Hyperblade

That's awesome! Looks really good on them too. I would be so tempted to put a body kit on to make it look even tougher 

5 minutes ago, Truenotch said:

There's still a good number of FT40 and FT50 chassis being raced in the north island's Formula Open series, so there's potential to get the right second hand tyres from those teams. They'll have more race KMs on them and might not be as cheap as they were in TRS days, but it'll still be an option for club racers if you talk to the right people. 

TRS was good as they had new set each weekend so it forced them to get rid of them early, so sometimes they tyres had only done 1 race.

With these guys running the old cars I suspect they will run the tyres into the ground (using in testing etc) since they aren't in the same type of competitive series with the same type of money being thrown at it, but very happy to be proven wrong on that one.

7 hours ago, Roman said:

Initially I was looking to longer term get something like Nankang AR1 which still comes in 13".
However I somewhat stumbled into the idea of raiding the used parts bins of the TRS series cars. 

These cars run a 13" wheel with a Michelen front tyre which is about the equivalent of a 200/52/13 size. 
I am amid some negotiations to get a set of 4 second hand soft compound slicks that still have some life in them (but beyond the point of usefulness for the series cars)
I dont have any tyres yet, maybe this coming week. But I'm fizzing to get some and see how they fit up.
Hopefully it works out well. 

The new tyre size has a smaller rolling diameter than current.
It'll have the equivalent effect of changing from the 4.3 final drive ratio, to a 4.6 final. With considerably less effort or $$ needed.
The car will also receive some free lowering too. sounds like a win-win to me.

Having just been blown away by how much grip the car had with old R888R, I think I'm gonna wee my pants with the grip available from soft compound slicks. 
 

So...

The Michelin TRS tyres are/were absolutely awesome (They are a F3/F4 tyre), they work from cold, have amazing amounts of grip and were cheap, hence why I run them.

So for track days they would be perfect for you.

Unfortunately with the latest TRS Chassis they changed rim and tyre sizes and moved the rears to the front and went bigger again on the rear.

So the easy access to these tyres is now gone and everyone who was running them are hoarding them (like me) . The new tyres on the TRS are Hankooks which are nowhere near as good.

You can still find the old tyres but they will be at least 2 years old (not really an issue they are still amazing) but it's a lot harder to find a decent set as they are usually pretty worn.

Compared to semi slicks there is no comparison, they will have more grip and will last a shit load longer.

Just to be aware the tyres were designed for a 9" rim, but most guys run them on 8" rims, this means they bulge out to 220mm but tread is still 200mm they have a diameter of 540mm. The new TRS fronts require a 10" rim and 580mm diameter.

The rain versions I've been told are amazing in the wet, the grip is like driving in the dry. A lot of guys use them for hill climbs and sprints where you need "treaded" tyres.

If you want new slicks you are looking at around 450+gst a tyre, and I can put you in touch with the person who brings them in, seems like a lot but for you they would probably last many years and still be faster then semi slicks.

For pressures run them at 21 psi hot and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise, yes it will be slightly rolly, but get used to it and the grip and life of the tyres is that much better, just be careful on initial warm up as you will be starting at 15-17psi so avoid curbs etc.

Can be shipped world wide...

https://koskinimport.com/cars/nissan-micra-rally-car/

This vehicle first competed in 2013, in 2019 it was totally stripped and rebuilt renewing many parts.

The rebuild included for example a body kit, kit-car support arms, plexiglass, rear axle and other necessary modifications like struts. In addition, the electrics were totally renewed.

The engine was benched last spring, 160hp/180nm

Car mechanics:

·       1300cc engine. Driven 60km after maintenance. Wiseco pistons, h-profile connecting rods, flame rings, drilled head, racing valves, camshafts tee sealed, Jenvey throttle body, Racing exhaust manifold.

·       Elite Racing Transmissions gearbox (Dog Box). Driven 20km after maintenance. Gripper differential lock.

·       Alco clutch 184mm

·       Alco big brakes in front.

·       Alco brakes at the rear.

·       Bilstein shock absorbers (50mm front)

·       Adjustable support arms on the rear axle

·       Front Nissan Sunny GTI front wheel hubs (Bigger joint=stronger)

·       Steel drive shafts

·       Hestec engine control unit

·       Corsa’s electric power steering

·       Reworked radiator. To the original place but thicker and more efficient

·       Oil cooler

·       Roster exhaust with FIA approved race catalyst

·       Good roll cage

·       Mirco RS2 seats

Spare parts package:

·       Spare 1300cc racing engine in parts

·       Spare direct coupling gearbox in parts

·       New Wiseco Piston Kit

·       New seals, bearings, etc.

