tranny/dirt track gurus...cruiser car

[kgillyk5]

Anyone know if a 5-speed getrag from an OBD-I car will freak out the computer in an OBD-II chevy that originaly had an auto 4T60e tranny?

I already have an OBD-II 96' beretta with the auto 4T60e that I want to make competitive as a 3/8 mile dirt car. Debating having the auto 4T60e worked over to be able to keep up with the competition...or replacing the auto for the manual 5-speed. All the cars I see seem to be staying away from the OBD-II years to keep computer controlled sub-systems to a minimum.

Plan B...or maybe it's C would be to just go find a cheap F*&D OBD-I Probe GT with a stick and start choppin'.

Thanks in advance for any experince or info.

 

[sled_dog]

track allows fuel injected cars?

Eh it would flash the check engine light and possibly, just maybe, go into limp home mode. That would be an issue. Don't know the specifics of the car well enough to know if it would do that. All I KNOW it would do is trans specific stuff, so removing that variable I don't know what would happen.

Its a really tought question to answer really, haha. The PCM uses the VSS signal to help with timing and fuel issues, so you may need it, though being wide open most of the time, eh.

What are the class rules? I am sure there are better optiosn than either of these cars. Whats the class name? Grown up around circle track racing, just never FWD caar racing.

 

[kgillyk5]

This is a cruiser class. There is an american 4, a 6-cyl, and a 4-cyl foreign open class. The open class is the only one you can use race parts in. The 4-cyl rules also apply to the 6-cyl class but these are only guide lines (rules are really vague, you have to hang around to get a grasp on what everyone else is doing). I'm building for the 6 cyl american class as the open class can get expensive. Pretty much OEM stock parts only. A little camber, optional front locker...etc. http://www.glenridgemotorsportspark.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=51

I was thinking the same thing about limp home mode and fuel/spark stuff...but your right, for the most part your wide open in 2nd gear.

The probe GT is a beast on this track. 4 wheel discs and indep. suspension all the way around. 165-HP stock w/ 5-speed @ 2900-lbs. Goes around corners like its on a rail...takes a little imagination to get the solid rear beam axle beretta crap to keep up w/ the probe...beretta also has weak rear hubs, come right off in the corner if not upgraded to something else.

 

[BurbLover]

Don't mean to hijack, but isn't Fultonville near Fonda Speedway? I'v ebeen there years ago. I grew up goign to all the DIRT tracks around NY. Anyway, now I'm Tucson checking out SW dirt tracks. Better weather Anyways, how did Fonda recover from the flood? I had seen some pretty bad photo's on www.DirtTrackDigest.com

 

[kgillyk5]

Don't mean to hijack, but isn't Fultonville near Fonda Speedway? I'v ebeen there years ago. I grew up goign to all the DIRT tracks around NY. Anyway, now I'm Tucson checking out SW dirt tracks. Better weather Anyways, how did Fonda recover from the flood? I had seen some pretty bad photo's on www.DirtTrackDigest.com

Yes, Fonda is North of the Mohawk and Fultonville is across the bridge South of the river,Thruway exit #28. Glenridge is about 2 mi southwest of Fonda speedway and I live about 2 more miles southwest of the Glenridge track.

They worked on it non-stop and raced that Saturday...really unbelievable for a 1/2 mile track that was completly under water for a few days before the race. Thank god we live up on the ridge, some people have it pretty bad down by the river...A few towns west of here they STILL don't have power...freakin' crazy.

 

[BurbLover]

Yeah, that was a bad flood. My mom lives about 35-40 miles North of Kirkwood in Marathon, where they got hit pretty hard. Water never crossed her street. Thank god!! April of last year her house flooded and my brother & I went back home to evac her, tear apart damage, replace damage, and move her back in. All in about 6 days.

 

[sled_dog]

only thing I can suggest, crimp off or plug your RF brake caliper, or just fully remove it, and maybe the rotor. Save some weight, when you apply in the corner the car will want to go left and helps setting the car(though not sure how much you can "set" a FWD car). Little trick we did on the street stock that worked out well for it.

From the sounds of it, I'd absolutely go with the Probe, brand loyalty be damned.

 

[BurbLover]

only thing I can suggest, crimp off or plug your RF brake caliper, or just fully remove it, and maybe the rotor. Save some weight, when you apply in the corner the car will want to go left and helps setting the car(though not sure how much you can "set" a FWD car). Little trick we did on the street stock that worked out well for it.

From the sounds of it, I'd absolutely go with the Probe, brand loyalty be damned.

That's a good idea as long as it's within the tech rules. Most classe slike this require operational 4 wheel brakes. One thing I've seem to skirt this is to turn down the rotors so that when then brakes "grab", the pads are simply hitting the outside 1/2" rather than squeezing the entire rotor.

 

[kgillyk5]

Now turning down the left front rotor sounds a little safer...either way I wouldn't want to do anything that would pull the car during heavy emergency straight-away breaking. I was thinking worn rear tires with 40+ lbs air and keep the rear stiff as possible to induce a little oversteer in the corner as the FWD's like to understeer, maybe even keep the throttle matted and use some left foot brake to xfer weight to the front thru the corner.