Dedicated Track Car Progress Thread

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A bit of last minute fiddling got my drop links sorted and the car ready to hit fordfair.
Once again I found myself tucked away on one side. Probably wont bother next year.

Onto the car..
I set the damping to the middle and decided to take it from there.
I had no time to do any shakedown runs so i set out on my first session very gingerly..
Glad I did as the handling was, well, a handful.

This is the vid showing the full session.
It was flagged after 10 mins because a mk2 escort broke down and the idiots got out of the car! the passenger actually went and stood by the track!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbVpNBCaPus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I found the thing way too hard.
I figured it could be one or more of 3 things.
Firstly, Tyre pressures. I went out with my tyres at the same pressures I run my Michelins . a much softer walled tyre than the Direzzas.
Also. Damping. Although i`d have though mid settings should suit a fast track like this well
And lastly. Spring rates. Even with the fronts wound down to the bottom there was 35mm of daylight between the tyre and the arch. I could need softer (or shorter) springs.

Now as to why i didnt get to the pit lane for my next session...

as I approached the pit lane and went to dip the clutch, the pedal hit the floor and the car lurched forward.
The rubber flex in the clutch pipe let go, fluid peeing out.
End of my day.

Following a red flag in the 1st session my total track mileage was 13 miles!!
I recon that all these engine and gearbox swaps and folding the line up so it doesnt drain saw the 15 year old rubber crack.
New on has arrived already..

I have a few weeks before my run at the Javelin Sprintday at Cadwell Park.
plenty to fit a hose and soften my suzzy..
 
Last year it didnt skip a beat.
This season a few `worn` parts have let go..

I`m thinking of a little preventative maintenance. ie brake and fuel lines..
 
A note on the bushes by the way.
Previously, I had found that under really hard braking, I got some cracking judder through the wheel.
The Floflex wishbone bushes I replaced looked tired and the judder is now gone :cool:
 
I went to get some photos of this weekends progress, but found it pretty much invisible (or very boring)

I have replaced the clutch pipe, which had indeed burst where it bends when folding it out of the way when taking the box off (which has been done about half a dozen times. no wonder the 15 year old pipe gave in!
Best clutch I`ve had this year :grin:

I raised the rear of the car 10mm as I seemed just a bit too `squat` in it`s stance.
I`m now convinced that the front springs are too hard.
i have found a fiberglass tailgate so will fit this to better balance the car and get it on a weighbridge to find out off Gaz just what springs I need.

As my next outing is a Sprint, I have sacrificed (temporarily) the passenger seat.
Both seatbelts have gone too and harness eyes are now fitted instead.

I have also got my hands on a Mondeo V6 MAF sensor. which is huge next to the Puma one.
I dont know if it wil l work properly but I`m gonna see whether it makes a difference on back to back runs at Cadwell..

The car is good to go.
meaning i can give the tow vehicle a looking at next week..
 
I wouldn't of thought the springs were to far off as with that set up I found it spot on at croft. I have only gone down to 250lbs springs for bumpy tarmac. I wouldn't of thought there was much weight different between mine and yours.

Graeme
 
Hi Greame.
By taking the abs, p/s and a/c took 25kg from under the bonnet, on top of the usual strip out.
The car is definitely `perched` on an uncompressed spring.
Once I get this tailgate on (been on the wishlist foir a while) I`ll get its actual weight and speak to a suspension specialist or Gaz themselves.
I may even be able to dial them in, not really had a proper test session yet..
 
My original plan was to have the car ready to go before this week so I could give the van some overdue attention.
That was until I recieved my final instructions from Javelin for their sprint next week.

I`ve found that they are much more stringent on scrutineering
and their checklist made me gulp several times.

The biggest issue was my lack of a handbrake. Not really nesessary on a trackday, but it`s on the sprint checklist.
Also the gaffa tape I`d covered the holes left by my heater box in the bulkhead wasn`t up to scratch "flame and liquid proof" they require.
I also found a couple of smaller things on the list that were probably ok but recieved some attention anyway.

