Monster8V
10-11-2005, 05:45 PM
Ya ever have one of those morning where that scarry little voice inside your head keeps saying, "Pppssttt!!!! Dont go! its trouble!"
Yet you ignore it and get up before the sun to load up the car that you just spent the night before finishing up the fresh clutch installation. It turns out that I broke it 4 events ago at Infinion but didnt know it until the last event. I would start the car in gear with the clutch in and the car crept FWD. The presure plate broke all the straps and rivits. Funny thing is, it ran fine and shifted fine on the track for 4 complete race days. (over 700 race miles.)
So, with the new clutch in, it was time to fire up the beast and see if I can manage the new ACT 6 puc clutch. Cranky-crank and no lite. Quick diagnostic shows no spark. Swap coils, KS distributor, KS box, ignition module and still no fire. I ended up having to pull the POS Viper alarm system off the car. (lost 3 lbs!!)
Seemed to have had something to do with it not wanting to run. Plus, it hasnt run as strong as it did since the first day I put the new head on it. I suspected that it was something to do with the head, fuel config. or I simply got used to its new power. Dunno.
Now it fires up and runs stronger without having to go WOT on startup or it floods out and wont fire for sure. This was a good thing, so up on the trailer it goes and im out the driveway by 1:30pm. Got to Buttonwillow by 5:30pm in time to unload the car and treailer and get ready for the weekend. All seemed great when I left friday evening as I headed out to get a well deserved steak dinner and claim my hotel room.
Saturday:
Up before the sun again, quick stop at Starbucks to medicate myself from a cafine headache. 10 miles later and im at the track. Ive got lots of spare time to spare since I used my time wisely on friday. Nothing came up so it was a relaxed morning.
now, lets back up a little to thursday. I came across a thin sheet of lexan. Big enough to build myself a splitter. Im already taking the points for a splitter since I have an air dam on the car, so I figured why not, lets see if I can get more downforce from it.
http://www.mezeracing.com/splitter.jpg
30 minutes work and it looks like it might could work. Im worried that its too thin.
Back to saturday morning. Our first run group lines up for our morning warmup session. They let us out on track and the car feels good! Its probably 67F out, a little damp and the track is extremely slick! So im taking it really easy. I make it to.... turn 3 and exit out of the corner and accelerate up into 3rd gear when I hear what sounded like a splitter shattering into a zillion little sparkley pieces! Yup, it made it 3 turns. Apparently it made ALOT of downforce and couldnt handle the low speeds. So funny. So I continue on with my warmup. Buh-bye splitter.
I get 3 laps into the session and the car is just so loose everywhere. We ran config 13 which is the same configuration as Dubwars, back in the day.
Comming thru what is normally a full throttle right turn (right hander before the bus stop) I lift to about 75% throttle and the car absolutely snap spins on me so hard that the guy behind me thought I broke something. So off the brake and full left turn on the wheel and it comes around straight again with a complete 360. No harm, no foul but my confidence in the car is extremely shaken. I pull it into the pits.
Quick inspection finds the plug on the heater hose pipe has slipped off enough to leak a stream of coolant towards the LF tire. Closer insepction shows that apparently I did not have the spedo cable fully seated it it leaked tranny fluid in right hand turns. my left rear tires sidewall was extremely shinny. OK, cool, it was a mechanical issue. Im cool with that, fixed the problem and thought happy thoughts until the next run group session.
Next session the track is still very slick. Its warmed up to about 73F but the grip level is just not there. Its the same for everyone else so im not worried about it, drive accordingly.
Im comming into the last left hander before the front straight and under mild braking, the car yaws to the RIGHT into some bizzare yaw action. The only fix was to lift off the brake and straighten out the car. This is a top of 5th gear about 110mph type braking zone. By the time I got it straight again, I was going so fast I couldnt make the corner and simply went straight off the track. 4 wheels off the track and you loose your time for the session. I hadnt anticipated that this was going to be a good session time wise so I just shook it off, finished the lap and to save the tires, I ended the session early. I ran a 2:13.xxx. 3 full seconds off my track record. My post session thoughts concluded that the rear tires were locking up. My delima, WHY? My confidence level again is low.
