Bit Quick Off the Gun

:(

Looks like I might have been a bit premature in saying my overboost is fixed. I hit overboost cut out suprisingly easily twice on the way to work this morning - I was just giving it another test to be sure.

grrrrr... wonder what was different yesterday. :?

Holy Crappamoley!!!

Well, that cat has pretty much done the job. I noticed that there might still be a bit of overboost present, but it's barely nothing. No more cut outs and I can finally red line it - maybe.

I gave it a good attempt to get it to overboost and cut out like the days of old, but it wasn't having it. The car just simply kept powering on and on, and when I finally looked at the taco I noticed it was somewhere past 7500rpm. So either it has not rev limiter and I went past the red line (as the stock taco says 7000rpm for redline) or I haven't reached the red line.

But eitherway, finally being able to just give it a boot full without a care in the world (other than the clutch) has shown me a whole other car. It's crazy!

:D :D :D

As for the little overboost there is, maybe I just have to grow into the new car and then I might have a better understanding of it. But for now, I'm a very happy camper. :D

Helmet Room

Well, I just tried out sitting in my car with one of my helmets on. All in all it's not as bad as I thought it would be. As long as I don't try and sit up perfectly straight, and I have the seat slightly reclined (how I normally have to have it anyways - but not how I'd prefer) I seem to have clearance between the helmet and the roof. Still I can easily bump the roof with my helmet, and the right side of the roof (where it drops down for the door) also seems to be in the way.

I think bouncing around a track I might expect some sort of constant head hitting, but I wont know until I try. But from what I've seen tonight, I'm happy to at least do that much - try. ;)

Plus, this was with my larger helmet. My other helmet (the one I normally ride with) is over at my mate's place with my motorbike - no room here for it anymore with the rota. But seeing it is smaller maybe it will be slightly (ever soooo slightly) better.

Oh well, at least I finally know. ;)

SDMA Hillclimb

Hey ppl,

Last Sunday I went out to Wakefield to watch the rotaries at the IPRA round - especially the mazprep 12AT Gen 2 - and this week-end I went out to the SDMA hillclimb here in Canberra to watch some more rotors. It was good day with some very well performing rotors showing their stuff against a large mix of other cars of all shapes and sizes.

Unfortunately I only had my lil' digital camera that has no zoom with me, but some photos are better than no photos so here we go. (Click on them for bigger versions.)

















As for my rotor I've noticed that it seems to have developed a minor oil leak but I can't for the life of me figure out where it is coming from - well without getting it up on ramps and getting under it. So guess that's another thing that I will need the guys to check when I put it in for a new clutch. Other than that, it's going good and I had it out and about this week-end.



I'm also in the process of attempting to organise a meetup of Canberra rotors, but I get the feeling there isn't a lot of interest. But guess I wont know until the day when I get to see how many have turned up. If you're interested, info can be found at this link on the REACT site.

Cheers,
Oz.

Maybe I'll Get a Cat

Although below I stated one option would be to modify the exhaust, and said I would not do that, I'm now thinking I might.

Below I mainly meant changing the exhaust to a 2.5" system or the like, and I still don't want to do that. But after talking to mates it seems like a catalytic converter may provide enough back pressure to fix up the overboosting.

One of the best arguments for this, is that the S4 turbos were originally on the FCs and they had cats and thereby the exhaust flow was no where near what I have (especially seeing stock they would not have been 3"). Putting the cat in then (even if it only reduces the flow by 10% - around which most high flow cats do) should do the job and be cheaper if it works. Plus, I can stop getting out of the car and smelling like petrol. :D

So at lunch I think I will go and get a quote.

UPDATE: Car is booked in for next Wednesday for the supply and fitting of a high flow metallic catalytic converter. I'll post up whether it fixes the overboost etc. ;) (Next week I might take the plunge and get the cutch done too, see what happens.)

OverBOOSTing

hmmm, seems I have an overboost issue and it seems to be more of a problem then crazy levels of boost. Basically when it goes crazy (pretty much always) it seems to overboost to about 17psi and then my engine sort of stutters (maybe a fuel cut) requiring me to back off. This means I've never even hit redline in it yet as it normally overboosts way before then (say at least by 6k) and then the engine stutter.

This morning to see if it was overboosting or if my boost controller was just set too high I turned it down a whole third of what it previously was, but it really made no difference. So following that I decided that it must be overboosting and that must be what is causing the stutter. I'm guessing (based on talking to REACT members) that it could be the MircoTECH detecting the overboost and as a result cutting fuel to try and protect it.

So why would it be overboosting? Well it's an S4 high flow turbo with a 3" straight through exhaust system with no catalytic converter. Now S4 turbos have very small wastegates and are thereby notorious for overboosting - it makes me wonder why ppl high flow them. That combined with the free flowing exhaust is just making it crazy.

My current plan is yet decided but there are two options as I see it. Get a new turbo (Garret) with internal wastegate that will be more suitable; or modify my current turbo so that the internal wastegate is disabled (welded shut) and then rigged up with an external one. This second option could end up costing as much as the first option and the first seems more elegant. However the cost of the first one could be blown out if I need to redo tubing (exhaust and/or intercooler). So just checking out the options for now, but might also have a chat with my mechanic - when I get the clutch fixed.

(Oh yeah, I realise an option might be to modify my exhaust, but that doesn't really seem the best idea when I'd then have to sacrafice potential power. :D )

Handbrake Issues

lol... Tonight I was over at Ergs and we were having a chat inside when Erg thought he heard someone knock at his door. Off he went to check and then called out to me it appears my handbrake does not work.

Erg has an angled driveway and I had parked my car up it when I got there, however my car was now sitting peacefully at the bottom. It seems it had slowly crept to the bottom during the time I was there.

When I got in the car the handbrake was still on so I tried to push the car while sitting in it with my leg out the door. I was just able to move it and really I shouldn't have even been able to do that.

So, when I put the car in for the new clutch, I think I will also ask them to look at the handbrake. The guys seem to think it just needs a new cable. Hopefully that is correct. :D

Joined REACT

Tonight I officially joined REACT. I went over the membership secretaries house, filled in the form, paid the money and got my membership card. So not only have I now my first rotary, I have also joined my first car club.

Back when I had my mini I had plans to join the ACT mini owners car club, but never got around to it. However seeing a few of my mates are members of REACT (Erg, Scotty and as of tonight - same time as me - Sam), so I was somewhat 'inspired' to join.

Anyway, a big HI goes out to all the REACT ppl, and I look forward to upcoming events. :D

Cheers,
Oz.

Work Completed: Brakes, Steering and Shifter

Well, another good day in the shop. Got new brake pads all round, during which the brake line hose for the rear right busted so it got replaced and the caliper got overhauled. Following that they rang to let me know how much it would cost to sort the steering and the gear shifter, which in total it was only going to be an extra $120 so I said go for it - esp. seeing I thought it would be a few hundered each.

As a result it now seems as though it is impossible to miss first gear and the shifter has a nice positive feel. Further, the car no longer wanders around the road as the steering is nice and firm. Now when it does move you feel it through the steering and as such can correctly handle it. Plus, now under acceleration it stays nice and straight. Love it.

Unfortunately it is still not perfect, but I'm currently putting this down to needing a wheel alignment. If that doesn't sort it I know that the front right tire is scrubbed on the inside (that is how I got it) so I will look at moving it to the rear. All in all, a positive result.

Now I just need to save up about $1000 to get the clutch sorted (this was the figure the shop recommended for worst case scenario). Hopefully I can get that together by the end of the month, as first half Septemeber sometime there is meant to be a track day that Sam is going to, so...