This just MIGHT be usefull to all you scoob enthusiasts.

[The Guru]

Here goes !

Track Day Info

Some basic do's/don'ts of track day driving.

Pre-Event checks.

a) Make sure the car is in a well maintained condition.

Check ALL fluid levels.

c) Replace the brake fluid if not changed at service specified interval.

d) Check the condition/pressure of all your tyres, Make a note of the pressures.

e) Check your brake pads for condition/thickness, preferably put new fast road/comp pads.

f) Remove any accessory's not securely fitted.

g) Check the speed rating of your tyres, Make a note of this and never exceed it on track.

h) remove any floor mats from the drivers footwell.

i) remove the spare tyre if you have secure storage.

j) take some basic tools with you, enough to change brake pads at least.

k) take at least one axle stand for when you change the pads.

l) take some rags/swarfega for cleaning your hands etc.

m) Fill up with SUL or Optimax even on standard spec engine, you wont get more performance, just gives the engine more protection from detination. If you run on SUL normally put 1% octane booster in for safety.

n) take a can of Red Bull, it gives you wings you know!

Spares etc to take .

a) one set of brake pads at least, front and rear.

one 5 litre can of oil.

c) some tape to cover your light lenses.

d) a helmet.

e) some thin soled sports shoe's, aids with brake feel

f ) Driving L..

Pre-track checks .

a) recheck your tyre pressures, if one is down you may have a slow puncture which could blow when at high speed.

increase the tyre pressures by 4-6PSI higher than you run on the road.

c) tape up your headlights.

d) ensure you understood the driver briefing, if you are not sure about any aspect, ask for clarification. Ensure you understood the passing rules in particular!

First lap on every run.

a) Never thrash the car on the first lap, speed up gradually bringing the oil/water temperatures to normal working parameters.

Gently bring the brakes up to temperature.

c) use this lap to get familiar with your new, rather alien surroundings.

d) Try and give yourself space front and rear, don't be tempted to follow the car in front too closely as you will be concentrating on him/her and not learning the track.

e) Get used to checking your mirror before and after each corner, you will be amazed how quickly some cars will catch you if you are a track novice.

Rest of laps .

a) Bring up the speed gradually if you are a novice, you will learn more.

Remember your there for fun.

c) If you experience brake fade/boiling don't think it will go away before the next corner, slow down, it is very likely to be worse the next time.

d) If you feel a power loss coming out of a tight bend back off, don't keep it planted, you are probably getting the first sign's of fuel surge, if you keep it planted you are risking detonation due to a week mixture. return to the pits and refuel. This can happen with half a tank of fuel on board, don't get fooled into thinking it cant be happening already, it can.

Last lap in .

a) Do a slow last lap in.

Try to avoid using the brakes at all to give the disks/pads some chance to cool down.

c) don't stop looking in your mirror, there might be some idiot still on max attack .

Entry to pits/stopping .

a) enter the pits slowly, look out for kids/speckies, it is easy to not hear you coming YEAH RIGHT !

DO NOT SWITCH OFF YOUR ENGINE.

c) allow the engine to idle for at least 2 minutes.

d) DO NOT PUT THE HANDBRAKE ON OR SIT WITH YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL.

e) the above is to stop the pads from being destroyed by the heat soak ( thermal shock ) effect from your red hot brake disks, stop on a level surface or arrange for someone to chock you wheel.

f) let everything cool before you check the following.

Post run checks

a) Check the brake pads for wear.

Check ALL fluid levels, You may never use oil on the road, you are almost guaranteed to do so on a track day run.

c) Check your tyre pressures.

d) Check the tyres for wear/cuts.

Hopefully the above gives you some basic useful info to help you enjoy the day and come home in one piece.

Tyre Pressures.

For standard UK tyres, running around 32 or 33 psi all 'round, seems to be a common setting. Going up to 35psi in the past sharpens up the feel of the car a little, but it looses some grip, particularly in the wet. Lower pressures feel like the car is wallowing too much and higher pressures compromise grip (and ride)

Essentially it's down to personal preference. Some have been know to run 34psi front and 32psi rear (pressures measured from cold). Some believe that having the fronts slightly higher reduces the understeer a little as you get better grip on the front.

Anything from 28 to 36 is worth trying, bearing in mind that too low gives wear on the edges and too high gives wear in the center. Also you might find that running pressures too high reduces ride comfort. One thing that has been noticed when trying out over 36psi was that understeer was greatly increased, and when running 28psi there wasn't enough grip.

Overboost

Overboost in simple terms is where the boost pressure produced by the Turbo exceeds a predefined maximum. Once the limit is reached the ECU cuts all power to the engine for a fraction of a second. The result of this, when accelerating hard in all gears it feels like your hitting a brick wall.

