carb tuning for running the dial in?

[71gtdart]

just curious to see what methods some of you other bracket racers use for tuning your carb to run consistent ET's?

I have always been from the camp that runs the carb a litttle lean. my thinking has always been that when the lower DA of evening time comes that the carb that is already starving for fuel is not going to pick up much. better air, but not enough gas to take advantage and speed up a lot.

however, I took the new car to its first bracket race the other day and was just a tad to the rich side. my EGT was showing 1245 degrees. instead of me leaning it to around my usual 1375 degrees I let it be. the car ran three 6.87's flat out, and a 6.882 just stabbing the brakes at the finish line. it did this over a 5 hour period. the DA had went up and came back down a total of 500 feet over this time. not a lot but enough to make a car move.

just wonder now if it would have all of a sudden picked up 2 or 3 out of the blue when the sun went down. didn't make it that far because of a red light, but have wondered ever since.

any feed back?

 

[bOb shingler]

I reckon running the hotrod on the lean side may be asking for trouble when the air is real good. a motor that is rich well change very little as the DA moves around. it's a lot easier to predict et as it will only et a hundred or two quicker as the night gets damp. keep you dial one hundred under at all times and you should be ok. keep a book on your runs as the night progresses.

 

[Woods74]

Better rich than lean.

 

[hotstuff1]

X2 on the rich side

 

[71gtdart]

now guys, when I say lean, I mean 1375 degrees on the EGT. not talking about melt the plugs lean.

 

[OldmanRick]

While this may not be a popular opinion now days, and yes I'm older, if you want to be successful at bracket racing, the EGT should be the least of your worries. Just run your engine in a safe rich/lean area, period. It's just not a reliable between rounds tuning tool as far as I'm concerned.

You need consistent reaction times, consistent 60' times, and enough passes under your belt that you feel how the car is performing on each run. Your experience and analysis of each previous run, along with any weather changes, will guide you to the next dial in.

Although it happens on occasion, very few cars will repeat, repeat, repeat. You need to learn how to drive the top end in these races, and it will come with time in the car. Taking the stripe full on, pushing the other car out, brake tapping to not take too much stripe, etc. is all part of being a good bracket racer.

I hope I'm not coming off harsh, it's not my intention at all. I'm confident as you make more passes in the car, you'll get it.

Hey Man, we're in the same state.....Maybe sometime I can roundup enough $$$ to come see you make some runs. I'd really enjoy it. :thumleft:

 

[71gtdart]

While this may not be a popular opinion now days, and yes I'm older, if you want to be successful at bracket racing, the EGT should be the least of your worries. Just run your engine in a safe rich/lean area, period. It's just not a reliable between rounds tuning tool as far as I'm concerned.

You need consistent reaction times, consistent 60' times, and enough passes under your belt that you feel how the car is performing on each run. Your experience and analysis of each previous run, along with any weather changes, will guide you to the next dial in.

Although it happens on occasion, very few cars will repeat, repeat, repeat. You need to learn how to drive the top end in these races, and it will come with time in the car. Taking the stripe full on, pushing the other car out, brake tapping to not take too much stripe, etc. is all part of being a good bracket racer.

I hope I'm not coming off harsh, it's not my intention at all. I'm confident as you make more passes in the car, you'll get it.

Hey Man, we're in the same state.....Maybe sometime I can roundup enough $$$ to come see you make some runs. I'd really enjoy it. :thumleft:

I don't take it as harsh. I'm just asking how some of you other guys tune to keep the car from picking up or losing as much during DA swings. just like to read the different veiws. I've been bracket racing for quite some time. I understand every aspect of driving the stripe. I've got a finish line system that works great for only taking .00 to.01 at the stripe with a little practice. maybe I will post it some time. not a new trick by any means, just one that has been forgotton.