Random slow reaction times!

TS310C · 05-21-2012, 08:59 AM

I recently figured out that after 4 runs on my car (almost exactly) in one day I get a reaction time around .050-.060 after being in the .000-.015 range the previous runs. At first I just figured I was missing the tree, but the more it happened, the more I realized this can't be a coincidence. This weekend I went red the first two hits, then loaded the box and went .015. On the fourth run (same lane, same delay setting) I went .068! It did this on both Saturday and Sunday of this past weekend. After looking back through my log book, it has done this at the last 6 races dating back to last season! I have to believe it is a heat related thing since it happens on the 4th run of the day. Could it be the transbrake solenoid? I was thinking delay box, but I don't know why it would happen after 4 runs ever time. Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!

Bill Baer · 05-21-2012, 09:28 AM

Ryan

The problem could be heat soak in the solenoid but it could be electrical ,we added a "Stop it" from shogun and ran the ground wire directly to the battery and that seemed to help considerably.

Or you could just count on luck to provide you with a( little rusty) old fart opponent who put's out the top bulb. LOL

TS310C · 05-21-2012, 02:39 PM

Bill,

I just got lucky against you! I'll take a freebie whenever I can get one.

As always I had a great time racing with you guys! The car was dialed this weekend, just need to get the reaction time deal figured out.

I have talked to Hughes (trans) and K&R (delay box). They both said they don't think it is their product and they both have good points about why not. I am sending in the box to have them look it over just in case. Kevin from K&R also wants me to replace my transbrake button. He says they tested every button on the market and the big red B&M button is the best. Not sure why that would change after 4 runs, but I am going to try whatever I can. I might even change transmissions just in case. Ideally I would change one thing at a time so I knew what did it, but I don't have that luxury. I don't want to waste a race each time I find out it wasn't fixed.

C and W Racing · 05-21-2012, 02:57 PM

Ryan, I had the exact same thing happen to me this past weekend. Made a time run in each lane and was .018 in both lanes. Took .006 out of the box and first round I was .027 but thought I may have missed it some. Next round I was .050 and thought I drilled it. Next round I was .027 again. Lost that round. Sunday I was going to check my solenoid before our one time run. It was dragging when I pushed it in and I felt that was my problem. Made a time run before I changed it because they called us to the lanes before I could. I was .053 on the tree, came back and changed the solenoid and was .013 first round. From the 2 time runs the day before, you can see I was set up for a .012 so I feel like that fixed my problem. I'm .013 and take .003 stripe and break out to a .007 dead on 1. lol I also have the shogun stop it on my car.
Chuck

TS310C · 05-21-2012, 03:05 PM

Chuck,

I am thinking that I may change the solenoid even though Hughes doesn't think it is the problem. I just want to make sure I have everything covered. We don't get out as much as we used to and if I am spending the money to race I want to make sure it is fixed.

I am sending the box to K&R tomorrow and picking up a new button today.

Brian Hansbury · 05-21-2012, 05:57 PM

I Feel Your pain i had the same issue was told convertor sprague broke bought a new convertor and thought i was good went .018 but second shot was .061 though i really missed it so left it alone for fisrt round went .060 can u say duck .....changed solonoid this weekend and was .032 took ten out went .017 took ten out went .003 so rolled it ou sunday all was good lost second round took too much stripe like a D--K oh well good luck

Rick Bailey · 05-22-2012, 05:38 PM

Old age Ryan........... old age !

BigWayde · 09-27-2012, 04:16 PM

So did you guys ever figure out the cause of the poor reaction times?

I have the exact same problem with my car right now. .006 and .014 in time runs then in first or second round I'll go .035 or .040. I don't feel like I'm missing the tree at all. We've changed transbrake solenoids but we are still having the same issues. I have a new delay box on the way.

Just wondering if anyone figured it out yet!

Thanks guys.

Bill Baer · 09-27-2012, 05:39 PM

Try checking or adding a ground to the solenoid (cheap & easy)

BigWayde · 09-27-2012, 06:06 PM

thanks for the quick reply. Definitely a good idea! We already have a ground to the solenoid. That's something that we discovered years ago. Now we check it all the time when things start going wacky. Ground seems to be good.

Other things to note: we bought new tires a couple months ago. They have about 60 passes on them. So I don't think it's a problem with the tires. We have a mega 450 delay box that has been in the car for about 5 years now I think. It has broke once before. It would just cycle everything even when I would hold the button down. We sent the box back and they fixed it no problem and for free, which was awesome. They said that one of the solders on the board had broke. I'm wondering if that could be the case again just a different part of the board. It is weird that it only seems to happen after a few runs and everything gets warmed up nice and good.

Regardless, we should be getting our new delay box today or tomorrow so we will give that a try. Just trying to think if there is anything else we are missing.

thanks again

05-21-2012, 08:59 AM	#1
TS310C Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Morton, IL Posts: 323 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Random slow reaction times! I recently figured out that after 4 runs on my car (almost exactly) in one day I get a reaction time around .050-.060 after being in the .000-.015 range the previous runs. At first I just figured I was missing the tree, but the more it happened, the more I realized this can't be a coincidence. This weekend I went red the first two hits, then loaded the box and went .015. On the fourth run (same lane, same delay setting) I went .068! It did this on both Saturday and Sunday of this past weekend. After looking back through my log book, it has done this at the last 6 races dating back to last season! I have to believe it is a heat related thing since it happens on the 4th run of the day. Could it be the transbrake solenoid? I was thinking delay box, but I don't know why it would happen after 4 runs ever time. Any help is appreciated! Thanks! __________________ Ryan Koener S/G 310C Last edited by TS310C; 05-21-2012 at 09:08 AM.

