Juiced Coupes 306

[Guest]

[69 Merc]

I use one bottle per cooling system fill.


http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=74&pcid=10

How long have you been doing that?

[juiced coupe]

10ish years. Before that, we just used water in race cars, but flushed the cooling system with cool water between rounds. I got tired of getting wet, so we started using electric water pumps and good fans (Taurus/T-Bird, etc.)and the Water Wetter as a conditioner.

[juiced coupe]

4- Built/installed header evac system the way I wanted it(line to one valve cover with a "T" under the car). Didn't hook up gauge, but I can feel vacuum at the dipstick tube.

Can you hook a vacuum gauge to it? I have wondered if that wouldn't work just aswell.

Thanks
Brad

Hooked up a vacuum gauge to the dipstick tube today, 2" at idle. That is about what I expected because I made no extra attempt at sealing the engine. I have also heard that the one piece oil pan gasket and rubber valve cover gaskets I used are common sources of vacuum leaks. I couldn't find something to adapt to the breather, but there is a very strong vacuum signal there.


The previous owner of my car installed the shifter where the ash try was. He left all the holes wide open. I built a shifter bezel out of aluminum angle and flat bar, looks better in person. You can also see the switch panel I made to fill in the factory shifter hole.

I also decided to lock out my timing. I removed the centrifugal weights and secured the arm in place. I also removed the vacuum advance canister and made a cover/arm to hold the module in place. Here is a outside pic.

[289nate]

Hooked up a vacuum gauge to the dipstick tube today, 2" at idle. That is about what I expected because I made no extra attempt at sealing the engine. I have also heard that the one piece oil pan gasket and rubber valve cover gaskets I used are common sources of vacuum leaks. I couldn't find something to adapt to the breather, but there is a very strong vacuum signal there.

That's pretty much what I get running to each valve cover at low rpm.  Can get a little higher at cruise and on deceleration.  WOT and or some rpm it is pretty much at zero on my cowl mounted vacuum gauge.  With the vacuum pump hooked up it can get over 10" Hg at rpm.  I leave the exhaust evac on for street driving.  Curious to hear what kind of vacuum your system pulls with some rpm and at WOT.

The previous owner of my car installed the shifter where the ash try was. He left all the holes wide open. I built a shifter bezel out of aluminum angle and flat bar, looks better in person. You can also see the switch panel I made to fill in the factory shifter hole.

Looks darn good.

I also decided to lock out my timing. I removed the centrifugal weights and secured the arm in place. I also removed the vacuum advance canister and made a cover/arm to hold the module in place. Here is a outside pic.

I did the same and believe you're going to like it on motor.  I'm curious if it'll be an advantage on nitrous.  I don't know a darn thing about running on the bottle and am sure glad we have you around to help with that.  Hope to pick up on a thing or two from you just in case I get the itch.

[juiced coupe]

I always planned to lock the timing before I sprayed it. I don't trust timing retards, I have seen a few fail and cause the engine to eat itself on the bottle. I pull timing at the distributor. Without the timing locked out, I would only have about 3-4*(or less, not good) of initial timing.

[289nate]

I always planned to lock the timing before I sprayed it. I don't trust timing retards, I have seen a few fail and cause the engine to eat itself on the bottle. I pull timing at the distributor. Without the timing locked out, I would only have about 3-4*(or less, not good) of initial timing.

That makes a lot of sense.  Thanks for the explanation.

[juiced coupe]

Update!

Got to the track, but first a list of things done recently.
1- Added nitrophyl floats to the carb along with jet extensions. I have had 2 of those white floats sink on me in the last 6 months.
2- Added a secondary pump cam bracket with a idle screw to the carb. This has allowed me to back down on the primary screw and clean the cars idle up greatly.
3- A friend gave me a set of 3/4 worn MT DRs, 275/60-15. To be honest, they are too tall, but they still hook.
4- Lowered the rear of the car about 1", put air bag in right spring, and boxed upper control arms. All of this is just temporary, so don't get on me about it.

Track!    Note: This track is only 600', so the times are a few tenths off. The norm for a car like this is about 4 tenths.


Got 5 passes in, but 2 were scrubs.

Motor pass. Car hates the tight ass nitrous converter, 28" tire, and 3.73s. Still in 2nd gear.

60'      - 1.84
330'    - 5.18
1/8     - 7.50
MPH   - 84.75

Nitrous pass. 125 shot. Forgot bottle heater, so only 900#. Rolled out about 10'(guys on track side said maybe more) before hitting the NOS. Still in 2nd, coasted last few feet.

