any timeframe, but I'm glad it's done.  I was truly convinced that with the new traction off the line and not running out of gas at the big end I would break the ET glass ceiling that I had set in my mind, but I haven't.  I do know that I can now advance the timing more, which may push me over the edge, but I'll have to talk to Willie, my tuner friend.

November, 2009 - My car is back! We opted to put in brand new long block in the car. Patrick reasoned that the effort to fix the old motor wasn't worth it as even fixed it would still have 40,000 miles on it. We also determined that the reason it blew the head gasket was because the the fuel pump was unable to keep up. It had been running at nearly 100% duty cycle and I had not upgraded it.  I had been noticing that I was hitting a flat spot in HP at the finish line most every time I ran it, and had looked at the rev limiter and the speed limiter, both which we had determined were not the reason for the lack of horsepower.  It didn't occur to me what it was until the head gasket.  I have now purchased a Kenne Bell Boost-a-Pump, which will increase the voltage to the fuel pump at WOT, and solving the problem.  I also have purchased drag radials and new lighter weight rear rims and a line lock.