(I figure that mentioning the WR turbo in the subject line will get people to read my post )

Well, I finally got my Evo out to the drag strip for the first time. Here is what I had today:

Gas: 93 octane

Weather: Sunny w/temps of 82-84 degrees (daytime TnT at MIR, which is close to sea level)

Mods:

Buschur Stage 4 w/264/272
WR turbo w/high pressure actuator upgrade
High flow cat
UTEC
Blitz sbc id3 EBC w/Power Meter

I started the day with a 2.6/9.5@84.3/14.1@107.8 (lots of knock in 4th) and ended up with a best ET run of 2.1/8.4@87.3/12.9(@109.9 (still knock in 4th). After working with the UTEC and EBC more (reducing boost 2 psi in 4th and timing by 1-1.5 degrees in the knock-prone mid-6K range), I finished with a 2.3/8.6@86.8/13.0@111.9 (no knock), which is promising, but I was really having a lot of trouble all day with two things -- 60-foots (I bogged or the clutch slipped every time) and knock in 4th gear.

I have a WR turbo which holds boost really well, but I really wanted to stick with 93 octane for my first time to the track and found that it's ability to hold boost right to redline in every gear was a problem from a tuning standpoint -- at least above 3rd gear. The amount of timing that the car can tolerate in 4th gear on 93 octane at over 100 mph is a lot less than it can tolerate in the lower gears. And on top of that, it gained about 3 psi from 1st to 4th gear just from the additional load.

Rather than take out timing with the UTEC (although I did take out some), which would have hurt every gear, my solution for today was to intentionally taper boost 1 psi in 3rd gear and 2 psi in 4th gear with my EBC. Even with that boost taper I was picking up 25 mph on the second eighth, so I think I could pick a good bit of power from race gas if that allowed me to keep the boost up.

I was running 17.5 degrees of timing at 7000 rpm. Any more and it would knock. AFRs were hovering around 11.2-11.3. Boost was about 20 psi in 1st and 2nd gear, 19 in 3rd gear and about 18 from 6500 on up in 4th (measured with AEM MAP sensor). This wasn't the turbo losing boost. This was me turning down the boost to avoid knock. I think this is not a common problem with the stock turbo because it doesn't hold boost so tenaciously in the upper RPMs and upper gears.

I definitely see a clutch in my future. I wasn't bogging on my later 2.2-2.3 60-foots. I think that the revs were climbing faster than the car was moving -- not a good sign. Next time, I think I'll try 104 unleaded. And then eventually I'll put on a test pipe and try some 116 leaded. Maybe by then I'll be able to launch this thing and I'll have a real clutch.

Should I be happy with the way the car performed? Obviously, the driver/tuner needs some work, but I _think_ that I did okay for 93 octane (except for the miserable launches) considering it was pretty warm out, I don't have 272s or 280s and that I left the cat on.

Any thoughts, comments, etc. would be appreciated (even from my bud Warrtalon)

 

I think you should be quite pleased with 112mph on pump with those 60's, because such slow launches have a major impact on MPH. You already know that the 60's were affecting the ET, but that's not important. ET will come in due time. What's important is the 112mph with minimal boost and only moderate timing.

Here's what I think will happen:

1) On 93 with new clutch and a 1.7 60', you will hit 113-114mph with the same tuning you had today.

2) On race gas, you will be able to run 24-25psi with closer to 20* peak timing, and on a good 1.7 60' and solid shifting, you will be able to hit 117mph like our buddy Ivan, who is only using meth.

Edit: Oh, one more thing. Since you have hit 112 already, despite the bad launches, you are AT LEAST at the same power level as when I'm on race gas with the boost cranked to 24psi, and the S-AFC leaned out while getting a peak of 22* timing at the top of 4th. If I had 200more rpm in 4th, I could hit 112, but that's it. You are capable of 114 right now on 93oct on a daily basis, so your daily-driving HP appears to be no less than 20 higher than my full race-prep HP. I'd feel good about that. I would guess around 350whp, which is why you need to sign your *** up for our super-cheap dyno day...

 

I too think your 60's will improve and your MPH would be closer to the 115 MPH trap that Buschur got with Stage 3 on pump or 116 MPH they got with pump at stage 4. A slipping clutch will definitely hurt your MPH. Did you ever run your car at the same track minus the UTEC and White Rabbit, ie Buschur Stage 4 only with your clutch in better shape? I would be surprised if you see alot better numbers at those boost levels with the White Rabbit over the stock turbo and the real difference will be seen with higher boost and the 104 octane. I'm sure running the cat is robbing a bit of MPH as well. When I bog my car, I surprisingly usually only see one MPH of difference and sometimes no difference or even better MPH. It should typically hurt MPH though.

 

Thanks. A few responses: I'm not sure that my psi numbers are comparable to yours. I intentionally used my AEM MAP numbers because those are standardized, but they tend to be lower than most boost gauges (by around 2 psi). (Just as an aside, I've wondered whether the MAP sensor on Buschur's dyno is comparable to an AEM MAP sensor, because he drew a comparison on here between Ivan's boost on the Mustang dyno with the WR and his boost with his RS and the 20G using the AEM MAP and those could be apples and oranges numbers.) Also, you already know that I'm right after you at our dyno day. Are you dynoing on pump gas again or race gas? BTW, I think I'll be dynoing in 3rd gear

 

No, this was my first time to the track in the Evo. I agree that the WR probably didn't do anything for me at this boost level, other than maybe recover from the bad launches faster. I think I've picked up 15-20 whp on 93 since getting the UTEC/WR combo (as measured on the Blitz Power Meter), but I attribute most of that to the UTEC. The Dynoflash mail-in timing was too aggressive for my car in the mid range and forced me to run very moderate boost levels. It will be interesting to see what I actually dyno in a couple weeks. According to the Power Meter, I had about 331 on the Dynoflash/stock turbo and now about 345-350 on the UTEC/WR combo (on 93). With just exhaust I was in the low 300s.

 

Since it's just 3 runs, I don't think I'll have time to toss in race gas and tune to the optimum combination of boost and AFR unless I use all 3 runs. I want to see what my 93oct numbers are now that I have the full TBE and fuel pump, and since I'll probably spend some time tuning the S-AFC just for that stuff, I don't anticipate any extra time for checking it on race gas.

 

Not to bad Rich, 112 is nothing to be ashamed of. Should be interesting to see your dyno numbers. You have any idea on which clutch your going to look at?

I can see meth/WI in your future. Race gas gets expensive, to run at the track. Meth is cheaper then pump gas right now, 2.80 a gallon. Once you feel the car on high boost, it will be tough driving on low boost.

 

Impressive, get those 60fts down