ð300:                  HELP -ENGINE ANALYSIS AND RATINGS
Following is a definition of terms used on this screen:

Combination / Design Rating        This is the computer's ranking of your
                                   engine's overall design as a combination.
                                   The better your combination's parts work
                                   together, the higher this design rating will
                                   be. Street machines generally have lower
                                   ratings (in the 60 to 80 range) than all-
                                   out race cars register.

Engine-to-Vehicle Matchup Rating   This rating tells how well your engine
                                   matches your vehicle. A low rating (60 or
                                   below) normally indicates a gross mismatch,
                                   such as a 9 second engine in street car, or
                                   a street engine in a 9 second chassis.
                                   Street machines normally draw lower ratings
                                   (in the 70 to 85 range) than do all-out race
                                   cars. THE HIGHER THIS RATING, THE FASTER
                                   YOUR VEHICLE WILL BE --EVEN IF
 ¯                        ENGINE ANALYSIS HELP, page 2
                                   YOUR FINAL ENGINE COMBINATION PRODUCES LESS
                                   HORSEPOWER THAN YOUR ORIGINAL COMBINATION.

Engine Overall Power Rating        This is a measure of how radical the
                                   computer thinks your engine combination is,
                                   (irrespective of actual engine size), with a
                                   "10" representing something  absolutely slow
                                   and low-performance like a stock Volkswagon
                                   Beetle, and "90" representing a 4 second
                                   Top Fuel Dragster.

Computer Estimated Shift Point     This is the computer's estimate of the
                                   shift point necessary for your combination
                                   to attain its highest possible finish-line
                                   MPH, i.e., the MPH shown at the top of the
                                   screen. If you cannot shift at this RPM,
                                   your engine is either incorrectly built or
                                   tuned.  For further information, read
                                   "Help" for the E.T. Results screen.  See
 ¯                        ENGINE ANALYSIS HELP, page 3
                                   also Help under the category of "Shift
                                   Point".

Estimated Engine Powerband Width   The wider your engine's powerband, the
                                   faster your vehicle will be (potentially).
                                   Engines with wide powerbands need less stall
                                   (and sometimes less gear) than engines with 
                                   thin, narrow powerbands.

Engine Size in CID                 Your engine's size (Cubic Inch Displacement)

Computer Predicted HP per CID      This rating is arrived at by dividing the
                                   Computer's estimation of your engine's gross
                                   horsepower divided into your engine's
                                   size (CID). This figure is a matter of pride
                                   to many engine builders, and can be used to
                                   settle disputes as to which of two engine
                                   combinations is truly the most powerful from
                                   a relative standpoint, ignoring engine size
 ¯                        ENGINE ANALYSIS HELP, page 4
                                   and other combination specifics.

Computer Est. of Lost Exhaust HP   This is the computer's estimation of your
                                   vehicle's exhaust system losses. This rating
                                   does not apply to vehicles with open headers,
                                   as the computer does not include header tube
                                   losses in this rating.

Nr. of Badly Mismatched Parts      Poorly designed or thin powerband engines
                                   often have one or more badly mismatched
                                   engine parts in their combinations. Street
                                   machines with two or more badly mismatched
                                   parts may exhibit poor driveability.

Highest Rated Engine Part(s)       Any engine component that is rated at "100"
                                   by the computer is perfectly matched for
                                   your combination. Generally, any rating
                                   over 100 means the affected engine component
 ¯                        ENGINE ANALYSIS HELP, page 5
                                   is either "too radical", or just simply
                                   unnecessary and not needed for your
                                   combination's optimum performance. The
                                   difference depends upon the part. A
                                   carburetor or intake manifold that draws a
                                   110 ranking is "too radical", whereas a
                                   Camshaft or head port job that draws the
                                   same 110 rating is simply "unnecessary" for
                                   optimum cost vs. performance considerations
                                   and / or driveability.

Lowest Rated Engine Part(s)        Generally, any rating under 100 means the
                                   affected engine component is "insufficient"
                                   or "not enough" for your combination's
                                   optimum performance.  However, headers tubes
                                   are the main exception to this rule. Many
                                   street cars perform better with headers
                                   ranked below 100, typically 92 to 98.
 ¯                        ENGINE ANALYSIS HELP, page 6
Press <ENTER> to continue on to the next screen.

Press <F2> to start a new vehicle.

Press <F4> to access the vehicle database.

Press <F3> to see additional important advice from the computer.

Press <F8> to return to the previous screen.

Press <F10> to save the vehicle Database and exit to DragStrip Plus' main menu.
ð310:                      HELP -COMBINATION ADVICE
Any engine component that receives a "100" rating by the computer should be
considered to be perfectly matched for your combination.

Generally, any part rated over 100 means the affected component is either
"too radical", or simply unnecessary and not needed for your combination's
optimum performance. The difference depends upon the part.  A carburetor or
intake manifold that draws a 110 ranking is "too radical", whereas a camshaft
or head port job that draws the same 110 rating is simply "unnecessary" for
optimum cost verses performance considerations and / or street driveability.

