Video of the second session out. Why the second? Cause the third was full of just sitting in traffic and then pulling in to space out. Looks like all my clean lap were 2:06. Fairly consistent, not gonna complain about that.

Also, yes, at 11:05, I totally went past my braking zone. Just took the wide line around the corner. Woops!



Also, yes, low rez. Deal with it. My upload is 1.5 megabit on a good day. I am not putting up a nearly 20min 1080p video.

 

Its 2016, get some more internets.

 

Drop bad habits early. Not a single spot on that track where your hands should leave 9 and 3.

And yeah, get better webs.

 

Noted. I will pay more attention to that. Though I am not sure there will always be space with my legs. The wheel is nearly touching them to start with.

That's exactly the kind of thing I posted the video for.

This is why living in the back woods of NJ sucks. They put in DSL in the late 90's and haven't upgraded the infrastructure since.

Also, had a box show up.

 

Went out for an Autocross with the Philly SCCA today at warminster. Put on 11 runs between my co-driver and I. Had some excitement.

Apparently the new caliper parking brake mechanism sticks on when it gets hot? Also, I had no idea brake pads could actually catch fire!

The big fun though was after all the runs, I idled back to paddock, parked the car and shut it off. A short bit later I was informed it was spilling coolant. Popped the hood and the overflow was full and the coolant was boiling out of the overflow hose. Now the confusing part was, the car was off, and the gauge didn't read hot at all. I am thinking the radiator cap has gone bad? No bubbles in the coolant with the car running, no oil in coolant, no coolant in oil. I am a bit perplexed.

 

Might be something as simple as the rad cap, but if you were literally boiling over, it sounds like you still have an unresolved overheating issue.

Yeah, don't use ebrake after autocross/track sessions, it's a good way to warp rotors, lock up the brake.

 

Further research is leading me to think it is the radiator cap. I reviewed the video from my last run and parking in paddock and the temp guage was reading just a hair left of 12, with the needle just covering the temp symbol thing. Puts it right about 215-220 if I remeber right (still hotter than it should be, yeah, which means I have work to do). And it was boiling boiling. Bubbles and coolant out the overflow hose into the over flow bottle. Filled up the overflow abd spilled out. But only after I had shut the car off.

Once it cooled and I could open the cap the cooling system was full, no bubbles with the engine running, no coolant in the oil, no oil in the coolant. So I am fairly sure it isn't a head gasket (I owend a suabru with the first gen EJ25 DOHC, so my brain immediately goes to headgaskets for coolant getting pushed out).

I replaced everything but the rad, rad cap, heater core and lower radiator hose hard pipe over the winter. So if something is marginal in the cooling system it has to be the front plate in the mouth or a gunked up radiator. I need to build a side mount for the plate I guess. I don't think the rad is gunked up since the coolant stays perfectly clean.

Also, looking at the Stant Lev-R caps so I can open the system while it is hot. Are they worth it? I figure I will start with the radiator cap.

For the parking brake. I live in hill country, so it is a habbit to set it any time I climb out of the car. Track days, I have managed to remeber to not use it, but autocross I have always set it in grid. I am just annoyed that the old calipers were fine and it is the one I just put on that locks up.

 

Just looked at the results from yesterday. Out of 139 drivers, I finished 66 in raw time and 51 in pax. And that is even coneing away my two fastest times, my clean run was 0.35 seconds slower than my fastest dirty one.

That is the highest I have ever finished. I guess the extra seat time at the track days has really helped me feel more confortable in my car.

 

Definitely sounds like a rad cap. I stopped buying the lever release ones because i never used it and it's more to fail and go wrong. But if you plan on opening the system hot quite often, then they're kind of necessary.

Edit- stant or gates. Buy 2, keep a spare.

 

Also, what brake pads were you using that caught fire?


Ebcs maybe? It can happen with shitty or painted pads

 

Ordered a Stants Lev-R one and a non lev-r one. Both the 16psi NB version. I figured for about $7 each, have both so I have a spare. I would like to be able to open the system hot at least occationally for testing.

I am running Stoptech Street Performace right now. The caliper was locked for an entire 44s autocross run. Not surprised it caught fire. I was hoping it would jar loose on the run (not my smartest choise, but they were already sending me out so I decided to roll with it).

 

As a side note, I really like having my digital dash where I can see my actual temperature readout. You'd be surprised how much the engine will heat soak after you turn it off. If I turn my car off at 192 (this is the temp that the my fan turns on), and I go in to a store for 5 minutes, the coolant outlet can be up to 210-215 when I get back in. I always let it idle for 10 minutes or so after a session, until I confirm that heat is back to normal idling temperature.

 

Yeah, I think my next thing will either be some lights and a buzzer run off the MS3x or a water temp guage (or both).

Maybe a green light between 180 and 220 yellow between 220 and 235 and buzzer above 235?

 

Ok guys, a quick install question and then a system design question.

For the GT500 injectors. Do I have to remove the black plastic thing on the tip before installing them? I know I need to remove the green o-ring, but half the posts I read say to remove the black plastic thing, and half say it can be left. This thing.


Secondly. Cooling system. I am planning a rerout, ducting and sealing. I just need to decide what radiator to go with. I want to keep my AC system, but be able to track the car for 20min sessions (AC off of course). End goal max is 200-220hp at the wheels if I ever go turbo. With the supercharger, it will likely see between 160-180hp. I am thinking the CSF dual core B tube radiator that 949 sells. Will that be sufficient for my needs? Or will I need to go more upscale. I have decided rather than a lightweight flywheel, that money would be better spent on a good radiator, instead of an ebay one.

If I weren't planning on keeping the AC, I think the ebay one would be sufficient.

 

Remove the black thing. Don't know who says that it can fit with it on there but it won't.

Buy the best radiator you can afford. Ive had great luck but am thinking either the csf or a crossflow.

 

I would save up and get the TSE radiator now. This way you never have to worry about it again. I am very happy with mine. I have used ebay aluminum ones without issue on the track, but I had no AC. I now have the TSE radiator and it is leaps and bounds above the ebay ones, and for track reliability it is what you should go for.

 

Quite a few people if you read the development thread actually. I am debating the merits of the CSF dual core over the 949 crossflow.

TSE is $$$$ I was hoping I would be able to get away with a $350ish budget. If not, I will just have to save up (or ditch the AC).

Thanks guys! more to think about.

 

I think the TSE rad is overkill for your power range. It's a lot of weight on the nose. The crossflow should be more than enough.

 

Weight isn't actually a huge concern with this car. If it were a dedicated track car it would be, but my plan is to build a jack of all trades, master of none. I want something I can cruise across a few states in (since I take frequent road trips), or bomb around the track (no need to be the fastest, just for fun) or autocross. Or even the drag strip if I feel like loosing in the strait line. If the TSE were $400 I would do it no questions asked though.

Yeah, I am seriously thinking the crossflow is going to be the way to go. I am curious how much better than the normal CSF it is though. I will look around some more with those search terms in mind.

Emilio says the crossflow has more cooling capacity. So I will ponder on that and likely end up buying it. https://www.miataturbo.net/general-m...ermiata-85155/

 

I dont really understand how they can be installed correctly with the black thingys still attached. With them removed, the injectors are still 2.5mm too tall, hence the spacers on top of the spacers in the flow force kits. Remove them.