Track day upgrades?

[Braveheart]

I'm using a Greddy E-Manage Ultimate with a 3 Bar map sensor and A/F input from wideband sensor.
The plan was to keep the boost low due to having a standard gearbox and was mapped at 0.7bar and 1.1bar via a greddy boost controller... it made 258bhp at 1.1bar.
GT2871R turbo with 3" Inlet AR63 and blitz 660cc injectors..... duty cycle was at 83% max so there is some headroom there.
First time back at KH after the upgrades, I spun out 3 times..... softened the rear ARB setting solved the loose back-end.

 

[STEVEN878]

I thought you might have been running a dastek unichip, as there aint many tuners up our way who map standalone ecus.

i also thought your car would make more power with the impressive list of mods on it?
are you still running standard internals?

In your opinion would you say adjustable ARB's essential for KH?

 

[Braveheart]

Yes.... it took me a while to find a reputable a local tuner that was comfortable with emanage.
Russ felt the car could have been mapped to 350 - 360 bhp (at the wheels) but because I have OE box and engine internals and was ragging it on track, we decided to keep it sensible.
I spent a chunk of change on the underside..... everything removed, blasted, powder coated and poly bushed... uprated front lower wishbones, whiteline ARB's front and rear, 4 point front lower brace, solid engine mounts. Following these changes, it was like a different car.... shake the fillings out your teeth at tickover... a right bone shaker. On track it also felt very different... it was too stiff at the back so I softend the ARB setting. I had no issues what so ever with the rear being flighty on the OE ARB so you should be fine. You can play with tyre pressures for temp/wet/dry track conditions.
You are better starting off basic (but safe) and changing things as you go. Get the cooling in place, AFR correct and a means of monitoring both... you can upgrade stuff later if and when you feel the need.

 

[STEVEN878]

The problem i have is finding time to work on the car, so for this year stripping all the suspension and refreshing everything is out the question.
i think a alloy radiator, another walbro fuel pump, oil cooler kit, battery box, ad08 tyres and some way to run 1 bar of boost will be all ill do to the car this year to try and keep it sensible, then ill decide what the car needs and make changes over the winter

what tyres do you use and how do you find the wear rate on track?

 

[Braveheart]

The problem i have is finding time to work on the car, so for this year stripping all the suspension and refreshing everything is out the question.
i think a alloy radiator, another walbro fuel pump, oil cooler kit, battery box, ad08 tyres and some way to run 1 bar of boost will be all ill do to the car this year to try and keep it sensible, then ill decide what the car needs and make changes over the winter

what tyres do you use and how do you find the wear rate on track?

I was not suggesting you do the same.....
I tracked my car for two years before stripping all the suspension. In fact it was due to an altercation with a tyre wall that caused me to go down the upgrade route.
Uprated rad I feel is a must. The engine oil is water cooled via the rad so you may even get away with just fitting a decent alloy rad and leave the oil cooler for now.
I ditch my oil after every track day (maybe me just being OTT) but I service my other vehicles with the spent oil.
I have been using Toyo R888's.... very good traction but they are directional which mean you can change front to rear but not OS to NS, the NS front takes a lot of punishment so through swapping front to rear you may get 300 to 400 miles (3 to 4 track days) from the NS and 600 to 800 mils OS.

 

[STEVEN878]

How long did it take you to remove everything underneath, powdercoat, poly bush and reassemble, as this might be a job for the winter, if i don't crash it :-/

i wont put it on track until i have a oil cooler and uprated radiator fitted, so its just a matter of finding parts....

Do the 888's only come with 4mm of tread?
have you used any-other tyres at KH? I keep being told that AD08's are by far the best road legal track tyre on the market and dont even consider using a semi slick.

 

[Jon Olds]

some deals to be had here;
http://www.ears.co.uk/specials.php?osCsid=ujoi5meurrosi8v0jter53ijm7

 

[Braveheart]

How long did it take you to remove everything underneath, powdercoat, poly bush and reassemble, as this might be a job for the winter.

