This Is Why You Have To Maintain Your Track Car

"Pramoda Ravi (Promo)" (pramoda-ravi)
01/21/2014 at 10:52 • Filed to: None

Maintenance is important on a track car. I'm not talking about doing oil changes at 3,000 miles or a transmission flush at 30,000 miles. I'm talking more about the maintenance that a track car needs. A few of you know this, I own a 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII. In the years that I've been going fast and driving hard around a race track, the EVO is the oldest and the most expensive to maintain. Late last year I ended up having a few issues with my car, and here's what I learned in the three months it took for me to fix the car.

John at Raver Motorsports ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) follow them on facebook))fixed most of the issues with the car. It's a great shop, and having had tuned three EVO's that frequent Waterford Hills Raceway here in Michigan, it's a tuner and a builder I trust.

The EVO's 6-speed is a wonderful transmission for road racing; the gear ratios are spot on. The weakness of the transmission has to do with the amount of fluid the unit takes, which is just less than 3 quarts. This is where all the issues started. I overheated the transmission to the point I destroyed the input shaft bearing as well as a list of other parts within the transmission. The transmission had Redline MT90 gear oil in it. After receiving the bill from the transmission shop, it's a wise idea to bolt up a transmission cooler (which funny enough, John at Raver had told me to do so last season when the transmission went in) the temperatures you see on a hot day while tracking the car get very hot.

After replacing the transmission, things got interesting. There was an oil leak coming from the exhaust cam seal which resulted in the timing and balance shaft belt to be covered with oil. Pulled the lower timing cover to find the balance shaft belt was sheered, for those that don't know the balance shaft belt keeps the motor's vibration to a minimum. However, considering how close it sits to the timing belt, getting caught in the timing belt would result in a disaster. I'm happy that Raver found these issues, because otherwise a "simple" transmission failure would have resulted in a complete drivetrain failure.

At the end of the day, the turbo turbine housing had 5 cracks from high exhaust gas temperatures, transmission over heated to the point it cracked the casing from excessive input shaft play, and the timing system was about ready to fail as well. I cannot thank Raver Motorsports enough for all the help, if it wasn't for them I would be out for this coming season. Make sure you change your oil and transmission fluid frequently. Do research on your car, find the weak points and fix them. A lot of people don't understand how much heat and stress you put on the car after an hour's worth of tracking the car, maintenance is a must. Take care of your car and you'll have a much better time at the track knowing your car won't have any issues!

DISCUSSION (100)

2BWise > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
01/21/2014 at 10:59

Waterford Hills....Hey oh! As a fellow Waterford regular I approve of this post.

Casper > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
01/21/2014 at 11:18

Wow sounds like you dodged a bullet while taking another. At least you saved yourself from a costly engine replacement. This is a good thing to remind people. Most people don't do nearly enough maintenance on road cars, let alone track cars.

Side note, do you run an EGT/pyro gauge? It's really good to see some of those details, especially if you know you have been running hot enough to crack the housing... or do you think the cracks were from cooling?

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > Casper
01/21/2014 at 11:21

At the time I had a wideband and boost gauge. EGT gauge will be installed before the car hits the track again. All of the damage happened mostly due to 4 hours of hot lapping without more than a 5 minute break.

roflcopter > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
01/21/2014 at 12:41

And this is PRECISELY why I like doing the Lemons racing so much. It's not about making a fast car, it's about coming up with cheap ways to keep the thing in one piece, you'd be surprised how many things I've learned doing Lemons has saved a few of my buddies drift cars.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > roflcopter
01/21/2014 at 13:02

At one of the Lemons races I partook in, a team next to us in the paddock used a license plate and a MIG welder to fix the window a connecting rod spit out the block. It ran for 2 laps before the motor quit on them, but just the fact they did that is hilarious and just shows how awesome Lemons is!!

TheCrudMan > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:17

This is part of why I am liking my Miata so much. Totally detuned little car means that even running it hard on the track doesn't really tax the engine or transmission too heavily...they've got a lot to give. The car is not highly strung. Highly strung is exactly what I think of when I think of something like an EVO .

EarendilE30 > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:19

My biggest problem isn't that I don't maintain my track car, it's that *I* maintain my track car :)

This has yet to bite me in any significant way though.

aismo > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:22

Jesus, well theres your problem man. Even when we used to rent out a track privately, we never used to do more than an hour session at a time with 15-30mins in between. Unless you're racing you should probably try to pit some just to keep the car together. \

BmacIL > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:22

I'm surprised you were able to put that much stress on those components at Waterford. It's not exactly what you'd call a power track. Do you go to Gingerman/Graten as well?

quirt > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:22

I was looking at that photo and was like "Ill be damned if that's not Waterford Hills" haha. Good little track.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > BmacIL
02/05/2014 at 17:24

yes I do, but going through waterford I'm mostly in 3-4, stressing two gears for a long duration of time vs. stressing 2-3-4-5 around Gingerman/Grattan.

