Honey Badger's Completely Off-the-Rails Race Car Build and Track Adventure Thread

[sumfoo1]

On stock suspension with a ‘18 is the stock alignment best for track days on stock super sports or should I adjust it some.

3k miles and 2 oil changes... it’s time to find a track day and start working my way up.

 

[honeybadger]

HB, I have read through this thread since you started it... I normally don’t post but in this case, I have to hand it to you. Your car sounds absolutely amazing.

Thanks brother. Appreciate the kind words!

On stock suspension with a ‘18 is the stock alignment best for track days on stock super sports or should I adjust it some.

3k miles and 2 oil changes... it’s time to find a track day and start working my way up.

Hmm...will depend on your driving level. Harder you drive, more camber you'll need with the stock bushings/bars/etc. A good starting point IMHO will -2 front and -1.5 rear. This is a bit aggressive for the street, but will give good track feel and shouldn't absolutely kill the tires on the street. If you track this car, you'll wear the tires fast enough for the track alignment to be moot on the street.

The super sports need a good bit of help with turn-in since they don't have the lateral grip compared to Cup 2s. Aggressive alignment helps. I run -3 on the MPSS, but I slide around a lot. If you/re newer or smoother, -3 is a bit overkill.

 

[oldbmwfan]

The super sports need a good bit of help with turn-in since they don't have the lateral grip compared to Cup 2s. Aggressive alignment helps. I run -3 on the MPSS, but I slide around a lot. If you/re newer or smoother, -3 is a bit overkill.

Agree with this. At MId-Ohio a couple weeks ago I had to swap to MPSS from the Cups due to rain, then I left them on as the track dried out because my Cup 2 were juuuuuuust starting to cord. (The rain came just in time!)

Despite going from the stock R 305 F/315 R cups to 305s all around on the MPSS (narrower rear tire vs. stock), I still had to fight understeer much more than oversteer on the MPSS. It was really a game of patience and trail braking to get the nose pointed. Still super fun, and I was really impressed with the MPSS traction under braking - felt like I gave up very little in the braking zones relative to worn out Cup 2s. Definitely gave up a lot on entry and mid-corner speed, though.

I'm at -2.2F and -1.8R camber, for what it's worth.

 

[sumfoo1]

Agree with this. At MId-Ohio a couple weeks ago I had to swap to MPSS from the Cups due to rain, then I left them on as the track dried out because my Cup 2 were juuuuuuust starting to cord. (The rain came just in time!)

Despite going from the stock R 305 F/315 R cups to 305s all around on the MPSS (narrower rear tire vs. stock), I still had to fight understeer much more than oversteer on the MPSS. It was really a game of patience and trail braking to get the nose pointed. Still super fun, and I was really impressed with the MPSS traction under braking - felt like I gave up very little in the braking zones relative to worn out Cup 2s. Definitely gave up a lot on entry and mid-corner speed, though.

I'm at -2.2F and -1.8R camber, for what it's worth.

See that’s what I’m feeling. Stock alignment feels great at 6/10 effort but at 8-9/10 I felt a push (understee) and started trail braking to get the nose to follow my intent

 

[honeybadger]

Got my new AIM goodies in the mail today. This should make studying video at the track much easier and hopefully result in me being able to get video uploaded to YT faster. Very excited to test it out. Hopefully no more missed sessions on track due to dead batteries

 

[honeybadger]

Lots to update when I get home, but still on the road. Couple of teasers from VIR.

at Road Atlanta today. First session of the day and on lap 3 already am (4) seconds faster than my previous PB. This car is true and pure insanity.

 

[honeybadger]

Time to catch back up!

So inbetween my last track day COTA and my trip to VIR/RA, I did some maintenance.

First off, I wanted to change up how I was routing my oil. While the remote filter was in a great location to check for leaks and change it, the lines were interfering with the airbox. This meant when the airbox was installed, it was pushing down on the oil lines. Decided to move it.

Additionally, I needed to beef up the block-off plate I created for the grill that used to hold the engine oil cooler. It came off at COTA. I also needed to make some modifications to the Accusump power switch and it's LED. I took opportunity to also install an engine shut off switch. I didn't take many pics because I was pressed for time, but I did grab some video.



Second up was figuring out why I was STILL leaking oil out of what appeared to be the rear main seal. I was confident that the seal was not the main problem. After putting some dye into the oil and starting it up, I found oil leaking from oil pain between the transmission scatter shield and the engine block. I decided to take a chance and pull the oil pan. I used this as an opportunity to replace with the FP350S oil pan. Video below!



Oil capacity is up 18 quarts now! 12 in the pan, 3 in the oil cooler setup, and 3 more in the accusump. It's crazy! Everything worked great on the trip and no problem with oil starvation or leakage. Success!

Next up some notes and video from the trip!

 

[chedder]

Kevin...thought I would show you the latest track dat capture for fun. Stillnot love the Cup 2's

 

[honeybadger]

Kevin...thought I would show you the latest track dat capture for fun. Stillnot love the Cup 2's

Nice! Are you still on your original set?

 

[honeybadger]

Adding to skip to next page for this long post

 

[honeybadger]

Howdy all!

