wstar's Journal

DR_ · 03-20-2014, 05:44 PM

That is a lot of track time. Don't get burned out!

wstar · 03-20-2014, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DR_

That is a lot of track time. Don't get burned out!

I don't know if it's possible to get burned out on track time, but I'd like to find out

This is what keeps me from getting burned out on the rest of life! I will almost certainly end up dropping a couple of those for schedule conflicts eventually, though.

That aside, I feel like I'm at a point where doing several events with less downtime between them will probably help me get over my next few hurdles in driving skill and get to a good comfortable point where I can relax my event pace again. I end up quizzing lots of track junkies, and that seems to be one of the common threads I hear over and over, variations on the theme of "I was kind of stuck at stage X for a little while, then I hit several events back to back in a short period of time and that really accelerated the learning curve and got me past that and my driving really took off". I think the ramp-up in the middle-late part of this year will probably fill that kind of role for me.

wstar · 03-20-2014, 08:05 PM

For any of you other 7AT people out there looking at rear end stuff, I think I finally found the information on the real difference in the rear ends between 7AT and 6MT. This is all "what I think I know right now", it may change as I learn more (or worst case, it may change once I buy parts based on this and find out they don't work!)

Supposedly, the only difference is actually in the thickness of the ring gear itself and the mounting flange on the LSD carrier for that ring gear. Basically the 7AT's 3.357 ring gear is 10mm thicker than the 6MT's 3.692 ring gear, and the thus also the mounting flange for that ring gear is 10mm further to the inside on the 7AT's VLSD vs the 6MT's VLSD.

If this information is actually true, then if you're putting an LSD unit into a 7AT rear end and leaving the stock gears in place, you need 7AT-specific LSD unit that's 10mm shorter at the gear mounting flange. But if you're upgrading to 6MT-size gears anyways, you should be able to drop a 6MT-model LSD (wider) + 6MT gears into the 7AT pumpkin without issue.

Beyond that, it's a matter of figuring out which aftermarket and/or takeoff gear sets from various other Nissans are which thickness, but I think the general rule is that most are the same thickness as our 3.692 6MT rear gear, and the 10mm-thicker 7AT 3.357 is the "special case" (both for our car, and several other Nissan/Infiniti AT cars which have that exact same gear ratio).

Mike · 03-22-2014, 08:35 PM

I don't think you will get burned out at all, but you will be in HPDE=4 by the end of the year with that schedule. Skill builds extremely fast if you can get out a couple times per month.

wstar · 03-27-2014, 01:30 PM

More tire porn! I went ahead and picked up a single set of the 285/645-R18 GT-O's from Hoosier/Conti. Can't beat $110/tire for sticker slicks!

They're a little taller than the 265/645-R18 Wets, but appear to be exactly the same width unmounted. Go figure, but works out good for me

I probably won't mount these until my RS3's die sometime in the mid-late summer.

VoBoy · 03-27-2014, 02:09 PM

nice! let us know how the switch from street tires to slicks go! can't believe it was just a year or two ago you were on continental DW's -> RS3's -> full competition grade rains and slicks!

wstar · 03-27-2014, 03:00 PM

Oh I imagine it will be a little dicey at first, but I'm thinking by the time these RS3's die I should be close enough and be able to deal with it and adapt. Worst case if I can't, I'll pull them off and run through a set of NT01's or something first, then put them back on and try again

sig11 · 03-27-2014, 08:33 PM

You'll love it and won't want to go back.

They call them black crack for a reason.

Mike · 03-28-2014, 08:30 PM

funny story, I have mine stacked in the garage until after the last freeze, when they will go to my storage unit. I was looking at them, compared to a stack of my unmounted 295 hoosiers and they were much taller. I later realized I have them stacked 5 high!

wstar · 03-28-2014, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

funny story, I have mine stacked in the garage until after the last freeze, when they will go to my storage unit. I was looking at them, compared to a stack of my unmounted 295 hoosiers and they were much taller. I later realized I have them stacked 5 high!

Well, nobody ever said you had to be able to count to 5 to drive a race car

wstar · 04-16-2014, 09:13 AM

I missed the Apr 5-6 MSR-H event already, had some personal things to deal with that weekend, and I won't make the NASA Hallet event either. I'm already on a roll with screwing up my aggressive schedule

I think I might try to do the Edge Addicts COTA thing at the end of June, though. Karen rocks, I'm sure her event will kick all other COTA events' asses.

