I am not new to bracket racing, I have been doing it for a few years with some success. I mainly run non electronics classes i.e. footbrake/no box, and occasionaly run super pro.
I have a tube chassis vette that I race, but I have been throwing around the idea of buying car that i can drive to the track, race and drive home. I did a little research and decided on an lsx powerd f-body. I did some shopping around and found a car that i wanted. So i purchased a h/c/i trans am with a built a4.
My main question is what type of tuning sofware are you guys using to make your cars more consistent? Any tips and tricks you guys are willing to share would be greatly appreciated. I have the suspension worked out on the car, now im just trying to get my e.t.'s not vary as much when the weather changes. How do you keep your cars consistent when you have to hot lap the car as well? Under hood temps seem to affect these cars greatly.
I am not new to bracket racing, I have been doing it for a few years with some success. I mainly run non electronics classes i.e. footbrake/no box, and occasionaly run super pro.
I have a tube chassis vette that I race, but I have been throwing around the idea of buying car that i can drive to the track, race and drive home. I did a little research and decided on an lsx powerd f-body. I did some shopping around and found a car that i wanted. So i purchased a h/c/i trans am with a built a4.
My main question is what type of tuning sofware are you guys using to make your cars more consistent? Any tips and tricks you guys are willing to share would be greatly appreciated. I have the suspension worked out on the car, now im just trying to get my e.t.'s not vary as much when the weather changes. How do you keep your cars consistent when you have to hot lap the car as well? Under hood temps seem to affect these cars greatly.
Thanks in advance.
Definetly go with HP Tuners and a Speed Density tune for consistancy. Speed Density tuning does not care what the weather is, maybe just a small fraction of the motor will notice the hot or cold days. Elevation will also make a difference. When hot lapping, a lot of people make the mistake of changing too many variables: adjusting tire pressure after every run, tweaking a tune, driving the car more around the return roads and making the engine overheat, etc. Adjust the tire pressure after your first TNT run, then leave them alone. Do the exact same thing after every pass: go right to the trailer, etc. Then you will see some good consistancy. Also, if you cool down your intake, do it after every run, not just when you think it's starting to heat up. Every little thing you do to a racecar affects the ET. At least at the stage I'm at it does.
__________________
2000 Trans Am 346 NA, 4L60EBest ETs: 6.49 (1/8) and 10.20 (1/4) Wanna Race? GMHTP Feature Car - November 2008 Lots of good info:www.fquick.com/FastTaGurl
I'm using HPTuners as well and am planning on working on an SD tune this summer. There are a few parameters in the tune that I changed that made my car much more consistant.
i usually get my car up to normal in town driving temp and then keep it there. it will run a little slower, but its more consistent. plus then you don't have to worry about going between closed/open loop because of temperature variance. i never let the car cool with the hood open unless its really hot, or if i have to work on it
Wow - you're a very brave man to run a foot brake in a Super Pro 7 or 8 sec 160 mph class. good luck to you.
Jakes Dad
SP tune is a must to be consistant when bracket racing an LS1.
Down here in Houston Texas we run N/E & Super Pro all the time. Nothing like trying to judge the finishline running a Top Et car coming at you at 170 to 180 mph.
Coach
__________________ 02 Z/28 LS1 347 Bracket Racer
Ray Family Racing & Madman & Co.
I live with "FEAR" everyday and sometimes "SHE" lets me go racin'! Ray Family Racing Camaros Brother Black 1998 Z/28 Daughter Red 1999 Z/28 Dad Black 2001 Z/28 & Pewter 2002 Z/28 Me Pewter 2002 Z/28
might want to look into a weather station and log your runs. As weather changes, and with some history, you'll have a good idea on how to change your dial. Rick J. and Randy L. taught me that one (put the vibrator is set to high). LOL ...
Wow - you're a very brave man to run a foot brake in a Super Pro 7 or 8 sec 160 mph class. good luck to you.
Jakes Dad
I mainly run my tube chassis car in super pro, but you wouldnt believe how many rounds/races have been one in our 10 sec. (1/8th mile) Z-24 Cavalier. The car is deadly consistent, and its not easy for the 4 and 5 sec. cars to judge the stripe on a car that slow. Its pretty much just put dial on it, get in deep before autostart comes on, cut a light, and if the other car is nowhere near you or is a good bit ahead hit the brakes.
I bought the trans am because for an average weekend bracket race, its a lot cheaper to throw a cooler in a car and drive to the track as opposed to loading up our racecars on the trailer and towing there. Also some of the tracks we run at have added an e.t. break to the super pro classes, because of "cry babies" who cant stand getting beat by a slow street car, and because deep staging is not allowed at many tracks anymore either, so i needed a car that could cut a light without going deep.
