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Cal Speedway Thanks and Question


Ed Varon

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Well, another weekend of racing and breaking the car

Saturday morning during practice the ring and pinion died leaving me dead on the track....

 

Many thanks to Al Fernandez for loaning me is spare Differential and Perry Kincy who loaned me his 4th gen rims and tires for the rear....

 

And a BIG thanks to Tom Dragoun of 7's Only who had intended to just drop my car at the track and ended up staying all day wrenching on the car to get me back on the track!

 

Here is the question: On Sunday, what was the average Oil & Water temps people were seeing during the race? I think my car went lean again because I saw oil around 260+ and water at 240 and exhaust temp went to mid-1500's. The power went away and as most of you know I pulled in early. My car has great ducting around the radiator and oil cooler so I know it is not an air flow issue.....

 

-Ed Varon

wounded #24

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Ed,

 

Don't you just hate the weekends where no matter how hard you try, the darn car won't cooperate.

 

I was running water temps typically around 200 and oil temps typically around 240.

 

Good Luck,

Mike

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Ed: no problem

 

After I had to fill my radiator with gatorade, my temps were about 220. I was running 2-210 before that.

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210 out of traffic and about 220 - 225 when my nose was up someone's back bumper.

 

I have no idea what the oil temps were, I don't have the oil temp guage hooked up and I don't have a coolr.

 

- N

(Hey, oil temp isn't a problem if the guage isn't hooked up, right?)

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Ed, you guys put in a huge effort to get back out there! It really says something about our group when your fellow competitors offer up their spare equipment to get you going again.

 

I ran 200-225 water temp and up to 250 for oil.

 

Thanks to everyone for a great weekend.

 

Greg Robinson

#12/55 Mustang

Team Hi Line Motorsports

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Thanks for the feedback.....

 

I'm pretty confident it was a lean condition that was the problem....

 

I'm going to replace the fuel pressure regulator and the fuel pump to be safe.... No more burned pistons for me!

 

 

-Ed

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Ed,

 

You may consider changing the O2 sensor as well. I think the computer is supposed to ignore it under WOT operation but who know.

 

Mike

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While you're at it...if fuel delivery is your problem you should also make it a regular habit to change the fuel filter regularly...we always use a special rcing filter that filters much smaller particles than stock filters...also you should check your injectors if you're encountering a lean condition....have them blueprinted and flow matched...we've found that stock injectors vary as much as 10% as well as deterioration due to dirt...this might be your problem...doen't make much difference in a street car but on the track at WOT and 130mph you want a well operatiing fuel system...we also heat wrap the fuel lines where appropriate....one real off the wall problem with lean conditions is a too efficient exhaust and a large overlap cam (but no one in CMC uses those)...rp

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Nick- yes but it was the part that failed and burned a hole in my last fresh motor.

 

Richard- after the last time the motor went lean we did have the injectors tested and cleaned, they were all within a coulple of points in flow (i don't remember the numbers) We did just do a new exhaust from the exhaust manifolds back, did a Y pipe and deleted the muffler.

 

On another note I wonder if my low HP isn't a sensor problem....

Motor is fresh and should make at least 215-220 but it is only at 205

 

Al- are you saying I shouldn't worry about the O2's??

 

-Ed

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Ed, I was just rewatching some of my video from this weekend - I noticed a few puffs of smoke from your car a few times early in race #1 on Saturday...

 

I too think the O2 sensor is ignored at WOT, but for $30, it's better to be safe for the other throttle openings. If you're lean while not at WOT, you're already losing a battle.

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Ed...I've heard varying opinions on back pressure and TPI engines, but the concensus seems to be that a complete straight through exhaust such as you describe now having on your car is not the power inducing setup, though it sure sounds good....any good muffler shop has a back pressure gauge and can measure your back pressure...in my experience with exhaust systems over ten years ago I found that just the addition of a flowmaster to a stock system added 12 rwhp..this was with dual stock cats in place...when we later were able to eliminate the cats and replace the entire system we went straight through just like yours is now and ended up with 4 rwhp LESS than the flowmaster/stock system...we were advised that the back pressure was the key element and added a car chemistry muffler insert and we redynoed and ended up with 12 rwhp more than the straight through exhaust....big difference...you can check out www.carchemistry.com for their information....I haven't done anything like this in 10 years but there shouldn't be any significant changes...maybe $100 of backpressure can give you that extra 10 rwhp you're lacking....one other item to check while on the dyno is the fuel pressure setting assuming you have an adjustable regulator...we found that 54-55 # was the optimum setting (gaining 4 or 5 rwhp over the factory 47-48) for our 1991 Z28. Good luck.

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ED have you changed intakes, or are you using the same one from the old engine. I've seen cracked intakes that played havoc once the engine got warm. Just another thought.

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Ed: I agree with Richard, for your motor, a little bit of back pressure will increase power. I have a one chamber flowmaster with flanges on each side you can borrow. (eventually you'll borrow enough parts that you can give me an entire assembled car) I definitely don't think that O2 sensor is going to get you any more power at WOT.

 

Steve: fuel pressure could indicate a lean condition, if the cause is a malfunctioning pressure regulator. Otherwise it won't help.

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Hi everyone. Is the backpressure issue the same on carbed cars as TPI? I'm running straight thru right now (sounds sweet, or maybe just LOUD), but I do have a single chamber flowmaster. Think I'll go back to the single, from what I've read so far. Esse' #81...

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Esse, I think backpressure is important to our carbed cars. We are low enough on torque already. I am trying a shorter exhaust this season with a 3" Flowmaster 2 chamber. Should have the dyno figs right before BW, we shall see if this theory pans out. With an SLP Y pipe, 3" pipe and the big Flowmaster in the back the car was at 220hp and 266ft-lbs.

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Funny thing here.

I had my Dyno go up a few HP and Torque with running an X pipe and NO mufflers at all..but then a gain I'm running a "Camaro Killer Mustang".

Back pressure would be more important on the fuel injected cars,on the carb cars I would run it wide open.

Tony

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Wide open it is. For now. I'm still only at 216 H.P. and 258 Torque. Going out to B-Willow this friday to test (anyone else?). I might try switching between open and my single chamber and see how much my lap-times change. Finally found out my 5th gear problem. Seems the guy I had work on it recieved FORD gears when he ordered GM. I guess the shaft diameter is Slightly larger on the Mustang W.C. T-5 than on the G.M. version. Therefore the Aweful Noise. Don't anyone else make this same mistake, it Sucked! (Actually I think it's one of those Ford Racing conspiracies, trying to discourage us non-blue ovalers). yeah right. Didn't work. Bye for now, Esse' #81...

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