Drag Strip Gear Question

[BattlestarGalactic]

Well, that is likely your lean out condition, lack of pump shot when going WOT.  You need a pump cam that is longer on taper instead of short.  Don't know what they offer for 50cc pumps(I assume that is what is on the carb).  Holleys usually have two spots to mount the cam.  It rotates it, so moving it later would add to the distance it sprays on throttle position. 

Many guys use a two step for launching.  I tried it years ago.  Back then many of the nostalgia events classified a 2 step as "electronics" and you couldn't use them.  Thus I removed it and never used it in the last 20 yrs(this is my 22nd season racing the wagon).  My two 600 Holley's are vacuum secondaries and I have 50cc pumps on them so it gets plenty of fuel.  My secondaries don't open until I hit high gear(bout 1/8 mile).  By testing(unhooking), the 1/8 miles times are not affected.

One friend put his line lok and two step on a button and manually releases it at launch.  Others mount switches on the clutch pedal to do it automatically.  Though you need to adjust them very carefully as you need the clutch to be grabbing at the same moment the 2 step releases.  If not, it will either bog or the RPM will rapidly climb way higher then you had it set for.

[My427stang]

My guy has a button on the shifter he holds, and at launch, he slides his hand up to the T-handle as he releases the button.  Personally, it seems busy to me when you have a handful of car, but he is comfortable doing it

We used to have a line lock wired too, but he hasn't had issues rolling through the lights, so he doesn't use it

As far as the fuel, it is certainly flowing through the boosters, and with all 4 throttle open on the Dominator, as soon as you let it go, it's off and running.

[BattlestarGalactic]

Better then what my friend did.  His was on the tilt control lever(rh side of column foxbody), let go and then have to reach over for shifter to grab second gear.  Yikes.  He did it for many, many years.  I drove it once and was like "nope, not me".

[tall69]

This is all good information guys.  It gives me a lot to think about.

[cjshaker]

We used to have a line lock wired too, but he hasn't had issues rolling through the lights, so he doesn't use it

He's obviously never raced at Beaver Springs...lol  But instead of rolling through the lights, you roll backwards.

[tall69]

We used to have a line lock wired too, but he hasn't had issues rolling through the lights, so he doesn't use it

He's obviously never raced at Beaver Springs...lol  But instead of rolling through the lights, you roll backwards.

Wow.   I don't use my line lock to stage, just to do the burnout.  It got old doing the old clutch drop stab the brake dance.

[BattlestarGalactic]

We used to have a line lock wired too, but he hasn't had issues rolling through the lights, so he doesn't use it

He's obviously never raced at Beaver Springs...lol  But instead of rolling through the lights, you roll backwards.

THIS^^^^^

Yes, not ALL dragstrips have a level starting line.  I have always used the line lok to stage.  Get to the first light, tap the brake, hit the button, then bump in to last bulb.  I don't hit the brakes hard, as it is hard to get the car to move with too much brake pressure.  I tried using a brake pressure gauge but even 50# was too much(lowest reading on gauge) so I took the gauge out and just continue to do it by feel.

[My427stang]

Copy all!  I am in the beautiful Midwest, flat as the eye can see

[shady]

Yep, the left lane. heel the brake, toe the gas & hope the tree comes down b4 your foot slips. bad thing is, roll back & you just red lighted.

[Falcon67]

Why I use an automatic and either just footbrake or come off the two step/trans brake.  Pre-stage @ 2000, bump in to stage, swap feet on 3.  Or stage, push button, flat foot on #2 bulb, release button on 3rd.  Off you go.  Line lock in the door car for burnout only.  No front brakes in the rail, just hammer and spin until it bites then lift.

Two step + t-brake legal in all NoBox classes in Div. 4 IHRA and NHRA.  Still many footbrake races in these parts that don't allow either or both.  I may try switching the dragster over to organic rear pads so I can stage it on the footbrake.  Hard pads good for 150 MPH stops don't hold well with even a little throttle on a high stall converter.

[BattlestarGalactic]

It's so bad at one track they divided up the no Box,  NB or footbrake.  The footbrake guys were whining that a trans brake(even bottom bulb) is an advantage.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.  I can't run in NB, because I use a line lok.  WTF is that about?  Ya, it is an "advantage"?  Say what?  How the hell do I hold my car from rolling without using a line lok?  Needless to say I don't run there, except when the stick group does and we run out own program/rules.

I say make them all put a third pedal in and see how they do?

[machoneman]

Why I use an automatic and either just footbrake or come off the two step/trans brake.  Pre-stage @ 2000, bump in to stage, swap feet on 3.  Or stage, push button, flat foot on #2 bulb, release button on 3rd.  Off you go.  Line lock in the door car for burnout only.  No front brakes in the rail, just hammer and spin until it bites then lift.

Two step + t-brake legal in all NoBox classes in Div. 4 IHRA and NHRA.  Still many footbrake races in these parts that don't allow either or both.  I may try switching the dragster over to organic rear pads so I can stage it on the footbrake.  Hard pads good for 150 MPH stops don't hold well with even a little throttle on a high stall converter.

Had to laugh Chris at the organic pad note. Had a front-engined Boss 302 dragster long ago with a C-4. No trans brakes back then so holding the beast on the line even with a high stall converter was damned hard....also due to hard "racing" pads on Airheart disc brakes! 

[BattlestarGalactic]

Friend had same problem.  Bought a stick car and converted to foot brake.  Couldn't hold the car, so had to switch pads.

[57 lima bean]

It's so bad at one track they divided up the no Box,  NB or footbrake.  The footbrake guys were whining that a trans brake(even bottom bulb) is an advantage.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.

   
                  It is an advantage when tracks allow an adjustable button in the foot brake,no box class.

[gt350hr]

Why I use an automatic and either just footbrake or come off the two step/trans brake.  Pre-stage @ 2000, bump in to stage, swap feet on 3.  Or stage, push button, flat foot on #2 bulb, release button on 3rd.  Off you go.  Line lock in the door car for burnout only.  No front brakes in the rail, just hammer and spin until it bites then lift.

Two step + t-brake legal in all NoBox classes in Div. 4 IHRA and NHRA.  Still many footbrake races in these parts that don't allow either or both.  I may try switching the dragster over to organic rear pads so I can stage it on the footbrake.  Hard pads good for 150 MPH stops don't hold well with even a little throttle on a high stall converter.

Had to laugh Chris at the organic pad note. Had a front-engined Boss 302 dragster long ago with a C-4. No trans brakes back then so holding the beast on the line even with a high stall converter was damned hard....also due to hard "racing" pads on Airheart disc brakes!

        Bob,
           I had a FED in '76 with a Boss 302 and C4. Ran 8.90's at 154 all day long. Too slow for A/ED and canted valves kept it from being C/ED legal. Fun car. Ended up with an all aluminum 418 ci Cleveland and went 7.60's in '78.
    Randy