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Update: Went through all of the wheel bearings, packed them with Redline grease. Welded the diff bushings and some of the rear subframe bushings. Changed trans fluid, it seems the only thing that holds up in this W58 under race conditions is the Redline MTL.
We did a little weight reduction. Items removed are the door bars and the top part of the inside of the door. This removed approximately 20 pounds. Gutted the trunk, but left the hinges just so the trunk would still be usable without having to pin it, I think this was only like 7 pounds. Gutted the hood, this was a little over 20 pounds, but had to rivet some small aluminum channels in to give it some stiffness, so maybe a little under 20 pound overall reduction. Close to 50lb reduction, a lot of work to get that 50lb out of the car. Wish there was a way to get 200 more, but it's just not there without a lot of work.
We're not sure yet about running more chump. We've run WRL the last two seasons, because we've only run 1 race per year instead of multiple races like we used to. And we've made other improvements that likely pushed us into EC, if we run Chump, so I don't know that it changes. Check out racewrl.com I think I could get a referral code for new team discount if you run a race there.
Which redline grease did you use? We've had good luck with NEO HP800 bearing grease, its really high temp. And for trans and diff fluid we've switched over to Torco oils, can get some nice thick gear fluid. I also now put on temperature indicating sticker to watch our diff and trans temps. I haven't checked what they hit after our last race yet, we just got a lift installed, so I've been waiting to go under and look.
Weight reduction is hard, we've done a lot of the similar and I think we're just under 3000lbs now. In hindsight I wish I would have known we'd get under 3k, and have used 1.5" OD cage tube instead of 1.75". That would have saved more weight. One of the biggest is lightweight wheels, I think we're going to get some more Enkei RPF1's, we have some 17x9.5" for the rear, and used them up front too for running 275's square. Another big hitter is the battery. Our Optima is like a 45lb'er, and a Lithium Iron Phosphate from Battery tender is like 5lbs. Just haven't dropped the money on the battery yet, I know a team running one with a 4.8L engine, so it should crank my 4.0L fine. 40lb drop would be nice. I think we're going to redo our full wiring harness too to finish cleaning and gutting it. Not much weight, but better reliability.
We keep thinking we will make a WRL race, but every time something is close by it conflicts with something else we want to do.
I used the Redline CV-2 which has an 800deg dropping point. I'll check out the Torco fluids. Will be curious to see what you find on the max temp. This W58 has been getting extremely hot in each race. Running the MTL has been the only thing we can find that will stand up and not effect the shifting when it gets cooked.
I did figure the weight difference of 1.75 vs 1.5 and going from memory it was 20 lb or less so like you not knowing I could get it below 3000 we did the 1.75. We run MB Battle wheels in 17x9 but also run 275's square. Not sure on weight difference between Enkei and MB Battle. Do you know which Battery Tender battery? I see they have a 480ca version, wonder if a 360 would do the trick? I was thinking maybe one of those and wire in one of the new tiny boosters that could be switched on if needed for say if you stalled on track. Just brainstorming.
Pulled the car out of the trailer yesterday to do some prep for a track weekend next weekend and pulled the dipstick to find the dreaded milky oil. I assumed I had blown a head gasket.
Did a leak down check and found number six definitely leaking coolant. We pulled the head last night and sure enough that was the culprit. I guess 180,000 miles plus the last year and a half being hammered on by racing was more than it could take. New head gasket going in today. The good news is the cylinder leakage was very good indicating rings are still in good shape. Hopefully the bottom end is also still solid.
After our last race and a couple track days, our temp monitoring stickers show our trans case topped out at 241 deg F, so the fluid is maybe a little hotter. And our diff was at 250 F. Both of which is getting close to where oil breaks down, which should be 275 F. Probably means we just have to keep fresh fluids in it for races to be safe.
Wire in one of the tiny jump packs? I was looking at the 480cca version, its 3.75lbs. Not sure dropping to the 360cca is worth any extra hassle for a marginal further weight drop.
Hopefully you caught the head gasket in time. Sounds like you should have.
Being that we're staying WRL or EC in Chump, I just ordered one of these Chase Bay brake booster eliminators. We had removed the ABS to save weight, and this will supposedly shave another 20lbs. We'll weigh things and see though. With no ABS, it'll be nice adding the brake bias. http://www.chasebays.com/chase-bays-...-soarer-is300/
After our last race and a couple track days, our temp monitoring stickers show our trans case topped out at 241 deg F, so the fluid is maybe a little hotter. And our diff was at 250 F. Both of which is getting close to where oil breaks down, which should be 275 F. Probably means we just have to keep fresh fluids in it for races to be safe.
Wire in one of the tiny jump packs? I was looking at the 480cca version, its 3.75lbs. Not sure dropping to the 360cca is worth any extra hassle for a marginal further weight drop.
Hopefully you caught the head gasket in time. Sounds like you should have.
