Another factor on why some of the "Big Dawgs" don't run a timer is because the class rules they run in won't allow them. I know for a fact based on watching local nitrous Ford guy, Chris Little. Chris' Mustang has not been competitive in about 2 years now, but when it was, he was running 8.60's on a 10" BFG radial, using a single plate that I surmised was jetted for a 350-400 HP hit. He used a "poor mans timer"...a button mounted on the steering wheel. He wasn't allowed to run wheelie bars, so to keep the car from flipping over backwards on launch, he would "stutter" the solenoids with his thumb on the button.
Yes, timers are a little harder on the solenoids, that's just common sense. If the solenoid has "X amount" of times it will open and close before showing wear on the seals or just burning out altogether, "stuttering" it with a timer will accelerate the wear. Are they necessarily "bad"? No. Solenoids in essence are just a relay, with a mechanical valve attahced. Relays can be activated/deactivated quickly without issues. NASA uses their ability to transmit signals through space over long distances without having to use a huge and heavy transmitter (I'd explain how they do it Ray, but it wouldn't fit in with this discussion). The biggest issue with wear on the solenoids would be the mechanical part. I think at this level of racing that is being discussed, getting 2 seasons out of a solenoid before it needs replacing is good.
__________________
Just a blind squirrel looking for a nut.
|