·       Front doors, tailgate, bonnet

·       Headlights

·       Rear axle

Are you sure you want to run that clutch plate on a street car?

Unsprung clutches are generally not advised for street driving as the start/stop loosens the rivets holding the clutch plate to the hub.

And they work the input shaft wearing it.

So the manufacturer I talked to only advised using it for drag cars.

On the flip side,

• your right it should help the synchro's due to the weight
• my mechanic runs unsprung on all their rally cars and has no issues, but they also run sequentials most of the time.

Cylinder head bolts: 39Nm (29ft/lbs), 90 degr, 90 degr. (One extra 90 on new bolts.)

Main cap bolts: 29Nm (22ft/lbs) and 56 degr.

Girlde bolts (M8): 22Nm (16ft/lbs).

Rod bolts: 29Nm (22ft/lbs) and 90 degr.

Valve adjustemet locknut: 19Nm (14ft/lbs).

Valve cover bolts: 12Nm (8.7ft/lbs).

Chain tensioner bolts: 12Nm (8.7ft/lbs).

Cam holder bolts: M8 22Nm (16ft/lbs), M6 12Nm (8.7ft/lbs).

Intake Cam Gear: 112Nm (83ft/lbs).

Exhaust Cam Gear: 69Nm (51ft/lbs).

Timing chain cover: M6 12Nm (8.7ft/lbs).

Crank Pulley: 245Nm (181ft/lbs).

Flywheel: 118Nm (87ft/lbs).

Spark plugs:16Nm (12ft/lbs)

On 18/08/2022 at 16:09, Truenotch said:

Gutted about the clutch! @Rhyscar had an Exedy HD clutch plate blow to bits behind his standard blacktop 4AGE and there's plenty of stories from others about breaking the plates etc. Hopefully you'll have no problems once you chuck a decent one in there. 

Looks like the handling on this car has come a long way too. I can see the extra confidence in your vids. Everything should come together once you've got the everything dialled enough to do constant laps. Keep it up.

Thanks, its been a hard slog, once I can stop worrying about the car I can then focus on my driving so should be some good improvement still to come.

It's always easy to forget all the little issues you have with racecars and the improvements you make over the years. And the actual success you're had. As your so focused on the next issue.

That's why it's cool sometimes looking back through the old videos and realising how far it's come.

Once everything is sorted, I have worked out how I can put a flat floor under whole car including rear axle, so that's the next long term project, but no point doing that until happy with car handling now.

2 hours ago, Roman said:

Have you noticed much of a difference with handling, with the lighter motor mounted a bit further back? 

So this is a hard question to answer, here goes...

Before I put the k20 in I was having suspension issues, and it turned out valving of shocks were wrong (to hard), I got that fixed but never had a chance to run on track and check the results.

The rear brake pads (that were to aggressive) were also put in before the engine change (I'll explain why this is important later)

So along with the 30kg lighter engine and it being set back a long way giving 52/48% weight distribution (previous 57/43%).

The new alignment also changed the front camber from 3degrees to 4.25

Along with the new engine we lengthened the wheel base front and rear 50mm each for total of 100mm (same as ae86 now)

The rear diff has changed from 4 angled links to 3 link with watts linkage.

The rear lsd has new oil and been tightened up.

So definitely just a single change like everyone recommends doing...

So it makes it harder to pinpoint a single cause for improvement.

I can say:

The car is more predictable on the limit, it's really controllable when it goes over. This is likely because of the longer wheelbase.

The rear grip through the corner and out of it is substantially better, this is likely because of 3 link. But weight distribution can play a part.

I feel turn in is better, with the previous setup it really wanted to understeer in and also out of corners. I feel the understeer is a lot better.

This would be down to weight distribution but can be affected by the other stuff.

However in all of this is the issue I've been having with rear brakes locking so I've had to be gentle on brakes and a lot longer on them, this has meant it's really really hard to consistently hit the apexes as I don't know where I'm actually going to stop so I always leave a lot of contengancy in the braking zone, that means I end up finishing my braking early which then means I'm coasting to corner so don't have the weight over front wheels to help turn in.

So I think it's helped but still need to adjust my driving style to suit now.

Overall I have a lot more faith in the handling then I did before which allows me to push it more. It feels more complete as a package. So I think it has made a difference.

