Core4 Motorsports Endurance Racing Saga...

[gills]

Hey guys, I figured I'd migrate my build thread from www.nissanroadracing.com to here since it is like a morgue over there these days. It's a long read initially so hopefully you get through it and enjoy it. It covers a lot of time.


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New Years resolution: BUILD THREAD!

This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. Not only to document and share my journey through the rapidly growing grassroots endurance road racing genre that's happening in the US, but for my own compiling of information and progress with the development of myself, my car and team. I’m treating this like I started back in 2013 so IT’S A LOT. I have posts scattered all throughout the forum since then that cover technical issues of my first S13 race cars, but to get that all in here ordered properly is tough. From this point onward however, I will do my best to post everything I do in here.

I’d also like to mention that I have access to lots of equipment at my work, including CNC vertical milling machines and professional CAD/CAM software that I always use for designing and making stuff for this racing adventure. Some of the stuff I’ve made I intend on offering, including a bolt-on rear Wilwood BBK that doesn’t require cutting the stock caliper mounting ears (only works with OEM steel and Z32 uprights for now) that will cost you less than $900 for everything. I will also offer radial mount caliper brackets (based off of a design Def created) to run Wilwood FSL6R calipers with Defsport rotor hats. Hopefully a full kit in the future for people who don’t have Defsport hats already. I can now finally brake confidently along side BMW’s with this setup. More on these later, I’ll start rambling now…

Ever since the introduction of the 24 Hours of Lemons racing series in 2008, the endurance genre of amateur racing has grown tremendously. There are now no less than 5 entry level endurance racing series (24HoL, WRL, ChumpCar/ChampCar, AER, LDRL) across the country that cater to different rule sets and regions, but all mutually related as one spun off another and snowballed from there. All of them fill the grid for every single event. Although late to the game, SCCA also created something called "bracket enduro."

And there's good reason for it; nowhere else will you find the bang for buck that endurance racing provides without sometimes irritating, stickler rule sets (with the exception of maybe Chump/ChampCar). You literally accumulate 1000's of laps of wheel-to-wheel racing experience with relative speeds between different classes of cars that compare to pro racing. The laps per dollar can’t be beat at the grassroots level. So if you and a group of friends/family have been considering entering an event or campaigning, I'd highly recommend doing it if you're getting bored and trust each other.

I started HPDE's in 2005 and have been driving on track several times per year since then. I took a more unorthodox approach to racing vs. the standard NASA/SCCA HPDE ladder climb to getting a comp license by starting in the 24 Hours of Lemons in 2011 with my boss's 1985 Alfa Romeo Milano (Team Pro-Crash-Duh-Nation). He's an Alfa Romeo junkie and also vintage races older Alfa's. His car is cursed. He started racing it in 2009 and still hasn't won a race overall, but has multiple 2nd place finishes that I've been a part of almost every time. Does the picture look familiar?:

https://i.imgur.com/X5XqkMv.jpg

Yea, that’s his car nailing the deer.

It does sounds incredible though!:

Alfa V6 Aural Bliss (youtu.be/uAMLguS8ztM)


Fast forward to 2013; I've learned a ton on what it takes to actually win one of these events. My brother, myself and a couple of friends decided to embark on building an S13 to run in 24 Hours of Lemons and ChumpCar (which recently acquired the rights to and renamed to the ChampCar Endurance Series).

We picked the S-chassis for obvious reasons, and ironically I went full circle as a S13 hatch was the first car I ever owned 20 years ago (which I bought for less than what they are going for today).

This one was found in New Jersey from the all-too-common aspiring drifter in January, 2013:



Sorted the car out for the teams inaugural race at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) in August, 2013 using a cage kit from rollcagecomponents.com (highly recommended) and built to simplicity, lightness and reliability. Welcome team "Abe Froman Racing." We didn't care about the gimmicks, we just wanted to race and win like all the A-class 24HoL cars.

Of course some chassis prep:

Cat hump clearance removal
https://i.imgur.com/Hl9qpq1h.jpg


Custom seat bracketry
https://i.imgur.com/FeCxIdHh.jpg

rollcagecomponents.com cage kit installation:
https://i.imgur.com/wSrOsG0h.jpg


Some custom front ARB brackets:
https://i.imgur.com/47HFMSBh.jpg



The goal was just to finish the 1st race without a mechanical issue. To finish first, you must first finish! The car was reliable as ever, but the drivers weren't. We were black flagged out of the race on Saturday about 6ish hours in (4 black flags in a day gets you parked for the rest of the day in 24HoL), but had a flagless and incident free Sunday. Finished a paltry 36th out of 136 cars, but had the 3rd or 4th fastest lap of the weekend.

Comical black flag penalty when the judges had enough of our passing under yellow shenanigans:
https://i.imgur.com/NwhS1j2h.jpg


BMW’s forever haunt us:
https://i.imgur.com/ZMdJtaIh.jpg


when there were 6:
https://i.imgur.com/1c9OJyLh.jpg


So fast forward a couple other mediocre finishes (but with 3rd or 4th FLW’s) to the May, 2014 NJMP race. The weekend from hell. First, the OEM fuel pump wiring circuit decided to start going haywire on race day when on practice day it was perfectly fine. Got towed in no less than 4 times. Finally bypassed the OE circuit completely and direct wired the fuel pump from the switch panel and all was well.....for about 1.5 hours... then this:

https://i.imgur.com/RQGsP2Gh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yrhex8ch.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QlvdK0Yh.jpg
(yes those are plastic Salami’s/sausages lol. Abe Froman Racing!)



An E30 blew its engine a few seconds ahead of our driver (also least experienced) thru the fastest turn at NJMP Thunderbolt. A turn that’s WOT, starts the main straight and well known for eating cars on the inside tire wall when people lift. With no in-car video or data, we’ll never really know what happened, but it’s probably a combination of a bit of oil and panic braking mid-turn.

After a couple days of deep depression and deliberation about salvaging the chassis, we wasted no time and picked up another S13 that was in drifter purgatory in Queens, NYC. My wife was due in a week and a half with our 2nd baby at the time so it was a now or wait-many-months moment with getting another chassis.

https://i.imgur.com/ol7CUsjh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/J6nyh9Qh.jpg


The thing was terrible. Teal spray paint covering everything. What the hell are dudes/dudettes smoking?


The build continued in early-mid 2015 to hit the August ChumpCar race at Limerock Park, CT. 2 guys had quit the team after the last race and we were down to 4 members. New team name also. Team Failken: Formula D-Bags.

The decision was made to re-use the cage from the wreck vs starting from scratch. Whether or not this is less work like we had envisioned is debatable. Anything roll cage related is a **** ton of work, even if it’s a “kit.”

We cut the roof off of both cars, removed the cage and hoisted the cage into the new chassis. We braced the new chassis with some square stock on the frame rails and A to B pillars. The cage had some preload in it from welding so it moved a bit once it was released from the wreck. Of course it required some manipulation to get it right in the new chassis.

In 5 weeks time we went from this:

https://i.imgur.com/tEFkQ1gh.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/YViR9gFh.jpg


to this:
https://i.imgur.com/7e8zOaPh.jpg


to race ready:
https://i.imgur.com/ljLHCBbh.jpg


The Limerock ChumpCar race was an ok result. We had zero sleep and were beyond exhausted. We placed 4th in class and 15th out of 60 cars, another top 5 fastest lap. We had issues with overheating due to using a crap stock radiator to comply with ChumpCar rules, and our clutch was slipping in 5th gear because we forgot to adjust pedal actuation during the re-build and were too dumb/brain dead to realize it at the race.

https://i.imgur.com/o1ofe3wh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6bT17vzh.jpg



Next race was 24HoL New Hampshire Motor Speedway in October, 2015.

WE WON! 1st place overall in a field of 107 and had the 2nd fastest lap of the weekend. The car didn’t miss a beat. The start of Sunday morning was cold and raining, with P1 thru P3 on the same lap (we were P3). We were gifted when P2 got wrapped up in P1’s spin in the first lap and took both out of contention:

Short clip of P1 taking out P2 (youtu.be/naUux5URwbc?t=30s)


Talk about luck. The rain eventually dissipated and we were able to pull away from the field. Our first race win and last race with the 24HoL. The payout in 24HoL is in rolls of nickels. Some eyebrows raised when I went to the bank to exchange the $500 in nickels lol. The KA24DE now had about 70 hours of racing.

https://i.imgur.com/VW2X2fHh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QZx1RXMh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/eL4Fdqgh.jpg

[gills]

In 2016 we decided to focus solely on AER (www.americanenduranceracing.com). The minimalist rule set, run what ya’ brung mantra, East region focus, and level of competition was enough incentive to go all in. A similar feel to WRL (www.racewrl.com), but with a different classing system (AER = Lap time based, WRL = power-to-weight). We got the car up to snuff aesthetically and with some fancier suspension bits. We also changed our team name to our current Core4 Motorsports.

​https://i.imgur.com/oYvebSeh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fPuhadZh.jpg

Made a custom high capacity oil pan with trap doors for 6qt capacity:

https://i.imgur.com/1j5snZIh.jpg



AER Watkins Glen in April, 2016
Our expectations were pretty high considering we won our last race. The format of AER races is Friday qualifying day, and 9 hour races on Saturday and Sunday. AER typically sets 5 classes; class 1 thru 5 with 5 being the fastest of the bunch, and a class of attrition because the hardware is fast and expensive. Since it is lap time based, it is very driver dependent, but an idea on the class 5 cars are well prepped E46 & E92 M3’s, Porsche Caymans, Boss 302R’s, etc, and class 1 cars being spec Miatas, spec E30, 4 cylinder E36, NA 944’s, 90’s Honda/Acura, etc.

So about 2 hours into practice/qualifying day, the KA24DE spun a rod bearing.


[Some may remember reading this thread I started about the oil pressure relief bypass valve inside the KA block failing here: http://www.nissanroadracing.com/showthread.php?t=5879 that I thought was the root cause. It actually turned out to be one of the most embarrassing things I think I can ever admit and was NOT the bypass valve. I used an oil filter sandwich plate adapter for oil sensors that was meant for an oil cooler rather than one that’s just used for sensors. Thing is I never did install an oil cooler, so oil was never actually being filtered in this KA for the 70+ hours of racing we put on it. I only discovered this after I plugged the bypass valve hole on a rebuild a few months later and there was no oil pressure getting to the head. I took the oil filter off, cut it open and it was bone dry. The level of facepalm was high. It’s an amazing thing that it didn’t spin a rod bearing earlier.]


So just as we were about ready to bail on the weekend, we manned up and found a kid selling a KA and trans about 2 hours away on CL. 2 guys went to pick it up, 2 guys stayed back to pull the motor and trans late Friday night.

https://i.imgur.com/64bvKPPh.jpg


We took our sweet ass time and managed to get the car running again in time for the full 9 hour race on Sunday. Amazingly, the engine didn’t blow. There were significant oil pressure drops in turns toward the end of everyone’s stint because it was burning 1.5 quarts every 1.75ish hours. This motor felt like a dog compared to our first. Especially painful on a track like Watkins Glen. Finished 6th out of 15 in class and 24th overall.

https://i.imgur.com/Oh5JCeJh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BGdgw50h.jpg



Short clip of a good HP vs handling battle with a fox body mustang:
https://youtu.be/FMUbRNOwi8M?t=1m55s



This race ended up causing a lot of discussion about the direction I wanted to take since AER is very open. We all wanted more power and we had to deal with a trashed KA and one that needed to be rebuilt. AER Class 4 is the place where we all really wanted to be. The E36 M3 is the standard/template of this class. At first we were thinking of building a turbo KA, or VQ30/VQ35 swap, or possibly BMW S52 swap since most of us have BMW’s to begin with and and it’s different (why we’re endurance racing a 240 instead of an E30/36/46 in the first place). An LS swap would put us in class 5 and would require a monster fuel cell so that was out of the question.


So I slowly started to accumulate parts to do a basic KA turbo build, but I soon realized that this beauty was still for sale on this forum:

http://www.nissanroadracing.com/showthread.php?t=5770


After talking to the seller for about an hour, I sent him a deposit. It was a no brainer for me. The VQ35DE is not a high strung motor at all, but still plenty powerful in a 2500lbs chassis and the chassis was prepped 98% how I would do it. We saved thousands of dollars and many, many hours buying a race car already done. As much as I like building my own, time is limited as 3 of the 4 team members have 2 small kids each.
https://i.imgur.com/AC2YgP7h.jpg

[gills]

The rest of 2016 was used for testing and feeling out the S14 at a bunch track/test days and rebuilding the KA so we could sell the S13. We found a few gremlins in it, like any car. Mainly the high pressure power steering supply fitting at the rack (the Fragola/Earls fitting everyone uses to convert to AN lines) blowing O-rings every 2ish hours of track time. The shoulder diameter that the o-ring seals to was a hair too small causing the O-ring to slightly stretch into a void and rupture. So I machined my own from an M14x1.5 bolt on the lathe based on the OEM fitting dimensions, which resolved that:

https://i.imgur.com/YXz7VZAh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2IyQl4kh.jpg


The transmission (CD009) shifter linkage that came with the car also had terrible feel and vagueness to it that was not confidence inspiring at all. I think it was a McKinney unit. I ordered the GKTech shifter setup to replace it, which does away completely with the OEM U-Joint linkage and picks up the selector rod directly. It is a significant difference in feel. The spacing between gates is very close, almost too close, but I think that’s the nature of picking up the selector rod directly. It’s something that is much easier to get used to than the weirdness from the original setup.

https://i.imgur.com/m99SmKfh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/KOFIAfLh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UQSm1pzh.jpg






[Interesting comparo vid I made to see how I differ from my co-driver when we first got the car. Also notice I have issues shifting into 6th. 4.08 final drive): https://youtu.be/bATszqztrko?t=30s ]


It didn’t come without its issues though. First being the reverse lockout pin and plate was incorrectly spec’d in my batch with mild steel. Within only about 4 hours of track time, they wore enough to make it almost impossible to shift into 5th and 6th without readjusting it:

https://i.imgur.com/SOsT6Zxlh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zuQaDISh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sMpuC8nh.jpg


I informed GK of the situation and he sent new shift rods with pins and plates to everyone who got a kit from that batch. That didn’t happen quick enough for me at that moment so I made an overkill solution with O1 tool steel plate hardened to ~50 Rc and dowel pin stock.

https://i.imgur.com/O2NTxGPh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AVyGEWch.jpg



The other issue is the shifter getting stuck when you go to push it down to get it into reverse. Still need to delve into this. The shifter rod sits in a plastic housing that sits on top of a spring in the main metal housing that you compress to clear the lockout plate. My guess is that the plastic is scuffed or messed up from the heat generated from racing and not sitting properly in the main metal housing where the spring sits. It’s something GK is aware of and awaiting my findings. The customer service from them has been excellent.



Race prep time for AER Watkins Glen April, 2017.

Engine pulled:
https://i.imgur.com/We9H5Fxh.jpg


For oiling reliability we installed a Cosworth oil pan baffle kit and AAM oil pan spacer. Oil capacity now at 6+ quarts:
https://i.imgur.com/9PgNds2h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mg2Yljuh.jpg




Also installed a new VQ35 rev-up oil pump to handle the sustained high rpm use. This VQ motor makes excellent oil pressure using 30wt Redline Race oil. About 80-85psi in the upper rev range under WOT with oil temps at 240-255F.
https://i.imgur.com/PvQBOYZh.jpg



I scored a great deal on a used AiM MXL PISTA datalogging dash with a GPS05 sensor (10Hz). This is one of the best things I’ve purchased yet for the race car. It’s expensive, but for good reason. This allows complete driver analysis and enough resolution to monitor oil pressure in turns. Needed a solution to mount it in my bare interior and came up with this to mount directly on my steering column (I can make this for anyone wanting a solution to mount their AiM/Motec dashes):

https://i.imgur.com/VxSsxIch.png
https://i.imgur.com/KEHniSih.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aoUI7O4h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ThSs3tKh.jpg




In AER, there’s a minimum pit stop time of 3 minutes, which is plenty of time to re-fuel, change drivers, and go over vitals on the car. It also prevents fueling rig cost creep for all teams so we’re not forced to use dry-break systems to be competitive. Ironically, there’s no pit time restriction in 24HoL (5 minutes in Chump/Champ) and there are some top teams with fuel fill systems that are more expensive than the car. I just drill out the flappy door thing from the OEM filler neck and use Hunsaker quick fill fuel jugs. Takes about 20-25 seconds for 5.5 gallons of fuel with OEM venting.

https://i.imgur.com/dKfN1vKh.jpg

Also removed and replaced the existing wiring harness and power distribution box with a more robust kit from Painless Peformance. The existing power distribution box had only 2 relays for all the circuits in the car and suspicious wire sizing. We ended up using the 10 circuit race only chassis harness as the replacement. I would’ve like to have gone with a solid state power distribution box/harness, but they are more than double the price:

Old:
https://i.imgur.com/0KvA2ZCh.jpg


New:
https://i.imgur.com/04DXD2Ch.jpg


Wiring is the best!!:
https://i.imgur.com/eHOP8hLh.jpg




Did our own version of the Pathfinder coolant tube bypass mod on the rear coolant pipe by the firewall instead of piecing together OEM parts which adds $$$ up quickly. Whether this actually improves cooling efficiency or not is debatable. I like the idea of it at least so I figured it wouldn’t hurt and *should* provide an additional exit for coolant at the back cylinders.

https://i.imgur.com/5bQoUg2h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/L6T1gN1h.jpg



While having everything out we also discovered the transmission front cover shaft the TO bearing slides on was completely broken off. Not sure why this is yet or how long it was like that for, but it at least functioned that way. I’m hoping that it was just too much clutch pedal movement so I adjusted the clutch pedal stop to provide the minimum amount of travel required to disengage the clutch. The verdict is still out if this worked. We’ll find out next time trans is pulled.