Raptordd > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:24

-redacted

Equana > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:27

Always look for forums on the type of track car you want. There will usually be posts about the weak points for track use. Next thing, buy a infra-red pyrometer and check oil temps after your sessions. Pull the dipstick and get a temp, crawl under the car and shoot the trans and diffs, pop the power steering cap and shoot the fluid. This will pretty reliably tell you if you need to install additional gauges or coolers or both.

Get brake temps with temp paint and the IR sensor. It will tell you if you are getting close to needing real brake pads - real racing pads, not just those $9.95 "heavy duty" pads from the parts house. You DON'T want to have your high performance street pads suddenly fade when you get good enough to really attack a track. (first you SAY it, then you DO it!) Cleaning shit off the upholstery and carpet is tough!

greencow > TheCrudMan
02/05/2014 at 17:29

Then again, he was probably doing lap after lap without much of a cooldown time inbetween. Evos can take a decent amount of track abuse. Preventative maintenance is a must when tracking, which is what he's alluding to in the post, most Evo owners I know change the engine oil after one hard day at the track, and trans/diff/transfer case after two.

3ch0 > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:37

While attending a racing school with a daily driver (we all had our daily drivers), the schedule was built around down time for the cars. Basically, you spent 15 minutes on track, then cooled down (e-brake off!) while the other two groups went on track for 15 each. I did not think much of it then, but I now get how good that was.

Still does not make extra maintenance optional though! Good post buddy.

suss6052 > quirt
02/05/2014 at 17:37

That's what I was thinking also and I've only ever been there twice last year so far.

I had nearly as much fun in my old Focus SEL as I did in the ST but the ST was harder on the tires, especially when I made the mistake of not airing the tires down far enough for the first and second sessions.

It's a fourth gear track in the ST, well it would wind out third or give up a touch of acceleration but didn't lug in fourth.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > 3ch0
02/05/2014 at 17:38

Yes, there was a reason for the downtime! haha

Cheesewhiz > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:43

Every single buck I spent on my '01 track Miata (after the suspension) has been for reliability and safety ONLY. Honestly, tracking is about more track time than it is about pure speed. A reliable car that can take a miss shift (ie, titanium valve retainers) is going to be a helluva lot faster than the ultra-quick turbo kit that overheats after a single 20 minute session and blows oil all over your bank book.

This post is extremely wise counsel in this regard and is the starting point for anyone who drives their car hard, ever.

RD > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 17:47

Corvette baby...fix them with a hammer.

Cheesewhiz > TheCrudMan
02/05/2014 at 17:50

Same here. They take a five-session-per day full weekend at the track like a champ. Tempted as I am to go forced induction with mine, one always starts to incur the exact issues seen by the poster: The "cascade effect", with successive failures and costs dropping like dominos. But that said, he's really putting a good spotlight on what all trackers need to do — Keep eyes on temps, constantly monitor oil after each session and maintain general vigilance well beyond what we're accustomed to with street cars.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > Cheesewhiz
02/05/2014 at 17:51

In all fairness though, this is my second turbo track car, and I went most of the season without a single issue. Then again I gave it plenty of cool down time.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > RD
02/05/2014 at 17:52

Actually... C5 corvettes are notorious for transmission failures haha

IDRIVENEON > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:01

A yearly teardown, inspection before an event and overbuilding can prevent a lot of failures.

Cheesewhiz > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:02

Yep, you obviously know the drill. EVO's are really robust (I used to work with Mitsu) but they have their weak points, as you pointed out. It's really smart to reco folks to find out those weak links (every car has em documented!) and correct or prepare. Mine goes through slave cylinders and cam position sensors, VERY predictably, so I keep spares of both in the car at all times!

Great post, dude. It's a fine reminder of some work I need to do.

Standard_Deviation > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:06

I also have a 2005 track car. It's a Honda S2000. It's driven for pleasure sometimes, but it exists primarily to be flogged on a closed circuit.

Currently, it has 86,000 kms on the clock and has done countless track days. Obviously, the tires, brakes and fluids are all changed regularly. But in terms of repairs? It's only had one failure - the rear right stab link needed to be replaced due to a cracked grease seal. $100 for the new stab link & 30 minutes of my time to replace.

I love my Honda!