TLDR: yes you should put a 180hp Prius motor in your carina set way back it would handle way better then having that heavy cast iron block hanging over the front end. Or dropping the whole lot in the back might be easier long term.

There is free entry to spectators at the first round of Canterbury Club Club Mag & Turbo Race Series this Sunday (14/08)

At Ruapuna Raceway

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ruapuna+Raceway/@-43.5381515,172.4851566,14.5z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x6d31f5e57000d139:0xdd53fa61bab90227!8m2!3d-43.531912!4d172.486425

Racing starts at 11:30am and goes till 4ish.

You can check out some of the cool cars that will be racing at https://www.cscr.nz/driver-profiles

Lots of interesting cars will be out there ranging from old classics to modern race cars.

I use Avidemux (http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/) for basic chopping and combining.

Can someone help with picking a Lathe Quick Change Toolposts.

Reading the guides on how to select one they say to half the swing over bed value (280mm) which would equal 140mm for me.

But then there isn't a toolpost that has a range that fits that?

But I also don't get how that measurement is actually useful, isn't it going to be based on the height of the top slide to the center line (which is 27mm for me) and the cross slide + top slide heights could be different for different model lathes? 

What am I missing here?

I see there are also a couple of different types.

These ones which are pretty cheap for all the tool holders.

And these ones which are like the ones the original manufacturer offers (SWH 1 - A https://www.stuermer-machines.com/metalworking/metalworking-machines-lathes-conventional/swh-1-a-3384301/).

Which seem to allow tool angle changes, but the tool holders look like they are more expensive from ali.

Is there any pros and cons in the use of them? (I'm planning to use HSS for most of my work, if it makes a difference.)

7 hours ago, fletch said:

2.5mm hole in the thermostat seems a little small. Thats a lot of time for the hot water to work its way up the outlet pipe to the thermostat, while also getting cooled on the way further delaying the thermostat seeing the real temperature.

I have crewed on a few methanol race cars and they had a 6mm or larger thermostat bypass,(either around the thermostat, or back to the pump suction to allow some water flow during warmup) with the thermostat as close to the block as possible to enable it to open once it got up to temp.

Yeah it does seem crazy small.

However Davies Craig thought it was ok. And it's what I've been recommended by someone who uses it on all the race escorts, mazdas etc. He said it's surprising how much water actually flows through a hole that small.

The other thing to keep in mind is that on a circuit car on the warm up lap where your going slow (70 to 100kph) with low rpm but have quite a bit of airflow over the radiator so it's hard to get it up to temp.

But at the end of the day I won't know until I get it on track and easy enough to make it bigger, then to make it smaller!

I wanted to avoid a bypass pipe as it just clutters up the engine bay and adds more points of failure, so hoping this solution works.

For those looking for a Lathe,

I found a document online with brands/dimensions/weights etc but you couldn't sort/filter it.

So I ended up chucking it in a google spreadsheet to make it easy to find what I wanted.

You can find it here, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vPvD7lQsCxY5yxZLOrhaM9m2saIqhlp0IrdrZcO-K50/edit?usp=sharing

If you want to filter, copy it to your google account then your good to go.

Note: I removed some minor variations of lathes (mostly optional longer bed ones)

I found it useful to see what sizing's were commonly available, helped me narrow down my searching.

12 hours ago, ajg193 said:

Way covers are a waste of effort. They will just hide dirt and dust on the way and get in they way when you want to oil everything. Keep it open and clean.

Oh, I was a bit unclear, not going full hog, just a bit of aluminum attached to the carriage under the tool to keep the worst of it off the ways.

9 minutes ago, yoeddynz said:

@Hyperbladecool lathe.

Hey into the habit of cleaning the ways  after use before you re-oil them. It's like a bike chain in that it's no point oiling it when it's dirty and turning the oil into a grinding paste. Clean it well and then apply the oil. 

Crc marine 66 is ideal for spraying on everything else not painted and  that's not under any weight in use. Keeps the castings from flashing off rusty like. 

Also - get an old bed sheet and when you've finished cleaning the lathe cover it. Even general dust in a workshop turns to a mucky filth on a lathe and it all adds to the grinding paste effect. Especially grinding dust! 

Thanks for the advice, yep agree.

I'm going to make a way's cover to help stop the debris landing on them and have ordered some silicon T-Slot plugs to help limit the stuff dropping on them. I'm also going to pull the carriage apart and give it all a good clean and make sure sure the oilers are all working before use as some of them look stuck.

