Is Racing on 93 "Safe"? Not really.

[AeroF16]

At 4500 feet you're gonna be less than sea level. For just driving around I'd not worry about it too much, but I'd be conscious of really getting after it at WOT. A custom tune pulling a couple degrees of timing out would be a good idea for worry free I think.

Maybe I’ll pull a plug or two and see what they look like.

 

[jonx96]

Maybe I’ll pull a plug or two and see what they look like.

I pulled 6 cylinders until I found bad plugs….. cylinder 4 for me was the problem

 

[AeroF16]

I pulled 6 cylinders until I found bad plugs….. cylinder 4 for me was the problem

I was just thinking of looking for signs of pre-ignition or detonation on the plugs. Is that what you found on #4?

Honestly, should I be adding something to the 91 I buy?

 

[jonx96]

I was just thinking of looking for signs of pre-ignition or detonation on the plugs. Is that what you found on #4?

Honestly, should I be adding something to the 91 I buy?

I’m not stock so I can’t comment. I have no logs from being stock. just what has been shared.
I will say if you are at or over 20k miles checking the fuel pump in a log and pulling plugs and replacing is not a bad idea. I was extremely happy I decided to pull mine. Just buy some wobble extensions and it isn’t a bad job.

 

[DGatzby]

Damn, I would think about switching to drag racing, much cheaper even with race gas or not.

Agree. Plus I would only need a set of wheels/tires and it’s ready. She is as fat as delivered, but IDK.

 

[EricG]

So what’s the solution for a guy who lives at 4500’ and can only get 91? I’ve never used an octane booster or race gas, so I really am just unfamiliar.

Will start using something if there’s a good recommendation.

I have been wondering too, I'm at 5500 feet and we do have lower cylinder pressures at altitude here, that's why we don't have as high of octane at the pumps.

As was mentioned earlier, your 2016 vs. my 2018+ we could have much different stock tune parameters...but yeah data logging may be our only way to get an answer on this. I'm about to have more spare time soon as I coach wrestling and our state tourney is this weekend so I'm going to try and make some progress on this soon. Our local track opens in 3 weekends!

 

[Linda's Hell Cat]

Oh how nice. So glad I hang out here. This is not drag racing for ten seconds a pop. Sure, say another $40 (two gallons). Say I have five sessions. 5x40=$200 more. On top of say 12 gallons at $5 now = $60; makes each fill-up $100. So I’ll budget $500 for gas. Round numbers.

I already budget $400 a weekend for pads, say $600 for tires (last four days), $400 entry fees, oh and maybe pay Haggerty $500 EACH DAY to insure it, or just take that risk myself. At RA I rent a garage for another $200/day, weekend is $400. Does not include the budget for replacement rotors about every two years, if your lucky. Brake fluid bleeds (my racing fluid is just under $100/bottle), my time for changing all the equipment from street-track-street. How about hotel, transportation costs at 12 mpg to tow, meals? My trailer costs $1,200/yr to store. I could and should just sell it now.

Thanks, Speedy! I may never need to use my Hellcat on the course again!! That broke the proverbial camels back. I know a few years ago, I could rent a Ford Spec racer for about $1,500 each day, all in, delivered to the track, maintained, insured, fueled etc. Since I have a SCCA racing license certification, I’ll just literally race with that now! Drive the RE to the track and just enjoy it, and never jeopardize it mechanically again. Wow what a concept. I am not being sarcastic.

I knew there was a good reason for only wanting to come and watch you and @TrackDay race your way!

 

[DGatzby]

I knew there was a good reason for only wanting to come and watch you and @TrackDay race your way!

It is fun and all of that. Turning down expectations, driving a bit less aggressive can really make a difference from attempting to get the engine to behave as this thread illustrates to tires and brakes. For example at RA yours truly can and did use only one set of pads in 2 days. One guy wasted a set in two sessions (first morning) by max’ing out the speed on the straights and then need to pound their brakes. One of our other infamous roadsters had actual failure and had to leave the course! Or we can lift a bit early. Hit 150 and not 160, things like that make it not as horrible I have found. Maybe just a few really aggressive laps at the end of the day is recommended.

If you all are going to Bowling Green, I am thinking about coming and meeting and watching YOU and a lot of others on here in May!

 

[Finface]

By the time you see a problem in a log there's a real possibility it'll be too late and the damage is done. It's just not worth the risk when you can easily add 2-3 gallons of race fuel IMO.

Speedy,

Is your recommendation to add 2-3 gallons of unleaded 109 octane part of a full tank of 18.5 gallons? Thx.

 

[Speedy!]

My suggestion is to add unleaded race fuel to get to 98 octane if you're racing. You can find calculators online to determine ratio. One is posted in this thread.

 

[Hpindy]

My suggestion is to add unleaded race fuel to get to 98 octane if you're racing. You can find calculators online to determine ratio. One is posted in this thread.

