Preparing For The Track - RB20DET

[eXc]

Hey Guys,

When I get my pretty much standard 89 GTST, I am going to be entering in many motorkhana's, and hopefully a few track days and drift.

Can anyone tell me any common problems the RB20's have under these conditions. Is there anything I should be doing prior to the day?

I will of course change oil and do a general check over the car before and on the day, but I am refering to stuff like, I heard the SR20's commonly blow a gasket...so you can upgrade to a thicker one or something. I can't remember which gasket it was though, I didn't take too much notice.

I will hopefully have a FMIC by the motorkhana's, and I will definatly have one before the track day.

I assume a brake upgrade would be required for a track day? I assume the standard ones will have HUGE brake fade before a lap is even through?

I am sure all the things I need to do have been covered before, I just need to know what I should be doing so I can search for the "How To's"

Thanks

Chris

[Abo Bob]

Bleed your brakes before you go to a track day. Your car is fairly light so the brakes I expect will hold up fairly well while you have stock or close to stock power levels.

Check the meat on the brake pads.

Check and possibly change your gear box oil if you don't know when it was last done.

Same with the diff.

I'd also change the engine oil.

Apart from that you should be right if you've gone over your car looking for loose things and the like. Take a few tools with you cos something little might happen. Eg; I blew off an intercooler hose.

[MerlinTheHapyPig]

take tool box, remember to pack cable ties & duct tape - they are your best friends

[Cubes]

The car is a little old so I would throw it on the dyno to ensure the fuel pump is holding up.

+ you then know what sort of power it is making.

[TTT]

All fluids changed..

mixtures checked.

brake fluid changed.

decent pads

non soggy suspension.. just gets frustrating..

[eXc]

OK thanks guys, is there any mechanical type things I need to watch out for - As I said, like the SR20 blowing gasket(s).

Tools - Yeah, I trail ride, so I have an arsonal of tools handy, I am the one that every comes to on the trail and at the motorkhana's I have been in.

Dyno - Yeah, I plan to put it on the dyno the 2nd weekend I have it (first will be chaning fluids etc) to get a base power and check stuff out. Then I will do my mods and post up the difference I got, so I know how much difference x mod makes in reality.

Fluids - Engine Oil I will definatly change. Gearbox I will probably change, wallet permitting, but will at minimum check level. Interesting that you say brake fluid change. I didn't think it would need to be changed too often. Guess it's different on the track?

[TTT]

no it doesn't nee dto be changed often, but how do you know when it was last changed?

for the cost of about $50 at the most, you will have peace of mind.

problems - don't set the boost too high as the ceramic exhaust wheel will fail due to the MORE THAN NORMAL heat that it will build up with constant caining on a circuit.

especially with the stock sandwhich toaster.. I mean intercooler.

nothing else really.

I guess it's always a good idea to keep an eye on oil temps but there is nothing on the stock r32 gtst that tells you that.

maybe invest in a oil cooler..

but is it necessary on a stock r32 gtst?

don't know.

[Roy]

I say it depends how long you have owned your car. If you have had it for a while and you know it well, then a simple fluid change and check of rubber fuel lines etc would be sufficient for troubel free track work. Obviously if its a war day then you should consider taking it easy, sitting it out or at least keeping a close eye on temps.

If the car is new to you then i would at least recommend having a pretty close and personal with the car. As soemone said check fuel rail pressure, engine blow-by, compression etc etc. If the car is std then i doubt you would have any probs, but its cheap to check things liek fuel filterd etc etc before going to the track for the 1st time in a new car:)

As for brakes, if youcar has roughly std power then they have plenty of stopping power, plenty. If you are having brake problems its because soemthing isnt quite right, not a problem with the fundamental brake hardware. Just throw some RB74 (Race Brakes sell them) at the front and a decent 5.1 brake fluid liek Motul, or even Motul RBF 600 if you need that extra bit of temp stability.

[eXc]

Ok, sorry guys, I should have been more specific. My questions refer to a (mostly) standard car, that is 'known' to be pretty much 'all good' in the wear and tear of things. And a known history of when fluid changes occured.

As soon as the car reaches my garage, it goes onto the pit, and will change ALL fluids. I will be checking as many bolts and nuts as I can find, in particular steering and suspension. I am lucky enough to have a daily driver, so there is no drama with it taking a week to do all the above and have it sit on stands. I will check brake pads as well.

I will replace the fuel/oil filters. I will then run it for 100kms or so, and do atleast the engine oil and coolant again, just to make sure it is flushed, and I see that it comes out clean for peace of mind.

The first motorkhana I will be going in is on the 12th march. And I planned it to be my 'introduction' to the car actually doing some 'work', I should have the car mid -late February which gives me a week or 3 to do the above, and get a decent drive in it, but obviously with the motorkhana and a reasonable amount of constant wheel spin (hey...i am there for fun, not to win the time trial ) it will be a better test of if stuff can go wrong with it. Then assuming all that works out, we are hiring our local hill climb and then later on i will look at drift after I get the FMIC. 'Track' will come later, I don't know of any organised track days, atleast I know what motorkhana's are on, and the hill climb we can hire anytime.

Looking forward to using my own car in a motorkhana so I can go a bit harder than usual - I have been using my mate's 180, and while he was getting up to a 2nd gear drift, I thought it best not to do that in someone else's car!

Cheers guys

[predator]

If a 1500kg commodore with single pot brakes can get out there on a race track, you should have no problems stopping with 4 pot calipers with a car of an R32's weight.

I took my 19 year old R31 sedan onto the track last year..which has got over 300,000km on the clock and just pretty much a normal daily driver.. and cained the living beejeebus out of it for 20 laps or so (not straight true), and nothing broke, so you should be right

Don't stress too much.. and figure "if it breaks, it was going to break anyhow". Soon as you think that, it's all just fun

[eXc]

Preditor - Yeah, you are right, but still, It would be silly to go out and have something happen and then everyone go "oh duuuuh EVERYONE knows that you have to do xxxxxxxxx before taking a RB20det"

Prefer to look like a fool now than later and have problems with the car

But yeah, this is all about fun, I don't plan to be competitive. I don't plan to spend heaps on the car. I just want to make sure the car is up to the task.