Dedicated Track Car Progress Thread

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Cheers Barry.
Next season my class has been tweeked. 1600 to 1800 this time.
I'll be waving the puma flag against some quicker cars this time.

As for the surprise power boost, I need to throw it onto the rollers to prove the difference.
But it's there
Handy as ill need to up my game to be competitive..
 
Well we are now out of January and it`s about time to start thinking of where to take the track car this year and what further improvements I can make on the car.
I really am happy with the cars performance, as seen by the times on the final sprint with the other Pumas there ,
the car is streets ahead of a regular track day Puma.

So it`s time to look at the small stuff.
While, post trackday checking following the Oulton outing in December, I found that the gear linkage bolts werre not tight. "that might explain my struggling a tad with the box" were my thoughts..

Once I`d tightened it up I realised that there is a quite floppy bush between the bracket and linkage, and there was significant movement when moving the gearstick.

So as my first little play of 2018 I have broken out the hot glue gun and packed a spare buh (I had lying around!) full of a couple of sticks of the stuff.


When set the glue is nearly as stiff as a cheap polybush
If There`s a noticeable improvement in gear selection, when testing on track,
i`ll invest in some pukka shore 85 polyurethane resin and make a more robust one.

My other thoughts are turning to aero.
The last outing at Oulton was without any splitter at all.
In slippy conditions I was not as sure footed as usual, so that will be getting seen to.
I`ve also started putting together a diffuser. and maybe a little more too..
I`ll stick some photo`s up shortly

Whit a genuine headache to deal with...

As for what to do this year, I`m going to compete in the Javelin Trackday Sprint Series again (I got a title to defend)
I`ll probably be limiting the trackdays to an early test day and end of year get together with the sprint guys.
I have plenty of space for cars, but no garage, and that needs my attentions and money atm...

I will of course be at Fordfair in the summer
And a week later I`m visiting a place called The Mid Wales Activity center.
They have a driving circuit over 2 miles long which is more like a rally stage than a circut..

https://youtu.be/LwJTD-VdOYA

Should be just a little fun..
.
 
hey stu good work with all the racing!

thought there was a solid mount for the gear selector isn't it available through pumaspeed or similar?
 
Instead of a hot glue, use a windscreen glue (Sika is the best, https://www.google.hr/search?q=sika+tack+drive&client=safari&rls=en&dcr=0&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj-oZGggIzZAhVFFywKHRD_DLsQsAQIMA&biw=1279&bih=649). Just look at some repair shop, they never use the complete can and some is left in it. For your purposes more than enough. It is excellent stuff; stiffens rubber mount very nicely,sticks just about to ANYTHING, but still allows for some play. I am affraid that this hot glue, which is now completely solid will start cracking and falling down.
I would also advise you to start stiffening progresively. First just one line of the stuf, and then see how it goes. IF it is not enough, add another layer (by using the handgun) etc. You might still want some play in it, not solid connection, as the gearbox might get hurt; I suppose your engine and gearbox mounts are much stiffer than they used to be, so you have to allow for some play somewhere in the system
 
I have seen those steel brackets Sleeman, I`d just never seen just how much play there is in the standard unit.
At £40 for the pumaspeed one, I`ll see if my home made bodge makes any difference before thinking of shelling out.

Good shout with the Windscreen glue.
The hot glue doesn't set hard, probably similar in consistency to windscreen glue and I cant see it being fitted long term so cracking shouldnt be an issue.
The linkage is still free to move back and forth freely so I`m confident it wont shake it`self to bits either.

As I say this is a trial, I`ll be taking a spare standard bush with me when it is tested, just in case it doesn`t work.

Thanks for the feedback guys
 
trublustu said:
I cant see it being fitted long term

I know people are using this technique to stiffen engine mounts with great success and no problems with it whatsoever so that might be of use in long term as well. It is for sure cheaper than anything you would have to buy and is scalable, so to speak
 
I have a Vibra Technics lower gearbox mount, which I came across second hand.
£145 new would be way too much to spend on a seemingly minor mod.
But it certainly made a big difference on the car.
At the moment the upper mounts are the stiffest standard (used) ones I could find.
With the rock solid lower mount the engine is surprisingly stiff in the bay.
That lower mount (torque link) seems to be where most of the engine movement comes from.

I`ll find a suitable product and stiffen both this small bush and the upper engine mounts too.
 
