How does one typically 'performance' launch an M21?
01-17-2018, 10:07 AM
#1
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
How does one typically 'performance' launch an M21?
I have been reading in the threads below several recommendations.
One I have read (if you don't care about ET and just want a fun, scorching launch) is to bring the engine up to 3000 rpm (peak torque?) and suddenly release (pop) the clutch.
Isn't that be bad for the clutch and, well... the entire drive-line? Or was the car designed to withstand this?
I ask because the car is a 1969 L46 with, what I know is a short M21, and what I presume is stock 3.70:1 rear gearing. (Not original engine.)
With that combination, getting it to move off the line, even slowly, requires a little more concentration than I expected... Getting a performance launch: no clue
MTIA,
D.
One I have read (if you don't care about ET and just want a fun, scorching launch) is to bring the engine up to 3000 rpm (peak torque?) and suddenly release (pop) the clutch.
Isn't that be bad for the clutch and, well... the entire drive-line? Or was the car designed to withstand this?
I ask because the car is a 1969 L46 with, what I know is a short M21, and what I presume is stock 3.70:1 rear gearing. (Not original engine.)
With that combination, getting it to move off the line, even slowly, requires a little more concentration than I expected... Getting a performance launch: no clue
MTIA,
D.
01-17-2018, 11:40 AM
#2
when new the car could do that and yes it wears the clutch. Without knowing the condition of your car at this point it is hard to say whether other things may fail. The width of your tires and the tire pressure are additional factors when it comes to what RPM to use.
You indicate even a normal movement from a stop requires concentration, what is the idle RPM and how long have you been driving a car with a manual transmission.
You indicate even a normal movement from a stop requires concentration, what is the idle RPM and how long have you been driving a car with a manual transmission.
01-17-2018, 11:47 AM
#3
It varies with every car, and I would call it an acquired skill.
That being said, it will show the weak link in short time.
(AKA, broken this or that).
That being said, it will show the weak link in short time.
(AKA, broken this or that).
01-17-2018, 11:49 AM
#4
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Mm, 25 years of experience driving manual ? 
In Belgium 95% of cars on road are manual. I learned to drive on a super-easy-to-stall Renault Clio with a tiny engine. I haven’t stalled yet, but I was expecting the V8 torque to make it easy. Idle rpm is about 750. Usually I can feel the clutch catching. Here it is a bit vague.
In Belgium 95% of cars on road are manual. I learned to drive on a super-easy-to-stall Renault Clio with a tiny engine. I haven’t stalled yet, but I was expecting the V8 torque to make it easy. Idle rpm is about 750. Usually I can feel the clutch catching. Here it is a bit vague.
01-17-2018, 11:57 AM
#5
is the clutch correctly adjusted?
you should be able to push the clutch pedal down with your fingers for at least 1 1/4" to as much as 2" before feeling it become hard, the throw out bearing touching the fingers on the clutch cover.
you should be able to push the clutch pedal down with your fingers for at least 1 1/4" to as much as 2" before feeling it become hard, the throw out bearing touching the fingers on the clutch cover.
01-17-2018, 12:00 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Will check it. Thanks!
01-17-2018, 12:17 PM
#7
Le Mans Master
Street tires will help protect parts. Sticky racing tires will help find the weak links. The Muncie will probably trash the mid plate first if you shock it too much. Avoid hammering it with wheel hop or you will break stuff. Practice, practice practice.
01-17-2018, 12:35 PM
#8
Tech Contributor
Depending on the condition of your driveline and the HP from your engine, you may be ok or you may have instant junk on your hands after one attempt. I can't count the times I have had to rebuild blown apart driveline and differential parts. We have cracked Muncie and BW super T10's in half, sheared solid spicers, blew apart posi cases, etc all from hard usage. I just coached a guy in Belgium on how to build strong IRS and diff parts, his I know will hold up, yours??? If you didn't buy it to drag race I would say drive it and enjoy it, there can't be a lot of them where you are so it would be much more fun to see it driving down the road then on the back of a flat bed going home.