LOL my bracket car for a few years was a 96 lumina, painted flat black with rustoleum paint from wally world. that thing made many people angry, i would be consistent .02 and faster lights and on or .01 off the dial every time. it was like a go kart, put the brake to the floor, then put the gas to the floor, never spin the tires, just a nice cozy 1/8th mile ride in about 11 seconds flat lol.
LOL my bracket car for a few years was a 96 lumina, painted flat black with rustoleum paint from wally world. that thing made many people angry, i would be consistent .02 and faster lights and on or .01 off the dial every time. it was like a go kart, put the brake to the floor, then put the gas to the floor, never spin the tires, just a nice cozy 1/8th mile ride in about 11 seconds flat lol.
I agree we should share the tuning tips openly. It can only help us LS1Tech members as a group.
I have found that the FBW throttle bodys will throw numbers all over the place. The F-Body mechanical TB is the only way to go.
Make sure you have more tire on the rear than you need. Start with plenty of fuel so you don't have to add any between rounds. It makes it tougher to dial.
When it comes to engine tuning:
Run good 93 octane or higher fuel
Copy the high oct spark table over the low oct table
Lower the fan settings so they stay on all the time (controls temp off the thermostat)
This also keeps the fans from kicking on/off through the run.
Zero out burst knock tables.
Zero out spark adder tables (IAT, ECT etc)
I reduce my timing a few degrees and lock it in across the board in high load/rpm areas so KR is less likely to step in and hinder consistency if cool down time is limited.
Always data log your car under all condition after zeroing out the adder tables. They add and remove timing at different points. 25* timing works best for our 11 second car. Get the AFR checked and dialed in on a dyno after this unless you have a WB.
I hope this helps.
__________________ HKE Racing Engines / Greg Good / TFS
Circle D Transmission and Stall Converter
Late Model Racecraft
Suspension by "MadMan"
1.29 60ft,5.97 1/8th mile,9.39 1/4 mile@142mph
Current LSX all motor pump gas record holder http://snsdragracing.ning.com/profile/JamesDay
Tony "Mr. Camaro" Quadros"
Just another bolt on only LT1 that can kick ur LS1's a$$!"
Special thx: Frank Cahill, Noyzee Racing, Coastal Customs, Shon Herron, John P. (1slowformula)
NED - 12.42 @ 107mph 1.68 60ft
I agree we should share the tuning tips openly. It can only help us LS1Tech members as a group.
I have found that the FBW throttle bodys will throw numbers all over the place. The F-Body mechanical TB is the only way to go.
Make sure you have more tire on the rear than you need. Start with plenty of fuel so you don't have to add any between rounds. It makes it tougher to dial.
When it comes to engine tuning:
Run good 93 octane or higher fuel
Copy the high oct spark table over the low oct table
Lower the fan settings so they stay on all the time (controls temp off the thermostat)
This also keeps the fans from kicking on/off through the run.
Zero out burst knock tables.
Zero out spark adder tables (IAT, ECT etc)
I reduce my timing a few degrees and lock it in across the board in high load/rpm areas so KR is less likely to step in and hinder consistency if cool down time is limited.
Always data log your car under all condition after zeroing out the adder tables. They add and remove timing at different points. 25* timing works best for our 11 second car. Get the AFR checked and dialed in on a dyno after this unless you have a WB.
I hope this helps.
Definitly some good info here.
I also set PE Enable rpms to zero and the enrichment rate to 4. Also, if you are still running cats, make sure to disable Cat Over Temp protection.
There are a few tranny codes (PO507 I think is one of them) that need to be disabled to keep the car from going into limp mode when stalling the car over 3000rpm for more than 5 seconds.
I've bracket raced for 17 years, and the Formula has always been consistent, whether with a stock tune or a modified tune. Key factors IMHO are:
Keeping up on variables. Tire pressure front and rear, staging rpm (and how varying it will affect reaction time), consistent water temp and burnouts, and a ton more.
I always keep a log book with weather and read it to decide dial-ins. Seeing how my car is still slower than most footbrake/no-box cars, I try to dial harder than when running the Nova where the top end mph can afford a number or two either way. Watch what the car does when hot lapped in the later rounds (or practice it at a TNT night to see what the effects are).
Do everything the same, keep your focus and you'll do fine. But there's always someone looking to do better, so be grateful when the win light flashes in your lane!
Good luck!
Derek
__________________ 1970 Nova SS Clone: 383 SBC on 93 swill, 3600+ lbs., 11.12 @ 119.77 mph N/A, quicker on the jug... 2000 Formula: MACS, ORY, Magnaflow, !EGR, !AIR, Formato tune, stock long block, trans and rear end, still slow 2004 GMC Sierra 1500 ECSB 5.3: Magnaflow CB, K&N CAI, Formato tune, what I haul s**t with
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