I finally got the car street legal. I became very familiar witht the wiring diagram and I never want to do another wiper assembly. Inspections, insurance, plates, and I was on the road (can't afford a truck and trailer). I turned onto the road to Castrol Raceway and it hit me. "Holy c__p! I'm really here. I haven't even done a burnout before. Man, I hope I don't do a burnout in reverse like the guy on YouTube or hit the track techs or something." Paid my $25 Street Legal racing fee and got into the Tech inspection line. Passed that, got a great review from the Tech, stuck my window sticker on, and went to the staging lanes. "Helmet! Where's my buddy with the extra helmet. I need a helmet." He finds me and runs back to the pits to get a hemet, the staging lanes are moving quick. I get to track guy who sorts out the cars just as I get my helmet and he sends me behind the guy in the water box in the right lane. The guy in front does his burnout and stages. I can hardly breathe. "My seat belt. I gotta get my seat belts on." I finally wrestle my 5 point harness on and the track tech is waiting impatiently. I drive through the water box watching the Tech carefully. He motions 'stop there' and tells me to go. Ok. I was expecting the little it's-time-to-do-your-bunout dance but he just points. So I push my brakes to the floor and press my little line lock button (it's amazing how much peripheral vision you lose with the helmet on) and I did a quick little bunout and probably brought half a pint of water with me to the tree. "Ok, this is it. The top staging lights will go on first... OH NO!! I lit bot sets. I came in too fast. Aghhh!!! The yellows are flashing. Go go go goooo!" Definitely green when I left. 0.806 R/T 2.086 60' 8.549 for the eight and 13.345 @ 101.12 mph but it's done. What a blast! Second rip down: A little more settled but still nervous, yellow sequence is happening, I leave on the last yellow and slam it into second gear before the 60' mark. Now I have lots of time to think bfore 3rd gear happens. Still I managed a 1.930 60' and a 13.178 @ 103.14 mph. My next 2 runs: .612 R/T 1.858 60' 8.037 eight and 12.647 @ 102.97 .158 R/T 2.101 60' 8.267 eight and 12.780 @ 104.78 My question for the experienced members out there is about those 60' times. I have a Hughes 3000 stall on a 302. Do I load it up until the car wants to jump out of the brakes or do I stay just a little under the 3000 and flash the throttle up into it when I want to leave?
I have a 4500 in the car now and I find that if I bring it much higher than 2000 it will push through the lights.
Well Don, sounds like you and I have the same problem. I too have a 4500 and anymore then 2,200 pushes me to a big red one. I kinda like 1,800 and so does the car. Bossmav
for me, my launch RPM's is how I control my reaction time. Trying to stage the same everytime; I can foot brake it at 2500rpm and leave on the last yellow, usually cut good lights. If I footbrake it to 3,000rpm (which I can do ) and leave on the last yellow I bottom bulb everytime. And no, the reason for the bottom bulb is not because the car is creaping its simply reacting quicker....I could try to react a little later or try staging shallow, but for me, the way I do it gives me the best consistancy. I run a 4500 PTC
Thanks guys I got bit a couple of years ago as a passenger in a 14 sec ride. I just have to ty and control the slippery slope of wanting more and more. Thanks for sharing your experience, guys. If I can actually remember to push the record button on my tach, I'll have more info to use. I'll just need some patience and a lot more seat time to find that consistency. With the 3000 stall and basic suspension I have, I don't care if the 60' is at 1.9 as long as it's there every time with a consistent R/T. I would love a 4500 and Caltracs, but that's just not in the cards (or bank account) right now. Next time we go out, we'll get some video of my Mav and SeanC's 72 Comet.
Ha! Great story, Nurple. You're not alone. Anyone who has gone down the track has a similar story. Some have better stories than others (my brother's first trip down the track? In last second haste, he a borrowed helmet at the starting line and put it on BACKWARDS and ran the quarter mile with it that way. ). Sounds like you've got a pretty fast car - and it'll probably get faster the more you learn it. I would recommend you try (during test and tune) to "flash" the converter from low rpms (1800 or so) and compare it to "standing" on the converter and go with the better results. Then deal with "when" to leave. Having said that, I used to get better 60's flashing the converter with NO nitrous than I did WITH nitrous - and the opposite results when I launched with no nitrous. The flashing of the converter while using nitrous would break the tires loose - vs. "easing" into the nitrous. I'm sure each individual car will have it's own characteristics. Your mileage may vary. "Test and Tune" to the ^nth degree and congrats on turning some good numbers too!
I had better 60' times out of mine by just doing an almost "fast idle"(about 12-1500 rpm)and then flashing it(12.40s w/1.71-1.75 60' times)
Tim, I'll try those RPM's. My numbers should be pretty close to yours if it works. BTW (Off topic) I see you have a couple of Galaxies. I have a 68 Ford XL with a 390 and a 66 7-Litre project that has taken the back seat to my Maverick. Rick, Helmet on backwards? I hope you got pictures. Not quite a Mastercard "priceless" moment but you can still use it over and over. I was going to do some "test and tune" today, but I'll be pulling my oil pan off to address the 100+ psi oil pressure problem instead. I never did get to see what's in the bottom end. I know I have KB pistons but that's it. Perfect opportunity to see how much nitrous I can give it.
Ow! 100 psi? My engine blew out the "freeze plugs" behind the timing chain around that pressure and (obviously) lost all oil pressure. That was a nightmare, and a le$$on learned. New plugs were installed ('correctly' this time, hopefully) and a lower viscosity oil used. "So far, so good" (said the man at the 10th floor while falling from a 20 story building). I'm interested to see what's causing your high pressure (stuck relief spring in oil pump, too heavy weight of oil, too close bearing clearance, all the above, none of the above, other?) Good luck and keep us posted.
I'd say the relief valve is more then likey the problem, but all that Rick stated could be the problem. If you haven't had this problem before and this isn't a new rebuild then that would take the bearings out of being the problem. If it was me I would hook up another oil pressure gauge and see what it reads. I once thought I had a bad main or rod bearing because my pressure dropped, but my gauge was going bad. Shame I didn't find that one until AFTER I pulled the motor. Good luck. Bossmav
Oil's well This motor is a pretty fresh build so tolerances are part of the issue. I dumped the oil and filter, put in a new filter and put in some new 10W30 to see if the oil weight was the problem. Nope. My mechanical gage still hit 100 PSI. Pulled the oil pan and pump. Very happy that I didn't find any scrap metal in the pan. It seemed like a pretty new HV pump, but I couldn't find a brand on it. The spring was held in by a cap and for $42 for a new Melling HV pump, I wasn't going to take a chance on it. Put it all back together and poured in my pricey Royal Purple 15W40 and pressure is now at 60 PSI.Back to the track on Friday. Thanks, everybody.
Last year I put together my '41 Willys Pickup,it was an old C/Gas from the Milan Mich.area,had it for 15yrs. and decided to put it back together and take it to the Gasser Nationals at Thompson Ohio,hadn't been on a dragstrip in almost 32yrs.!!! First pass I didn't set the Lin-Loc and brakes right and slid the front tires bad on the burnout,staged the truck and left on "sceeming" (thats 500 rpm past turnin it outa' the frame)never saw the tach on any of the shifts,(4 speed)....man did it feel good!!! I ran against my buddy and he races alot and redlit,everyone back in the pits razzed him,I said as soon as i get rid of the 1 BEFORE the decimal point I'd worry about the redlight! Had a ball.....sounds like you did good and had fun also,practice,practice,practice....