Or a more detailed explanation is:

The wastegate is held shut so that boost is generated and when the desired boost level is achieved the wastegate is then opened. However this is mechanical stuff controlled by electronic stuff - electronics can react quickly whereas mechanics can not.

What you find is that when the wastegate is opened the turbo is still accelerating, so for a moment the boost continues to rise until the turbo speed falls. This moment of higher-than-desired boost is overboost. Complex boost controllers try to "guess" when the desired boost level will be reached and then open the wastegate in time, so as not to overshoot it.

Causes of overboot include the T piece clogging up with oil. Also if the orifice (brass hole restrictor) is placed in the wrong line, it will also overboost. Depending on which model it is, it should either be in the line from the turbo to the T-piece or the pipe from the solenoid on the right side of the struct tower to the inlet manifold.

97 98 cars seem to suffer this the most. The hoses from the wastegate can be cleaned and the problem still comes back. Also dealers have removed the restrictor that is in the line to the wastegate and fitted a larger holed one, this lets the car boost to a lower level. Problem solved. Some dealers are drilling the hole slightly larger. Beware they do not drill the hole to large or your boost will suffer.

Tar Spots

Tar spots on the paintwork can be removed using lard or Flora margarine

Piston Slap

The symptoms are a distinctive knocking sound when cold, which disappears when the engine warms up. It is quite loud, and is not to be confused with a tappetty sound quite common in our cars when first started. The noise is apparently like a BOK BOK BOK.

This is apparently a "known" problem with MY98 cars, and some 97MY cars. It seems with the new piston design introduced with the new engine, there can be a chance of the piston in cylinder number 4 distorting slightly. The problem is with the piston skirt design as you state and the fix is the replacement of a 'short engine'.

The fix is either a new short block (ie block + crank + pistons etc), or a new piston for number 4 cylinder which has a different design. Which option is fitted depends on the severity of the problem, as some are worse than others. The problem is apparently due to heat distribution, and it's just as likely to affect a car which has had an easy life, as one which has been pushed hard, so it's no reflection on how the car has been used, or the owner.

A 'short engine' is the basic block (the rest of your engine like alternator/turbo etc gets put back), as this is cheaper than stripping and re-building. It is not a short block, or closed deck

Oil

The upper level is the top drilled hole, the lower level is the bottom drilled hole, and the notch is the notch in the side of the dipstick above the upper drilled hole.

1) Park on a level surface and stop the engine (My comment: this means the engine has been run, i.e. not stone cold in the morning)

2) Pull dipstick out, wipe clean and re-insert

3) Make sure the dipstick is pushed fully home and the oil can symbol is the correct way up looking from the front of the car, the symbol going left to right.

4) Pull out the dipstick and check the oil level, if it is below the lower level add oil to bring up to the upper level

5) If you check the oil level just after stopping the engine, wait a few minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil pan before checking the level.

6) Just after driving or while the engine is warm, the engine oil reading may be in a range between the upper level and the notch mark. This is caused by thermal expansion of the oil

7) To prevent overfilling the engine, do not add any additional oil above the upper level when the engine is cold.

What I read from that is that to check the oil level, fire the engine up for 1 minute, switch of and leave for 5 minutes then set the oil level to the top drilled hole. Take it for a run and then once fully up to temp the oil level should be above the top drilled hole and below or on the notch on the side of the dipstick.

For track use I would check the oil level after the car has come off track and has stood for 5 minutes, it should be between the top drilled hole and the side notch.

As an important note, overfilling with oil is as bad as under filling, you put the oil control rings on the pistons under great stress when you overfill, this can lead to excessive bore wear.

Mobil 1 0W-40

Subaru Japan have stated that all oils with a 0W rating will invalidate engine warranty. This is because 0W viscosity has not been tested by Fuji Heavy Industries and is unlikely to be tested by them in the near future. It is not a result of engine problems and is not related to synthetic technology or oil quality. This oil which operates at temperatures as low as minus 54 degrees exceeds the quality level required of Subaru vehicles. This oil was used by customers for 2 years in Subaru engines without any claims for engine failure before the Warranty Bulletin was produced regarding OW oils.

Mobil recommend Mobil 1 0W-40 for vehicles outside warranty.

I use Mobil Motorsport.

Mobil 1 15W-50

Mobil 1 Motorsport 15W-50 uses the same synthetic technology which results in fast flow rates and reduced friction. It is designed for ardous race and rally use at the highest temperatures where a thicker more stable oil is required. Again this lubricant has not been tested by Fuji Heavy Industries so they cannot give approval.

Mobil recommend 15W-50 for use outside of the warranty.

