nelsonian101

Great choice of wheels mate! When are you next at the circuit?

What spark plug gap?

I have moved my ZF transmission cooler (from under the car in between the front chassis rails) to the front driver side bar, fed by removed fog light air. I think most ZF cooler kits with thermofans have the fan sitting behind the cooler, blowing air onto it when the fluid reaches a certain temperature with a relay set up. While this set up is great in summer peak hour traffic on the street while stationary, is it ideal for the circuit at high speed? Is it better to have the thermofan in front of the cooler blowing air onto it (shouldn't block airflow too much), or even behind the cooler drawing air through the cooler? (Note: Pic is just for display purposes only, from another car I found on this forum with a similar set up)

Great info there. I recently had my ZF tune firmed up for a circuit day. Perhaps this extra friction on the clutch plates and a few WOT changes from 4th to 5th contributed to overheat the transmission quite quickly.

What ZF oil temp is reached before the car goes into limp mode? 120deg C?

Might even pull my car off the circuit to run a blistering mid 12 one day.................

Maybe idler pulley. Belt tensioner? Throttle body clean can't hurt to eliminate cause one by one.

With a +22 offset, 275 is the max rear size I could fit on my car (which is quite low) and that was with rolled guards and 2deg neg camber.

I have already removed the rear rubber seal and have done many circuit days with and without it. From my understanding, the pressure difference between the bottom of the windscreen and engine bay forces air INTO the engine at speed. Not out. This would be hot air at the circuit on a 30deg day. I.e. a venturi effect that you don't want at 200kmh. This is why older cars had rear facing scoops though for a different reason. To get air into the engine intake, not out. Opposite would be true while stationary in a road car I guess. Looking at the vent position of Fords top circuit cars like the GT40 and RS Focus have vents toward the front just behind the radiator. This is the plan but may also put some at the rear of the bonnet bulge too.

I like it! Is there any mesh underneath and is it ever driven on the street like that?

I have a FGXR8 fibreglass bonnet (with bulge/no vents) I want to add vents to for my daily driven circuit car. Always have had problems with summer circuit overheating. Will be shrouding my radiator this year and experimenting with less coolant percentage and additives. From my understanding, the vents ideally need to let the air out after it passes through the radiator at speed on the track. The one below is from a HO Interceptor. I am considering putting some old XR6/Focus RS style vents where these front side holes are, or also adding some more slots to the front/sides. Any ideas appreciated.

What tyre size?

Had a quick check and no obvious head gasket leakages but have always had problems with the thermostat housing, but never this bad. Could this be causing the problem? Have replaced the gasket a few times now, but should I replace the top housing/cover too? (Needs to come off anyway when the 82deg goes in anyway)

It was a humid day close to 30deg when this occurred. Frustrating because can't chase any lap times due to overheating. The brakes used to be the first to go but they have been well sorted now. I've been doing this a while. Synthetic fluid with 318deg boiling point. Even with the Race Spec only Project Mu H16-013 pads (for Brembo) they are holding up well now. Proper brake ducting including enclosed fibreglass shrouds on inner front hubs to removed foglight on drivers side. (Straight from the control V8 brute ute series. 100mm dia high temp orange brake ducting.) I've cracked 2 sets of dba5000's straight through and have gone back to 4000's because they are cheaper. Ideally would use an Alcon or AP 6 pot caliper with proper air vane rotors but cant justify the cost. Current set up is outlasting engine temps anyway. The passenger side foglight is blocked with an engine oil cooler so the passenger side brake duct starts from under the intercooler. This may be part of the problem with air flowing under the intercooler and not directly through the radiator. Will be doing a full pressure test soon. Head gasket may be a possible cause. Will still be ducting the radiator a bit more effectively closing off the top and bottom and also bonnet vents just behind the radiator with a similar design to the RS Focus. Will be relocating the power steering cooler and possibly cutting the top off the stepped PWR intercooler.

Will be now be fabricating a ducting shroud to enclose the radiator. Confused with the undertray removal. I removed part of it when the brake ducting was fitted (from a V8 brute direct to inner front hub) but thought full removal would create a high pressure zone under the car not allowing the air to escape after passing through the radiator. This may be ok for non vented bonnets though, but the opposite appears true for cars with vented bonnets which I will be fitting soon.

