What's your engine temp before you go into the burn out box. Any thoughts on which is better, warmer or cooler?

I like to pull into the water at 130. Cooler is definitely better but doing the same thing every time is more important in bracket racing.

I usually drive to the track so its heated up when I get there but even making a time run I have to wait a bit. I am usually about 150 when I start my burnout. And the last time racing I put 4 passes on it and went 2 rounds and the car never went over 180 all day. I really dont like mine over 160 when I start my burnout. Ron

150-160

I try to go in at about 150 oil temp. I run a filled block, so my water temp rarely goes over 190. When I get back to the pits my oil temp is around 200 / 212.

175 burnout, 185 stage. Alcohol and toilet. Any cooler than 170 at stage and car usually won't the run the number. egt's at the stripe 1190-1200 and stay real consistent when the water temp is kept up. Beep

I like it to be 160° when I hit the burnout box. That means it'll likely be in the 170-175 range when I stage it. If I by chance start going rounds and the heat stays in it - I have to dial lower because it starts to go faster. (turbo - it loves heat)

Thanks for the info guys. I'm around 160* when I go into the water, but was wondering if maybe going up in temp might be better. I guess I'll leave everything the way it is.

i always heat soak the driveline prior to racing and always try to be at 160° before the burnout. personally i don't believe in beating on a cool engine. if you're running a pro class that's one thing but for brackets i like heat in the engine.

Does'nt matter, leave at 200 with alum. heads, use the heat to make power. I lost two tenths leaving at 160.

with race fuel, water block and cast iron heads......

I don't like to hit the water box no less than 140° (water temp.) just to make sure the valve springs have enough heat in them before I send the motor upstairs and like to get to the line at 170°.

In cool weather....I use to have to drive it to the water box with the pump off just to build some heat before the burn out.......

I go in the water at 150, try to stage around 160 and its usually 165-170 in the shut down.

Depends on if you are shooting for the easiest thing to maintain round to round or get the ultimate in performance.

No secret that hot oil and cold water make the most power. Been proven time and time again on the dyno.

With our heads up car, we keep a heating pad plugged in on the oil tank on everything but the hottest days and chill the motor between rounds to 100 degrees. We roll through the puddle at 100. Usually stage about 110 and it MIGHT make it to 120 by the time we hit the return road.

We have no radiator and no water pump. Just a small 2 gallon water tank, with a small bilge pump in it, that we put a mixture of water and ice in before we go up. Turn on the water after backing up from the burnout. We just added the water tank and used to run without circulating water at all and we DO run gas. We have a chiller in the trailer and can turn the car around in 10 minutes if we have to

Monte

Monte

hi, bingo, low water temp does make more power. the cylinder heads need to be cold. oil hot, ita amazing, class racers will chill the water to 65 deg, hot oil, will go two tenths quicker. the carb has to be jetted for colder temps .

After waiting a few days and re-reading some of these replies, I'm really confused. First off, I run a aluminum head. My temp even on the hottest days or running round robin,never gets above 175*.
I run 93 octane pump gas. My best times have been with going into the box at around 160*. I tried changing to a hotter thermostat (180*) for an 1/8th mile race a few weeks back, but the car ran 2 tenths slower in the 1/8th. My 60' times were also off a bit.
So I'm confused.