GT350 Build - Autocross Time is Great but Track Time is Better

[WItoTX]

I think you 100% made the right call to pull the motor when you did. Those bearings look as bad or worse than mine after it had let go, minus the set of bearings where the catastrophic failure happened. Seems like you did the right thing and got ahead of it.

As far as RPG is concerned, it's unfortunate they're operating the way they are. I'm concerned I won't get my motor stand back. I had put some wheels on the Ford stand to make transportation easy. I'm hoping it isn't lost when I finally hear back from them. I'm hoping RPG can get those items over to you and we can see how things were looking in there.

I might have made a mistake on the cams and OPGs. I went back and edited my post. After talking with RPG and Bumberas, I forgot I squirreled away a few things in the shed immediately after I got the car home. I think the cams and OPGs are in there. If that is the case, I will get photos of those in here as well.

I hope you get your stuff back. That is a really bad deal right there. I know the feeling. I was a weekend or two away from driving out to RPG when I got the message my motor was shipping.

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[WItoTX]

Been a while since I updated this thread. I got the car back last night, and am in the process of installing coil overs. However, when I pulled the wheels (Apex VS5-RS, purchased in Nov 2022) off, I discovered a crack in my wheels.

I hit up Apex last night to figure out what is going on. One thing I did learn, Apex only has a 2 year time period to get half off a replacement wheel. BUT, they have a lifetime warranty on structural failures. So I am not sure if I will get any grace from them.

The actual crack is over half way through the tire, and spiders on the back side of this spoke.

I don't expect they are going to warranty this. Regardless of all that, hopefully this is a reminder to track folks on here, always inspect your wheels for damage, no matter how easy you were on the car at the last event. I didn't drive CotA particularly hard last event, and still this happened.

 

[Dana Pants]

An Enkei PF01 I had on my 2012 S197 finally went twang for the person I sold them to a few weeks ago. Everything in motorsports is a wear item.

 

[svttim]

Forged wheels cost more for a reason. The stress of track driving is much higheler than the street.

 

[kz]

Forged wheels cost more for a reason. The stress of track driving is much higheler than the street.

LOL. It is a forged wheel ironically, specifically marketed for track.

 

[svttim]

LOL. It is a forged wheel ironically, specifically marketed for track.

THANKS, my mistake. I know a lot are not.

 

[kz]

THANKS, my mistake. I know a lot are not.

They're from the newish forged line Apex introduced few years back. They're about twice the price of their cast (or "flow formed") ones.
Question is who provides the initial billets, forgings (certainly isn't something Apex does in house) and how they're inspected at that stage.

 

[svttim]

They're from the newish forged line Apex introduced few years back. They're about twice the price of their cast (or "flow formed") ones.
Question is who provides the initial billets, forgings (certainly isn't something Apex does in house) and how they're inspected at that stage.

They are about half the price as forgelines

 

[webspoke]

Apex warranty'ed my VS 5RS wheels for structural cracks like that. And then developed their 5RE endurance wheels for the heavier cars and loads. They were very good to deal with and stood behind their product.

 

[WItoTX]

Apex warranty'ed my VS 5RS wheels for structural cracks like that. And then developed their 5RE endurance wheels for the heavier cars and loads. They were very good to deal with and stood behind their product.

That's positive to hear. But I am not holding my breath.

 

[WItoTX]

It's been a minute since I updated this thread. Since then, I took the car to Barber MSP. First time going out of state for a track, and learned a lot of lessons. A) I need a covered trailer, B) that I suck and packing, and C) shake down the car harder before leaving town.

As for the track. It's absolutely beautiful. It is the Augusta of the track world. Phenomenal landscaping, very good facilities, track employees who watch you like a hawk (more on that later), reasonable fuel prices, plenty of elevation changes, and an awesome track surface. I would say if you could first visit Barber in a Miata, that would be the route to go. There are so many blind turns, awkward corners, and in general, just things that I would get more comfortable with more quickly in a care with 200 hp and skinny tires.

