Dragster maintenance

[Chris Williams]

Originally Posted by Bmack

I just want to stay on top of things with maintaining the car and parts because this is my first Methanol engine. So far the thing runs great and consistant. I just bought a Primer kit from Killer Rons because on the intial start up is quite tricky.

I don't know squat from methanol. Can't help you there.

Best of luck,
Chris

[Bmack]

How would I figure out what data to enter into the delay box, so I could leave on the first amber?

[Chris Williams]

Originally Posted by Bmack

How would I figure out what data to enter into the delay box, so I could leave on the first amber?

Simple, on a .5 tree the lights are .5 seconds apart, so just add a second to whatever you have in the box today. Perhaps start with 1.1 in the box and adjust from there.

[Bmack]

Hello Chris, I can't remember what was dialed in the box after I bought the car but it was 1...something. I dialed it to .000 so I could leave off the trans brake. The box is a biondo mega 85. My next question is, how do I know if it's a .500 tree or .400 tree. I'm trying to figure out if it's between different tracks or is it nhra or ihra or bracket tree or pro tree. Any thoughts there? Do you think there is any way I can compete by just using T/B.
Thanks again Chris for your great advice!

[Chris Williams]

Originally Posted by Bmack

Hello Chris, I can't remember what was dialed in the box after I bought the car but it was 1...something. I dialed it to .000 so I could leave off the trans brake. The box is a biondo mega 85. My next question is, how do I know if it's a .500 tree or .400 tree. I'm trying to figure out if it's between different tracks or is it nhra or ihra or bracket tree or pro tree. Any thoughts there? Do you think there is any way I can compete by just using T/B.
Thanks again Chris for your great advice!

Regardless of the delay, you are just leaving off the trans brake, just a tiny bit later So, sure you can compete that way.

Typically (although this is not always true) a "pro tree" -- all three yellows flash together -- is a .400 tree (actually .370, but let's not go there right now), and a "full tree" -- the three yellows flash in sequence -- has each light .500 apart. However, there are some classes and places where this is not the case (and with "cross talk" it's not always exactly .500, again, that's another discussion). In competition, it's decided by the class. Super Comp is a .400 pro tree, Top Dragster is a .500 full tree, for example. Bracket racing (name your dial) is all done on a full tree.

At a test and tune session, they usually say "lanes one and two for pro tree, three and four for full tree" and so on. And you can always ask the guy in the staging lanes. Most places on a T&T will even give you what you want. Just hold up 4 fingers for a pro tree, 5 for a full tree, they'll get it going for you.

As for IHRA, couldn't tell you. We're 1000 miles from the nearest IHRA track...

Chris

[Bmack]

That explained a whole lot to me. Thanks for your time, I'm learning a bunch from you Chris!