track times with my 350

[techg8]

72 Skylark

My build:
72 SBB350 +.030 9:1 pistons
Poston GS118 cam
Cast intake (4hole opened up to that "performer" amoeba shape) w/1"spacer
home ported heads (cleaned bowls, cut valve stem bosses, gasket matched) Stock valves
Exh. Manifolds enlarged to 2.250", 2.5" exhaust pipe

TH350 trans w/transgo Kit, all new inside, hi po frictions etc.
B&M 2400 converter

8.5" 3.73 Posi rear
P275-60 R15 Nitto drag radials

[techg8]

So I have been to the track a few times this season and have some "data"

1st outing: Lebanon Valley Wed night - Street tires P275 60R15 BFG radial T/A - 5500rpm shifts
6 runs, just flooring the pedal on "go"
15.175 @ 92.28
14.959 @ 92.42
14.981 @ 92.08
15.044 @ 91.68
15.086 @ 90.92
14.933 @ 92.23 stalled converter to 1500

2nd outing :Lebanon Wed night - Nitto Drag radials P275 60-15 - 5500rpm shifts
2 runs, stalling converter about 1800
15.43 @ 79.96 BAD run - left it in manual 2 didnt get into 3rd gear
15.178 @90.62

3rd outing Lebanon Valley Buick day - 275 drag radials - 4500rpm shifts
3 runs, stalling converter to ~2000
15.545 @ 87.86
15.437 @ 88.13
15.457 @ 88.98

[techg8]

The 3rd outing at Lebanon for Buick day suffered because I had changed the shift points to 4500.....too low, and my times reflected it.

However, having run 14.9s at about 92.2 on street tires on my 1st outing, I had expected to pick up some time going to drag radials for my second outing.

You can see I did not. I wonder if this is due to the CALT - it was about 1500 on my 1st outing with street tires and about 2750 on the 2nd outing with drag radials.

Anyhow it looks like I have some tuning to do. I would like to get the car as low in the 14s as I can, consistently. I will keep posting results/what worked and didnt.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

My biggest concern is getting off the line as hard as possible. It seems the car just doesnt have the "punch" I want right off the line.

[gsjohnny]

350's like to breathe as i told you in our talk saturday. the more you can clear its throat the better. and being the way the 350 is design, the more stall you have the better. the 350 does like and can run high rpm. but saturday's weather just plain sucked.
glad you showed up.

[Sean Buick 76]

I am pretty sure that your main issue is the camshaft and the rpm you leave the line. Like you say the cam does not pull well under 2800 rpms. I would work on getting the car to rev higher on the converter as you leave the line.

[techg8]

Installed my MSD 6A. Noticeable improvement in how well the motor runs at all RPMs. Not sure how that translates to the track. I will post results.

I have my eyes open for a 2800-3200 stall converter to aid the launch.

I also modified my governor some more. Now it shifts 1-2 WOT at 5500 then 2-3 WOT 5000rpm.

A couple small carb mods, not much but they might help as well. Fixed a small dead spot on tip-in

I havent touched the timing yet. I am about 20 initial +14mechanical then +10 vacuum.

Hope to get to the track Wed night, weather permitting.

[Kick71]

Ken how about a shorter tire? I'm no racer not sure if it would help a little??

PS. Got the package Thank You very much looks great all the best!

[Sean Buick 76]

We are rooting for ya!!!

[techg8]

Got out again Wednesday to Lebanon Valley. The heat kept people away, so even though I got there a little late I made a bunch of runs.

Best was a 14.999@91.04
60ft 2.256

I used the later runs to try stalling the converter higher, and redlighted a bunch as a result. The car would creep forward anytime I tried to stall higher than 2000 rpm.

2800 stall converter and some practice will help that I think.

Alt was around 3400 88degF 62%humid

some thoughts for next time:
higher stall converter!
air down the drag radials
cold air intake/scoop?

[gsjohnny]

a trans-brake would really help. let's put my s/p on it. .i dont need for a couple of weeks.

[techg8]

I have a line lock on the way for staging and burnouts. Hoping that will do the trick?

As for the SP, I have a TA310 motor I will be building maybe in the fall with hi comp pistons etc...I was considering trying one of your sp on that?

I hate to think of cracking open a good running motor

[gsjohnny]

I have a line lock on the way for staging and burnouts. Hoping that will do the trick?

As for the SP, I have a TA310 motor I will be building maybe in the fall with hi comp pistons etc...I was considering trying one of your sp on that?

I hate to think of cracking open a good running motor

scared... i have another s/p half built which would be a mild version. also another intake that would be in between mine and the lesser. stop by and i'll show you the difference.

[jaystoy]

Sounds like a challege Ken!!

[gsjohnny]

Sounds like a challege Ken!!

two caveat's with this;
1) may need a hole in the hood. hope you still have the old one.
2) health insurance; you will go thru all sorts of crying spells when i take the intake back.

[No Lift]

I think you're doing pretty good at this point. You just don't have a balanced setup yet.

Here's the quick synopsis:

A bit too much cam, too wide lobe centers/not enough compression/needs more converter to work.

Cam wants to rev up/exhaust manifolds choke it off at higher rpm.

Opened up intake/lost more bottom end torque.

28" tall tires/could've used 26" tires for a better effective gear ratio.

Nothing out of hand here. I'm thinking your 60' needs to get into the 1.90 range

If that spacer you have is an open one try a 4-hole 1" spacer. That will perk up the bottom end. That will be as cheap as it can get and go up from there.

The 118 cam is good in a 455 but it is probably taking away too much low end from your 350 and you're a little short on compression for it. The wide lobe center is draining compression. I'd recommend a smaller tighter lobe center cam if you didn't want to change anything else. The 1-2 at 5500 is good. I'd just shift manual from 2-3. You've got to keep the revs up since you don't have it down low.

Forget that "350's make big torque" stuff so you don't need a higher stall. Like John said get a higher stall converter. A 10" 3200 would probably work great. If you just buy an off the shelf unit one rated at 3200-3500 would probably be fine. The 10" unit gets some wieght off the crank for faster reving. You have the tires and gears. With that setup you might start taxing the traction.

Probably lost some mph because the "Drag Radials" have more drag than hard as a brick BFG's. The air change is probably your biggest killer. Leb Valley isn't the fastest track so a trip to E-Town, Atco, or Cecil in the fall would be worth some noticable performance.

You may have your own reasons for keeping them but I'd get a set of headers on there fast. From my experience and others I've heard that the 350's exhaust manifolds just don't get the job done like they can do on a 455. The BBB just seems to have better flow or passageways to promote it. Who knows but that is where I'd be going along with the converter.

Now in my opinion if you go anywhere near John's SP intake in the state you car is in you'll only be making a bad thing worse and the only crying you'll be doing is for him to take it away. However, once you get the other things taken care of there may be a benefit from it down the road.

Good luck and see you at E-Town.