So, after two failed attempts at completing a full lapping day because of car problems, I was finally able get a full one in!

The track: Pacific raceways.

The weather: Perfect. Overcast and in the 60's. Brakes never showed signs of overheat, as well as the tires.

The trackday was great, there were only 20 cars per group (two groups), and that allowed for plenty of driving without even seeing another car. Among the cars, a late 80's testarosa, black STi, two comptech supercharged S2000's, a half dozen or so porsche 911's, another 5 or so M3's, an ITR powered CRX, and a 4dr GSR...can't remember each car, but that sums it up good.

The Advan A032R'swere excellent. I bought the "S compound" instead of "hard" because I figure 30-40 minute sessions would benefit more from the softer tire. I have never driven on them before, and I loved the feedback and handling they gave me. I was worried about not having as much steering response as I had with RE-010's and Azenis, but I felt the steering response was BETTER than before, especially once they had about 4-5 laps on them. R compounds are definately a HUGE step up from "normal" street tires. The car was much more planted around the higher speed corners, and for those who know Pacific, I was able to enter turn 2 at close to 70, where before 65 was my max, and 5b I can take insanely fast...I can only imagine that once I learn the behavior of these tires, those speeds will increase even more!

To accompany the tires, I put on some Cobalt Friction GT-R(VR) pads up front, and GT-Sport pads in the rear. This is my second track day with these, but that day was only a good 20 minutes long thanks to some mechanical problems. But today really showed how much a nice pad improves things. Only on the braking zone before 3a did I feel ABS engage, mainly because it is at a good downhill grade. Braking for 2, coming in at around 125mph, was a huge improvement over my previous hawk blues. I only need to give about 3/4 braking effort to get full braking effect, anymore and the car feels unsettled and I'm not in any hurry to loose control.

There is still much learning I need to do with these tires and pads, but overall I feel that even when I'm not driving at my previous limit, the affect I'm getting is superior to that from before.

Here is the kicker. When I blew a bunch of smoke out of my exhaust a few lapping days ago, many people here told me that an oil catch can will barely do anything with my stock motor...after 40 minutes on the track, I was almost able to fill a whole gatorade bottle...I'd say the catch can did its job nicely. Anyone who is considering getting one, or tracks their car and doesn't think they need one...get one, thats all I can say.

...and now the pics.

My car, and my dad's, who goes to almost every track day I do...its a bonding thing


The new shoes




Pacific is known for eating your front-right tire, here she is after 68 total track miles:


Oil catch can setup:


What 40 minutes of track time COULD do to your motor:


Just in case anyone is wondering, mod list:
ATS 4.9 FD
Fidanza flywheel
Exedy organic clutch
Revalved Koni Yellows (touring spec)
Goodridge SS Lines
Motul RBF 600
Cobalt GT-R(VR) front / Cobalt GT-Sport rear
Yokohama Advan A032R-S 205/50/15 on Mazda Millenia wheels
Cusco Oil catch can
Stock motor

I'll edit in some videos taken from my dad's "bullet cam" tomorrow...

Thanks for reading my essay and enjoy the pics

 

Good write-up, very cool that you and your pops get to go together

 

nice review and pics!

 

WHOA...

looks like you need some baffles in that cusco (hack chop it open & stuff steel wool in there) and perhaps even a drain back system....!

 

I don't get it, we're protecting the motor from getting...oil, on itself? Or in the combustion chamber? Why would you be pumping what appears to be almost a liter of oil into anywhere it's not supposed to go? That seems like something is wrong to me, but then again, I don't know anything.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris93Si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Good write-up, very cool that you and your pops get to go together </TD></TR></TABLE>

so who's faster you or your old man???

 

nice write-up. Glad to hear that you were finally able to track your car!

btw, how did you mount the cusco oil catch-can?

 

Also, how did you empty the catch can? The instruction manual says you should be able to remove the indicator tube but I can't get the damn thing out

 

whoa, i wish my dad was into cars, yumm........... supra

videos plz

 

looks like you "lose" some motor oil......how was the oil level looks like after the oil has been pick up from the catch can?

did you put motor oil back into the motor?

