Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
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Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!



Had/have a couple things to sort out, but went 6.49@116 on motor(not purposely a NA pass), then went a 5.98@114 with a 1.22 60ft(7 cylinders), then went a 5.86@120 with a 1.32 60ft. - Three people watching said they're almost certain it tripped the 60' beams with the rear tires, but it didn't feel as good as the other hits have, so not sure.
It's WAY fat, as in wideband was pegged and it was surging some going down the track on the 5.86 pass. Need to throw some timing in it and take some fuel out. Overall I was very happy with how it performed on the base-line tune-up with the .082 pill. I'm going to strap it down on the dyno Thrusday and dial in a good motor tune-up, then start pilling up next Friday during TNT for the ORTC race at Bradenton. Looks like bottom 5's are definitely possible with this combination.
Very happy to report that I could have let go of the steering wheel for the entire pass. The chassis is working pretty good.
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
shagwell-that's Awsome news!!
Good luck on getting it tuned!
Good luck on getting it tuned!
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From: 51°N 114°W, 3500'
Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
My best 1/8 mile was only 5.947 @ 115.41 with a 1.295 60' time. I know I was running fat that day. I'm waiting for my wideband to arrive so I can check the tune.
Although the track will probably be open this Saturday afternoon, it's now too cold for me to make any more passes this season. I shoveled snow off my sidewalk twice last week. The snow is all gone now but we had cold weather for a couple of weeks and there's no way I'll get traction on a cold track even if it does warm up near the end of the week.
Once I retune with the wideband, I'd like to get some dyno time this winter to tweak a few things and get a real dyno HP number. Based on weight and MPH, I'm estimating around 830 dyno HP. I can't see me being ready for the dyno until Feb or March next year.
Sure feels nice when you can make a pass and do very little steering. I was watching one of my in car videos that can see the steering wheel. I correct slightly after the launch but hardly move the steering the rest of the way down the track.
Going from a 5.8 to a low 5 is a huge jump in power. That would be like picking up a full second in the 1/4 and at that speed it would need a lot more HP.
Although the track will probably be open this Saturday afternoon, it's now too cold for me to make any more passes this season. I shoveled snow off my sidewalk twice last week. The snow is all gone now but we had cold weather for a couple of weeks and there's no way I'll get traction on a cold track even if it does warm up near the end of the week.
Once I retune with the wideband, I'd like to get some dyno time this winter to tweak a few things and get a real dyno HP number. Based on weight and MPH, I'm estimating around 830 dyno HP. I can't see me being ready for the dyno until Feb or March next year.
Sure feels nice when you can make a pass and do very little steering. I was watching one of my in car videos that can see the steering wheel. I correct slightly after the launch but hardly move the steering the rest of the way down the track.
Going from a 5.8 to a low 5 is a huge jump in power. That would be like picking up a full second in the 1/4 and at that speed it would need a lot more HP.
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
Stephen -
you can have that cold weather. It's been clear down in the high 50's at night the past couple evenings; plenty cold for me.
We've got a big race this weekend, the Outlaw Radial Tire Championship @ Bradenton Motorsport Park. I'll be running in OL632. - There's somewhere around 50-60hp left on the table on the motor tune up, and on motor alone it hates this converter. The current .082 pills = around a 225hp hit, I'll go with a .110 pill tune-up on the the plate, may even go larger and/or bolt the Speedtech Diffuser on and pill it on kill.
???
you can have that cold weather. It's been clear down in the high 50's at night the past couple evenings; plenty cold for me. We've got a big race this weekend, the Outlaw Radial Tire Championship @ Bradenton Motorsport Park. I'll be running in OL632. - There's somewhere around 50-60hp left on the table on the motor tune up, and on motor alone it hates this converter. The current .082 pills = around a 225hp hit, I'll go with a .110 pill tune-up on the the plate, may even go larger and/or bolt the Speedtech Diffuser on and pill it on kill.

Shagwell: thanks for the post....
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
I can't wait for spring to see my 5's. I am in transition right now from sbc to bbc.
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
years ago the SBC guys had a bumper stick that said, "on the 7th day god created the small block chevy" - my dad had one made up that said, "on the 8th day god created the big-block and cured his mistake from the day before....."
LOL
LOL
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From: MN
Car: 1982 Camaro
Engine: 555 BBC
Transmission: TSI Glide
Axle/Gears: Aluminum Moser 3.89
Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
Agreed. That's a lot of sbc to run 8's and minimal effort from a bbc plus it's cheaper.
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From: Pittsburgh PA
Car: 89 Iroc-z
Engine: 555 BBC Turbo
Transmission: TH400
Axle/Gears: MWC 9” 3.00
Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
I wish i would have went turbo big block if i could have fit it all under the hood......well dont matter i guess as my turbos stick out the hood anyway...but big block is pretty tight in the engine bay right?
big block will be a future build for me someday....abit more money to do than a small block i guess but stronger parts
big block will be a future build for me someday....abit more money to do than a small block i guess but stronger parts
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
6 of one, half dozen of the other.
I've always looked at it this way; the more power you make from less cubic inches, the harder you have to lean on it. - This 4.250 is the biggest stroke I have run though. Most my combos are short stroke/high rpm.
I've always looked at it this way; the more power you make from less cubic inches, the harder you have to lean on it. - This 4.250 is the biggest stroke I have run though. Most my combos are short stroke/high rpm.
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From: 51°N 114°W, 3500'
Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
I look at a SBC in an engine bay now and I think it looks way too small. I just sold a set of Vortec heads and I couldn't believe how small everything was. Springs, valves etc were tiny. My exhaust valves are bigger than the Vortec intake valves 
It is easier to make HP with more displacement but size does become on issue with the very large engines. Think about how long it takes for a flame front to travel over a piston that's over 4.500" diameter compared to a small 4" bore of a 350 engine. Although I've never been on a dyno, my engine makes a little over 800 HP with no power adders and it's still considered fairly mild. You won't find too many SBC that can make that claim. It's possible to make around 1200 HP with a BBC and no power adders.