60'     - 1.78
330'   - 4.75
1/8    - 6.79
MPH   - 96.12

Nitrous pass. 125 shot. Only 800#. Sprayed out the hole, but didn't get pedal all the way down for about 40-50"(shoe jammed the carpet, go figure). Went to 3rd instead of coasting 2nd. Guys track side said driver front was about 3" in the air.

60'    - 1.67
330'  - 4.63
1/8   - 6.67
MPH - 95.76

Thought it was a good first track outing. Engine and drive train ran perfect all night.  car ran straight on all passes. And NOTHING BROKE

As of now, the car is between stages. It needs suspension, wheels and tires, cowl hood and paint, and various other things. The car has a more or less stock suspension, factory 10 hole wheels, stock hood, and severely faded red paint(along with a couple gray trim pieces).

Some guys at work want me to leave it like this. This thing is one hell of a sleeper. This thing is banging on the 10 sec door with a low bottle(psi), junk suspension, and old tires. I almost agree with them. Almost.

[289nate]

A 6.67 ET with a 1.67 60 ft is moving!  Can't wait to see what it does once you start getting it all sorted.  Must have felt good to make some passes.

[juiced coupe]

A 6.67 ET with a 1.67 60 ft is moving!  Can't wait to see what it does once you start getting it all sorted.  Must have felt good to make some passes.

You know it. This car has been a thorn in my side for the last couple years. We wasn't expecting the car to run as good as it did, especially given the old tires and low psi. I would have been more than happy with a 6.99 with a hot bottle on the first time out.

[juiced coupe]

Good news and bad news. Good news is the car ran faster on the motor and bottle tonight. Bad news is that the rear end broke on the last pass.


The only changes from last week are new (colder) plugs and I added a couple degrees of timing on the motor and took out a couple more on the bottle. All passes were only 1st and 2nd gear. As said before, the track is only 600', so the times are 3-4 tenths faster than a full 1/8 mile(660')

1st pass: Motor. Spun because some import in front of me puked something on the track about 15' out.

60'     :1.93
330    : 5.21
1/8     : 7.48
MPH   : 86.36

2nd pass. Motor. Clean pass. Waited in the pits while some cars made passes and got some rubber laid down.

60'     : 1.78
330'   : 5.07
1/8     :7.34
MPH   : 86.19

3rd pass. Motor. Clean pass. Had a passenger in the car for a ride.

60'     :1.79
330"  :5.10
1/8    : 7.40
MPH  : 85.37

4th pass. Nitrous. 125 shot. Clean Pass.

60'    :1.58
330'  :4.51
1/8   : 6.43
MPH  : 98.04

5th pass. Clean pass. Rider in the car again.

60'   : 1.79
330' : 5.09
1/8  : 7.38
MPH : 85.86

6th pass. Nitrous. 125 shot. Broke rear end. Spun out the hole, may have wheel hopped and did the damage 

60'   : 1.68
330' : 4.62
1/8  : 6.65
MPH : 96.97

After this pass, the rear made a single "clunk" while I was slowing down, and then locked up on the way back to the pits. Several of us were able to rock the car and get it unlocked, but it sounds like a gear is stripped in there. We'll see.

While I am a bit upset that something broke, I can't say that I'm surprised. That rear is a stock rear with just a set of gears, left over from the car's daily driver days. Did I say it ran a 6.43! 

The car is going to have to be out of commission for now as we are going on vacation next month and don't have the extra $$$ to build a new rear. Maybe I'll pick up a few more things to go along with it this summer.

[jtmustang]

well that is good and bad news...

why only 600'..?

[juiced coupe]

why only 600'..?

They shortened the track about 15 years ago because the real fast cars and muscle cars with marginal brakes were having trouble stopping. They have since added some more room in the slow down area, but decided to leave the track 600'.

[ddillon]

Where is your home track located?  Just curious, we have a 600ft track here in Byram.

          Darren

[juiced coupe]

Where is your home track located?  Just curious, we have a 600ft track here in Byram.

          Darren

I have 5 tracks "local" to me. That track in particular is just outside Mobile, AL. Out of the 5, it is the closest (+/- 30 min with car in tow) and the staff is great. The rest are 1-2 hours away. Two are full 1/8 mile and 2 are 1/4 mile.

[ddillon]

WOW....That's cool.You have a many choices.  Byram is 30mins from me, its 600ft. Then Hattiesburg, the hub, is an hour and a half and it is 1/4.

      Darren