Fuel_of_Satan > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:09

I was lucky to be mentored by a nuclear scientist (I know it doesn't relate directly to cars, but I think it's cool and his field was material fatigue) when building my first motor and he tipped me how hard driving also wears out oil faster, so I used to change it after every track day/race. I saw it as cheap "insurance".

I learned the hard way that I needed an oil cooler though, but that's another matter.

nickhater1 > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:11

"which funny enough, John at Raver had told me to do so last season when the transmission went in"

Wait, so you put an MR 6-speed in? You said it's a 2005 VIII but they did make a few MRs then. Since you don't note it so I'm guessing it's a regular GSR you did an MR tranny swap in. Why? This is a very common problem with tracked MRs, as I'm sure they warned you by suggesting an oil cooler. I have a 2004 and when my ACT clutch shat a spring out of the disk at Lime Rock and we had to pull the tranny, I sent it to Shep for a full rebuild. It's now on it's 5th season.

JDIGGS > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:14

Sti 6 speed FTW

JDIGGS > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:16

Don't people that have track cars know to do basic maintenance?

#tool

LodestarRunner > Cheesewhiz
02/05/2014 at 18:26

Former NA owner here. I've heard it's best to replace the master, slave and clutch line all at once so residual particles don't remain in the system. According to some, the gunk left in the remaining pieces you don't replace can screw up the new components. Not sure on the accuracy of that claim though.

quirt > suss6052
02/05/2014 at 18:30

Nice, i've only driven it once. Cauley Ferrari gave me a nice little demo of a Ferrari California around it last summer though.

covesidekid > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:37

So you're saying cars that are tracked need more maintainence? Hmmm, I would have never thought of that smh.
And if your trans doesn't hold enough fluid then have a larger trans pan made or add an additional cooler. Duh.

covesidekid > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:37

brass1223 > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 18:42

that's impressive. how hard were you pushing the evo?

Ike B > roflcopter
02/05/2014 at 18:54

Yeah that's what I was thinking. While I was reading this I quickly realized I know nobody like who this guy was writing for.

1) Doesn't know an awful lot about how cars work

2) Can afford an EVO (among other apparent cars he owns)

3) Races his EVO

4) Can afford to have a speed shop repair an EVO

I know a lot of guys who do cheap racing with cheap cars they know how to fix and don't write articles where the takeaway point is that if you have an expensive race car then you should take it to a shop sometimes.

I mean thanks, but at the same time... thanks?

bpromersberger > 3ch0
02/05/2014 at 18:55

Where did you do racing school? I've thought about getting an SCCA license but not sure where to start.

briannutter1 > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 19:11

Huh what on the trans? C5 is definitely the top 5 of tracked cars precisely because it's tough amd the engine is all but bulletproof. The brakes and tires are an ecpensive consumable only due to 3200lbs and good power delivering high speed laptimes.

suss6052 > quirt
02/05/2014 at 19:20

The only pictures I seem to have from the track was at the pit paddock sitting along side an actual Focus ST in my Focus SEL.

Kinja'd!!!

[Jeremy Clarkson]No It's not the ST... it's the ST's less powerful brother the Focus SEL...[/Jeremy Clarkson], but I loved that color, and the back story behind the fascia was two or three fold.

1. I'd inadvertently damaged the original bumper cover in the beginning of winter 2012 and had used the insurance to get the car repaired, they cut corners and only paid for a used cover an a few of the other pieces. That shop also did a poor job (not the insurance company's recommended shop but a main Ford/ Lincoln dealer's off site shop near where I was working. Of course the ironic or frustrating piece of the whole situation was that Ford had tried to claim the tail light rubbing and the hood having it's paint gouged out by the left front head lamp was due to the car having been in an accident. It was built that way but they blamed me and wouldn't cover it even though others had had the same issue covered by the warranty. Of course it just had to get hit on the opposite side and tear the bumper cover up.

2. The day I was finally ready to take the car home I went to pick it up, drove back to the office. At the end of the day I was called by my uncle to head to my grandfather's old apartment as he was in hospital or hospice after starting to recover from a stroke. So as I drove towards the old apartment on the freeway the car gets hit by falling debris. Now I couldn't just stop as traffic was very dense so I couldn't see how bad it was from the driver's seat as the impact like the last one was on the passenger side. Turns out it wasn't deep enough to penetrate this cover, but it did leave a nasty gouge in the surface and messed up the paint on the right front corner of the car again. This frustrated me to no end after the pain of getting it fixed the first time. I decided against making another claim on my insurance as it would likely hurt me worse than just buying parts and having it fixed or just living with it.