It is easier to make HP with more displacement but size does become on issue with the very large engines. Think about how long it takes for a flame front to travel over a piston that's over 4.500" diameter compared to a small 4" bore of a 350 engine. Although I've never been on a dyno, my engine makes a little over 800 HP with no power adders and it's still considered fairly mild. You won't find too many SBC that can make that claim. It's possible to make around 1200 HP with a BBC and no power adders.
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Car: '82 Camaro
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
Great pass, ****!!!!!
Do they still have the big bracket meet in March at Bradenton???? Went to it about 10 years ago...out in the quarters, but a great vacation anyway....!!!!! Great town and great weather!!!!!
Do they still have the big bracket meet in March at Bradenton???? Went to it about 10 years ago...out in the quarters, but a great vacation anyway....!!!!! Great town and great weather!!!!!
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
Awesome man, i hope to go 6 in the 1/8th on 93 octane one day and low 6 on dope. Bet it felt great man.
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
Thanks for all the comments.
Not sure about that bracket race; I only really follow the heads-up stuff.
Not sure about that bracket race; I only really follow the heads-up stuff.
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Car: 1982 Camaro
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Axle/Gears: Aluminum Moser 3.89
Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
BBC looks like it was meant to be in there. After having several truckswith SBC thinking how easy they are to work on. I was thinking a Camaro will be a nightmare with headers etc. Not the case. The BBC and headers go in quite easy. I should have done this years ago.
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
5.68 @ 122, 1.24 60ft over the weekend, pedaling it 3 times in 1st and once in 2nd to get it pointed back down track. - I had the wheelie bars cranked up to "oh crap bar" height and evidentally got a little aggressive with the couple tweaks I made that morning.
Took one flat of preload out(went left on above hit and slightly so on hit before), tightened the shocks one click and lowered the car abour 1/4" in the back, calmed it down too much, went a very soft 1.20 60', the 10-11 hit spark plugs weren't happy and it broke-up above 6500(makes peak around 7600).
New plugs, bumped 1/8" of ride height back in it and pilled the n2o up a little more to lean it out some, but f*d up and left the solenoids unplugged after checking the timing. - Royaly pissed at myself since that was first round. Didn't really have a chance vs the car I drew, but wanted to know what it would have done now that the tune-up is coming around.
Accomplished what I wanted though, I was not the last qualifier.....I was 15th lol. The event photographer got a great launch shot of it about mid-way up on the "oh crap" hit; I'll try to get it scanned and post it up.
PS - we picked up almost 90rwhp on motor on the dyno Thursday before heading up to the race. I then started pilling the nitrous up to lean out the n2o tune-up and get it in-line while at the track. Very curious how that .119 pill would have gone that last hit had I not foobar'd; hopefully we'll find out soon.
Race weight was @ 3012lbs after the run, they wouldn't give me a break for being considerably lesser CI/single carb/plate only, so I had ballast in it accordingly.
Took one flat of preload out(went left on above hit and slightly so on hit before), tightened the shocks one click and lowered the car abour 1/4" in the back, calmed it down too much, went a very soft 1.20 60', the 10-11 hit spark plugs weren't happy and it broke-up above 6500(makes peak around 7600).
New plugs, bumped 1/8" of ride height back in it and pilled the n2o up a little more to lean it out some, but f*d up and left the solenoids unplugged after checking the timing. - Royaly pissed at myself since that was first round. Didn't really have a chance vs the car I drew, but wanted to know what it would have done now that the tune-up is coming around.
Accomplished what I wanted though, I was not the last qualifier.....I was 15th lol. The event photographer got a great launch shot of it about mid-way up on the "oh crap" hit; I'll try to get it scanned and post it up.
PS - we picked up almost 90rwhp on motor on the dyno Thursday before heading up to the race. I then started pilling the nitrous up to lean out the n2o tune-up and get it in-line while at the track. Very curious how that .119 pill would have gone that last hit had I not foobar'd; hopefully we'll find out soon.
Race weight was @ 3012lbs after the run, they wouldn't give me a break for being considerably lesser CI/single carb/plate only, so I had ballast in it accordingly.
Last edited by Shagwell; Oct 28, 2009 at 11:33 AM.
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Re: Solidly in the 5's, and still soft tune!
Thanks.
I killed some valvetrain on the dyno, but other than that it gave me no problems. I'm usually lucky to get one full evening of racing w/o fighting something, none-the-less 3 days. LOL.
I'm just glad it broke while dynoing near home, had I already been up to the track it would have been an hour and a half each way to chase parts(has some funky length pushrods), and a 36' motorhome is not the best parts chaser...
I killed some valvetrain on the dyno, but other than that it gave me no problems. I'm usually lucky to get one full evening of racing w/o fighting something, none-the-less 3 days. LOL.
I'm just glad it broke while dynoing near home, had I already been up to the track it would have been an hour and a half each way to chase parts(has some funky length pushrods), and a 36' motorhome is not the best parts chaser...
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