Any reason a momentary switch like throttle position off NOS would not work for backup button? Activated by shifter being in reverse of coarse.

I thought the z force had advantage here,since its energized till second hit. But then shifter had to jump into the game. Probably not issue until it slammed my finger while pulling into low and it decided to shift. Then I'm on starting line beating the hell out of it. Not good.

Momentary on the shifter kinda defeats the purpose of having a pro brake. I've been laboring on a new combo all winter that came with a trans. I was totally shocked when I stuck it in reverse on the first burnout and was all of a sudden going backwards (blower car so not like it just rolls a little). Eerie feeling considering I haven't made a pass without a pro brake since I was 16. I'm running it as is but need to get that thing out of there.

a toggle switch will work or an alternate button all together just for backing up also works

Just push and hold the TB button while backing up, been doing it for years, including backing into the trailer not a big deal to me.

My trans brake button is a micro switch like you mention that is mounted on my shifter and gets activated when I put it in reverse with the shift lever over to the right. It is a Winters Shifter so I can toggle it side to side. I usually leave it on the left side so it doesn't hit the switch and I push it myself. Yes, Pro Brake.

I also use that as my "normal" TB button, nothing on the wheel in my car.

I just recently tried Top Bulb racing from time to time and did find this: If I have a slower time for my opponent in the box than my dial, the trans brake will stay engaged not only for the delay time I have in the box, but also the time difference between the two dials.

For a dragster that has to back up after a burnout, that could be an issue. I know there is a way to bypass this, but for me in a door car I'm not worried about it.

I wired a double throw single pole toggle switch and relay from the normally open side of my ignition switch.
Flip switch forward, and it bypasses the delay box and puts 12v directly to the brake solenoid- put it in reverse and back up without having to hold button down or activating delay.
When the switch is in the center, no power to box or solenoid.
Flip switch to the back, box is powered up and the tbrake button on the steering wheel controls the tbrake (launch button).
When ignition switch is off, no power is going to the double throw switch..so if I have the switch flipped forward to back into my pit and forget to flip it back to the center, as soon as I kill the ignition switch it cuts power to the double throw switch and prevents me accidentally burning up a solenoid..
Not good at explaining stuff but maybe u get the idea.

My transmission is now being refreshed and I’m having a new pro-brake VB installed for the first time. Because my wiring is set up to energize “both” the line lock and TB solenoid when the TB PB is pushed, I added a SPST momentary ON/OFF toggle switch to back up with.
I wired it directly to the TB solenoid and installed a 10A diode in front of the existing wiring to keep the line lock from energizing when using this toggle switch to back up.

I recently raced at an event that did not use “stage lock” and several of the racers were going red while still on the starting line. They did announced that stage lock was not being used prior to eliminations.

Although I’m not new to delay box racing, after 17 years no box racing I’ve recently installed a delay box in my door car. Re-learning how to use it has given me more ideas in this short time. While wiring my back up toggle switch, I turned my Hail Mary button into a dual purpose button. It now will bump down the delay box and also run the Hail Mary feature with the same button during the run.

Both my line lock and TB solenoid +12v are wired to the ignition ON relay. This keeps +12v power to these OFF when the ignition ON switch is in the OFF position.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: markemark,

FOr those using TB button for reverse.Does you Delay box also activate shifter? thats issue I am having. Using Z force setup as stated above. WHen I hit button to release it also starts timer for shifter and activates air solenoid.
While will not actually hit my hand as I joked about(using a tube shifter).I can see it shifting into second and if light bulb in seat doesn't dbl check every time I would be leaving in high gear. Car has Hi.lo VB also,so I would not know till car stumbled forward after TB released.

If you are using a MSD Grid ignition, you can program the Output Switch to shift using the time feature and program the RPM feature to keep it from activating if the RPM is below a specific value when at idle and backing up. Unlike delay boxes, Grid can offer so much more in rpm and time control functions.

If your delay box includes an rpm output feature along with the timers, I can show you how to wire / build a circuit that will keep the shifter from activating when using the TB button for reverse.

quote:

Originally posted by markemark:
My transmission is now being refreshed and I’m having a new pro-brake VB installed for the first time. Because my wiring is set up to energize “both” the line lock and TB solenoid when the TB PB is pushed, I added a SPST momentary ON/OFF toggle switch to back up with.
I wired it directly to the TB solenoid and installed a 10A diode in front of the existing wiring to keep the line lock from energizing when using this toggle switch to back up.

I recently raced at an event that did not use “stage lock” and several of the racers were going red while still on the starting line. They did announced that stage lock was not being used prior to eliminations.

Although I’m not new to delay box racing, after 17 years no box racing I’ve recently installed a delay box in my door car. Re-learning how to use it has given me more ideas in this short time. While wiring my back up toggle switch, I turned my Hail Mary button into a dual purpose button. It now will bump down the delay box and also run the Hail Mary feature with the same button during the run.

Both my line lock and TB solenoid +12v are wired to the ignition ON relay. This keeps +12v power to these OFF when the ignition ON switch is in the OFF position.

Been Footbraking for 30 years. Been Pro Tree racing for 12ish.

