[kyboymatt]

Wasn't sure where this should be posted so went with the safe bet and posted it here.

I'll be heading to the track in a week or so but Im woefully unexperienced in launching a manual transmission of the line. I'm confident in 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 but starting I'm unprepared for.

Any pointers? I don't think double clutching will be needed but I can pull that off, just never had a fast 5-speed to race, so thus don't know how to launch.

Thanks for any help.

~matt

 

[denlou]

These cars are really easy to launch with a good pair of tires.

Try revving it up to about 2,800 - 3,000rpm and dump the clutch, find the sweet spot where you don't get wheel hop (very much) and you don't spin your tires and go nowhere.

 

[Renesis]

personally almost every time I drive it had I fuck up my 1-2 shift and end up in neutral..

seems hard to put in, heck I let someone drive it very slowly once and it had the same result! :lol: I was like WTF are you doing in neutral? get back in the passenger seat!

 

[fusiongt]

going to track? how many km do you have on your car so far? i have over 13K and still would rather have the car wear in a lot more plus i don't think these little engines are meant to be driven that hard

 

[th0ughtless]

lol, I do that alot when shifting into third for some reason. As far as launching, the previous posts were about the best way to explain it. You should find some back road sometime and practice launching and going through the gears a few times. Try to feel out the cars limits and find the best shift points. Of course, I don't condone regular street racing, and its a given that you're going to wear a few things out, like your clutch and suspension, but hell, whats the point in racing if you're not willing to spend any money?

 

[Nighthawk243]

going to track? how many km do you have on your car so far? i have over 13K and still would rather have the car wear in a lot more plus i don't think these little engines are meant to be driven that hard

The Ecotec is a block that is more durable than its predacessors.

The Quad 4/Twin Cam wasn't able to take as much of a beating as the current Ecotec can. GM had the Ecotec pushing power that the Quad4/Twin Cam would die at.



As far as launching goes, always start the car rolling on the last amber. Thats when you should be letting the clutch out and starting to roll enough to not stall. When you cross that line, you should be on green and going like a bat out of hell.

 

[kyboymatt]

Keep in mind I normally do my racing at the track and rarely. A good friend and I always have riveralies with our cars so we figured time to rekindle it with his cheat juiced 99 si and my stocker.

Ill keep those in mind, although nighthawk im not quite sure what you mean.

And it has 2k miles on it. Have been kinda gentle with it but been having a little fun though too. I plan on limiting the passes to three and hanging it up.

Basically it's to get a good stock baseline because once the first of the year comes and I get my taxes back its time to cold air, headers, and exhaust. Not sure what else but not going to keep it stock and dream of what could have been.

And I've tried launching at around 3k and get a lot of wheel spin, just hard to grab asphalt. Keep them coming because Ill pick the three best, try um and test them out. Can't learn if you don't try.

 

[Renesis]

be sure to post your times once you get there

 

[Gonedrivin]

be sure to post your times once you get there

I agree i want to see some times. I like to feather my clutch out alot and i usually get really good launches off of it. I like to rev to about 4K but not quite because you will spin the tires and you dont want to do that( the big downfall to FWD's) and will kill your 1/4 time.

 

[th0ughtless]

Hmm, only 2K miles...I think you should let her break in a bit more before racing, but thats just my $.02

 

[Nighthawk243]

Ill keep those in mind, although nighthawk im not quite sure what you mean.

.

On the standard NHRA christmas tree, theres several lights. The bottom three are Amber, Green, and DQ (Red). When the christmas tree hits that amber before the green, you want to give it the gas then, and not wait for the green. Your car will launch on the green and not a second after the green. The closer you can get to this without going so early as to trip the Disqualify parameters is better since you can usually get off the line very quick.

 

[06Pursuit]

2k? man I was racing as soon as I got the car. the motor is already broken in, there is no DRIVER break in period. As for launching I find that poping the clutch is a very bad thing. You are going to have to find this sweet spot where you are almost riding it but not quite. I usually launched at 3000rpm when it was stock.

 

[Guest]

Ill keep those in mind, although nighthawk im not quite sure what you mean.

.

On the standard NHRA christmas tree, theres several lights. The bottom three are Amber, Green, and DQ (Red). When the christmas tree hits that amber before the green, you want to give it the gas then, and not wait for the green. Your car will launch on the green and not a second after the green. The closer you can get to this without going so early as to trip the Disqualify parameters is better since you can usually get off the line very quick.

Or since he's never done it before, maybe he should just go for his ET.

They dont start the clock at green, they start the clock when you hit the line.

 

[njg5gt]

^^x2 the only thing they measure in that time is the reaction time

 

[Nighthawk243]

If he's just on the track alone, then yes, go for the ET.

I'm talking about a Head to Head race.

 

[kyboymatt]

I gotcha hawk! yah man I already do that for the RT hehe. Just didn't understand how that helped me launch.

I guess it's a feel thing, I've already got on the little gt pretty hard before and still running with not difference. I can't really wait to long or the track will close, so Ill take it easy on it.

I just know it will be fun to head down there and go down the track. Been awhile since I've drag raced.

 

[chrisdordon]

The ULTIMATE thread revival.


i was bored. dont judge.

 

[G5Steve]

my good launch in my 2.2 five speed is at 2k, and when you let out the clutch, don't just dump it, kinda quickly ride it, you know halfway between dumping it, and a normal from a stoplight in traffic go? and as you are letting out the clutch, give it gas, you may get a small amount of wheel spin, but you will be wanting second as soon as you try to put your foot on the foot rest. And I've been doing this with a very warn clutch and get no slippage (almost 100k on the motor and clutch now)

 

[kingG5]

lol ridding your clutch and a warn clutch go hand in hand.

 

[utsadude]

What king said.

And I hate to say that because everybody on here is a bitch when it comes to riding the clutch in these cars.