PS- East coast guys, Englishtown is all done with Drag racing after 52 years. Another one, this time probably the most well known on the East Coast, is gone. Time are changing.
PS- East coast guys, Englishtown is all done with Drag racing after 52 years. Another one, this time probably the most well known on the East Coast, is gone. Time are changing.
01-17-2018, 04:47 PM
#9
Burning Brakes
Personally I would never dump the clutch like that. It is just asking for trouble.
I wrote this for my students a couple of years ago. Obviously this is for motorcycles but the process is the same. You can skip the part about body position unless you feel like you need to move around in your seat
Having a dyno sheet for your engine helps tremendously but the basic jist is to bring the RPMs into the meat of your power, slip the clutch to get moving and feed more gas to keep the RPMs in the sweet spot. Feed out cluch and gas to keep the R's where you make the most power. Do this until your clutch is all the way out and your pedal is to the floor.
The big difference is instead of worrying about wheelies (mostly) you need to worry about rear tire grip but again, the process is the same. Clutch control is key.
Some recent threads brought it to my attention that there really isn't much info available on how to do a decent race start. Couple this with the fact that the Penguin school doesn't even mention the topic during your race training and it is a recipe for disappointment.
Check out the first few seconds of this video to get an idea...
Up until now the only way one could learn these things is by word of mouth and LOTS of practice. Sadly the new guys won’t have either for some time so it is with this in mind that I am writing this guide.
The start of a race can very often determine the outcome; especially so in the extremely short 8 lap sprint races that most of us do in club racing. It is absolutely critical that you master this if you intend on doing well during your career as a racer.
To begin we need to look at your ride. For the newcomer, twins generally have an easier time starting when compared to inline 4s. This is due to two factors: More torque and a power band that comes at the lower end of the rev range. Keep this in mind while learning to launch and above all do not get discouraged. This is a practiced skill that requires very fine control.
A good start is a precise balance between clutch and throttle control while adding body position and mental condition into the mix.
Step 1
RELAX. No, seriously. Focus on breathing. I know you are going to think I am lame but try to get into a calm, Zen-like state. I keep hearing horror stories of people that are vomiting in their helmets due to nerves. Be calm, be smooth, be in control. This is just another patch of asphalt in front of you, the same as you have been riding for quite some time.
If you are hopped up like a gerbil on a three day coke bender you are going to botch your start AND be drained from the attempt. I see it all the time; the nervous types never launch well.
Breathing exercises really help to find some inner calm during what can be a nerve-wracking time. Focus on taking deep breaths in through the nose, out through the mouth. By the way, racing is all about stress management. You need to master your own stress/panic in order to do well and this is the first step. RELAX. Oh, and RELAX in case you didn’t get it earlier. This isn’t a big deal! RELAX!
Step 2
Body position. Wait, what? I am just sitting on the bike, right? Very, very wrong. You want your weight as far forward as possible. The more weight forward, the more throttle you can give it before the front end comes up, the more power you get to the ground, the faster your start.
I climb as far forward on my gas tank as possible while keeping my head as low as possible. It is an awkward, uncomfortable position but thankfully you aren’t in it for long. This is where having strong core muscle strength will help you a lot.
Some people start with two feet on the ground, I start with one and with the other on my shifter. I find that it is easier for me this way so try both and see what suits you best. Personally I find that my attention is devoted elsewhere and I ride a twin with a 10.5k rpm hard limit which comes up really fast in first gear. This is where the screaming redlines of the I4s will have an advantage in that you will have more time to get your feet situated before you are required to shift.
The rule of thumb here is to do whatever is most comfortable for you so long as you can get your foot in place for shifting before you exit your power band. Refer back to Step 1 and don’t forget to relax and breathe.
Step 3
Drop your visor! From here on out your hands will be on the controls so you need to get your visor down and locked into place.
Step 4
The grab point. This is where the real work starts. The idea behind starting is that you should bring the RPMs up about 1k into the power band of your bike. During the entire start process you don’t want your RPMs to ever drop out of where your power is so we give ourselves a 2k RPM “cushion” to float within.
