First time to the track... disappointed.
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Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Maricopa, AZ
OK, I can't sit idly here any longer and see one more "helpful soul" tell you that shorty headers are your problem! 
Come on guys, get REAL. STOCK MANIFOLDS wouldn't even be holding him back at this point!
Dave, hopefully you've been able to decipher the decent advice from the crap. Traction and seat time with the 6-spd will pay the biggest dividends right now.
Come on guys, get REAL. STOCK MANIFOLDS wouldn't even be holding him back at this point!
Dave, hopefully you've been able to decipher the decent advice from the crap. Traction and seat time with the 6-spd will pay the biggest dividends right now.
The 98mph trap speed shows he's making power. Good power for his mods. The issue is ET not trap speed. ET is dropped in the first half of the track. 60ft time, mostly traction issues.
OP, be careful with the sticky tires behind that T56. It sucks but you may want to err on the side of caution if you decide on sticky's and slip off the clutch. Ride it out to reduce shock to your rear end.
Don't do a burn out, just knock the grit off of them. Go around the water box.
Also, what brand and model tires are you running? I had Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires that sucked horribly. I then went with Continental ExtremContact DWS tires that dead hooked on my slightly modded (14.4@97) LT1 behind my Manual on a 3500 clutch drop....
Both tires were 295/35R18's at 35psi....
It doesn't matter that it's only a 14 second car, to get the most out of it you still have to use your head.
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From: Maricopa, AZ
But, he could even shift sooner into 4th. 3rd gear at 98mph is 100 RPM's before stock redline. Not worth it especially since the car peaks horsepower at 5000rpms. I did both when I had similar mods (no headers) and ran the same times and ET's. 4th or 3rd through the traps show'd no measurable difference:
Gear..........4th-................4th-................3rd-
1/4 ET......14.599............14.493............14.754
1/4 MPH....95.54..............97.17..............96.14
The inconsistencies were all me, driver mod needed.
The speed is there regardless of gear. Using 3rd or 4th through the traps will not decrease(improve) his ET. His short time will.
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From: Maricopa, AZ
Covering 30ft (the distance between the trap lights) at 97mph takes literally .00227 seconds longer than 98mph. Immeasurable at the track.
If he was short shifting at 5k I agree with holding the gears longer. But with a 98mph trap speed and his power and weight, he's not.
Last edited by hrcslam; May 4, 2014 at 12:12 PM.
And by best are you saying he'll drop a half or full second? Do the math. Shifting to 4th at the end of the run does not add time like you all think it does. It could take 1/4 second to shift but actual time added to the run is fractions of the shift time. Why? Cause you are still moving during the shift. 98mph in third or 97mph in fourth is pointless. the real difference is less than that at this power weight gear level.
Covering 30ft (the distance between the trap lights) at 97mph takes literally .00227 seconds longer than 98mph. Immeasurable at the track.
If he was short shifting at 5k I agree with holding the gears longer. But with a 98mph trap speed and his power and weight, he's not.
Covering 30ft (the distance between the trap lights) at 97mph takes literally .00227 seconds longer than 98mph. Immeasurable at the track.
If he was short shifting at 5k I agree with holding the gears longer. But with a 98mph trap speed and his power and weight, he's not.
It makes no sense whatsoever for him to shift into 4th.
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Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Raleigh, NC
When I bought my car it had just a CAI and a weld-in Flowmaster muffler. Basically very similar to what the OP's is now. I played with it for about a year in this configuration and eventually worked it down to a 13.42@104 on the stock 245/50/16s.
OP, swap your 17s and 315s for some stock 16s and 245s and you would probably pick up 2-3 mph in trap speed. When you get to the track, set the rear tires at ~25-28PSI, fronts at 50. Your short times look decent for someone who hasn't spent a LOT of time racing manuals on street tires, but will get a bit better with some more practice. If you don't have an aftermarket shifter then that is worthwhile too.