VSS Irvine carried out the work..... time frame wise, could be a fairly quick turn-around. Martyn prepped many of the part prior to my visit.... I just swapped out my old OE bushed subframe etc for already uprated stuff that had been blasted, powder coated and bushed.... things that just required replacement / uprated bushes where done without too much time with the ramps and windy sockets.
I had other work done outwith that required fabrication.
Very happy with all that done...... If that's what you want to do then that's the easy / safe option.

Regarding Tyres..... maybe the AD08's are the tyre of choice..... Give them a try.... maybe that could be my next tyre..... you ask the questions, give them a trial and I buy the choice product... haha

Just get the car up there and have a blast..... I had my standard minted R (60k miles, 2 owners) up at Crail shortly after buying it and KH followed very soon after that.... then you will get a feel for what your car is lacking. It's not a race.... it's fun... ;-)

 

[Jon Olds]

you will find out its limitations quickly on track, brakes and grip/grip balance usually (as well as hot fluids..)

 

[Jon Olds]

if you want to try some proper tarmac rally tyres out (Dunlop CR311's) I have an oldish set on 16" rims, cheap 220/625/16

 

[Braveheart]

you will find out its limitations quickly on track, brakes and grip/grip balance usually (as well as hot fluids..)

To true!..... All adds to the exsperience (fun). You can dial out the shortfalls and act accordingly.... more power with poor hadeling can actually result in slower lap times.
You have to be prepared to back off and drive to the needs of your car...... overheating, fluid boil can all be addressed if you have an issue.
You do not even have to fun a FMIC on track..... you are not sitting in traffic getting heat soak..... less lag due to shorter pipe runs and more space / less resistance for cool air to manage rad and oil cooler... ;-)

I am sure you have looked over my upgrade thread....... http://www.gtiroc.com/forums/showth...Sell-amp-Replace&highlight=braveheart+upgrade

 

[STEVEN878]

Just had a look through your progress thread and the suspension work does look very impressive!

Im trying to safe guard the car against having any major issues on track, hence the reason for my thread and the relentless questions

today has been fun.
finally sorted out and welded up my drivers adjustable seat subframe (might be a bit high)
Me and my friends cut out all the rust on the rear inner wheel arches, fabricated patches and seam weld everything back together.
removed more sound deadening
also purchased a oil cooler kit from whytie

I'm going to use the tyres on the car at the moment for the first track day, just to get a feel for the car and work out any issues, but hopefully everything will ready to go for May/June

 

[Jon Olds]

1st time out and road tyres are a great choice. You can have just as much fun sliding around on them and maybe learn more (+more safely..) than with proper £100+ track/rally ones. Let us know how you get on. Hope you have proper seatbelts in. 4 point harness minimum

 

[STEVEN878]

The car will always be on road tyres mate. AD08's are fully road legal.
Ill keep this updated as i do trackdays or make progress on the car

so removed the sound deadening around the inner wheel arches and found a nasty big hole!!

A couple of hours later the plates were made, rust cut out and everything double seam welded

Forgot to take pictures of the other side.

im only using 3 point harnesses at the moment, but ill change them to 4 or 6 point once im happy with the car

 

[STEVEN878]

Driver seat frame finished and seat test fitted

also a picture of the oil cooler kit whytie sent me

just need to find a way to mount it where the grille would be...

 

[STEVEN878]

So fitted my oil cooler kit tonight, but im having issues getting the oil filter on due to the sandwich plate reducing clearance from the steering rack.

Has anyone come across this issue and how did you go around sorting it?

 

[vss irvine]

You have to fit a smaller standard filter.

What you using just now?

 

[vss irvine]

If you move the engine forward or back youll get the stock filter on.once screwed on it doesnt touch the rack.

 

[STEVEN878]

Im using a stock filter at the moment.

so rock the engine to make it fit or buy a shallower filter?

 

[vss irvine]

I would pull the engine forward and use the stock filter.

Think automotive do a remote filter housing for these cars.

You just need the new top hat to go over the sandwich plate.