3. After making a mock up rendering in Forza 4 and Forza Horizon I fleshed out the idea of wanting to see a Focus ST front fascia painted in the rather sophisticated Frosted Glass paint color.

So I eventually gathered up the parts and started to work on finding a shop to install this, and then after installing this I was given an insane deal on a stock ST catback exhaust that needed a little bit of a modification, but on the 12:1 compression N/A motor it sounded glorious with the Steeda CAI kit installed at the front, really mellow while cruising, but if you got on it, it would let you know it.

The funny thing was I'd driven the Focus ST several times on the Ford proving grounds in Dearborn for various ride and drive type events and was always satisfied with driving home in my regular Focus SEL with the DCT (and the manual mode, which can be a bit frustrating at times as it delays the shifts), but at the time I loved the car, and I miss the color now. It wasn't financially responsible of me, but I'm normally so careful I figured that hell it would only hurt once.

I love my ST though, and it's got a fully manual transmission again, and the torque, and the recaro seats, and the list goes on. The car I had before the Focus SEL which I still had concurrently for a while was a 1994 Geo Prizm LSI 1.6 L 5mt that was my first manual car.

My winter beater is terrible in the snow though, although we've been hit harder than usual, it's a beat up 09 p71 with 155+k miles on the clock and only about 3-5k of those were my miles so far. Maybe winter tires would help, but the limited slip differential seems to act more like a fully open dif when one wheel starts to slip and the other can't move. Afaik it might have a leaky differential cover, or maybe it used to, might want to take care of that soon, but I don't really love that car. P71s and Panthers seem to be more my father's type of car.

Bacon > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 19:36

I loved that track in my FWD escort GT, but I just could not get it in my Subaru.... Need more seat time, I guess.

Miata26 > bpromersberger
02/05/2014 at 20:05

Where are you located? I would start with your local SCCA region's webpage and go from there. National programs good for novices include Solo (autocross) , Time Trials , Accredited schools , and regionally run schools.

EvilFD > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 20:05

Well said. Nice little reminder and refresher for anyone that tracks their car or more importantly, for new guys that would like to.

Plus you get bonus points for car choice. I've got an VIII RS. 2.4LR, GT3586r, shep tranny, E85. These cars are too fun. I love the nasty looks i get from much slower GTR and exotic owners. Before the EVO I had an FD that was quite the little track slut. Still have one but not for a track car. That car, in track duty spec, was so ridiculously expensive I coulda paid for Mazda to design another (almost). That car really taught to be diligent and thorough with prep, maintenance, etc.

WatchOutForTheRedLola > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 20:11

Is your Evo stock?

My Evo VIII was bone stock except for DOT 4 brake fluid and ran like a champ during 40-minutes sessions in July and August heat in Texas.

The "tuned" Evos were the ones that sat in the garage area during sessions.

bpromersberger > Miata26
02/05/2014 at 21:11

Word. I'm from Cleveland, joined the BMW CCA and was hoping to do classes through them originally. I could find high performance driving classes but no racing programs, might have been looking in the wrong spot. I'll check out the local SCCA stuff, thanks for the help.

MTY85 > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 21:55

Yeah, that T56 is such a piece of shit. That's why it was used in Corvettes, Camaros, Firebirds, Mustang Cobras, Aston DB7s, Vipers, CTS-Vs, and various Australian Fords and GMs. Because it's so prone to reliability issues.

brendan.berg1 > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 21:58

The Tremec T-56? It's a pretty bulletproof transmission, just needs to be kept topped off with fluid and not ground at all, and it does a flawless job.

duckstu > briannutter1
02/05/2014 at 22:17

Base C5's do get trans over-temp lights on the dash at tracks sometimes as the diff gets hot and heats up the trans section of the trans-axle. But they don't usually fail. The Z51 and ZO6 packages add trans coolers,.. and they will orbit a track all day with no issues (except for perhaps brakes. You should keep a spare front rotor or two with you). EVO's and STI's are very aggressive,.. and make lots of power out of small engines. They tend to eat parts a bit,.. but be faster than most anything at a typical track day.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 22:19

I had my first track day of last summer ruined by a alternator that died three hours from home... Sometimes it's the stuff that strikes you down out of nowhere.

duckstu > nickhater1
02/05/2014 at 22:22

Promo certainly would have known the 6-speed was weak at tracks,.. everyone in the local community has heard that the 6-speeds overheat at tracks, especially when 4th gear is used a lot. He chose to swap his perfectly good 5-speed for a 6-speed anyway. The person he swapped transmissions with couldn't believe his good fortune. The trans overheating occurred as expected.

teknishn > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 22:30

This is why I finally bought myself a real track car (Lotus Elise with upgrades). I've also owned several Mustangs and an Evo IX. The latters just required too much upkeep and upgrades to handle the abuse of racing. Even my Lotus requires regular TLC, but the difference between a car built for the track and one built for the street/masses is literally night and day. Most manufacturers void warranties for racing, Lotus issues recalls to improve parts for racing.

heeltoehero > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 22:36

Oh yeah, those pesky glass T56s......