Broken clean off:
https://i.imgur.com/hk08RLmh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qZzcpjLh.jpg



Cleaned up and TIG’d back on:
https://i.imgur.com/F2PN020h.jpg




There was an ACT unsprung 6 puck clutch disc with HD pressure plate in the car already, but it was unanimously agreed upon that we all couldn’t stand it and it needed to be removed. Surprisingly, the 6 puck disc is no lighter than the an ACT SS sprung full clutch disc so that solidified my decision. The main negative is that the springs in the disc add another point of failure that can screw us in a race. My fingers are crossed.

https://i.imgur.com/PRnPXnFh.jpg



A Cosworth intake manifold came with the car and is gorgeous. Based on all the research I’ve done it seemed that it was best suited to be used on FI applications and actually hindered performance in the low-end to mid-range and negligible gains in top-end on NA cars. Unfortunately, I never got it on a dyno to actually prove that out. I ended up selling it and installed an OEM manifold with a ½” Motordyne plenum spacer kit. I regret it sometimes because 1) it was gorgeous and 2) it was very space efficient. I ended up having to space the hood a bit more to clear the OEM IM setup. The hood spacing is one of my biggest peeves aesthetically on the car (in addition to the fender vents) so spacing it higher ticked me off. But, I sold it for a pretty penny and function >>> form, BRUH!

https://i.imgur.com/mSL4dxHh.jpg

Motordyne:
https://i.imgur.com/ZATuaIih.jpg



Engine all buttoned up and going back in. Engine install # 5,173:
https://i.imgur.com/Ry8VBdHh.jpg



Mr. KA24DE isn’t happy about being replaced and eventually sold off
https://i.imgur.com/4AYk13eh.jpg




Lastly, fire system, communications, and center net installed. Want to also mention that we use a Schroth Enduro 6 point safety harness. It is by far the smoothest, and easiest adjusting safety harness I’ve ever used. Driver changes are incredibly easy with it.

https://i.imgur.com/apdRT8Sh.jpg


Ended up borrowing a load cell from work to have fun weighing engines and transmissions because these were all sitting in my garage at the same time and why the hell not!:

KA24 stuff (484 lbs w/o PS and AC):
https://i.imgur.com/tr4aRBlh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rj9g2HSh.jpg?1


VQ35DE stuff (521 lbs):
https://i.imgur.com/EVW834uh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fU4HLPPh.jpg




And for sh!ts and giggles, arch nemesis BMW S52 on the scale (377lbs + 82lbs ZF trans = 459lbs w/o plastic IM) :
https://i.imgur.com/TpxEeOnh.jpg


Unfortunately don’t have a pic of the ZF 5 speed, but it only weighed a feathery 82 lbs. Is it a surprise that the KA being an I4 is the heaviest of the bunch? Cast iron block, sure, but so is the S52. It treated us well even when we didn’t (unfiltered oil ), but good riddance. Maybe one day I’ll mate the VQ to a ZF…

[gills]

4/2017 AER Watkins Glen race


Goal was to just finish the race incident free. We were all unsure as to where the car would class since there’s a large disparity in lap time potential between driver pairs. We all really wanted to be in class 4 with this car, but after Friday’s qualifying session we put the car into class 5 with the 7th fastest lap time. 2 of the 4 drivers are in the 2:10.xxx range and the other 2 are 5-7 seconds slower per lap. It’s something we need to work on. The car is essentially a class “4.5” car in this race.

Heading out:

https://i.imgur.com/B9vmYDLh.jpg


Green flag! There we are on the right...
https://i.imgur.com/ruXq1TKh.jpg



Crazy race start with one of Team Sahlen’s Cayman’s wrecking right at the drop of the green flag and almost causing a huge pile up. My first 2 wide rolling start also. If you have extra time, the first 12 laps or so there’s some good battling:

https://youtu.be/si_yyScV4Vk



We were about mid-pack in class 5 and 7th place overall with the 3rd driver in the car when divine intervention came down upon him/us and prevented a giant wreck. Nothing like starting a spin at 106mph and not touch a single piece of armco at a track where it’s only feet off the asphalt (must watch!):

https://youtu.be/zhCCTJzI7Ec


That essentially parked us for the rest of the day as we went over the car to make sure everything was all right. We lost a tire from dirt packing into the wheel from going slideways in the grass and coincidentally (or not) one of the lower front coilover locking collars worked loose so that was clunking around. We also put in some fresh Redline 75w-110 diff fluid because it was starting to get noisy and extra clunky. The PO used Redline “NS” gear oil that had no friction modifier so it was always very noisy.


We went back out on track for a few more laps at the end of the day to make sure everything was ok for Sunday. We found that the 6th gear synchro was also starting to take a sh!t.

Sunday: The cooling system was gradually getting more and more heat soaked as we cycled through drivers. Driver 2 was the first to report higher water temps vs Saturday. By the time I got in as 4th driver the water temp was dangerously high to run for extended period. Within 5 laps I started seeing temp spikes to 240*F. Once I realized I couldn’t get them to come down by farting around I parked it. The rest of the day was trying to bleed the coolant system and trying to determine if we had a slight head gasket leak. VQ’s are notorious for finicky coolant systems to bleed.

Subpar results for our first race. Positives are that we ran as high as 5th overall for awhile and we had the 7th fastest lap overall for the weekend. Oh, and the car came out unscathed in that spin!!


A few things that needed addressing before the next race
1) the 4.08 final with a 6800rpm rev limit is too short, especially for the Glen.
2) the car couldn’t brake as well as the BMW’s.
3) the CD009 6th gear synchro was toast.
4) the 4 piston Wilwood superlites with equal piston sizing have serious pad taper issues.



Here’s what was a brand new set of Hawk DTC-60 at the start of the weekend after 14ish hours of track time. Maybe this is why braking felt ‘meh’ over the course of the weekend?:

https://i.imgur.com/1zZSRiMh.jpg?1


It had to be addressed for the next race, which was 4 weeks later at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) so onto prep time.


First thing was testing if the head gasket was leaking. Compression and leak down tests were good. Just to be certain we used this nifty little tool that “sniffs” the gas in the radiator for CO2 and changes color if it does, which indicates a leak of combustion gases. Luckily it tested negative:

https://www.amazon.com/UVIEW-560000-.../dp/B000NPDL76


It was air in the system that came to ruin our Sunday at Watkins Glen. VQ’s are notoriously a PITA to bleed. Most VQ swaps do away with the OEM bleeder that ties into a line that runs from behind the T-stat to the heater core circuit. This is a problem. Also a problem that the top of the radiator in a S-chassis is far below the high points of the VQ cooling system.


We T’d in a generic bleeder in the highest line of the system that runs from the radiator return to behind the t-stat.

https://i.imgur.com/2VIS7d5h.jpg



Then bought this vacuum coolant refill tool to help evacuate much of the air in the system:

https://www.amazon.com/Robinair-7526...nt+refill+tool

And lastly, a giant funnel with the nose of the car way up in the air.

https://www.amazon.com/EPAuto-Radiat...ill+tool&psc=1


It all worked and we haven’t had bleeding/overheating problems since.



After chatting with Def on here about the brake situation, I went all in on making radial mount brackets for the Wilwood FSL6R’s based on his design. I changed a few things for manufacturability and also made them so they will fit 12.2” rotors as is and 12.8” rotors with a spacer:

Machining:
https://i.imgur.com/e6ZMkJBh.jpg



Ready for testing:
https://i.imgur.com/B0CVvz7h.jpg


Perfect:
https://i.imgur.com/BSJYYOCh.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/AKtvaIWh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/KnGpRfsh.jpg?1



Also changed the final drive to an S15 3.69 ring and pinion. Many people just swap ring and pinions using existing pinion height shims and side bearing spacers, etc. Definitely couldn’t get away with that here. Look at how different the pinons are:

4.08 on left, 3.69 on right:

https://i.imgur.com/S3XxZ40h.jpg


I ended up having to grind down the pinion height shim that came with the 3.69 substantially. See/read more detail in this thread if you’d like:

http://www.nissanroadracing.com/show...?t=5069&page=3


I also decided to move away from Hawk pads and try a different brake pad compounds. Ended up going with Porterfield/Raybestos ST-43 compound for the front and rear after talking with many endurance guys. They had to make the rear Z32 pad shape custom (more on this next).

[gills]

5/2017 NJMP AER race


Friday Qualy/Practice: new final drive ratio is excellent and much less frantic. Started having issues with the rear brakes locking once heat got into them under even the slightest amount of brake pressure. SOB…

Porterfield’s pad shape template turned out to be a bit off. When the rotor would expand from proper heat, the very top portion of the pad was getting caught up on the circumference/edge of the rotor and created way too much friction. Nothing a good ol’ 4.5” angle grinder flapper disc wheel couldn’t deal with though. I hit the top of the pad so it wasn’t overhanging on the rotor edge anymore. They probably don’t sell many Z32 rear applications at all so as irritating as it is, it was an easy fix. They’ve updated their template now.

Dealing with that ate up a couple of hours so we didn’t get a ton of laps in for qualy. We ended up qualifying in class 4, 11th overall behind some impressive hardware.


Saturday starting grid in front of us:
https://i.imgur.com/L0Fdc6ph.jpg


Another Nissan in a sea of BMW’s:
https://i.imgur.com/gV7gjhCh.jpg


And another!:
https://i.imgur.com/iAIy6jph.jpg



Y’all remember ‘CodyAce’ on this forum? Here he is wishing he still drove his S14 and had radial mount FSL6R’s! lol:
https://i.imgur.com/dBEWxP4h.jpg




Saturday was the best day of racing yet for this car. We finished 3rd overall (58 cars) and 2nd in class. We got pushed into Class 5 once the slightly faster of the faster driver pair (hopefully he reads this ) got into his groove 30ish minutes in at the start. Good, clean driving all around. Brakes felt the best yet, even though there’s definitely less initial bite on the ST43 vs. DTC-60, but longevity isn’t even close (pics below). They are also just as loud though.


Big negative; 5th gear synchro now took a sh!t also.

The Saturday results determines starting grid for Sunday so we were P2 next to some proper hardware. We are the only car at the front that runs basically zero aero. Comical. Now it’s a pride thing being aero-less :

Sunday P1, 2, and 3:

https://i.imgur.com/wPupbBgh.jpg


Green!:
https://i.imgur.com/IgjDiJah.jpg



Sunday was going great until our exhaust decided to partially fall off toward the end :embarrassing: Someone forgot to fully tighten some exhaust flange bolts in the muffler (me). That caused us to finish mid-pack for Sunday.


Passing 2 modern Nissan machines at the beginning and end of the same lap:

https://youtu.be/PQVwbcpIsik?t=46m41s


Because class 5 is typically the class of attrition, we actually finished P2 overall in class for the weekend. Great result for the team.


Core4 podium:
https://i.imgur.com/xtUD5tqh.jpg



About those brakes, check out wear of the ST43 pads inside the FSL6R after 15 hours of racing:
https://i.imgur.com/oY81wMgh.jpg


I didn’t believe we raced when I saw how much they wore. Zero taper issues and what looks to be multiple race weekends on a single set of pads. Amazing consumable efficiency. I also don’t run any brake ducting at all.


Alignment and setup also seems to work ok. Maybe squeeze more camber out in front. Here’s a Falken RT615K+ after 14 hours of track time. Outside edge facing up:
https://i.imgur.com/EUL7ozyh.jpg



Unfortunately, that was the end of our 2017 AER campaign. We really wanted to hit Summit Point and Mid-Ohio, but life/family and tow rig issues prevented that from happening.

[gills]

That didn’t mean the rest of 2017 sucked!

First, we managed to get into a partnership with Motion Control Suspension (www.motioncontrolsuspension.com) and are now running their 2-Way remote reservoir dampers.

https://i.imgur.com/E9PXKhKh.jpg


[lap comparo video of initial damper settings vs final damper settings:

https://youtu.be/vw3EJLwz_6c



Second, I designed, machined and tested a rear Wilwood BBK that doesn’t require cutting off the OEM caliper mounting tabs/ears. The kit uses Wilwoods Forged Dynalite Narrow caliper and 12.2 x 0.81 2 piece rotors (8x7” hat bolt circle). The benefits mirror Defsport’s front BBK. The kit weighs about 3.6lbs per corner less than a Z32 rear setup (not including the e-brake mechanism), moves more bias to the rear (can be even more if you choose to go with the larger piston size caliper), larger pad volume, more pad choices, and way cheaper than Z32 pads! They will last way longer than Z32’s as well.



Bracket:
https://i.imgur.com/ZGrgFDzl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xrpnExxl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QXgp5ijl.jpg

Rotor Hats:
https://i.imgur.com/5HwBTpHl.jpg

Installed:
https://i.imgur.com/5wP06brl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/OeyM8HGl.jpg

Inside wheel clearance (17x10 +18 RPF1), no spacer:
https://i.imgur.com/5ERq8DZl.jpg


WW Pad vs Z32:
https://i.imgur.com/rQDFi5vl.jpg

Paired with Defsport front BBK (new Greddy Zenki lip too):
https://i.imgur.com/J37JXWN.jpg?1




If you have any interest at all in this kit and/or the front radial mount brackets, please PM me. I’ve made 4 kits so far that will be sent out in hopefully the next two weeks. I will also be creating a FS thread soon for these items to pre-order.



2018 plans will be four AER races, Watkins Glen, NJMP, Calabogie or Summit Point, and Mid-Ohio.

Changes in the pipeline are making a flush mounted hood, which we already started experimenting with:
https://i.imgur.com/iPKmpE1l.jpg



We’re going to attempt to graft a 2005 Dodge Ram hood buldge onto the Zenki hood. Ideally I would use it as a plug to make a fiberglass mold and a nice lightweight hood. The hood is a big place to lose a few lbs.

OEM Ram hood stock photo:
https://i.imgur.com/5gN0DIC.jpg



Also will be incorporating trackspec hood vents/louvers (http://trackspecmotorsports.com/) for venting the engine compartment instead of custom reverse scoop things.
https://i.imgur.com/tREoiVGl.jpg



We bought a brand new Nissan CD00A (supersedes CD009 now) transmission for a killer price from our hookup at a local Nissan dealership. Going this route vs dealing with unknown used CD009’s that still develop synchro issues was a no brainer. I want to eat sushi off of it:
https://i.imgur.com/bSDWj4Xl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zVadQ2Cl.jpg


A big change and one I’m very much looking forward to will be real-time telemetry from a soon to be released unit from Autosportlabs called PodiumConnect (same guys that make RaceCapturePro). This unit is filling a large void in the market that allows you to tie into existing DAQ systems (AiM, Motec, etc.) and stream their data live, instead of having to get another complete DAQ system like RaceCapturePro to use for telemetry.
https://i.imgur.com/kY1WCf3.png

www.autosportlabs.com


We will also be live streaming in-car video for all races this year. I will be sharing telemetry and video streams during race weekends in here so stay tuned!


And lastly, fine tune the MCS dampers, spring rates, and ARB’s. I just jumped from 500 lbs/in front to 600 and 335 lbs/in rear to 500 lbs/in with no rear sway bar. Already tested this setup and did manage to post our fastest lap yet at our home track (NJMP) on street tire that is nowhere near the fastest of the current crop (original Falken RT615K), but not in a good feeling manner. Needs more work for sure. I’m confident Wyatt at MCS can help us get these dampers dialed in just right.


We are still not going to add any wings or significant aero. I want to maximize the mechanical grip first and it’s not like we’re slow in this configuration. At the most, I will put on a very small front splitter to tie into the Greddy lip.

[gills]

I've contacted Liberty Gear about face-plating a CD009 to circumvent the weak point of these transmissions (more info here: http://libertysgears.com/services/face-platepro-shift-gear-modifications/). They've never face-plated a CD00x transmission. It can be done, but they would require 2 transmissions from me; one sacrificial for engineering and one to build. It would be a minimum 6 month lead time as well.

I'm going to ride out the new CD00A and see how it goes. If it becomes and issue again, I'll wait until then to determine a solution.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I started doing engine oil analysis on the VQ in 2017 with Blackstone labs. It's a great preventative tool to monitor engine and bearing wear, how much the oil has sheared down, and contamination. It also will establish a concrete oil change interval (i.e.-$$ in my pocket). Redline oil isn't cheap and just assuming when it was time to change always bugged me. Like throwing money in the garbage.

I sent it virgin Redline 30WT Race Oil to establish a baseline on additives and viscosity. Typical high amounts of "race" oil type additives like Zinc, Molybdenum, and phosphorous:

https://i.imgur.com/NbAolq5.png



The analysis below shows two tests, one from 4/3/2017 and one from 10/5/2017. The 4/3 test was actually on standard Redline 5W/30 High Performance oil and 10/5 was on the 30WT Race oil (a short interval of Liqui-Moly was used in between). You can see the 5W/30 oil has less zinc, phosphorous and Molybdenum vs the Race Oil, which are anti-wear and friction modifiers. The 5W/30 does contain more calcium, which I believe is used as a detergent for standard street car use.

The viscosity numbers of the 10/5 analysis showed that the oil sheared down when comparing to the 4/3 test. I ended up doing a change after that 23 hour interval, but in hindsight I should've done 5-10 more hours like they suggested in the comments. If you look at the viscosity numbers on the virgin 30WT report above, they are basically identical to my 10/5 report. I should've done the virgin report first and foremost.

All the wear numbers are within limits, except aluminum is a hair on the high side when compared to their universal averages. I'm expecting higher metals since I'm only racing.

https://i.imgur.com/7D6IrKv.png

[gills]

I'm going to start production on the radial mount front brackets to be used with Defsports rotor hats/offset. I will likely be starting up a group buy for these (as well as the rear brake kit I made) in the next week or two.

PM me if you want more info now.

Obligatory CAD render...
https://i.imgur.com/sN85kaEl.png

[gills]

Production Core4 radial mount bracket proved out:
https://i.imgur.com/fYR9zxUl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VLZ3kJXl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/EfJLjPGl.jpg

NOT ONLY FOR DEFSPORT 2-PIECE ROTOR KIT...One of the best things about this bracket is that it can also run off-the-shelf Z33 track rotors (12.8" x 1.18") with the simple use of shims/spacers. You can get Centric Ctek Z33 track rotors for $30 a piece! Not sure you can get a cheaper, more effective big brake upgrade out there without worrying about chucking rotors after a few events.

Z33 track rotor with Core4 radial mount bracket:
https://i.imgur.com/AoJmMVGl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Tin6q7yl.jpg


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Started working on grafting the 05 Dodge Ram hood bulge on the S14 hood. I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but it's laying up on the S14 hood REALLY nicely. Better than expected. It should definitely provide adequate clearance for the VQ IM with a 1/2" manifold spacer and the friggin hood should finally sit flush and not ghetto raised.

Here's the first cutout and lay up:
https://i.imgur.com/ARw7Hv4h.jpg



More to come shortly.

[gills]

Moving along with the hood.

Fixtured up the hood with some angle where it mounts to the chassis to prevent excessive sloppiness once we cut out the area of interest.

https://i.imgur.com/vQ8I262h.jpg



Ended up going with a butt weld joint instead of using a flange tool and making a lap. It seems that butt weld joints are the preferred method for sheet metal fab guys even though it's a bit more work to get it just right.



Got the skin graft fully tacked in. Surprising how well the RAM cowl curvature matches the S14's:
https://i.imgur.com/vDRg2Gwh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xHb0YgZh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QcmyD8xh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6ZPbZBRh.jpg



Next up is fully welding, grinding welds down flush, and working the sheet metal where it'll shrink from the welding to get it as smooth as possible before going body filler crazy.

