17.3 @ 78.87mph with a zc crx..... why?

[Problem_Si]

There isn't any textbook way to practice....

It really is dependent on your car and the mods you have. The only way to know for sure where to shift is to try different points. In short, race more. Go to the track one day when they have "test and tune" events. Usually its like $20 to race all day. Its a good way to feel out your car, before getting competitive. Or, you can dyno your car, and look at your power curve to find max power.

Then, when you're ready for bracket or "heads up", you won't look like a boob. hehehe

I did notice that the Zc is really sensitive on launch rpm. It seemed like anything lower than 2500, the car would bog down before taking off...anything higher than 2800, and I would spin the wheels all day. Took me a while to learn how to hold it there without watching the tach. As you can see, on my 1st slip, the r/t sucked ass. Im starting to learn how to launch the right way, which is to slip the clutch out, not drop it.

Anywho, I've definitely seen worse ET's from people with built motors. A shitty driver can turn a 13 sec car into a 15 sec car very easily. Thats why bracket racing is fun, because it doesn't matter what you drive.

[civickiller]

yeah your r/ts have nothing to do with your et, i fell asleep at the starting line one time and got a .6 rt once and ran the best time i ever did with my car. then my next run i got a .05 rt and ran the worst ever. you could sit at the line once the light turns green for 20 sec and you would have a rt of 20 sec with an et say of 17.3 if u run 17.3's.

go on the 3rd yellow. ive raced so much at the track its not even funny. 3rd yellow is the key

[Problem_Si]

R/t does not affect your ET....directly. But launching properly does.

If your spinning your tires, it does not necessarily not mean you aren't moving. The point that I am trying to make is that your ET starts as soon as you trip the staging light. So, it does make a difference if your launch is shitty. R/t is just a by-product of that.

And if you want to compete in "heads up" you will need every second you can get. Any advantage is good, especially when you're racing someone who is faster than you. So, r/t is a very important thing to look at, even if it's not a large contributor to your overall ET.

[Problem_Si]

Yea, 3rd yellow....

I remember coming back after that run and being pissed because no one told me to go on yellow. I figured, green means go. LOL.

By the time you physically react and your drivetrain goes into action, the green light is already on. Thats why anything less than .5 is a redlight. Thats the number that they've come up with that they feel is impossible to humanly react faster than.

I've managed to get my r/t consistently between .5 and .625 which I feel is pretty damn good considering this is only my 2nd season racing.

[tbk49]

try launching at a high rpm, when are you gonna go next? Id have to talk to mike about where pats working cause im not sure, some perfomance shop but I forgot the name Also yea when you launch accelerate as soon as the 3rd light turns yellow...I was racing my buddy in his GTI and he was always a half a car length ahead but my 1/4 mile time was always faster, and that was only because he knew when to launch. (3rd yellow light)

[Problem_Si]

try launching at high rpm

I would have to advise against that, based on my own personal experience.

Dropping the clutch is an easy way to launch, but its very hard on driveline components like transmissions and axles. Most of the time the guys who drop the clutch like that, are the same boobs who break axles before they ever get off the line. Then everyone has to wait 10mins while they tow his sorry ass off the track.

As I found out, wheelhop is EXTREMELY harmful to the drivetrain because it isn't true centrifugal rotation. When your wheels hop up and down, that force is amplified several times over and is absorbed almost entirely by your trans case bearings, trans case, and axles. In my case, I blew a case bearing, which then exploded and took out my trans case. Think of it like throwing a handfull of marbles into a ceiling fan, because all that metal has to go somewhere.

The proper way to launch is to feather the clutch and throttle to achieve maximun holeshot, with a little wheelspin as possible. Lsd also helps a great deal to reduce wheelhop. You can get a phantom grip unit for about $500 installed. I will be getting one of these shortly.

[SiZ]

Originally posted by Problem_Si
R/t does not affect your ET....directly. But launching properly does.

So many posts and I don't even think you really understand. RT is just how long it took for you to start moving.. Its not a measurment of movment, just how long it took after the light turned. It has no affect whatsoever on 1/4 time..

88CRX - Looking at your timeslip makes me think about two things that actually pretain to why your car is running 17s.
Your 60' time looks quite good actually.. You could probably drop it a bit, and it is affecting your 1/4 time.. BUT, a 2.4 really isn't too bad, and with a DOHC ZC it should yeild a better time than a 17.whatever.
If I were you, I'd get the timing checked on your motor.. It could seem to be running pretty well, but still not running as good as it should be. See, with a MPH of 78 it makes me beleive that something just isn't running right.. Thats too low for a ZC.
With a 2.4 60' time, you should be comming out at around a high 15 with a properly running ZC.
What tranny are you using?

Get your timing checked.

[crxlvr]

r/t does not affect your e/t but if you move and break the beam the clock will start and you can be there spinning wheels and not even realise the run is starting.

anyway, still practice your shifting, go to the track as much as possible and switch your shift pointsd and try to find the best time to shift, practice helps in everything.


even in my accord, i ran a 16.8, its definatly your driving.

[Problem_Si]

r/t does not affect your e/t but if you move and break the beam the clock will start and you can be there spinning wheels and not even realise the run is starting.

Thank you....that was the point I was trying to make.

I also agree with SiZ, your Mph should be at about 85 for the Zc. Either your shifting points are killing the run, or somethings isn't running right.

[SiZ]

Even if he was reallly bad at shifting, he should still be in the 80+MPH range with a properly running ZC.

I'm willing to bet that his biggest problem is not that he isn't a good driver.

[88CRX]

ya, now that i've had a couple of days to cool down about it (i was pretty pissed) i'm thinking something must be mechanically wrong..... or i just really really suck at driving....


what tranny?

si or so im told i tried the whole 4000rpm@80mph in 5th but it was only around 3700@80 in 5th so i dont know? i payed for a si tranny to be intalled...... so im gonna try and get it in asap to get the timing checked.... should most shops be able to do that even though its a imported engine?

[crxlvr]

yes any shop could check the timing, but it may be harder for them to get the spec it should be at, since its not USDM engine.

[plkelley]

You dont have to be at the track to practice. I usually launch at every red light i come to..usually not to an extreme point though..if you are accellerating in first and then shift and chirp in second you've hit the optimal shift point...just play with it anywhere you can..interstate onramps are great..

[redmanjd]

did you change your timing belt because if you did your cam timming could be of mine was

[Problem_Si]

True that.....

On my new Si, I was wondering why the shit was steady running 18's all day. Im like WTF, I know how to drive. And the car seemed fine, it was just not fast enough.

Come to find out my T-belt was off 2 teeth. My mechanic is like, you're car isnt an Si, its a std...hahahahaha. Im like f you bitch....now fix it. j/k.

Anyways, after that it ran fine. I went from running 18.1 to 16.3 just by getting a new T-belt. Best upgrade so far......