MrZoglog > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 22:51

probably my #1 fear in continuing to track my V wagon. Repairs will get expensive for such a heavy vehicle. I'm leaning towards getting an S2000 for tracking and leaving the V Wagon for awesome touring trips.

Daniel Fleck > bpromersberger
02/05/2014 at 22:56

NASA Great Lakes has 3 events at Mid-Ohio each year that would be very convenient for Cleveland. It's a great group of people too.
http://nasagreatlakes.com/

BiPolarWithCars > TheCrudMan
02/05/2014 at 23:10

The Exige/Elise are the same way. Pads are CHEAP and last forever. The engine & Transmission were designed for a car that weighs 1200 more pounds so you can run it up to 9 grand all day long.

They do eat rear tires, but at >$200 each, it ain't too bad.

BiPolarWithCars > MrZoglog
02/05/2014 at 23:12

CTS-V wagon!!!!

How much are pads/tires for a V?

RacinBob > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/05/2014 at 23:34

Maybe the failure was caused bu the heavy weight MT 90 oil you are using. Every honda I have raced for over 20 years uses 10 - 30 weight motor oil (Mobil 1) which is the equivalent to current Honda transmission oil. For example 7 years of endurance racing in a CRX without ever changing gear lube. No problems.

Maybe Mitsu uses heavier oil. But if not, don't assume heavier is better because it may not be. Often the design needs low viscosity to get the oil to the parts that needs lube. Also, higher viscosity will assure more heat generated. Are you sure you need 90 weight oil? I would not use different from OEM spec viscosity without being really sure its needed.

TheCrudMan > BiPolarWithCars
02/06/2014 at 00:54

Looking like I got less than a year out of my front pads and rotors on my Miata with regular autocross and occasional track use (and lots of road.)

MrZoglog > BiPolarWithCars
02/06/2014 at 00:58

depends I guess on what you get on them. Stock pads are 400ish for a set I think and are made by some italian company, I forgot the name but starts with an F.

The stock PS2's are around 2k for a set and don't last too long.

However if I did track it I would maybe get different pads and toyo proxes on another set of tires to swap out at the track. One benefit of the wagon is you can easily fit them in the back ;).

zzkamikazezz > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 03:25

I cant believe you went that long without breaks! I usually do about 20mins, 30 max with a 15-30min break. The breaks also let you recover, clear your head and think about where you could improve.

leg5malone > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 04:02

Kinja'd!!!

I After replacing the transmission, things got interesting. There was an oil leak coming from the exhaust cam seal which resulted in the timing and balance shaft belt to be covered with oil. Pulled the lower timing cover to find the balance shaft belt was sheered, for those that don't know the balance shaft belt keeps the motor's vibration to a minimum

I understand all this. And let's just all get gearheady and talk about how much we all can understand this. Regular folk don't understand gear talk.

I was having a conversation last night with my climbing partner and a good friend about moutnaineering and the good friend was lost after a sentence I spoke. Something like "If we're going to do Buck to Static as a traverse we should at least look at Cirque of the Towers because they go from class 2 to 5.11bs and that's a perfect chance to practice snow anchors."

The friend had no idea what we were talking about.
Hashtag context.

I replaced the cluch in an '88 Saab 900 two times and I'm still glad I owned it,

mrroo > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 07:50

I track my daily driver also. G8 with lots of cooing mods. I even put a brake cooler kit on it that I made. Even with the CTSV Brembos and track pads I would get brake fade after about 15 minutes. 4000lb cars create a little brake heat! The coolers helped huge and dont have any fade issues now. But over maintaining a DD that does track duty is a must. Fluids get changed after every track weekend. Overkill? Maybe. Biggest thing is proper cooling for all fluids and proper fluid. Keep your track sessions to no more than 20 minutes with proper cool down time and you will be fine.

monkeyboxer > briannutter1
02/06/2014 at 08:19

Because LS motors have no oiling issues on the track?

drdude > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 08:23

The T56 trans is only damaged drag racing... for road racing its pretty bulletproof. Theres no suspensions set to hook, tacky track, and brutal clutch dumps to deal with.