For me on an ZX6R I try to start around 13-14k RPM as the power really starts around 12k on my bike. If you don’t know where yours is, get your bike to a dyno. This is invaluable info to know. Until that time try asking people with similar bikes what revs they start at. Most people will be happy to share a little knowledge with a newcomer.
We obviously don’t want to sit at high RPMs spinning away forever so this is where you have to look to your starting station. Some places use lights (think MotoGP) however at my home track of Loudon, NH we have a boardman and a flagger. The boardman has numbered placards that count down from 3 to 1. Depending on how quickly you can find your “sweet spot” of revs you will want to start this step at around the 2 board.
Clutch in, put it in first gear. If you ride multiple bikes now is the time to remind yourself whether or not you are running GP shift…ask me how I know
Bring your RPMs up to that sweet spot 1k rpm past where your power starts and hold it there. 13k for me!
Slowly let your clutch out until it feels like the bike wants to begin to move forward and then pull your clutch in the tiniest bit. You want to sit right at the “grab point” of your clutch. Eventually this will be second nature to you but in the beginning if you need to use your brakes to keep the bike from rolling forward while you find the grab point, do so. Just don’t forget to release the brakes once you find the spot ;-)
Step 5
Finally, the start! Now it is time to watch the starter while you hold your bike right at the clutch grab point. For those with flags, the micro-second that the flag moves it is time to go. A tip: watch the flaggers shoulder as it will move first. For those with lights, typically it is the moment that the red lights go out.
It is easy to get tense here. Refer to Step 1: Breathe and RELAX!
OK! The flag has moved/lights have gone out, now what? Let your clutch out enough that the bike lurches forward but is still slipping. Because we are sitting right at the grab point for the clutch this is a very small movement.
Your RPMs will start to drop and we counter this by adding more throttle. Practice this motion!! Clutch goes out, add more throttle. Clutch goes out, add more throttle. Do it over and over again until you have this down as it is the very core of good launches. Your goal should be to keep your RPMs at your starting number but again we have a 1k rpm slush area to work within.
If you ride on the street you can practice this motion at traffic lights or stop signs at more reasonable RPMs. Focus only on keeping the RPMs steady as you slowly feed the clutch out/add more throttle.
So, let’s say I started at 13k RPM. I begin to let the clutch out and the revs start to drop. I add more throttle until I am back at 13k. Great! Now let more clutch out, and the RPMs drop again…and we counter by adding still more throttle. You continue to smoothly feed the clutch out while gradually adding more throttle until eventually the clutch is all the way out without ever allowing the RPMs to drop out of your power band. This is a balanced motion between clutch and throttle. Practice, practice, practice!
Sounds simple, right? It is harder than it seems. Bear in mind that this process can take less than a second on some bikes. You can see that on an I4 you will have to slip the clutch a lot longer simply because their power generally doesn’t start until the 12k-14k rpm range.
It truly is a learned skill and practice will help a ton here! Oh, and RELAX!
Troubleshooting
What do I do if the bike starts to wheelie?
Your clutch is the control you use at this point to keep the front end down. It is perfectly fine to have a low wheelie while you are starting but if at some point the front end starts to raise more than a few inches off of the ground simply ease the clutch in the tiniest bit while maintaining throttle. Your revs will start to climb and the front end will drop. Begin easing the clutch out again and pick up where you left off.
What if I stall?
Stalling is by far the most common starting error. Nerves cause the rider to let the clutch out too fast and the bike stalls. IMMEDIATELY signal so that those behind you have a chance to react. Once you are certain that the danger of a Suzuki enema is minimal, restart the bike and get going.
At this point don’t bother trying to do a formal race start as your nerves will probably be a wreck. Just get the bike going and get into the race.
What if I start before the signal/false start?
GO! You cannot “save” it or make it better somehow. At best you will be penalized a lap and it is far better to be down a lap from the front than it is to try to make up a lap from behind the pack.
Again, this is harder than it looks but with some practice and determination you can learn to start like a pro. Above all, be calm, be cool, and relax! It all starts with this!
