Update on future build

[Scoobum]

Call Bison and have him spec you a 9.5 NL convertor. The convertor you have won't couple worth a fuck on the big end and you'll be on here complaining it won't MPH. 62 MM TB from Steve Monroe is all you'll need. A GOOD SLIC like Grumpy runs is all you need. I used a FM cuz the SLIC I had heat soaked between races and I was guessing what ET it would run in the next race. If you're running E85 you'll need a 450 LPH pump or larger and a larger return line. Several of the vendors sell a separate plug and play return line. You'll need line lock for the track. I have a vid on a plug and play line lock setup where you don't have to cut the brake lines. Have the intake and stock headers port matched. When the transmission is out have it built for 9's like I did.

[phil_long]

Let me see here:

Tb I have 
ported intake I have
new headers
SLIC I have

I'll address the tranny and converter once engine and fuel is sorted out. One thing at a time for sure, but you're spot on with the converter. Bison already told me that the converter I have wouldn't couple well. Lol. He's a smart guy, and apparently you are too!! I love your build 

[Scoobum]

Phil, I cut my teeth with Dusty Bradford on the other board and read every post he ever put up there. I asked him a ton of questions there as I did with Steve here. I learned early on who the best are. I also knew I had a limited IQ, so I kept things simple. I understood everything on the car and I knew Erics 5.7 chip in and out. I put myself through school as an auto tech and apprenticed as an automotive machinist. I'm the first to admit that forced induction was a huge learning curve for me. It was really weird. I woke up one morning and I knew how boost, fueling, temp/humidity and timing all intertwined. Kinda like a light went off in my head. It got really easy for me. I harkened low gear timing back to my SBC days. I'd lean over the hood while a buddy would footbrake my car/truck and move the distributor ahead until I heard it knock a tad then brought it back till it went away and lock it down. It then would take off like a scared rabbit. I did the same thing with the Buick and got the same result. I'd pour the low gear timing to it. Eric tends to err on the side of rich and what I noticed with low gear fueling on default is typically 02's can be in the 820-850 range. Drop the 02's to around 770-780 for low gear and watch what happens. If you watch my practice race vids you'll see me roll in last...spool for the length of time for the lights to drop and I'm gone. You'll also hear the engine hit full boost immediately. That's nothing more than low gear tuning. Low gear tuning is easy. All I was doing was watching what the low gear fueling was doing on the 1-2 shift point and the 2-3 shift point. All you have to do is bring up the gauge panel and use the arrow keys to bring the 1-2 and the 2-3 RPM gauge up to the shift point...and then look over at the 02 guage. You make your adjustment...i t's that easy. What I noticed on some PL files is the 1-2 and 2-3 shift point would have a leaner reading...so go with the leaner reading. I recommend 6.1 over 5.7 as you have to monitor temp/humidity on a minute by minute basis as you have to adjust it manually as 6.1 looks after WOT for you. Leaning out the low gear fueling and adding low gear timing will heat the turbo and get it to spool faster.

[Scoobum]

Phil, break out Erics instructions and look all the way to the bottom. He explains aggressive mode and how to activate it. Most don't know about it.

[phil_long]

That's good stuff there!! I intend to stick with the chip from Eric. I will need a new one with the build that i have now. I'm running alky right now but I'm not running an alky chip. I don't really care for high timing as I feel there's not too much room for error with increasing timing. First gear I don't mind so much, but 2nd and 3rd I'd like it around 18* max. Lol. It's probably in my mind but I intend to keep the timing on the low side. Boost and fuel with mediocre timing I'll take. 

[Scoobum]

Leave Erics high gear timing on default. That 6262 comes on like a freight train at 23 PSI. I think Eric goes with 10.8 to 1 with his fueling for 6.1. Leave it there and put the boost to it in high gear...and again...leavin g the high gear timing on default.To activate aggressive mode just jump the low gear timing 1 degree. Again, read up on it. Eric also recommends leaving mid boost alone as it can't correct fast enough.

Erics 112 race chip default timing is 28-26. I ran 34/26 to 36/26 depending on what the track would hold.

[phil_long]

I will def do some more reading. The break in process of the head gaskets will suck ass though, because after putting 10 lbs of boost to the motor, it's suggesting that I retorque the heads down again. In bold letters it says that it's the most important step.

[Steve Wood]

Sounds like a good idea if you want to live a long time with that engine   I assume you are using head studs and not bolts.

I have one thing to add about the alky discussion.  If you run E85, it is really hard to make one detonate as long as you have large enuf injectors and big enuf pump.  A bonus aspect is that E85 has a wide area on the AF band.  It's not crucial like gasoline where if you need 10.6-1 and you run 10.8-1, it might detonate.  E85 does not have a sharp tuning peak.  Trying to say tuning for AF is not as sensitive with it.

Now, with regard to spraying methanol ala Julio's kit, it tends to be the same way.  The more you spray, the less sensitive tuning gets and the engine will not detonate as easily.  I used to help a guy with his Buick.  One time he sent me a couple of files because his car was only running 10.8 in the 1/4 and it had been running 10.6.  He had no sign of problems other than the O2's looked strange but his AF numbers from his wideband were about the same.