Any part rated under 100 means the affected engine component is "insufficient"
or "not enough" for your combination's optimum performance. HOWEVER, HEADER
TUBES ARE THE PRIMARY EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE.  Many street cars perform
significantly better with headers ranked well below 100, typically in the 92
to 98 range, because the resulting lowered engine RPM power band works better
with the undersized gears and stalls most street machines typically employ.

WARNING: header tubes with ratings in the 88 to 95 range may exhibit chronic
exhaust reversion side effects, such as continually blown or leaking header
 ¯                  HELP -ENGINE COMBINATION ADVICE, page 2
gaskets and / or continually burned or worn out cylinder head exhaust valve
guides.

ANOTHER DECEPTIVELY IMPORTANT STAT IS THE CARBURETOR SIZE RATING. A carburetor
rating of 96 would naturally seem to indicate that although the carburetor's
size is somewhat small, it ought to be satisfactory.  In reality, a carb rated
at 96 or below can have a significant negative impact on your vehicle's
performance. If your carburetor size is rated below 100, you should try larger
carburetors and carefully note the resulting shift points, MPHs, and overall
E.T.s, after completely re-tuning the car.  A slightly lower rear end gear 
ratio may be necessary in some cases to compensate for the resulting 
increased (raised) engine RPM power band range.

OVERALL CAMSHAFT PROFILE: DragStrip Plus rates your camshaft in two ways: by its
individual statistics, and by the camshaft lobe profile's overall effectiveness
in matching up with your engine combination as a whole.  Your camshaft's overall
matchup with your engine is called the "Overall Camshaft Profile" rating.

This statistic rates only the camshaft's lobe profile; it does not consider
 ¯                  HELP -ENGINE COMBINATION ADVICE, page 3
the camshaft's lobe center separation, or whether the camshaft is advanced or
retarded (both of which are considered separately).

While DragStrip Plus can easily determine whether any given camshaft is too
large or small for any engine combination, only you can determine whether it
is the camshaft that is incorrect for the engine, or whether it is engine that
is too stock or radical for the camshaft.  You must make this determination
based upon the direction you wish your combination to take.

Keep in mind that even if DragStrip Plus gives your camshaft a perfect "Overall
Camshaft Profile" rating of 100.0, this does not mean that a still better
camshaft profile does not exist.  For example, a roller cam profile rated
at 100 will potentially produce far more horsepower than will a hydraulic cam
profile that is also rated at 100.

Among other reasons, this is because certain camshaft profiles (especially
hydraulic cams) may have excessive spread between their total duration and
duration at .050" statistics, occasionally generating a variety of messages
such as "too much total duration".  Yet this same camshaft profile may still
 ¯                  HELP -ENGINE COMBINATION ADVICE, page 4
be given an overall ranking of 100, based upon other considerations.

In short, in order to determine the best camshaft for your engine combination,
you should experiment with various combinations of camshaft profiles, lobe
center separations, and installation timings (advance and retard each cam).

Press <ENTER> to continue on to the next screen.

Press <F4> to access the vehicle database.

Press <F7> to print this screen.

Press <Esc> or <F8> to return to the previous screen.

Press <F10> to save the vehicle Database and exit to DragStrip Plus' main menu.
ð320:                     HELP -CHANGING VEHICLE DATA
To change any vehicle stat, select its highlighted character.

Select the "Ignore Engine data" option to force DragStrip Plus to calculate
your vehicle's E.T. based solely upon its finish-line MPH. This works assuming
you entered your combination into the program using the "Detailed Analysis"
mode. This basically turns a "Detailed Analysis" into a "Quick Compute"
analysis; a reminder message will appear at the top of the E.T. results screen.
It is easy to reverse this selection [see following].

Select the "Computer Engine Analysis" option to force DragStrip Plus to
calculate your vehicle's E.T. based upon its engine combination. If you have
not previously entered your combination's engine related data into the
program, you will be asked to do so. This selection basically turns a "Quick
Compute" analysis into a "Detailed Analysis". It also reverses the effects of
the "Ignore Engine data" option (if previously selected).

Press <ENTER> to continue on to the next screen.

Press <F2> to start a new vehicle.
 ¯                     HELP -CHANGING VEHICLE DATA, page 2
Press <F4> to access the vehicle database.

Press <F8> to return to the previous screen.

Press <F10> to save the vehicle Database and exit to DragStrip Plus' main menu.
ð330:                      HELP -CHANGING ENGINE DATA
To change any engine stat, select its highlighted character.

Press <ENTER> to continue on to the next screen.

Press <F2> to start a new vehicle.

Press <F4> to access the vehicle database.

Press <F8> to return to the previous screen.

Press <F10> to save the vehicle Database and exit to DragStrip Plus' main menu.
ð340:                      HELP -VEHICLE DATABASE
Press <F4> to load and display a vehicle record.

