Hey guys i do alot of reading not much posting, but i was curious...
I have my girlfriends RA w/
RRM CAI
RRM Down Pipe (w/0 CEL Eliminator)
RRM Piggyback ECU
Custom 2.5" Exhaust (from down pipe back)

I raced a friend with a 01 Sentra SE (SR20DE 130whp STOCK) w/
CAI
Header and Down Pipe
2.5" Cat-back Exhaust
Crank and Water Pump Pullies

I havnt dynoed my car but he had and he dynoed at 153whp

Well i took him off the line about 2 car lengths and in his 3rd gear he started to catch up just before the quarter... we got to talking and I'm now curious... is there an issue with top end power with the RA? (Keep in mind his car only weighs like 2700 LBS)... but after thinking about it ive come to notice that around my 3rd gear it is pretty weak... could it be do to the CEL messing with my A/F ratios? Let me know your input not looking for a solution right off hand, but it is on my mind

Edit: Quarter Mile time for me was 15.5 and his was 15.7 just FYI

 

The light is just a notice, it's not actually changing anything. You may want to practice your quarter mile skills. Stock RAs tend to run 15.2 or thereabouts on stock tires and a good driver. With your mods, plus practice, you should be in the high 14's. From the point you're at, the best way to gain top end power would be to reduce the rotating weight on your engine (flywheel, lightweight pulley), and to do the little things like P/P your intake manifold, consider phelonic spacers, and take a look at your valve lash.

 

Usually aftermarket cams will add more top end, but sometimes you have to sacrifice low end (i had stage 3 cams in my old eclipse, I didnt have that much low end but high end was incredible). However they dont make camshafts for our cars so thats outta the question. Otter summed it up very nicely I must add.

 

actualy im thinking somethin maybe wrong with the car... i can drive pretty good... my SRT4 ran a 14.08 at California Speedway Stock (average is 14.3)... not to much experiance driving the RA but the principle is still the same just alot more power in the SRT4... from my personal experiance the CEL is YES just a Warning, BUT in the RA's case it is because of a O2 sensor missing, wich can cause the engine to run too rich, that is what the O2 sensor is used for is to tell the ECU if the A/F is to rich or to lean... im pretty sure this same principle exists in the RA as in other cars i have had. This can effect performance... and def effects gas milage in a negative way

 

Quick way to fix that if it is a problem, do the cheap O2 sensor fix in the how-to section. Basically, you buy 2 spark plug anti-foulers, drill one out, and use those to pull the O2 sensor out of the exhaust stream so it doesn't throw a light.

One last way to gain a little bit more top end power - you can advance the stock cam shaft by a few degrees. Two ways to do this, either by an adjustable cam gear (3g Eclipse one supposedly fits), or by grinding the cap on the end of the cam and doing it that way. Kinda ghetto, so I'd recommend the cam gear.

 

only first O2 sensor adjusts fuel trim... second is mearly an indicator for catalytic efficiency.

From your time you definately are not driving the car to it's potential.

2things... get a clutch line and maybe firm front motor mount to help you with the launch and between shifts. Often guys can nail the launch but between 2nd and 3rd have laggy shifts that take up time.

Top end wise you could go with the lightened flywheel. This would allow you better acceleration all around and be much like his lightened pulleys. For that matter you could also get the lightened crank pulley. It really does help.

Lastly... short shifter, and ported intake manifold... if you get real daring pull the head and port the exhaust side only. Intake side is pretty good but exhaust side has a lot of meat on it. Porting just that will help tremendiously and is highly recommended if your staying NA... turbo port both sides.

 

k thanks for the input... actualy problem we found (just out looking at the car) looks like the mounts are tourn pretty bad... i guess she's gonna need some RRM mounts... and another thing as far as i know the RA runs 15.7s stock... at least according to http://www.modernracer.com and http://autos.msn.com but still should be running faster then a 15.5 if that is the case i would expect to at least be in the low 15s high 14s

 

The fastest recorded time of a stock RA is 14.9, done by Motor Trend. Nobody has been able to duplicate that, though. Since then, fastest I've seen is 15.2

 

I somehow pulled a 15.1, but every run thereafter was a 15.3-15.4. I'm stock (engine wise).

 

what were your 60 and 8th times? befor dumping too much more money into your car you should practice you launch and your shifting. Working on that can get your time down another 1/2 second.

 

i was able to run a 15.77 in the car when it was stock at california speedway... but i dont drive it to often so i dont have the feel for the car that someone driving it daily would... again like i said im not sure what the problem is but i fear somethin is wrong with the car... im hoping its just the mounts causing the issue (but i doubt it) i should be able to get better then a 15.5 out of the car with what is on it... any possibility it could be a suspension problem like maybe the rear struts having too much travel and squating to much off the line?

 

not sure of the 8th times i dont have the time slip with me at work but i do remember the 60ft was a 2.2somethin... ill have to go dig out the time slip and get all the numbers off it this weekend

 

It could be a lot of things. other people have run 15 flat to 15.2 with nothing more then a CAI. But they can launch the car. They run a 2.1-2.2 60. Others have a hard time getting under 15.6 on a stock car because they just arn't that good. they shift to slow and get too much spinn off the line and don't know how to feather the cluch. Let someone else with experiance drive it a couple times and see what happens.

 

my back suspention sucks it makes noises and when my friends tape me racing you can see the back-end of my car dips when i launch and shift to secont gear.

 

so now im not an experiance driver? ive driven and owned my share of quick cars... and i can assure u that i know how to drive... do i drive a ralliart on a regular basis? NO! but that doesnt mean that i dont know how to drive... there is a slight more wheel spin off the line then i would like but i am runnin 2.24 60ft and i again THINK SOMETHIN IS WRONG... stop telling me i cant drive... go find someone in California who has better times STOCK then i do in a SRT4... there is like 2 or 3 that can run anything under 14.3... i launch the RA at a little under 2K RPM and i can shift alot better then most... i know how to work a clutch... i know how to drive a car... im looking for suggestions as to what COULD BE WRONG... my guess is mostly the suspension and mounts... new mounts from RRM are on order... and i have noticed watching other run the car that it squats way more then it should in the rear... and yes they too werent able to get much better times... Elevation effects a car so just because someone in Florida or Iowa or wherever ran a 15.2 stock doesnt mean that is the case in california... anyone in california have some times with same mods or stock for that matter? Thanks to those who actualy gave input as to what could be possible beside "its the driver" i assure u it is not