How to Race a 4-Speed Car

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Nothing shifts like a really good 4sp guy. DJV's (member here) father has a stick E body that can shift liek that. It's magic to watch. My hints for you: Invest in line lock. It's a cool thing to have for ETs, and for the off chance burger joint burnout. It makes life a lot easier. next, I'm a firm belieiver in dropping (sidestepping really) the clutch on the line. But, if you drive the car a lot, you will develop a feel for when the clutch is slightly loaded. Enough to notice a darg on teh engine, but not enough to move the car forward. That's what they are talking about. I used to slide my foot left off the pedal (I use the clutch to keep the car at the line) at 3200rpm in my E body. I did break seo u joints, but that's what happens sometimes..lol. Better them then the clutch trans or rear. Power shifting means the trans is forced into gear. Great if the trans has been prepped for it, not so good if it's not. So I tended to just graze the clutch pedal during shifts, but not letting off the gas. It was enough to slip the clutch, and let me slam into the next gear, but wasnt as hard on the synchros. Go to the track and watch the Stock Eliminator guys with sticks. You'll hear a "whack" sound and the rpms will drop when they power shift. But they have Jericho tannys and they are designed for that. The sound is the same if you do your shifting right. Last, be patient. Ronnie Sox wasnt that good the first few times. It took practice. When in doubt, concentrate on clean upshifts. Not fast upshifts. The speed will come with repetition. Oh, and make DAMN sure you install a FORWARD driveshaft loop on the car. They should tag you a tthe track if you dont have one. But trust me, it's the next most important thing behind a helmet for safety.
 
Todd420 really good technique's.here's a couple more.Have a 3 step rev limiter 1st step hooked to your linelock,first step for burn out and and launch,set at 4-5000 rpm wherever you launch at,2nd step with micro switch on clutch petal adjusted to engage and hold your rpm at shift point till you let the clutch engage again and the 3rd stage is set for max rpm.This helps to not over revv your engine.This might not be how the pro's would do it but it's not as hard as power shifting.Or you coult just buy a Lenco.
 
I've got a MSD dig 6 and I have my low rev limiter wired into my line-lock for burnouts and staging.

It 3 step was suggsted to me, but I've only had the car out for 1 weekend, and I was getting used to the car.

BELIEVE me, i'd rather have a Lenco or some other trans .

I've got some more vids i'll post of some better runs, when i can get them

Todd
 
I know many of you have seen my Brother in laws Duster. Want to learn how to shift? He has got to be one of the fastest I have ever seen. People swear that the car is an automatic when it makes a pass since the engine seems to have almost no change in RPM. Then they all assume that it is clutchless and I whip out a video in car. Then with the ETs it must be a big block with a bottle. Nope, 340 smallblock all motor. Enjoy the movie.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7528903995676743423&hl=en

Duster4 small.JPG
 
drjay0 said:
I know many of you have seen my Brother in laws Duster. Want to learn how to shift? He has got to be one of the fastest I have ever seen. People swear that the car is an automatic when it makes a pass since the engine seems to have almost no change in RPM. Then they all assume that it is clutchless and I whip out a video in car. Then with the ETs it must be a big block with a bottle. Nope, 340 smallblock all motor. Enjoy the movie.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7528903995676743423&hl=en
Click to expand...

I watched the video several times and I believe I would call that power shifting because he never lets off of the throttle. If he does lift I can't tell in the video.
 
what kind of shifter does he have in that car?
is it an inline shifter?
 
You just completed the second school of thought on this.

I always slipped the clutch off the line and aimed for the dimmer switch, side stepped on every gear while trying to put my right foot through the floor board.
Click to expand...

This is what I do. On the line, you may want to keep the rev's low and slowly lift the clutch pedal until you figure it out. Get used to it. The launch can be hard to voilent throwing you back hard into the seat. When your not ready for it, believe it or not, the foot can come off the pedal.

Another thing is the carb, if a Holley, will need jet extentions to insure fuel when you go to W.O.T quickley. Even so, you can still stall at the line.
Walking it out, AKA easy up on the clutch, is a good way to start until you iron everything out.
 
moper said:
Nothing shifts like a really good 4sp guy.
Click to expand...

Ever heard about what happened when Ronnie Sox switched to the Lenco like everyone else had? It slowed him down! He went back to the 4-speed and stayed there.
 
Longgone said:
After going through the gears like that in my car , my heart is beating like the first time I ever felt a girls tit! \\:D/ Lol! It is a rush!!!:burnout:
Click to expand...

ive got a V gate, 380hp crate in a duster. I did it for the first time a few weeks ago..same result :) my buddy who has a bb auto road runner was next to me. thought he filled his shorts lol.
 
What we do in Bruce County....................... Rev it till it misses. Then give her another gear.......................

Just kidding. Go have fun. That's what's most important.
 
drjay0 said:
I know many of you have seen my Brother in laws Duster. Want to learn how to shift? He has got to be one of the fastest I have ever seen. People swear that the car is an automatic when it makes a pass since the engine seems to have almost no change in RPM. Then they all assume that it is clutchless and I whip out a video in car. Then with the ETs it must be a big block with a bottle. Nope, 340 smallblock all motor. Enjoy the movie.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7528903995676743423&hl=en
Click to expand...

Just like I used to drive my Coronet. I miss my stick cars. Try running like that with a stock style B-body shifter in a bench car. Third gear will smack your hand into the dash. Loved every minute of it. Everyone thought the Coronet was an auto also. I would love to get the cash and put a Jerico in my fish.

Michael
http://mysite.verizon.net/michael_mosley/barracuda.html
 
Cool video Dave. Thanks for sharing! BTW, how's that Magnum I sold you while I was in Tucson? Still wish I had her. :sad10:
 
I used to bracket race a 340 Dart 4-speed years ago. I had a line lock on the car but no rev limiter as I had a dual point dist. I use 4.56 gears and 28 x 9 slicks.
I would dump the clutch in second gear doing my burnout and hold the eng at 5 to 6000 rpm. Then roll out of the water and let of the gas. Then slowly rollup and turn on the Prestage lite. Then I would engauge the linelock and I would basically bump the clutch out and slide the car a bit to get the Staged lite on. Then when the first yellow lite was coming on I tach it up to about 6000 and when the last yellow was coming on I would floor it and dump the clutch at the same time. No pussyfooting it here as the gas pedal went on the floor and stayed there. Then when I shifted about 6500 I just pushed the clutch in as fast as I could and mash the shifter into the next gear as fast as I could. I would always power shift my car which means the gas pedal stayed on the floor all thru the shifts. I did find out in my buddies car that ran low 11's that it was much harder to get it in gear power shifting the stock trans. So I tried lifting the gas real fast and I mean real fast as I shifted and it would go into gear much easier and it did not slow the car down at all. Once you get so fast the stock trans will need to be built to be a slick shift trans to go into gear easier. Ron
 
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