First Time Out !!!!

[dq409]

Last night was the first runs on the new engine !
Over all I`m quite happy with the results !!!

I`m right on line to where it should be and with a little more tweeking should be there next week.

The day started out on the wrong foot as we started her up to drive out of the garage the high pressure line on the trans blew and sprayed three quarts of my $4 a quart trans fluid all over the headers and floor !!
What a mess !!

Replacing the fitting and heading towards the track late cut into the total runs.
And the leak came back on the second pass but not as bad.
Lost more time finding a parts house open but did get four more passes before the end of the night.

Launching was the big test and the first pass she bogged outta the hole due to the secondaries opening too soon,,,,,easy fix and I was trying the launch from idle thing.

Second pass brought the r`s up between 2500 and 3000 and spun the tires for the first 40 feet or so !!! Good feeling !!!

Third pass, less tire pressure , same launch r`s pulled hard to redline and big smiles.
It`s absolutely amazing ,,,, she wants to keep pulling as long as I will let her !!
Going to up the limit chip a bit next week.

The last three passes I think I have the launch down pretty good. There is a very slight lag between the stab and actually launch which is good for me as the slight delay gets me outta the hole just as the green lights !!
Best reaction time was .096 , .107.
Once I figure that lag, which I think is just the car catching up with the tires and tires catching up to the engine (read slight spin) , they should improve also. But really good times considering my time behind the wheel !

Best times were 13.099 @ 104.48 and 13.049 @ 104.60 .

I need to improve the 60` times of 1.98 and will work on that this week.
Robert said the tires were spinning a bit even on these runs.

Considering that it was in the mid 90`s, and the god awful fuel I ran,,,, I`m pretty happy.
After the trans line thing at the garage I forgot to get my good fuel and ended up just running some crappy high test and booster.

I also think I need better air intake so the holes are going to be cut in the hood this week and I`ll stack another set of filters ontop to get a better charge.
If I can`t find a scoop I want to use by then I`ll just run the filters out the hood.
Gotta be better then those carb chokeing donuts I`m running now!

I`ll also be able to run open headers next week !!!!

All in all I`m really happy with the out come !!!
I see those 12 second runs comming !!! ,,dq

 

[Fathead Racing]

Wow!

Jim, That's showin them what some real steel can do! Put that engine in a 3200# car and watch it run in the deep 12s. Your already .6 ahead of what I'm hoping to run! Let's see if I can pull you out of the hole! My best 60' time with the 348 was 2.00 and this 09 pulls way harder than that

 

[MRHP]

Awesome DQ. Sounds like you are getting your combo figured out. Keep us informed. Keep up the good work! Brian

 

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Good news, DQ !!!

Are you SURE you want to put a hole in your hood ?
Should be able to create an air cleaner system that doesn't require cutting. The smooth hood is so much moe discreet

 

[dq409]

Good news, DQ !!!

The smooth hood is so much moe discreet

Hell with discrete !! I WANT AIR !!! heeee heee

I toyed with this for a long time and thought about getting another hood to cut then figured why buy another one now? I got one !!

The temp under the hood is too hot IMO,,,, and I have lack of room above the carbs now and have the back of the hood raised just for the air filters now.

Thats why I figured stacking the filters through the hood is the easiest and cheapest way to go.
Might even try and make a temp sheet metal scoop for now. ,,,dq

 

[jim_ss409]

Nice going! You'll have her into the twelves for sure next time out.

 

[Fathead Racing]

Hot air.

Hey Jim, look into removing your inner head lights and plumbing in some air ducks to the carbs. I think that setup looks killer!

 

[Dond409]

Nice going!!!

Good job Jim. Sounds like she's really going to run good. I guess I'll have to tune up the wagon. I have the 4.11's in, and just put the BFG drag radials on. Haven't been to the track yet this year.

 

[dq409]

Hey Jim, look into removing your inner head lights and plumbing in some air ducks to the carbs. I think that setup looks killer!

Yeh I like that too !! but I also like the looks of seeing the two carbs not hidden under a large airfilter when you lift the hood !!
And like I said,,, I do have clearance problems now.

I have a couple days to think about it before I need to act on it ,,,,,,

I can always replace the hood later ,,,,dq

 

[bjburnout]

Nice run

That's great DQ.........the 12's are just about there.

Fatride is right on with removing the inner headlights......that is the way to go.
It looks great and that is where the best air is and you are also rammimg it......so to speak.

A lot of NSS cars are running this way and the old stockers in the 60's all ran 'em.