Mobil 1 5W-40

Using the same technology as Mobil 1 0W-40, MOBIL HAS MADE MOBIL 1 5W-40 EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE TO SUBARU DEALERS.

This product fulfils the viscosity requirements of Subaru for use in all of their model range. Mobil 1 5W-40 makes available the same benefits achieved by Mobil 1 without the extreme low temperature capability and ulta quick circulation offered by the 0W rated product. Mobil 1 5W-40 will be available exclusively to Subaru dealers for routine servicing. For interim lubricant top-up, we advise customers to either return to dealer for top-up or use Mobil 1 Motorsport 15W-50 for DIY top-up. While Motorosport is 15W-50m, the viscosity will have negligible effect on the sump viscosity and the lubricants are totally compatible.

Summary

During the warranty period and in order to adhere to the viscosity requirements of the Subaru warranty, Mobil recommend the use of Mobil 1 5W-40, Mobil Super S 10W-40 or Duckhams QXR 10W-40. Out of warranty, Mobil recommend Mobil 1 OW-40 or Mobil 1 Motorsport 15W-50"

My thoughts

It appears that the dealer CAN use MOBIL 1 oil, the 5W-40. However this is not available to the general public but only to SUBARU dealers. The other MOBIL 1 products will invalidate your warranty, the 0W-40 and 15W-50 types. However using Mobil Super S 10W-40 is okay for your warranty but MOBIL recommend the best oil to use outside your warranty is Mobil 1 0w-40 or Mobil 1 Motorsport 15W-50. So for the people who have wrote and said that their dealer uses MOBIL 1, then it is almost certain to be this exclusive 5W-40 rated oil which we cannot buy. At least the above should clear up everything regarding the use of MOBIL 1. The above is the official statement by MOBIL, it looks like to me that the Mobil 1 Motorsport is a good oil and is probably the best oil but if we put it in our engines we know that SUBARU will not honour the warranty.

Speed/rpm/gear table.

This is a calculator that lets you input your axle ratio, tire size, and gear ratios, and gives you a speed/rpm/gear table.

http://www.maitreg.com/Cars/tools/speedrpm.asp

Brakes .

Warning!

Mucking around with your brakes can be dangerous, if your not sure what you are doing, get professional help.

Put unsuitable pads on a great setup and you'll get poor results. Put hard race pads on a standard setup can result in poor braking from cold and excessive wear or cracked disks when used when hot - basically the pad will not fade as early so you'll continue to use them and thus allow the disks to get much hotter than they may have been designed to withstand.

POTS

Scoob owners often mention POTS when referring to their brakes.

POT is the number of pistons pressing on the pad.

The 2 pot design (early jap WRX's and UK cars before my99) have 2 pistons on the inside of the caliper, the caliper having a sliding design to pull on the outside pad.

The typical 4 pot design (UK cars MY99 onwards) has 2 pistons pressing on the inside pad and 2 on the outside pad.

The 6 pot design has 3 pistons pushing on each pad.

The 8 pot design: has 2 variants; 1 is 4 pistons each side, the other was 2 sets of 4 pot calipers

The 10 pot design: has 5 pistons on each side

and so on.

Note: typically with aftermarket designs the pistons are different sizes to spread the loading on the pad..Also the calipers are made of a more heat dissipating alloy.

Grooved discs

There has been occasions when these have been fitted the wrong way around. The groove should pass through the pad on the outside edge of the disc first. If you put them on backward you just might stop quicker in reverse. LOL

Bedding in pads/discs .

The proceedure for bedding in involves getting the pads faced off to the disc by driving gently, ie no real heat into the pads for a couple of hundred miles. Then gradually build up the heat by doing several stops from 60mph down to 20 mph at medium pressure and allow the brakes to cool by driving without using the brakes. Do the same from either slightly higher speed or more pedal pressure and then allow them to cool again. Finally, do the same again but use almost all the available braking and then allow to cool. The general idea is to gradually build up heat in the pads and discs which conditions the pad .

Replacing pads.

Jack up and remove road wheel.

To make access easier (if front wheels), turn the wheel so calliper is as far out as possible.

Behind calliper are 2 14mm bolts (front 14, rear 12), undo and remove lower bolt .

Calliper is now hinged on upper bolt, twist calliper away from disc (upwards) - it may need encouragement from a screwdriver to lever it - tie off to suspension spring to hold up .

