NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds - View Single Post - Getting my new 406 SBC installed, running, and driving

IROCZman15 · 08-11-2020, 10:12 PM

Overall a pretty good weekend. But I think I am going to take a break for a little while, especially from racing the car. Might do some shows until the weather gets a little better, unless I go over to a night-time T&T at Island. 3 racing events in 3 weekends was a little much (UMI autoX, Summit Bracket racing event, and T&T)

Went to the Cops-n-Rodders Car show in Hackettstown on Saturday. Hungout with Brian, Larry, Chris, AJ, and a bunch of other people I knew. Show was definitely good, live band, food, vendors, etc. A good assortment of well built cars, and it was actually my first car show (non cruise-night) event of the year. Weather was hot, but hey, it is August.
click link to photo album from the car show:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/iroczm...57715440055261

Drove the car home and promptly removed the interior seats, nitrous bottle, sound system, front sway-bar, and removed the hooker 3" cat back. Swapped over all 4 wheels, and then loaded up my boxes of tools, spare parts, jack, and stuff.

sidenote: I had these little logos printed at a local vinly place to put on the new Jegs skinnies. kinda takes away from the bulky look of the center cap:

---also in the above photo is the type of breather I plan to install on the old evap line to the fuel tank.. that is the style filter/breather you guys were talking about right???

Test and Tune was packed with a lot of cars on Sunday. There was a huge number of import/tuner cars and it took me 45 minutes to get through the front booth from the time I pulled onto the driveway. whew. I kept checking the weather/DA and pretty much knew that my first pass was likely going to be my best of the day...and... that it probably would not be anything in the 11 second zone. I knew I would therefore work on my reaction time, launches, 60 foot and also getting my shift light and shifting dialed in better. I had brought those heavy 50 pound weights just in case, so if my passes were garbage, I was going to try one last attempt for a wheel lift using the weights in the trunk.

Pass 1: launched from an idle (906 rpm) with a 1.690 60ft! ran a 12.153 at 111.10 mph . shifted at 6,428 rpm and 6,144, crossed the finish line at 5,700 rpm . WOT ignition timing set at 35.5 deg

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6L4EKj7mFc

Pass 2: launched from an idle (964rpm) and a 1.808 60ft. ran a 12.285 at 112.31 mph shifted at 6,380 and 6,056 and finished at 5,736 rpm WOT timing moved up to 37.0 deg.

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I14taj1YLqw

Pass 3: launched from an idle (898 rpm) and a 1.702 60ft. ran a 12.269 at 110.92 mph this pass I tried shifting off of the tach needle on the dashboard and hit the rev limiter both times. the shift light was lit-up both times but I wanted to see what the data log said if I shifted using the dash tach. shifted at 6,508 and 6,352 finished at 5,519 rpm WOT timing was moved to 38.0 deg. noticed my AFR is rich after pass 2, seeing 12.2-12.4. a nearby racer told me to lean it out so I set it at 12.8

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3udrDH_VIg

Pass 4: launched from and idle (917 rpm) and a 1.723 60ft. ran a 12.190 at 112.34 mph... shifted at 6,229 and 6,024 finished at 5,724 rpm timing still 38 deg WOT and AFR set to 12.8

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ned3tazJSs

Pass 5: knew I wasn't getting faster so I tried leaving off of the max rpm the brakes would hold, and at 2,181 rpm it pushed through the beams. 1.866 60ft and ran a 12.358 at 112.02 mph . tried shifting off the needle again and anticipated it too much so I short shifted at 5,969 and 5,980 finishing at 5,567 rpm . timing still 38 deg WOT and AFR set to 12.8

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Ix1h4H8CY

Pass 6: decided to try the weights int he trunk one last time before I give that up and put 250 pounds of weight in the trunk well. had to try it one last time. launched at 1,793 rpm and a 1.793 60ft. ran a 12.560 short shifting it a lot at 5,667 and 5,890 rpm and finishing at 5,450 rpm timing still 38 deg WOT and AFR set to 12.8

video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWA-2zMTEes

the converter is flashing just above 3,000 rpm if I leave off my 920 rpm idle. the launches are less aggressive in the seat leaving from an idle, but as the converter guy told me on the phone.. I will see a better 60foot if I leave off an idle (except pass 2, not sure what was different there) I now have the shift light set to come on at 6,050 rpm which should keep me shifting between 6,200-6,350 rpm. rev limiter set at 6,550 at the end of the day. I figured out what settings my shocks and struts like to be on for a good launch. Also, the new-to-me front skinnies are set to 37psi (hot) and the rear MT ET street drag radials like to be at 19.0 psi (hot).

