Went to the track tonight; Got some problems/questions

I'm gonna go ahead and apologize for the long post. lol

Finally got back to the track again tonight. I'm happy I was finally able to run the 1/4 tonight. However, I'm EXTREMELY disappointed with my times, and I'm trying to figure out why I'm not running quicker than I am.

Last time I went to the track, I ran a 9.67 @ 73.37 mph. (1/8 mile) Tonight, the best I could muster was a 9.81 @ 72.73 mph in the 1/8 and 15.21 @ 90.83 in the 1/4. The problem is that the new times are after I installed Steeda underdrive pulleys and PI cams. Total mods: PI Cams, PI Intake, Steeda UDPs, Delta Flows, CAI, and tires sticky enough to hook the car. I think I remember watching a video of 98cobra281 running something like 14.1-14.2 with similar mods + exhaust. I just don't feel like a 5 speed + exhaust makes a full second of difference. While I was at a different track than the first times were run, I really thought I'd do better than this. Just so we all know, both tracks are at the same altitude, and it was no more than 7-8 degrees warmer tonight than last time. I've got a couple a theories on why I'm doing so bad, and was wondering if anyone else here has any suggestions or otherwise.

A) The track sucks (although I was hooking with close to similar 60 fts). I will be testing this theory tomorrow night as I'm going back to the first track, although it is only 1/8 mile.

B) Something is wrong with the car.

Assuming that A isn't the problem, what could be causing these uber-slow times? Here's some thoughts I've had.

1) Air filter could have something to do with it. I haven't cleaned it in a while, so I'll do that tomorrow. However, it's only been less than 2 months since last time I run, and I have cams and udps now; don't really think air filter would make that kinda difference.
2) Degreeing the cams? I don't really think so considering they're only PI cams. What do you guys think? Doesn't make sense that they would decrease my times.
3) MAF sensor? Once again, I don't really think so b/c the car is running smooth. It isn't missing or anything like that. Car seems to run fine.
4) Needs a tune. I know it would help, but I still don't understand why my times have gone down/are so horrible anyway. I wouldn't think it would be off that bad.
5)There is a problem w/ the ECU. I don't know why there would be, but I never did unplug the battery when doing the cams. Will it relearn the cams anyway? Or do I need to unplug the battery and let it reset?
6) Vacuum leak? I don't see this being a problem b/c I thought that leaks cause the car to run rough. My car is running smooth.

Overall, because the car is running smoothly, I don't think there is a problem with fuel or spark. While I could be completely wrong, common sense tells me this isn't the problem.

What do you guys think? I'm pretty sure I got a problem somewhere, I just don't know what it is nor where to look. Any advice would be graciously appreciated. Thanks.

-Will

I ran a 2.16 on the run earlier this year, and a 2.20 last night. Traction was not an issue; I did the same thing last night I did 2 months ago: I built it up to 2000 rpm and hammered down on the 3rd yellow. My 60 being less was not due to less traction.

60's don't make a difference in the mph do they? I thought that as long as you didn't have wheel spin the mph stayed the same. Why would my speed have decreased? This is what worries me.

330's, 6.32 2 months ago vs. 6.37 tonight. I don't know what this tells us, but there they are.

Yea, like I said, I know a tune would help a lot, but my speeds and times decreased. I really don't know why they did. That's the problem.

Chucks98's time is almost a second and a half faster, and has mostly the same thing I do + an x pipe and T/A, with no tune. I don't think an x pipe and T/A (+ a 5 speed if it's that) is gonna make 1.5 seconds difference.

Thanks for the help.

-Will

Actual weather, I don't know for sure, but I'd estimate about 75 degrees with a medium amount of humidity. The humidity was probably higher than last time I ran, but it wasn't all that bad. I'm gonna be running again tonight in very similar conditions to last night, only at the first track I ran at. I'll find out for sure if the track is the problem or not.

-Will

It's the stock auto transmission with 3.27 rear gears. I let the transmission shift. I didn't notice it really at the track, but from driving around home here lately, it shifts right at about 5500, about the same as before any of the mods I've done. That's something else I've kinda thought was weird; I thought it would shift a little later b/c of the more hp it should be making, but it's been shifting at 5500 +/- 50 or so rpm ever since I've had the car, depending on how many rpm I'm turning when I go WOT.

I'm about to go clean it up to head down to the track tonight. I'll post up my times from tonight soon as I get back.

-Will

Well, got back a little while ago. Here's what I did tonight:
60' 2.20
330' 6.42
1/8 9.80 @ 72.8 mph
The exact same as last night. The track isn't the problem.

Outerbanks Speedway elevation: 10 ft. The temp tonight was 75 degrees with 80% humidity. Yea yea yea, tell me about how bad the weather is, but the weather isn't the problem, or not all of it anyway. Well, I did some digging around in my desk drawer and found something I forgot I kept: my timeslips from the first time I ran my car.

My first passes ever were made on this same week last year, at the same track. My car was completely bone stock with some really sucky 245 tires. I ran a 9.61 @ 73.76 with a 2.18 60'. In case any of y'all didn't notice (like I didn't until here recently), I have lost time and mph with every mod I have done. Something is wrong. My bone stock car was doing .2 sec and a solid mph faster than my car is now with CAI, catback, Steeda UDPs, PI Intake, PI cams, and a much better set of tires. Something is very wrong.

Someone tonight at the track, who knows a pretty good amount about cars, said that a tune would probably help a lot. While I'm not doubting that at all, and I'm probably gonna get one soon anyway, I just don't think that is all of the problem. There are several guys on here with very similar mods w/o a tune running WAY better than I am. Oh yea, almost forgot. I reset the ECU (unplugged the battery and MAF for a little while) and cleaned the air filter before I went tonight. That obviously didn't solve the problem.

My dad suggested something like maybe a bad O2 sensor? He's pretty much guessing, but his reasoning is that maybe something like that is leaning/riching the mixture up and it just isn't making the power it should be. It makes sense, but we really don't know. Maybe MAF? Because the car is running smoothly, I'm agreeing with him and thinking that the problem is something along those lines.

Anyone have any other ideas? Anything is very much appreciated. I'm kinda getting ticked with my car right now...

Thanks for the help.
-Will

Winters98GT said:

something is wrong

Click to expand...

Tell me about it.

DA is 1450 ft. I posted all of my times from tonight in my last post 'cept the 594'.
594' 9.20

Thanks for the help.

-Will

Just another thought. Could the IAT sensor cause loss of power? I don't really know how it works, but I noticed something with my car when I swapped the cams, but didn't think anything of it at the time. Where the sensor plugs into the CAI, the little rubber bung is kinda worn out. Not a whole lot, but the sensor is not super snug inside the bung.

Now lets assume there is a problem. Either the IAT sensor is bad or maybe it isn't sealed very well into the intake (which easily could be) and there is a leak. Could this cause any kind of problem like I'm having? I guess I could swap the stock intake back on to find out. I might do that. But I figured I'd ask anyway.

-Will