Well I have been gone from this forum for quite a while, no fault of my own I just lost it and could not remember anu log on info but now Im back n need of some help / technical advice.
I finally got to take my 78 wagon project for a test n tune over at Quarter Aces (formerly South Mountain Dragway) about 3 weeks ago.
Here's what happened.
First run was a disaster. The rear tires are Hoosier 26 x 13 road race slicks mounted on 10 inch rims and they are the stickyist of compounds that Hoosier offers in that particular tire. (Remember EVERYTHING I DO IS ON THE CHEAP!!!) The tires sell for $80 a pair SHIPPED on oBey and they typically have 80% of "race thread" left on them. Durring the burnout I used the line lock, the car hooked too good and went sideways befor I could get into 2nd. Then when I got to the line I could not bring it up to the maximum stall of 3500+ becouse the brakes simply would not hold the car still so I let her launch at 1/2 throttel. The turbo 400 (with 370 gears Ford 9") shifted into second gear at about 4800 RPM despite me having the selector in first! But then I held it in second gear to around 5500 RPM so I blame this on somthing done wrong when I installed the elcheapo shift kit, OR, possibly the elcheapo shifter I am using caused this problem. The shifter is a cable job B&M but it's not a true ratchet job and I heard they suck with this problem from others, Aparently they use a mechanical gravity plate drop-down system to keep from over-shifting instead of the real-deal RATCHET set up. The 1/8th mile time was 9. 16 which also sucked. My crew told me the car was emitting smoke bad which I (wrongfully) atributed to the break-in lube mixture I overused, LOL!
Secon run was worse yet. Again I could not hold the car on the line without a trans brake and just using my heavy foot but I did it anyway. It left the line early red-lighting at about 3500-3600 RPM (which is what the converter I bought on oBey was rated at) I did not care I just wanted to see what would happen at full throttel foot brake launch. Again it shifted into 2nd by itself at around 4800 and I again was able to hold 2nd as high as I wanted.
As I rolled up to the ticket booth I heard my name comming over the PA system that I dropped oil beginning at the finish line and continuing all the way back to the pit, was VERY embarrassing 🙁
Got the car jacked up and found transmission oil every where. I noticed the vacum module on the turbo 400 was able to rotate it with my hand so I removed it and bent the hold down tab slightly, checked to make sure the correct O-ring was intact, and re-installed it. Then I had my boy fire up the engine and found the front main seal was wasted, transmission fluid was pumping out of it so that was all she wrote.
I can add / play with the rear air preasure to the rear slicks to make them less adheasion durring the 1-2 shift burnout, that's the least of my concerns. I can check the trans shifter cable to see if that is the cause for the 1-2 unauthorized shift,... BUT
I need youall to think about what may have caused the front main seal to pop. It was replaced with a new one when we re-did the transmission. It is possible the trans was over filled, Im not sure if that alone could blow the seal but I'll bet it was seaping fluid durring the first run (which was the reason for the smoke) and then went completely at the end of the 2nd pass as I crossed the 1/8th mile marker at around 5500 still in 2nd gear.
ALSO. I'm very interested in buying a trans brake. Summit suggested ATI part number ATI-403300 for $165 however I know NOTHING about how they work or even if this is all I would need to solve the launch issues. Would that part mean I would need 2 buttons on or near my shifter? One for the line lock (for burn outs) the other to release the internal soliniod in the valve body??? let me know, I'm diggin it! Thanks! I would like to race the car at 75-80, Mason-Dixon, or Capital before the season ends and don't want another episode like my last visit to the track which was down right embarasing!
I got some pics to post. let me know if anyone gets the name. It was a 70's TV show but I went insane and changed it a little.
I finally got to take my 78 wagon project for a test n tune over at Quarter Aces (formerly South Mountain Dragway) about 3 weeks ago.
Here's what happened.
First run was a disaster. The rear tires are Hoosier 26 x 13 road race slicks mounted on 10 inch rims and they are the stickyist of compounds that Hoosier offers in that particular tire. (Remember EVERYTHING I DO IS ON THE CHEAP!!!) The tires sell for $80 a pair SHIPPED on oBey and they typically have 80% of "race thread" left on them. Durring the burnout I used the line lock, the car hooked too good and went sideways befor I could get into 2nd. Then when I got to the line I could not bring it up to the maximum stall of 3500+ becouse the brakes simply would not hold the car still so I let her launch at 1/2 throttel. The turbo 400 (with 370 gears Ford 9") shifted into second gear at about 4800 RPM despite me having the selector in first! But then I held it in second gear to around 5500 RPM so I blame this on somthing done wrong when I installed the elcheapo shift kit, OR, possibly the elcheapo shifter I am using caused this problem. The shifter is a cable job B&M but it's not a true ratchet job and I heard they suck with this problem from others, Aparently they use a mechanical gravity plate drop-down system to keep from over-shifting instead of the real-deal RATCHET set up. The 1/8th mile time was 9. 16 which also sucked. My crew told me the car was emitting smoke bad which I (wrongfully) atributed to the break-in lube mixture I overused, LOL!
Secon run was worse yet. Again I could not hold the car on the line without a trans brake and just using my heavy foot but I did it anyway. It left the line early red-lighting at about 3500-3600 RPM (which is what the converter I bought on oBey was rated at) I did not care I just wanted to see what would happen at full throttel foot brake launch. Again it shifted into 2nd by itself at around 4800 and I again was able to hold 2nd as high as I wanted.
As I rolled up to the ticket booth I heard my name comming over the PA system that I dropped oil beginning at the finish line and continuing all the way back to the pit, was VERY embarrassing 🙁
Got the car jacked up and found transmission oil every where. I noticed the vacum module on the turbo 400 was able to rotate it with my hand so I removed it and bent the hold down tab slightly, checked to make sure the correct O-ring was intact, and re-installed it. Then I had my boy fire up the engine and found the front main seal was wasted, transmission fluid was pumping out of it so that was all she wrote.
I can add / play with the rear air preasure to the rear slicks to make them less adheasion durring the 1-2 shift burnout, that's the least of my concerns. I can check the trans shifter cable to see if that is the cause for the 1-2 unauthorized shift,... BUT
I need youall to think about what may have caused the front main seal to pop. It was replaced with a new one when we re-did the transmission. It is possible the trans was over filled, Im not sure if that alone could blow the seal but I'll bet it was seaping fluid durring the first run (which was the reason for the smoke) and then went completely at the end of the 2nd pass as I crossed the 1/8th mile marker at around 5500 still in 2nd gear.
ALSO. I'm very interested in buying a trans brake. Summit suggested ATI part number ATI-403300 for $165 however I know NOTHING about how they work or even if this is all I would need to solve the launch issues. Would that part mean I would need 2 buttons on or near my shifter? One for the line lock (for burn outs) the other to release the internal soliniod in the valve body??? let me know, I'm diggin it! Thanks! I would like to race the car at 75-80, Mason-Dixon, or Capital before the season ends and don't want another episode like my last visit to the track which was down right embarasing!
I got some pics to post. let me know if anyone gets the name. It was a 70's TV show but I went insane and changed it a little.
