I have a stock 2K GT 'vert manual. Just trying to practice fast starts (before going to the track for first time).
I disable the Traction Control
Rev the engine to 2000-2500 RPM
Take the foot completely off the clutch
Watch for cops and deer.
My question is simple: What is the recommended RPM for my car to "blast off" without damaging the clutch or the engine? I use 2500 because some guy at work told me that this was the sweet spot. I would assume that there has been some more research on this topic. Can someone point me in the right direction please. Thanks
Depends on the power *your* engine puts to the wheels and on how much power the tires put to the pavement. It cahanges with gas, tires, age of tires, the weather... That's why there are test & tune days at the track.
On street tires, you may not hook at all. I found this to be true in my '97 Cobra on my first track day in it. I could drop the clutch at 2500 on the street all day with minimal tirespin, but I had to feather it out of the hole at 1200 RPM when I got to the track, and had to granny-shift the 1-2 shift to keep it straight. This was without doing burnouts (which aren't recommended on street tires).
A pair of Nitto drag radials fixed that problem, and I think I was dropping the clutch above 4k... 4500 or so. I haven't done it in a while. The clutch wasn't real happy about the whole thing after a few of those launches and some missed 1-2 shifts.... but it definately hooked. Even bogged... I didn't get into the throttle fast enough.
Was just trying to forewarn you that street and strip are not always the same conditions.
BTW... the best place that I've found to practice launching and your 1-2 shift is on a highway onramp where the ramp is straight (if slightly elevated). You should be able to practice there much more safely than at a redlight, as there's usually reasons for traffic signals to be there. Onramps are designed to allow people to get up to speed. Pull onto the ramp, make sure nobody's behind you, stop, then go for it. Shut it down shortly after you hit 3rd. With a stock GT, you won't need more than 3 gears to go through a quarter mile, and by the time you're in 3rd, you're just along for the ride anyway.
Let us know how you do if you go... in case you're interested, my '97 Cobra, with drag radials, and otherwise stock down to the Ford air filter, has run a best of 13.87 @ 100.7 with a miserable 2.2 60' time (bogging at the line is bad) with a temp in the mid 70's. The day that I finally did pull a 2.0 60' time, it was around 95 degrees, so I pulled off the same
Progressively increase standing start RPM until you get to the limit of what the tires will hold. That will give you a starting point. We used to use a
9000 RPM chip in the limiter for starting line, and 8500 for shift points. (Using a FE engine) That was really fun. Stage the car, put the throttle on the floor, engine went to 9000, the MSD would cycle the ignition and keep it there. Last yellow, side step the clutch and hold on.
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