The handbake cable was pretty easy. The Focus cable I had is a little too long but careful routing means it works and fits fine. the clips were all different so I had to use what I could and use 6mm cableties to help out.

I had a play with a 6mm sheet of polycarbonate (I`ve never worked with this stuff so though this was good practice)
This stuff is for machine guards so should seal the bulkhead holes well enough. I used the studs that bolted the heater on to fasten the sheet underneath. I found the polycarbonate really easy to cut/drill using `metal`bits. (bending looks a bit more involved)
I also checked and found the loom and fusebox above my pedals was a bit loose (another check) so out came the zip-ties again.

I also finally got round to replacing the fuel filter (took 2 years!)

But the car really is ready to compete in a real live sprint competition.
It`s (and my) first forray into (entry level) motorsport..
 
This year has been jinxed in one way or another for almost every trackday..
Driving hard on cold tyres was hardly the best way to set up my suspension and my times at the sprint were more than modest.
Unfortunately my £43 ebay clutch completely disintegrated on my 6th run..

Here are the remains
Exploded clutch

Exploded clutch


admittedly it got hammered, but 35 miles is a little soon to be replacing a clutch.

So This baby has gone in today.
LuK clutch kit

LuK clutch kit


Pukka LuK clutch kit (£123)
I`m used to whipping a gearbox off, just not that keen on it..

Also I have spoken to the chap I bought the coilovers from.
I asked how he had them set up for his car.
I`d had the knobs roughly in the middle and was really struggling to get the car right, again sprint driving is no good for setting up.
Anyway, I was miles out.
He recommended going to really soft settings.
I have set it to softest and will go from there.

I`ve booked a half day drackday/ half day sprint at Blyton next week so should be able to iron out any gremlins before putting my car against the clock (as I have done the last two years at this event).

It should be good to see how far the car and I have come..
 
I have attended the Mazda On Track half day drackday, half day sprint at Blyton Park for the last two years.
The first visit was only my third time on track.
So on my third visit I was hoping to see just how all the tracktime and upgrades have got me faster..

The weather was perfect and the day a sellout (50 cars) so we got just 5 runs in the sprint

blyton sprint line up 18 9 15

blyton sprint line up 18 9 15


With a half days opl I managed to get the suspension working with the car
as a rough measure I found I could keep 5mph more speed through `Bishops` than ever before.

When it came to sprint times I manage to beat my previous best by 1.54 seconds, which makes me very happy.. :thumbs:
My best time was 1.19.44 (beating last years 1.20.98)
Only 5 runs isn`t quite enough to get a real crack at the sprint course and I recon 1.19.00 would have been possible with 8 runs.

Also, my regular passenger pulled a sickie, so my 17 year old daughter got her first trackday passenger ride.
This a short vid of her while lapping quickly. (very cool obviously)
https://youtu.be/CWXGIBGWenc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As a bonus, the car didn`t break down!
although I have a weeping driveshaft oil seal which left a james bond style smokescreen after a few laps later in the morning.
it was ok for the sprint but looked like it wanted to catch fire every time I parked up.
I`d thrown the gearbox in at the last minute and skipped this little job.
At least the engine can stay where it is till donnington in October..
 
I`ve had chance to pour over my videos from weekend.
comparing my clear lap times from a vid from last August I am delighted to have knocked 2 seconds off my lap times

Here are a couple of vids from my most recent visit.
One is a regular vid of my pushing harder and harder, till I fell off.
the other is a couple of laps looking back into the car, with my daughter on her first passenger ride..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtJKZKlSRF4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtJKZKlSRF4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
Had a pleasant afternoon under the car today.

