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

Series 2 Dry-sump Oil Pumps

Aviaid
aviaid.com

Aviaid in Chatsworth, California, is upgrading its Series 2 oil pumps with a new six-tooth gear design that has proven to increase scavenging through-put by some 12% over previous rotor designs.

“Engine builders want increased vacuum in a compact pump package,” said John Schwarz. “With four available scavenge section widths ranging from 1.000- to 1.750-inch to choose from, plus four-, five-, and six-stage designs, we can tailor scavenging vacuum to the engine builder’s needs.” 

There are six different section widths available on the pressure side of the pump, ranging from 0.600- to 1.750-inch. The unique design of the Series 2 pump allows the use of both standard and specially angled sections to facilitate running lines in space-restricted installations. A variety of regulator sections and pump ends—as well as mounts—is employed to configure the pump to most any application.

Now in its fourth iteration, all previous Series 2 models can be upgraded to the new design. The components are designed to work with low-viscosity oils in a variety of racing applications, including road race, drag race, circle track, and marine. The Series 2 is available in either belt or cam drive, and the pumps can be adapted to right- or left-side engine mounting.

 

LS Mechanical Standard-rotation Water Pump

Meziere Enterprises
meziere.com

Designed to work with standard V-type, Gilmer, or radiused-tooth HTD drive systems, this new mechanical water pump from Meziere Enterprises in Escondido, California, is configured specifically for LS performance engines.

“It will perform well in drag-and-drive applications as well as circle track and endurance,” said Don Meziere. “We also have a lot of experience with Baja 1000 vehicles, so these pumps have proven performance aspects, like the bearing and seal package.”

The pump is constructed from billet aluminum and features a high-flow 4-inch swept-vein impeller. There are auxiliary ports for bypass, sensor connections, and additional output lines. The modular top can accept a wide variety of thermostat housings and hose connections.

While factory style iron pumps may begin to cavitate under racing conditions—which could cause the coolant temperature to spike—the Meziere pump is designed to maintain proper flow through the entire rpm range. The pump carries a two-year warranty and is manufactured in the USA. All Meziere mechanical and electrical pumps are fully tested before packaging and shipment.

“There was a need for a reliable mechanical solution,” recalled Meziere. “We saw a void in the market where we thought we could improve performance for those types of vehicles.”

 

Red Series Chevy LS Flat-top Piston

Wiseco Performance Products
wiseco.com

Wiseco Performance Products in Mentor, Ohio, set out to engineer a highly featured forged piston with a budget-minded price by developing the Red series. The newest addition is a flat-top model designed for the GM LS family.

“We really wanted to bring out a fully machined piston similar to the professional series and not as-forged, like the Pro Tru Street series,” said Michael Skeen. “The Red series fits right in between those two.”

The LS piston is available in multiple bore diameters, compression heights, and dome volumes to most engine builders’ needs.

“The big selling point over the Pro Tru Street is the machined features, and the Pro Tru Street is made from 4032 aluminum. The valve pockets and domes are machined and not as-forged,” added Skeen. “This would be similar to a race-ready piston out of the box.”

The Red series is constructed from dedicated 2618 aluminum forgings. Features include ArmorGlide skirt coating, horizontal-slot oiling in the wrist-pin bores, and an accumulator groove. Every piston comes with a 1.2-mm steel top ring, 1.2-mm iron second ring, and 3.0-mm stainless steel oil ring.

“You can be comfortable running boost or nitrous,” said Skeen. 

 

Ford 7.3L V8 Front Cover 

Late Model Engines
latemodelengines.com

The new front cover kit from Late Model Engines in Houston, Texas, for the Ford 7.3-liter Godzilla engine deletes the VVT and replaces the factory oil-pump arrangement with a Coyote-style gerotor pump.

“You can get this cover in billet or cast aluminum and with or without a distributor provision,” said Bryan Neelan.

By integrating the gerotor into the front cover, LME eliminates the factory jackshaft that drives the oil pump mounted in the rear sump. The LME solution includes a standard pickup tube and allows a variety of oil pan styles with either a front or rear sump to clear chassis components in most popular vehicles.

“The factory jackshaft pump-drive system isn’t good for swaps,” said Neelan. “There will be more racing applications for Godzilla.”

The kit also includes a billet timing set. The LME kit complements other Godzilla products, including a new intake manifold and CNC-ported cylinder heads and billet valve covers.

 

Max-Cool Transmission Cooler for Mopar 8HP70

TCI Automotive
tciauto.com

Potential overheating issues with the 8HP70 eight-speed automatic transmission found in late-model Dodge Challengers and Chargers can be prevented with a Max-Cool kit from TCI Automotive in Ashland, Mississippi.

“It has four times the cooling capacity of the factory system,” said Brian Hosenfeld.

This secondary cooler has a removable thermostat that will open the thermostatic cooler block when needed to reroute coolant through the heat exchanger to provide maximum cooling.

The kit includes the heat exchanger, -6AN braided hoses that can be cut to length, thermostatic cooler block, fittings, brackets, and hardware. This bolt-in kit is specifically designed for the two Dodge applications. Cutting and welding are not required.

The cooler is quite handy when boosting engine power with a cam swap and installing a TCI torque converter to help control the torque demands.

 

Hipster Billet Turbo 350 Transbrake Valve Body

Automatic Transmission Design
autotransdesign.com

Manufactured in-house from 6061 aluminum, the new Hipster Turbo 350 transbrake valve body from Automatic Transmission Design in Germantown, Wisconsin, is a clean-sheet design to complement a growing number of aftermarket products for the TH350 transmission.

“It’s the only billet Turbo 350 valve body on the market,” said Michael McCormick. “An iron valve body weighs around 17 pounds. This billet one weighs 7.5 pounds.”

The Hipster is designed for crisp shifts and instantaneous setup/release timing. It features an adjustable pressure regulator and improved filter design that was leveraged from ATD’s work with the Powerglide.

“A lot of bracket racers are still running Turbo 350s,” continued McCormick. “Plus, there are guys running Comp and other NHRA classes who want the lightest possible transmission. Some guys think they can get that with the 350.”

Additional valve bodies are available without the transbrake function.

 

Ford 8-inch Nodular-iron Dropout Case

Quick Performance
quickperformance.com

If you can strengthen the 8-inch rearend in a Ford, there’s less likelihood that a 9-inch swap will be required when modifying the engine for more power. The new 8-inch nodular-iron dropout case from Quick Performance in Ames, Iowa, will help toughen up the factory rearend in many popular applications.

“There’s going to be added strength because it’s nodular,” said Ashton Thompson. “But it also gives you a period-correct look with the double ribs.”

The case is cast and machined in the USA. The case, bearing caps, and pinion support are all constructed of nodular iron. Other features include nodular iron 1310-series pinion yoke, billet side adjusters, a 2.89-inch carrier bore, and snap-ring pilot-bearing retainer. The case accepts all factory components.

Customers can also order a fully assembled case with Timken bearings and Motive Performance ring-and-pinion gears in addition to numerous options covering lockers, spools, or limited-slip differentials.