Looking good Stu, if you want an early track day....

One I'm organising myself

https://rockingham.co.uk/shop/trackaddict-open-pit-lane-car-track-day-24-03-18/
 
The mount which the gearbox hangs from is notorious for changing shape because it has gaps both from the upper and the down area. This has as a result the gearbox fouling the lower strut brace. These gaps could do with a bit of windscreen glue.
 
So, time for a catch up.
The first sprint of the Javelin trackday Sprint Series has come and gone.
This years season opener was at Snetterton on Easter Sunday.
A 4-5 hour trek from the grim North on a regular weekend...
And, as my lowest championship points haul came from Snett` last year.
I skipped this one and had me a 4 day weekend..
The championship takes the best 6 form 8 results, so I`m hoping for no mechanical gremlins to strike!

Now, a good friend of mine has been mithering the flipping life out of me to buy my cams if I ever go for anything wilder.
So when he put me onto these things for £100 more than he was giving me, I took him up on his offer..


They are LMS stage 3 cams
and they came with the FRP timing tool thrown in.
I`d picked up the sexy "Ford Racing" cam lube off fleabay at xmas. Santa`s treat

That brings us around to actually working on the car..
I hoisted the car nice and high and soon had the modified gear linkage in.
It`s much more precise with it, I`ll see how it feels on the track (spare in boot :wink: )

Onto the cams, and it gets messy..
Literally!!
First thing I did was remove my o/s wheel.
To reveal this...


The small CV boot clip had had enough at Oulton and slathers a fine coating of CV grease all over mt suspension
even worse, it has given the aux belt a splattering too.
Ruined..
Into the bargain, the idler pulley had started sounding like it wanted to grind it`s way out form under the bonnet.
Off to the shops for a very nice Gates idler and OE 1181 belt.
Everything else got washed down with petrol then the pulleys with meths.
I don`t like the idea of slippage. It`s already cost me an engine when the aux belt failed...

I have fitted and refitted my former FRP cams a few times now.
Using the method described by Pumanoob here https://www.projectpuma.com/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=11634
It`s pretty straight forward, but it a bit of messing around.
But without the stupidly expensive tool it`s the only way.

Using the FRP tool is a totally different kettle of fish.
It took 1/4 of the time and was almost perfect after the first fit.

On tickover there is now definitely a different tone to the motor.
There`s more resonance through the plenum. and the exhaust note harsher
Much more menacing...
I feel that a trip back to the rolling road is on the cards...

First sprint for me this weekend, so it`s gonna be a baptism of fire.
It`s at Blyton park too. The circuit I have sprinted on the most.
And the weather looks utterly perfect..
I`m not trying for a time improvement, that never works. (conditions vary)
I`m looking a bettering my placing overall.
56th/70 in 2016
52nd/75 in 2017
I want to try to get 48th overall. There are 90 cars booked on
45th would be epic.

I might if time permits whip the jigsaw out and fashion another splitter before weekend.
Left that one a bit late possibly..
I`ll report back soon...
.
 
Friday off work and the sun has been shining :cool:
and I`m starting the sprint season on Sunday. :eek:

About time I got this seat subframe finished!
Apologies, but didn`t get a pic of the finished article,
It`s 4kg lighter than the Cobra based subframe and rock solid.
Plus the seat is a good 2" lower than previously and can go lower still.

But this gave me a small headache..

The steering wheel was feeling awfully high again.
So off came the cowling and I stripped off the column.
I figured that the column could be lowered by simply moving the two M8 studs lower on the bulkhead frame.
The angle of the wheel changes dramatically, moving the studs 20mm drops the steering wheel by about 40mm!

So now I`m looking at dropping the seat even further and can comfortably fit a deep dished steering wheel without it ending up above my head!

New seat position

Repositioned studs (now nuts and bolts)

Column linkage (you can just see how it is very close to the clutch switch bracket. Can`t go any lower with this method)

Finished steering column

The car is as ready as it`s going to be, I`m setting off at lunchtime, so tomorrow is just about digging out camping gear and loading up.
Fingers crossed I can come home with some silverwear...
 
Sorry for the delayed report, laptop playing up and I cant use my phone for anything but the most basic posts.