OK, so the 3rd session its nice and warm. might be 78F. Im anticipating the track is going to be good this session. Car feels good going out. Im being patient on pushing the car hard. faster and faster as the laps click off. Right when im ready to go balls out, the car starts bucking like its got a rev limiter on it at 6200rpms. Funny thing is, I dont have one. So now my thoughts are, either its way rich or way lean. I try modulating the throttle when it cuts out to no effect. Hmm, maybe im loosing spark? The more I drive the worse it gets. So I again end my session early.
Im my magic box of tricks, supplied by Parts4vws.com, I quicky start replacing parts to try and beat this illness. New fuel pump, fuel pump relay, ignition control module. Plug check looks good so I line up for the 4:45 session.
Car is strong, track is grippy and im just letting the car do its thing. This thing is pulling 1.34G's consistently thru most all of the corners. Its getting off the corners so well and its pulling hard down the straights. It ran for a full session, no issues, passed alot of cars, felt super fast! Take the checker flag and find out I broke my old track record with a 2:08.822. Fastest ive ever been there in a VW! Won my class for the day too.
What started out as a very frustrating day, ended up pretty good.
Sunday was a repeat of the last saturday session. Ran 2:08's all day long, just couldnt better my time. The Hoosiers were pretty well done by saturday and they had nothihg left to give on sunday. It was, however, good enough to win the day and thusly, clinching the TTE championship for the season.
It was a good weekend.
So whats next? The November event is again at Buttonwillow. Ive decided to go after the GT2 class in the GTS Challenge in 2006.
http://www.gtschallenge.com/
All german cars with the classes set with a HP to weight ration. I think I can do alot with my little car! I have to attend their racing school at the next event to get my comp license but they will let my track times be used for the last TT event. Sort of a 2 birds with 1 stone sort of thing.
Then its off to build a cage and.......... I need a sponsor! (or 5!) :laugh:
Yet you ignore it and get up before the sun to load up the car that you just spent the night before finishing up the fresh clutch installation. It turns out that I broke it 4 events ago at Infinion but didnt know it until the last event. I would start the car in gear with the clutch in and the car crept FWD. The presure plate broke all the straps and rivits. Funny thing is, it ran fine and shifted fine on the track for 4 complete race days. (over 700 race miles.)
So, with the new clutch in, it was time to fire up the beast and see if I can manage the new ACT 6 puc clutch. Cranky-crank and no lite. Quick diagnostic shows no spark. Swap coils, KS distributor, KS box, ignition module and still no fire. I ended up having to pull the POS Viper alarm system off the car. (lost 3 lbs!!)
Seemed to have had something to do with it not wanting to run. Plus, it hasnt run as strong as it did since the first day I put the new head on it. I suspected that it was something to do with the head, fuel config. or I simply got used to its new power. Dunno.
Now it fires up and runs stronger without having to go WOT on startup or it floods out and wont fire for sure. This was a good thing, so up on the trailer it goes and im out the driveway by 1:30pm. Got to Buttonwillow by 5:30pm in time to unload the car and treailer and get ready for the weekend. All seemed great when I left friday evening as I headed out to get a well deserved steak dinner and claim my hotel room.
Saturday:
Up before the sun again, quick stop at Starbucks to medicate myself from a cafine headache. 10 miles later and im at the track. Ive got lots of spare time to spare since I used my time wisely on friday. Nothing came up so it was a relaxed morning.
now, lets back up a little to thursday. I came across a thin sheet of lexan. Big enough to build myself a splitter. Im already taking the points for a splitter since I have an air dam on the car, so I figured why not, lets see if I can get more downforce from it.
http://www.mezeracing.com/splitter.jpg
30 minutes work and it looks like it might could work. Im worried that its too thin.