[gills]

Getting ready for a 4/9 test day. I took the risk of running no tender springs with my new, stiffer rates at my last test day in November and this is the result on a rear corner:
https://i.imgur.com/tgqgJxih.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8GSjBxlh.jpg

Did not expect that to happen to that extreme. Going through video you can actually hear the spring re-seat at about the 21-22 second and 26 second marks:

Click for video (drive.google.com/file/d/16U3jdjUVDiyMK0BRnHWJOUmTfHj-X4gP/view?usp=sharing)


That ushered the order of some tender springs. Getting tender springs setup piece meal is a more expensive journey than I had anticipated, but then I stumbled on these from the land of Miata:

https://supermiata.com/dual-spring-kit-xida.aspx
https://i.imgur.com/SyoqzYwh.jpg



Two tender springs (150 lbs/in), two needle thrust bearings, and HPDE spring couplers for $115 + shipping. It's a great deal. The only caveat is that they're 2.25" ID, which not many S-chassis people run. Luckily, I had just switched to 2.25" to gain a bit more tire/wheel clearance.

'Murica....kinda:
https://i.imgur.com/Tf7cGrnh.jpg



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Still got some forward momentum with the hood project also. It's fully welded and I've been hammering and dollying away on the metal near the weld seams to relieve stress and stretched metal relative to the heat affected weld zone. I've also been using a "shrinking disc" in between H & D'ing which has been nothing short of amazing for working the sheet metal and removing oil canning (sheet metal popping up and and down) and waviness. (Click here for what shrinking discs are and do). Again, I'm doing this to minimize the amount of filler that needs to be used. A heat cycled hood isn't ideal for filler by any means.


Fully welded up:
https://i.imgur.com/qRslnUJh.jpg


Passenger side weld seam after working it. Hard to tell how smooth it is in pictures, but it's night and day difference from how it was:
https://i.imgur.com/fqqD2Zch.jpg


Here's the front seam area prior to me working it. Notice how different the crowns are between the Ram hood and S14:
https://i.imgur.com/haVbtAqh.jpg




After spending some time shrinking the metal adjacent to the seam to flatten it out, I then used a "slapper spoon" with some crown and hit from underneath and arrived here:
https://i.imgur.com/wsAui5Qh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/hGVeKOoh.jpg


Worlds better. There's some slight oil canning going on after shaping it up so I'll need to do one more round of shrinking and and light slapping and it should be good to go. On to filler it goes after that.

[gills]

So Watkins Glen AER event is coming up fast next weekend. Of course some of the line items I wanted to complete need to be put on the back burner. One of them is NOT the hood project though I will most definitely be streaming video and car telemetry for this race so STAY TUNED...


But, I had a test day on 4/9 at NJMP with the tender springs and the alignment/setup gone through with a fine tooth comb in an effort to make the car less frantic and more planted. Oh, and the brand new CD00A installed. Transmission felt great as expected and the tenders did their job.

Crossweight: 50.2% with 200lbs driver, 1/4 tank of gas (not intentional)

Increased ride height about 10mm front and rear from previous setup.

Front
Castor: 7.5*
Camber -3.8*
Toe: 1/16" out

Rear
Camber: -1.4*
Toe: touch less than 1/8" in

Toe Thrust/thrust angle less than 1/16" difference between front and rear axle.

So, the biggest difference from my last setup is the the fact that I dialed in the thrust angle to basically nothing, reduced rear camber from -1.8*, and lengthened the rear trac/tension rods, and shortened the toe rods to be the shortest possible. Camber gain in the rear is about 0.25-0.3*/in of travel from static ride height.

I changed the link lengths based on analysis from a CAD assembly that I put together with a s14 subframe pivot points someone had modeled and also a Z32 upright someone else scanned in an effort to minimize bump steer (see thread here).

Here's a little snippet from the spreadsheet. Setup #11 was my ultimate target to induce stability for the rear. I'm setting ride height by choosing a toe rod angle above horizontal based on my own observations/experience:

https://i.imgur.com/CKGTCCQh.jpg
Of course once I went onto the final alignment, I had to dial in the rear camber to get it symmetric because the manufacturing world isn't perfect. What I didn't get a chance to do yet was measure this physically to see if at the very least the trends match. I will touch more on this later once I'm not in full race prep mode (2 races within 4 weeks).

Regardless, the rear of the car was notably more stable. I also pipped my personal best at this track by 0.6 seconds in low to mid 40F overcast weather. The lower rear camber works well based on my tire temp spread and I may also be able to pull some front camber out based on temps as well. 255 performance on a 10" wheel so far has been excellent.




So the HOOD....Finally test fit before moving onto final touches and paint. Clears everything and looks 10000x better even not painted.

https://i.imgur.com/R5n5hcnh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HSqC2gth.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5yBWIpHh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0mP8bamh.jpg

[gills]

The hood project was completed and run in last weekend's race. The car turns a lot of heads in a field with 55% BMW's.


I'm the welder/sheet metal-er, here's the filler:
https://i.imgur.com/ZydEzNUh.jpg


Ready for paint:
https://i.imgur.com/8RifyU1h.jpg


Back from paint:
https://i.imgur.com/OA5dKoZh.jpg


Ready for action (Trackspec hood vent for BMW Z4):
https://i.imgur.com/4Zl7c6Th.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5JeQtojh.jpg


And, yes, there was snow on the ground morning of practice/qualy day:
https://i.imgur.com/FwfARpEh.jpg

[gills]

WATKINS GLEN AER 2018 RECAP

Backstreet's Back, ALL RIGHT!! lollll
https://i.imgur.com/2mLR46Wh.jpg


We once again qualified in the fastest class, with the likes of ex continental tire BOSS 302R Mustang, Porsche Cayman's, M235iR's fresh from BMW, E36 S54 swaps, etc, etc. 95 total cars for the weekend, qualified 17th overall without trying too hard. We should've pushed harder during practice/qualifying. We really would've liked to be in the next lower class, but sand bagging sucks and it's the last thing we want to do (can't say the same for all teams).

After the practice/qualifying day we were blessed with one of the front brake pads looking like this:
https://i.imgur.com/iUV1eVQh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oe4r5mRh.jpg

Now I don't run brake ducting because I never measured the need to. And, if I did run ducting, this may have been worse because there was literally snow on the ground the morning off. I'm thinking this was an environmental factor with the ambient temperature and going hard on the brakes in the first few practice laps or so.



Good ol' race start:
https://i.imgur.com/LL7ti0Wh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/QXt5MeLh.jpg


Saturday we were running as high as 2nd place overall when 1st driver came in. With 2nd driver out toward the end of his stint, the fuel pump inertia safety switch we installed was tripped over rumble strips exiting "the heel" of "the boot." Driver immediately thought he ran out of gas as we were in the window for a pit stop. It was very close to pit-in so he tried to use starter to crawl into pit, but that ended up tripping the main 100A circuit breaker. Had to get a tow. We were P7 overall when that happened. That killed most hope for the day.

video of the moment he thought he ran out of fuel (please excuse the NY accent cussing lol):
https://youtu.be/sd2RKMF7SRI?t=4h29m38s




Sunday's 9 hour race was a much better result. We had zero issues all day and managed to finish 4th overall (and in class), 2 laps back on the lead cars (the nutty 302R Mustang broke a spindle.....an aftermarket one), which finished with only 1.8 seconds between them after 9 hours. The #395 E36 (S54 swap) was driven by Randy Pobst and not surprisingly scored the fastest lap of the weekend (2:03.393).

https://i.imgur.com/jZbkPN3h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cgSqAJDh.jpg


The car looking planted:
https://i.imgur.com/KhlTdBrh.jpg

Pit stop:
https://i.imgur.com/vtf1Tmyh.jpg



With that said, notes to take away from the weekend are that we need to further work on driver coaching to narrow the lap time deltas between drivers. If this gap is narrowed, we would've likely podiumed based on brief analysis.



A biggie is that the car topped last years best lap by 1.5 seconds (2:10.003 vs 2:08.559) without any power adders and less sticky tires. Differences from last year:

10" vs 9" wide wheel
RT615K vs RT615K+
no synchro issues with new transmission
3.69 vs 4.08 FD
stiffer spring rates with no rear bar (600/500 vs 500/335)
MCS 2 way remote dampers vs Feal 441




Also, my live streaming setup worked basically flawlessly. I hope some of you caught it when it was live. I ended up going a more expensive route, but it was 100% worth it. I was able to monitor video from the pit all weekend long with a 10-15 second maximum delay. The difference maker I believe is the enterprise level modem and antenna. The antenna is the black fire alarm looking thing on top of the roof. That's my biggest complaint, but the trade off is worth it.

My system:

Yi 4K live streaming capable action cam (www.amazon.com/YI-Action-Sports-Camera-Control/dp/B01FU9ZIMU/ref=sr_1_3?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1525124593&sr=1-3&keywords=yi+4k+action+camera)
Pepwave Max Mini BR1 cellular modem/hotspot with a Verizon SIM card (3gstore.com/product/6818_pepwave_max_br1_mini_lte.html)
Proxicast Professional Low-Profile LTE + GPS 3-in-1 Combination Screw Mount MIMO Vehicle Antenna (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M3SQAX8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)





The autosport labs podium connect module for engine and GPS data telemetry did not work unfortunately. I'm working with Autosport Labs in troubleshooting.




So STAY TUNED for the New Jersey Motorsport Park race coming up on the weekend of 5/18. I will be live streaming again.

Changes in the pipeline are going to a 12.72" rotor in the front instead of 12.2" and I'm giving PFC brake pads a shot. Going with 11 compound in the front and 97 in the rear.
https://i.imgur.com/BLIKZKrh.jpg


I may also throw a factory rear bar on. Will test with it on practice day.

[gills]

Digging into the data a bit to see where and how the 1.5 seconds was gained when compared to last year.

So again, here are the changes to the car when compared to last years WGI race:
10" vs 9" wide wheel
RT615K vs RT615K+
no synchro issues with new transmission
3.69 vs 4.08 FD
stiffer spring rates with no rear bar (600/500 vs 500/335)
MCS 2 way remote dampers vs Feal 441



Below is an image from AiM analysis software (RaceStudio) showing my personal best laps from last year (2:10.6xx {red line} and this year 2:09.3.xx {blue line}). My co-driver is the one who usually sets the fastest laps, but unfortunately I don't have his data from last years 2:10.0xx to compare to his 2:08.5xx. But, it's basically the same difference between our bests; 1.3 seconds for me, 1.5 for him.

So, 80% of the time gained this year from last year is from the final drive ratio and butter smooth new transmission. The bottom most row line graph is the lap time delta. You can see from start/finish all the way up to the entry to turn 4 ("bus stop") the line just keeps climbing steadily. I don't have the TPS shown there, but from the exit of turn 1 up to turn 4 is full throttle the whole way and it's significantly uphill through very high speed turns, called "the esses." A good ball tester.

Look how brutal the 5-6 gear shift from last year was on the speed graph in between turns 2 and 3

With that said, lateral accelerations and speeds through the turns are basically the same on a less sticky tire this year. Perhaps a testament to the new dampers and spring rates.

https://i.imgur.com/3JqSlcuh.png

[gills]

Before getting into the results of the NJMP race, a bit of pre-race prep:


At Watkins Glen while following a very well driven and setup E36 M3 (while I set my fastest lap time), I noted that he would lightly tap the brake pedal a couple of times on every straight away prior to a heavy braking. A lot of guys do this as an "inspection" so they know they'll have (or won't have) brakes prior to the braking zone.

Many drivers do it to return the brake pads as close to the rotor as possible because of flexing in the wheel hub/bearing. The system under racing loads causes the rotor to push the caliper pistons back into the caliper a bit. This is called "pad knockback" as I'm sure most of you know. A few companies sell knockback springs to install inside the caliper to combat this. It is something that I experienced very much in my old 2004 STi that had the older 5x100 wheel hub and bearing assemblies.

I never thought I'd need to do it on the S14 because it is fairly light car and things seem to be robust. But, I figured I'd test it out while following this guy as he was giving me a constant reminder. Much to my surprise, the pedal travel reduced notably vs when I didn't do it. The hubs/bearings on the car have been on it since the beginning so I figured it was probably best to the change them anyway and inspect them. So I procured new OEM hub/bearing assemblies all around, new ARP extended wheel studs (M12x1.25 all around ....more on this later), and new Muteki SR48 lug nuts, just to cover all bases.

And to top it off, I purchased some of that fancy NEO Synthetic wheel bearing grease that I'm sure most of you read about in the ubiquitous MotoIQ article. (motoiq.com/project-silvia-the-official-guide-to-not-screwing-up-your-wheel-bearings-like-i-did/) Since I'm endurance racing, I figured that this is probably can't hurt.

https://i.imgur.com/CMeUGnOh.jpg



The process that the MotoIQ article goes through is pretty accurate, although he doesn't make mention of the outer seal on the inboard side that needs to be removed in order to pull the balls out. It's not difficult, but you need to take care with a small flathead screw driver slowly working your way around to pry it up and out. Only then, can you remove the inboard balls. This is probably the "hardest" part.


Anyway, here's a brand new OEM bearing. Same yellowish, waxy grease is still used. You can see the seal that needs to be removed that I referred to:
https://i.imgur.com/hu6y7q5h.jpg


Practice run on spare hubs I had on the shelf:
https://i.imgur.com/D3tCaOfh.jpg


And here's a hub/bearing that was on the car since I've had it:
https://i.imgur.com/FhJwZ8hh.jpg


I still have yet to pop the balls out of those bearings, but at the very least the inner races and the balls look fine. I have yet to fully inspect the outer races. I was also expecting to see the OEM grease not be yellow, but rather cooked, greyed, and darkened. As you can see, that certainly isn't the case. There's significant racing and track time hours on those bearings. To top it off, I don't run any brake ducting either so these aren't getting cooled off much at all.

And if you're wondering about re-greasing the rear bearings, I didn't, but the process will be nearly identical. I just ran out of time.


Ready to go. Now I have full spares for hubs/bearings, wheels studs, and lug nuts:
https://i.imgur.com/7DWgpfMh.jpg



About those ARP extended studs. Apparently you used to not be able to get ARP M12x1.25 studs all around for S-chassis, only M12x1.5. If you want M12x1.25 all around, for S14 you get Subaru WRX ARP kit 100-7716 for the front, and for the rear you get these from ConceptZ, which they had ARP custom make a few years back: click here (use these all around for S13). (conceptzperformance.com/arp-extended-wheel-studs-12x1.25-3-13mm-knurl-10-pack-front-and-rear-nissan-240sx-s13-rear-only-240sx-s14-300zx-z32-wsau3.001-1gf-10_p_12489.php)

I really wanted to go with ARP vs. the other random brands you can get off of ebay.


Other big-ish changes were with the brakes. After a conversation with a PFC engineer, we went with 11 compound front, 97 compound rear and as per his suggestion, we tried a 15/16" BMC (from a 1"). Also moved to slotted rotors all around, and bumped up the rotor diameter in the front to 12.72" (from 12.2); the max diameter available with a 8 x 7" rotor bolt circle from Wilwood. The slots can potentially help combat squeal/noisy brakes.

https://i.imgur.com/WTvk1C8h.jpg




Rocking Defsport:
https://i.imgur.com/6DBcet2h.jpg


Threw some temperature indicating paint all over stuff also. Was curious if things were reaching dangerous temperatures:
https://i.imgur.com/BopDJvdh.jpg



My teammate was determined to get rid of the hot-air intake we had. Definitely cost some power in the middle of a hot 9 hour race. Used some HDPE sheet we had sitting in the garage forever to construct an airbox of sorts, and some G35/Z33 tubing/adapters from Z1performance to extend the intake. Considering the time crunch, he did an awesome job. Although not measured, it must be an improvement for IAT.

"CAD template" (if you haven't yet, go watch the "Project Binky" video series. If you appreciate fabrication and car stuff, you will most likely love this: Bad Obsession Motorsports (www.youtube.com/user/badobsessionmsport/featured):

https://i.imgur.com/oDVn7gqh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7x41I21h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Uje2VKmh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/cx6dgNSh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TaaZH82h.jpg






Lastly, had another oil analysis done after Watkins Glen to see if things were healthy and if the oil could go another weekend. After 27 hours of racing, going to give this batch another go:

https://i.imgur.com/9yBvxaI.jpg


Also trying a different tire out. Went with a set of the Hankook RS4 as this race's fresh tire. Still have Falken RT615K's as backup.


Race update coming next....

[gills]

New Jersey Motorsports Park, 5/2018

Saturday's 9 Hour Race

"Please don't rain, mommy"

The one picture that basically describes this entire day:
​​​https://i.imgur.com/NjMgAR3h.png


We qualified 17th overall with a 1:59.8xx which was FINALLY good for class 4 (Reminder, we don't want to be in class 5, which is the fastest class and what we always end up in). All it took was a sh!t ton of rain! That lap time is basically 30 seconds slower than a proper dry lap in our car.


So all this time we've been gambling on the weather and just hoping that it would never rain on us. Well, the hope finally wore off. With no 'real' rain setup, our car was a handful in the wet stuff. And by handful, I mean scary AF. By the time we realized we'd be screwed with rain, it was too late to make any significant setup changes (softer springs, small tire, better tire, etc..). Combine that with human foot ABS and traction control (unlike some of the fancy teams that are gracing AER with their presence) and it's a recipe of butt puckering. The only thing we did was add lighting to make sure people would see us.

I took out front camber (down to -2.5), removed gas pressure from the shock reservoirs, and went to almost max soft on compression and rebound damping. It was also somewhat cool out so I took out some tire pressure in an effort to get the tire to squirm some more heat into the carcass. To top it off, RS4's are not good in cool, wet conditions, which we can definitely confirm! The track was insanely slick on the dry line, to the point where it literally felt like driving on ice when crossing over it then finally getting grip in the rain line.



Heading out for the parade laps through monster puddles:
​​​
https://i.imgur.com/WKKFJsFh.jpg


In hindsight, not so sure that was the best idea (low tire pressure) in the type of rain on this day. It was a lot, and hence there was a bunch of standing water. Higher tire pressures are better for hydroplaning resistance, which became the more important factor in many parts of the track.



Green Flag! Hey look, at least the lights are working well...

​​​https://i.imgur.com/jFIL9Awh.jpg


So the goal of this day was not to crash and not get crashed into, and we were successful. 2 drivers had significant off road excursions and luckily were able to come back on track. We were also almost successful scoring a 3rd place podium finish as well. But, the Race Gods just weren't having it. Using a window squeegee to defog the windshield while going 100mph down the straight just wasn't enough for the Race Gods.


(some video from the live stream to give you a moving pictures idea of the poor visibility)
(youtu.be/pFyyWj5pILU?t=8h52m5s)


About 30 minutes out from the finish, in 3rd place with no more stops to go, I got a flat tire. Looks like a rivet from a piece of body work that was ripped off from the deep puddles did us in:

https://i.imgur.com/lZ4cLeMh.jpg​​​




Would've been an amazing ending to a terrifyingly fun day.



Not surprisingly, a turbocharged FWD car (Chevy Cobalt) won class 4 for the day.