This is just my own personal experience with race starts, feel free to comment or add feedback!
I wrote this for my students a couple of years ago. Obviously this is for motorcycles but the process is the same. You can skip the part about body position unless you feel like you need to move around in your seat
Having a dyno sheet for your engine helps tremendously but the basic jist is to bring the RPMs into the meat of your power, slip the clutch to get moving and feed more gas to keep the RPMs in the sweet spot. Feed out cluch and gas to keep the R's where you make the most power. Do this until your clutch is all the way out and your pedal is to the floor.
The big difference is instead of worrying about wheelies (mostly) you need to worry about rear tire grip but again, the process is the same. Clutch control is key.
Some recent threads brought it to my attention that there really isn't much info available on how to do a decent race start. Couple this with the fact that the Penguin school doesn't even mention the topic during your race training and it is a recipe for disappointment.
Check out the first few seconds of this video to get an idea...
Up until now the only way one could learn these things is by word of mouth and LOTS of practice. Sadly the new guys won’t have either for some time so it is with this in mind that I am writing this guide.
The start of a race can very often determine the outcome; especially so in the extremely short 8 lap sprint races that most of us do in club racing. It is absolutely critical that you master this if you intend on doing well during your career as a racer.
To begin we need to look at your ride. For the newcomer, twins generally have an easier time starting when compared to inline 4s. This is due to two factors: More torque and a power band that comes at the lower end of the rev range. Keep this in mind while learning to launch and above all do not get discouraged. This is a practiced skill that requires very fine control.
A good start is a precise balance between clutch and throttle control while adding body position and mental condition into the mix.
Step 1
RELAX. No, seriously. Focus on breathing. I know you are going to think I am lame but try to get into a calm, Zen-like state. I keep hearing horror stories of people that are vomiting in their helmets due to nerves. Be calm, be smooth, be in control. This is just another patch of asphalt in front of you, the same as you have been riding for quite some time.
If you are hopped up like a gerbil on a three day coke bender you are going to botch your start AND be drained from the attempt. I see it all the time; the nervous types never launch well.
Breathing exercises really help to find some inner calm during what can be a nerve-wracking time. Focus on taking deep breaths in through the nose, out through the mouth. By the way, racing is all about stress management. You need to master your own stress/panic in order to do well and this is the first step. RELAX. Oh, and RELAX in case you didn’t get it earlier. This isn’t a big deal! RELAX!
Step 2
Body position. Wait, what? I am just sitting on the bike, right? Very, very wrong. You want your weight as far forward as possible. The more weight forward, the more throttle you can give it before the front end comes up, the more power you get to the ground, the faster your start.
I climb as far forward on my gas tank as possible while keeping my head as low as possible. It is an awkward, uncomfortable position but thankfully you aren’t in it for long. This is where having strong core muscle strength will help you a lot.
Some people start with two feet on the ground, I start with one and with the other on my shifter. I find that it is easier for me this way so try both and see what suits you best. Personally I find that my attention is devoted elsewhere and I ride a twin with a 10.5k rpm hard limit which comes up really fast in first gear. This is where the screaming redlines of the I4s will have an advantage in that you will have more time to get your feet situated before you are required to shift.
The rule of thumb here is to do whatever is most comfortable for you so long as you can get your foot in place for shifting before you exit your power band. Refer back to Step 1 and don’t forget to relax and breathe.
Step 3
Drop your visor! From here on out your hands will be on the controls so you need to get your visor down and locked into place.
Step 4
The grab point. This is where the real work starts. The idea behind starting is that you should bring the RPMs up about 1k into the power band of your bike. During the entire start process you don’t want your RPMs to ever drop out of where your power is so we give ourselves a 2k RPM “cushion” to float within.
For me on an ZX6R I try to start around 13-14k RPM as the power really starts around 12k on my bike. If you don’t know where yours is, get your bike to a dyno. This is invaluable info to know. Until that time try asking people with similar bikes what revs they start at. Most people will be happy to share a little knowledge with a newcomer.