In other news, work sent me to Athens last week. If you ever get the chance, go. I've been many places, and it was by far one of the best cities I've visited. Well worth the trip, and pretty cheap there due to the current economic situation. I'm almost tempted enough to just sell all my stuff and move there, even housing is pretty cheap there right now

wstar · 04-21-2014, 12:55 PM

Revised upcoming schedule (subject to work/life cancellation/interference!):

Apr 26-27: Nismo Fiesta @ H2R
May 17-18: TWS - The Driver's Edge
June 21-22: MSR-Houston - The Driver's Edge
June 28-29: COTA - Edge Addicts
Aug 9-10: TWS - The Driver's Edge
Sep 6-7: TWS - The Driver's Edge
Sep 20-21: NOLA - NASA
Oct 4-5: MSR-Houston - The Driver's Edge
Oct 11-12: TWS - NASA
Nov 1-2: Eagle's Canyon - NASA
Nov 22-23: TWS - The Driver's Edge

wstar · 04-28-2014, 02:56 PM

Back from NismoFiesta w/ the Houston Z's crowd, which was awesome. Got to chat with a bunch of vendors/sponsors (Nismo, Z1, etc, even a Motul rep!). The trackday was only 4x 15m sessions, but still tons of fun. I really like Harris Hill even though it's a bit bumpy. You get used to kinda skipping along the bumpy parts

Video links are over in a post in the NismoFiesta thread: NISMO Fiesta 2014 4/26-4/27

wstar · 05-09-2014, 11:05 AM

Got the EC-WETs mounted this morning. 18x10 is not ideal for these 265/645R18's. I think they should really be on 9.5's, maybe even 9's. They're not like, ricer-stretched or anything, and they're mounted well enough to not be a safety hazard on the track, but the rim edge is wider than the tire sidewall, so you get zero rim protection while manhandling the wheels around the trailer/paddock/car. They'll probably look a little better with proper pressure and the car's weight on them, but still

Pics:

wstar · 05-18-2014, 06:24 PM

TWS Recap!

I did a Red-group check-ride Saturday and got myself into Red w/ Driver's Edge. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I thought they'd be running me down all session and I'd have my arm hanging out the window the whole time, but I'm actually on pace with them pretty well (although certainly not in the faster half of the group). The simple corner passes I'm pretty used to now, but I can tell it will take a while to learn how the rules of "etiquette" work in a pass-everywhere group.

For example, in the "pass on straights only" groups, usually if I see a car closing on me fast in the corners but he's still not quite on my bumper, and I know he's not as fast in the straights, I'll lift for him on the straight so he doesn't get stuck behind me for a 1/3 of track in the next twisty section. It seems like the opposite social rules apply here: if they're not on your bumper coming into the straight (*and* faster than you on the straight), go ahead and stay in the throttle and pull away, because when/if they do catch you in the next twisties, you can always let them pass there as well. No point in losing laptime over trying to be pointlessly-polite.

Also, I broke my car this morning. As I laid into the throttle for a pass, the car went into some kind of limp mode and I had no real revs or power left. I coasted down through the next corner and then eventually pulled off the side of the track. Tried to restart the engine, but it was running rough and limiting at like 2K with a SES light on, so I gave up and let them tow me in :/

SES was for a faulty Crankshaft Position Sensor. Restarting it in paddock, the engine seemed to run ok at idle and very low RPM, so I doubt there's any internal damage (well, it was a little rough, but I think that's probably the limp mode's un-tuned timing and/or lack of good sensor input, etc). There was a funny rattle off and on though, and it sounded like it was coming from the bellhousing area. Jacked the car up and pulled the crankshaft sensor, and it has some physical scratches and wearmarks on the tip of it like the flywheel nicked it. With the sensor back in I was able to drive it back up into the trailer at least, with that bad rattle sound.

At this point my best guess is a cracked flywheel/flexplate, or maybe a flywheel<->torque converter bolt backed out, or both. Parts cost on the sensor and flywheel is pretty cheap, but it will be a bitch to drop the trans to install the flywheel. Next events are June 21-22 and 28-29, so I need to figure this out relatively quickly. Tomorrow I'll pull the access covers/plates and/or the starter motor so I can actually look at the edge of the flywheel or tap it with a hammer and see how it sounds or something. I may just call a Nissan place too and see what they'd do. The shorty lift in my garage doesn't have open access under the trans, so I know I can't (easily) drop it here.

