Went to the track Tonight

Vinalero · 08-27-2008, 02:51 AM

My first time at the track today as a driver.

Ive been there plenty of times, just never raced my car.

I must say I was REALLY dissapointed with the results. Since Ion did 14.8 at 97 mph (or something close, didnt check) on a 168 000 miles engine with auto transmission, I was expecting to at least run 15seconds and if lucky beat 14.8.

Time was perfect, it was around 15 degrees celcius and no humidity at all. The car belonged to my friend before and he went one time at the track and did 16.2 on the 1/4 without the supercharger.

First run, against an Intrigue (thats lucky, never seen either an intrigue or an Alero at this drag strip.)

React. : .554
60 feet : 2.402
1/8 : 10.457 at 69.031mph
1/4 : 16.102 at 87.070mph.

Damn Thats like absolutely no gain on what my friend could do without the supercharger, even the trap speed is the same. I'm confused. Didnt miss any gear, and I managed to not spin like a dumbass in first gear. At least I beat the intrigue.

Second run against a 98ish eclipse turbo 4WD with a lot of goodies. (it did 13.220 and left me at the start line like i was standing still

)

React. : .241
60 feet : 2.375
1/8 : 10.314 at 70.955
1/4 : 15.812 at 87.105

So we have .3 faster, still way behind what I thought I could do and still at same speed. In the first run, I had to shift in 4th gear just before the finish line and I thought maybe I could do all the run in 3rd gear. I tried it in the second run, but I hit the rev limiter about 50 feet before the line, maybe that played a role there, but not for a whole second.

It sucks, the way the car is geared, I have to shift just before the finish line, losing some mph there.

Also, I've already noticed before that the car is slower when at WOT instead of lets say 3/4 of the gas pedal. Is it possible that it is dumping too much fuel and that it is flooding the engine, giving me less power? I know I'm definitively running rich because sometimes when I shift, theres a little black smoke that gets out the tail pipes. Not blueish, black like unburnt fuel.

The other thing I thought could be the problem is maybe my catalytic converter is clogged or start to be.

That really bugs me, because the car is really stronger and feels A LOT faster than before the supercharge, and my friend who had the car before was surprised of how much improvement the supercharge made. I mean, I can almost keep up with him on the highway from 80 km/h to 120 km/h (we tried it when coming back from the track) in third gear and he has a 92 mustang that runs 13.9 on the 1/4.

Did I mention I was confused and that I didn't know what to think?

Any ideas?

Redog · 08-27-2008, 04:01 AM

That's really odd?

Is the PCM programmed to have a s/c in the car?

99-alero · 08-27-2008, 06:19 AM

that sucks, hopefully its something lil

[ion] C2 · 08-27-2008, 08:45 AM

that's what I ran first time I went with the supercharger, lol. as good as a stock alero.

odd though, i raced around 100+ F. heatsoaked the supercharger, everything was running super hot, reduced a lot of timing.

you're not running rich that's for sure. the supercharger tune sets the AFR under PE to 13.0:1 at operating temp.

do you have a boost gauge? what'd it say?

Spilner521 · 08-27-2008, 05:07 PM

That is odd. Do you just have the GM PCM reflash? What are you running for an exhaust? You shouldn't be running too rich, a little puff of black smoke while shifting is normal for a boosted engine.

You mentioned that you top out 3rd gear right before the finish line. In the Evo, I top out 3rd gear right at the finish line in the 1/8th mile...talk about short gearing!

Vinalero · 08-28-2008, 01:31 AM

I only have the GM PCM reflash. Still stock exhaust. Completing that would really help me I'm sure, but Ion did his time with same set-up.

I don't have a boost gauge yet so too bad for boost diagnosis. I do feel it though.

Since that in the second run I cut .3 to my first time at the same mph, if you look at the 1/8 mph, I was about 2 mph faster. So considering I top out 3rd gear, I should have made around 3-4 mph higher and lets say .1 or .2 faster.

Spilner - 3rd gear at the 1/8

Well I guess its like the STIs that finish the 1/4 almost in 5th gear lol. I always thought that my gears were short lol. I can only reach 50mph in 2nd gear while I was able to get to 60-65 with my old accord. at 70mph I run around 3000rpm in 5th where I was at 2600 in my accord.

I still continue to think I run rich because sometimes just when parking the car going from reverse to first, then I press the clutch all the way and let the gas go, the car will stall. When starting it up again, it will crank a bit before just like if it was flooded with fuel. That or my Exhaust is inapropriate now and needs a new Cat.

Ion you said you did those kind of times the first time you went to the track, what have changed between that and the 14.8?

