High HP and launching in 2nd gear?

[JekylandHyde]

This weekend at the Weatherly Hill Climb I was hainvg major problems hooking up in 1st gear. 265's with full tire pressure and no burnout are not happy with the road when 365 ft lbs gets put down ... so I decided to launch in 2nd off of the 2-step.

So I am sitting at the line, car in 2nd gear and I rev it to 6500 rpms. The 2-step kicks in, I make 20 psi of boost and let out the clutch.

The results was a huge cloud of tire smoke as the tires fought for traction ... the yfinally hooked up and Hyde torqued sideways in a big way about 15 feet off the line. I saw grass which looked very different than asphalt so I got off of it and coutner steered back until I saw the road again

Needless to say, that run was trashed/thrashed. Apparently the spectators enjoyed. The chief steward thanked me later for getting out the throttle.

So this begs the question, if I can launc hin 2nd gear with a 265 road race tire at 38 psi (tire pressure) and get tire spin ... why not launch at the drag strip in 2nd gear?

Any of you big power guys try this?

[SiGNAL748]

I tried launching my prelude in second once. No Torque + Wrong Wheel Drive = ROFL WTF.

Instant Stall

[AWP9521]

You can give it a shot but it will likely kill your times.

[nastyNater]

i give it a big negative. 1st is the way to go. Im sure you know how to launch your car in first so i dont even know why you would try in a higher gear. Sounds like you would just stall. Good thing you didnt lose it...lots of $$$$ under the hood.

[JekylandHyde]

Why do you think I would stall? I apparently had plenty of power to completely break traction above.

Starting in second would eliminate one shift going down the track which would be a significant time savings and it might prove to have a more consistent launch.

Dunno ... I might try it in 2 weeks.

[-The Stig-]

I don't think you'll have any negative feedbacks from using it. If anything, you'll have a nice long "1st" gear to get going. Rather than a short one plus a shift to 2nd.

I've read in magazines where some tuner cars had so much power, that 1st gear was useless. So launching in 2nd was the only option.

Google rocks, here I found it.


Here it is. The ZL1 Camaro. The baddest of the bad. The fastest of the fast.
The meanest one of them all. This name just refuses to die.
Way back in 1969, Chevrolet released 69, that's right, sixty nine ZL1 equipped Camaros for NHRA racing. Many of these hit the streets instead, creating the legend. Rated at 425 factory horsepower, but realistically pumping out close to 600 horsepower with dyno-tuned headers, the all aluminum big block chevy was difficult to beat.
This ZL1 appeared a few years ago as an experiment in power.
It lead to the release of the 1996 Camaro Z/28 SS. Here is it's latest rendition.
In the course of the past six years, the ZL1 has been tweaked and fine-tuned as it evolved into the SEMA show car for 1999. Yet it remains an excellent exercise in acceleration, a halo car for the Camaro brand, and an image vehicle exemplifying the upper ends of Chevy’s performance boundaries.
At the heart of a laundry list of updated ZL1 modifications is the powerplant: an 8.4-liter aluminum-block pushrod V8 making a foot-stomping 770 horsepower at 6900 rpm and a raucous 683 lb.-ft of torque at 5200 rpm. Transfer of power comes via a five-speed manual transmission and a three-disc hydraulic clutch setup. The myriad performance add-ons includes everything from a Hamburger Hi-Torque starter and a Crower forged steel crankshaft with 4.5-inch stroke, to a Dart intake manifold reworked for fuel injection with a K&N air filter and Exhaust Tech dual 3.5-inch inlet and outlet mufflers. And that’s only scratching the surface. There is also a host of GM OEM parts off of the various F-bodies of the past few years.
The chassis has been appropriately reinforced and stiffened to better handle the onslaught of speed and power. The front suspension uses spindles modified for Brembo four-piston caliper stopping power, with Koni shocks and 540 lb/inch springs. At the rear, lower control arms have been reworked to house the 18-inch wheels shod with Goodyear Z-rated performance Eagle F-1 tires. Modified stabilizer bars live at both front and rear.
If you look closely enough, you'll see that the rear fenders have been massaged enough to create a bulge or flared fenderwell large enough to hold the extra large 18-inch rear wheels and tires.
For all you folks who are content with the looks of the car, you can stop here.
But for those of you who crave more performance, here's the scoop:

The usual 10 second quarter mile times can be credited to the following:
CONFIGURATION
Front-engine/rear-wheel drive
101.1 in wheelbase
Track: 62.3 front/ 63 rear
Weight: 3390 lbs. (dry): 1865 lbs. front (55%) 1525 lbs. rear (45%)

DRIVETRAIN


Aluminum V8 pushrod engine
Three-disc hydraulic clutch
5-speed manual transmission
Solid rear axle
1-piece Prop Shaft