Determined that I am not going to be able to get the car to pull the front wheels with the current setup. a better rear gear might do it. and of course when the nitrous goes on this winter, it will launch wheels up, but I had to do what I could think of to at least try it a few times. it does get good front end lift and plants/hooks the rear tires, so i shouldn't be upset about that at all!

I mean overall, it was a good day at the track for figuring things out...but I am still super confused as to what is holding this car back. from higher mph and better passes. Something is robbing power, especially in 3rd gear at the top of the track.. its a dog. I don't think I got a lame engine, it made good steam on the dyno and I know for sure that it was my actual engine on the dyno paperwork they gave me and not just a false printout. Something is just eating power. Not the cat-back exhaust either, since that was removed for this whole day and I didn't see any monumental power gains in timeslips or in datalog info. It also isn't something silly like a dragging caliper or wheel bearing. I did that test where I had the car in neutral on jack stands (like beggs was talking about) and the rear wheels were spinning with the car in neutral, so if that was the case, I can eliminate a tight/dragging brakes or axle setup right?

regardless. I used several racing calculators and checked the corrected e.t. and mph and high 11.7 to mid 11.8 passes are what came out all around 115-116 mph. I would be real happy to have an actual paper timeslip with those numbers, and I don't have any intention of changing rear gear ratios or big parts to get there.. so i will have to wait for better weather conditions. theoretically the horsepower of the engine should be in the mid-low 11's on a drag-based setup, so a high 11 would be more realistic for my multi-use street car. I guess I will have to be patient, but I am open to any and all suggestions and feedback.

