Love My MM - But I can't SMOKE THE TIRES!!

[grzellmer]

As my MM approaches 1K miles, (All set with the Mobil 1 for the first oil change.) the car is starting to loosen up a bit. It seems to spin up into prime HP range faster.

I am still being easy on the beast, but I am major league bummed out that I can't smoke the tires!!

Am I alone in this fact? I know some of the gang here have gone the chip route and gotten maybe a 10% boost in Hp/Torque. Is this enough? I think not!

We want more!! (Think of the prison cell, bang your water cups on the bars as we chant) We want more, We want more!!

Ok, Thanks - I feel better now. Anybody got an idea how we can do it shy of spending $16K on a KB package?

GZ

[89VERT]

It seems to me from all the posts that 4:10 gears will really wake the motor up .Of course the chip will give you extra HP and from what I've read , it'll also dial the computer in to allow you to get a higher maxium speed .

[RCSignals]

just remember, if you are spinning your wheels you aren't going anywhere ;)

[Murader03]

During a conversation I had with Dennis when I ordered my chip/plugs/thermostat/gears, he said they were working on an SC package for the MM. There was also mention of a catback exhaust. Both are rumored to ready this spring.

[SergntMac]

Welcome to the chaos...

I think all of us were disappointed on delivery, over one element or another of this fine automobile not performing as we expected. I too, could not get anywhere close to the "spin" of the advertised machine, and I also felt that the car was much too quiet.

Things will change as you break her in, my MM didn't show herself until 3K miles or so, when I began to notice what I wasn't noticing anymore. Once she flashed me with a wink of promise, my decision to molest her was automatic. But, she made me do it...

The basic mods many of us have accomplished will change all of your "seat of the pants" impressions. A 4:10 gear, and a chip from Reinhart Automotive are most promising, his suggestion of a 180 stat and colder plugs only focus that promise on our goal. Overall, the car really wakes up, everything you thought you paid for, gets delivered on the third date.

The gear change is necessary, begin here. Launching a 4200Lb car needs a 4:10s help. Factory 3:55 looked "competitive" to me on the advertiser's page too, but my lust caused me to overlook the affect of 18" wheels on that ratio. My MM felt like a low 3:00 on delivery and my thread on the topic was named "4:10 screw," because I was expecting an "amusement ride" launch. Once I added a 4:10, the MM was more in line with my performance expectations. Real time ratio is still affected by tall wheels and tires, more like a 3:90 perhaps, but that's all this car really needs to get that scary "amusement ride" launch we all expected.

The Delta chip Reinhart programs for us has been perfected for the MM. His chip should come with a tiny switch that allows you to restore the factory settings, just in case Mom wants to zip over to KMart. The chips is fully transparent too, no one will know it's there without looking for it with a human eye.

The chip does a lot, I cannot explain it all here. But, I know it will correct your speedo after adding a 4:10, adjust shift points, remove govenors, and allow you to burn 91 octane comfortably, if you have no choice. Please call Dennis for more info.

Stat and plugs are the least producing of the mods. They serve to fine tune the overall package by running it all a few degrees cooler, but you won't gain much in performance by adding stat and plugs alone.

Once you accomplish these basic "bolt-on" mods, you'll have the MM we intended to buy, so, be prepared to learn driving her all over again.

Your concern will be how NOT to spin the tires, which is more important if you wish to be competitive at the stop light, or, have any serious winter climate to contend with.

I don't think we're done with "bolt-on" mods yet. Strong rumors suggest a precision tuned "air in/air out" system is in the works, and beneficial to us who don't want to get inside motor/tranny things. Moreover, some here report a mild, but valuable improvement by adding/changing pulleys, an early '03 spring will tell us more.

Stay tuned, grzellmer, you may get the MM you bought, but in segments, as they are explored, and verified.

[tetsu]

Hi grzellmer,

A fellow Wisconsinite! No ones Marauder will smoke the tires stock.

If you really want to launch, 4.10s and downsize the radius of your tires (maintaining the rolling ratio.) You'll want to switch to 16" wheels for this.

A chip will help alot with the shifts/shift points and beef up the fuel tables.

Johnny

[LincMercLover]

Hmm... I always though if you pushed the brake, and then pushed the gas, it made quite a bit of smoke back there... Hmm... must only be mine that does that! :D

[tetsu]

Originally posted by LincMercLover
Hmm... I always though if you pushed the brake, and then pushed the gas, it made quite a bit of smoke back there... Hmm... must only be mine that does that! :D

LML, you know that isn't what he was talking about. Any RWD car can do a powerbrake.

Johnny

[LincMercLover]

LOL, der... I know!

[grzellmer]

I am hoping that there will be an eventual "middle" ground in the mods list. Something in between the chip, plugs, etc... and the KB package. I don't want to buy the chip, then the SC shows up and then have to buy another chip, etc....

Some of the mods mentioned can be segmented, such as the gears - they seem like a no brainer. But then a chip change is required to get the speedo to read correctly (Unless the existing chip can be reflashed - can this be done by the dealership if I have them install the gears?)

To the Sarge's response. You're probably right on the gearing. My
89 Mustang GT had 13.9lbs/hp and my the 94 Z28 had 12.3 lbs/hp. The MM has 15.1lbs/hp yet it doesn't feel close. (Maybe HP is a bad measure as the 5.0 mustang and the LT1 in the Z28 had gobs of torque.)

I just want some more "GO". Not interested in cross drilled rotors, suspension changes or the like. Though I realize I may have to consider non-go items such as a driveshaft since the OEM item whips around like a limp noodle at speed such that the tail of the transmission spills its guts.



Thanks for the responses

GZ

[LincMercLover]

GZ,

Your dealer or local speed shop should be able to re-flash the computer to accept the gears.

[Larry Vogel]

If you don't care about mpg's why not go with someting like 4:33 or 4:56

[RancorKeeper]

Another thing to consider with tire spin is how much grip a new, wide tire offers. When I replaced my 245/60R15's on my Caprice with new 275/70R15 BFG's this summer, I couldn't really spin 'em much from a stop for about 3 or 4 weeks. Obviously, at some point grip is a moot point - even with slicks on my Monte, I can roast the rears if I slam the gas & don't have the front tires pointed straight because the 402 is putting out about 450lb/ft of torque at the crank. :D ;)