After the non-stop marathon since December working on the car every spare moment, I ended up taking a couple of weekends off to recharge and hang out with some friends. Was nice to finally get a breather - and even better that it came after a huge milestone in my journey (officially marking the engine rebuild complete. Let's recap the last month or so.

For starters, in mid-June we headed out on bucketlist trip #2 to hit up VIR and Road Atlanta. We had 2 days at VIR with David Murry Track Days and then 2 days at Road Atlanta. This was going to be a good tortue test for the car as it had not gone for more than one consecutive day without a failure/problem for almost a year. Here's a recap of the trip (for some additional notes/pics, head on down).



Well I can safely say VIR was AWESOME. It's insanely fast, has the best flow of any track I've driven, and is downright gorgeous. Driving sims really don't do it justice for how big that place really is. Only downside is it is literally in the middle nowhere. 30 mins for any food, shopping, etc. So I was there with David Murry Track Days which runs open lapping. I typically prefer these events because of the flexibility and the insane amount of track time. The first day, I ran (3) 35+ min sessions (essentially till I needed fuel). Full out, no mechanical sympathy for 30+ mins and the motor did incredible. Couldn't have asked for more.

Hot Lap. Made it down to 2:04 - definitely had another couple seconds that I could have shaved off. Can't wait to go back!

Next up we had my all time favorite track, Road Atlanta. I've driven thousands of virtual laps here. It's always been my favorite. The last time I was here was when my engine first started to give me problems (due to an electrical problem at the time), so I was on a mission to get redemption. Safe to say, dropped over 5 seconds compared to the last time I was there and I wasn't even pushing as hard I could have because of what I later found out was a loose magneride sensor bracket causing ABS to freak out during trail braking. What's crazy to me is that I was able to reach 150mph on the back straight even with all the aero and I could wait until the 3 marker going down the hill to get on the brakes. I also improved my apex speed at T12 by 10 mph. Car is so hooked. It's insane. Next time I'm back, I hope to get down into the 1:32-33 area.

Hot Lap - 1:35.09


Laps with pedal cam

In summary, the motor did amazing for (4) straight days of track time and just took everything I could throw at it. Burned well over 150 gallons of E85, about 3 quarts of oil, and went through an entire set of rotors and Hoosiers. Worth every penny.

Next up, I'll recap and AMAZING weekend at COTA from July.

 

[FLETCshooter]

Looking at your car always makes me think I should have gotten that color

 

[honeybadger]

Looking at your car always makes me think I should have gotten that color

Ruby is a gorgeous color. Am envious of others sometimes when it comes to modifying it, tho. IMHO, Ruby only looks good with bronze and black. Makes adding bits and bobs to it hard.

For example, planning to cage the car this winter and I am unsure what color to do the interior. White be too bright, but ruby is just too much of a pain paint an interior (tri-coat). I'm thinking some type of grey/bronze. Eventually the whole car except for the exterior would be painted this color.

 

[chedder]

Surprisingly, yes I am. 5mil across the width of the tire with 12 track days. Saving my money for a new set next year. Loved hearing how you enjoyed VIR and other tracks. Keep the shining side up.

Nice! Are you still on your original set?

Nice! Are you still on your original set?

 

[honeybadger]

Howdy ya'll!

Update time. Video of the update. Journal entry below



Did some mid-season updates in between events since it's too hot to do anything else down here. I had some header rubbing issues, so I decided to remove the headers, do some clearancing, and then get them coated in thermal coating to compare to the exhaust wrap. Turned out to be a TON more than I bargained for since I learned you can't remove the headers with the engine in the car when you have the FP350S oil pan. It gets in the way and I was unable to find the pathway I needed to get it out. So, a day later and a ton of swearing, the engine was back on the ground. At least I had good access now. Areas where the engine was torquing over and contact the frame rails.

Headers complete.

After shorting out the starter capacitor at COTA in May, I also made sure to add a heat shield to the starter.

Next, I wanted a cleaner heater core delete than just connecting the OEM hoses. These ran hot coolant lines around the back of the engine, aiding in heat soak, and risking dumpoiing coolant where it would be very hard to see/keep track of. Instead, I bought (2) new quik-lok connectors and some hose. This is still a temp fix as I plan to permanently fix with AN fittings at a later date.

Lastly, we have a last minute add on, the oil lines that run between the heads that Ford Performance added to the FP350S engine.
My understanding is this mod helps encourage oil movement between the heads under high lateral g load and keeps oil moving to keep the heads cooler. I tested at MSR-C on Friday saw that CHTs were only hitting 221-223 during a 25 min session vs. 236+, so appears to be working well so far.

Parts used:
- 1/4 npt to -6an elbow - EAR-AT982206ERL- https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ear-at982206erl

- -6an to tube adapter - EAR-AT165106ERL - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ear-at165106erl

- Earls 3/8in tubing - ZZ661625ERL - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/ear-zz661625erl

- DEI 3/8 Firesleeve - DEI-010473 - https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dei-010473

I also completed a CMCV/IRMC lockout for better clearance and a tighter fit. With Shaun at AED updating my tune, the car ran great and the change was only noticeable at really low RPM (800-2000). Once on track, I didn't notice any difference.

Last lastly, I replaced my engine harness (again) since I had another plug fail on me. I decided to replace the one on the car and carry a spare in case stuff goes wrong again on a trip and I can quickly swap them out. Some footage from recent events coming next