08-11-2020, 10:12 PM	#169
IROCZman15 10 Second Club / Meet Coordinator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Roxbury, NJ Posts: 2,101 iTrader: (8)	Overall a pretty good weekend. But I think I am going to take a break for a little while, especially from racing the car. Might do some shows until the weather gets a little better, unless I go over to a night-time T&T at Island. 3 racing events in 3 weekends was a little much (UMI autoX, Summit Bracket racing event, and T&T) Went to the Cops-n-Rodders Car show in Hackettstown on Saturday. Hungout with Brian, Larry, Chris, AJ, and a bunch of other people I knew. Show was definitely good, live band, food, vendors, etc. A good assortment of well built cars, and it was actually my first car show (non cruise-night) event of the year. Weather was hot, but hey, it is August. click link to photo album from the car show: https://www.flickr.com/photos/iroczm...57715440055261 Drove the car home and promptly removed the interior seats, nitrous bottle, sound system, front sway-bar, and removed the hooker 3" cat back. Swapped over all 4 wheels, and then loaded up my boxes of tools, spare parts, jack, and stuff. sidenote: I had these little logos printed at a local vinly place to put on the new Jegs skinnies. kinda takes away from the bulky look of the center cap: ---also in the above photo is the type of breather I plan to install on the old evap line to the fuel tank.. that is the style filter/breather you guys were talking about right??? Test and Tune was packed with a lot of cars on Sunday. There was a huge number of import/tuner cars and it took me 45 minutes to get through the front booth from the time I pulled onto the driveway. whew. I kept checking the weather/DA and pretty much knew that my first pass was likely going to be my best of the day...and... that it probably would not be anything in the 11 second zone. I knew I would therefore work on my reaction time, launches, 60 foot and also getting my shift light and shifting dialed in better. I had brought those heavy 50 pound weights just in case, so if my passes were garbage, I was going to try one last attempt for a wheel lift using the weights in the trunk. Pass 1: launched from an idle (906 rpm) with a 1.690 60ft! ran a 12.153 at 111.10 mph . shifted at 6,428 rpm and 6,144, crossed the finish line at 5,700 rpm . WOT ignition timing set at 35.5 deg video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6L4EKj7mFc Pass 2: launched from an idle (964rpm) and a 1.808 60ft. ran a 12.285 at 112.31 mph shifted at 6,380 and 6,056 and finished at 5,736 rpm WOT timing moved up to 37.0 deg. video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I14taj1YLqw Pass 3: launched from an idle (898 rpm) and a 1.702 60ft. ran a 12.269 at 110.92 mph this pass I tried shifting off of the tach needle on the dashboard and hit the rev limiter both times. the shift light was lit-up both times but I wanted to see what the data log said if I shifted using the dash tach. shifted at 6,508 and 6,352 finished at 5,519 rpm WOT timing was moved to 38.0 deg. noticed my AFR is rich after pass 2, seeing 12.2-12.4. a nearby racer told me to lean it out so I set it at 12.8 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3udrDH_VIg Pass 4: launched from and idle (917 rpm) and a 1.723 60ft. ran a 12.190 at 112.34 mph... shifted at 6,229 and 6,024 finished at 5,724 rpm timing still 38 deg WOT and AFR set to 12.8 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ned3tazJSs Pass 5: knew I wasn't getting faster so I tried leaving off of the max rpm the brakes would hold, and at 2,181 rpm it pushed through the beams. 1.866 60ft and ran a 12.358 at 112.02 mph . tried shifting off the needle again and anticipated it too much so I short shifted at 5,969 and 5,980 finishing at 5,567 rpm . timing still 38 deg WOT and AFR set to 12.8 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Ix1h4H8CY Pass 6: decided to try the weights int he trunk one last time before I give that up and put 250 pounds of weight in the trunk well. had to try it one last time. launched at 1,793 rpm and a 1.793 60ft. ran a 12.560 short shifting it a lot at 5,667 and 5,890 rpm and finishing at 5,450 rpm timing still 38 deg WOT and AFR set to 12.8 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWA-2zMTEes the converter is flashing just above 3,000 rpm if I leave off my 920 rpm idle. the launches are less aggressive in the seat leaving from an idle, but as the converter guy told me on the phone.. I will see a better 60foot if I leave off an idle (except pass 2, not sure what was different there) I now have the shift light set to come on at 6,050 rpm which should keep me shifting between 6,200-6,350 rpm. rev limiter set at 6,550 at the end of the day. I figured out what settings my shocks and struts like to be on for a good launch. Also, the new-to-me front skinnies are set to 37psi (hot) and the rear MT ET street drag radials like to be at 19.0 psi (hot). Determined that I am not going to be able to get the car to pull the front wheels with the current setup. a better rear gear might do it. and of course when the nitrous goes on this winter, it will launch wheels up, but I had to do what I could think of to at least try it a few times. it does get good front end lift and plants/hooks the rear tires, so i shouldn't be upset about that at all! I mean overall, it was a good day at the track for figuring things out...but I am still super confused as to what is holding this car back. from higher mph and better passes. Something is robbing power, especially in 3rd gear at the top of the track.. its a dog. I don't think I got a lame engine, it made good steam on the dyno and I know for sure that it was my actual engine on the dyno paperwork they gave me and not just a false printout. Something is just eating power. Not the cat-back exhaust either, since that was removed for this whole day and I didn't see any monumental power gains in timeslips or in datalog info. It also isn't something silly like a dragging caliper or wheel bearing. I did that test where I had the car in neutral on jack stands (like beggs was talking about) and the rear wheels were spinning with the car in neutral, so if that was the case, I can eliminate a tight/dragging brakes or axle setup right? regardless. I used several racing calculators and checked the corrected e.t. and mph and high 11.7 to mid 11.8 passes are what came out all around 115-116 mph. I would be real happy to have an actual paper timeslip with those numbers, and I don't have any intention of changing rear gear ratios or big parts to get there.. so i will have to wait for better weather conditions. theoretically the horsepower of the engine should be in the mid-low 11's on a drag-based setup, so a high 11 would be more realistic for my multi-use street car. I guess I will have to be patient, but I am open to any and all suggestions and feedback. __________________ 1987 IROC-Z - modified Last edited by IROCZman15; 08-11-2020 at 10:45 PM.