First job was to sort this oil seal. The OS one to be precise.
It wasn`t just weeping, there was oil everywhere. (though not much where it`s been parked up)
As I set about removing the relevant driveshaft, I found that my ham fisted spannering had nearly dropped me in it again.
The driveshaft bearing clamp was loose. Really loose.
No wonder it was leaking oil. I lost about 750ml.
As the seal would have taken a battering I replaced it and rebuilt the driveshafts treating it to new pinch bolts for good measure.
I also DOUBLE CHECKED my tightening sequence...

I also looked at fitting this, the vibra-technics torque link I sourced recently.

vibra technics torque link {num}

vibra technics torque link {num}


As ever, it`s not just a bolt-on..
the engine end is narrower and requires spacing.
I fitted it, checked it was straight and found it needs a 10mm spacer on one side.

vibra technics torque link {num}

vibra technics torque link {num}


I should have something sorted for,
what may well be my last trackday of the year.

Castle Donnington 26/10/15 with Opentrack
 
Well in a fit of efficiency, I have got my car ready to go for donny in a fortnight.

The torque link fas quite easy to fit properly (straight) I rounded up a stack of spacers 1.5, 2.0 & 2.5mm
I nipped up the rear bolt and tweeked the link till I was happy it is perfectly straight,
It needed 7.5mm one side and 2.5 the other so in went the biggest washers and both bolts were torqued up.

Once back on its wheels, the hubs/wheelnuts were torqued up and the gearbox oil topped up to precisely 5mm below the filler.

Roll on the 26th...
 
Glad you got it sorted Stu. Strange as Vibra (no reply) Technics supply it with two 4mm spacer washers.

Either way glad you're all good. The torque link makes a big improvement to engine movement. Good luck for the track day.
 
Cheers Ben.
It was surprising just how far from true the link fitted, even with one different spacer.
Anyway it`s sorted. total cost £0.00 :)
 
Oh good!
Sorry for any inconvenience. Sounds like the original ones may not have worked for you anyway :? :roll:

Glad it cost you nothing! :grin:
 
Donington Park 26/10/15 report.

Firstly the car..
Excellent, absolutely ran like a dream. I was left in the wake if the M3`s and sevens, but held my own with a lot of regular track cars.
There was an FRP there and I ended up in a right royal tustle with it. I had a little extra poke than mine but not five grands worth!
in the end he went off (airbourne over a 4" concrete herb (ouch!) trying to out drag me..

I have downloaded a lap timer App and got it running for a couple of sessions.
107.7 mph highest speed. Which is the fastest (gps speedo) i`ve recorded on track.
Best lap of 1:30.7 (averaging 78.06mph)
The car felt a tighter than it ever has, it really held its own in the `built on my drive for a grand or so` Class...

The track..
Donington Park is up there with the best tracks in the country.
I was on the National circuit which is about 1.95 miles in length.
It`s very fast and if you can carry speed through the corners the Puma`s lack of outright power doesn`t matter and larger cars start reversing towards you.
The first corner, Redgate, is a pig, over 90` and it took half the day to get about right.
Hollywood and Craner Curves come in quick succession and once you find your lines you can barrel through with the needle past the ton (probably 95-98 gps) I had two brown trouser moments here but kept it together and carried on.
The `Old Hairpin` is a bit of a misnomer as its about 70mph right hander at the bottom of the hill.
You then go flat out up through Schwantz Curve to McCleans, which is another fast (70ish) corner. get it right and you really get the jump on the traffic..
Coppice is terrifying the first time you hit it, It`s blind and requires a touch of the brakes entering. Then with your foot down all the way through exit speeds were 90 when I got the whole complex right.
Then comes the fastest straight to a right/left chicane, (where the FRP carried on) and onto the start/finish straight carging towards Redgate again.

Finally the trackday..
This is where it wasn`t so spiffing..
The day was overbooked by dozens and the pit lane etiquette questionable.
Resulting in huge waits (15-20+ mins) to get on track.
Still the free coffee and donuts were appreciated..

Car going into hibernation now till the spring.
I have a few more tweeks in the pipeline which will finish the car off.
Then I hope to compete in the Javelin Sprint series next year.
 
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