2018 Javelin Sprint Series, round 2, Blyton Park

The day previous to the sprints, Javelin have started running trackdays at the sprint venues.
A great way to get a feel for the track we`re competing on the following day
or.... A way for those with money to burn to cheat...
As 2018 is going to be a very modest year on track for me, I`m gonna have to do this the hard way..
Though one advantage is that my (rich) mates had already bagged a top spot, just by the start/loo`s etc.
There were 90 competitors for this round and the paddock stretched out an awful long way..
Getting there the evening before, meant I could get my car scrutineered and get all set up for the following day.
Making the morning a lot less frantic..


The class structure has been tweeked slightly this season and what was either under or over 1700cc, has now been split into seperate cc classes.
I am now competing in the N/A 1600-1800cc class (spec 2, unlimited modifications)
So as well as another Puma & Pumesta, I have a couple of 1.8`s (all well tuned) to beat.
Seven cars in class 11, making this the toughest sprint to date..

As you may be able to tell from the pics, the weather was fine. Not quite perfect, but pretty damn good.


As I`d feared the racing was bloody tight and one of the MX5`s was giving me a real run for my money.
The other Puma and Rover are also well sorted cars but both had gremlins on the day and lagged behind.
car 128 was right behind me all day..
Thankfully, thats where he stayed and after a bit of sweating in the afternoon.
I came out on top :pose: Winning by a mere 0.22 second!
Flying the Puma flag with pride..


My time was 2 seconds faster than last year and I picked up 12 points more than I did last year too..
Thats now 6 wins & a 2nd from 7 sprints.
I must be doing something right..

It`s going to be a six week layoff as the next sprint is at Croft.
A fantastic track, but a fantastic FAST track!
Meaning the championship points will be modest for all the modestly powered cars.
So I`ll be skipping that round. Meaning it1ll be the 17th June `till I roll again..

Plus, I can use the money to book Fordfair instead. (I`ll be putting in a couple of track sessions at Silverstone, so people can see my little trophy magnet in action..)

So.. Enough about the competition.
Let me say a few words about the car and it`s new mods..

Firstly, the new seating position is fantastic.
I`m lower than ever before and with the steering wheel angle now being a lot flatter, I could use the spacer bringing the wheel to just the right spot.
I`m now on the lookout for either a super deep dished steering wheel (@100mm) or a solid metal spacer.
The adjustable spacer I have is plain dangerous, I had to tighten it half way thru the day (12 miles in!)

The other mods were, of course, those wild cams and ecu `octane mod`.

WOW..

FRP cams are a fantastic tuning option for any standard Puma
They probably give the biggest power boost of all the FRP goodies.
But... At the end of the day they are cams designed for a road car.
Making them `fast road` cams in my eyes.
Newman Cams have their cam specs on the website and their Stage 1 cams have more lift than FRP ones. :eek:

The LMS stage 3 ones I have just fitted look huge next to the FRP`s
Not only is the lobe taller, It`s fatter too, So the cam open and closes a lot faster and the time it spends wide open (dwell) is longer too.
(no micrometer to hand, sorry)

Anyway, enough theory.. real world difference..

WOW..

If you know Blyton, you`ll know `The Ump` the first corner/chicane, with a dollop of concrete on the apex. (nice)
Straight after it is a long left hander, `Lancaster`
Previously, once I`d dodged the suspension busting `kerb`, I`d feed the power in, hitting full throttle before the first cone.

If I`d tried that on Sunday, I`d have spun the wheels and drove straight off track.
I had to feed the power in Coming out of all the technical sections,

There is a WOW amount of extra power.

So, looking forward..
With my redline now being at 7500rpm and my useable power being right at the top of the rev range. The rev counter is useless.
I either need a shift light (sequential type) or a custom dashboard with 8k rev counter. (it`ll be the shift light!)

Also, I need to be getting myself some more grip.
I`m already using soft compound Toyo R888 SG`s and even stickier tyres would be way too expensive,
So it`s time to seriously look at some aero..

I have my diffuser idea still milling around (I managed to slightly lose the back end on the last corner almost taking the timing gear with me, getting me a wee chat with organisers) So I do need a little on the rear end. But NO bgw.
I really REALLY have to make and fit an effective splitter. (this will be number 5. I think I know what it needs)
I may also compliment this, by designing and trying some oversize `time attack` style canards.
Possibly that can be removed for trackdays and only used when I`m balls to the wall sprint driving..

6 weeks `till the next Sprint (Kendrew Barracks) so I hope to have something sorted by then.
 

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