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I have no life
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Shift right before it hits redline. Early shifting hurts you. I haven't taken my svt to a drag strip, so no launching advice yet.
98.5 SVT
91 Escort GT (almost sold)
96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve)
FS: SVT rear sway bar
WTB: Very cheap beater
CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15
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Posts: 702
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
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Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Shift right before it hits redline. Early shifting hurts you. I haven't taken my svt to a drag strip, so no launching advice yet.
But not when launching!!!! With the factory clutch, and with the miles on it, I wouldn't launch anywhere above 1750rpm. This is hard to do because when you let off the clutch your instinctive response is to hammer the gas. As you probably know from experience, the car will hop all over the place when you hammer it from the launch. This will absolutely kill your differential and you will be towing the car home. You have to slip the clutch out slowly when you are launching the factory differential. Resist your urge to push the pedal all the way to the floor in first gear until you are around 5500rpm. Shift into second gear firmly but watch out for the wheel hop again. From then on, row the gears like you are in a conoe ready to go over a waterfall. Shift right at the redline. You should be shifting into 4th gear about 200 feet before you cross the finish line. Watch your tach the entire time (as well as the track). No need to be watching the speedo.
Prep your car for the track: Don't show up to the track with a full tank of gas. This may be disputed but I've never ran a better time due to 93 octane versus 87 octane fuel. 101 octane on the other hand is a different story.
Remove your spare tire/jack/crap in the trunk/and hell, the rear seats while you are at it.
Try different tire pressures. Pressures at the track will differ greatly depending on humidity. Don't make super dramatic changes. You will probably find that if you do, you will get slower or more wheel hop.
The R/T (reaction time) only shows how fast the front tires leave the light in relation to the tree going green. The clock does not start recording your E/T (elapsed time) until your tires leave the light beam. So, when someone said the R/T doesn't mean anything about your actual time, they are correct, Because the clock doesn't start until YOU leave the line. Understand now???
Hope this was not overkill... 
CSVT E0 3L
14.5 @ 94mph, Stock Intake, Stock Exhaust minus Resonator, CEL, And Broken Pass. Side CV...Untuned.
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if your just out there to see how fast your car is and have some fun, dont bother with all the weight reductions because it can all be negated by a simple launch, unless you can launch the same way every time, there isnt much of a point.
99 TRed Contour SVT # 1853 out of 2760
230.2 WHP @ 6500
237.0 WTR @ 2250
Originally posted by MxRacer:
Originally posted by RawBurt:
I'll be keeping it to myself, until the time comes. It'll be hard to find. 
much like your weiner.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 21,653
I have no life
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I have no life
Joined: May 2002
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Originally posted by Pale Horse:
Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Shift right before it hits redline. Early shifting hurts you. I haven't taken my svt to a drag strip, so no launching advice yet.
But not when launching!!!!
Why would you shift when launching?
Just from playing on the street, I'd launch at atleast 2200rpm. My car doesn't hop when launching at this (or even a bit higher rpm). Of course you don't just dump the clutch on these cars. Though I also have heavy 17"s and a bit low on torque at the moment.
98.5 SVT
91 Escort GT (almost sold)
96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve)
FS: SVT rear sway bar
WTB: Very cheap beater
CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15
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Joined: May 2004
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Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
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Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Originally posted by Pale Horse:
Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Shift right before it hits redline. Early shifting hurts you. I haven't taken my svt to a drag strip, so no launching advice yet.
But not when launching!!!!
Why would you shift when launching?
Just from playing on the street, I'd launch at atleast 2200rpm. My car doesn't hop when launching at this (or even a bit higher rpm). Of course you don't just dump the clutch on these cars. Though I also have heavy 17"s and a bit low on torque at the moment.
Go to the track, it is very very very different, a lot harder.
At least at my track.
99 TRed Contour SVT # 1853 out of 2760
230.2 WHP @ 6500
237.0 WTR @ 2250
Originally posted by MxRacer:
Originally posted by RawBurt:
I'll be keeping it to myself, until the time comes. It'll be hard to find.
much like your weiner.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 21,653
I have no life
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I have no life
Joined: May 2002
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I've been to the track, but not with the svt, but I know how it is. Yes different from the street, but still, atleast with my car, if I launch below 2000rpm, I'm not going anywhere.
98.5 SVT
91 Escort GT (almost sold)
96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve)
FS: SVT rear sway bar
WTB: Very cheap beater
CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15
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Originally posted by 8000RPM:
well i wanted to ask how you guys launched and at what rpms you shifted gears? i launch at about 2k+ rpm, and sometimes i slip the clutch, sometimes i don't...depends. and i usually shift at about 6550rpm where i pass my maximum hp...does that sound reasonable?
I launch at 3600 rpms, and dont let the secondaries close. I shift as late as possible, often times it will jsut barley hit the rev limiter before I slam it into next gear....
But ive only been down a dragstip twice, with a best of 15.7 Looking to improve that shortly....
Alex
'99 SVT Contour
-=|WANTED: Vortech, working or not |=-
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Originally posted by Pudmunkie:
I launch at 3600 rpms, and dont let the secondaries close . I shift as late as possible, often times it will jsut barley hit the rev limiter before I slam it into next gear....
Thats the key to the fast Contour launch, keeping the secondaries open. On the strip its real hard, because there is so much bite, launching like that is really rough, if it spins, it'll hop, but if you just bog out your wasting time, so slipping is the key. Shifting at 6900 every shift is key, and being quick and smooth. Its a real good clutch even stock, so its not like the pedals gotta go to the floor to change gears. Watch THIS video, the first clip is a granny launch, the second is pretty aggressive, and the third is really aggressive. Might give you some ideas.
BTW, I've never been able to launch mine at the track like I can on the strip. Street launchs are nice, because I can just let things spin in first, on the track, I hit such hard wheel hop I actually jammed the shift linkage with it on one run, not good.
And a final thought, the mph on the run listed above looked really really low, my stock 98 SVT with 135k miles trapped 90mph with really slow 1/8th miles, me thinks you've got something holding you back.
Current Ride: 1998 Contour SVT - T-Red, Res. Delete, K&N under the hood, broken side skirt at passenger rear jackpoint.
Its FOR SALE, see the classifieds.
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Joined: May 2002
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I have no life
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Originally posted by acammer:
Shifting at 6900 every shift is key, and being quick and smooth.
My car won't hit 6900. It barely hits 6750. Sometimes it redlines even below that, but I think that's my car's problem.
98.5 SVT
91 Escort GT (almost sold)
96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve)
FS: SVT rear sway bar
WTB: Very cheap beater
CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15
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Posts: 7,100
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Redline IS 6750.  Unless its been tuned out, that is.
'99 CSVT - Silver #222/276
In a constant state of blow-off euphoria.
Originally posted by Kremitthefrog:
I like to wear dresses and use binoculars to watch grandmas across the street.
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