​​​https://i.imgur.com/HNXnQQhh.jpg


Team fastest lap: 2:03.2
Overall fastest lap: 1:53.7 (IMSA driver Al Carter in a worked E46 M3)


(Some good "racing in the rain" reading material from Grassroots Motorsports Magazine: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/ar...ing-race-rain/)

[gills]

Sunday's 9 Hour Race

In the back of our minds we were all thinking about Sunday as the radar and forecasts were showing a drier and warmer, more humid day. I set the car back up with dry front camber settings, rechecked toe and reverted back to typical dry tire pressures and damping settings Saturday night. We obviously also had to switch back to our set of Falken RT615K tires due to the RS4 flat. We know them well...


Beginning of the day, the track started off wet from the previous day's rain. Took about an hour to get within 4-5 seconds of the car's/track's typical dry pace. The car may be terrible in the rain, but it can certainly haul ass in the dry.


Green Flag (need to build out some fences/fenders for the front tires, eh?):

​​​https://i.imgur.com/z1figMmh.jpg




Midway through the day it was apparent that we were a favorite to win class 4. We focused on being strategic with pitstops, i.e.-pitting during full course yellows/safety car laps. So much so, that we gambled on bringing in our 3rd driver about 15 minutes earlier than normal to take advantage of a fairly lengthy full course yellow. Based on what we knew of fuel consumption of the car at the time, it seemed like a winning decision. That certainly came to bite us in the ass later....



Dry weather, WOOHOO!:
​​​
https://i.imgur.com/B4Wvkn2h.jpg





BUT, not without something else coming to bite us in the ass first. During the 3rd pitstop, my brother (who was getting in the car to drive) forgot to lower his visor once over the pit wall. All visors must be down and no work can be done on the car during fueling. The stewards saw the violation and handed us a drive through penalty. Even with that drive through penalty, we were still 1st in class.



We thought that perhaps the organizers had something against us since we were handing many BMW's their asses. Then we checked the vid.....caught red handed:
https://i.imgur.com/U8strjTh.png
​



So as much as that sucked, one really cool thing about AER is that they send out team specific and mass text messages throughout the weekend giving you information about violations, pit stop times, number of pit stops, the current driver in the car, general race updates, other teams needing parts, etc. Information about the race is shared instantly in real time and direct. It's very efficient. They are definitely ahead of the game in this regard.



Fast forward to my stint, which started at 2:54pm. Race was ending at 6pm with one required pit stop remaining to do in that time span. With the knowledge that we can squeeze out 1.5 hours per tank, it was cutting it close on paper. I usually do a double stint to finish the day, although it typically ends up being more like ~1.75 stints most races. But, we were being more aggressive with the earlier pit stops this time around.


We obviously wanted to max out my first stint, so fast forward about 1:10 and I'm communicating with pit about when to come in. One curveball that we weren't ready for was that I was starting to get heat exhaustion in the car. I regrettably didn't drink as much water/liquid as I usually do before getting in the car this time around in an effort to not have to piss like a race horse during my stint like I always do. Probably wasn't a good decision. I was also having an issue accessing the camelback during my stint so I also didn't drink enough in the car also.


(Video of me struggling to find camelback) (youtu.be/QfEdGf39qqM?t=6h16m57s)


We've survived all this time without a rain setup and we've also survived without a Coolsuit setup. But, this time, there was no way I was going to be able to do a double stint without one. There wasn't a single yellow flag during my stint and I was in it to win it almost the whole time. Hot and humid southern Jersey that started getting to me this day. I let the team know that someone else needs to get suited up to go in for me.


(I managed not to put 4-off on the previous day's ice rink of a track. But, the heat got to me, and of course, it was while getting pointed by a team that we are very friendly with:

Heat Exhaustion 4-off video clip) (youtu.be/QfEdGf39qqM?t=6h37m55s)


The Volvo team that we always pit next to at New Jersey and who pointed me by in the video:
https://i.imgur.com/VlPuw6wh.jpg




Inevitably it turned into a scramble in the pits. The driver I wanted to go in wasn't suited up yet as we all thought I had another 15 minutes of fuel in the car and I was ok with going that much more time. As I was insisting on them to all be ready ASAP because I was overheating, I got fuel cut a little before pit in. I immediately made the decision to pit so I didn't run out of fuel on track, which happened to me on Friday practice very shortly after hitting fuel cut. I informed the pit. They were barely ready. I was out on track for a total of 1:24. Not a single full course yellow contributed to this shortened stint. We were in 3rd overall, 1st in class at this point by a comfortable margin.


During the scramble, the driver going in wasn't able to get his ear buds for communications in on time. He informed me of the situation and we were relegated to using pit boards to communicate with him. He went out and we still had 1st in class, dropped down to 4th overall. We had about just under a lap lead over P2 still after this. Because of my surprise early pit stop, it meant we had to bring the last driver in for an extra pit stop for a splash of fuel. He went out at 4:22, which left 1:38 left on a tank of fuel...not going to happen.



What took place from that moment on was riddled with indecision. We had the win in the bag, but it was our race to lose. It should've been simple, but only in hindsight is it ever. The second place car behind us was a 'detuned' E36 S54 swap (#955 Just For Fun Racing) with basically no aero like our car. These guys have been a juggernaut with winning Class 4 for consecutive races. Where we screwed up was not letting our driver know to push as hard as he can to build a larger gap. He was in a more conservative mode to try and stretch the fuel out. That's all he wanted to know when he was out there, whether to push or conserve. We failed at parlaying that information to him.


The next failure was when we pulled him in for the "splash" of fuel. We ended up putting in about 1.5 jugs of fuel where we could've easily have gotten away with 1 jug. Filling that extra 1/2 of jug of fuel eats up about a good 15-20 seconds. Far too long in the instance we were in. While he was going down to pit exit, #955 passed us. We were released back on track about 16 seconds adrift at 5:27.
https://i.imgur.com/Whzefwfh.jpg





At that point it was no holds barred. Our driver managed to cut the gap to 7 seconds. He was steadily gaining on #955 and would've passed them...until the unthinkable with about 15 minutes left in the race....RAIN. The heavens opened up with a sporadic downpour that basically vaporized our chance of winning. #955 was already setup with softer springs and smaller tire for the rain from Saturday. There was no chance in catching them at that point. Unfortunately I have no good pictures of that moment when it started down pouring.


#955 took P1.
https://i.imgur.com/vK9dOeIh.jpg




Core4 Motorsports took P2:
https://i.imgur.com/7WPDlH1h.jpg




Team Fastest Lap: 1:32.8
Overall Race Fastest Lap: 1:28.7 (Nelson Canache, Mustang BOSS 302R)


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[gills]

So, about them brakes....

We've gone through a few combinations of calipers, pad compounds, and rotors. But, the one thing that has remained constant is the brake master cylinder size. For the Waktins race this year (and all prior races) we were on a 1" BMC (shimmed, not shimmed, and kinda shimmed...). Even with the caliper upgrades, rotor sizes increasing, etc, the biggest complaint (if we are to split hairs) has been about feel and modulation.

So, we decided to [subjectively] test the old argument of whether a larger or smaller BMC will aid with feel and modulation. The general consensus is that usually a smaller BMC aids in modulation because it makes for longer pedal travel with a smaller amount of pedal force for a given system pressure. That longer pedal travel gives you more 'resolution' of sorts through the pedal stroke. Vice versa for a larger BMC.

I've always been in the "you don't modulate your brakes based on pedal travel" camp so I've been skeptical of going smaller. But, after conversations with PFC and a few others, I decided to try the 15/16" BMC for the NJMP race.

The result was just 'meh.' I could definitely feel the longer pedal travel when compared to the 1" BMC, but the modulation and feel was similar to the 1" BMC to me. My co-driver thought it was worse.

Next up was the 17/16" BMC that we just ran at an open test day last Friday. No other changes on the car except for that. It was a unanimous decision; we have a winner! Everything about the change was positive. Higher pedal force threshold to lock up the brakes, shorter travel, easier to modulate. It really addressed most of our complaints (until we get bored and try to find more) about our Frankenstein braking system.

Not only that, it also confirmed my suspicion about the smaller BMC provides more feel/modulation mantra. At least in my case.


My current setup which is the best the brakes have felt yet all around. And to top it off, they don't squeal. Huge fan of the PFC compounds so far:

B13 Sentra non-abs booster (this is important)
17/16" brake master cyclinder (not shimmed)
Stainless steel brake lines
Front (Defsport hats w/ Core4 radial bracket)
Wilwood FSL6R Calipers (4.04 in^2 piston area)
12.72" x 1.25" Wilwood Spec37 HD slotted rotor rings
PFC 11 Compound
Rear (Core4 rear BBK)
Wilwood Forged Narrow Dynalite Calipers (1.98 in^2 piston area)
12.2" x 0.81" Wilwood Spec37 HD slotted rotor rings
PFC 97 Compound



If this was a track day only/TT type car running R-compounds or slicks, I'd get more aggressive PFC compounds.

[TheRealSy90]

Loving all of this thread! I have a vq35hr in my own drift car and would love to try my hand at time attack events some day. Definitely been wanting to start the oil analysis myself as well. Also sent you a PM about that strut bar!

[gills]

Loving all of this thread! I have a vq35hr in my own drift car and would love to try my hand at time attack events some day. Definitely been wanting to start the oil analysis myself as well. Also sent you a PM about that strut bar!

Thank man! Still got a few more posts coming to catch up to current.

The S with a VQ engine is an amazing setup for any track event. I like to call it the Japanese E36/46 M3. Where I am on the east coast, almost no one tracks them (road racing/grip) so when I rip passed people they're always like :tweak: It's a very underrated and capable chassis.

Will respond to your PM shortly.

[gills]

Some good info that someone shared in my thread that is worth putting here also:



Technical data regarding the 3 BMCs.
1st BMC 15/16" bore 427psi split point w/ 0.2 reducing ratio (original to my car (S14))
2nd BMC 17/16" bore 498psi split point w/ 0.4 reducing ratio (Z32)
3rd BMC 16/16" bore 356psi split point w/ 0.4 reducing ratio (Z32)

which translates to

Front brake line pressure at 500psi
1st BMC rear line pressure: 442psi
2nd BMC rear line pressure: 499psi
3rd BMC rear line pressure: 413psi

Front brake line pressure at 1000psi
1st BMC rear line pressure: 542psi
2nd BMC rear line pressure: 699psi
3rd BMC rear line pressure: 614psi

Front brake line pressure at 1500psi
1st BMC rear line pressure: 642psi
2nd BMC rear line pressure: 899psi
3rd BMC rear line pressure: 813psi

Front brake line pressure at 2000psi
1st BMC rear line pressure: 742psi
2nd BMC rear line pressure: 1099psi
3rd BMC rear line pressure: 1014psi

[gills]

Here's my Sim racing rig I built to practice for the Mid-Ohio race in 10/2018. My end goal is to have a decent DIY motion simulator. I just built the PC and got the VR goggles. I had everything else already.

https://i.imgur.com/HR7cX8il.jpg

PC I built is bare bones just for gaming and video/photo editing and CAD:

EVGA Z370 FTW motherboard
Intel core i7 8700k processor
16 GB DDR4 3200 RAM
Samsung 500GB M.2 NVMe SSD (Windows 10 opens in less than 5 seconds from when I power on)
Gigabyte GeForce 1080 GTX graphics card
EVGA 850W power supply
Cryorig H7 tower cooler
Thermaltake Mid-tower case. Basic as they come.
Windows 10 ($2.99 from eBay for a license and it actually worked)


Then an Oculus Rift for the VR goggles.
Pedals are Fanatec Clubsport V2 pedals with load cell brake pedal.
Steering wheel is basic Logitech Driving Force GT.
Shifter is a Thrustmaster TR500(?).
The rig is an Obutto Ozone.

[gills]

We're officially registered for Mid-Ohio for the weekend of 10/19! We're a man down for the weekend. If anyone lives near Mid-Ohio that's reading this would be willing to help out for the weekend, or even a single day, it would be very helpful! Even better if you have race gear to assist during pit-stops.


Some of the entry list that I can capture in a screen shot (all german except us, FRS, and Miata....no surprise):

https://i.imgur.com/oHUFQKY.jpg
​



Interesting tidbit, yes, that's a Ferrari 458 Challenge car that "Racewife" team is running on the bottom right. Car is owned and driven by Ben and Christine Sloss. Ben Sloss is the Vice President of Engineering for Google, hence the ability to choose and field a Ferrari 458 Challenge meant to sprint race and race it for 18 hours in a weekend. Next year they'll be campaigning a Mustang built by Multimatic specifically to endurance race. Must be nice, eh? Hopefully it gives everyone even more insight as to why we don't want to be in the top class (5). I mean, I would, but need sponsors. Any takers????


Anywho, it'll be the teams first time racing at Mid-Ohio so we're very pumped. So, in conjunction to practicing on my new VR sim racing rig, it's good to watch some video. How about some oldish, but still good video from long time NRR/Zilvia member "240sxTTC" in his S13 LS swapped TT car (now sold and bought a Camaro....bah!):

https://vimeo.com/164041497

[gills]

Finally got some green flag only video up from our 4/2018 Watkins Glen Sunday race. I've put some time stamps in the description to get you to some interesting parts and fast laps for each driver. The start of the race is also a good laugh. First time that driver ever did a two wide rolling race start. Nerves got the best of him, but he came around and ultimately only lost 1 position by the time he came in to pit.


https://youtu.be/j_ZzOjFbEuo

[gills]

Hmmm, probably the only time they'll look this clean I'm sure. But, regardless, we've wanted white wheels for awhile now especially with a red car. Powder-coated Honda Championship White. Trying to stand out from the sea of BMW's.


https://i.imgur.com/Q2r0tY2h.jpg

[gills]

Mid-Ohio race prep is moving along. As mentioned before, I really wanted to do a spring rate change. Either drop the front rate about 100 lbs/in or increase the rear rate 50 lbs/in to dial out some of the mid-corner understeer the car has at the moment.


Since a spring change is a semi-PITA, I was initially going to throw in a stock S14 rear bar to move the roll couple rearward out of simplicity. After messing with my suspension spreadsheet a bit it probably wouldn't have been enough of a shift. I then stumbled upon an S15 OEM 21mm rear bar on ebay. It's a diameter that falls right in the middle of OEM bars and aftermarket ones and it's tubular. Weighs nothing vs aftermarket ones which are almost always solid. Made a low-ball offer and the guy accepted.

https://i.imgur.com/C16GDiQh.jpg




I just wanted to use the existing brackets, but the bushings were taller:

https://i.imgur.com/2y6fkiKh.jpg



The bar also needs to be spaced down from the subframe since the subframe is raised and there's potential for the bar to hit the gas tank on an S14. So, I machined some stepped aluminum spacers to use the new bushing and space it down:

https://i.imgur.com/wFjwezMh.jpg



I also wanted some adjustability. So I flattened the end more on a press and drilled another hole.

stock:
https://i.imgur.com/WXYA08Bh.jpg


Flattened and drilled:
https://i.imgur.com/gsw7Cobh.jpg




I then realized that I didn't want to use the OEM style end-links and still had the nice adjustable spherical end-links from the 24mm Progress bar I used to have on the car. But, OEM bar end-link mounting look like the above pictures. Need the mounting holes rotated 90 degrees.


So? My overkill solution; I made up some aluminum clevis' with 3 different lever arm positions to mount to the two holes now on the sway bar:

https://i.imgur.com/1R6lDpQh.jpg




But, my first test install revealed that there was too much mis-alignment with the spherical. Using some washers to rotate the clevis into a position that would work to get an idea of how much I need to move:

https://i.imgur.com/QP5be9oh.jpg



Nothing a little oxy-acetylene heat can't fix! Probably partially annealed that area, but it's not of concern:

https://i.imgur.com/NJHaKKjh.png



Voila. My 21mm adjustable tubular adjustable rear sway bar:

https://i.imgur.com/Ua4vxCNh.jpg




Should be interesting to see how it helps at Mid-Ohio, which is very technical and undulating and will destroy the front tires if the car is understeering a lot. Will obviously report back on the change.

[gills]

As white as they'll ever be....

https://i.imgur.com/Z72RRSFh.jpg

[gills]

Mid-Ohio 10/2018

Saturday 8.5 hour race


Qualified P18 overall with a 1:42.072, which put us P11 in class 4 out of 13 cars....ugh. Not a good place to start, especially since Saturday morning was wet from rain the night before and it was COLD. Awesome combo for the first time at a new track!


Qualifying day shot with new shoes:
https://i.imgur.com/bXwhBF2h.jpg?1




A little snafu with the GKTech shifter ate up an hour on qualifying day. It was odd and of course it had to happen then and not back home in our garage. Didn't happen for the rest of the weekend. That hour cost us a better grid position as we were getting more comfortable and the track was getting faster.



No need to worry about being put in the top class with this beast coming to a race (Shocker: Won overall on Saturday by only 60 seconds, crashed on Sunday):

https://i.imgur.com/Vpom7ZNh.jpg


Car/team that gave it a run for its money and finished on the same lap (#982, Random Vandals Racing):
https://i.imgur.com/PKkwHgCh.jpg




Lucked out with the weather. The clouds were lingering around and the forecasts were ominous, but it only rained in one section of the track for the last 10 minutes of the Saturday race. Then it rained/sleeted very heavily about 3 hours after the race ended. L.U.C.K.Y


Here's a cool drone aerial view of Saturday race start and also an E46 M3 pirouetting around 1:15:

https://youtu.be/KWRabaawtB4



Random Saturday morning shot:

https://i.imgur.com/lGdeV4Eh.jpg



Go away E36 (CLICK TO WATCH THAT E36 LOSE A WHEEL AND WRECK) (https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c2b28b_ebc31abb0fa640abbf4524d8ba1aea5a/480p/mp4/file.mp4):
https://i.imgur.com/AXdHy71h.jpg




Day was mostly event free. Starting so far back in class on the grid proved to be a real shot in the foot this time around. Pit stops were strong and we were getting familiarized with the track (and loving it...highly recommend it!). The competition was also very strong and only 1 or 2 teams ahead of us had a mechanical or other issues so it was difficult to gain ground. Everyone in class was very evenly matched.

The 2nd stint driver had a pass-under-yellow penalty which warranted a drive through penalty. That ate up about 1 minute. We managed to climb from P18 overall to P8 overall and P4 in class by the end of the race. We were 2 laps behind P3 in class at the end so even without that PUY we wouldn't have podiumed. P4 in class for Saturday.

https://i.imgur.com/QD3G1hDh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5oTHLoyh.jpg




Honorable mention; our friends at ThunderBunny Racing finished P2 in our class in their 350Z. They had an awesome race:

https://i.imgur.com/3WdwPbkh.jpg



Class 4 winner was this frankenstein looking #472, Locally Hated E36 M3 with, you guessed it, an S54 engine swap:
https://i.imgur.com/Gf0z8qwh.jpg



Regardless, we still managed a faster fastest lap time than both of those cars :naughty:



Result: P4 in class, P8 overall
Team fastest lap: 1:40.113
Class 4 fastest lap: 1:39.336 (#724 Cardinal Racing LLC, E36 S54 swap)

[gills]

Sunday 8.5 hour


We typically always fair better on Sunday races for whatever reason so we were stoked for an exciting day. With the forecast showing clear, but a bit colder weather, there was no need to worry about the evil Mid-Ohio track surface when wet.