I have an app for that

Sent from my Armor 8 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[The Max]

Simple question for us Stock Hellcats.

Although you reference Racing Hellcats and correctly identify the Knock Sensor activity, How much is really being left on the table for HP, for a stock Hellcat, if you use only 93 octane?

The knock sensor reacts extremely quickly and it is momentary. milliseconds, all to save the motor and driveline. All good things.

On the street, for a quick impromptu throttle response to pass some Idiot or a quick drag race there is so much power that you would never feel the the detonation.

With lesser powered cars. I have experienced knock and it is quickly felt and heard.

 

[Speedy!]

Every degree of timing is worth 11-15 rwhp from what I've seen. Depends on where it is in the RPM range for the 11-15.

Knock can tend to be contagious, meaning once it starts it gets worse. If I had a stock Hellcat running on 93 I'd have a custom tune pulling out a couple degrees of timing to avoid it.

 

[TrackDay]

It is fun and all of that. Turning down expectations, driving a bit less aggressive can really make a difference from attempting to get the engine to behave as this thread illustrates to tires and brakes. For example at RA yours truly can and did use only one set of pads in 2 days. One guy wasted a set in two sessions (first morning) by max’ing out the speed on the straights and then need to pound their brakes. One of our other infamous roadsters had actual failure and had to leave the course! Or we can lift a bit early. Hit 150 and not 160, things like that make it not as horrible I have found. Maybe just a few really aggressive laps at the end of the day is recommended.

If you all are going to Bowling Green, I am thinking about coming and meeting and watching YOU and a lot of others on here in May!

My son is looking at doing the SCCA Comp school in May and an arrive and drive WRL race this year. My car is pretty stable now and I won't do much more to it. It's just fun out there and drag racing to me is too little driving and too much waiting, much like autocrossing. Both are fun but not if it's all I'm doing that season.
Hopefully we will see you out there again this season somewhere.

 

[DGatzby]

My son is looking at doing the SCCA Comp school in May and an arrive and drive WRL race this year. My car is pretty stable now and I won't do much more to it. It's just fun out there and drag racing to me is too little driving and too much waiting, much like autocrossing. Both are fun but not if it's all I'm doing that season.
Hopefully we will see you out there again this season somewhere.

I’m back TD! It is a different right arm. Weather permitting do the April 25th school day. Then I’m off to RA May 14-15. If I don’t see you by then, I need to compare notes and see if we can meet up. I did the SCCA class, it is a great few days up there. He will be bored for a few hours then do real well. It rained two of our days, and it is rain or shine.

 

[The Max]

Every degree of timing is worth 11-15 rwhp from what I've seen. Depends on where it is in the RPM range for the 11-15.

Knock can tend to be contagious, meaning once it starts it gets worse. If I had a stock Hellcat running on 93 I'd have a custom tune pulling out a couple degrees of timing to avoid it.

Speedy! thanks for the info. I agree with most everything you write about these Hellcats.

There are so many variables with today's computer engines, just heat, density altitude, humidity, or crap fuel and on and on.

It is amazing we have this much horsepower.

Again, I have not tuned nor put my Charger on a dyno or taken it on a track.

Reading this info, makes me nervous about engine failure.

Probably been more supercharger failures than motor failures or even crashes which lost motors with these Hellcats. IDK

Remember these cars are only small blocks pushing serious horsepower { 707 hp unheard of just 10 years ago) and the tuning is probably on the ragged edge but not enough to worry about engine failure.

My 2 cents

 

[vortecd]

Speedy! thanks for the info. I agree with most everything you write about these Hellcats.

There are so many variables with today's computer engines, just heat, density altitude, humidity, or crap fuel and on and on.

It is amazing we have this much horsepower.

Again, I have not tuned nor put my Charger on a dyno or taken it on a track.

Reading this info, makes me nervous about engine failure.

Probably been more supercharger failures than motor failures or even crashes which lost motors with these Hellcats. IDK

Remember these cars are only small blocks pushing serious horsepower { 707 hp unheard of just 10 years ago) and the tuning is probably on the ragged edge but not enough to worry about engine failure.

My 2 cents

I don't work to put money in the bank have to spend it on something

 

[Mean Cat]

 

[Mean Cat]

Tomorrow I should get a chance to see what O2's & Cats look like with using Boostane. I'm having them replaced under the recall, service guy said they would not touch the PCM for the reflash, I made that very clear why.
Will take pics & show.

 

[moparjim]

Tomorrow I should get a chance to see what O2's & Cats look like with using Boostane. I'm having them replaced under the recall, service guy said they would not touch the PCM for the reflash, I made that very clear why.
Will take pics & show.

Mine looked fine. Both the originals that got changed on recall and the replacement ones looked fine when they did the engine change last summer.