Back to saturday morning. Our first run group lines up for our morning warmup session. They let us out on track and the car feels good! Its probably 67F out, a little damp and the track is extremely slick! So im taking it really easy. I make it to.... turn 3 and exit out of the corner and accelerate up into 3rd gear when I hear what sounded like a splitter shattering into a zillion little sparkley pieces! Yup, it made it 3 turns. Apparently it made ALOT of downforce and couldnt handle the low speeds. So funny. So I continue on with my warmup. Buh-bye splitter.
I get 3 laps into the session and the car is just so loose everywhere. We ran config 13 which is the same configuration as Dubwars, back in the day.
Comming thru what is normally a full throttle right turn (right hander before the bus stop) I lift to about 75% throttle and the car absolutely snap spins on me so hard that the guy behind me thought I broke something. So off the brake and full left turn on the wheel and it comes around straight again with a complete 360. No harm, no foul but my confidence in the car is extremely shaken. I pull it into the pits.
Quick inspection finds the plug on the heater hose pipe has slipped off enough to leak a stream of coolant towards the LF tire. Closer insepction shows that apparently I did not have the spedo cable fully seated it it leaked tranny fluid in right hand turns. my left rear tires sidewall was extremely shinny. OK, cool, it was a mechanical issue. Im cool with that, fixed the problem and thought happy thoughts until the next run group session.
Next session the track is still very slick. Its warmed up to about 73F but the grip level is just not there. Its the same for everyone else so im not worried about it, drive accordingly.
Im comming into the last left hander before the front straight and under mild braking, the car yaws to the RIGHT into some bizzare yaw action. The only fix was to lift off the brake and straighten out the car. This is a top of 5th gear about 110mph type braking zone. By the time I got it straight again, I was going so fast I couldnt make the corner and simply went straight off the track. 4 wheels off the track and you loose your time for the session. I hadnt anticipated that this was going to be a good session time wise so I just shook it off, finished the lap and to save the tires, I ended the session early. I ran a 2:13.xxx. 3 full seconds off my track record. My post session thoughts concluded that the rear tires were locking up. My delima, WHY? My confidence level again is low.
OK, so the 3rd session its nice and warm. might be 78F. Im anticipating the track is going to be good this session. Car feels good going out. Im being patient on pushing the car hard. faster and faster as the laps click off. Right when im ready to go balls out, the car starts bucking like its got a rev limiter on it at 6200rpms. Funny thing is, I dont have one. So now my thoughts are, either its way rich or way lean. I try modulating the throttle when it cuts out to no effect. Hmm, maybe im loosing spark? The more I drive the worse it gets. So I again end my session early.
Im my magic box of tricks, supplied by Parts4vws.com, I quicky start replacing parts to try and beat this illness. New fuel pump, fuel pump relay, ignition control module. Plug check looks good so I line up for the 4:45 session.
Car is strong, track is grippy and im just letting the car do its thing. This thing is pulling 1.34G's consistently thru most all of the corners. Its getting off the corners so well and its pulling hard down the straights. It ran for a full session, no issues, passed alot of cars, felt super fast! Take the checker flag and find out I broke my old track record with a 2:08.822. Fastest ive ever been there in a VW! Won my class for the day too.
What started out as a very frustrating day, ended up pretty good.
Sunday was a repeat of the last saturday session. Ran 2:08's all day long, just couldnt better my time. The Hoosiers were pretty well done by saturday and they had nothihg left to give on sunday. It was, however, good enough to win the day and thusly, clinching the TTE championship for the season.
It was a good weekend.
So whats next? The November event is again at Buttonwillow. Ive decided to go after the GT2 class in the GTS Challenge in 2006.
http://www.gtschallenge.com/
All german cars with the classes set with a HP to weight ration. I think I can do alot with my little car! I have to attend their racing school at the next event to get my comp license but they will let my track times be used for the last TT event. Sort of a 2 birds with 1 stone sort of thing.
Then its off to build a cage and.......... I need a sponsor! (or 5!) :laugh: