Drag Racing Frustration!! Car Trouble

[sstougard]

Ok, I am a typical guy and I hate asking for help, but I am totally dumbfounded. My car has an odd problem and any suggestions would be great!

I can make three perfect burnouts (Usually) then the third run it begins to mess up. When I am at the line waiting for the lights to finish the RPM begins to drop. My foot is in it all the way and I am against the Trans Brake at 5500. By the time the light goes green it nearly idles off the line. Then about 10 to 20 feet out it runs like a bat out of hell again.

I have replace my fuel Reg, fuel pump and it still does it. I was grabbing at straws and put in a new converter and it still does it. The motor is has only 15 pass's on it and half of those were with the wierd issue. I rewired the car etc. I am about to freaking lose it! Any help out there? Hell, and witch doctors out there?

[bbchevy]

Ok, I am a typical guy and I hate asking for help, but I am totally dumbfounded. My car has an odd problem and any suggestions would be great!

I can make three perfect burnouts (Usually) then the third run it begins to mess up. When I am at the line waiting for the lights to finish the RPM begins to drop. My foot is in it all the way and I am against the Trans Brake at 5500. By the time the light goes green it nearly idles off the line. Then about 10 to 20 feet out it runs like a bat out of hell again.

I have replace my fuel Reg, fuel pump and it still does it. I was grabbing at straws and put in a new converter and it still does it. The motor is has only 15 pass's on it and half of those were with the wierd issue. I rewired the car etc. I am about to freaking lose it! Any help out there? Hell, and witch doctors out there?
SURE Sounds Like a FUEL ISSUE?
Maybe a Pick-Up Problem?
What type of Cell do you have,and where is the Pick-Up Located?
Later
Greg 8)

[sstougard]

I never thought of a cell problem. I run an 5 Gal RCI. Heck I am willing to try anything at this point. I appreciate your help. The cell has been the same one I have ran for years, what could go wrong with it? Kind of funny, everytime I think I have broken everything made racing I find something new to bust. lol

[DirkaDirka]

Well here is another forum on here form someone losing rpm also. I dontknow if this will help but it might have diff points to check that might work for you.

http://forums.racingjunk.com/viewtopic.php?t=11158

[sstougard]

Reading it now, btw great line...."it is always fun ..." LMAO

[CamBirdRacing]

I never thought of a cell problem. I run an 5 Gal RCI. Heck I am willing to try anything at this point. I appreciate your help. The cell has been the same one I have ran for years, what could go wrong with it? Kind of funny, everytime I think I have broken everything made racing I find something new to bust. lol


Vent could be clogged up!?

[fla1976]

X2 on the plugged vent, maybe a Mud Dauber?!! :shock:

[ashbros]

Are you running alcohol?

Injection or Carburated?

If alcohol, when was the last time you cleaned out your fuel filter and blew out the fuel lines?? Removed and cleaned the injectors?

[oldandtired]

X2 on the plugged vent, maybe a Mud Dauber?!! :shock:

I have a farm truck that does not get driven often and had a dirt dauber block up the vent tube on the turbo 350. You would not believe the mess when the trans heated up and fluid came spitting out of the full tube.
Dave

[sstougard]

It is an 1150 Doninator on gas.

Checked the vent line, it was plugged up with a little crap. But took it out and brought it up against the converter and brake and it did it again. And my daughter wonders why I am losing my hair!!!





Are you running alcohol?

Injection or Carburated?

If alcohol, when was the last time you cleaned out your fuel filter and blew out the fuel lines?? Removed and cleaned the injectors?

[ashbros]

Seems to me if it was a little plugged up, your fuel system is now contaminated.

Clean out all fuel filters, pull the bowls off the carb, clean them out and blow out all your fuel lines from tank to carb.

[sstougard]

Seems to me if it was a little plugged up, your fuel system is now contaminated.

Clean out all fuel filters, pull the bowls off the carb, clean them out and blow out all your fuel lines from tank to carb.

I'll buy that, will do and post results. Thanks guys, for helping.

[TheYellaBrick]

If ya have foam blocks in the cell that are more than a couple of years old, REPLACE them. That foam breaks down a little each year and can cause all sorts of havoc.

