mar3

iTrader: (8)

It starts out Saturday
The car was rattling like a bitch and I took it to get the Edelbrock replaced. In this shot you see part of the "header" and the 3-way cat plus all the bogus tubing patchwork this poor car has been subjected to as those cats were being replaced on a yearly basis...you can clearly see the heat damage to the exhaust...



The convenience of using a factory hangar resulted in a quick life for this RPM stainless muffler. Here, too, you can see the heat was building up at the front of the muffler. The interior of the muffler was pretty much clear of all the ceramic packing...I'm giving up on this Edelbrock series despite the life-time warranty...



This back shot shows all three mufflers that it took to quiet the beast. Worked good while it lasted...tubing is all 2.5" until the 2" split that feeds the two flowmasters...



After the work, I hit the Kennedale 1/8th mile track for my first legal drags...hate me if you must, but I've always raced on the street prior to this day...




Next to me in the staging lane is Nick and his SLP SS Camaro...this is prior to our first pass of the day where we both were suckered on the lights. We had been told it was going to be red, then green like a traffic light, but found out they meant instant green, no ambers...after I got used to it, my best reaction time was a 0.884 and I avg'd 1.050 sec reaction times over the course of the seventeen runs that night. It was good enough to smoke just about everybody off the line, but the rex lacked the power in about 60% of the races to close the deal...



60 foots sucked until I started launching at 5000 RPM after a brief burnout...everything else I tried resulted in maddening bog or tirespin...




Times were a big disappointment...see part II for the continuing saga...

mar3

iTrader: (8)

so much for part II!!

I was disappointed at the times, but I had to remind myself that the Nikki is still stock and the big restriction, no doubt. Everyone on this Forum for anytime already knows of my search for a street-legal-emissions modified Nikki, to no avail. This summer, I do it myself following Sterling's carb archive...all this activity at the track and, later, at the dyno were baselines...these slips show the 5000 RPM solution, but my reaction time had slowed because the starter goof was playing with the lights trying to give me an advantage...he broke my concentration instead...





That next Tuesday, which is today, I went to Alamo AutoSports for 4 pulls on their Dynojet chassis dyno, ie. rear wheel HP...here they are setting her up....

mar3

iTrader: (8)

and then, the runs...



The first run at 3.5 lbs. fuel pressure vs. 4.5 lbs. fuel pressure proving, once and for all, how critical even a pound of pressure can be...the rex started popping at 7200 RPM and he backed off...all pulls besides that one were to 7500 RPM with no problems...I was shifting at 7800 RPM, sometimes 8100 RPM, at the track, where, sadly, I was only getting through two gears before the 1/8th was up...definitely need at least 4.33's if I want to be serious about 1/8th mile racing...



This is max pull vs. first pull, both at 3.5 lbs. fuel pressure, no changes whatsoever from the track day...Interestingly, a run in the TCJC parking lot last year with a G-Tech indicated 125 HP, which I assumed meant flywheel...



The 113 HP with a 20 HP loss through the drive-train (is that being too generous?? ) would indicate 133 HP at the flywheel. I personally attribute the jump from last year's G-Tech reading to MMO which I only started using for the past three months. A calculator I used that peejay gave us some time ago told me I was using 96 HP at the track. It also said this was a 17.2 sec car in the quarter. It could've been a 16.85 car with one of my razor launches and the things I know now to do stop the bogging. Next Sunday, I hit that same TCJC parking lot for another G-Tech run to see what it reads now. Then, I'll finally change the oil and plugs which are both long overdue. The carb needs to be rebuilt again, direct-fire is on the way along with some "nnaaawsss", so this story is only beginning.........again!!

Defprun

That all sounds like so much fun! I can't wait to bring my car to the track!!!

Felix Wankel

I wish I could run the 1/8th in only two gears. My TII is in 4th at the line

Is your car bogging or spinning at the line? I took my GSL-SE to the track once (it was stock), it cut a 2.10 60' and ran a 10.40 1/8 mile.

peejay

Fascinating. BTW what exhaust are you running now?

For what it's worth, a STOCK FB would run 17-17.4, so I really doubt that you have 133hp at the flywheel... unless you have several hundred pounds of stereo equipment or something.

mar3

iTrader: (8)

Even with a decent burnout to scrub the wheels, the wheels are spinning off the line until it bites at 4500 RPM and then it's time for my only shift of the race...the AP is leaking, so I figure that's why it kept bogging with 2500 or 3500 launches which I kept trying all night until the last 4 runs...

peejay

Lower the tire pressure and get rid of those junk tires and get some Goodyears.

mar3

iTrader: (8)

2" primaries into a short 3" collector. A neck down to 2.5" bolts up to that collector which goes into a generic, honey-comb matrix, 3-way catalytic converter. It's now a straight pipe, 2.5", to a custom splitter over the axle which leads to the two 2" Flowmasters in the pics.

No, it's gawdawful wheelspin...even with a lowball 10 HP loss through the drive-train (could my 5-speed filled with Redline synthetic have become that efficient??) that's still a documented 123 HP at the flywheel. The numbers don't lie. I've done what everyone else only talks about as far as getting dyno'ed, so my numbers are irrefutable this time. My next project, if I'm serious about beating up my buddy's SS, is to secure a pumpkin with 4.50's or higher,so I can get through more gears and get more of the HP to the ground. Regarding a big stereo, right now, I've only got the head-unit and EQ's you see here in the car...everything else is in boxes, still, waiting for my garage to be finished...