Midgear · 08-28-2008, 04:52 AM

holy christ.. only 50 mph in second gear? I hit damn near 45 mph in FIRST gear, 2nd gear takes me to around 80-90 mph, havent really done WOT through 2nd.. no point lol, might have to now though- that's nuts

[ion] C2 · 08-28-2008, 08:55 AM

- CAI
- 62mm throttle body
- 2.6" pulley (might have been the 2.7" I don't remember)

it's all in the launch

Vinalero · 08-28-2008, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midgear

holy christ.. only 50 mph in second gear? I hit damn near 45 mph in FIRST gear, 2nd gear takes me to around 80-90 mph, havent really done WOT through 2nd.. no point lol, might have to now though- that's nuts

I have a manual Tranny, thats why.

Ion: Oh you had the 62mm TB on? that could be part of the equation.

[ion] C2 · 08-28-2008, 12:10 PM

and a smaller pulley, made more boost. also 62mm TB allows it to make 1-2 PSI more boost, can suck in air more easily

jayson_waltz · 08-28-2008, 12:16 PM

your're hitting redline b4 you shirft right? i remember there was a guy on here a while back that wasn't and was complaning about not being fast.

Vinalero · 08-28-2008, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayson_waltz

your're hitting redline b4 you shirft right? i remember there was a guy on here a while back that wasn't and was complaning about not being fast.

Redline is at 6000 and cut off is like 6400. I do hit the redline before shifting, but for a brief period of time.

Spilner521 · 08-30-2008, 09:17 PM

Redline is 6500

Vinalero · 08-30-2008, 09:44 PM

On the Tach? seemed to me it was 6000 or maybe you mean cut off is 6500

bizarre179 · 08-31-2008, 01:35 AM

That sucks.... But would a tb really make that much of a difference? Hopefully you get it figured out and run it again.

Spilner521 · 08-31-2008, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vinalero

On the Tach? seemed to me it was 6000 or maybe you mean cut off is 6500

Ok I lied. The actual redline shown on the tach is more like 6250. At WOT, my car always hits 6500 or slightly over that before it shifts.

[ion] C2 · 08-31-2008, 09:53 AM

In a WOT HPTuners log my car shifts at 42 MPH at 6250 RPM. Fuel cutoff is 6550. Spark ramp out is 6600.

At WOT, this is when the 4T40E should shift:
1 -> 2 Shift: 42 MPH at 6300 RPM
2 -> 3 Shift: 76 MPH at 6400 RPM
3 -> 4 Shift: 105 MPH at 6400 RPM

I'm not sure if the WOT Shift RPM table is used though, it may very well be that the shift points are solely determined by the TPS vs. MPH table.

Redog · 08-31-2008, 10:55 AM

Maybe a shift light would help you

Vinalero · 09-24-2008, 04:09 PM

Another day at the track yesterday

I did three runs and only one was conclusive.

My first one I forgot to take the traction control off and it screwed me big time at my start and shifting into second. I did a poor 15.9 at 89 MPH. I guess I could have made around 15.6

Second run is my friend who drove my car. He owned the car before me and quite frankly he probly forgot how to drive it since he did a whooping 16.6 at 84 MPH

My third run I tried to rev it a bit higher from the start line, and I slipped all first gear and shifted too early, putting me back at 2300 rpm in second gear... lol I did 16.5 at 86 MPH.

I guess I'll learn. It does feel like the car is not pulling like it should. I really wonder if only a clogged cat could do this. What could I be looking at? Fuel filter is new, spark plugs are new from the supercharger kit, injectors are new, I cleaned TB when installing the kit, I have new Air filter, checked vaccum, they look good. I'm puzzled right now. The car feels like it dumps too much fuel and it looks like it is drowning. Oh, I also have no dummy lights on.

I was freaked out getting back from the track. Taking the ramp to the highway, my RPM would not get down when shifting gears, while rolling at 30 MPH, I put it in neutral and the rpm went to 5 000 and stayed there without my foot on the gas!!! Actually I was even pulling on the pedal with my foot without result, so I waited to be on the highway and shut the car off and got on the side of the road.

I got out, popped the hood and played with the throttle a bit. Fired it up, it went to idle at 1800 rpm, I got out of the car, revved it a bit, it went down to 1000 rpm and drove fine on the way home.

What could have caused this on a mecanical throttle body that was not stuck at all?!

leoalero · 09-24-2008, 04:57 PM

All i can say from my experience,is that the other day i drove mine without air filter on my cold air intake(it now breath in the fender)to try it,my RPM went to 3000-3500 on neutral without hitting the gas pedal,I get the engine off and tried it again,the engine was running fine at 900-1000.Did it another time till i fixed the filter on,the engine never did it again!!