Press <F5> to copy a vehicle record.  Use this feature whenever you have more
than one configuration of your vehicle or just wish to experiment with a  
combination.  By making a copy first, you will be able to experiment as much
as want, without changing the original combination.

Press <F6> to swap (exchange) any two vehicles in the database listing.

Press <F7> to print the vehicle database listing.

Press <F9> to delete a single vehicle record.

Press <Shift><F9> to delete a group of vehicle records.  [BE CAREFUL!]

Press <Esc> or <F8> to exit the vehicle database and return to DragStrip Plus.

Press <ENTER> to page down through the database and see more vehicles (if any).
ð350:                  HELP -NITROUS HORSEPOWER USAGE
If you select the first option, DragStrip Plus WILL NOT ADD the nitrous
horsepower you just selected to your engine's overall horsepower output.

If you select the second option, DragStrip Plus WILL ADD the (gross) nitrous
horsepower you just selected to your engine's overall horsepower output.
ð360:                 HELP -UNFINISHED VEHICLE IN DATABASE
If you exit DragStrip Plus during the middle of inputing a new vehicle, the
next time you run the program DragStrip Plus will ask you if you wish to
resume work on this vehicle, or start a new combination from scratch.

If you wish merely wish to access the vehicle database and do not wish to
pick make either selection at the present time, press <Esc> or the <F8> key.
You will then be able to access the vehicle database. The next time you
restart DragStrip Plus, you will again be reminded of your unfinished vehicle
combination.
ð370:                  HELP: VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION QUALITY
"Superb"            If your vehicle is a no-breakout style Stock or Super Stock
                    class vehicle running well below its class index, select
                    "Superb".

"Outstanding"       If your vehicle is substantially better built than most
                    cars in its class, utilizing every conceivable engine
                    build and chassis optimization trick possible, IRRESPECTIVE
                    OF COST OR COMPLEXITY, or a Stock or Super Stock style
                    vehicle running at or just above its class index, then
                    select "Outstanding".

"Excellent"         VIRTUALLY ALL WELL-BUILT COMPETITIVE VEHICLES FIT THIS
                    CATEGORY, including ALL street and Pro cars built through
                    common construction techniques and budgets typical of
                    average competive vehicles in their respective classes, with
                    the sole exception of Stock and Super Stock style vehicles.

"Satisfactory"      If your vehicle is well built, but is somewhat out of tune,
                    or merely getting old and starting to slow, select
 ¯                        VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION QUALITY, page 2
                    "Satisfactory".

"Marginal"          If your vehicle is poor or hastily assembled condition,
                    badly mistuned, suffering severe ring blowby, or is
                    crippled by mechanical defects, select "Marginal".

"Poor"              If your engine and vehicle is in very poor drag racing
                    condition, select this category.
ð380:               HELP -TURBOCHARGER / SUPERCHARGER BOOST
Turbochargers and superchargers are basically air pumps that have the potential
to tremendously increase an engine's horsepower output, by forcibly packing a
much larger charge of air-fuel mix into the engine's cylinders than the
engine would normally be able to do by itself employing pure cylinder vacuum.

Superchargers are mechanically powered by a belt attached to the engine's
crankshaft. Superchargers have an advantage in that they produce a constant
amount of boost, regardless of engine RPM. But they operate at the expense of
fuel economy, because superchargers operate full time, whether they are really
needed at the time or not. They can also cause overheating and maintenance
problems in street machines. Superchargers are not very efficient, because they
require significant engine horsepower to power them.

Turbochargers are powered by waste exhaust gases from the engine. They
efficiently maximize the engine's horsepower potential, but do so at the
penalty of significant engine horsepower at low engine speeds.  At low engine
speeds, turbochargers produce little or no boost, because the volume and
velocity of waste exhaust gases needed to power the turbo are low.
 ¯              HELP -TURBOCHARGER / SUPERCHARGER BOOST, page 2
At the present time, DragStrip Plus makes specific use of this information
only if you are using convention racing fuels or alcohol. If you select
nitromethane in combination with a supercharger, DragStrip Plus will disregard
the supercharger's actual boost completely, under the assumption you are
attempting to build a nitromethane funny car or dragster.

In this case, because DragStrip Plus is basically not intended for use in
designing vehicles in these classes, DragStrip Plus will assume that you will
use a blower (supercharger) comparable in capability to those used by others
in the nitromethane fields.  Therefore, it uses only default boost values for
nitromethane class racing vehicles.

If your combination uses conventional racing fuels or alcohol, DragStrip Plus
works normally and will use the boost value you supply in its process of
computing your vehicle's horsepower, powerband, shift point, and E.T.

Enter your Super or Turbocharger's boost in pounds per square inch (PSI).
ð382:                  HELP -NUMBER OF TURBOCHARGERS
In order to calculate your combination's optimum turbocharger flow rate,
DragStrip Plus needs to know how many turbochargers your engine is equipped
with.

Press <ENTER> to accept the default if correct, or select a new value.
ð999:eof
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