It'll save your hood too.

Go get those 12's
BJ

 

[dq409]

OK, What the thinking is now is to run without filters and see if things improve.
That would show if the filters are choking her.
Talking to a friend he was saying that using the air temp under the hood helps in keeping the intake charge a consistant temp as the outside air temps changes with as the day does.
I`m not sure I totally agree with him but it kinda makes sense.

What are your views on that ?

dq

 

[jim_ss409]

I think the rule of thumb is that for every 10 degree reduction in intake temp. there is a 1 percent increase in power. You'd have to think that a hole in the hood with the air cleaner sticking out would make you go faster but it does seem like something you'd do to an old 4X4 rather than a nice 62. But if you didn't like the look of it you could always get a hoodscoop to cover the hole. In the Feb. issue of Chevy Rumble there is an article about a guy installing a hoodscoop on a 62 Biscayne 2 door post. It's a nice reproduction of a scoop that was used in the sixties. Here's the link to the place that makes them. Look under "hoodscoops" then "Universal Bolt On" http://mpmotorsports.net/frame.html It looks easy to install and it's cheap. Here's a link to a place that sells ram air style air cleaners. Look under "parts" then "models" http://www.ramairbox.com/home_page.html One model looks like it's designed for dual quads.

 

[bjburnout]

Air

Under hood air - BAD
Outside air - GOOD

Cooler air (outside) has more oxygen.....therefore more power.
Pushing air in by a hood scoop or tubing from the inner headlight pods is a form of cheap supercharging.

As for the air filter.....experiment.....see what others are doing.

Copy what the fast cars are doing......

BJ

 

[Fathead Racing]

removing air filters.

Jim, If you remove the air filters leave the air filter base on the carbs if possible, it has been shown that leaving the bases on improves airflow to the carb !

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

Ram Air

dq,GOOD JOB I vote for the ram air in the inner headlights looks cool

 

[CDNpontiac409guy]

Absolutely, DQ ... the headlight ducts !
Best to leave our low beams in place for street driving.

Here's me in '89 at Race City in Clagary. I drove this car on the street like this for 4 years. Looked MEAN

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

Nice 61

Aubrey,Nice looking 61 did it have a 09 and what was the best time?

 

[dq409]

The talk of using the heat under the hood was about keeping a consistant ET.

Here in Portland the temp will change radically during the different times of day.
For instance on Friday between the first pass and the last pass the temp dropped 20* !
At PIR this happens frequently as it is by the river and can and will go from very hot shorts weather to long pants and jacket even on the warmest days.
It sits in a pocket that can be 10 to 15 or even 20* cooler then a mile up the road in the evening.

The hight tech boys can figure this stuff out but us low budget no-brainer dudes have to burn brain cells !!

So you have two mind sets.
Run the fastest you can = outside air = guessing and changing your dial in frequently and hope you get it right.
OR,,,
Run consistant = under hood air = consistant intake charge temps

Me? I want to go as fast as I can !!
This is why I like the Friday/Saturday Street Drag races. No Dial-in !!!


As far as cutting the hood?
I`m going with a scoop one way or another,,, scoop or cowl induction so no big deal.

I`m short on time so even if I ordered the scoop I want today or the ram air, it won`t be here in time for this weekends race.
This is where using stacked filters through the hood would work for the short term.
If I have time I`ll try and make a temp sheet metal scoop.

Jim , Thanks for the links to the scoops ! I like that universal one.

 

[CDNpontiac409guy]

I think you'll like the extra air, DQ... and I hear ya' about going fast !
Isn't THAT what this is supposed to be about

Jim... The old Biscayne ran a 65 400HP 409 / 2.43 1st gear Super T10, factory rear with the first setup of my rear end mods on 4.88 gears. Rear tires were 29 X 11 good Year.
Ran a best of 12.68 @ 107 MPH in Calgary ( 3500 ft with notoriously poor air ). 1.65-1.70 60 ft.
What was cool..... the car use to be able to carry the front tires on cold slicks on the street !

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

Cool Air

dq, Go without air cleaners and scoop and you will be in the 12's ( did you run with air cleaners at the test & tune)?

dq, take your best ET you run in practice runs and add 2/100 of a second.If run a 13.00 best ET dial in at 12.98.

dq,practice on your reaction times thats were you win races in bracket racing (what are your reaction times)

Aubrey,tell me you were young,dumb and full of cum to sell a 61 chevy 409 that would pull front wheels at a street light