Great suggestion. Will this definitely fit FG Falcon?

Had a crap circuit session at Eastern Creek GP circuit last night. Car would not get 2 laps in before over heating. Usually only do winter track days, now remember why. (Vented bonnet going on for 2014.) As you may know, I have a lot of experience now with these cars at the circuit and attempting to reduce heat. Already have a transmission cooler, engine oil cooler. Coolant watchdog alarms, rubber strip removed from bonnet, big cooling fans in the pits with bonnet open, coolant additives etc, excellent car maintenance. Stock radiator has also been replaced with a Fenix. Problem is the cooler set up in these Turbo Falcons. Air has to pass through the intercooler, Power Steering Cooler and AC Condensor before even reaching the radiator. This is a unique problem for circuit cars and not experienced so much on the 10-12 second drag strip. Heat soak (and air intake temp) is less critical for me now compared to radiator flow. The stepped PWR intercooler I currently have is partially blocking any flow to the radiator on the top section. 2 questions: 1. What intercooler do you recommend that is very thick at the bottom and light (don't mind front bar cut now) but still allows flow at the top grill intake? 2. What are your thoughts on cutting/ re welding the current Stepped PWR design, allowing more flow to the radiator? (I am also considering option to relocate the Power Steering cooler and condenser or even cut/fit a smaller condenser) Front ducting space is minimal now as both fog lights are already removed for brake ducting/oil cooler. Any ideas?

Winton holds track days most Friday's. www.driveevents.com.au hold them at Phillip Island too. My last circuit day was September 7th but have a big week ahead. Both Twilight Eastern Creek day this Thursday 5.30pm to 7.30pm Then a Hill Climb at Marulan on Sunday!

Is their room in the back for 2 baby seats? Serious question. Or is it a real hassle putting kids in baby seats from the front door? I have a wife and 3 kids and this may be my next work, circuit and dad taxi car.

Thanks. Good to have piece of mind now Went into panic mode as I have a hill climb at Marulan next weekend and I need the Truetrac performing bigtime. Track is a ridiculously tight 2nd geat reverse layout including skidpan and possible handbrake turns!

Quick update. Just spoke to a diff guy and he re-assured me that this is normal for a Truetrac. This type of Truetrac will only work when power is applied to the drivetrain and will act differently at standstill to the stock diff.

I had a Harrop Truetrac installed in my FGXR6T late last year. Regular diff oil changes with top shelf synthetic oil since then. With the car jacked up at the back when I spin one rear wheel (I think it was LHSide?), the opposite wheel (RHS) rotates in the opposite direction Which is what I understand is normal for a LSD diff. However, when I spin the other wheel on the RHS, the original wheel (LHS from memory) remains stationary. Shouldn't the original wheel spin in the opposite direction too? The car is very rarely launched hard from standstill. Never drag raced. Maybe 5 circuit days though since the diff installation but I am not overly hard on the driveline. Central Automatic Transmissions did the rebuild and I recommend their work. Is this normal behaviour for a mechanical LSD and did the synthetic oil have anything to do with it? I know Harrop prefer mineral but didn't seem up to the spec for my circuit temp requirements so I was recommended synthetic. Mainlube have seen many Truetracs with no problems so far too. I am disappointed if it is broken as I was under the impression due to their sales spiel that this diff was very strong and would outlast the car. I remember driving the car late last year and could feel the tyres chirping from one side to the other during 1st gear drives from the traffic lights, but it feels to be spinning the LHS wheel now. Just seat of the pants feel but I maybe wrong.

Thread revival! Has anyone else broken one of these or checked theirs out to eliminate the slackness in the drivetrain? My car has had the centre diff bush and side bushes replaced but has done 227,000kms on the stock Tailshaft coupler/dough nut bush.

So E85 is now available in Tamworth and Coffs!? You're kidding! I just did 2 work business trips to both Armidale and Coffs. Had to take 3 x 20l Jerry cans up both times and still had to switch to 98 on the way back. Always a hassle. Just wish there was somewhere near Hornsby area. Closest is Pendle Hill and Gosford 30km away.

I agree, it's safer to use 2 X 044's and also a duel fuel rail and regulator. What I have used for a while now at the circuit and also daily.