Under the index for under a grand!

[Billy Nees]

Well, this past weekend was rather humbling to say the least. Saturday I went to Mason-Dixon to get some runs on a "fast" track and was greeted by a killer, nonstop headwind that went on all day. To make the long, painful story short, I went a best of a 15.03 at just under 88 MPH. That was after trying a Y-pipe(hated it), retarding the cam(hated it but it did help the MPH) and advancing the cam(best ETs but lost MPH).
I went back to "The Beav" on Sunday and went mid to high teens all day with a best of 15.150 at 87.58 and a 2.05 60'. It still wants to be leaner and it still wants more timing than I think that it should need. The only other thing I did was do away with the metering rods which seemed to clean it up a bit.
I'm now at a point where I think that I'm just tuning around a problem and I'm sorry to say that the problem is my $80 converter. It's just too heavy and too tight even for the torquey 301. In low gear, leaving at an idle it will only stall to about 2200 RPM and when it shifts it is "staggering" the motor. I'll be doing a little detective work and making some phone calls to try and find something that won't "kill" the budget. I'll be reporting in.

[Michael Beard]

I'm surprised you haven't cut the thing apart and started bending fins with a pair of vice grips yet.

WWBD (What Would Billy Do?)


I've made more gains tuning by actual time slip results than what something "should" want. If it likes it, it likes it, as long as it's not destroying itself.

[Mark Yacavone]

Billy, I'll bet that car would 60' better with a stock camshaft with the converter you got. Of course you'll give it all up on the other end.
I got my 79 Lemans 301 /4bbl running and moving around..Stock cam, 3.08 posi , 2.74 low...It'll burn rubber all the way through 1st gear.
That's with a GN Buick 2050 stall, lockup 12 ".
Let me look around and see what I have for parts for a 9" .
How much do we have in "the bank"?

BTW, 75 jets in my original Dual Jet...The Qjet likes that size too.

[Daran Summerton]

I might like to try a 9" as well Mark

77 350 Cutlass
N/SA

I'm done with the 455 combo

[Rick Unterseh]

Me too Mark !!!! that's three you need to build, and I can come pick mine up.

[Mark Yacavone]

Stay tuned , guys .. I might have an announcement to make ..soon!

[Michael Beard]

Have you done an alignment on the car yet? It's an old car, good chance that it doesn't meet Billy's Drag Race Alignment specs yet. There can be a decent amount of ET there.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

So, let's talk torque converters today. First, a little bit of personal commentary, beyond the motor, there is more to be gained(IMHO) in the correct torque converter than anything else in the car(assuming the car is right). Now I already know that this car is going to want a tight 8" converter but it isn't in my budget(maybe later).
Now I want to be perfectly clear here, my car picked up a half of a second by putting the correct race converter in the car so the money spent is well worth it but this is being done on a strict budget and if it doesn't work, shame on me.

Remember when I posted that? Well********* shame on me.
At least I "only" wasted $80. Although this might make a nice "Saturday Night" or "Hot Street" converter, it's just not going to cut it as a "Stocker" converter. It's just too tight and too heavy.
For plan B, I'm having a 10" converter built that will(hopefully) get me a few tenths and under the NHRA index. I will say again, there is more to be gained in the correct torque converter than anything else in the car. I'm trying this 10" just to see if it is a practical substitute for an 8"er. I haven't gotten a final price on the 10" yet but it will be in the $250-275 range. That will put me either just under or just over the 1K budget cap.
Now understand, this 10" will get me racing and (hopefully) under the index but in the grand scheme of things it will (would) be replaced by an 8" converter built for the combo. Basically, what I guess I'm trying to say is if you really want to go racing and CAN'T afford the right parts then this will get you to the track, but at some point in time you will have (want) to step up and spend the money for the right converter. At that point, the money spent on the 10" converter becomes wasted. You will have to decide that for yourself with your own project.

[Todd Boyer]

Best is 15.03 so far .... that IS under the IHRA index !!!

[joe huestis]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Remember when I posted that? Well********* shame on me.
At least I "only" wasted $80. Although this might make a nice "Saturday Night" or "Hot Street" converter, it's just not going to cut it as a "Stocker" converter. It's just too tight and too heavy.
For plan B, I'm having a 10" converter built that will(hopefully) get me a few tenths and under the NHRA index. I will say again, there is more to be gained in the correct torque converter than anything else in the car. I'm trying this 10" just to see if it is a practical substitute for an 8"er. I haven't gotten a final price on the 10" yet but it will be in the $250-275 range. That will put me either just under or just over the 1K budget cap.
Now understand, this 10" will get me racing and (hopefully) under the index but in the grand scheme of things it will (would) be replaced by an 8" converter built for the combo. Basically, what I guess I'm trying to say is if you really want to go racing and CAN'T afford the right parts then this will get you to the track, but at some point in time you will have (want) to step up and spend the money for the right converter. At that point, the money spent on the 10" converter becomes wasted. You will have to decide that for yourself with your own project.

Ok boys and girls, this is the post I have been waiting for the last few weeks. Billy will prove his point and the GP will run under the NHRA index with some more tweaking. Then WATCH OUT ! The cuffs come off and he will have this combo in the 13's by seasons' end !! STAY TUNED !!