Vega Time,AGAIN!!! Now going twin turbo...

[Rickracer]

Well, this is at Lakeland Dragstrip, I got REAL close to it's best runs before, and better MPH and 60's, 6.927@ 101.47, 6.931 @ 101.24, 7.017 @ 100.38, 7.044 @ 99.65 7.204 @99.68 was my worst run, and it bogged leaving on that run, and it's the only one I got video of. OK, this was the last pass of the night, running on batteries alone, I had slung two alternator belts in 3 passes, so I ran the rest of the night on batteries (the MSD ignition really wants at least 13.2~13.5 volts), on this pass, I tried flashing the converter, didn't work so well, made a bit of a pop and bog, but still a 7.20.........

[Rickracer]

I got a REAL surprise Saturday, something I've been meaning to do but just never got around to it till then, I took the Vega to Preston's Auto Salvage to weigh it, (and my old/new trailer, for registration purposes), on their certified scale. The Vega weighed in at 2540 lbs, ready to race!!!! It only had about 2 gallons of fuel in it, but my race jacket and helmet were in there. I was thinking more like 2700~2800 lbs. That tells me I'm not making as much power as I thought, but it's easier to make more power than to lose much more weight.

[Rickracer]

My best pass Thursday night at Lakeland ....



That pass was a 6.571, 1.447 60', 107.10 mph, I made the last two passes on a 100 shot with a rich fuel jet and only 650~625 psi bottle pressure, (so more like a 75 shot). Best non-spray pass was a 6.934, 1.51 60', 101.73 mph,
Even that little shot makes the converter work a WHOLE LOT better, this thing really seems to like hitting the tires harder,

Here's the rest of the vids from Thursday night....







Saved the best for last, I NOW LOVE WHEELIES!!!!,

[chevy art]

rick how can you be racing? im looking out my window right now and its snowing art

[chevy art]

rick your car is really coming out nice and hard and straight. nice job on all the mods you did on that baby. what rpms are you launching at? art

[Rickracer]

This is supposed to be a 4000 converter, and it's a 10", so if it is 4K, it's a tight one. I can only get about 2600 foot braking on motor, so I'm just flashing from about 1000. I think that's getting me about 3K on the launch. JW says I need about a 5000~5200 8" converter. It goes MUCH higher on the button though, even with such a soft hit. It's gonna stay in the 80s this week here,

[Rickracer]

Still working on my 60' and reaction times, cutting consistent 1.5xs now, and hittin some .00x reactions too.

[Rickracer]

The front pump bolts in my trans keep loosening up, I think the bolt holes that hold the front pump in are shot, so I decided to buy a MVB TH350 from my buddy Tonye, it was $400, it only had a couple dozen passes on it, and had a TCI MVB, and a deep cast aluminum pan, which I was planning on buying anyway, so that made it as if I was only paying about $150 to freshen up my old trans, plus it's got a lot of good parts in it,

I had to give up my borrowed "raceone85.com" carb, his other one started flooding suddenly, just as he's trying to get his car together. So now, I've taken it upon myself to modify my BG carb for E85 myself. I highly recommend raceone85.com , their carbs WORK, and their product support is FANTASTIC, I just can't squeeze the (bargain) price of their kit (and the free product support) into my budget at the moment. I've opened up my boosters, put some 45 squirters in it, opened up the IFRs, got close to the right jetting in it, I've got it where it idles and revs pretty good, and I can move it around, but the transition isn't very smooth, now I need to order some different size air bleeds, to replace the HSABs and IABs, as well as the emulsion orifices, and probably should go to a 50cc front accelerator pump.

[cosworth0135]

I know you'll get it sorted but for those unlike me that can decipher the letters in your last post it would look like you need to leave it to he professionals which is what i would do if i were going to run E85 its just to darn hard to get around here If i only drove from home to work i could manage (can get it across the street from work) but if i went anywhere else i would end up stranded

[Rickracer]

I'm not sure what part you're talking about leaving to the professionals?? I AM a professional, I've been rebuilding and modifying all manner of carbs for over 30 years,
Yes, e85 is a different animal than gasoline, but it's still fuel, the numbers change, but the principles are the same,
I have to drive about 20 miles to get E85, but at about $3.40 per gallon, vs. race gas @ about $12 per gallon, it's worth the drive to go get fuel once every month or two. 35~40 gallons is worth about 8 trips to the track, and costs about $136. The same amount of race gas would be $480,

TCI is the brand, MVB = manual valve body,

[cosworth0135]

yeah I know your good, i personally am not good at modifying carbs, i can rebuild them and the run , but no better than when I took them apart, thats what i ment by I would leave it to the professionals and figuring out the air bleed needs or changing the emulsion orifices I could never pull off, There is no doubt in my mind that you will pull it off though. by the way Rick i just re-read my post and even though it reads like I was saying "you" needed to leave it to the professionals, I was actually referring to the people that read you post and didn't know what hsab or iab was Timmy

[Rickracer]

...and even though it reads like I was saying "you" needed to leave it to the professionals, I was actually referring to the people that read you post and didn't know what hsab or iab was Timmy

Well I would have to totally agree with you there, in fact, if my kids were paying their bills, I would have just ordered a custom raceone85.com kit for my Demon carb and called it a "corn carb" and a day. They also have built and rebuilt E85 carbs for sale all the time as well. The one I've been running was built for a similar motor to mine, and aside from a little bit of tweaking, has worked fabulous. I would highly recommend getting in touch with Justus or Heath Daniel at http://www.raceone85.com if anyone is contemplating making the switch to E85. Those guys know their stuff, and they are great people to deal with as well.

BTW, HSAB = high speed air bleed, IAB = idle air bleed, IFR = idle feed restriction, PCVR = power valve channel restriction,

[Rickracer]

Wow, seems it's been quite a while since I updated this thread....E85 conversion went pretty well, but I'm still not happy with the performance of this combo, it seems as if the big heads (230cc Pro Toplines) are just killing the bottom end on this little 355, and I don't dare spin it high enough to take advantage of the top end flow they are capable of, due to the hypereutectic pistons. My two alternatives are switching heads, to something like 195 or 210 AFRS, or boosting my current combo. I decided to go with a mild, medium boost (T3/T4-T04E) twin turbo setup, somewhere between 8~12 psi. Already got the turbo headers and one turbo, the other one is on the way. Gonna try to use the internal wastegates, at least initially, definitely going blowthrough, non-intercooled, using the BG Demon carb that's on the car now, on E 85. I am contemplating going EFI too though, but that would/will be down the road a bit, and will probably be a MS setup. Looking to add 150~200 hp, gonna see how it goes........................

[Rickracer]

A little mockup action....















P.S. Anybody got a lightweight cowl hood for sale, or to trade for a snorkle hood?

[Rickracer]

Did a litlle tweaking on the passenger side header this evening...







Tomorrow evening, I'm gonna work on the driver's side, just gonna tip the front down a little bit, make it more level with the front frame support....







Just got the flanges tacked with the MIG for now, gotta get some stainless rod for the new TIG, :thumbup: