LS2/240/T56 1/8-mile 8/16/13

[RebekahsZ]

Went to strip last night with new driveshaft and repairs to floors done. Had to go to the closest (junkiest) track because I was on-call for the local hospital and the others are too far to be able to get to ER within the response guidelines (30-min). Put the cell phone in the suction cup holder on the windshield so I wouldn't miss a call and got down to business. Put the gopro on the windshield to but it was a lackluster night and I didn't ever turn it on. Car was on the ground and first car to the staging lane by 7:30 - ran all night to about 12:30; did a bunch of early passes, then they let me get a run in between each of the two bracket racing classes (Foot-brake and Pro). Same geezer won foot-brake last night that beat me last week-he's taken home the money two weeks in a row with an 11-second 80s Ford LTD. There were NO SPILLs all night, so the racing was nearly continuous thru the night. Took a $20 in my pocket, ate McDonalds on the way home and returned home with a dollar left over-that's cheaper than the movie!

 

Brought home 26 timeslips. Had trouble hooking from the first run. Turned 2-step down from 3800 to 3000 and had better traction. Turned it back up to 3500 and spun twice so down it went again to 3000 for the rest of the night. 60-foots were high 1.5s (like 1.57 to 1.59); times varied from 7.08 to 7.55 while spinning badly, but ran most consistently between 7.10 and 7.18. Lights were from .471 (3-red lights) and

.58-something, but I ran most consistently around .550. Missed the shift to third twice after bad spinning starts (seems it is pretty easy to break my concentration). Had one 2-step malfunction, but an adjustment of the switch cured it. Line-lock did not work for the entire night, which made warming the tires pretty hard, but I went back to my left-foot braking burnout technique and kept running. I played with my brake bias and burned my hands on the exhaust when I borrowed some 10mm wrenches and loosened the emergency brake cable a lot trying to get some line-lock effectiveness, so it must be the solenoid. I think maybe my slicks have just heat-cycled out. They are plenty soft but are at the very bottom of the wear markers. They feel spongy instead of sticky. One spectator told me that the slicks were wrapping enough that he though my rims were gonna hit the ground (13psi). With the camber I have (+1-degree) the wear is very even across the tread. But the rubber is coming off in little sheets, and no one else seemed to be spinning, so I don't think I can blame it on track prep. Strangely, my 3.54 gears were a little short last night: I was hitting the factory rev limiter JUST before the traps. I usually hit it just after the traps, so my next set of tires may have to be 27" if this continues. That will mean changing ride-height...

 

Got some names for roll bar builders, made lots of friends (people really light up to the old Z-car). Swapped some phone numbers for follow-up questions. Sealed the deal on a set of Hoosier 9" slicks that I went and bought this morning for $200 for the pair. Guy said they had 15 passes on them, but they look great, like they haven't even had a burn-out. Gotta go get car into garage for inspection and start on the line-lock issue. Will start buttering up to Mrs. Thompson tonight and get new slicks mounted Thursday, and maybe get back to my tree practice next weekend.

[tooquick260]

Need video of the tires on launch...... If they are wrapping up ,,, if you see like a zebra stripe patterns on the side walls you could be walking over the tires. Usually goes into tire shake/ wheel hop. Are your tires screwed to the rims? If not check for rim turning in the tire. 

 

Sounds like a fun night with that many time slips... I have gone with my dad to 6 events in a year and barely get that many runs counting qualifying!!

[RebekahsZ]

7:40 .5849 1.99 7.91 97 solo; spun out of hole, 2-step at 3800; turned down to 3000

7:45 .5044 1.53 7.23 82 win; spun on shift to second, got out of it, still burned a Mustang

8:21 .6119 1.59 7.18 98 win

8:27 .6403 1.58 7.19 98 win

8:31 .5316 1.56 7.10 99 win

8:35 .5630 1.61 7.18 99 solo

8:49 .4601 1.64 9.06 50 lose; redlight-coasted down track-lost

8:52 .5655 2.17 12.6 45 lose; had raised 2-step to 3500 and spun

8:59 .5626 1.58 7.23 97 lose; missed 2-3 shift; lost to a full-cage mustang that ran a 7.11, but he red lighted anyway

9:03 .5651 1.58 7.13 99 win; '67 Chevy II on street tires

9:07 .5467 1.56 7.14 99 solo

9:15 .5771 1.58 7.18 98 solo

9:18 .2561 1.57 7.15 98 solo; red light was frustrated with my slow lights and over-did it!

9:22 .5868 1.56 7.16 98 solo

10:07 .5519 1.62 7.32 97 solo; had just added 5 gal of fuel-why are my ETs getting slow?

10:19 .5572 1.59 7.24 97 solo; weird how car is going slower; staging wrangler says I'm spinning a lot

10:27 .6169 2.02 12.99 50 lose; 2-step disengagement failure; Mustang I burned at 7:45 got his swan song

10:38 .5424 1.58 7.22 98 solo; 2-step switch adjusted

10:49 .5819 1.58 7.18 98 solo; for some reason the ETs start falling again

11:00 .4713 1.57 7.16 98 solo; red light trying to push the light and drop that RT

11:13 .5233 1.57 7.13 98 solo; best light of the night

11:26 .4008 1.57 7.12 98 solo; red light trying to repeat previous light

11:30 .5583 1.57 7.08 99 solo; best ET of night

11:39 .5790 1.63 7.20 98 lose; got beat by a trans brake 7.12 Nova (driven by a girl with purple hair & tattoos on her tits)

11:42 .5730 1.81 7.39 99 solo

11:48 .5352 1.62 7.16 98 solo; track closed

[Naptown Dave]

Next time get a pic of the girl with purple hair

[mattd428]

^^^^^I second that.