We were starting P11 on the grid for Sunday so definitely in a better position to compete for a podium spot. We just looked to do the same as yesterday, only faster! Should be easy enough, right?!


Starting next to our friends on the grid, McParland Motorsport in their awesome S2000:

https://i.imgur.com/skAzF85h.jpg




So the day was going according to plan, car and drivers were going faster and faster with speed at the pointy end of the class (for 2 of the 3 drivers). 1:39.xxx's all day long with open track.


A killer Porsche 964 from Team Aerkuhl:

https://i.imgur.com/VZclkQnh.jpg




All was going well and we were fluctuating between P2 and P3 in class all day. Car was easy to drive, brakes have felt the best yet, and yet we were still being out braked by the top BMW's in our class going into "China Beach." The main advantage; MK60 ABS. Almost every BMW in our class is equipped with the E46 M3 system.


Speaking of braking, then this happened in the 3rd driver's stint when being a bit too "binary" with his inputs:
https://youtu.be/4o8RcV68MtE?t=13298


Screen shot for lazy, ADHD people that can't watch video for 30 seconds. Might be facing the wrong direction!:
https://i.imgur.com/8Tpchpih.jpg

damage was minimal (shots from end of day):
https://i.imgur.com/3rJAfxch.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/etlYePFh.jpg




Significant time lost there. With the field being as competitive as it was, our P3 position was somehow still maintained by the time we were approaching our last pit stop. We were unsure if the team behind us (#38 Team ACP, E36 with a.............S54 swap) had to pit again as they had taken advantage of a lengthy full course yellow about 30 laps prior to our last stop.


#38 Team ACP E36. Love the livery on this car:
https://i.imgur.com/arODvQth.jpg




Lo and behold, they didn't have to make another pit stop for the day. We had one pit stop left and were just over 1.75 laps up on them, which........... is about 3 minutes; the minimum stop length per AER rules! It was going to be insanely close after our last stop.


We got out about 4 seconds ahead of the #38 car with about an hour left after our last stop. It proved to difficult to hold them off. Even though we actually had a faster outright lap time than them in the same stint (and for the weekend). The bit of a power advantage, braking advantage, and I suppose aero advantage their car had proved to seal the deal as it was easier for them to weave through and deal with traffic.


It all boiled down to #38's excellent strategic move to pit during the FCY and their stint length capability. They were able to change their tires to fresh rubber and managed to pick up a lap on us because of the timing of when they were released from the pit. Had they not gotten that advantage, we would've finished P3. If our 3rd stint driver didn't spin, we potentially could've secured P2.

https://i.imgur.com/qnA4Kwdh.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/LPkdcmsh.jpg



So, P5 overall in Sunday's race, and P4 in class.
https://i.imgur.com/DW2z7gth.jpg



Because we were very consistent (P4 and P4) for the weekend, we secured P3 in class for the weekend in points and managed to at least get one podium!. We'll take it for our first time at Mid-Ohio:

https://i.imgur.com/9rNJHamh.jpg



Ugly mugs podium shot:

https://i.imgur.com/JptdvyCh.jpg




Honorable mention; #133 Busy Guys racing winning Class 3 in their 370Z:

https://i.imgur.com/kWgXzuPh.jpg




Team fastest lap: 1:39.150
Class 4 fastest lap: 1:38.319 (#724 Cardinal Racing LLC, E36 S54 swap, Randy Pobst driving)

[gills]

Some interesting info from that weekend.

Because of how consistent we were and the car remaining reliable, we actually completed the 2nd most laps of any team for the whole weekend. And on top of that, 4 of the top 6 teams for most laps completed weren't BMW's or German! Team Nissan making a serious dent.

Total laps completed for the weekend:

#41 Team Sahlen (www.facebook.com/TeamSahlens/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARCzVim6CeT5yk8baDV-J0YvgQjV_fhRkhvLQtRUvVdwkopPEUpiAqTRUH-pDq4wp9HU5Rni49ZnjYJk&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBUh046qjSUyFnDk2UOmMoi22JXNiLN 6MCPK6CO_enlGHPzmnzO_QQEARrzCHxBE1zYRV7s20GMGUsQYe a9g76OdylenLxU30tSMvVS7D3J0fztwjNCHMUpIdUYSIPAtj0G kAN-5TOVwFf5Zce05KpcfZGWCOO-a13v1UQXJYW_nxihIh93UXaMfco85VeOCZLL2zHKjXUM4pNvNq T6MuTz7FxtQExh6gUlZkNMYZ9uxAld9MyCjXRyfr1ZyOXgLG3Q zW2KrxBBauZrA9BL8mNvlDyvNkYuOul7H55_EiHRqUGD2ua95n kotdnjVG4Xa4MHPfpC8yDChlY7ywMyH9sK) Porsche Cayman: 558
#77 Core4 Motorsports (www.facebook.com/core4motorsports/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARDvwuZCF8yQ_-RCKOALI1hDJu_r5DhZ8JP_pgCF0-h1c2H7Z7wRyA2rRU8RdMnrrM30uMjcS0FPvT0z&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBUh046qjSUyFnDk2UOmMoi22JXNiLN 6MCPK6CO_enlGHPzmnzO_QQEARrzCHxBE1zYRV7s20GMGUsQYe a9g76OdylenLxU30tSMvVS7D3J0fztwjNCHMUpIdUYSIPAtj0G kAN-5TOVwFf5Zce05KpcfZGWCOO-a13v1UQXJYW_nxihIh93UXaMfco85VeOCZLL2zHKjXUM4pNvNq T6MuTz7FxtQExh6gUlZkNMYZ9uxAld9MyCjXRyfr1ZyOXgLG3Q zW2KrxBBauZrA9BL8mNvlDyvNkYuOul7H55_EiHRqUGD2ua95n kotdnjVG4Xa4MHPfpC8yDChlY7ywMyH9sK) Nissan 240sx: 548
#35 Thunder Bunny Racing (www.facebook.com/ThunderBunnyRacing/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARBqRi6bEXVoF6nB2HVNpzuwVKz0qVsMg6aAFpRywEVS-ntOkQ6_gcmeTQVqzxadRszrokCsaHZgECO8&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBUh046qjSUyFnDk2UOmMoi22JXNiLN 6MCPK6CO_enlGHPzmnzO_QQEARrzCHxBE1zYRV7s20GMGUsQYe a9g76OdylenLxU30tSMvVS7D3J0fztwjNCHMUpIdUYSIPAtj0G kAN-5TOVwFf5Zce05KpcfZGWCOO-a13v1UQXJYW_nxihIh93UXaMfco85VeOCZLL2zHKjXUM4pNvNq T6MuTz7FxtQExh6gUlZkNMYZ9uxAld9MyCjXRyfr1ZyOXgLG3Q zW2KrxBBauZrA9BL8mNvlDyvNkYuOul7H55_EiHRqUGD2ua95n kotdnjVG4Xa4MHPfpC8yDChlY7ywMyH9sK) Nissan 350Z: 544
#133 Busy Guys Racing (www.facebook.com/busyguysracing/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARCTaW0s-ptqbRy3HwFz0AQDGEBv1KyeagNIDGoG7N6xY7Degt-9lDcVnhLiAG3nK99a5BFoXoQyK-9-&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBUh046qjSUyFnDk2UOmMoi22JXNiLN 6MCPK6CO_enlGHPzmnzO_QQEARrzCHxBE1zYRV7s20GMGUsQYe a9g76OdylenLxU30tSMvVS7D3J0fztwjNCHMUpIdUYSIPAtj0G kAN-5TOVwFf5Zce05KpcfZGWCOO-a13v1UQXJYW_nxihIh93UXaMfco85VeOCZLL2zHKjXUM4pNvNq T6MuTz7FxtQExh6gUlZkNMYZ9uxAld9MyCjXRyfr1ZyOXgLG3Q zW2KrxBBauZrA9BL8mNvlDyvNkYuOul7H55_EiHRqUGD2ua95n kotdnjVG4Xa4MHPfpC8yDChlY7ywMyH9sK). Nissan 370Z Nismo: 544
#982 Random Vandals Racing (www.facebook.com/rvrllc/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARCa0Fl9wKHRfnX4HBqG5X7rDHGzxKN_HsrTmYjLoTKW0d 15nSeqOdjjSWcZj1EBiMSs9WEp8ohjZDx_&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBUh046qjSUyFnDk2UOmMoi22JXNiLN 6MCPK6CO_enlGHPzmnzO_QQEARrzCHxBE1zYRV7s20GMGUsQYe a9g76OdylenLxU30tSMvVS7D3J0fztwjNCHMUpIdUYSIPAtj0G kAN-5TOVwFf5Zce05KpcfZGWCOO-a13v1UQXJYW_nxihIh93UXaMfco85VeOCZLL2zHKjXUM4pNvNq T6MuTz7FxtQExh6gUlZkNMYZ9uxAld9MyCjXRyfr1ZyOXgLG3Q zW2KrxBBauZrA9BL8mNvlDyvNkYuOul7H55_EiHRqUGD2ua95n kotdnjVG4Xa4MHPfpC8yDChlY7ywMyH9sK), LLC BMW E46 M3: 543
#23 McParland Motorsport (www.facebook.com/mcparlandmotorsport/?__tn__=K-R&eid=ARBSm0xT5uIoGtYF6CLDRq26TWoTdcm52CGKkV_oL8d4xz s37fjTHG4MY-MdETdA0m8KyNPbFc16aYkj&fref=mentions&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBUh046qjSUyFnDk2UOmMoi22JXNiLN 6MCPK6CO_enlGHPzmnzO_QQEARrzCHxBE1zYRV7s20GMGUsQYe a9g76OdylenLxU30tSMvVS7D3J0fztwjNCHMUpIdUYSIPAtj0G kAN-5TOVwFf5Zce05KpcfZGWCOO-a13v1UQXJYW_nxihIh93UXaMfco85VeOCZLL2zHKjXUM4pNvNq T6MuTz7FxtQExh6gUlZkNMYZ9uxAld9MyCjXRyfr1ZyOXgLG3Q zW2KrxBBauZrA9BL8mNvlDyvNkYuOul7H55_EiHRqUGD2ua95n kotdnjVG4Xa4MHPfpC8yDChlY7ywMyH9sK) Honda S2000: 542

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The addition of the S15 rear bar was a very worthy one. I didn't notice any less corner exit grip than without one. In fact, because the car rotated better (much better) mid-corner, the car required less steering angle to go where you wanted to go after the apex making for less theatrics by trying to compensate the understeer with the throttle.


Still kind of an unfair comparison because I didn't correctly compensate the loss of roll resistance from no rear bar with the right rear spring rate in my previous setup. I will attempt to revisit this one day, but for now the S15 rear bar is staying on to be able to test on my home track. Because we have a gazillion laps there with data, it'll be easier to draw the age old, "my-s-chassis-can't-put-power-down-so-let's-remove-the-rear-ARB" conclusion.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


How about some pad taper review on our PFC 11's that we run in the front. Or lack of pad taper is more like it:

https://i.imgur.com/9IAzziFh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9V3Fql1h.jpg


Pad wear is higher than ST43 for sure though at the expense of extra torque and modulation it seems. They are also whisper quiet, which for endurance racing when you're in the car for hours, is a huge plus.

I may have mentioned this earlier, but the PFC's are the only pads that came with chamfered lead and trailing edges, which according to the knowledge I've been accumulating helps mitigate noise/resonance as well as pad taper in calipers that may be prone to that. If I get other pads that don't chamfers, I will probably end up milling chamfers into them. I will probably give ST43's another go in the future so I will modify them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Also finally managed to get the car on the dyno to see what kind of power she's making and if the AFR's are healthy. Ending up making 240whp/240wtq on a mustang dyno. AFR's are right around 12:1 as well.

VQ35DE plot:
https://i.imgur.com/4GMgGCxh.jpg


Video of dyno pull: https://www.facebook.com/core4motors...3926885879942/



Also dyno'd my brother's E36 with a shrick cammed S52. Our VQ35 plot is solid, and the S52 is dashed. His AFR plot is wacky AF in the low end there. Pretty surprised at how much more torque the VQ makes from 2800-4500 rpm:

https://i.imgur.com/AqKDFVOh.jpg


Now the discussion is whether or not we go for something like JWT C2 cams and springs. The motor is due for a tear down and inspection over the winter so now would be the time. The 15-20 extra whp that could potentially come from the JWT cams will help us keep up with the S54'd cars on the straights. The main concern is fuel consumption. We're already at the limit with range and adding a fuel cell in an S14 is a huge job. We're just not sure how much more, if any extra fuel will be consumed by being able to get ~500 rpm more of usable powerband with extra power.

That extra rev range and power will also make us consider going from the 3.69 to a 3.9 final. Lots to consider with the time ticking down...

[gills]

Just wanted to share solution that I'm now offering for BMW E36 (all) and E46 (non-M) cars. Brand new OEM BMW front and rear wheel hubs precision machined to accept and installed with ARP press-in wheels studs. Like most German cars, BMW's come with lug bolts, which are a PITA to deal with when removing/installing wheels often. The ubiquitous thing to do for those who dedicate their cars to HPDE and/or track competition is to use "thread-in" conversion studs, not only for ease of servicing, but to use spacers.


Should be good, right? Not really...almost every single AER event a BMW will at least break one thread-in stud on a random corner of the car during a race and luckily people tend to find them before catastrophe. But, sometimes they don't and you get this (video of Mid-Ohio incident), which I was only seconds behind:

Wheel studs breaking and wreck (https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c2b28b_ebc31abb0fa640abbf4524d8ba1aea5a/480p/mp4/file.mp4)

And another one at the Calabogie race in August (https://video.wixstatic.com/video/c2b28b_149a82db33ab4b5b92756c5fce7fd882/480p/mp4/file.mp4)

https://i.imgur.com/aLvH07gl.png

As crazy as it seems, it isn't uncommon. Basically every brand (Turner, Bimmerworld, MSI, Apex, etc...) of conversion stud out there has been reported to break. It's a somewhat hotly debated topic (and we can get into here for the sake of keeping the forum active), but it's obviously an inferior interface to that of press-in studs. Typically other components break, like the wheel itself, before an ARP stud will fail. Failures of ARP wheel studs are almost unheard of.


So, I want to bring that peace of mind to BMW E36/46 owners with the ability to run up to 12mm to 20mm wheel spacers depending on which wheel stud is chosen. Also peace of mind for us when racing next to these guys!:

https://i.imgur.com/OkisVOOl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/mPJujNdl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5m82bcDl.jpg




https://www.core4motorsports.com/pro...hub-conversion

[gills]

Starting to get ready to tear down. Because I'm getting old and tired, I bit the bullet and decided to give the quickjack a shot. The first lift:

​https://i.imgur.com/ErOYVjGh.jpg


Too early to give it a real verdict, but so far I'm digging it. Car is up ~20" with just using the larger of the rubber blocks the unit comes with and no extra effort to get more height out of it. With a little more effort, I'll easily be able to get it 25"+ out of it. These will be very nice when I do my DIY corner balancing and alignments.



Still need to decide on ABS setup as well. That will be made in the next couple of weeks.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Also, I've developed a rear BBK that fits aftermarket uprights that will be able to use the Z32 ebrake as an option. Requires no trimming/clearancing on the uprights. I know more than a few of you didn't bite on my previous kit because it didn't work with an ebrake and/or an aftermarket upright (or because no one actually gives a **** about S-chassis?? ) . This one does.

It also uses a better, stiffer caliper in the Wilwood FSL4R (relative to my previous rear BBK) which means if you're already running a FSL in the front, it uses the same pad shape and will improve the balance of your braking further than if you're running stock S/Z components. If you're not running an FSL6R front setup, I also have something in the works for that as well, all the way from budget minded to 14" floating rotor baller/high-HP-aero-builds. If you're interested in either, please email me at [email protected]


GKTech rear upright:
https://i.imgur.com/JrgYoBth.jpg

Z32 rear upright:
https://i.imgur.com/nOVRmhKh.jpg


Prototype rear rotor hat setup with modular ebrake drum. 12.9"(327mm) x 0.81"(21mm) rotor with floating in hat:
https://i.imgur.com/6F1BTNVh.jpg

[gills]

OK, that pretty much catches everything up. I'm sorry for throwing it at everyone all at once like that. But, I think this is the better place to be at now anyway. Hope y'all enjoyed and made it through the read....


Planned upgrades for 2019 are:


ABS
Integrating AP1 S2000 ABS or E46 M3 ABS. My competition has a distinct advantage over me here, especially when it rains.

Brake system optimization
I mean stiffening everything and taking play out of the system short of going to a dual master, pedal box setup. Including ditching the Chasebays braided lines with hard-lines (need to re-line anyway for the ABS), stiffening the brake pedal firewall bracket, bracing the MC for firewall flex, and possibly further stiffening the front calipers

Core4 V2 big brakes
They will now be floating 2 piece design and larger diameter (332mm x 32mm front, 327mm x 21mm rear) than what's currently on car.

Aero
Going with the "wing for the masses" wing by ninelivesaero. https://9livesracing.com/. It's an extruded aluminum aerofoil and is half the price of CF composite wings and is all about function. Getting very popular in the road race community. I will make my own uprights since my trunk is just a skin and has no structure.

3.9 ring and pinion
Basically splitting the difference between the stock 4.08 and the currently in the car 3.69. The 3.69 worked well at a huge track like Watkins, but more turns than not the car was lugging a touch to low.



I'd say the car will easily be 1.5 seconds/minute faster per lap. Stay tuned....

[Ruff Ryder 6]

This is awesome. I’ll read through the entire post when I get home from work. I was following on NRR, but like you said, it’s kind of dead over there which is a shame. Lots of good info there.

[Agamemnon]

Love the build.

I'm interested in which path you take on the ABS. I'm looking to junk the old clunky stock system for something more up to date and fully stand alone.

[gills]

Thanks, dudes. It is a shame that NRR is so quiet. There's a ton of good info on that site without shenanigans.

As for ABS, some interesting developments.

Firstly, the AP1 ABS is 3-channel, which I incorrectly assumed was 4-channel. It's a much better 3 channel than the stock S chassis or any 90's Nissan stuff, but still 3 channel.

Here's the control flow of the AP1:
https://i.imgur.com/rUYod30h.png

You can see that the rear corner slip rates are compared and then one chosen that is determined to be slipping then a single control drives both rear corner solenoids simultaneously. Regardless, it's an easy solution to a newer generation ABS that S2000 guys generally really have nothing bad to say about.