We obviously don’t want to sit at high RPMs spinning away forever so this is where you have to look to your starting station. Some places use lights (think MotoGP) however at my home track of Loudon, NH we have a boardman and a flagger. The boardman has numbered placards that count down from 3 to 1. Depending on how quickly you can find your “sweet spot” of revs you will want to start this step at around the 2 board.
Clutch in, put it in first gear. If you ride multiple bikes now is the time to remind yourself whether or not you are running GP shift…ask me how I know
Bring your RPMs up to that sweet spot 1k rpm past where your power starts and hold it there. 13k for me!
Slowly let your clutch out until it feels like the bike wants to begin to move forward and then pull your clutch in the tiniest bit. You want to sit right at the “grab point” of your clutch. Eventually this will be second nature to you but in the beginning if you need to use your brakes to keep the bike from rolling forward while you find the grab point, do so. Just don’t forget to release the brakes once you find the spot ;-)
Step 5
Finally, the start! Now it is time to watch the starter while you hold your bike right at the clutch grab point. For those with flags, the micro-second that the flag moves it is time to go. A tip: watch the flaggers shoulder as it will move first. For those with lights, typically it is the moment that the red lights go out.
It is easy to get tense here. Refer to Step 1: Breathe and RELAX!
OK! The flag has moved/lights have gone out, now what? Let your clutch out enough that the bike lurches forward but is still slipping. Because we are sitting right at the grab point for the clutch this is a very small movement.
Your RPMs will start to drop and we counter this by adding more throttle. Practice this motion!! Clutch goes out, add more throttle. Clutch goes out, add more throttle. Do it over and over again until you have this down as it is the very core of good launches. Your goal should be to keep your RPMs at your starting number but again we have a 1k rpm slush area to work within.
If you ride on the street you can practice this motion at traffic lights or stop signs at more reasonable RPMs. Focus only on keeping the RPMs steady as you slowly feed the clutch out/add more throttle.
So, let’s say I started at 13k RPM. I begin to let the clutch out and the revs start to drop. I add more throttle until I am back at 13k. Great! Now let more clutch out, and the RPMs drop again…and we counter by adding still more throttle. You continue to smoothly feed the clutch out while gradually adding more throttle until eventually the clutch is all the way out without ever allowing the RPMs to drop out of your power band. This is a balanced motion between clutch and throttle. Practice, practice, practice!
Sounds simple, right? It is harder than it seems. Bear in mind that this process can take less than a second on some bikes. You can see that on an I4 you will have to slip the clutch a lot longer simply because their power generally doesn’t start until the 12k-14k rpm range.
It truly is a learned skill and practice will help a ton here! Oh, and RELAX!
Troubleshooting
What do I do if the bike starts to wheelie?
Your clutch is the control you use at this point to keep the front end down. It is perfectly fine to have a low wheelie while you are starting but if at some point the front end starts to raise more than a few inches off of the ground simply ease the clutch in the tiniest bit while maintaining throttle. Your revs will start to climb and the front end will drop. Begin easing the clutch out again and pick up where you left off.
What if I stall?
Stalling is by far the most common starting error. Nerves cause the rider to let the clutch out too fast and the bike stalls. IMMEDIATELY signal so that those behind you have a chance to react. Once you are certain that the danger of a Suzuki enema is minimal, restart the bike and get going.
At this point don’t bother trying to do a formal race start as your nerves will probably be a wreck. Just get the bike going and get into the race.
What if I start before the signal/false start?
GO! You cannot “save” it or make it better somehow. At best you will be penalized a lap and it is far better to be down a lap from the front than it is to try to make up a lap from behind the pack.
Again, this is harder than it looks but with some practice and determination you can learn to start like a pro. Above all, be calm, be cool, and relax! It all starts with this!
This is just my own personal experience with race starts, feel free to comment or add feedback!
Last edited by PainfullySlow; 01-17-2018 at 04:50 PM.
