Bracket Racer Help !!!

[R99C]

Hello I'm new to HP tuners, so I'm just looking for some pointers into the right direction please. My coupe is set-up from a speed shop with HP and I would like to do some slight lower of shift points and WOT lower red line and generally just soften up the tune. I know it sounds off but I bracket our coupe. Normally we would run in the 12.90 index , but after a rear end breakdown and rebuild last year it came back running 12.25's. So I do not have enough RWHP to get to the 11.90 index so I just want to soften up the car so I"m not running full out all the time in the bracket classes. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Dan

[R99C]

C'mon guys there must be a few guys who bracket race there cars ........ Just looking for a few tips and suggestions... Take Care Dan

[slow67]

Well, you can take timing out (so it makes less power) and you can short shift it (like you suggested).

[Cantalope Kid]

Post the tune. SHould be an easy solution. Going backwards huh? This is a first for anyone I've ever read about...

[SSUte01]

Well, you can take timing out (so it makes less power) and you can short shift it (like you suggested).

Agreed. Start lowering the shift points until you get a reliable ET that you are after. I personally would leave the timing alone so that the rev range that you are utilising is optimal. You will be quite surprised how much difference 500rpm off the top end can make.

I haven't searched but I remember someone else doing a very similar thing not so long back, think it was a Vette though and it only took him a few huundred revs to get what he was after, have a bit of a play but depending on what your current shift points are I only think it will take in vicinity of 500rpm. The brilliant part of this is use can utilise the tow/haul/power (assuming you have one) button so that you can have both 12.2ish ET and 12.9 ET at the push of a button.

Good Luck

[R99C]

Still waiting for my system to arrive. So I can't post a tune yet... I have been learning about the wide bands use in tuning , But still do not understand the set up . One way is to weld a bung into the header and use a sensor. The other way I have heard about is to use some pickups of f of the A/C unit. Would not the A/C unit be a simpler way to set up wide band reading . Please help with this one.. Do not want to spend alot of money on a setup and welding if there is something simpler out there... Thanks Dan

[RoDan]

I bracket race, and completely understand wanting to soften the car up some. The best way to do that would be to short shift it, like has been said already. You want it to leave hard and consistent, no lazy bogging or soft launches which can mess with the whole workings of the car. So don't mess with the timing, especially down low.

As far as hooking up your wideband, you will have to have a bung welded in (unless you just use a factory bung) AND use a sensor. What you have read about using A/C or EGR is just a input on the factory computer you use to log the wideband. If you have the EIO cable there is no need to worry about that, just get the wideband installed and send the signal output into HPTuners cable itself.

[Cantalope Kid]

Did you buy Hp Tuners Pro? And do you have an 02 bung in the current setup to screw your Wideband Sensor into?

[R99C]

Yes I did get the pro version and just now deciding where to weld in the support bung. Does the location of the bung hole on your exhaust system really matter or is the most convenient place okay..Do I have to install the new bung after the cats ???? . Waiting for Snail Mail I should have drove down to Ohio and picked it up I would already been up and running and ready for this weekends racing.I have LG long tube header system on my coupe with only one o2 sensor per side now. Thanks Dan

[Cantalope Kid]

I have a customer who didn't have rear 02 bungs on his aftermarket y pipe. He had someone weld on a stainless steel 02 bung with a stainless screw in plug for when we were not logging his car. This was installed on the OUTSIDE of the pipe (not INSIDE like a stock y-pipe or headers) about 16" from the beginning of the y pipe after the merge collector on his headers. He doesn't have cats. I would install before the cat if possible and in a place that is convenient for hook up like mentioned above. Don't get caught up in this as several cars install after cat. I just don't like the offset of the signal. It can be off almost half a point if so. Not alot but you need to know its possible. realize most stock cars you tune on out there DO have after cat hookups in their stock y-pipes. I use them all the time and get people close enough for me to be happy. One of the perks of how we did this customers 02 bung: We don't even have to jack up the car to hook up or remove the wideband now. Unscrew plug and hook up right next to car..no burnt hangs or cussin'! Cost about $50 total for bung/screw in plug/welding.