I'm willing to listen to any suggestions on how to bring down the 60 foots where I'm dying...

Sterling

Yeah, sounds like alot of fun, mar3.
You just wait until your carb is all done up. The difference will blow your mind!

My thought on the G-tech is like this...
The accelerometer inside can only read at 100% accuracy if the thing is absolutely pointed dead level, and dead straight.
Forget dead straight for a second, and just concentrate on dead level.
Pointing it 90* straight up makes it 100% off in accuracy. That says to me that IF , and only IF, the inaccuracy percentage linearly coincides with the angle at which the G-Tech is held, then it is taking in data that is .9% inaccurate for every degree it is off at any given time.
BTW, I DON'T think it's linear; I think it is multiplicative in that the first degree it's off is more than 1/2 the amount of inaccuracy of when it is two degrees; and so on.
Combine the inaccuracy with the amount of time the incorrect data is being taken in, which data is being recorded inaccurately, the side-to-side inaccuracy variable, and I'm betting that the average data it spits out is a compilation of slight inaccuracies that are multiplied in itself and your result is wayyyy off course.

I used to sing the praises of the G-Tech, stating that I believed that it could only give you the highest possible HP or speed reading if it was pointed absolutly straight, ect. IE, it would only read what you really have at best, and at worse, your reading would be on the low side due to the reasons above.
This was all before it consistantly told me that I have 185 HP at my tail! (I have a stockport 12A) And I've wieghed my car at a certified grain weighing station for the input.

I've tried a few times to come up with ideas to keep it level; including the outlandish six point (three hinge) compass type steadier all the way to using laser lights to point it accurately side to side.

It's a great instrument, but the fudge factor is just too damn big the way it mounts.

Felix Wankel

If your friend was running those 9's in that SS, he needs coaching too

mar3

iTrader: (8)

Oh,man...das cold, bro'!! They're Dunlop sp-8000's. I guess I'll look into some drag radials, so I can change them out at the house. Don't have a fancy trailer to bring stuff and the pits are pretty scary there... I'd be a little afraid of blowing the tranny with that kind of bite, so it comes back to how bad do I want to be fast in 1/8th mile competition? I don't know yet...

Keaponlaffen

woah, that tripped me out, I thought at first your car was an 81 +, but then I saw the interior shot, and I'm like.... wait a second, the front bumper has been changed Did you change the bumper? or did the PO do it?

Jeff

peejay

Goodyears hook better with burnouts, they don't get all slimy and lose traction!

mar3

iTrader: (8)

In our defense, I did say this was our first time on a track!! We'll definitely be back with a little more experience to build on next time. I'm holding off until I get the direct-fire installed.

Sterling, yea, the directions are very **** when it comes to the leveling thing. I got it straight the time I made my runs in the TCJC parking lot last year. At that time, I was disappointed at the indicated 125 HP, but it appears it was right...I'll be heading back there this Sunday, I just hope it doesn't rain as forecast!!

peejay

Dude, okay... my best 60's were about 2.1, they were normally about 2.2-2.3. Your 60's are okay. You're just down on power.

I wouldn't trust that dyno shop, after all they can't even spell the name of their shop right
(Unless their name really IS "Alamo Autopsorts"!)

mar3

iTrader: (8)

I did it. It's not as hard as everyone screams about. The big problem is that the '81-'85 fenders are made to blend with the FB bumper unlike the SA fender. Look at the dyno run pic close and you'll see the mis-match...

Keaponlaffen

Yeah, hmmmm.... maybe If I ever did it, I'd pick up some 81-85 fenders in the process..... nahhh, I don't mind my big bulky steel bumpers - good for accidents

Jeff

mar3

iTrader: (8)

Yea, I saw that, too!! They just had the thing calibrated last week, which is why I waited until this Tuesday as opposed to my appointment last week. This is the same Alamo Auto Sports you read in SuperStreet and Sport Compact magazines. The ones that held the Metroplex SuperStreet stop-over on their SuperStreet Mid-West Tour 2 years ago. They know their stuff. The numbers don't lie. It's me and those 60 foot times. If I don't spin, I bog.

peejay

Well, with 130hp in my SA, and 2.3 60's, I was over a full second faster in the 1/8mi. Either you are down on power or you need to get your concrete block collection out of the car

79+80_rx-7

try removing you secondarie spring....... Or.. Um... Double clutching it..... like you dump off in first, and 1/3 of the way through it, you hit the clutch, and let off real fast, just enough for it to rev, and dump again... do that 1/3, and 2/3 the way through, then you wont fall on your face.... try it... I did it once on my car on accedent, and it felt like a rocket... try it the next time you drive, and tell me if it even feels faster Um, just dont do it TOO much.. it will burn your clutch...

peejay

Um... You're kidding about the clutch thing right?

957man

Please stop playing with that slow car. Pay the money and get a real 7. I use to play with the old ones to than found out how much fun the real 7's are(93-95). I bet you could put 10 grand in that and maybe be in the 9's. I run low 8's all day long and have very few mods. PLease see the light.

Alamo Autopsorts - They can't even get their name spelled right. How could you trust that?

Keaponlaffen

There's a 3rd gen Forum, just go back one, and click on "3rd generation specific". Thanks.

Jeff

79+80_rx-7

I am with HIM^^^^