[ashbros]

If ya have foam blocks in the cell that are more than a couple of years old, REPLACE them. That foam breaks down a little each year and can cause all sorts of havoc.

Double D is preaching the gospel in regards to fuel cell foam. Pay Heed....

[Tod74]

DAMN...MINE IS 8 YEARS OLD. :?

[DirkaDirka]

If ya have foam blocks in the cell that are more than a couple of years old, REPLACE them. That foam breaks down a little each year and can cause all sorts of havoc.

Ok why is there foam block in the fuels cells anyways?? What job do these blocks have? I dont know just wanna learn something new form the masters of racing. So teach me O' mighty ones.

[ashbros]

Baffling or safety foam, It slows fuel cell slosh while providing explosion resistance.

Cell Slosh - Designed for all types of racing including drag racing or circle track racing, safety foam will keep your fuel pump from being starved under hard acceleration or cornering.

Explosion Resistance - If your cell were to become damaged, i.e. in a crash, the foam kind of retains the fuel causing it to drip out of your leaking damaged fuel cell instead of gushing out.

Some even go as far to say that the safety foam keeps weight transfer/shift to a minimum, which provides you with more responsive and predictable handling.

See this link...

http://www.reillyfoam.com/safety.htm

[DirkaDirka]

I see now. Now how much foam is in the cell?

[ashbros]

It depends on the type of fuel cell you have.

Here are a couple links for fuel cells.

http://www.fuelsafe.com/faqs.htm

http://www.jazproducts.com/faqs.html

http://www.rjsracing.com/fuelcells.html


:idea: :idea:

[Tod74]

I see now. Now how much foam is in the cell?

mine is completely full with a small hole in the middle. It's just a giant sponge basically.

[TheRabbit]

Even when brand new every time I clean my fuel filter I find small pcs of foam in the filter. I recommend changing the foam at least every 3 years.
It's just cheap insurance to me. I HATE CARB OR FUEL PROBLEMS!

[ashbros]

I hate to amdit it, but I always pull all the foam out of my cell and flush the cell before installation...

[TheYellaBrick]

I hate to amdit it, but I always pull all the foam out of my cell and flush the cell before installation...

Same here Ash. It's an important part of the overall piece(racecar) and should be treated just like any hard part before installation. Just cuz it's new does not mean it's clean and chip free. Ideally you drain the fuel and pull the foam at the end of each racing season.

[sstougard]

Crazy sh&@! Ok, I blew out my lines and flushed it all. I took off my fuel bowls and checked everything. It all looked fine, nothing came out at all. I did have some crap in the vent line on the fuel cell, but nothing to freak about.

I fired it up and it did the same crap. At this point I went from being cool to boarderline nuts! I decided to take the entire fuel line out and filter, pump etc. I got as far as removing the fuel line. (The part from my pump is braided then to the fire wall it is tubing.) I too the tubing line down and was about to pull it out, which would have bent it to crap. Then I noticed some black stuff barely coming out of the end of the line. Turns out it was fuel cell foam.

Seriously, I really didnt imagine that the problem was foam. I checked it you when it was brought up, but I dont think I really believed it was the problem. But sure enough, put it all back together and and raced this weekend. I went 8 rounds counting the time trials with no problem with the fuel. I did toast my trans in the last run, but that is another story!

Thanks for the help guys, I was about to push the damn thing off a cliff. Trust me that is not small task here in Nebraska where we dont have any cliffs!

[bbchevy]

GREAT NEWS!
Theres Nothing Like FINDING a Problem,Other than FIXING IT?
Later
G 8)

[ashbros]

boarderline nuts!

The spoken words of a true drag racer..........
LOL

Its the little things that can ruin a good day of racing & will make you pull your hair out.

Now that you got that fixed, "It was not so bad was it?" :twisted: :roll: :?

[TheRabbit]

Glad you found the problem. NOW CHANGE THE FOAM and you should be ok for a while. It's a good idea to check the filter every so often because the foam no matter if new still breaks down.

[ashbros]

Well Lets hear the report hows it running