montego > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 08:35

And change your damn hubs!!

briannutter1 > monkeyboxer
02/06/2014 at 09:21

Drysump LS7 c6z's do have issues with a variety of aftermarke fixes, but the c5z mentioned has the batwing oilpan and don't have issues. Many many t1 st1 st2 style cars with stock oiling with a few guys running accusumps. I've tracked mine a lot and brakes were the only issue. If you leave the competitive driving mode one, the yaw control will heat up the rears..so I turn it off. I went to a 14" front BBK front and swapped my fronts to the back for a relatively low cost solution. I do swap out trans, brake, and clutch fluids after one hpde weekend. If I did it more, I'd probably add coolers, but I'm trying to keep the weight down.

dmanbluesfreak01 > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 09:22

Do you mean the automatic C5 vettes? Because that makes sense since it's just a weak 4l60e. The T56 in the manual ones are pretty damn robust, as far as I'm aware.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > JDIGGS
02/06/2014 at 09:22

You'd be surprised.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > JDIGGS
02/06/2014 at 09:22

Great trans, terrible motor...

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > WatchOutForTheRedLola
02/06/2014 at 09:22

Stock turbo, but far from stock.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > mrroo
02/06/2014 at 09:24

Not overkill at all. I do the same.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > EvilFD
02/06/2014 at 09:32

It's a pick your poison type of deal when it comes to cars haha

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > RacinBob
02/06/2014 at 09:32

OEM viscosity is 75w-90.

HammsonHammsonHamms > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 09:33

I also do maintenance on my track car. My spec neon needs new brakes every season and fuel every race. What a pain. #shitboxfever

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > nickhater1
02/06/2014 at 09:33

Born as a GSR, now it's "Frankenstein" My trans is also serviced at Shep's. Transfercase was done by TRE.

3ch0 > bpromersberger
02/06/2014 at 09:34

I am in Montreal, Canada. So I went to Mecaglisse north-east of here.

Did one in the winter first, which was preventive/defensive driving . Basically avoiding obstacles, handling under/oversteer, etc. It was awesome!

Then I did a summer lapping course course, which thought me a lot on braking while entering a turn, hitting apexes and such. Awesome as well.

Scott > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 09:34

How do you run a cooler on a manual tranny with no pump to move the oil through the ccooler?

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > Scott
02/06/2014 at 09:37

You have to run a pump, cannot run a cooler on a m/t without one.

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > covesidekid
02/06/2014 at 09:38

It'll have a cooler by next season :)

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > montego
02/06/2014 at 09:38

YES

Thunderingbirds > MTY85
02/06/2014 at 09:55

The C5 isn't exactly using a normal T56 ya know. But aside from the 4th gear fork being flimsy, they're pretty good.

ChrisSlicks > RacinBob
02/06/2014 at 10:29

75W90 gear oil = 10W40 engine oil in viscosity.

MT90 is 75W90 which is OEM spec.

Wojtek > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 11:13

Geez. A trackday Evo with a balance shaft? There is a paradigm "the less parts the better" that has been successfully employed in Evo world since.... well, at least since the 4G63T has been rotated to fit into Evo IV. Anyway - get rid of it and use a balance shaft delete kit from AMS (stiffer engine mounts strongly recommended).
Also, I do not think the 6-speed (due to it's design a weak transmission from the very beginning) is that good. I do prefer the 5-speed, which can be had in various ratios (google Shep Trans). For a couple of reasons - first of all, the sheer reliability and withstand to abuse. Second - if you add a precise tune of the engine ECU, you'd have a wider power band (more torque spread more evenly in a single gear). Not only you'd accelerate better because of it, but also you'd have one less gear to worry about during shifting, which makes driving better (because two hands on the steering wheel, less shifting etc etc). I personally raced a 6-speed Evo on a relatively fast circuit ( about 2.5 miles and 1 minute 42-45 seconds a lap ) and never used the 6th despite redlining in 5th on the main straight. Reason was I would be in 6th for some three-four seconds before going down to 4th (or 3rd if soaking wet) and this creates unnecessary mess when I am about to brake from about 140 mph and turn in. With a 5-speed, all I have to do is just flick to 4th and I am set, profiting from the wide torque band of the relatively stock engine.
This would be a little different if your car would be set up with a serious race engine revving to 9500 or beyond, with a huge turbo and a narrow powerband between 5500 and redline, but in this case you'd be probably running a true sequential 6-speed anyway.

Ralstig > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 11:14

It could also be the Redline oil. Redline oils tend to run on the hotter side.