[RebekahsZ]

Unfortunately, the picture isn't pretty, but she is a great racer and a lot of fun to chat with. This is Alabama and some of the girls are have had a little too much BBQ. "I wish they all could be California girls..." She's married and her husband is her crew chief. Her car was built by her dad, who is deceased, so driving it is kind of a special thing for her. For me, it is nice to have a fierce competitor that is close to my speed. I'm a seven second car surrounded by 5-second turbo/nitrous Mustangs and 8+ second street cars at most of the local tracks.

[RebekahsZ]

Just finished trouble shooting the line-lock. It is the solenoid, so back into the brake fluid game AGAIN! Arghh. Another Paypal to Summit.

[Naptown Dave]

Not quite what I had In mind  . Now I feel bad for some reason, deceased father and all. I do like a girl that can get down on some bbq though.

 

I'm not all that familiar with line lock solenoids but with the industrial ones the coil can be replaced without removing the valve from the line, may be something to look at?

Edited August 19, 2013 by Naptown Dave

[mattd428]

Now I remember why I dont live in alabama.

[Naptown Dave]

Wait I thought everything was bigger in Texas!

[mattd428]

Wait I thought everything was bigger in Texas!

LOL YA YA YA.

[RebekahsZ]

I really like this girl, but if you have seen Dog the Bounty Hunter's wife, you are kind of getting the idea.  I think she and her husband are comfortable with the status quo and they have a hello of a lot of fun together at the track.  Sweetest girl you could ever meet, but you gotta get past any of your own insecurities to really tap into her coolness.  And she kicked my ask the two times I've raced her even though I have at times run faster than I've ever seen her run.  I hate all the solo runs that I do because it is WAY different with another car on the track and even more interesting when you are being released from the tree according to your dial-in.  Its almost enough to make me want a T350 just so I could play and not get eliminated in the first round, but not yet-maybe I'll double my racing costs by buying back in as many times as necessary to make a night of it.  That would be pretty extravagant.  I don't understand why all the other cars make a run, then fuch off for an hour before they run again.  The staging wrangler asked me if I knew this was a dragstrip or if I thought it was on a circle track because I just sort of loop right off the return track into line again and again.  I mean, what are all those guys doing between runs?  Probably talking trash and getting drunk.  Me, I just want to get better.

 

Got car up on jackstands and inspected everything.  No mechanical breakage whatsoever, well, not MECHANICAL.  The only failure is in the line lock solenoid, which isn't holding pressure.  The switches, indicator light are working properly and the solenoid is energizing and clicking, but the pressure isn't holding.  I ordered a new solenoid from Summit (weird, the whole kit is just $84, but a replacement solenoid is $204-what's up with that?) and a rebuild kit (tried beating it with a hammer and it didn't help).  Will look into rebuilding the one I have while it is mounted on the firewall-hopefully the kit comes with instructions.  If that doesn't work I'll go to the trouble to install a replacement.  But, I put the line lock solenoid in an awkward place for repairs-it will be a major pain if I have to remove all the lines and take it off the firewall.

 

Tires.  Ready to go tomorrow to get the 9" Hoosiers swapped on.  Anybody have an opinion on this wear pattern?  Before Friday I hope to have aluminum rear LCA bushings to try to stop the toe-ing in on launch.  Will set up the bushings to further increase positive rear camber, too.  Bedtime.

[Zfan1]

I just replaced mine when it acted up, lasted 7 yrs so I cannot complain.

[SUNNY Z]

Thats what my tires look like after a weekend of ripping up the street.

[SUNNY Z]

I rock this one. Its going on 6 years old, and probably a hundred passes.  I wish I could get piles of timeslips like you, always seems like i'm getting kicked out or the weather is shit.

[RebekahsZ]

Fixed 2-step. Bad o-ring in lower portion of valve-crumbled. I alternate between blue brake fluid and Motul 600. I wonder if that is bad? Working tonight on getting the rear suspension narrowed up enough for the 9" Hoosiers. Definitely doing BAMF flares this winter-these rear fenders are a pita. This damn exhaust is always in the way, too. Glad I used v-bands, but I gotta drop it AGAIN to install the aluminum LCA bushings. I got some cheap 1/8" spacers but I may not run them. So long as the wrinkle is all out by the time the tire rotates to 12:00, I should be ok. I really think I could get away with just a 1/16" more clearance. Wish I had time to knock some out. Maybe it will rain Friday and I can get another few days to work. I need a new drug!

[RebekahsZ]

SunnyZ-go slow like me and you won't get kicked out!

[SUNNY Z]

you know you don't HAVE to go to the strip EVERY weekend.  I'm lucky if i make it once a month with everything I have going on.

[RebekahsZ]

I'd like to at least beat you off the line if we ever meet up. AZC has had my street rim for a couple months so I haven't been able to daily drive. Track is my only Z-time.