FrontEngineDragsters.Org Forum
Drag Racing Discussions => Front Engine Dragsters => Topic started by: noslin on August 31, 2017, 06:53:03 PM
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i want minimal in the cockpit. no gauges, just TB button and mag switch. is that it, what else should i consider? ill put oil light and shift light on motor prob so they are in front of me and can see them. but your busy driving and cant look at anything anyways. i figure vitals is up to the crew chief and as a driver your busy with b/o, stage, launch etc and not gonna be checking things. i never did in my door car, i just did driver duties.
so, whats simple cockpit. where would you put the kill switch at for mag. im driving with left and dealing with brake, tb button etc on right hand. would you use a big kill button? gonna run vertex mag.
i want it so if something happens, i can slap the dash and kill engine and whatever else needs to be done.
ty
dean
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You're going to need a master power switch as well. On mine, I tried various locations for my switches and ended up on the steering wheel so that I can access all in one place and easy to see.
Here's a picture of mine with the layout being top left (red button) is trans brake, top right (green button) is air shifter, bottom right is starter, middle is main power switch with light below it letting me when power is on and bottom left is mag switch.
(http://racing.conceptsengineering.com/images/NewSwitches.jpg)
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My only comment is make sure the TB button can't be hit by accident, I know racers that have that problem, sometimes when they get new/bigger gloves.
Draw 3D looks like if you warp your hands around the wheel you could accidently hit the button after you launch or have steer the car out of trouble.
Jon
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red trans brake, green shiftnoïd
switch 12V hot in run and black push: starter.
I can send you the plan because it's drawing myself.
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plan
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Fuel shut-off?
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You want an oil pressure gauge in order to see pressure come up before you lite the engine and a quick glance just before you light the top bulb. A push-pull switch that you have to pull out to kill the mag, that way you can't accidentally hit it and shut the engine off. Do not over think a panic situation, 99.9% ,of the runs will be fine. If you are starting with a blower starter or a remote battery , then a master disconnect is not needed
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I agree with your simple cockpit philosophy. My car has a fire extinguisher push/pull mounted on the left side top rail. A fuel shut off, mag kill and shifter mounted on the top of the rear end housing. An air shift button, air chute button and radio button on the steering wheel. There is a right side hand brake with the trans brake button on top of the hand brake. Chute lever on the right side top rail. There's an oil pressure gauge mounted on the back of the motor and a temporary shift light.
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My only comment is make sure the TB button can't be hit by accident, I know racers that have that problem, sometimes when they get new/bigger gloves.
Draw 3D looks like if you warp your hands around the wheel you could accidently hit the button after you launch or have steer the car out of trouble.
Jon
Jon; my process is to pre-stage using the handbrake on the right side, where my fuel shut-off is mounted, and when I'm staged, I hit the transbrake with my left hand and let go of the handbrake and place my right hand on the steering wheel and use that to steer with, my left hand lightly holds the steering wheel. After I launch and make the low-to-hi shift is when I use both hands to steer but I have a safety-switch that only energizes the transbrake only low.
The only time I actually steer with my left hand is when backing up and when in hi gear, so far no issues with accidentally hitting the button.
Also, the picture is a bit misleading, the transbrake button is actually a bit below the steering wheel grips so the button is not in the way of holding the steering wheel.
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If one leaves off the hand brake only , then there is no button to hit---just saying
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If one leaves off the hand brake only , then there is no button to hit---just saying
Where's the "like" button ?
Cheers
Tony
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The only gauge we run is an oil gauge, well actually two of them, because we had a bad gauge one time, so one facing the driver, and one in front of the engine for the crew chief.
With a two step launch chip, and a shift light no tach is needed, and the RacePak tells me everything else.
Jon
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I kinda wish the heritage series would do away with all electronics including data systems, ignition controls etc. put a mag in it and let em race heads up. Would be more fun. Just too dam expensive to be competitive almost. I'm sure ill get blasted for this statement...
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All right, I will chime in. Simple is good. Trans brake and mag kill on the wheel. Oil pressure gauge screwed into the back of the manifold, shift light on the side of the injectors, shifter on the right side of cockpit, parachute lever on left, fire bottle control under the shifter and fuel shut off T handle on top of the rear end center section. I do have a small dry cell alarm type battery to run the trans brake and shift light, and a memory tach under the cowl to check after the run (wise man told me I should not look at it during the run, no time anyway). If I configure it to run a battery to start there is also a cable operated battery shut off on the corner of the parachute pack.
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Dakota, it looks like you race Heritage NE-1, [ 7.60] I'm surprized if many NE-1 teams run data systems, or ign controls, just 2 step launch controls.
If you would like to run heads-up, no break-out, come race JrFuel, no ign controls, but RacePak is OK. I have lined-up sponsors for JrFuelDragster Association, plus website and FB pages.
Call if interested, 805-444-4489
Jon
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HG, I also ran a dry cell alarm battery, until I found a battery that was one pound [ 6 pounds less] and in JF we are always looking to save weight, 3.5 lbs/ci including driver on alky.
If you throw a part in the air and it falls down, figure how to make it lighter, it all adds up, if you can take 100lbs off your car/ and or driver , you will pick-up a tenth.
And rotating weight is even a more advantage, ie 1 lb of rotating is = to 9-10 lbs of static weight. An example if you go with front/wheel combo that weighs 8 lbs each and take off 18lb, ea wheels/tires, it's like you just took off 200 lbs off your combo.
It's also about total car balance.
Jon