Mono Build Entry #1

The BAC Mono has arrived, partially. We received a giant wooden box with the parts carefully packed inside; definitely not the way customers receive their Lamborghini Reventons!  We get Monos in Semi Knockdown Kits (SKDs) which require assembly.

The Mono PDI(pre-delivery inspection) is also a bit different than a normal car. We have to assemble ours from scratch, and when say I scratch, I mean scratch. We have to assemble the assemblies that are bolted onto the vehicle.

We are starting the build of the Mono now and will slowly assemble the first vehicle to make sure everything is well documented and with the kind of attention to detail this car deserves.

We will post frequently, so check back often!

Lotus Cup Laguna Seca 2012

What a weekend! This was the first time at Laguna for Glen, and he once again proved to be a quick study, learning the track quickly and accurately during our Saturday afternoon practice sessions. This proved to be instrumental to our success, as we lost the last portion of the final practice session on Saturday and the entire first session on Sunday, due to a mechanical issue with the Art Car’s engine. Racing has an amazing ability to bring any weakness in preparation and equipment to the surface, which is what makes competition valuable for us as a learning experience. As we all know, sometimes learning experiences are not easy!

During Saturday’s last session Glen had been turning laps in the mid to high 1:40’s, still learning the track. On the 7^th lap, he had an issue entering the corkscrew which ended in a spin. After he got going again, the car suddenly lost power. He brought the car immediately to the hot pits, and it was apparent the car was randomly misfiring. The decision was made to abandon the rest of the session and get the car back to the truck for a closer inspection.

With the car back in the pits, imagine our surprise when we found the entire intake and blower assembly loose from the cylinder head! Working back through the sequence of events leading up to the race, it became apparent what happened. We had recently installed an air temperature sensor in the intake manifold, for measuring the temperature of the intake charge. When the manifold was re-installed the top two fasteners (of 5 total holding the intake / blower assembly to the cylinder head) were incorrectly torqued, leaving the bottom three studs highly loaded from the belt tension and eventually shearing them all off!

Picture Showing Top Fasteners, which loosened up, placing additional stress on the lower fasteners

 

Picture Showing Center, Lower, Stud on the Intake, One of the Three which were damaged at Laguna

With the problem identified, we set out to remove the components required to access the broken fasteners, still at that point not certain they could be extracted with the engine in place. With the blower, intake manifold, fuel rail and injectors, plus throttle body out of the car, the guys gained enough access to go to work.

Armed with a drill motor, center punches, hammer, and borrowed left hand drill bits (THANKS TO ROBB BANNANO!) we set about extracting the broken studs. By 10 p.m., all were out with no damage to the cylinder head, and the engine was ready for re-assembly.

Sunday morning, we arrived early and thanks to the generous help of Rob Dietsch of Dietsch Werks in San Jose,( www.dietschwerks.com, THANK YOU ROB!!!) we had new studs and flange nuts to replace the ones we lost on Saturday. Working through the first practice session we were able to get the Art Car re-assembled and back to her former self!

Moral of the story: Always use the proper torque specification on any fasteners.

After a quick run test in the pits using the data system to verify all engine parameters were in spec, we were ready to go for the second and final practice session. Glen turned consecutive mid 1:38’s on the 4^th and 5^th laps on worn tires, and the car was working well.

The next session was time-attack qualifying, and with a fresh set of tires Glen and the Art Car ripped off a 1:36:62 on the second flying lap, a truly impressive performance.

In the race, after an epic battle with Kevin, Glen managed to win the Open Class, and take Third overall, with only Andy and Robb in 211’s ahead. This was the best possible way to end our weekend, and certainly Glen’s performance on Sunday made our aching muscles from Saturday night well worth it!

Lotus Cup Infineon 2012 - Power to Weight!

The Infineon race is now officially in the books and we are back in the office.  We achieved an Open Class win on Friday and a second place on Saturday.  Glen worked hard to stay with the 2-11s and managed to set the second fastest lap of the weekend which put him at P2 for Saturday's race.  On Friday, he started P3 as both Andy and Robb inched us out by .5sec.  Overall we are happy with the results as Infineon has a significant amount of elevation change which challenged our Art Car.