CHASSIS

Front suspension: independent coil-over-shock SLA
Rear suspension: three-link coil spring with torque arm
4-wheel disc brakes

ENGINE SUMMARY


DISPLACEMENT:

572 cu.in. (8.4L)
BORE: 4.5 in. (114.3 mm)
STROKE: 4.5 in. (114.3 mm)
COMPRESSION RATIO: 13.8:1
PEAK TORQUE: 683 @ 5200
PEAK POWER: 770 @ 6900 (through complete exhaust system)


ENGINE SHORT BLOCK
DONOVAN aluminum cylinder block (#500), with milled head surfaces
CROWER forged steel crankshaft, 4.5in stroke, internally balanced, (#S-95137)
VIBRATECH 61/4" Torsional damper, neutral balanced (#713282-000)
CROWER forged steel connecting rods, 6.535in C-C, (#F91092-B)
FEDERAL MOGUL main bearings, chamfered for crank fillet, (#8-7200 CH-STD)
FEL PRO rear main oil seal
JE forged, domed pistons, (#111595)
JE piston pins, .990 x 2.930 double spirolocks
SPEED PRO 1 1/16" moly top, 1/16" cast 2nd, 3/16" chrome faced oil ring set, (#R-10317+035)
CLOYES roller timing chain/sprocket set, (#9-3100)
FEL PRO front cover gasket
TITAN oil pump & pickup
Balanced & fitted assembly
Fabricated aluminum 8 qt. oil pan with baffling and trap doors

CYLINDER HEADS
DART Pro-1 bowl ported and gasket matched
Valves stainless FERREA ex. 1,880 dia, titanium DELL WEST int. 2.300
PSI springs (#CT-1046)
Titanium COMP CAMS (#735-16)
FEL PRO head gaskets (#FP-1093)
COMP CAMS valve locks + .050"
Combustion chambers relieved, polished & matched to 4.5" bore

VALVE TRAIN
LUNATI camshaft (#RRB-280-284)
Intake: 280 degrees duration x .722" lift
Exhaust: 284 degrees duration x .722 lift
112 degrees lobe centers
ISKYROLLER lifters (202.96RHC)
CRANE stud girdle (#13602-1)
DIAMOND RACING rocker arms studs
MANLEY push rod guide plates, (#42164)

INDUCTION
DART intake manifold reworked for fuel injection application
FEL PRO GASKETS, (#FP-1275-5)
Special machined 4-bore 2" throttle body with idle air by-pass
K&N air filter (#E-1963)

EXHAUST
Fabricated stainless steel tubular four into one headers, 2 _" runners
FEL PRO exhaust header gaskets, (#1412)
Fabricated dual 3 _" exhaust system complete to rear bumper with 2 _" balance tube
EXHAUST TECH dual 3 _" inlet and outlet mufflers

FUEL SYSTEM
BOSCH 67 lbs/hr port fuel injectors. Fabricated fuel rail assembly
SX PERFORMANCE fuel pressure regulator- set to 45 PSI static fuel pressure, (#15402)
SX PERFORMANCE fuel pump (#18201) rated for 80 gal/hr+
SX PERFORMANCE high flow filter, (#41002)
AEROQUIP- 8 "pushlok" feed hose and fittings

IGNITION
MSD COMPENENTS
Crank trigger (#8620)
Cam sensor
Control unit (#6420)
Coil (#8202)
Dist. Hold Down (#8110)
Distributer (#2340)
CHAMPION C63-7C spark plugs, gapped @ .035"
MAGNECOR 10mm spark plug wires, custom fit, (#R-230)

ENGINE MANAGEMENT


FEL PRO PERFORMANCE, electronic SEFI with individual cyl control
Input sensors: Coolant temperature, manifold air temperature, throttle position, manifold pressure, exhaust O2, engine speed, camshaft position

Controlled outputs: fuel injectors (8), ignition timing,
idle speed control motor

COOLING SYSTEMS

GM-SPO aluminum engine water pump with _ block spacers, (#3975928)
No thermostat
GRIFFIN aluminum crossflow radiator, 27in x 17in x 4in core
Dual 15in electric cooling fans
Special machined oil cooler block adapter
LONG oil cooler plumbed with #12 and hose and fitting
ENGINE ACCESSORIES
HAMBURGER hi-torque starter with solenoid rotated 180 degrees for header clearance, (#5005)
GM ’95 F-Car 124 amp alternator
GM ’94 F-Car power steering pump and remote fluid reservoir
Fabricated accessory drive mounting brackets
GM crankshaft pulley, (#25525204) with machined spacer
FORD water pump pulley, (#E75E-8509-CA95 F-Car)
Fabricated power steering pump pulley, back driven
Fabricated fixed idler and adjustable tensioner pulley assembly
GOODYEAR 6-rib POLY VEE drive belt, (#4060600)