BUT, because I like to trail blaze and I want EBD in my car, I'm finding out the AP2 (version 2, from 2006-2008. Version 1 AP2 from 2004-2005 is the same as AP1 ABS) is insanely similar to the BMW MK60 system. To the point that they use the same ATE ABS module and control unit. The harness connection on the module is identical.

The only difference in their respective wiring diagrams is that the MK60 unit uses two external pressure sensors where the AP2 seems to have them internal to the unit. Everything else from how it handles the stability control inputs to the brake pedal switch and wheel speed sensors seems to be identical, to the point of being on the same pins.

These are both CAN based units that have their own brain in the module. The MK60 ABS unit is well documented to be able to work without CAN communication retrofitted in other chassis. Everyone is always quick to say that the AP2 won't work in other chassis because it's CAN based. If MK60 works outside of it's native CAN home, the AP2 ABS will also. There's nothing to suggest that it won't.


BMW MK60 ABS module harness connection:
https://i.imgur.com/OJ61Xm0h.png?1


AP2 S2000 AP2 connection:
https://i.imgur.com/1nUoy6wh.png?1


I'm moving forward on it AP2 stuff.

[Ruff Ryder 6]

Thanks, dudes. It is a shame that NRR is so quiet. There's a ton of good info on that site without shenanigans.



As for ABS, some interesting developments.



Firstly, the AP1 ABS is 3-channel, which I incorrectly assumed was 4-channel. It's a much better 3 channel than the stock S chassis or any 90's Nissan stuff, but still 3 channel.



Here's the control flow of the AP1:



You can see that the rear corner slip rates are compared and then one chosen that is determined to be slipping then a single control drives both rear corner solenoids simultaneously. Regardless, it's an easy solution to a newer generation ABS that S2000 guys generally really have nothing bad to say about.





BUT, because I like to trail blaze and I want EBD in my car, I'm finding out the AP2 (version 2, from 2006-2008. Version 1 AP2 from 2004-2005 is the same as AP1 ABS) is insanely similar to the BMW MK60 system. To the point that they use the same ATE ABS module and control unit. The harness connection on the module is identical.



The only difference in their respective wiring diagrams is that the MK60 unit uses two external pressure sensors where the AP2 seems to have them internal to the unit. Everything else from how it handles the stability control inputs to the brake pedal switch and wheel speed sensors seems to be identical, to the point of being on the same pins.



These are both CAN based units that have their own brain in the module. The MK60 ABS unit is well documented to be able to work without CAN communication retrofitted in other chassis. Everyone is always quick to say that the AP2 won't work in other chassis because it's CAN based. If MK60 works outside of it's native CAN home, the AP2 ABS will also. There's nothing to suggest that it won't.





BMW MK60 ABS module harness connection:





AP2 S2000 AP2 connection:





I'm moving forward on it AP2 stuff.


Please document all the ABS work as I am at this stage next in my build. I purchased everything from a Z32, but I’m up for a better tunable system. Really anything to keep from flat spotting expensive tires is the goal here. I got a couple pretty bad at CMP at the end of 2018.

[eagleeyes221]

wow, so much good info here in this build thread. i had to chuckle a little bit when you beat FCP Euro as i work next door to them and have a friend on their race team.

[gills]

Ha! Those FCP guys are seriously well supported. Good guys and they bring a ton of exposure to the series so it's good having them. I also love that they don't run a BMW!

In all fairness to them, their car is in class 3, which is a slower class. Thing moves damn good though.

[gills]

Please document all the ABS work as I am at this stage next in my build. I purchased everything from a Z32, but I’m up for a better tunable system. Really anything to keep from flat spotting expensive tires is the goal here. I got a couple pretty bad at CMP at the end of 2018.

For sure man. See here on NRR where someone else got the simpler 3 channel AP1 S2000 working on his S13: http://nissanroadracing.com/forum/chassis/240sx-s13-s14-s15/6377-adding-abs-to-sm-coupe-build

A couple of us are continuing the conversation in there that plan to try the more complex route with 4 channel AP2.


But, to keep it in here also, here's my latest:

Some rear wheel speed sensor testing. I've got my hands on an E46 M3 rear sensor and Z33 rear sensors. The clearance between the sensor housings on the Z32 diff cover and the stock 240 3x2 bolt pattern output shaft diameters where an ABS tone ring would sit is about 3/8". My plan is to use extra front S14 tone rings I have laying around installed on machined output flanges. The OD on those ABS tone rings is 97mm. That leaves about 1mm clearance between the tone ring and the sensor housing, which is a perfect air gap.


The E46 M3 rear wheel speed sensors work surprisingly well. Their depth seems just about perfect with the end of the sensor flush with the housing, which would leave that 1mm air gap. They don't have the 90 degree wire output, more like 45 degree, but it still will clear the subframe. Of course the mounting hole doesn't line up. It's pretty close, but this would be the "hardest" thing to deal with (besides turning down the diameter of the output shaft to accept the ABS tone ring):

E46 M3 sensor inside diff cover sensor housing:
https://i.imgur.com/HnBFqE8h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Fu4neb4h.jpg

Mounting hole alignment:
https://i.imgur.com/A0A0TLCh.jpg



The Z33 sensor is basically the opposite. The mounting hole lines up perfectly, but the depth is a bit too much. These have 90 degree wire outputs like Z32 sensors and the two rear sensors are tied into one harness plug. Definitely clears the subframe as well.

Z33 sensor inside housing:
https://i.imgur.com/ANG5PyRh.jpg

Alignment with mounting hole is exact:
https://i.imgur.com/WkBCskih.jpg



As for the front sensors, it seems that active sensors (have an IC built inside that generates a square wave vs analog sine wave of older style sensors) that have their pickup 90 degrees from normal, or read from the side (which is what will mimic S-chassis uprights/spindles wheel sensor mounting provisions) are uncommon. Most seem to read dead on/at the tip.

The E46 M3 front wheel speed sensor may actually be the right solution. My modified OEM uprights are non-ABS so I still need to drill them to test this. But,nonetheless, here's a E46 M3 front wheel speed sensor:

Reads from side here:
https://i.imgur.com/IVoSl7wh.jpg

Most sensors I've come across read from tip like this, which would require custom bracketry on the upright (using E46 M3 sensor just as an example):
​https://i.imgur.com/DmjeiY2h.jpg

[gills]

So because these 4-channel systems use EBD - Electronic Brake Distribution cycles solenoids pertaining to the rear circuit in the ABS modulator in closed loop control to proportion the rear circuit, you don't want mechanical proportioning devices in your system at all.

All Nissan BMC's of the S-chassis era that are worth using have built in proportioning valves. Hoping that I could get away with using my Z32 BMC, I removed the internal prop valve and tested to see if rear proportioning would be removed. Surprisingly, nothing changed. I checked this by measuring caliper clamping force, not pressure, with these nifty scales:

Front:
https://i.imgur.com/CTNyhAnh.jpg

Rear:
https://i.imgur.com/NbcoHs1h.jpg



Someone in that NRR thread I shared in my previous post ended up using a 2001 Pathfinder BMC that doesn't have internal proportioning. It also has oddball output locations on the top of the MC and the other on the driver side/left side, which is nice for people wanting to keep their lines away from turbo/exhaust heat. The inclination of the reservoir is also greater than the Z32.


2001 pathfinder BMC (pictures from "Scores240" on NRR):
https://i.imgur.com/VgPBnOrh.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/8f8db6cd0225dda16da5766d5869a56b.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/15af112f3556acc980109fef3827d6cf.jpg


Here's a Z32 BMC for reference to show you the difference in the reservoir inclination:
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/3ae27c96772fb7fe8e6b1e15c0c5189a.jpg




Because I don't care for the specialized outputs of the pathfinder and want to keep the same sizing as what's in the car now (17/16"), I'm eyeing the Z33 BMC. The inclination on the Z33 looks the same as the pathfinder. BTW, it seems that Nissan has been using 80mm as their standard for BMC hole mounting through at least Z33:

https://i.imgur.com/UGDTjsoh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qOMvUXzh.jpg


Just eyeing the pictures, the center-center spacing of the reservoir inlet ports looks the same as the Z32. The height offset between the ports also looks the same. I wouldn't be surprised if the Z32 reservoir could just pop right in the Z33/pathfinder. I do like the reservoir and cap better that's on the Z33/pathfinder though. The Z32 always leaks some during races. I just don't like that inclination when mounted in an S.




Here's some more info and pictures on the output shaft and front ABS tone ring:

https://i.imgur.com/3dSFsjnh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/7gLEetQh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PD5qk21h.jpg


Output shaft just needs a couple mm's removed. Should work perfectly.

[tacotacotaco]

I love this thread so even though im not posting I wanted to let you know I check into this multiple times a day

[Agamemnon]

Love the progress so far.

Is it possible to use the factory 2X3 output shafts that already have the tone rings on them? It would save the step of having to turn down the stock output shaft.
https://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/927282051.jpg

[gills]

@tacotacotaco, thanks man. I'm glad to read that because there's definitely times where I ask myself do people actually give two F's about reading this :)


@Agamemnon, definitely. I'm doing it this way because I have front tone rings laying around and a lathe/machine tools at my finger tips. I'm assuming those are S15 output shafts? You could also use 300zx ones, but then you need new axles. Trying to be frugal going this route.

[battery1882]

Glad to see the build here. Cheers!

[gills]

Thanks, Battery.
---------------------------------------------------------

Moving along with ABS stuff. Threw a spare output shaft on the lathe to test. Measuring up the front hub diameter the ABS ring came off of and the ID of the ABS ring, Nissan wants a 0.002" interference fit:

https://i.imgur.com/VopJrTFh.jpg?1


Here it is in the diff with the BMW sensor. Perfect clearance (about 1mm) so this method is a go for me:
https://i.imgur.com/khIZvJKh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3Hak3qeh.jpg


Still waiting on my contact to see if he can communicate with the S2000 AP2 ABS unit to see if it can be used as a standalone unit. He's in possession of it and hopes to bench test it this weekend.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since I have the diff out, it is time to rebuild/refresh since I'm going to a 3.9 and also explore playing around with the Mfactory clutch lsd in there.

At the last race the driveline started to develop a very distinct whine proportional to road speed, which is indicative of a diff. You can hear it in my in-car video here:

https://youtu.be/4o8RcV68MtE?t=29857


Lo and behold, it was most likely was the diff. We were worried for a minute that it was something on the output side of the CD00A (bought new in 1/2018). Here is the inner pinion bearing cup showing typical fatigue failure of a tapered roller bearing:

Cup:
https://i.imgur.com/8AyVhBeh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/kuTK0eMh.jpg

Cone/rollers:
https://i.imgur.com/wOyRK5Sh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jpwwSdPh.jpg


I've ordered all new bearings and seals for the carrier. I believe this is an R200 carrier, not R200V. There are differences between the two and you will see different sized pinion seals and I believe pinions bearings when you search parts sites for 240sx.

Here's what I measured and noted on my diff:
Inner (larger) pinion bearing, OEM bearing: KOYO TR0708-1R-N
ID = 35mm, OD (cup) = 80mm, Width = 32.75mm
ISO standard part number: 32307 (i.e.-all bearing manufacturers use this number for this sized bearing)
The reason why the OEM bearing doesn't share that ISO part number is because on that specific bearing the rollers/cup are on a steeper angle to be able to handle slightly more thrust load. You can probably get away with the standard 32307. If you search this number in a site like Rockauto you'll see it pulls up a bearing that's labeled for a differential pinion.
Outer (smaller) pinion bearing, OEM bearing: NSK 32306AN
ID = 30mm, OD = 72mm, width = 28.75mm
ISO standard part number: 32306
Side bearings, KOYO 57160 "LFT" (Low Friction Torque).
ID = 45mm, OD = 85mm, width = 20.75mm
ISO standard part number: 30209
Nissan spec'd the "LFT" KOYO bearing, which is supposed to be a higher efficiency, lower friction tapered roller bearing. KOYO claims up to 2.5% improved fuel efficiency with the use of these style bearings in a differential. Seems crazy. An equivalent 30209 would probably be a 30209-C or 30209-P5, which means that tolerances are held tighter. Can you get away with a standard 30209 which are less than half the price? Probably, might not last as long.
Pinion seal
ID = 40mm, OD = 75mm
There are two different sizes on this for sure. Pretty sure this might be the standard R200.



So, because the bearings in this carrier were original from the factory, I got the same ones as that's proof to me. The carrier had 100k miles on it before it started living the race car life that has a couple hundred hours of track time now on top of that 100k.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


That brings us to my 1.5 way M-Factory clutch diff setting change. I have a theory with the S-chassis when it comes to track/grip racing. Almost everyone who tracks these cars complains about excessive corner exit oversteer. And, almost everyone who tracks these cars extensively has a clutch/salisbury type LSD.

The kicker is that the diffs that everyone gets for these cars come by default with 100% lock under acceleration. I know for sure that Cusco and MFactory diffs come with 100% lock. Why would you put 100% lock on a track car that has difficulty putting the power down to the ground? 100% lock is a recipe for oversteer when coming back onto the throttle. Great for drifting and rallying, not great for grip driving. There has to be more of a balance.

How the lock builds or comes on with the throttle is dependent on ramp angles, preload on clutch discs, and how many clutch discs there are. My belief that all of it is too aggressive on units that come out of the box for these cars. So, I'm going to experiment with less preload and at the very least 80% lock arrangement on the discs. I may even try 60% based on my research into what top BMW E46 M3 and E36 M3 cars run. I will be measuring preload also so there's no second guessing. Just need to come up with something to measure it.


Some pictures of the M-factory LSD. There are 10 clutch discs per side. Looks basically identical to a Cusco RS.

https://i.imgur.com/ROxxw0dh.jpg

Here you can see there's a choice to run it as a 1 way also:
https://i.imgur.com/5vHko84h.jpg

The coil springs that you can add or remove to control preload (or the minimum torque it takes to de-couple the sides):
https://i.imgur.com/xQiUc5Yh.jpg

Spring pockets to have up to 12 preload springs (I believe minimum is 4):
https://i.imgur.com/qZwqcyJh.jpg

Closer look at 1.5 way ramp:
https://i.imgur.com/J0voIDTh.jpg

1.0 way ramp:
https://i.imgur.com/ZFaaR8Fh.jpg

clutch discs:
https://i.imgur.com/MyXFLP8h.jpg

[TheRealSy90]

I've heard of Evo 8/9 guys adjusting their oem rear differential lockup by swapping the clutch plates around in different configurations as some are slotted and some are smooth etc.

[gills]

I've heard of Evo 8/9 guys adjusting their oem rear differential lockup by swapping the clutch plates around in different configurations as some are slotted and some are smooth etc.

Right, there's configurations of the clutch discs to make some inactive and some active. I don't know about the EVO diff, but in this case it's about the discs with respect to their dogs/tabs picking up the casing or the side gears. If you stack like discs next to each other they become inactive.

Here's a good tech article from Cusco, which covers most clutch type diffs:

https://www.cusco.co.jp/en/pdf/LSD%20Guide%20Final.pdf

[eagleeyes221]

I have the same style diff in my car but a Cusco RS 2 way. I'm very interested in seeing your findings after its all completed

[Sleepy_Steve]

Awesome build. Nice to see you guys doing so many events with it.

If you ever need an extra hand at the track for 2019 let me know. I've been wanting to crew some events while my own car is getting a bit of an overhaul.

[gills]

Awesome build. Nice to see you guys doing so many events with it.

If you ever need an extra hand at the track for 2019 let me know. I've been wanting to crew some events while my own car is getting a bit of an overhaul.


Thanks! We typically always could use a hand here and there. We'll be at Watkins Glen 4/13 weekend, NJMP 5/18, Palmer 6/15, Summit Point 9/14, and Mid Ohio 10/19. You are more than welcome to come by.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Checking preload, here's my little bench testing rig I came up with using the output shafts. Not pictured is a digital torque gauge that's inline between the socket and the ratchet to measure the breakaway torque.

https://i.imgur.com/UuuEO4oh.jpg


With 6 preload springs and the clutch discs in "100% lock" arrangement, it was about ~55ft-lbs breakaway torque. That is basically the range MFactory said it would be with 6 springs, so that's good.

What isn't ever really mentioned (but should be pretty obvious) is that this breakaway torque decreases with lower lock % disc arrangements with the same number of preload springs. Preloads are just stated without any consideration for disc arrangement. For shits and giggles, I lowered to what is stated to be 20% lock arrangement (the minimum possible) and the breakaway torque was 10ft-lbs.

So, not surprisingly, if you want to make the lock less aggressive, but keep the same preload/break-away, you need to add more coil springs. Then of course ramp angles in conjunction with disc arrangement come into play here with how much lock you can actually achieve.

[Sleepy_Steve]

That seems like significantly more precise control over break-away torque than what you get out of the cone-spring based preload setup on a Kaaz / Tomei diff. I don't think they had all the different ramp angle options either.

[gills]

That seems like significantly more precise control over break-away torque than what you get out of the cone-spring based preload setup on a Kaaz / Tomei diff. I don't think they had all the different ramp angle options either.


Yea, that is one of the advantages/traits of a preloading with coil springs instead of cone disc springs. They can maintain more consistent preload over a longer period of time as discs wear. Cone disc springs have very little displacement so they fall off exceptionally quick as the system gets more clearance.

[gills]

So diff is all closed up. Ended up with "60%" clutch disc lock arrangement and 8 preload coil springs (up from 6) for about 40-45 lbs.ft of breakaway torque. Adding/removing a pair of springs seems to be good for 10 lbs.ft jumps. The car should be smoother when transitioning from on and off the throttle and be less snappy when back on the throttle. Really looking forward to testing this difference (hopefully April 1st test day).


Speaking of diffs, just want to share how changing shim thicknesses so little changes things so much for those that may be curious. I personally haven't had luck yet re-using pinion height shims that were already in my carrier when swapping used ring and pinion sets. Or maybe because I'm anal due to the nature the car is being used, I need it to be as perfect as I can get it.


Setting the pinion preload is very sensitive to thickness changes in the preload washer/shim. It went from too loose to just right with 0.0005" (0.0127mm) difference with the preload shim. For reference a basic sheet of paper is 8x thicker than that.


After setting pinion preload, you work the gear pattern by adjusting the pinion height with a shim that's sandwiched in between the pinion head and inner tapered roller bearing.

Here's what I started off with:

"Drive" side is close. A touch high toward the "face" (top of the gear tooth), and biased toward the "heel" (outside diameter of ring gear) :
https://i.imgur.com/L4s1gKQh.jpg


"Coast" side is also high toward the face, and is very much toward the "toe" (inside diameter of ring gear):
https://i.imgur.com/hNfpgiph.jpg



The drive side is obviously the more important pattern to pay attention to, but that pattern is pretty close. Increasing pinion height will bring the pattern lower toward the "root" and also move the coast side toward the heel and drive side toward the toe.