Check disc for damage/wear.

remove pads from calliper carrier, check positions (one pad has a wear sensor- inside pad I think)

remove and replace the sheet steel pads that the pads slide on, if no new ones supplied, then clean originals

place new shims on pads (2 on inner pad, 1 on outer) add copperease to shim and pad rear faces (not on pad surface or disc)

remove lid of brake fluid reservoir, if near top remove a small amount of brake fluid

using a lever or preferably a G - clamp squeeze pistons (piston for rear) back into the calliper, make sure fluid in reservoir doesn't overflow onto paintwork and that the other pistons don't pop out.

slide calliper back over pads (probably a tight fit)

reattach bolt removed earlier .

depress brake pedal a few times to settle pads and callipers back in .

drive carefully until pads bedded in .

Quick Shift

A cheaper VERY permanent way to a quick shift.

Remove the gearknob/gater. Take one hacksaw, and cut off the top of the gear stick, leaving about 5mm of thread. If you can, run a 12mm die down the G/S to extend the threads. Note that you will only make a shallow cut, as the G/S is 11mm dia, with a 12mm thread "rolled" in. Don't worry if you can't extend the thread.

Use some electrical/ptfe tape to pack out the stick just bellow the treads (stops any gearknob movement) and re-fit gater/knob.

Or you can take out the gear lever and hack saw of the linkage and shorten it, this acts as a cheapo option.

Well i hope that helps some of you, I'm off to bed now so night night.

Arron.

TextTyre PressuresOverboost

[Pele]

Insomnia does funny things to people... joking aside, some very useful info here - although Lee needs to go and lie down after reading all that & seeing the bill for things I need - Thank you Arron

[Stretch]

Blimey thats a read

Some really useful info there mate !! Cheers

[GTB Limited]

The Guru has spoken

Just like to add something regarding 'piston slap'.

Don't panic!, unless the noise doesn't go away after the engine/oil has warmed up.

Another way to check, is oil consumption, if it's not using any, there's no point in an immediate re-build/short engine, it could continue to run quite happily for years.

Mark

[HOL]

Aarons done this sort of thing before

Some advise there I wish I had had before my first track event.

Personally, I always have my heater on to help with the cooling and sneakily open my windows a crack to let the heat out. Its a bit naughty and dont blame me if they tell you off!

I also back off a little on the pit straights once the car starts to get too hot (4-5laps), so that it gets lots of cool air to the rad and brakes with no-one in front so I can have maximum fun (and safety) in the corners.

Bear in mind that that you will get a variety of smells in the car, most of which are the results of hot brakes, wearing tyres and strained clutches. This is normal, but it will get in the back of your throat so make sure you have some water ready for when you pit.

<< c) use this lap to get familiar with your new, rather alien surroundings. >>

The above comment is very important, you need to feel the track and increase speed grdually as you try different lines, if the cones are out, use them. Most of the time they denote the optimum turn in and clipping points for the corners. If not, watch the faster cars, they will show you the way to a smooth less stressful lap.

[calder]

a couple of things i would add from experience, mostly with the bmw:

take a torque wrench and the socket bits that you'll need for tightening wheel nuts (you'll also probably need a torque wrench if you do the brake pads prevously mentioned). Check the wheel nut torque before the first session and periodically thorugh the day.

If the wheel nuts are not correctly torqued you could loose a wheel!

Loosing a wheel is obviously pretty serious - it has happened to me once in the bmw and to two other people that i know of.

Possible reasons for this are:

nuts loose to start with,

heat and stress causes things to loosen by differential expansion,

incorrectly fitting alloys eg on spacers causing nuts/bolts to have less thread grip; badly fitting alloys are dangerous on road or track.

also some alloys have a painted surface - there is a suspicion that this can loosen on the mating face with the hub and cause a loss of torque. The others that i know with the alloys that we got a deal on for the bmw's have sanded off the paint on the alloy hub face just in case.

Also when checking fluid levels keep an eye on coolant level as well as temperature - a small coolant leak can quickly turn into a very big one. A big loss of coolant won't necessarlity show up as a big temperature rise although you would have thought so with the temperature sensor being steamed!

all the best

Richard

[Pele]

Advice from Lee, If it blows up buy another one......Drive it like you stole it

[Pele]

Advice from Pele - buy a light coloured lipgloss, it's easier to put it on while driving

[numptyboy]

Advice from Joe - empty a bottle of meguiars quick detailer into washer bottle and use while on track at high speeds and this will keep you blinging all the way round

[HOL]

More advice from Hol.

never associate with the three posters above

Bonkers, the lots of them!

[Pele]

was just a bit of fun Sorry Arron

[Pele]

This needs to be at the top for Saturdays Rallyday

[The Guru]

Best you take your LIPGLOSS then !

[Pele]

Don't worry I've always got some in my emergency kit in the car

[Pele]

Back to the Top for Trax....

[Xtreme Scoobies]

Top up with NF Race, octane boosters are drug like....... :0