Guys with aluminum block and heads what temp do you like at the starting line? With aluminum heads and steel block my big block liked 160. But seems this all aluminum 572 likes 170. Opinions/Numbers please; This is on gas.

My brothers car is all alum. 622 and it likes 180 at the line.. If its colder than that it runs a half a tenth off..

Thanks sunday I think I'll try it warmer and see what happens

It is not so much coolant temp that is important is is more that the oil is up to operating temaperature. Coolant can be 180/190 and the oil still only be luke warm.

Yeah but if you take a car down cold, all your doing is putting the power in the cooling system until its up to temp. with the coolant temp come the oil temp...

I pay more attention to oil temp and trans temp for consistency.

But water temp I like it HOT, because after 5-6 rds (hope) I know I wont have the time to get it as cool as I would like, so for consistency sake I make all my laps a bit hotter than most would.

Crossed the line in the finals once at 240....... I had to wait so long at the end of the track too cool down, the camera guy left, no winner circle pics. Was racing by myself and was very very fast, never had time to get any water on the radiator later in rounds, that car always got hot though.

I think it will also depend if you are running gasoline, alcohol, carb, injection...

FWIW, I stage at 160 degrees. Iron block, aluminum heads

And I agree with oil temp. I measure water temp, oil temp, and trans fluid temp as they all effect ET.

Hot oil and cool water temp makes horsepower.

I ussually end up at 160 after burnout. I don't normally race for consistancy. But, just so the tuneup stays on a level playing field this is the temp I end up with. I usually cool the engine down in the pit to just where the temp hand drops below the numbers on the guage but not to the peg. Then after driving up the temp is up to 140. I have a cast iron block so after a sprint to tech and back I feel the oil is warmed up. Some of the guys I have helped used electric oil heaters and towed car to staging.

This is an area where experimenting with different temps may find some power. I have tried dead cold with hot oil. I have even tried removing fuel from fuel cell and placing the jug in a cooler full of ice to cool the fuel sense cool cans were not legal in all the classes I ran in. Plus cool cans add weight. There is a system designed to super cool coolant probably what Fred is talking about. I always liked cooling the intake with a large dose of nitrous. The classes I ran in the last few years didn't allow that. SHAME ON THEM.

How many degrees does your car heat up from when you stage..and the end of a pass? Mine seem to really jump up there.

Fred...are you saying about 100 degrees? What is this CR products thing?

Depends on how serious the racing is. The big money boys run the coolant thru a chiller in the pits and tow to the line with the engine cold enough to use as an ice box. The average bracket racer isn't going to do anything like that. To get the motor to live when it is that cold takes some careful work with the oil system and bearing clearances but it is worth some power.

With the aluminum block and heads it best to get the water temp. up about 175 and let it sit about 30 mins. to get everything else up to temp. I usely like the temp. about 140 when I leave for the stageing lanes. I try to have it around 170 after the burn-out when stageing. May try it at 180 next time to see if it helps.