As to the attentive track employees. On my first session out Saturday, I got black flagged for smoke, the exact same issue I had to deal with at CotA. They made me pull over on track, came with fire extinguishers, only for me to tell them it's catch cans, and to let me just drive back. I forgot (because I suck at planning) if I had emptied the catch can, so just assumed it was already full, emptied it, and moved on. Second session, black flag again, same exact corner. With the G forces there, catch cans were filling up in 3-4 laps. So my Saturday was spent trying to figure out if my oil fill was too high, or if I had another issue. I brought the oil down to middle of the hash marks, and it got me an additional lap or two. So Saturday was a lost cause.

Sunday, I was able to run on effectively an open track, granted 6 laps at a time. After an exhausting Saturday checking bolts, checking for tire rubbing, tuning suspension, and dealing with catch cans, it was nice to run a few laps without the stress of watching for smoke and learn the flow of the track, without the pressure of other drivers.

I ended up with a 1.40. Certainly no blazing time, but after Saturday, it felt good to really get into the flow. Had I thought ahead, I would have booked a hotel for Sunday night, and taken Monday off so I could run all day Sunday. Like I said, I suck at planning.



Since my proper shakedown happened at Barber, I needed to figure out WTF was going on with the catch cans. So the weekend after, I took the car to MSR, AND swapped catch cans (Which I failed to do before Barber. Again, piss poor planning). My theory with catch cans was the elevation change and G forces were the reason for all the oil. So MSR being dead flat, should presumably not have that issue. Well, the issue was certainly less bad, but I was able to run at least 8 laps in a row before the bikes session started. Also, I had rigged up the catch can in a weird way, and since it's now an atmospheric vent, I worried that if it fills, it's blasting right onto the header. So, I came off track after 8, and thankfully I did, because one of the Catch Can fitting had come loose, and was pissing oil onto the valve cover. So now the Catch can will be mounted where the battery used to sit.

On a positive, I was able to turn a PB, and still see plenty of room for improvement.



Doing some more research, I've come to the conclusion that the GT500 valve covers are the correct answer. I got one side on now, and the other will be done tonight.

I knew the baffling was different on the GT vs the 350/500, but I didn't realize that the Gen 1 Voodoo got a different Valve Cover/baffling than the "Gen 2" Voodoo. Every video I found of the install, the drivers side valve cover looked very similar to the 500 valve cover. But here are my valve covers, next to the new GT500 valve cover. As you can see, the GT500 baffle is approximately half the size of the Gen 1 stock Voodoo baffle.

I suspect the reason for my catch can issue was that the oil is getting trapped above the baffle, and in turn, is being pushed into the intake since the drivers side PCV valve is really just a port, not a valve.

Another interesting thing. Once you remove the battery heat shield, and the intake, there is an insane amount of room around the engine to work. I had never pulled the battery shielding, but it dang near allows a person to install the head balancing lines without pulling the engine.

So interesting takeaway from all this. Don't be lazy prior to travelling a long distance to enjoy a track. Life lesson, and I will definitely be going back. Barber is an unbelievably good track, there simply isn't a moment to relax and catch your breath, and Chin is a great org to run with there. Also, the new Penskes are so good. Bumps that I knew were going to cause problems with the MR don't even exist with the Penskes. Why did I wait so long?

 

[Biggsy]

Awesome write up Kyle.
Didn’t realize you went to coilovers. Cortex?
What spring rates?

 

[kz]

Yeah, what Penskes ? 7500 ? 8300 ?

Any why covered trailer you mentioned at the beginning ?

 

[WItoTX]

Awesome write up Kyle.
Didn’t realize you went to coilovers. Cortex?
What spring rates?

Yeah, the Cortex. 750/900. I highly recommend them, but I'd go directly to Penske next time.

 

[WItoTX]

Yeah, what Penskes ? 7500 ? 8300 ?

Any why covered trailer you mentioned at the beginning ?

1 because it seems to rain at least 1 day on the weekend I pay a lot to experience a track, 2 because it would be really nice to throw everything in a trailer instead of the bed of my truck, and 3 because the amount of cars on the highway that will pull up next to the car on the trailer, then start taking photos, then just sit there in your blind spot, while your trying to pass another car in the slow lane, gets real exhausting on a 10 plus hour ride.

Don't get me wrong, I'm flattered anyone would want a photo of my car. But man it takes it out of you when you're just trying to get from A to B, and someone just sits along side you at 75 mph.

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