Here's the pattern raising the pinion height 0.005" (0.127mm) from the above:

Drive side. Too deep/close to the root now, and biased more toward the toe
https://i.imgur.com/sHrsbWch.jpg


Coast side also too deep, but centered up more nicely
https://i.imgur.com/mVbZ5PZh.jpg



Here's splitting the difference at 0.0025"(0.064mm). This is also with 0.007" backlash taken at the center of the ring gear. This is what I'll be sending it with for this race season:

Drive side is nicely centered
https://i.imgur.com/fUYps0ch.jpg


Coast side still biased toward the toe, but is centered between the root and the face. Not perfect, but the drive side is pretty close to being spot on that I'm not concerned with this
https://i.imgur.com/nGdRMx3h.jpg


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


ABS
My contact at Race Harness Technologies confirmed that diagnostic information can't be communicated over the K-line on the OBD2 port on the MK60e1 AP2 S2000 unit like he can on the MK60 BMW unit. That means diags is over CAN, or CAN is still active in stand-alone mode, where that isn't the case with the MK60 unit.

Now, that doesn't confirm that the unit can't be used as stand alone. It just means if you are to retrofit an AP2 unit, you won't be able to tell if there's anything wrong or errors being thrown the same way you can on the MK60. You also run the modulator through a bleed routine through the K-line.

HOWEVER, he still has some steps to go through to for him to be able to access the diags over CAN so there's still a possibility that the MK60e1 can be used in a similar fashion, and not just blindly.



With all that said, I had to abort the AP2 mission because of time and his inability to promise that he can get something working by my Watkins Glen race (4/13). I ended up just ordering the BMW MK60 stuff for now as it's all a known quantity. Out of the sake of trailblazing, I'm having him keep the AP2 unit so he can continue to progress as he's just as interested in getting it to work as I am.


Another very important discovery of the AP2 S2000 vs the BMW MK60 is that the BMW unit doesn't split the inputs from the master cylinder across diagonals on the car where the AP2 (and AP1) unit does, as shown here:

https://i.imgur.com/Jo839kyh.jpg

So input1 = FL/RR, input2 = FR/RL, where the MK60 splits inputs Front to Rear. The diagonal split is very common on modern road cars. This means that if you have any rear mechanical biasing/balancing/proportioning upstream of the MK60e1 module, you'll be doing it across the diagonal of the car, which = bad. That leaves all proportioning up to the EBD algorithms stored for S2000 parameters. The MK60 you can mechanically proportion and balance however you want on top of the EBD for E46 M3 parameters.

I *think* this is especially important for retrofits where weight distribution, wheel base, etc, can potentially be very different than the E46 M3. For the most part, the stock M3 parameters cover many of cars most of us race/drive give or take a few % points here and there. And, I believe the stock S2000 would probably cover many bases as well.

So, I was about to change out my MC for the Z33 unit, but that is no longer necessary. I hope that keeping the Z32 BMC with the internal prop valve is a decent fail-safe in case the ABS faults as I'll still have proportioning in that case.


Got the rear wheel speed sensors situated. Ended up using E46 M3 sensors instead of the Z33 ones. Ended up slotting the mounting holes on the sensor instead of messing with the diff cover. That brass insert molded into the plastic so it'll be sturdy. I mean, it was sturdy enough for me to mill it, should be good. The mounting hole for the BMW sensor is for an M6 and the Nissan is M8, so the hole also needed to be enlarged as well:

https://i.imgur.com/arlnpDkh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YBB7ktPh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/l3nNTsrh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AGbgJpFh.jpg



Next up, getting my custom non-ABS OEM front spindles to work with E46 M3 front sensors. A local S-chassis friend was nice enough to lend me his spare ABS uprights that I could map out to get exact dimensions. The sensor tips can't be more than a mm away from the tone ring, so this is a huge help.

Backside of OEM ABS S14 spindle in vice for probing:
https://i.imgur.com/ZwgqooZh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/pjv83d4h.jpg


I've got the measurements I need now. Time to drill/mill!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Also, my V2 front and rear big brake parts arrived. Floating, modular Z32 e-brake compatibilty, front rotor options from stock Z33 brembo track rotor to 355mm x 32mm baller setup....


https://i.imgur.com/xNvt34fh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/NTtFqFGh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nzmlUADh.jpg

[2_Liter_Turbo]

You have a price figured out for the new brake setup? Build looking awesome as always man.

[gills]

You have a price figured out for the new brake setup? Build looking awesome as always man.

Thanks!

I will have concrete pricing in the next week or two. The front will use the Wilwood FSL6R caliper and the rear uses the Wilwood FSL4R. These newer radial mount Forged Super Lite calipers are definitely stiffer than the old lug mount FSL that came on Defsports kits. I've measured the difference. Hope to share the comparison eventually.

[Def]

One the Cusco Diff - I always wondered if maybe a 1 way operation with a tad more preload would make the car turn in a hair better off throttle than set up for 1.5 way.

I had mine at 80% clutch engagement and 6 springs. It felt great on throttle, but definitely fought turning in off throttle on corner entry. It was nice and stable under braking, so I was thinking maybe it could do with less biasing under braking than on 1.5 way.

[brndck]

THIS THREAD DELIVERS!!!!
Very cool to see your efforts paying off. People tend to forget that s-chassis is a potent chassis for more than just skid racing.

I don't know if you've considered it, but theres also a 1" pathfinder master cylinder that has the lines attached to the other side (further away from the engine, less exposure to heat) but obv you'll either have to bend new lines or switch to stainless braided lines

https://suspicious-garage.myshopify.com/products/nissan-frontier-pathfinder-1-brake-master-cylinder-and-brake-line-relocation

[gills]

One the Cusco Diff.............


Did you ever drive your car with the LSD setup @100% lock? It's definitely a bit over the top. It's also a PITA in the paddock. I mean it's fun AF, but a bit too binary. It really does have a significant stabilizing effect when threshold braking though. Like a poor mans stability control. I was initially going to go 80% like you, but after picking some brains of people who setup racing BMW diffs I chose 60%. I think it'll help free up the car off-throttle/under braking just enough, but still have no problem putting down the power I'm making. Might need to make a rear sway bar and/or shock adjustments, but I'm also banking on the fact the MK60 ABS will come into play for stability.

As for the 1-way, I personally loved the hLSD in my S13 even though it only had a KA which was very free off throttle. I'd love to try the 1-way setting in the future.


THIS THREAD DELIVERS!!!! ................


Thanks, man. I love sharing this stuff. People definitely tend to forget that this chassis has had a lot of success in SCCA national events. Hopefully we get a 1st place a few times this season in AER :D


I did not know about that pathfinder one. I just knew about the one that I shared above that has 1 outlet coming out of the top and the other coming out of the left side. It says in the description of that link that it will interfere with the S14 strut tower. I guess it would require some "massaging" to get it to fit on my car. I've decided to stick with the Z32 for the time being out of simplicity. I still have to make new lines for the ABS system no matter what.

[2_Liter_Turbo]

Yeah, there are a few S14 guys here locally in AZ that run the pathfinder BMC. You have to pound the tower with a hammer to get it to clear, ha ha. Not a ton, but enough to make you cringe a bit.

[gills]

good ol' hammer pounding always works! lol

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


So back to the front spindles. Milled and drilled them based off of what I measured. I think the air gap should work just right.

"Probing" that OEM ABS spindle. Picked up the small tooling hole on the back that the factory uses to turn the spindle:
https://i.imgur.com/7rwf3iYh.jpg


Had to mill down the area where the sensor goes to match the thickness. Had to remove about 0.095".
https://i.imgur.com/cSHnGP5h.jpg

All done. Thru hole for the sensor is 18mm and is located 50-50.25mm radially from the spindle centerline. Not having the mounting hole there was actually good since the Nissan pattern doesn't match and also uses an M8 instead of an M6. I had a clean slate to transfer the BMW sensor hole:
https://i.imgur.com/U3kZSLGh.jpg

Air gaps and fitment is just right:
https://i.imgur.com/JPQgi9xh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3A3RRY7h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qcnnW7mh.jpg


Really can't wait to test this system. The harness for the ABS should be arriving this week. I'll be mounting the module on the rear passenger side seat shelf so there will be bulkhead fittings galore.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Here's my first step to making the brake system more rigid. Quickly fabbed up a master cylinder brace that mounts on the strut tower. And, yes, these things do help. I've measured decent deflection on the S14. Any deflection in your braking system is magnified at your foot by the brake pedal ratio. Taking as much of it out is very beneficial to brake modulation, feel, and effectiveness:

https://i.imgur.com/xwOmRBRh.jpg

[eagleeyes221]

so much good information here in this build thread. im excited to see your results after
Watkins Glen with everything that you have changed

[gills]

so much good information here in this build thread. im excited to see your results after
Watkins Glen with everything that you have changed


Thanks, my friend. Actually just did a test day at NJMP yesterday. Managed to get the car together and got about 2 hours of sleep, but it was well worth it as we unearthed a few gremlins that would've been shitty to deal with at a race.


But, before we get into more detail with that, playing around with my Core4 Motorsports rear brackets and calipers, anyone crazy enough to run this dual caliper setup?? lol

https://i.imgur.com/qyiYfIUh.jpg

[gills]

Lots to update here, but in the meantime at Watkins Glen this weekend. Here's a live streaming link for the Saturday 9 hour:

https://youtu.be/w2vU9OaCXqU


Unfortunately, we had some teething issues so we're not competitive for today's race. Tomorrow looks to be raining, but it's a new race. Will update thread with ABS and other info next week.

[gills]

Also note to everyone, if your pads don't slide nicely into your calipers take them out and grind down the sides of the backing plates a hair. My rear pads got stuck on the rotor on the rear left and dragged on the rotor drastically when warming them up on the formation laps. Such a stupid thing to kill our day.

[da_crew10]

Hey-zeus this thing gets better and better. Makes me want to put my car back on the drawing board for a time attack setup like I have been "planning" on for about over a year now!

[513s13]

Sorry to hear you had problems Tom. Always a bummer to get shut down for silly stuff. Sometimes we have to learn things the hard way unfortunately.
Interested to see any advances you have made on the ABS since your trials 2 weeks ago. Also can't wait to get the brake bits from you as well as the calipers from Wilwood as they keep sending me a mish mash of colors...

[eagleeyes221]

how did the new differential setup work out for you at Walkens glen?

[gills]

Hey sorry for the delay here guys. I will post a proper update this week hopefully. Most definitely need some closure on the ABS as I was chasing an issue in the rear that turned out to be obvious in the end. It worked flawlessly at Watkins Glen which was VERY wet on Sunday and put to the ultimate test.

Speaking of the brakes, here are the new brakes in all their glory from the Watkins Glen event:
https://i.imgur.com/F4HXxyoh.jpg

Rear brakes....fully bolt on without any clearancing or cutting. Works on OEM, Z32 or aftermarket uprights that keep OEM caliper mounting locations, and has the option to be used with a Z32 ebrake mechanism:
https://i.imgur.com/CBbWFEDh.jpg


Front brakes...the most versatile bracket on the market can be used with an off the shelf Z33 track model rotor and a Wilwood FSL6R caliperfor the ultimate cost effective performance based BBK, or used with Core4's proprietary full floating rotor hats with 332mm x 32mm rotor rings (17" wheels) or 355mm x 32mm rotor rings for really high power and high grip applications (and 18"+ wheels).
https://i.imgur.com/YjIe89zh.jpg


Stay tuned for the guys at Speed Academy (Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/spdacademy) to install these kits on their kouki S14 K-swapped project car.

[gsxeclipsed]

So, excited for the review from the guys at Speed Academy! I am also looking forward to buying a set for my car once I find a new shell to build!

Keep up the great work and thank you for the continued innovation!

[gills]

So, excited for the review from the guys at Speed Academy! I am also looking forward to buying a set for my car once I find a new shell to build!

Keep up the great work and thank you for the continued innovation!

THANK YOU. That means a great deal to me.

I will update this thread soon with my developments.

In the meantime, here’s a live stream link of another endurance racing S14 team with a VQ37VHR swap racing in the World Racing League at Road America in Wisconsin. Car is detuned to fit in a class, but man the 37 sounds so much better than a 35DE! They are running Core4 version 1 rear brakes. Their first race with the car:

https://youtu.be/nbkYdG8a6rk

[gills]

OK, so where to being.

While the engine was getting a minor refresh, we decided to use HR head gaskets to open up the coolant channel at the back of the DE cylinder banks, which are typically closed off. This should allow for more uniform heat transfer and minimized hot spots at the back of the cylinder banks.

Area opened up circled in red:
https://i.imgur.com/y9W4HFsh.jpg

Closer look:
https://i.imgur.com/VrRk4Gqh.jpg


Also digging deeper with an exhaust leak, found there was a crack at the collector of the passenger side 370Z header:
https://i.imgur.com/EBiLDhXh.jpg

Cleaned up and welded. Hopefully it holds up:
https://i.imgur.com/7Jp2S81h.jpg


Also got some fresh exhaust wrap on them. The existing stuff basically disintegrated off:
https://i.imgur.com/sR4T3Bgh.jpg


Engine back in the car with some new freshness:
https://i.imgur.com/J4oKIghh.jpg



Here's the finished up BMC firewall brace. This worked out pretty well with a definite reduction in firewall flex using the eye test. This can be made more effective if you pickup mounting points that are further apart. As is, you can actually see the strut tower contort a bit when applying the brakes.

https://i.imgur.com/n1V7EhXh.jpg

'meh' welds:
https://i.imgur.com/2ChrHjqh.jpg



Finally the MK60 E46 M3 ABS system. I think we are 1 of 2 S-chassis in the world that have this ABS system implemented. We ended up mounting the module and all necessary components on a panel I made up on the passenger side rear seat deck. The engine compartment is way too busy as is and I already have enough weight hanging over the front axle. The obvious con being a large run of lines.

The hard-lines are nickel copper alloy and all flares are 37 degree AN flares with tube sleeves and tube nuts. Then quite a few AN bulkhead fittings. I'm using banjo-to-AN fittings at the master cylinder. Since the master was a non-ABS, the middle port had to be plugged. For this I also used a banjo-to-AN fitting and then just capped it off with an AN cap (pic below). Working great.

ABS module and lateral/yaw sensor mounted on the plate to the right of it:
https://i.imgur.com/qwnfW2Fh.jpg

(**EDIT - added some completed pictures**) Here's in process line routing without seats in the car. Looks better than this now:
https://i.imgur.com/FeWD2vUh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/afCaCFNh.jpg

System needs two 15amp fuses and one 5amp. The 5amp can be switched to reset the system while on the move.
https://i.imgur.com/i8BHQSMh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xohEo3Uh.jpg

2 supply lines from MC, and 1 return to the front left caliper:
https://i.imgur.com/RKVK5lmh.jpg

Master Cylinder:
https://i.imgur.com/7UxrAxRh.jpg



SO, once everything was installed and I started testing. There were rear wheel speed sensors faults being thrown. There were really slight drop offs in wheel speed when logging them that was enough to fault the system:

https://i.imgur.com/LBLwwUyh.jpg


Thinking that possibly it was an air gap issue, I tried reducing the air gap by milling the diff cover. Nothing. I removed the steel sleeve that protrudes from the diff cover that the sensor resides in thinking that maybe there was some interference. This circled in red:

https://i.imgur.com/pqk3DVyh.jpg

To this:
https://i.imgur.com/NFgvkzUh.jpg



And still the same issue.

At that point, I didn't have anymore time before our test day on 4/1 to sort it out. The ABS worked very intermittently and then would basically throw an error after the first time ABS was activated and then would stop working. The good news is that when the ABS throws a fault, the brake system behaves as it did without it. I managed to top my personal best at the track and we got within 0.2 seconds of our best ever at the track with 18 hour old Hankook RS4's, where our previous best was set with NT-01's.


Obligatory test day pic with new Core4 BBK's:
https://i.imgur.com/I7u8a4fh.jpg

(OH, and the diff. Definitely an improvement. Noticeably easier to move and roll around the paddock and garage. Still plenty of capability to kick the ass end out under power as well. Did I notice less of a tendency for the car to want to track straight when off the throttle? Perhaps a little, but not as much of a change as I was expecting. It did make less noise though if there was ever any rear lock up and in general. But, more on the diff later in my next post about the Watkins Glen event. )


So, with basically less than a week from the Watkins Glen event, resolving the ABS was priority number one. So while troubleshooting, I had somewhat of an epiphany. Although it was difficult to do while installed on the car, I noticed the signal would get better if I moved the sensor around and held it in a different position. I then simply looked at a picture of how an E46 M3 rear speed sensor actually mounts on an M3.


Notice the orientation. The mounting bolt is inline with the direction of rotation of the wheel/tone ring.
https://i.imgur.com/xFyXTrkh.jpg

Just to refresh your memory, here's the Nissan diff cover which mounts the sensors 90 degrees from the rotation of the tone rings:
https://i.imgur.com/l3nNTsrh.jpg


Now this seems pretty obvious, but I assumed this was how the E46 sensors were mounted also. When I realized the 90 degree difference and brought it up to company that makes the custom harnesses for these, they said "they believe it shouldn't matter." Since it wasn't a concrete answer my gut knew that this was the issue. I never thought orientation would matter for these things, but it does!

SO, because there's not really material on the diff cover to just rotate these and have material to drill and tap, I welded some material and milled it flat (I'm getting pretty damn good at removing diffs now!). I did this very quickly with whatever material I could find so it looks a little shitty:

https://i.imgur.com/62tH2R5h.jpg

Buttoned it all back up, hooked up the scanner and let it run in gear for about 15 minutes. ZERO FAULTS. Game on for Watkins Glen!! Here's what the speed signals are supposed to look like:

Butter smooth:
https://i.imgur.com/XWKiOkzh.jpg


In hindsight, perhaps it would've been better to just use the Z33 rear wheel speed sensors. The only customization required is that they need to be shimmed away from the tone ring since they would interfere as is. The depth of the E46 M3 sensor happens to be perfect. Again, pick your poison.



Watkins Glen event is finished I will post the results of that soon. But, our next race is this weekend (5/17) at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

[gills]

Added more pics of ABS install in previous post

[Ruff Ryder 6]

Hey gills, thanks for documenting this so well. I see you put a lot of effort into mounting up all the sensors. What about for those that have the factory ABS spindles and diff covers? I know you mentioned using the Z33 sensors in the rear. Are all the BMW sensors active sensors and required for use with that system? I have S14 ABS spindles in the front and a Z32 rear cover with sensors in the rear. I’d love it if I could just purchase the ABS unit and controller and wire it up with Nissan sensors without having to go through the machining work you did. (Not a machinist and don’t have the same access to tools as you do). The Z33 front sensors are mounted different than S14 and they may be active sensors as well.

[gills]

Hey gills, thanks for documenting this so well. I see you put a lot of effort into mounting up all the sensors. What about for those that have the factory ABS spindles and diff covers? I know you mentioned using the Z33 sensors in the rear. Are all the BMW sensors active sensors and required for use with that system? I have S14 ABS spindles in the front and a Z32 rear cover with sensors in the rear. I’d love it if I could just purchase the ABS unit and controller and wire it up with Nissan sensors without having to go through the machining work you did. (Not a machinist and don’t have the same access to tools as you do). The Z33 front sensors are mounted different than S14 and they may be active sensors as well.


