18 replies to this topic

[Dirtcircle86]

I got my C6/C7 fused and now feel like a milion bucks!  I really didn't know I was in that bad of shape.....  Well, circumstances are that most of the off season has been burned (in my recliner)  and my B-mod project is just gonna be a tinker project for maybe running late season or next year.  Lots of other projects that have to be taken care of anyway. 

 

That being said, I'm gonna run FWD at the big track this year.  Doc should have me cleared for full contact sports (dirt track) by early April.  Long drive but awesome track and first place pays $250 this year (up from $175).  West Siloam dropped FWD since there are only three of us that are competitive and the rest just go by the rules..  I mean, dont know how to tune their car. 

 

The track is currently being re-clayed so it may have a little more grip, but it started life as a paved track in 1968 and they just put 18" of clay over the top when they went dirt in 1971.  With that in mind, it will still get extremely slick I'm guessing. 

 

I'm trying to think "outside the box" since there are no rules to speak of.  Last year, there were only two cars that could beat me.  I gotta change that.  The few times I ran the track last year, I had WAY more power than I could put to the ground in the turns.  Granted, I was using some ten year old turd street tires with no stagger.  They would be shiny polished and extremely hard at the end of the night.  Soaking and grinding was a waste of time.  It would literally help for one, maybe two, laps and then I got a super push.  I didn't bother buying tires since I just ran there for fun.  Now I gotta get serious. 

 

As a rough guess, I need a quarter, maybe a third, of a second per lap to grind with the two big boys.  A half a second would put me out front. 

 

TRACTION:  I'm thinking about buying a few sets snow tires since they are soft, cheap, and plentiful right now.  For the frugal, this seems to be a winning ticket for slick track tires.  I'm still building the B-mod, so spending $500 for some 8" rims and dirt tires is a distant second.  IF the snow tires dont get me where I need to be, dirt tires it is. 

 

Still under the traction heading, I'm curious what I can do aerodynamically to the front of the car to make it go left.  Spoilers, splitters, diffusers, hood mounted wings, I dont care.  There are literally no rules.  They elude to "area track rules" which would be CCS Rules.

 

• BODIES: Any Factory OEM Front Wheel Drive production car - 4 cylinder Motors - V/6 - V/8 Motors, NO TURBO’S. No Convertible’s - All Motors OK’ Stock O.E.M. Only.  N0 Computer Chips.
• Front Wheel Drive Cars must be a complete body and frames as OEM - Street legal for highway driving Complete car must be complete Bumper to Bumper as OEM. Factory Produced.

One car that can beat me is a turbo, so even this rule isn't followed.  I know I'm writing a book but most wont even open this post anyway... 

 

Power:  I'm thinking about doing some head porting a polishing on my second motor and I'm curious is my 2" exhaust is too small.  Siloam had a 2" requirement,  Tri-Sate does not. 

 

I'll stop now cuz it's just getting way too long.  Any ideas are welcome!  However odd they may be.  I'm contemplating some angled "air dams" under the car to push it left.  maybe even on the hood...  seriously

[niccer]

I have absolutely zero knowledge in what makes a circle track car go fast, but you asked for off the wall ideas.  

 

-Right side wheels and tires wider and or more offset than left.

 

-Higher spring rates than right side.

 

-LSD 

 

-Awesome roof spoiler with opposing wings (think sprint car).

 

 

I can't remember what you did to the engine, but basically anything that would yield higher RPM power.  A semi-joking thought would be to run nitrous, lol.  Use it like "boost" in the video games if you're drafting P1 on the back straight of the last lap.  

[Dirtcircle86]

With traction, no one can turn with me. My suspension is pretty well tuned but some could be gained to run on the slick. I have LOTS of cross and "bite" to put more weight on the right front but dynamically, it may stick better if I even it back out some and spread the traction on the fronts. Rear doesn't matter much. Both rears are toed/turned to the right about 2 1/2* but may need more to stay under it. I can't "back it in" on the slick like I can with traction. Granted I ran new tires on the tracks with traction, and shit tires the few times I ran on slick. I may only need tires....

The dif is welded. Which makes me need to pull from the RF a little more than left, so I am adding 1 1/2" of tire stagger (right side has more roll out). Un welded, you pull from the left (not at all). I always get "offset" backwards in my head, but by moving tires out, they carry less weight and more if brought in.

