825 replies to this topic

[FTodaro]

Restrictor plate arrived today!  Holy crap 38mm looks so small compared to the throttle body.  Only ~44% of the available flow area. 

 

I am happy to report that the diameter of the plate is as it is supposed to be - 0.010" under.  Maybe 0.011", but close enough.  I had been concerned after hearing a few people comment about receiving plates that were 0.020" under. 

 

It’s like trying to suck a basketball through a straw.

[davew]

I new a girl once................

[Jim Drago]

gotta have more graphs.. missing the graphs!

[speedengineer]

gotta have more graphs.. missing the graphs!

[speedengineer]

Was out of town over the weekend, Great Lakes Racing Expo.  Got to see a bunch of racing buddies as well as do some indoor karting.  Much fun, but didn't help with race car progress.

 

Today I installed rotors/calipers and stainless steel brake lines at all corners.  I've quite happy with theTechna-Fit lines.  They installed well compared to whatever set I installed 3 years ago on the PTE car, which had to be set 'just right' to not be stretched at full steering lock nor rub on the wheel.  I still chose to reuse the oem banjo bolts rather than use the ones in the kit.  The ones in the kit appeared well-machined, but I just can't bring myself to trust a turned bolt for something so critical as the brake system. 

 

Also, these dampers have a track map of the Nurburgring on them.  That means they must be fast, right?

 

 

 

 

I also learned perhaps the most important thing all year:  My toolbox is perfect for opening beer bottles! 

Pic, cause it's more interesting than 3 more photos of lame brake lines:

 

[speedengineer]

Recaro finally made it in.  I sat in the recaro and the racetech back-to-back in the car, with the pedals and steering wheel etc all mocked up.  The recaro fits me like a glove, really good support in the legs, hips, ribs, everywhere really.  Basically, despite the racetech being the smallest version they make, it is simply too big for me. 

 

I prefer the racetech in some ways as I think it's a safer seat (if it fit properly) with features such as the integrated provision for seat back brace mounting, and larger side head wings and shoulder wings.  The fabric material is also feels thicker and nicer, and the cooling air vent on the seat back looks functional.

 

That said, I can't justify using a seat that doesn't fit me.  Sure I could do custom padding, but I don't want the hassle and expense (on top of an already expen$ive seat).  Additionally, I would have had to notch the trans tunnel for the front edge of the racetech even further to position the seat as far right as I want it.  So, I will be using the Recaro.

 

Anyone interested in a brand new Racetech 4119 at a slight discounted price?

 

 

 

Now that I have the seat situation figured out, it's back to interior and roll cage fab!  Finished up the drop floor pan. 

 

Bent and tacked up the leading edge piece.  There was a few ways to make this piece, the concern being how it ties into the factory floor pan, which is not flat.  Trying to tie into it horizontal means you'd have large gaps to try to fill with weld, or would have to bend and distort the floor pan.  Yuck.  Instead, I bent the piece to intersect the factory pan vertically.  This makes it easy to weld, and has the additional benefit of providing structural rigidity, which is important now that the factory front seat mount bar has been removed.

 

 

 

Fully welded.  The bottom front corner is doubled up on the bottom side for strength, in case it ever takes a curbing hit, etc. 

 

[speedengineer]

25 hours working on the car this weekend.  Took some parts up my engine machine shop, cleaned a lot of parts in preparation for engine build, inspected and re-assembled my oil pump, trimmed inner door panels, and fabricated some of the roll cage.

 

First, oil pump.  Everything checked out as it should be.  Minimal witness marks on the plunger.  Cleaned, then re-assembled. installed new front oil seal.

 

 

 

 

Cleaned a whole bunch of parts.  Oil pan, valve cover, all coolant inlet and outlet parts, a ton of fasteners and bolts, cam sprockets, etc. 

 

 

 

Fabricated and tacked in the harness bar and passenger side door bars.  FYI, harness bar-to-diagonal notch is a very time consuming one to get right.  Yucky.  Anyway, it turned out nice. 

 

As far as the passenger side door bars go, went with this 'triangulated nascar' style over traditional nascar door bars for several reasons:

1)  Greater torsional rigidity

2)  Less mass

3)  Easier to fabricate

4)  Passenger clearance to door bar is a non issue, as no passengers in SM

 

Note, the 'node' where the bars come together is at the height of the center of miata front bumper beam - perhaps slightly higher, in the event this car ever runs with other vehicle models.  The node will also be getting 'taco' braces to stiffen it.  Just haven't gotten to those yet.

 

 

 

[speedengineer]

Just realized that it's leap day. 

 

The true significance of Leap Day:  I get a free extra day to get the race car done by its deadline!!!

[Tom Hampton]

I'm no expert but I thought you had to have nascar style door bars to gut the doors... Not x-brace style.

[Tom Hampton]

Also I wouldn't want that x-brace design after seeing Lee thomas' wreck from the tws majors last year. William keelings bumper nearly penetrated between the lower door bar and the rocker panel. . That started out as a 1 inch gap.

[speedengineer]

I'm no expert but I thought you had to have nascar style door bars to gut the doors... Not x-brace style.

 

Nope, the rule is that the inner structural panel may be modified "only if the door bars extend into the door cavity". 

 

Additionally, my door bars are nascar bars as defined in the GCR technical glossary:

"NASCAR-Style Door Bars – If installed, shall consist of one or more sidebars
that intrude into the door cavity and connect the main hoop to the
front hoop."

[speedengineer]

Also I wouldn't want that x-brace design after seeing Lee thomas' wreck from the tws majors last year. William keelings bumper nearly penetrated between the lower door bar and the rocker panel. . That started out as a 1 inch gap.

 

Sounds like this crash allowed much energy to be dissipated during the yielding of the rocker and cage, thus minimizing acceleration of the chassis and the g-loading the driver experienced. 

[Bench Racer]

Yes indeed the NASCAR tubes did the expected job.

 

http://mazdaracers.c...6-lthomas-cage/

[38bfast]

Pass side door bars look great. You are very correct that dissipating energy via complyiance on the pass side is a good thing. Well unless you put apassanger in the car.

Your design is light. Allows for gutting the door, more lightness. Triangulated with good load paths. No more than it needs to be on the pass side. Good job.

[Tom Hampton]

The discussion thread is here:

http://mazdaracers.c...er/?hl= william +keeling
 

[38bfast]

Lee's incident exemplifies the usefulness of a head containment seat, Hans and center net. The cage deforming in this case was a very good thing to dissipate the energy.

[38bfast]

now get that black sticky crap off the doors. 

[speedengineer]

now get that black sticky crap off the doors. 

 

Ah yes, so much fun.  Time to test all the solvents I have to see which one works the best.  Unless you have a recommendation?

[Bench Racer]

Interesting passenger side protection in S. Rollan's car. Similar NASCAR side protection X to yours with a horizontal tube at the rocker and one center vertical.

[Tom Hampton]

Ah yes, so much fun.  Time to test all the solvents I have to see which one works the best.  Unless you have a recommendation?

Dunno what other's used. Plain ol' mineral spirits worked for me.