slow 1/4 mile times

fivelitercoupe · Dec 5, 2003

i have an almost bone stock 89 lx coupe except for a mac catback system on it, its an aod car but im still only able to run 15.8 at 87 with it. Thats starting in low and shifting but i hit overdrive at 3/4 track and the car falls on its face. its got 150,000 miles on it and im sure the torque convertor is worn out but can anybody tell me what would be the best thing to do to pick up my 1/4 mile times.... gears, convertor, etc. thanks for your help

2MuchPSIForU · Dec 5, 2003

WOW... those times are very bad for that car.

First things first... check out that converter... where you manually shifting it? if so @ what RPM?

The MPH has SOME more left in it, considering that's pretty high for a 16 second pull.

Other than that, i think the engine COULD be tired considering it does have a lot of miles...

check compression, or leakdown test, or just get rid of that engine altogether.

gears will help a lot... go 4:10 or steeper... 4:30.
a healthy shot of spray should get those times RIGHT down

fivelitercoupe · Dec 5, 2003

Yea thats with me manually shifting at 5000 rpm and i really do need to put a convertor in it. im gonna drop a 351 windsor in it but that wont be till much later till prob next fall so i need to do something till then to pick it up some. Also do you think with 4.10 gears that its gonna run out of steam before the 1/4 mile is up, thanks for your help

Schlodes · Dec 6, 2003

I assume you've done the free stuff like bumped timing, yanked screen out of MAF... Does it have underdrive pulleys or a K&N filter? What gears to you have niow? The aods could be had with 2.73, 3.08, or 3.27s... I had a friend with a white 89 Hatch with AOD and 3.27s. With the small stuff [pulleys, K&N, cat back, timing, no screen in MAF and some front skinnies he borrowed] he went 14.30s - 14.40s @ 95 MPH... I know the 3.27s helped though.

How come you are hitting 4th gear/overdrive at 3/4s of the way down?? Can't you hold the car in D and make it wind out?

86GT-Top · Dec 6, 2003

yea, dont shift into overdrive, just stay in drive, at 87 MPH your shouldnt be having to shift into overdrive. my 90 AOD with off road h, cat back, bumped timing has gone 14.9 at 92. my first time to the track i went 15.3 at 89, so i took 4 tenths off by just learning how to drive at the track. my 3.73's go in this winter, i cant wait to feel them! hoping for mid to low 14's!

cleanLX · Dec 6, 2003

86GT-Top said:
at 87 MPH your shouldnt be having to shift into overdrive.

Your tach is likely wayy off and is making you shift early.
Play with shift pints.

UnderPressureGT · Dec 6, 2003

I have a bonestock 87 GT with 95K on it with a 5 speed.. All it has is a full exhaust.. Shifting at 5800, i pulled a best of 14.7 at 93mph.. This was my first time at the track soo hopefully i can get better and lower it

IndyBlk5.0 · Dec 6, 2003

lol i wouldnt put nitrous on a tired motor, unless you want a good reason to blow it up and get a new one =)

StangYellow · Dec 6, 2003

Hurry up with that 351 conversion!

speed1972 · Dec 6, 2003

Don't feel too bad, I have a 91 GT Vert with 3.73's and the best I was able to pull was a 14.9 at 94mph.. I know there is more left in it but I can't get it to hook, I was only able to pull a best of 2.4 60' times.. so I'm sure there is some low 14 sec runs to be had eventually... Larry

mike keirstead · Dec 8, 2003

when i first bought my car it was bone stock with 2.73s and it went 14.0s @ 96-97. With Goodyear Eagles.
5 speed. 4000 rpm launch and slip the clutch a little. It would 1.90s for a 60ft. Its quicker now. But your car would benefit from gears. 3.73-4.10 would help it pull the top end. I would go with 4.10 ...good luck.

jerry beach · Dec 8, 2003

I was thinking your tach is off too. I shifted mine at 6700rpm on the stock tach to get the best 1/4 time. Shifting at 5000 netted a 15.84 best ET @ 94mph. Raising the shift point got me 14.62 @ 97.41. I also took a bunch of crap out of my trunk, including the spare and jack. Getting a real tach is very necessary if you are serious about getting you times down. I have seen 7000 on my stock tach and have not hit the limiter yet, which is 6250 BTW. You got some good advice above, follow it. Are you having any traction probs when you launch? If not something may be wrong, like way down on power.

fivelitercoupe · Dec 8, 2003

ok guys i have another wuestion now, my shifter says i only have 3 gears, 1 D OD. do all the aod cars only have 3 speeds or is mine just screwed up cause i cant hold it in D it shifts itself into overdrive when it goes to drive and i think my tach is accurate cause it sounds like the motor is gonna burst through the hood at those rpm's. Thanks for all your help guys. Oh and i still have the stock 2.73 gears with the timing adjustaded and the screen removed

Snouter · Dec 8, 2003

AOD's are 3 speeds, plus an overdrive for highway cruising, which should not be used under heavy acceleration. 3.73's and installing an inexpensive shift kit in the AOD to automatically shift at higher RPM's will help the acceleration potention dramatically. Consider a Jacobs Ignition upgrade also.

kystang1889 · Dec 8, 2003

ok this alittle off subject but i keep hearing ppl talk about tach's beig off and i've had two different 5.0's an 89lx and my current gt both w/ aftermarket tachs and neither have been more than a few hundred rpm off, also no friends cas have been much more than that, oh well, just wondering.

Get urself some 4.10's or lower and about a 2500 stall converter, n a shift kit, my freind ran high 8's all day long (1/8th) with that set up in a lx hatch

mike keirstead · Dec 8, 2003

I have an autometer tach. I kept my stock tach hooked up for a few days when i first got it and it wasnt even close to being accurate.. SOME ARE - SOME ARENT

fivelitercoupe · Dec 8, 2003

Yea i think mine is a 3 speed including the overdrive because the shifter says 1 D OD so once i shift out of 1st it doesnt take long for the car to shift out of D into OD, also will 4.10 gears kill my fuel milage, thanks for your help, lastly if i do do the gears and a convertor arent i gonna run out of steam well before the 1/4 mile is up. Thanks for your help

92BlackGT · Dec 8, 2003

You have a 4 speed auto tranny. 3rd is drive (D) 4th is overdrive (OD). The auto's just don't have the selection of shifting into 2nd for some reason. My dad's '89 is like that.
I've heard people say you can still do it by shifting out of 1 into D and when you feel the car go into 2nd, put the stick back down into 1 and it will stay in 2nd till you put the stick into 3rd (D). Don't quote me on that, I have a 5 speed.

what_stanger? · Dec 8, 2003

mike keirstead said:
I have an autometer tach. I kept my stock tach hooked up for a few days when i first got it and it wasnt even close to being accurate.. SOME ARE - SOME ARENT

agreed, i have both tachs hooked up (autometer and stock) and they're both pretty close, until the high R's, then the stocker is off by more and more...

fivelitercoupe · Dec 8, 2003

Ok that clears that up for me but im thinkin about just throwin a c4 in it and just forgeting about the aod period, i know this conversion is easy and i think its worth simply because it doent have the slop no overdrive to fall on its face the only thing is that it will surelly hurt gas milage but oh well, tell me what you guys think. thanks for your help

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