The following users liked this post:
EarlyC34me (01-17-2018)
01-17-2018, 05:08 PM
#10
Melting Slicks
I raced at Englishtown and Atco with my Top Fuel bike. I had several NY and NJ racer friends that those were their local tracks.
Mike
The following users liked this post:
mikem350 (01-26-2018)
01-17-2018, 07:21 PM
#11
Race Director
I hate that. A lot of great tracks have disappeared over the years and it sucks. Land development, taxes, insurance and local laws have all had their effects on tracks.
I raced at Englishtown and Atco with my Top Fuel bike. I had several NY and NJ racer friends that those were their local tracks.
Mike
I raced at Englishtown and Atco with my Top Fuel bike. I had several NY and NJ racer friends that those were their local tracks.
Mike
Atco on the other hand, is still going strong, I know because I live about 5 miles from it (I can hear it when the wind blows the right way). Though they're shut down for the winter now, they're still racing there Tuesday and Friday nights, and every weekend, from March through November.
01-18-2018, 12:00 PM
#12
Team Owner
practice makes perfect. although some clutch setups have a much better feel. Then you through in all the variables like stored rotating weight, available traction, and engine TQ.
#1. never dump the clutch!
#2. you have to practice on how quickly you can slip the clutch to get moving before going fully engaged. Too much slip and you are just burning up the friction compound on the clutch faces. Too little slip and not enough gas pedal might cause the motor to stall
Just before I pulled my 434 ci race motor out for a refresh, I went to the local drag strip for test and tune Friday nights. I was able to do about 10 runs just one after another and then I drove home. I never smelled a hint of burnt clutch. When I pulled the motor and inspected the two year old clutch that saw 1000's of miles of abuse out on the road racing track. You could still read the white lettering on the clutch faces. I was astounded, but this sachs unit I have with a 11.5 pound 11 inch diameter aluminum flywheel is a very high HP unit with a very high clamping force pressure plate. I also had 4.11 rear end and 2.86 first gear which is great for launching.
I was thinking that some of the worst cars I have ever driven with manual trannies have to be the older racing Ferrari 3 liter V12's with 7 or 8 clutch plates and an extremely high speed first gear. They have NO Torque, NO flywheel weight, and a closed ratio transmission without regards to the car ever being driven slow.
#1. never dump the clutch!
#2. you have to practice on how quickly you can slip the clutch to get moving before going fully engaged. Too much slip and you are just burning up the friction compound on the clutch faces. Too little slip and not enough gas pedal might cause the motor to stall
Just before I pulled my 434 ci race motor out for a refresh, I went to the local drag strip for test and tune Friday nights. I was able to do about 10 runs just one after another and then I drove home. I never smelled a hint of burnt clutch. When I pulled the motor and inspected the two year old clutch that saw 1000's of miles of abuse out on the road racing track. You could still read the white lettering on the clutch faces. I was astounded, but this sachs unit I have with a 11.5 pound 11 inch diameter aluminum flywheel is a very high HP unit with a very high clamping force pressure plate. I also had 4.11 rear end and 2.86 first gear which is great for launching.
I was thinking that some of the worst cars I have ever driven with manual trannies have to be the older racing Ferrari 3 liter V12's with 7 or 8 clutch plates and an extremely high speed first gear. They have NO Torque, NO flywheel weight, and a closed ratio transmission without regards to the car ever being driven slow.
01-20-2018, 01:12 PM
#13
Safety Car
When I used to drag race a lot I used to rev my motor up to about 3000-3500RPM and slip the clutch pretty hard and also gradually lay into the throttle. I think my best time I went was 12.1 @ 118MPH with like a 1.78 60' time (which is not spectacular). I did this mostly to preserve my drive train as I didn't have the money to be replacing trannys and rear ends. I still have the same rear end and transmission in the the car that I used racing all those years ago (my 4 speed is the stock Super T10 that came with the car in '76).
I used that technique with street tires and slicks....but two very different reasons. Street tires I needed to cushion the launch so as to not lose traction. With slicks it was to not shock my drivetrain by hooking up to abruptly.