03-20-2014, 08:05 PM	#768 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	For any of you other 7AT people out there looking at rear end stuff, I think I finally found the information on the real difference in the rear ends between 7AT and 6MT. This is all "what I think I know right now", it may change as I learn more (or worst case, it may change once I buy parts based on this and find out they don't work!) Supposedly, the only difference is actually in the thickness of the ring gear itself and the mounting flange on the LSD carrier for that ring gear. Basically the 7AT's 3.357 ring gear is 10mm thicker than the 6MT's 3.692 ring gear, and the thus also the mounting flange for that ring gear is 10mm further to the inside on the 7AT's VLSD vs the 6MT's VLSD. If this information is actually true, then if you're putting an LSD unit into a 7AT rear end and leaving the stock gears in place, you need 7AT-specific LSD unit that's 10mm shorter at the gear mounting flange. But if you're upgrading to 6MT-size gears anyways, you should be able to drop a 6MT-model LSD (wider) + 6MT gears into the 7AT pumpkin without issue. Beyond that, it's a matter of figuring out which aftermarket and/or takeoff gear sets from various other Nissans are which thickness, but I think the general rule is that most are the same thickness as our 3.692 6MT rear gear, and the 10mm-thicker 7AT 3.357 is the "special case" (both for our car, and several other Nissan/Infiniti AT cars which have that exact same gear ratio). __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details Last edited by wstar; 03-20-2014 at 08:10 PM.

03-22-2014, 08:35 PM	#769 (permalink)
Mike The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Loganville, GA Posts: 5,944 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 2186	I don't think you will get burned out at all, but you will be in HPDE=4 by the end of the year with that schedule. Skill builds extremely fast if you can get out a couple times per month. __________________ NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

03-27-2014, 01:30 PM	#770 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	More tire porn! I went ahead and picked up a single set of the 285/645-R18 GT-O's from Hoosier/Conti. Can't beat $110/tire for sticker slicks! They're a little taller than the 265/645-R18 Wets, but appear to be exactly the same width unmounted. Go figure, but works out good for me I probably won't mount these until my RS3's die sometime in the mid-late summer. Megan370z likes this. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details Last edited by wstar; 03-27-2014 at 01:33 PM.

03-27-2014, 03:00 PM	#772 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	Oh I imagine it will be a little dicey at first, but I'm thinking by the time these RS3's die I should be close enough and be able to deal with it and adapt. Worst case if I can't, I'll pull them off and run through a set of NT01's or something first, then put them back on and try again __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

03-28-2014, 08:30 PM	#774 (permalink)
Mike The370Z.com Sponsor Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Loganville, GA Posts: 5,944 Drives: 370z Rep Power: 2186	funny story, I have mine stacked in the garage until after the last freeze, when they will go to my storage unit. I was looking at them, compared to a stack of my unmounted 295 hoosiers and they were much taller. I later realized I have them stacked 5 high! sig11 likes this. __________________ NISSAN: 75 280Z / 86 300ZX GLL /87 Sentra SE / 03 350Z / 23 Z Porsche: 93 968 / 23 Macan GTS / 93 968

03-20-2014, 05:44 PM	#766 (permalink)
DR_ Track Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 981 Drives: Touring/Sport M6 PG Rep Power: 17	That is a lot of track time. Don't get burned out!

03-27-2014, 02:09 PM	#771 (permalink)
VoBoy Base Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chicago/Houston Posts: 37 Drives: 06 350z Rep Power: 16	nice! let us know how the switch from street tires to slicks go! can't believe it was just a year or two ago you were on continental DW's -> RS3's -> full competition grade rains and slicks!

03-27-2014, 08:33 PM	#773 (permalink)
sig11 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Detroit Posts: 1,294 Drives: 09 370Z Red Sport-MT Rep Power: 18	You'll love it and won't want to go back. They call them black crack for a reason.

04-16-2014, 09:13 AM	#776 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	I missed the Apr 5-6 MSR-H event already, had some personal things to deal with that weekend, and I won't make the NASA Hallet event either. I'm already on a roll with screwing up my aggressive schedule I think I might try to do the Edge Addicts COTA thing at the end of June, though. Karen rocks, I'm sure her event will kick all other COTA events' asses. In other news, work sent me to Athens last week. If you ever get the chance, go. I've been many places, and it was by far one of the best cities I've visited. Well worth the trip, and pretty cheap there due to the current economic situation. I'm almost tempted enough to just sell all my stuff and move there, even housing is pretty cheap there right now __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details Last edited by wstar; 04-16-2014 at 09:33 AM.