One of the SM teams used infrared cameras to monitor the heat in their trannys. They noticed that the tranny would run hotter using Redline oil compared to Swepco, Amsoil and some other big names.

Ralstig > EarendilE30
02/06/2014 at 11:16

And by doing that you are neglecting one of racing's most famous form of weight reduction.

Wallet weight. :P

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > Wojtek
02/06/2014 at 11:47

The 6-spd is out at Shep's right now. Believe it or not the balance shaft actually does help quite a bit, just the fact the motor itself has less vibrations coming from it helps shift easier at high rpm's. I run an Exedy twin carbon in the car, shift speed with that clutch is about as good as you can get. I do have poly mounts all the way around, vibrations without the b/s now are insane, you can see the rear wing vibrate with the engine harmonics. I ended up buying a used 5-spd and mated it to a Comp 3.5 for "winter" duty at the moment. The built 6 with twin carbon will be going back into the car come March/April.

I'm also restricted to 363awhp, NASA TT3. I've basically done everything possible to widen the torque curve as well, I just prefer the 6 due to way better gear ratios.

Yes I can get a "custom" gear set in the 5-spd, but it would make it useless for driving around the city. EVO 9 1/2 EVO 8 3/4 and a JDM EVO 5th gear. Gear speed would look like the following 1- 51mph 2-73mph 3-101mph 4-138mph 5-173mph. Cruising at 80mph at 4,000rpm doesn't sound like fun.

Since I do have a built 6 and a spare 5 now, I might build the 5 later on if I plan on pushing big power, but until that point for the power level I'm at I see no point in building the 5 just yet.

V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 11:50

.....And GRENADING rears... especially if you go drag racing.

Wojtek > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 12:00

That's good! Glad it works out for you. I've been eliminating most of the "unused" parts in my cars and (since my Evo was just a toy, not even a trackday car, but just a toy) the balance shaft was deemed unnecessary. However, with a heavy duty twin-plate clutch and poly mounts your car would be unacceptable on a street so I understand now.

I had the JDM 5-speed box when I bought my car and I actually drove it 200 miles from where I bought it to my home. On a highway. I wasn't able to understand the lady on the toll plaza, so I've bought a large amount of earplugs and stowed them in the car.

I don't know about the VIII exactly (mine was a funny hybrid of VI body with VIII running gear and half VI-half VII engine running off a modified VIII ECU) but AFAIR putting a 5-speed to a 6-speed car includes some minor modifications to the crossmember. Once done, it will accommodate both types of gearboxes.

Are you running on stock ECU?

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > Wojtek
02/06/2014 at 12:14

I am on stock ECU, yes. I'll bet that first 200 mile drive home was loads of fun with the JDM 5th in there! haha

Wojtek > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 12:28

It was, however as you well imagine - it redlines way too soon and while you can outaccelerate any German car, they are soft-limited to 155 mph and I was redlining at around 150 mph - eventually they could have their moment of triumph and overtake. Until the next toll plaza, that is... :)

EvilFD > Wojtek
02/06/2014 at 13:16

Yeah, believe it or not alot of people opt to not delete balance shafts. I deleted mine and that, plus solid motor mounts, plus a 2.4L stroker gave me some borderline dangerous engine harmonics. Even with a Fluidampr.

I recommend spending the money and getting a standalone ECU for anyone thats going to seriously track their EVO. Sure you can flash the stock ECU, and that works fine for most people. Still, I ran a reflashed VIII ECU for about a year before going to AEM Series II, and then finally the new AEM Infinity. So glad I did and wish I would have done it earlier. Only other one I recommend is the ProEFI series of ECU's. I put it in my FD after years of using a Haltech. Never thought id find a better standalone than the Haltech Platinum Sport 2000 but the ProEFI is in a completely different league.

bavarianstig > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 13:35

This is not so much "maintenance is important on a track car", but why some cars aren't designed to be tracked. Don't get me wrong, Mitsubishi and others advertise/brand their cars based on track ability, but at the end of the day there are few cars that can actually go to tracks and take the abuse without the need of excessive modifications. Just look at most track days and you will see mainly: BMWs, Porsches, Corvettes, and Miatas. While I have seen Corvettes have difficulties, usually when a car has to be towed off track or blows something up it's either a: WRX or EVO.

bavarianstig > teknishn
02/06/2014 at 13:42

Exactly what I came here to say. Lotus, BMW, Porsche, Miata seem to take the abuse with ease. Others (esp Mustangs/STis/EVOs) are plauged with reliability issues, or components that aren't engineered for/strong enough for track use.