I will be going to track next Monday and Tuesday....my first time with the catch can.......anyway, I dont have burning oil or smoke problem but I do want to see if my catch can "catch" anything

 

cool.
nice writeup and must be fun with your Pops there too!

glad to see a catchcan working and I bet the car was hella fast with the AO32R and ATS 4.9 !!!!!!

 

good write-up. can you explain the oil catch can because i haven't the slightest clue how they work. anyway, i saw your father
yesterday in his supra.

 

The oil that collected in the catch can would have entered the intake manifold, and then the combustion chamber. Oil reduces the octane level, which could cuase detonation, also it just gums everything up...

Why would this be? Wouldn't baffling just increae the amount of oil caught?

we dont have any real laptime counters, but from videos, he still hasn't been able to push one out faster. The course is more corner friendly, than it is horsepower. He has three times the power I do, but because his car weighs over 3600 he just can't brake or corner as fast as I, plus this time, he didn't have the advantage of R compounds. I convinced him its time to get some R compounds, so we'll see how well that helps him. Overall it is very close though.

There is a 10mm bracket that holds one of the power cords coming off the battery, I removed this bracket and used it as the mounting poistion. The can is very stable with only using one of the supplied brackets. It has some contact with the intake arm, but its rubber so I'm not worried about any damage occuring.

I feel you on this one. I didn't want to break the little tube thing because I was yanking on it pretty hard...so i just loosened one of the blue nuts holding one of the two "nipples" and turned it upside down. You have to take out the can to do this, but no biggie, for me it was just loosening the 10mm tensoiner nut on the can. Worked good.

I believe I saw you too...black ITR with front end in Auburn. We had just left Daves 76 on Auburn way. My dad is addicted to 101 octane, and its right off the highway from the track, so we go there before and after every track day. Car looks nice As for the catch can, you remove the OE line running from your PCV valve (red nipple thing on your intake manifold between the #1 and #2 runner) to your IM. Mount the catch can in a suitable location and run the supplied lines to the two points, PCV valve and IM. This makes the oil vapors exiting the PCV valve pass through the catch can before returning to the IM.

Strangly enough, the oil level when I left for the track this morning (car completely cold) was a hair under full. After I finished swapping brake pads and wheels at the end of the track day (car sitting for ~45min) the oil seemed to be in the same spot....the only plausable explaination for this is my car is haunted and likes to randomly create new oil.

By the way, I should say thanks to Oscar (WhosITR) for the millenia wheels. Great seller and great person

Videos will be up tonight...gotta work now

 

very nice.

 

now that is a track setup IMO. Leave the engine alone, and go racing. Great work

 

Don't you want to catch even more oil than you are right catching right now?

That or just vent it out in the atmosphere since you are on track and not on the street?

Either way, I think it'd be nice to be able to have a drain back system that's found on the modded moroso can....


Modified by RagingAngel at 4:01 PM 9/18/2003

 

Anyone know where the Endyn catch can drains oil back to? You could then tap a hole in the can and have it drain back.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jim80y &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Also, how did you empty the catch can? The instruction manual says you should be able to remove the indicator tube but I can't get the damn thing out </TD></TR></TABLE>

Just pull the sprung blue fitting at the top end of the indicator up and it releases the hold on the tube so you can pull it out. You can then rotate the tube at the bottom joint and drain it. Make sure you pull the blue fitting up to allow the tube to fit back into place on refitting.

 

haha yess, A032R's own! nice pics too.

(avatar should look familiar... )

-sander

 

Nice rides, anymore shots with your dad's car?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RagingAngel &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">WHOA...

looks like you need some baffles in that cusco (hack chop it open & stuff steel wool in there) and perhaps even a drain back system....!

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Baffles reduce the amount of oil vapors/droplets from going into the intake, Crankcase pressure is what fills the tank.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ITR#132 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Baffles reduce the amount of oil vapors/droplets from going into the intake, Crankcase pressure is what fills the tank.</TD></TR></TABLE>

DO NOT put steel wool in a catch can... the fine fiber of the pad breaks down quite easily and will sucked out of the can and into your manifold... you can see what i am talking about by simply rubbing the pad on something, small metal fibers are byproduct of wear.

you need to get a steel scouring(sp?) pad that is much thicker and not woven like the steel wool. serioulsy if you are baffling with standard steel wool you should replace it asap.

 

Nice, sounds like a lot of fun!