04-21-2014, 12:55 PM	#777 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	Revised upcoming schedule (subject to work/life cancellation/interference!): Apr 26-27: Nismo Fiesta @ H2R May 17-18: TWS - The Driver's Edge June 21-22: MSR-Houston - The Driver's Edge June 28-29: COTA - Edge Addicts Aug 9-10: TWS - The Driver's Edge Sep 6-7: TWS - The Driver's Edge Sep 20-21: NOLA - NASA Oct 4-5: MSR-Houston - The Driver's Edge Oct 11-12: TWS - NASA Nov 1-2: Eagle's Canyon - NASA Nov 22-23: TWS - The Driver's Edge __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

04-28-2014, 02:56 PM	#778 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	Back from NismoFiesta w/ the Houston Z's crowd, which was awesome. Got to chat with a bunch of vendors/sponsors (Nismo, Z1, etc, even a Motul rep!). The trackday was only 4x 15m sessions, but still tons of fun. I really like Harris Hill even though it's a bit bumpy. You get used to kinda skipping along the bumpy parts Video links are over in a post in the NismoFiesta thread: NISMO Fiesta 2014 4/26-4/27 DR_ likes this. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

05-09-2014, 11:05 AM	#779 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	Got the EC-WETs mounted this morning. 18x10 is not ideal for these 265/645R18's. I think they should really be on 9.5's, maybe even 9's. They're not like, ricer-stretched or anything, and they're mounted well enough to not be a safety hazard on the track, but the rim edge is wider than the tire sidewall, so you get zero rim protection while manhandling the wheels around the trailer/paddock/car. They'll probably look a little better with proper pressure and the car's weight on them, but still Pics: Boost_lee and carlitos_370z like this. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

05-18-2014, 06:24 PM	#780 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	TWS Recap! I did a Red-group check-ride Saturday and got myself into Red w/ Driver's Edge. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I thought they'd be running me down all session and I'd have my arm hanging out the window the whole time, but I'm actually on pace with them pretty well (although certainly not in the faster half of the group). The simple corner passes I'm pretty used to now, but I can tell it will take a while to learn how the rules of "etiquette" work in a pass-everywhere group. For example, in the "pass on straights only" groups, usually if I see a car closing on me fast in the corners but he's still not quite on my bumper, and I know he's not as fast in the straights, I'll lift for him on the straight so he doesn't get stuck behind me for a 1/3 of track in the next twisty section. It seems like the opposite social rules apply here: if they're not on your bumper coming into the straight (and faster than you on the straight), go ahead and stay in the throttle and pull away, because when/if they do catch you in the next twisties, you can always let them pass there as well. No point in losing laptime over trying to be pointlessly-polite. Also, I broke my car this morning. As I laid into the throttle for a pass, the car went into some kind of limp mode and I had no real revs or power left. I coasted down through the next corner and then eventually pulled off the side of the track. Tried to restart the engine, but it was running rough and limiting at like 2K with a SES light on, so I gave up and let them tow me in :/ SES was for a faulty Crankshaft Position Sensor. Restarting it in paddock, the engine seemed to run ok at idle and very low RPM, so I doubt there's any internal damage (well, it was a little rough, but I think that's probably the limp mode's un-tuned timing and/or lack of good sensor input, etc). There was a funny rattle off and on though, and it sounded like it was coming from the bellhousing area. Jacked the car up and pulled the crankshaft sensor, and it has some physical scratches and wearmarks on the tip of it like the flywheel nicked it. With the sensor back in I was able to drive it back up into the trailer at least, with that bad rattle sound. At this point my best guess is a cracked flywheel/flexplate, or maybe a flywheel<->torque converter bolt backed out, or both. Parts cost on the sensor and flywheel is pretty cheap, but it will be a bitch to drop the trans to install the flywheel. Next events are June 21-22 and 28-29, so I need to figure this out relatively quickly. Tomorrow I'll pull the access covers/plates and/or the starter motor so I can actually look at the edge of the flywheel or tap it with a hammer and see how it sounds or something. I may just call a Nissan place too and see what they'd do. The shorty lift in my garage doesn't have open access under the trans, so I know I can't (easily) drop it here. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details Last edited by wstar; 05-19-2014 at 10:59 AM.

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