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Post by jackyboy on May 3, 2016 10:38:06 GMT
Hi guys. Looking for some extra advice on na engines and track reliability.
Mine is a standard 1.8 Well maintained in my ownership of 7 months so far.
Had new cambelt Water pump Radiator Valve cover gasket Hoses Engine flush Redex for the fuel system. Oil change New leads and plugs this weekend.. Bla bla bla
Anyway to the point.
How reliable is my engine for track use.?
I have done castle comb 15 minutes..ish Silverstone national 20 minutes so far. Got two 15 minute sessions booked in for castle comb at japday.
All driving around 2 hours to the track and 2 hours home. And both times without any really issue apart from the breaks being a bit weak for 5 minutes of travelling home. And after silverstone my temp gauge was fluctuating between cold and normal temp on the motorway.
Castle comb the first time caused no issues. Silverstone the second time i had lost a bit of oil and had a leak from the exhaust side of the cam cover gasket. Its a new gasket.
I was told that the engine probably over pressurised on track. To me it sounds quite bad.. Did i nearly blow the engine up or is this common.?
I am a bit worried about taking it for two sessions around comb at japday.
What do you guys think.,??
Thanks
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Post by FFS Corders on May 3, 2016 11:03:51 GMT
If you dont constantly hit the red line and make sure you keep a good eye on the oil, it will be fine
My engine only died because i let ut run dry when it had Canoeed piston rings
Up to then it had taken all kinds of abuse
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Post by jackyboy on May 3, 2016 11:25:22 GMT
Thanks dude, feel a bit better now!
I will back off from the redline and change in the white zone from now on. No more power up in that part of the band anyway?.
I will make sure i keep it topped up for castle comb and take extra oil.
Where is the max torque and power on the rev range on my engine?
Silverstone i was over stretching the gears. Rarely r on the limiter but always in the red :/ its those bloody long straights where the car was slow with me the girlfriend and over half a tank of fuel.
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Post by atlex on May 3, 2016 12:21:13 GMT
is your new rad standard or big ally style ?
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Post by jackyboy on May 3, 2016 13:36:36 GMT
26 quid standard ebay job atlex.. My cooling system has issues too but that is another story.. I keep it topped up with water and stays happy but gotta get it sorted really. Leaking from somewhere or headgasket has gone.. Its a myth to everyone that has looked at it.
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titch
Chats A Bit
Posts: 149
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Post by titch on May 3, 2016 14:09:47 GMT
Mine have generally been extremely reliable on track, with relatively standard engines, standard cooling system, the lot, the only issues watch for is oil temp. If you don't have a gauge, you won't realise how hot it gets - mine was seeing 150c after 10 mins on track before I fitted a cooler (and both mine have done it, so I know it's not an anomaly), now it doesn't even breach 100c.
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Post by jackyboy on May 3, 2016 14:50:03 GMT
Cheers titch. I have one of the fake oil gauges so will have no idea until its too late i guess How does a oil cooler work? Easy to install? Pricey?
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Post by Horney on May 3, 2016 15:48:40 GMT
Just smash it off the limiter all day. As long as it's got good fluids you'll be fine. There's plenty of 5s out there that have done 1000s of track miles like this. My 1.6 was abused in many trackdays, I then boosted and abuse it even more and it's still going at 240,000kms.
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Post by mattk on May 3, 2016 16:37:36 GMT
They're usually super reliable.
Mine started off as a part time track toy but now only ever gets used either on track or driving there and back. I'm not scared of hitting a limiter or two either and I've never had any problems other than a clutch slave dying and an old caliper seizing on. Engine wise they will take a thrashing and keep on giving.
Keep on top of fluids as horney says above and you'll be fine. Just bear in mind your maintenance will probably be more frequent with lots of track work.
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titch
Chats A Bit
Posts: 149
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Post by titch on May 3, 2016 16:58:26 GMT
Cheers titch. I have one of the fake oil gauges so will have no idea until its too late i guess How does a oil cooler work? Easy to install? Pricey? Oil gauge is pressure anyway, need an aftermarket gauge for temp, I've had one in both of mine and it's scary to see it get towards the top of the gauge. Oil cooler just has a sandwich plate that goes between the filter and the engine, with lines that run to the cooler, which basically acts like a radiator and the air hitting it cools the oil, which flows down the other line and back into the sandwich plate.
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Post by jackyboy on May 3, 2016 21:50:13 GMT
Cheers titch. I have one of the fake oil gauges so will have no idea until its too late i guess How does a oil cooler work? Easy to install? Pricey? Oil gauge is pressure anyway, need an aftermarket gauge for temp, I've had one in both of mine and it's scary to see it get towards the top of the gauge. Oil cooler just has a sandwich plate that goes between the filter and the engine, with lines that run to the cooler, which basically acts like a radiator and the air hitting it cools the oil, which flows down the other line and back into the sandwich plate. So annoying that mine is not actually functional. Just why?. If i had known my pressure was getting high i can back off. Will the engine be damaged after driving it constantly at such a high pressure? Dont want to blow it up :/ What matters more temp or pressure? I will look into getting some sort of gauges for both. I plan on starting to make track stuff a regular thing but i cant if my engine is a worry :/
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Post by atlex on May 3, 2016 22:21:40 GMT
I thought higher oil pressure was generally a good thing ?
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Post by jackyboy on May 3, 2016 22:40:33 GMT
Matt and horney this is good to read. Gives me a bit of relief. I will keep on top of the fluids as much as i can for combe and see how she gets on with two sessions. Atlex that is what i thought too, until the oil started escaping through a new cam cover gasket after a session at silverstone.
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Post by atlex on May 3, 2016 22:41:12 GMT
I thought higher oil pressure was generally a good thing ? This is how to think about the things you're dealing with.. oil pressure is related to the viscosity, which is related to the oil temperature.. which in our 'water-cooled' engines is related to coolant temperatures, unless you put an additional oil cooler on like a mocal which is effectively another radiator, but one directly working on the oil rather than via the coolant temperature. oil itself is also a coolant, in air-cooled engines like the vw beetle. if you ever see a vw beetle engine's cooling solutions you will be amused, I knew a fellow drag-racing them who had 6 oil coolers on his. I don't do trackdays (at least not in my own cars ) and a real pilot may care to correct me.. but IMO money spent on a fat ally race rad followed by better temperature measurement, followed by maybe a mocal-style auxilliary oil cooler (if your temps are on or over the border) makes the most sense.
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Post by atlex on May 3, 2016 22:46:30 GMT
Matt and horney this is good to read. Gives me a bit of relief. I will keep on top of the fluids as much as i can for combe and see how she gets on with two sessions. Atlex that is what i thought too, until the oil started escaping through a new cam cover gasket after a session at silverstone. I'm being a sceptical snatchbogger canoe here but the cam covers aren't really part of the oil pressurised system - that oil was just seeping past a failed gasket because the engine was up to temperature and maybe a little hotter than usual by trackdaying (it'd probably have leaked slower on normal use). how much oil did you lose ? the risk is that you ran out and your oil pump was sucking air. As long as you didn't lose much oil you shouldn't have seen any significant difference in oil pressure..
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