Thanks for tip on Crc marine.

Make sense to cover it when not in use!

7 minutes ago, Raizer said:

ISO68 is what's actually spec'd in the manual for his lathe for the ways

The luxcut manual i have specified the gearbox oil but not the ways, and the optimum one i downloaded didn't specify either, I'll have to see if I can find a better manual.

Thanks for the suggestion appreciated!

On 12/02/2022 at 18:26, Roman said:

Another issue I've been thinking about for when I finally get to a trackday.
Is to try tame some of the floaty feeling of driving a bean bag shaped car at 180kph+
Currently all of the engine bay air has to go out underneath.
The drip tray and windscreen wiper area unbolts, so its easy to remove a big chunk that should flow a bit of air out even if it's not an ideal location. 

Might do some wool tuft tests and try see where the air wants to go when the whole panel is missing.

I am guessing that the engine bay air will mainly want to try escape past the wing mirrors rather than going over the top.

As has been pointed out removing the drip tray won't help you as to close to the windscreen, the WRC Yaris are further away, plus they have designed it in wind tunnel.

Couple of vents in front of bonnet would work extremely well.

Could try and vent engine bay into wheel wells, but then you need to get that air out so would need vents in the front guards.

Front splitter just to brute force pressure at front to cancel out the lift.

Another option that isn't as drastic might be to add a front bumper lip.

My thinking being your trying to reduce the air going under the engine bay, which allows more of the engine bay air to go out under the car, overall dropping the pressure, hence less lift. 

Bonus is I have a brand new roll here that I never used which you can have, pm me your address and I'll send it up if you want it for this.

13 hours ago, ajg193 said:

If you need any stuff turned up on a lathe or mill just hit me up and I'll sort you out super quickly

Thanks! I had seen your post and was keeping it mind, only reason I didn't go with you for the flange was I had spent quite a bit of time discussing it with Bert, so don't like to do that to him. The reducer I finally got in the mood to do some work and just wanted to get it out of the way, some better planning from my end and I could have got you to do a much nicer job then I did! I'm sure I'll be in touch at some point in the future

1 hour ago, GARDRB said:

I've got an F-series diff in my corolla, and I was able to swap the pinion flange from the factory S-series onto the F-series pinion, so didn't need to adapt the flange. I wonder if you could do the same with a hilux flange on the 86 diff?

We had a look at it but was different sizing. I also need to be very careful with where the diff flange is positioned as the only in and out movement in the driveshaft is the CV joint which is limited to 10 odd mm each way so diff flange can't change position.

No big deal, I drew up the AE86 flange in CAD with where the new bolt holes are going

Then designed up the adapter flange which will go over the diff flange from the back

Should be pretty straight forward on a lathe, and will give the diff flange the extra strength required, not worth taking a chance on just the AE86 diff flange when the driveshaft is spinning at 9500rpm.

On 22/11/2021 at 16:32, Roman said:

Congrats on first shake down! 
One thing to consider is that even if power were the same, your power to weight ratio has improved on account of the weight loss. 
And less weight in the heftiest part of the car, so there are handling gains too.
Also the peripheral benefits you mentioned at the start, like excellent aftermarket support means there's heaps of scope for development. 
I'm stoked to see it running, look forward to seeing further developments!
I reckon you can easily wring a bit more out of the motor with some tweaks.
The best part and most fun part is definitely yet to come. 
Thanks for your efforts to document the actual changes etc, I think this is legitimately the first time I've seen an attempt at a fair comparison. 

Thanks!

I alluded to it in my post, but the retarders on the dyno had changed from 110v to 220v, so it's not an apple to apples comparison, i.e if it was on the 110v it may show a bit more on the sheet.

Yep all of those apply, the engine has a lot more easy potential then the 3SGE if I want to go down that route.

Probably the thing to do next would be a decent set of quad throttles, as I'm sure my intake isn't ideal with the double bend, but that's a lot more money then I want to spend at the moment, need to get the car consistent again first and actually do a full race season.

After the last shakedown and being able to stay in the throttle all the way, I can safely say it really pulls hard in the top of the revs i.e from 7000 to 9000 the power just does not drop off like the 3SGE did and the beauty is on gear change it drops to 6700 again right into 200hp again, unlike the 3SGE, so it accelerates really hard.

It feels very different in a good way. I'm also hitting max RPM in 6th now which is around 210kph where as before I was only hitting 195kph odd, so it's certainly a fair bit faster.