Cooling system maintenance - the hotter months are coming!

Had some cooling issues in the last 2 track days where we've seen temps of 100 & 105°C. This was with new coolant, water wetter and new water pump.

So I decided to replace the thermostat with genuine OEM 80°C. When I removed the old thermostat I tested it in a pot of boiling water & it didn't start opening until 85.6 & was fully open @ 95.4°C. I also tested the new thermostat as these 'can' be faulty even when new but it started opening @ 83.1 & fully open @ 90.1°C so this is a major improvement over the old one.

I looked into the hype on using a lower temp thermostat & basically what I found is that there is no point as the more important number is when the thermostat is fully open & not when it starts to open. A good read I found is here http://www.tuneruniversity.com/…/low-temp-thermostats-what…/

Nothing real scientific in it but an informative read none the less.

While the thermostat was out I did a full flush of the block, heater and radiator with the Wynns products. 3 bottles just to be sure 

Then I turned my attention to the radiator cap. I tested this also with one of those pump up things which reads the pressure of the cap & it wouldn't pressurise over 1.1 bar (the cap is rated @ 1.1, so this is fine) but what it did do is leak all the pressure. So time for a replacement.

While reading that blog I also found another post he made which is a good read http://www.tuneruniversity.com/…/beating-the-heat-advantag…/

So based on those findings & seeing I will be doing a lot of track work I've ordered a 1.3 bar cap & just a cheap $15 one off eBay.

I refilled the system with distilled water, filling & flushing the block with it while the thermostat was out & have topped it up with water wetter.

I've been running data logs while driving around with the old cap, until the new one arrives, & I’m only seeing temps of 83 - 85°C. So it's spot on atm and will be logging all my track sessions with the new cap & report the logs here

Round 6 Qld Street Sprints - Lakeside Raceway 5/11/2014

Another great day at Lakeside Raceway today. I was determined to get out on track as soon as i could to test the new MCA Reds that Josh Coote built for me and Rob Ernst installed.

We dialled in -3.5° in the front and -1.5° in the rear which suits the car really well. 

Josh's suspension is so compliant i could almost say it's not stiff enough but with 11kg front springs and 12kg rears they definitely are.

Here's the sessions. I didn't record the first session but it wasn't that great as i was still bedding in the new brake pads and getting used to the car.

Session 2

Lap times are 62.40, 61.47, 60.89, 60.96, 60.71

Session 3

Lap time are 61.43, 60.58, 60.56, 60.28, 60.46

Session 4

Lap times are 60.68, 60.60, 60.14, 68.95, 64.17

                                  

Session 5

Lap times are 60.13, 60.42, 60.70, 60.97, 63.18

                                 

Fastest Lap from session 5 Lap 1 60.13

                                                          Duanes Evo 10

MCA Suspension - MCA Reds installed

In the world of suspension there can be many options when you have a car as tunable as an Evo. So considering the options carefully and sticking to the goal will hopefully make the decision easier.

My list of considerations are;
Long warranty
Fully adjustable
Light weight - these are 8kg lighter than OEM
Budget $3k
Fully repairable and serviceable
Local support
After sales support
Proven to work in the same car

Considering the track focus of this car, entry level suspension wasn't the best option for me. It was suggested to me to use MCA Reds and so the call was made to Josh Coote.

This wasn't the first time I had heard of MCA Suspension. My father had Murray build his suspension while he raced and rallied here in Qld when i was a kid. So i grew up knowing this was a great name is suspension that performed well.

Now from what i know Josh his son has taken over most of the building duties but has his dads many years experience and reputation to support him.

Josh put together my suspension and a huge thanks goes out to him for getting it all sorted while getting their Hammerhead S13 and Josh's 370Z to and from WTAC.
You can find their suspension here

And their Facebook page here

Josh has put together something new for my car and if you're clever you can see some changes in the photo's. Will be trialing these over the next months giving feedback directly to Josh @ MCA but with that said, these guys have many years experience so I confide in that & know we'll be on the right path. Looking forward to the testing.

If you're serious about your suspension choice and want to go fast on the track then you must consider MCA Suspension.
Here's a good reason to consider their Reds, capture from their web
The Red Series suspension is designed to be the best bang for buck suspension package on the market. With many features taken from the Gold Series such as the valving, bolt-in camber washers and competition spec shock oil, plus many newly developed features unique to the Red Series alone, MCA Suspension’s Red Series is the only choice for the serious driver and enthusiast.

Took it for its first drive on the average street tyres this car came with & my initial thoughts are;

It's very precise & direct

Very well balanced, very neutral

Plough understeer has gone

Absolutely no bumps, clunks or moans you get with some other coil overs

Very compliant for the rate of springs in it.

So obviously I can’t push it around too much on the street so I’m really looking forward to getting it out on the track with the semi's and see how many seconds I can get. Just a few day’s time I'll know