D16A1, only had the pan off for bearings (didn't need em) and the heads have never been off. Delta 272 grinds, header, 2" straight pipe with a wideband/fuel pressure regulator tune. Nothing special. I contemplated a head/deck shave but the cost plus the accompanying need for adjustable cam gears is too much expense for this class. I run between 5,500 and 7,000 and want to stay there to keep it together. I bump fuel cut on starts in second but only for a second. I'm thinking the 2" collector and pipe may be a limiter and since I have another engine, I may do a "street port" on that head to gain a few hp. I know there are some guys here that will have some input. I would probably willing to spring for a better intake/TB if one could be located.

The interesting thing would be some stealthy aero mods to help push it left. My weight is biased to the front over 67%. I say "over" because I haven't scaled since the Teg front graft, new front bumper, and battery moved back near its original location. I did have to back off my rediculous cross weight a little after the change. It got really loose mid turn so I assume I moved quite a bit of weight forward.

My thinking is that a giant sprint car wing on the roof might do it, but may be better farther forward. Say, on the hood, under the car, or as far out as the front bumper. Or all of the above. IF (huge if and doubtful) the track didn't like it (someone would have to complain) I would just remove it. There has never been a FWD tech at this track. They hand us cold bottled water as we pass over the scales and on to the row of 100 kids awaiting fist bumps and a chat with the drivers.

I'm hoping for any input on these things, maybe I should narrow it down to just the wing mods. Size? Angles? Location? Maybe even use lexan to "hide" them need be? There is NO traction at this track.

[gtpilot]

Find a ZC IM to bolt on to it - longer and equal length runners than the A1 IM.

[Dirtcircle86]

I think Puddleskipper had one for sale last year. Anybody think my 2" collector and tailpipe is too small for 5 to 7,000 RPM's? I got an idea for an under bumper "wing."

[Maine_Honda_Racer]

Port head, lighten flywheel, bore the block and put in oversized high compression pistons, aftermarket ecu, bigger throttle body.

[Doodson]

cheapest thing you can do to any car is take out the weight.

my 1985 civic racecar was in the area of 1950lbs at the end of a race with a 180 lb driver

[Dirtcircle86]

Maine, how much you think a mild port/bowl clean up would help?  5 or 6 hp would probably be worth it.  I've read as much as 25 hp gains but its all in the combo.  I got the cams and header but the intake may be my restriction now.  And the head.  Stock flywheel has been cut to about 11#.  It's thin.  I hate to bore a perfect running non smoking block.  Staying in max timing and good AFR (12.7 ish) will I gain much from another ECU?  Anybody still make the TB adapter? Probbly not hard to fabricate. 

 

Doodson, my car is 1450# without me.  I could build an aluminum hood and re-skin the roof in aluminum and lose a few pounds I guess.  Or I could lose 50#.  There just aren't any more pieces to remove that wouldn't sacrifice durability.  It's pretty minimal.  I can already stay close to the turbo Eclipse and GSR civic in the straights but I just slide off the end of the track when I try to pass there. 

 

I'm thinking about an air intake under the front bumper directed to push it left.  And a belly pan under the back half to clean up the air flow there. 

[Maine_Honda_Racer]

Why not bore the block? Increased displacement makes more power. Why stop at a mild port? If you are really looking for power why take half steps. Build it for real. Eagle rods, arp hardware, valve springs and retainers, ecu, the zc intake ported, have the head ported bt a professional with a flow bench.

[CRXer87hf]

Hit the gym and lose a few pounds.

[niccer]

A dry ice box in the passenger seat that the intake draws through. 

[Dirtcircle86]

Maine, I'm building a Modified also.  I won't spend another $2,000 on a dying class that may get 6 cars.  Early season will see ten to fifteen cars but it dwindles quickly.  Modifieds will run fifteen to twenty-five cars all year.  I did actually contemplate a bore and new pistons since they are only like $80 for pistons and rings.  ZC intakes are pure unobtanium.  There were some for sale last year.  If noone wants to drive this one when the modified is ready, it will end up sold for $1500..  If I'm lucky.  Hopefully the Modified will be ready by mid season.  I just need to find a 100# driver for this one.  I'm 225# since I lost about 20 after surgery.... It would be under 1600 with a skinny driver. 

 

More HP and less weight still wont make it turn.  I can actually pull a few feet on the turbo eclipse in the straights now.  Just need to be able to turn left on ice at 65 to 70 mph.

[niccer]

Prelude 4WS swap. 

 

You're welcome. 

[Dirtcircle86]

How far do they turn?  I'm at close to 3* now.  And I don't think they turn at speed do they?  There was one came up for sale last year but it was very pricey. 

[rallyxcrx]

There was a rallycrosser that added an additional timing belt pulley to the other side, making the timing adjustable, no expensive adjustable timing gears needed to run high compression, Dave