Being that we're staying WRL or EC in Chump, I just ordered one of these Chase Bay brake booster eliminators. We had removed the ABS to save weight, and this will supposedly shave another 20lbs. We'll weigh things and see though. With no ABS, it'll be nice adding the brake bias. http://www.chasebays.com/chase-bays-...-soarer-is300/
You guys are gutsy to eliminate ABS. During the wheel bearing episode at COTA we damaged the ABS sensor. Our better driver went out and couldn't approach the lap times I was laying down previous to the loss of wheel bearing. I know there are weight savings, but I just haven't been able to convince myself the weight is worth the loss of laptimes and possibility of flat spot of tires. I like the way the ABS performs on this car, so it would take a lot for me to remove it.
Car seems to be running ok since the headgasket, there was pretty good corrosion going on at the back of the block and some at the mating area of the head. Will find out if it is cured this weekend during the shakedown DE.
Are you guys doing the Road America event next May? As usual, it conflicts with a race at COTA the next weekend. We are going to target Road America in the fall. Looks like our first WRL race may be either Road Atlanta in April or Barber in August, with the potential for Daytona but that's slim since we have just been there in April with Chump.
We didn't like the ABS performance, it seemed to work okay originally, but as we dropped weight, and increased tire size it gave us sporadic performance. Like the rears would kick in, and then the fronts, when you didn't really need it. The only thing I miss is the reduction in flat spots, or less risk. Luckily we've only flat spotted 1 pretty much brand new tire so far. I miss the abs in theory, and I've researched adding a newer ABS system to the car, its getting more common to use a Vette or BMW ABS add-on. But that might be a next year project. I'm hoping that adding the brake bias helps us get more out of the rears.
Corrosion, like you should get the block decked to fix the surface a bit?
We're planning Road America in May, but a little nervous its early in the season. We might still do the late season one with Chump too. I might talk the guys into heading down to Kansas for the Heartland Park race, its supposed to be a fun track, and they just repaved it. So it should be easier on tires then it was in the past. We avoided it due to the reputation for being a tire shredder.
it seemed to work okay originally, but as we dropped weight, and increased tire size it gave us sporadic performance.
Corrosion, like you should get the block decked to fix the surface a bit?
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We must not have as much weight reduced yet then, we are running 275's in a NT05's and 255's with RS/3's and RE71's and never had an issue with the ABS. It works as good as the ABS on my E36.
Yeah, either this engine or the one out of the parts car probably will have to have slight decking to clean up the block.
We didn't like the ABS performance, it seemed to work okay originally, but as we dropped weight, and increased tire size it gave us sporadic performance.
Originally Posted by RXRodger
We must not have as much weight reduced yet then, we are running 275's in a NT05's and 255's with RS/3's and RE71's and never had an issue with the ABS.
brawls43, tire width and/or tire diameter? I have a theory that the fairly frequent SC's ABS complaints are due to people going up too much in tire diameter...haven't seen any examples to the contrary yet, but it's purely a theory. Even the oft used Supra tire sizing isn't a good match for stock.
That's interested t2d2. We've moved around in tire OD a couple times, running smaller originally, but we're back near stock OD. We've mostly changed the width of the tire. A stock 225/55R16 usually has an OD of 25.7", and we run 275/40R17, which is usually a 25.6" tire. I've read that with ABS sensors, they don't mind the change in OD as long as you run the same size OD front and rear. When you change to a taller or shorter front/rear combo, then the ABS system gets messed up thinking the front are spinning faster then the rears, or vice versa.
Well all the hard work for the last year and a half paid off, we got our first win in the Chumpcar series with the SC300. First place overall at the Central Region Chumpionship race at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, AL. The event was a single race over two days, 9 hours on Saturday and 6 hours on Sunday. The car performed well despite a few issues on Saturday. About mid day the trans started getting flaky then later on we lost 2nd gear. About 2 hours before the end on Saturday the power steering went out, believe me, as I mentioned previously in this thread you don't want to fight this beast on track without power steering. I was in the car, fought through it and took the checkered at the break Saturday night in 2nd place. We loaded the car up, took it back to the shop and changed the trans and repaired a leaking line on the steering rack (luckily the pump survived). I had picked up a spare W58 trans earlier this year, but it was out of a 3rd gen Supra so the bell housing, shifter, and vehicle speed sensor gear all had to be changed. Swapping the shifter stuff took about as much time as swapping the trans in and out since it took us a few times to get it all right.
Started Sunday in 2nd place, didn't take long for one of the other guys to take the car to first place, came in during the one hour quiet time in 1st. Next guy takes the car out for second stint, gets passed, but after a few laps gets it back so with 2 hours left he turns the car over to me to finish it up. I come out of the pits and we are still in first, something happened with the other car and within 10 min we are 3 laps up on the second place car. My radio was acting up so I didn't figure this out for quite some time, so am driving it like I stole it. Had a clean session and took the checkered flag for our first win. Only 4 races in to this SC's career and we get a win. Car was not dominant, there were a few faster cars, but we were consistent and trouble free and nailed all of our pit stops.
Once again, this car is a great race platform for this series, long endurance races require rock solid dependability and the SC gives you that if you prep it properly.
11-05-16, 04:55 AM