You need to decide how much reaching your cars full potential is worth because there is a price that goes along with that abuse. I raced my car as hard as I felt comfortable and had a lot of fun doing so. I know this isn't quite what you were asking about but it is something that must be factored in.
I used that technique with street tires and slicks....but two very different reasons. Street tires I needed to cushion the launch so as to not lose traction. With slicks it was to not shock my drivetrain by hooking up to abruptly.
You need to decide how much reaching your cars full potential is worth because there is a price that goes along with that abuse. I raced my car as hard as I felt comfortable and had a lot of fun doing so. I know this isn't quite what you were asking about but it is something that must be factored in.
Last edited by bence13_33; 01-20-2018 at 01:27 PM.
The following users liked this post:
DorianC3 (01-26-2018)
01-25-2018, 02:28 AM
#14
Drifting
While I would never dump the clutch in my C3 (IRS just seems too fragile), back in the day pulling 'holeshots' was a daily ritual.
Nothing like winding up a big block Olds or a 400 Pontiac and dumping the clutch for some good old fashioned, tire smoking fun..
And with all that abuse. we never fried a clutch or dropped a u-joint. Go figure?
Ahhh, I miss those days....
Nothing like winding up a big block Olds or a 400 Pontiac and dumping the clutch for some good old fashioned, tire smoking fun..
And with all that abuse. we never fried a clutch or dropped a u-joint. Go figure?
Ahhh, I miss those days....
01-25-2018, 04:23 PM
#15
Safety Car
The only thing that needs to be kept in mind is that any kind of of abuse is cumulative and will eventually break something. Basically every time you launch your car life is taken off of the drivetrain (how much depends on the quality of components and how much abuse you are subjecting it to). I don't feel like the term "bullet-proof" should ever be used on drivetrain components. If you hammer on something long enough something will give.....some just may last longer than others. Not telling anyone how to drive, just giving you my perspective.
Last edited by bence13_33; 01-25-2018 at 04:26 PM.
01-26-2018, 08:02 AM
#16
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Thanks Gentlemen,
The feedback has been very valuable. One clear takeaway is: never dump the clutch.
One can be aggressive, but no clutch dumping.
I also appreciate the post on how damage is cumulative and... irreversible.
I think that was what I was asking...
It is...
I will be finishing my cam swap soon - hopefully that will help... I'll be moving on to a milder, stock cam but keeping the open plenum intake.
The feedback has been very valuable. One clear takeaway is: never dump the clutch.
One can be aggressive, but no clutch dumping.
I also appreciate the post on how damage is cumulative and... irreversible.
You need to decide how much reaching your cars full potential is worth because there is a price that goes along with that abuse. I raced my car as hard as I felt comfortable and had a lot of fun doing so. I know this isn't quite what you were asking about but it is something that must be factored in.
is the clutch correctly adjusted?
you should be able to push the clutch pedal down with your fingers for at least 1 1/4" to as much as 2" before feeling it become hard, the throw out bearing touching the fingers on the clutch cover
you should be able to push the clutch pedal down with your fingers for at least 1 1/4" to as much as 2" before feeling it become hard, the throw out bearing touching the fingers on the clutch cover
I will be finishing my cam swap soon - hopefully that will help... I'll be moving on to a milder, stock cam but keeping the open plenum intake.
Last edited by DorianC3; 01-26-2018 at 08:02 AM.
01-26-2018, 10:01 AM
#17
the open plenum intake, I assume you mean single plain, with a near stock L-46 is not a good choice. If you are going through the work of changing the cam and have the intake off replace it with a dual plain intake. You will be much happier with it.
01-26-2018, 10:10 AM
#18
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Like so...
How badly is this hurting me ?
How badly is this hurting me ?
01-26-2018, 10:17 AM
#19
that intake is designed to perform best at high RPM's with a camshaft also designed for high RPM's. It is totally not compatible with your aim to go to a milder, stock camshaft.
01-26-2018, 10:39 AM
#20
Melting Slicks
Thread Starter
Hmmmmm. If I put a mild cam in there... will it significantly affect my low to mid range torque ? Or just somewhat?