Lessons Learned about Road Racing

[Elvenhome21]

This is what I used for a hood vent, soffit vent and a heat duct elbow. It not really something that looks right on the street, but I never had an issue at the track for heat. More caster would have helped a LOT, but another modification for down the road.

 

[talonTSIDriver]

This is what I used for a hood vent, soffit vent and a heat duct elbow. It not really something that looks right on the street, but I never had an issue at the track for heat. More caster would have helped a LOT, but another modification for down the road.

I have seen a few people do something very similar. When it comes to performance, it does not have to look good, it just has to perform well and not brake.

 

[eclipsh]

When it comes to performance, it does not have to look good, it just has to perform well and not brake.

Are you kidding? I want to make damn sure my car brakes every time I start moving. Breaking on the other hand I'd very much like to avoid.

 

[talonTSIDriver]

Are you kidding? I want to make damn sure my car brakes every time I start moving. Breaking on the other hand I'd very much like to avoid.

eeehh, brakes just slow you down

 

[mavisky]

I have seen a few people do something very similar. When it comes to performance, it does not have to look good, it just has to perform well and not brake.

I was planning on something similar when a friend of mine backed up onto the hood of my car. Insurance paid for me to go CF instead.

 

[talonTSIDriver]

I was planning on something similar when a friend of mine backed up onto the hood of my car. Insurance paid for me to go CF instead.

Funny we are talking about this. Last night i was getting my car ready for this weekend. I decided to take off the hood and cut a reverse hood-scoop in it. It does not look too bad, I will post pics when i get home. I forgot to bring my camera with me to work.

 

[tsunari]

Digging this one back up . . . lots of good stuff in here but would also like to throw in a couple of things I've done on the reliability aspect.

Cooling- there are so many people talking about installing FMICs and regularly running hot . . . hence the desire to try and just run a larger SMIC. The first season I ran with a FMIC, I consistently ran warm (206F+ just cruising around town) and didn't dream of running the A/C for any decent length of time. Afterwards, I did the following and have yet to have any issues with running warm/hot (even blasting an entire weekend at Road Atlanta)

- Switched to a higher rated radiator cap (1.3 kg/cm2)
- Ran 75/25 mix of water/coolant (instead of 50/50)
- Shielded water pipe running behind turbo with DEI heat sleeves
- Shielded turbo water and oil feed lines with DEI heat sleeves
- Shielded drain tube with fire retardant heat sleeve
- Sealed Radiator to A/C condenser
- Created ducting between FMIC and A/C condenser (Biggest help most likely)

Temps now never get out of hand and I'm able to run full timing while at the track

Coolant stays around 90C (194F)

Lots of pix:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/turbo-system-tech/245981-fmic-ducting.html

 

[Zero Bar]

Lots of good suggestions in here. Reading about all these engine/under hood temps actually makes me glad(only a little bit really) that my car is a n/t!! I do have the bigger dual-piston calipers and such but all I have to do is maintenance stuff as the car is damn reliable as it is. I do miss the hiss though!

 

[Phil1320]

The only thing I didn't see mentioned(might have missed it) is a scatter shield, are some of you guys running them?

Phil

 

[Slow old poop]

The only thing I didn't see mentioned(might have missed it) is a scatter shield, are some of you guys running them?

Phil

The main purpose of a scatter shield is to prevent an exploding flywheel from slicing off the driver's feet, as on RWD cars, where the flywheel is mere inches from your piggies.

I don't see the need for it on our cars.

I did manage to completely shatter a six speed 3000GT VR4 trannie at the drag strip (kaboom!), but all it did was mess up the track a little. (Well, a lot, actually). My piggies were fine afterward. Not so my wallet.

 

[underradar92]

The only thing I didn't see mentioned(might have missed it) is a scatter shield, are some of you guys running them?

Phil

Apparently exploding clutch bits aren't as common in track days/road racing as they are in drag racing, as I've never seen a shield mentioned in any rule book.

I don't have one.

 

[tsunari]

The only thing I didn't see mentioned(might have missed it) is a scatter shield, are some of you guys running them?

Phil

I am running one, yes . . . but only because I occasionally hit the drag strip and dont mind the extra little bit of weight in exchange for safety. For strictly going to road courses and such, it's probably not needed.

 

[Zero Bar]

Nothing in the rules about it and there shouldn't be any need for it, there's no need to be banging the gears like in drag racing. Read Bondurants book, he talks about shifting and making sure you try to take it easy on the trans so it will last!!

 

[TKW#13]

than a bolt in. Make sure the cage is legal for NASA. They can get picky.



10. Watch out for too much heat on the timing belt cover. Install a vent on the hood or shield the cover somehow. It gets really, really hot around the turbo, which melts the cover and takes out your timing belt (been there, done that).

Rich

I have added some hood spacers and I noticed my car ran cooler. One of my friends kept over heating until he added hood spacers and he has not over heated since.

 

[Zero Bar]

^Be careful with that, at speed you should be fine but air will take the path of least resistance and at lower speeds it may not go through the radiator like it should with the hood tipped up like that. I have heard of several instances of people doing what you did and having heating issues, but it sounds like your doing ok so far.

 

[turboglenn]

If anyone needs a copy i'm in the process of putting the SCCA rules into .PDF to be mailed to all the guys on the local mailing list of omaha racers

PM me if you wnat it