DRIVELINE SUMMARY


ENGINE MOUNTING


GM ’94 F-car front motor mounts, bosses welded to cylinder block for attachment, urethane filled production isolaters
Fabricated rear transmission mount/crossmember with torque arm attachment and polyurethane mount

CLUTCH

McLEOD steel-faced, aluminum flywheel
McLEOD triple-disc and pressure plate, (#651003-5)
McLEOD annular hydraulic release bearing, (#1400)
TILTON master cylinder and remote reservoir

TRANSMISSION


QUARTER MASTER aluminum bell housing (#110104)
Special-design "G" FORCE built 5-speed with "H" pattern race shifter
Ratios: 2.860, 1.936, 1.552, 1.295, 1.000

REAR AXLE


DANA 60 center housing, modified for torque arm attachment; tubes installed and modified to accept original production spring, shock absorber and lower control arm brackets and brake caliper brackets
3.54:1 final drive ratio

DANA "Torque-Lock" 4-pinion differential
STRANGE ENGINEERING axle shafts and yoke; 61.625" flange/flange

DRIVESHAFT


MARK WILLIAMS ENGINEERING, 45.256" center-center length, 3.5in O.D. x .095 in wall steel tube
STRANGE ENGINEERING front yoke to match transmission
DANA-SPICER 1350 series u joints

CHASSIS SUMMARY

STRUCTURE

Reinforced lower control arms

2 _" x 1 _" rectangular steel tubing connecting rear
lower control arm mounts to front frame rails
New, fabricated panhand bar brace and trunkwell
for exhaust/muffler clearance

WHEELS/TIRES


Front:
FISKE 10" x 18" (#851585) with neg. 2" offset
GOODYEAR EAGLE F-1 FIORANO P-335/30 ZR-18
Rear:
FISKE 12.5’ x 18 (#854580) with neg. 3/16" offset
GOODYEAR EAGLE F-1 FIORANO P-265/40 ZR-18

STEERING


GM ’94 F-Car steering rack
GM ’94 F-Car intermediate shaft
GM ’94 F-Car steering column

FRONT SUSPENSION


GM ’93 F-Car spindles modified for BREMBO calipers
F-Car upper and lower control arms with
WHEEL TO WHEEL bolt and poly blushing package
540lb/in springs
KONI shocks (#8242.1005)
Special WHEEL TO WHEEL stabilizer bar race package
(38.5 x 1.250 x .250)

REAR SUSPENSION


GM ’94 F-Car lower control arms reworked for tire clearance and WHEEL TO WHEEL bracket and link package
Production panhard bar with WHEEL TO WHEEL poly blushing
Fabricated torque arm attachment

BRAKES


GM ’93 F-Car master cylinder assembly with willwood adjustable proportioning valve modified viper front rotors, 33mm dia. 32mm thick (#4642122)
BREMBO F040 four piston front calipers with paget blue compound pads (#305120)
Production F-Car rear calipers and pads and 11.5 in. rotors
Stainless reinforced Teflon brake hoses front, production rear.

[-The Stig-]

Shit, didn't realise it was that long of a write up... but that mod list is huge.

Anywho, 2nd gear should be fine. If it works for a 700+hp Big Block Camaro... it'll work for your 450+hp Hairdryer'd MR2.

[JekylandHyde]

Nice ride, but where does it say anything about launching in second?!

[nastyNater]

Is the new ZL1 all-motor? id rather have a '69 ZL1 personally though.....the new is sick ill admit.

JekylandHyde, if you think that first gear is useless in your car, then launch w/ second. just make sure you let me know what happens when you return from the track.

[-The Stig-]

Originally Posted by JekylandHyde

Nice ride, but where does it say anything about launching in second?!

That particular article doesn't, I know. That was posted on a website. Years ago when that car was first introduced it was written about in a magazine and they talked about 2nd gear launches.

I can't remember what magazine it was, back then I only got a few. It was probably Chevy Highperformance Magazine, Super Chevy or Hotrod. Most likely one of the Chevy oriented mags.

Don't ask how I remember that car and 2nd gear launches, but for some reason when I read your thread title I thought of that ZL1 Camaro with the monster big block in it.

[Kamilpl3]

...That...camaro...looks...






...Mean...





...Very...






...Mean...

[balls_to_the_wall]

I could not have said it better ^^

[SLoW SHO]

Launching in 2nd gear works good in GT4 lol

[Mr. Luos]

Never tried it.

I figure if I can't hook in first, then I need more traction. First gear does go fast, but I could see losing a bit of time off the final ET.

[RACER D12]

I dont see why it wouldnt work. However to get the best results maybe its time to rethink your gearing.