I'm almost certain that all modern ABS systems (early 2000's+) use active sensors. Or, any that have DSC or some kind of stability control which is everything these days. Z33 sensors are confirmed to work with the BMW system. The German company ATE seems to supply many/most of these ABS/DSC/TC modules and controllers for OEM's so it's no surprise there's a lot of cross compatibility. You cannot use older style sensors like from S-chassis and Z32.

So you have a head start already since you have ABS spindles. No need to go through what I did with much machining. If you use the E46 sensor, you just need to come up with a solution for the mounting hole. The hole the sensor itself goes through is perfect (18mm I believe). The E46 sensor uses an M6 vs an M8 bolt to mount, and the hole is closer to the centerline of the sensor vs the Nissan configuration.

Other than that, it's actually shocking at how well this sensor works in the S14 upright in terms of it's length and air gap to the tone ring.

I *believe* the issue with using Z33 sensors up front is that they read the tone ring at the very tip of the sensor end, vs the side of the tip on the E46. I.e.- the sensor is mounted in the radial direction from the spindle/tone ring where the E46 one is mounted axially with respect to the spindle (installs through the backside of the upright). In my quick searches, the E46 front sensor is one of the only active sensors that reads in this orientation, perhaps due to MacStrut style suspension.


The rear it'll be easier to use Z33 sensors since they are oriented correctly already and mounting holes line up perfectly.
You need to find diff output shafts that were for an ABS car and have tone rings on them. Then you'll likely need to shim the Z33 sensors away from the tone ring as they protrude more and will hit it as I mentioned. If I knew that these sensors needed to be "clocked" a certain way before hand, I would've went with the Z33 ones.

[wakawakalj]

This thread is super interesting. I'm building my own S14 with a blown VK56 (because I like to keep it Nissan, and some race series require that your motor manufacturer matches the chassis) that will see track/race duty - hillclimb primarily, though I've recently been seriously considering endurance as well, which means I'll probably need to have the ability to take the blower off.

I'll be putting in a MK60 ABS system - Doug had mentioned he had just done the run lengths for an S14 install in the passenger well, now I see where that unit went. Looks like I might be #3 with this ABS system installed.

Did you install the steering angle sensor and wire it up to the ABS unit? If so, was it a pain to do right?

After seeing your ABS install setup, I'll probably run Z33 sensors on the rear (R33 GTR diff with factory ABS tone rings/sensors) and E46 sensors on the front as I've already got ABS spindles. Thanks for spending so much time solving these problems so I don't have to :D

When talking about the brakes, you say:

B13 Sentra non-abs booster (this is important)

What is significant/different about the B13 non-abs booster vs the S-chassis one? I saw some comments on the NRR forum about it increasing modulation? Does it apply less boosting to the system overall, making it less binary?

I'm going to be running SRT8 four pistons on all corners, 355/350mm 370z track rotors, stainless lines, and currently planning on a 17/16 Z32 master. The booster on the car is currently the stock S14 manual abs one it came from the factory with.

I need to go to the local pick-n-pull to get some nissan parts bin bits (it's nice these cars are all like lego), maybe I'll grab a B13 booster while I'm there.

[gills]

This thread is super interesting. I'm building my own S14 with a blown VK56 (because I like to keep it Nissan, and some race series require that your motor manufacturer matches the chassis) that will see track/race duty - hillclimb primarily, though I've recently been seriously considering endurance as well, which means I'll probably need to have the ability to take the blower off.

I'll be putting in a MK60 ABS system - Doug had mentioned he had just done the run lengths for an S14 install in the passenger well, now I see where that unit went. Looks like I might be #3 with this ABS system installed.

Did you install the steering angle sensor and wire it up to the ABS unit? If so, was it a pain to do right?

After seeing your ABS install setup, I'll probably run Z33 sensors on the rear (R33 GTR diff with factory ABS tone rings/sensors) and E46 sensors on the front as I've already got ABS spindles. Thanks for spending so much time solving these problems so I don't have to :D

Thanks for posting!

I don't have the SAS in the car. Not needed for operational ABS, only Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) if you want that capability or if you want to log steering angle. I asked him to route the wires and connector for it because I eventually wanted install the SAS to log my steering angles, but he forgot to do it. A CAN emulator is needed to access and record that data. Steering angle is great info for driver coaching/training.

DSC would also be nice to have for wet races for less skilled drivers.

When talking about the brakes, you say:

What is significant/different about the B13 non-abs booster vs the S-chassis one? I saw some comments on the NRR forum about it increasing modulation? Does it apply less boosting to the system overall, making it less binary?

I'm going to be running SRT8 four pistons on all corners, 355/350mm 370z track rotors, stainless lines, and currently planning on a 17/16 Z32 master. The booster on the car is currently the stock S14 manual abs one it came from the factory with.

I need to go to the local pick-n-pull to get some nissan parts bin bits (it's nice these cars are all like lego), maybe I'll grab a B13 booster while I'm there.


Way better modulation for threshold braking. The absolute worst being an automatic S14 booster which is a dual diaphragm unit. Just about any big brake setup with racing pads with that particular booster is infuriating to modulate. The S13 manual booster is better, but still touchy brakes. The B13 sentra booster is about 1" smaller diaphragm diameter than the S13 one is and the difference was immediately noticeable.

As for your brake setup, just get my kit instead! OEM pads are usually way more expensive and the one piece rotors are heavy as a mofo. :D

But in all seriousness, are you putting a pedal box with dual master setup in? PM me if you want to discuss there. You can also email me at [email protected] if you want (I'd prefer that). I'm curious about your setup.

[wakawakalj]

DSC would also be nice to have for wet races for less skilled drivers.

Yup, I don't even try to pretend that I'm the best driver out there, or any better than average at best. I like safety margins, especially on a vehicle that will be doing double duty as both a street and a track car.

You can also email me at [email protected] if you want (I'd prefer that).

Done. Check your spam if you don't see something from me directly etc.

[moto21]

Right now I have a boosterless S14 and no ABS. I have a Stock (iron) 5.3/T56 in the car as well to get seat time and work out all the issues I will have. I also have an LS1 that I'm gonna rebuild with mild modifications, but that is way down the road. I'm starting out in normal track days and time attack events. But my question is will you guys offer a kit for E46 M3 ABS?

[wakawakalj]

For the mk60 ABS system, you can find the kit info/pricing here: https://3dmmotorsport.com/collections/mk60-motorsport-abs/products/universal-fitment-mk60-motorsport-abs-standalone-harness-data-kit

Doug is super knowledgeable and helpful and will set you on the right path I'm sure.

[moto21]

Thank you very much, this will definitely help in the future!

[gills]

Yes, who wakawakalj recommended for the harness and all the parts is who I went to. I can help you out also so let me know if you have any questions.




With that said, I know this thread is due for an update. Hope to get to it this week. Stay tuned...

[gills]

I also want to mention that if anyone needs any parts whatsoever (anything!), please reach out to me. I now have the ability to sell many different brands of aftermarket parts for all types of cars and trucks.

My website is a work in progress, so just PM me or send an email to [email protected] Support the little guy!

[eagleeyes221]

hey gills. I wanted to say thank you for doing the write up on the diff. i just got everything all back together on my car over the weekend. I would have never thought that just changing the diff around like that would have such a big impact on the way the car drives. It really is a night and day difference.

[gills]

hey gills. I wanted to say thank you for doing the write up on the diff. i just got everything all back together on my car over the weekend. I would have never thought that just changing the diff around like that would have such a big impact on the way the car drives. It really is a night and day difference.


That's great! Love to hear that what I shared has helped you.

And, yes, diffs have a huge impact on vehicle dynamics. It is often said that when designing a race car, pick a diff setup first, then setup the rest of the car around it. It's that important.

What diff are you running anyway and what settings did you go from and to?


And sorry I haven't given a complete recap yet of the changes I made. I didn't mention it here, but I actually went to the 1-way ramps at my last race because the diff toward the end of the Watkins Glen event started acting very strange. But, when I opened it up I found out what could've been causing it and it's something that M-Factory hasn't answered me about. I think it's something that is overlooked on M-Factory's part.

[eagleeyes221]

That's great! Love to hear that what I shared has helped you.

And, yes, diffs have a huge impact on vehicle dynamics. It is often said that when designing a race car, pick a diff setup first, then setup the rest of the car around it. It's that important.

What diff are you running anyway and what settings did you go from and to?


And sorry I haven't given a complete recap yet of the changes I made. I didn't mention it here, but I actually went to the 1-way ramps at my last race because the diff toward the end of the Watkins Glen event started acting very strange. But, when I opened it up I found out what could've been causing it and it's something that M-Factory hasn't answered me about. I think it's something that is overlooked on M-Factory's part.

I have a Cusco type RS. Went from a 2 way at 100% lock to 1.5 way at 60% lock. I didn't mess around with any of the preload springs as i could pull the diff again to make any changes if needed. I am curious to see what the difference in feel is between a 1.5 way and a 1 way diff is. Thats interesting, im looking forward to the next update now

[gills]

I have a Cusco type RS. Went from a 2 way at 100% lock to 1.5 way at 60% lock. I didn't mess around with any of the preload springs as i could pull the diff again to make any changes if needed. I am curious to see what the difference in feel is between a 1.5 way and a 1 way diff is. Thats interesting, im looking forward to the next update now

Yea the M-Factory is basically identical to the RS. And you made the right decision to go to those settings if it's anything but a drift car.

You lose some preload when you lower lock % so if you want to keep the same preload as before, you'd have to add 2-4 more springs. The lock % and preload amount are interdependent.

But, speaking of Cusco, their literature is what made me realize something that M-Factory mentions nowhere and their US office hasn't replied back to me on yet.

So I noticed this notch on the deceleration side of the 1.5 way ramp at the start of all this, but didn't think anything of it at the time (pre-Watkins Glen).

https://i.imgur.com/sjgUti3h.jpg


Taking a closer look at how the "cross shaft" mates up against the deceleration face, it made sense as to why this notch has developed. It's sharp edge contact:

https://i.imgur.com/zxfLYEKh.jpg


So post Watkins Glen it got me thinking because the diff always acted the strangest in deceleration when turning (slower turns). That notch could be affecting function and causing weirdness.

Then when going through Cusco documents, I stumbled upon this diagram that shows the cross shaft is actually reversed with the more angle/curved side against the deceleration ramp on the 1.5way:

https://i.imgur.com/qSR6kImh.jpg


There are just pictures and diagrams that show this. There's no actual wording that mentions that this needs to be done. So, I flipped the cross shaft to see what it would look like.

Looks like meant to be if you ask me:
https://i.imgur.com/Ig36XCch.jpg
vs this:
https://i.imgur.com/Z1w2V3eh.jpg


Looks pretty obvious. So, I assembled it that way only to realize that the stack height of everything increased because the cross shaft contacts the ramps in slightly different spots when flipped (you can see the spacing of the ramp plates is slightly larger in the pics above). To get it to work this way, I'd have grind down the washers at the very ends of the clutch stack. I bailed and just set it to 1way for the New Jersey race for the time being.

This makes it seem like that perhaps it isn't correct to flip the cross shaft, but I'm convinced that it is based on the few things mentioned above. Cusco even shows it flipped in their diagrams. I'd bet that there wouldn't be an issue with a Cusco RS doing this since the contact points would make it the same stack height when flipped, as that is what they show to do.

Anyway, thought it was worth sharing..

[gills]

Just wanted to share some rotor weights and how they compare to the Core4 2-piece front and rear rotors. It's remarkable how much weight savings a 2-piece rotor offers, while offering far better cooling/thermal efficiency.


Front Z32 rotor:
https://i.imgur.com/ryTwjsOh.jpg

Front Z33 track (brembo) rotor (heavy mofo):
https://i.imgur.com/fx7hwMSh.jpg

Defsport 2-piece with 12.2 x 1.25 (missing hardware too):
https://i.imgur.com/fgja4EWh.jpg

Front Core4 2-piece 13.06 x 1.25:
https://i.imgur.com/6DFVaNEh.jpg

Rear Z32 rotor:
https://i.imgur.com/uIzj9Fbh.jpg

Rear Core4 2-piece 12.88 x 0.81 w/ modular e-brake drum:
https://i.imgur.com/z6QrPD1h.jpg

[gills]

Sorry there haven’t been any updates. Will post soon.

Cliffs notes, the abs system is excellent. Blew the engine back at the New Jersey race. Rebuilt for summit point raceway double 9 hour happening now.

Tune in to a live broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvz24SfN7OA

And our live in-car stream: https://youtu.be/_S1qf9_aC2A

[Initial Drift]

Any updates on this beast? Been missing some true blue car building.

[gills]

Any updates on this beast? Been missing some true blue car building.

There’s a ton of updates and I’ve been slacking. Last season was a bittersweet whirlwind with some decent finishes and reliability issues. I will update properly soon now that covid is slowing everything down.

[Niz]

So glad I found this thread! Not looking to turn my S13 into a drift missle, but something I can enjoy an occasional track day/autox event in. Good info in here and awesome build.

[gills]

So glad I found this thread! Not looking to turn my S13 into a drift missle, but something I can enjoy an occasional track day/autox event in. Good info in here and awesome build.

Thanks man. Starting to repeat myself here, but the thread is in dire need of an update. So here's a small one.


With Covid-19 going on, the AER races at Pittrace in Western PA and Watkins Glen were cancelled. AER was able to book Nelson Ledges in Ohio in the beginning of June for a single 9 hour race to make up for the lost races, but not sure we'll be able to make that one. Next after that is New Jersey in mid June, which is our target for the first race if it also doesn't get cancelled. Pittrace was rescheduled for July and Watkins Glen is done for 2020 as it's incredibly difficult to rent that track for weekend events. They may consider doing a weekday race there if teams are up for it.

There are big-ish changes this year as well. Looking to get some more power (30-50 more bhp....I'll let you guys guess how we're doing that :)), increasing fuel capacity, and also going proper manual brakes in the car (balance bar/dual MC setup...not Chase Bays single MC style) without using off-the-shelf pedals boxes. Possibly a brake caliper change also (Wilwood to Stoptech) if my testing of caliper deflection warrants it, and perhaps offer a BBK to run these calipers as well.

https://i.imgur.com/2UPVKkvl.jpg


I also am converting/simplifying the electrical system to run a solid state Power Distribution Module (PDM) from Cartek Motorsports. Those not familiar, these units eliminate standard fuses and relays from the system and all the wiring that runs to them from your typical switch panel. They're pretty incredible really. Only reason why I'm doing this is because I scored a pre-owned one for a song from an AER friend and it's simple to use. More info on what they are:

https://www.cartekmotorsport.com/power-distribution-panel/

https://i.imgur.com/FkexxKCl.jpg


The the entire front of the car and drivers side rear quarter of the car also got banged up at the Mid-Ohio Saturday race in October so there's also body work to be done and some aftermarket fenders going on the car (now a proper 240 lol). Looks like I hit a pole, but that pole was the roll cage b-pillar of another car:

https://i.imgur.com/TXiYdvJl.jpg


Will get pictures, updates, and stories from 2019 races next....

[gills]

Speed Academy finally got our brakes on their K-swapped S14 kouki. Thing is a beauty.

You can watch their video here: https://youtu.be/9_6RnZII3fs

Track test most likely coming up in a few weeks. Think they're adding some power?

https://i.imgur.com/god71TYl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aARWReLl.jpg

[slider2828]

I just found your thread!!! Yay!!! I just got mine on.... I still need to do the write up!

-Ken

[Colorado S14]

Wanted to hop in here and thank you for sharing this project, really enjoy the updates.

How is the ABS project going?

[gills]

Wanted to hop in here and thank you for sharing this project, really enjoy the updates.

How is the ABS project going?

Hey, thank you! The ABS project was completed last year and I couldn't recommend it enough. One of the best modifications I've done on the car. If you or anyone else needs some pointers on getting this done, just hit me up.

I just found your thread!!! Yay!!! I just got mine on.... I still need to do the write up!

-Ken

Awesome. I'm surprised it took it that long! LOL I hope you're enjoying the front kit.





2020 has taken the wind out of our sails a bit for racing unfortunately. We've managed to hit the track a couple of times in our "spare" car just to get some laps in:

https://i.imgur.com/KxXUTjIl.jpg



We also sold off the complete VQ35DE setup to a fellow S14 endurance team in the Atlanta area. They'll be racing in WRL and hopefully with us in some AER events. Shipped in an enclosed pallet:

https://i.imgur.com/X7kMLGtl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MOnUAmjl.jpg




We've started messing around with fitment on our new engine. Here's a hint (shouldn't be too difficult):
https://i.imgur.com/tz1d9VL.jpg




And what's a 240 without over fenders? We felt left out....and need to cover the crunch from the Mid-Ohio incident. Chargespeed fenders:
https://i.imgur.com/YiT9iUYl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5mmoTVBl.jpg




Shout out to this sick S13 running our rear BBK. An LS swapped autoX monster:
https://i.imgur.com/byxNe0ll.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/piUd97sl.jpg

[Agamemnon]

I apologize if you had mentioned this in an earlier post, but what company did you use for the MK60 wire harness?

[gills]

I apologize if you had mentioned this in an earlier post, but what company did you use for the MK60 wire harness?


The guy who makes these harnesses is Race Harness Technologies. He's essentially the MK60 guy. If you want to put it in a 240 he may re-direct you to work through me.

I helped the S13 in my post above install MK60 ABS with a RHT harness, FWIW.

[PoorMans180SX]

Very cool thread! Might have to add that MK60 unit to my spaceship build.

I'll be checking back more regularly!

[BlackZenkiS14]

Subscribing, really wanna give this front brake kit a try.

[RalliartRsX]

You should. Loved mine!

[gills]

Subscribing, really wanna give this front brake kit a try.

Hey Kyle, I just responded to you in the road race pic thread. PM me or email me at [email protected] and I can answer any questions you may have about upgrading your brakes. Your car looks fantastic BTW.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Hey Kyle, I just responded to you in the road race pic thread. PM me or email me at [email protected] and I can answer any questions you may have about upgrading your brakes. Your car looks fantastic BTW.

Thanks man! I appreciate! I cant imagine finding a better package anywhere else. I'm on R33 brakes F&R now, which keep up fairly well, and just cant justify upgrading unless I do the 2pc rotors, which adds a fair bit of cost. So I'm gonna do a few more sessions on my current setup, and evaluate after.

[BlackZenkiS14]

Hey Kyle, I just responded to you in the road race pic thread. PM me or email me at [email protected] and I can answer any questions you may have about upgrading your brakes. Your car looks fantastic BTW.

Alright, what have you guys found to be the best bang for the buck for pads on that wilwood kit? Steet pads? Track pads?