05-21-2012, 09:28 AM	#2
Bill Baer Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Nothern IL Posts: 596 Likes: 1 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Random slow reaction times! Ryan The problem could be heat soak in the solenoid but it could be electrical ,we added a "Stop it" from shogun and ran the ground wire directly to the battery and that seemed to help considerably. Or you could just count on luck to provide you with a( little rusty) old fart opponent who put's out the top bulb. LOL __________________ Bill Baer 3391 SC, 339B SC, QR

05-21-2012, 02:39 PM	#3
TS310C Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Morton, IL Posts: 323 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Random slow reaction times! Bill, I just got lucky against you! I'll take a freebie whenever I can get one. As always I had a great time racing with you guys! The car was dialed this weekend, just need to get the reaction time deal figured out. I have talked to Hughes (trans) and K&R (delay box). They both said they don't think it is their product and they both have good points about why not. I am sending in the box to have them look it over just in case. Kevin from K&R also wants me to replace my transbrake button. He says they tested every button on the market and the big red B&M button is the best. Not sure why that would change after 4 runs, but I am going to try whatever I can. I might even change transmissions just in case. Ideally I would change one thing at a time so I knew what did it, but I don't have that luxury. I don't want to waste a race each time I find out it wasn't fixed. __________________ Ryan Koener S/G 310C

05-21-2012, 02:57 PM	#4
C and W Racing Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 557 Likes: 6 Liked 13 Times in 3 Posts	Re: Random slow reaction times! Ryan, I had the exact same thing happen to me this past weekend. Made a time run in each lane and was .018 in both lanes. Took .006 out of the box and first round I was .027 but thought I may have missed it some. Next round I was .050 and thought I drilled it. Next round I was .027 again. Lost that round. Sunday I was going to check my solenoid before our one time run. It was dragging when I pushed it in and I felt that was my problem. Made a time run before I changed it because they called us to the lanes before I could. I was .053 on the tree, came back and changed the solenoid and was .013 first round. From the 2 time runs the day before, you can see I was set up for a .012 so I feel like that fixed my problem. I'm .013 and take .003 stripe and break out to a .007 dead on 1. lol I also have the shogun stop it on my car. Chuck

05-21-2012, 03:05 PM	#5
TS310C Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Morton, IL Posts: 323 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Random slow reaction times! Chuck, I am thinking that I may change the solenoid even though Hughes doesn't think it is the problem. I just want to make sure I have everything covered. We don't get out as much as we used to and if I am spending the money to race I want to make sure it is fixed. I am sending the box to K&R tomorrow and picking up a new button today. __________________ Ryan Koener S/G 310C

05-21-2012, 05:57 PM	#6
Brian Hansbury Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: east nassau ny Posts: 100 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Random slow reaction times! I Feel Your pain i had the same issue was told convertor sprague broke bought a new convertor and thought i was good went .018 but second shot was .061 though i really missed it so left it alone for fisrt round went .060 can u say duck .....changed solonoid this weekend and was .032 took ten out went .017 took ten out went .003 so rolled it ou sunday all was good lost second round took too much stripe like a D--K oh well good luck

05-22-2012, 05:38 PM	#7
Rick Bailey Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 502 Likes: 5 Liked 10 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Random slow reaction times! Old age Ryan........... old age ! __________________ Rick Bailey 3439 SC

09-27-2012, 04:16 PM	#8
BigWayde Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Random slow reaction times! So did you guys ever figure out the cause of the poor reaction times? I have the exact same problem with my car right now. .006 and .014 in time runs then in first or second round I'll go .035 or .040. I don't feel like I'm missing the tree at all. We've changed transbrake solenoids but we are still having the same issues. I have a new delay box on the way. Just wondering if anyone figured it out yet! Thanks guys.

09-27-2012, 05:39 PM	#9
Bill Baer Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Nothern IL Posts: 596 Likes: 1 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Random slow reaction times! Try checking or adding a ground to the solenoid (cheap & easy) __________________ Bill Baer 3391 SC, 339B SC, QR

09-27-2012, 06:06 PM	#10
BigWayde Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Random slow reaction times! thanks for the quick reply. Definitely a good idea! We already have a ground to the solenoid. That's something that we discovered years ago. Now we check it all the time when things start going wacky. Ground seems to be good. Other things to note: we bought new tires a couple months ago. They have about 60 passes on them. So I don't think it's a problem with the tires. We have a mega 450 delay box that has been in the car for about 5 years now I think. It has broke once before. It would just cycle everything even when I would hold the button down. We sent the box back and they fixed it no problem and for free, which was awesome. They said that one of the solders on the board had broke. I'm wondering if that could be the case again just a different part of the board. It is weird that it only seems to happen after a few runs and everything gets warmed up nice and good. Regardless, we should be getting our new delay box today or tomorrow so we will give that a try. Just trying to think if there is anything else we are missing. thanks again