OP, swap your 17s and 315s for some stock 16s and 245s and you would probably pick up 2-3 mph in trap speed. When you get to the track, set the rear tires at ~25-28PSI, fronts at 50. Your short times look decent for someone who hasn't spent a LOT of time racing manuals on street tires, but will get a bit better with some more practice. If you don't have an aftermarket shifter then that is worthwhile too.
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From: Maricopa, AZ
It will be improved through getting his short time down. There's more to a low ET than staying at 5800rpms.
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Verdad Gallardo Please do school me on ET. How is yours coming along?
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From: Maricopa, AZ
My ET? Low 13's in 4th @111+... should I be in third too? Yeah driver mod needed. Not third.
That sir is my point.
bolt-ons only?
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Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Maricopa, AZ
Heads cam full bolt ons. Dyno tuned to 414rwhp@6100 SAE corrected on a Mustang dyno. I have yet to peak it. 600 more miles before I'm comfortable with break in. Then I'll push it all the way..... ish, I need something stronger than a 7.5"....
Yes I need to work on my 1/4 driving. Lol.
Yes I need to work on my 1/4 driving. Lol.
Last edited by hrcslam; May 4, 2014 at 04:25 PM.
I was in the same boat as the ops while running the 1/8th mile with a heads/cam LPE setup with 4.10 gears (which I later found out where not the best gears for the setup) and running right around 90mph. I found out it was indeed better to stay in 3rd than to shift into 4th. The way I figure it, even though it was past the power peak, constant power was still being applied, and it was more power than if I were to shift into a gear lowering RPM on the powerband.
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Launching!
Joined: Jun 2012
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From: Pennsylvania
Well this kind of blew up. I appreciate everyone's opinions. Mostly what I was looking for was just a confirmation that my numbers were in line with my mods. I'm not too familiar with what expected 60', e.t. and mph numbers I should be putting up. I was expecting better and wasn't sure if it was me, the car, or just normal for my mods. It sound like I just need some more practice with my technique. I'm planning on installing my LCAs this week and getting back out there Friday. Will report back.
Last edited by Dave M; May 5, 2014 at 03:04 PM.
Interesting about 3rd gear. I remember my 1st time at the track (1995) and getting 13.69@102 (2.1 60ft) while shifting into 4th @ ~5500. A firehawk is anything but stock but I'm wondering if I could have gotten a better ET if I revved higher and stayed in 3rd.
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From: Maricopa, AZ
If you were shifting at an indicated (by the stock tach) 5500rpms then you did leave a bit on the table. Our tachs read high by 150-300 rpms...
TECH Addict
Joined: Dec 2010
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From: Maricopa, AZ
We'll this kind of blew up. I appreciate everyone's opinions. Mostly what I was looking for was just a confirmation that my numbers were in line with my mods. I'm not too familiar with what expected 60', e.t. and mph numbers I should be putting up. I was expecting better and wasn't sure if it was me, the car, or just normal for my mods. It sound like I just need some more practice with my technique. I'm planning on installing my LCAs this week and getting back out there Friday. Will report back.
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From: In the moment...
Keep doing what youre doing and work on finding the best launch technique. Your 60 is about 2 tenths too slow if that helps. Dont change anything on the setup except your tire pressure down to 20.
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From: Raleigh, NC
3rd gear on a Stock LT1 T56 combo tops out at 101.4mph @ the factory 5808 RPM rev limiter. If you had a raised rev limit then yes, but it'd be minuscule.
If you were shifting at an indicated (by the stock tach) 5500rpms then you did leave a bit on the table. Our tachs read high by 150-300 rpms...
If you were shifting at an indicated (by the stock tach) 5500rpms then you did leave a bit on the table. Our tachs read high by 150-300 rpms...
If you're wanting to get the most out of a stock or bolt on car then ditch the 17s for track duty. Get a good shifter so you can shift more quickly. Next mods should be good headers and exhaust, 1.6 rockers and springs to enable you to rev it to 6100rpm, and a tune. A M6 bolt on car set up like this will usually run low 13s or very high 12s at around 105-107mph on street tires in good weather.