Thought that Top Bulb (using a delay box) would be simple. Went through what I had to do in my head before the pass. Well, I kinda forgot everything AFTER the burnout! I light the second bulb, my finger pushes the button for the TB, my right foot goes to the floor (too used to Pro Tree stuff) and I am sitting on the two step while the other lane is bumping-in. That wasn't the worst part, I am soooo used to bottom bulbing that I didn't let go of the button UNTIL the bottom bulb came on! I am sitting there for what felt like an eternity waiting for the car to move! Ha ha, great racer I am!

Everything is easy till you try it!

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Beck:

Thought that Top Bulb (using a delay box) would be simple. Went through what I had to do in my head before the pass. Well, I kinda forgot everything AFTER the burnout! I light the second bulb, my finger pushes the button for the TB, my right foot goes to the floor (too used to Pro Tree stuff) and I am sitting on the two step while the other lane is bumping-in. That wasn't the worst part, I am soooo used to bottom bulbing that I didn't let go of the button UNTIL the bottom bulb came on! I am sitting there for what felt like an eternity waiting for the car to move! Ha ha, great racer I am!

Everything is easy till you try it!

That’s funny Mike, but oh so true.

The racers I’ve seen that can consistently go from box to no-box during the same race are very good at it unlike myself. I too had one of those moments where the top bulb came on and instead of releasing the TB button while using a delay box, I mashed the gas pedal. The car spent an extra 0.40 on the starting line before leaving.

Now that I’m getting more comfortable using a delay box this month, I’m almost afraid to take it out to go no box racing again.

I didn’t read all the above ads in detail, but I have a blower car with a pro brake. After my burn out, I’ll put the shifter in reverse, and then push the button, after holding on the button for 1-2 seconds, I let go, and steer the car back while it’s still “coasting” backwards. Sometimes I have to push it for a split second again to keep coasting, but rarely. I don’t hold it in for the entire 10 second process while I’m backing up. I try to keep the heat off the t-brake solenoid as much as I can.

Hope this helps.

quote:

Originally posted by markemark:
If you are using a MSD Grid ignition, you can program the Output Switch to shift using the time feature and program the RPM feature to keep it from activating if the RPM is below a specific value when at idle and backing up. Unlike delay boxes, Grid can offer so much more in rpm and time control functions.

If your delay box includes an rpm output feature along with the timers, I can show you how to wire / build a circuit that will keep the shifter from activating when using the TB button for reverse.

I don't think K&R cube has rpm feature will dbl check. Want to get Biondo piece and that maybe one more reason to do so. Rephrase that I am going to get Biondo box which allows me to set timer for sle instead of it being fixed number,just not at top of list right now.

If you have an rpm activated switch or are using a 7al3 box I can show you how to properly wire everything to make this work.

The K And R has a reset button.
After you let off button in reverse just reset it and no timers will activate .

Agree reset will eliminate problem.Have between 2 and 3 seconds to do so.Admit 2.5 seconds is L O N G time in drag racing,but crap happens to distract us old guys. M theory is if you think it can happen it probably will.

I have rpm activagted switch that I can plug into my msd MAG 12 n problem. I sent email on subject.Let me know how far off I am on setup.

Chris, you do not list whether this is an air or electric shifter so I’ll post the wiring for both.

If this is an electric shifter that draws high amps and you are using a relay this is the wiring.

The yellow wire from the MSD rpm activated switch will provide the ground signal to the 85 terminal of the shift relay.
The timer output from the K&R will be attached to the 86 terminal of the shift relay.
Place a rpm chip in the rpm activated switch that is greater than your engine idle in reverse but less than the rpm the engine will shift at. Anything from 3000 to 5000 rpm should work well.

Here’s what now happens. After you release the TB button for reverse and the delay box sends the +12v shift signal from the timer, the relay will not energize because the engine rpm is less than the chip value you have selected and there is no ground signal present.

During the actual run, after the engine reaches the rpm activated chip value, it turns ON, and outputs a ground signal. When the K&R timer times out and sends the +12v shift signal the relay will now turn ON and your shifter coil will be activated.

If using an air shift, you can terminate the wires from the 85 /86 relay example directly to the electric over air solenoid as this is very low current to energize.

Sorry its air.Would have saved you a bunch of typing if had stated that. Thanks

Got a new car this year and had to use trans brake to back up not a big deal however it would cycle starting line enhancer also so pedal would only go to floor when staged and brake on , called digital delay and tol need separate backup switch .. so I wired a toggle and works well simple deal

quote:

Originally posted by Yellow Ticket:
I didn’t read all the above ads in detail, but I have a blower car with a pro brake. After my burn out, I’ll put the shifter in reverse, and then push the button, after holding on the button for 1-2 seconds, I let go, and steer the car back while it’s still “coasting” backwards. Sometimes I have to push it for a split second again to keep coasting, but rarely. I don’t hold it in for the entire 10 second process while I’m backing up. I try to keep the heat off the t-brake solenoid as much as I can.

Hope this helps.

Me to and I don’t like just using the regualar tb button. I believe a back up button is a great idea. I use a momentary like a tb button