Cheesewhiz > LodestarRunner
02/06/2014 at 14:15

I had never heard that but it might make sense. Slave cylinders seem to last about 20,000-30,000 miles and take all of an hour and 20 bucks to do replace so I've just gone that easier route. It's simply a very obvious weak link in an otherwise ultra-reliable car.

Cheesewhiz > LodestarRunner
02/06/2014 at 14:15

Wojtek > EvilFD
02/06/2014 at 14:23

Sweet baby Jesus, 2.4 litre stroker is just beyond my imagination. 600 hp and nuclear-carrier-class torque?
We here (Poland) are quite cheap when it comes to mildly driven cars, so reflashes are very common, however Autronics' SM4 or GEMS ECUs are often seen in track/auto-x cars.
Need to read up the ProEFI, glad you mentioned something I've not stumbled upon before.

LodestarRunner > Cheesewhiz
02/06/2014 at 14:54

Agreed, minus the short-nose engine in my '90. I only went through 1 slave cylinder.

stiggalicous > suss6052
02/06/2014 at 16:19

How are the stock brakes on the ST? Do they fade rather quickly? I'm going to track mine for the first time in March and I could use some good pointers =]

Pramoda Ravi (Promo) > EvilFD
02/06/2014 at 16:49

With Tephra the stock ECU is capable of a LOT. AEM Infinity and EMS-4 offer a slight bit more than what the factory ECU with tephra can do, but for a price i'd rather not spend right now haha

EvilFD > Pramoda Ravi (Promo)
02/06/2014 at 17:19

Thats exactly how I felt for awhile. Eventually though, the combination of 2100cc injectors, CO temperature variations, and CO elevation changes just made the AEM a much smoother and easier route. That and I realized that I have built 2.4LR with Carillo internals, Shep stage 3 tranny, TRE built TC, Full Race manifold, AMS f1 intake mani, yada yada yada. Whats another $2k at this point for easier and more complete tuning?

EvilFD > Wojtek
02/06/2014 at 17:31

Yeah definitely look into the ProEFI. I specifically like it in my FD for how capably it switches between E-85 and 93 octane. Tons of standalones have flex-fuel capabilities but the ProEFI seems especially good at it. Plus its tuning parameters are just so vast. With rotary's (assuming you have a good tuner) the more things you can fine tune the better! They are definitely pricey but they're pretty phenomenal. Anymore these days, a huge percentage of Twin-turbo Gallardos, 1000hp+GTRs, and Twin-turbo Viper/Corvette are relying on the ProEFI.

Haha good guess about my EVO! As it sits it makes 587AWHP 593ft/lbs @23psi. Thats in Denver CO (mile-high altitutude), numbers are uncorrected. That's literally perfect for me at the moment (as far as on track performance). The car is still more capable than I am but I'm getting there.

Whats fun though, is at 23psi, the 3586R turbo is JUST about waking up. I have full-boost at 3700 RPM. Now, we did a "kill-tune" last time I had the car on the dyno. The motor and fuel system are both very stout so the kill-tune was at 44psi. It was pretty impressive. WAY too much power for me on the track but, im thinking we'll do another map at about 37-38psi for the street/drag-racing :)

Oh, and for what its worth, I strongly recommend any 2.4L on the EVO. I couldn't be happier with my choice. Its not all that ideal for drag-racing, but for track days, AutoX, etc its amazing. It's also fantastic just for driving around town. The low-end torque is really impressive. I can do all kinds of things, without getting into boost, that I never thought were capable with a 4G.

suss6052 > stiggalicous
02/06/2014 at 19:00

Waterford Hills is a fairly technical track from what I've heard and it's a 1.42 mile track.
http://www.waterfordhills.com/downloads/faci…
With everything left on and the tires at street pressure the brakes started to feel a bit softer before the end of the 15 minute session, but with the traction control on reduced guard and the car in sport mode I was probably hurting the tires more but she took the repeated 85-40 or do stops without burning the breaks down, but they did feel slightly softer possibly from hurting the fluid, but this was also before I had the Motor mounts replaced by Ford for the technical service bulletin on the 2013 and early 2014 model year and they kind of botched the clutch and brake bleed the first time around. If you wanted to track the car regularly I'd recommend at least a pad change if not a properly bedded big brake kit. That day I was at the track with a few members of fordstnation.com including the founder Chad who had just installed his big brake kit on the front at least and had gotten pulled over before he could finish his bedding of the new pads. This meant that although I was usually slower due to inexperience with the car and not wanting to break it, I had actually passed his car as once warmed up his pads didn't work. Of course after a proper bedding he's since said they have consistently worked great iirc.

High speeds and over working the stock brakes can be an issue.