I  asked him about his fuel pressure and he did not have the gauge set up.  He took it out and put a gauge on the windshield.  He was losing fuel pressure at the 1/8 pole so he was basically running on alky the last half of the way.  He had turned the alky pump up because the car was going slower.  

That made me a believer.  I think it is a really a good idea to use Julio's pressure test kit to check your alcohol kit periodically to make sure it is putting out the proper pressure.  Just be sure you don't let the steel braided fuel line lay on the positive battery terminal.  You will see the blue flame running up the line about the time you realize the covering as turned red and removed the prints off the end of your fingers.

[nocooler]

That's where a trans brake is really nice, warm the car up to operating temp - and put the thing on the 2-step/Tbrake. Let it cool and then re-torque the head gaskets.

[phil_long]

I am using head studs yes. That is pretty good info about the E-85. Some part of me wants to run it, but I prefer the gas mileage from premium gas. Lol. The only thing about the Alky that scares me is the entry into the intake. I know it's been a topic beaten to death, but the thought of direct injected alky into each port would ease my worry just a bit. Bison stopped making his plates a while ago so I'm kind of screwed on that

[Steve Wood]

Phil, with regard to E85, it is great for a car that is raced heavily, but, it's a pain in the neck to properly take care of the fuel system and it does not like really cold weather in these old cars.  The gas mileage is a killer for a driver, imo, and it is not always readily available in some areas.  It's mostly an expensive fad particularly for a car that is driven frequently.  That is my opinion and I am sure you will see a bunch of people that disagree.

With regard to spraying alky, I am sure you will find plenty of people that speak knowingly about dry manifolds are not designed for flowing wet mixes and that cylinders 5&6 already run lean so adding a fuel to the air just makes it worse.

Then you see people like Russ and Melinda Merritt spraying alky in three, four, or five different points along the intake tract and running quicker than anyone elses' car and not only that, but, they run quarter miles while most others are running 1/8 mile races because they don't want to hurt their engines.  Now let's be honest, Russ is smarter than the average bear and Melinda is such a bear behind the wheel that other bears stay home in the woods.

Now, much to the chagrin of many other buick gurus, Russ runs a PowerPlate to make sure the "wet distribution" is even and has the egt and AF plots along with dyno runs to prove it.  You note that none of the genius's ever tell him that it does not work.  Of course, if you are old enuf to remember Dave Bamfort's Buick days when he was tearing them up spraying alky and running a PowerPlate as well.  He also had egts and dyno plots to show why he was the quickest of his time.  Now he bailed and spends his time preaching LS lore so he ain't in the Buick pack anymore.

What I just said is don't fear any of the bs about spraying alky.  Just keep an eye on the pump pressure and send it to Julio every year or two for a pump overhaul when the seals get weak and the pressure drops.

Lotsa people badmouth the plate and/or alky, but most of them would give their left nut to have developed either product like RJK or Julio.  When we hear this stuff we have to remember that a lot of vendors got their start bragging about their "tech" whether it be transmissions, magic intercoolers, or whatever and used the internet to spread their aura.  These days, there are quite a few legitimate Buick wrenches out there and the magic has faded for most of us old guys.  The quickest cars out there do not necessarily belong to the magic in a box guys, but to those that understand how race cars work.

Oops, I got off track but you should be used to that LOL   Don't fear the alky! Keep the jug full and the pump pumping


 

[Scoobum]

I agree with Steve. Send the pump in once a year for a rebuild to Julio. If you're in a State where it's warm and you drive it year round, then order another pump and you can swap it out once a year and the car won't be down. I installed a new kit from Julio in my car. I go to the track...hit the test button...and the engine doesn't bog down. Something went wrong in the pump. Brought the car home...removed the alky kit...went to race gas and never looked back. I have a vid on how to drain the tank faster then you can shotgun a beer so it wasn't an inconvenience for me. I have no experience with E85 so I can't help you with that. Having said that, I woulda gone to E85 if it was available here.

[phil_long]

Now I feel better about running the powerplate because I def have one on there. I appreciate all of the info here. I'm addressing the fuel system next which is why I mentioned that stuff. There's so much I want to do but Idk how much of it is necessary right now. I want to upgrade the fuel lines and go with a bigger pump, but I'm only running 42.5lb injectors right now so I don't see the point in the line upgrade yet. That's also a great idea with buying a second alky pump so I don't have any down time. Ugh!! So close, yet so much to do before she's ready. Lol

[Scoobum]

Phil, don't scrimp on the fuel system. Deny these engines fuel, and it won't be a good experience owning your car. I went with the SS hangar from Racetronix, new 255 pump every spring, new fuel filter every spring, 80 lb injectors, hotwire kit, hotwire injector kit, and a V Plus Volt booster but I don't think you can use the latter with alky. And I recorded EVERY run on PL and went back to the trailer to look for anomalies. If there were any, then the car went in the trailer and it came home and I sorted it out. Defer to Steve how far you can go with 42.5's and alky in regards to ET. I went to 80's from 60's as I ran out of injector on the 6.7 at 105 run. Keep in mind alky is a fuel so you can use less injector with alky.

[phil_long]

Yeah it's not my intention to skimp on the fuel side of things, but just curious on the injector side of things. You're car is definitely getting it done. Changing out the fuel pump every year is quite something. Ideally for me, I'd change my fuel pump as often as needed. I have an in car fuel pressure gauge so now I can watch it at all times.