There were five 2-11s competing in the race weekend and a total of about 20 Lotus.  You can see from the first picture that the 2-11s dominated the front of the grid.  We recognize that competing with these lighter cars is a challenge but it is the type of effort that keeps us on our toes.  We reduced the weight of the Art Car before this race by replacing the windshield with our new OpticArmor Lexan Winscreen.   For improved comfort, we installed a heavier Recaro race seat from Glen's Elise, so lost some of the 16lb savings that the Lexan Windscreen provided.  Still the Art Car weighed 2009lbs with driver and full of fluids - which is about 180lbs heavier than the 2-11s. 

To improve our lap times, we tried several tactics, including suspension adjustments and even added a larger ReVerie rear wing to our car (1700mmx300mm vs. 1700mmx200mm).  We added the larger wing on Sat. morning and it gave Glen some added rear grip to address the oversteer that was challenging us all weekend long.  Glen then nailed a lap time that beat all the times set on Friday.  We were excited about the result, but his time would not stand for too long.  Andy soon layed down a scorching time that would remain the Fastest Lap of the weekend!  Ultimately Robb won both races with his blue 2-11 seen in these pix.  Congrats to Robb!

Infineon has several cresting corners that are off camber and in some cases blind.  See pics above and below.    The climb into the first two corners was especially a challenge as the elevation change is significant.  The next race will be Laguna Seca which also has two big climbs that will be difficult.  Lighter cars have distinct advantage in these conditions - both ascent and descent.  2-11s are amazing cars and Lotus have done a fine job with them.  They can be trickier to drive than the Elise/Exige but they have amazing potential and remain the cars to beat!  But we knew that going into this season...8^)

Two Types of Brake Pads

There are 2 types of brake pads; those with abrasive friction and those with adherent friction. While these sound like big words they are very simple.

•  Abrasive friction simply means the brake pad provides friction by touching and rubbing on the rotor itself to create the necessary friction for stopping.  Break-in is much easier with this type.  
• This type of pad is abrasive, and the rotors will wear much more rapidly.  

• Adherent friction means that the brake pad is transferring a layer of pad material onto the rotor.   As a result, brake performance comes from pad material against pad material.  With this type of pad, rotor life is generally much higher.  Trail braking can be done very smoothly with this type.  
• One negative with these types of pads is that bed-in is more difficult.  If you don't do it properly, an uneven transfer layer on the rotor will cause a vibration that appears to be 'warped' rotors.  Luckily you can clean the rotors of the uneven pad layer and start once again with proper bed-in.  We recommend purchasing pads of this type already 'Pre-bedded'.   

 Properly bedding your pads and rotors in will greatly extend their life  and give you maximum performance.  Follow the manufacturers recommendations for best results.

More on wheel vibrations

Wheel balancing issues can lead to pesky, unwanted vibrations and can also rob you of your track time by having you running back and forth to the tire guys. A simple way to keep your wheel weights where they should be is Duct Tape. Use a good quality Duct Tape to double secure the weights to your wheels, as shown in the photo below

Buttonwillow Results + Prep, Tuning & Coaching

We had great results at the second Lotus Cup race weekend at Buttonwillow. We managed to secure two Open class victories and one overall win.  We also secured the fastest lap all weekend again - beating the entire field including the 211s that we're attempting to compete against.  Our driver Glen is doing a superb job along with the team in prepping the Art Car.  We also had help from our friend and driving coach Dave Thilenius.  

Challenges
The weekend did not run 'issue-free'.  We suffered from an electrical cut that killed the car on the first day during practice.  Patrick managed to figure out that one of the wires in our ignition was loose and secured it.  We have kept the stock key and start button on our car.  Glen's knees are quite close to these wires and he believed his knees were brushing the wires causing the cut out.  Unfortunately for us, the problem cropped back up on the second race - while we were in the lead, on the last lap!   Luckily Glen had a clear enough mind to wiggle the wires under the steering column and get the car started.  He managed to get in behind Andy and secure the Open Class victory and second place overall.  Eliminating this wire is now high on our list of reliability improvements.

AiM Data Coaching
We're big advocates of using data to lower lap times.  We also use it as an R&D tool as we develop our products.  At Buttonwillow we were graced with Dave T's presence and benefitted from his extensive expertise with coaching via data.  Reviewing the data allowed Glen to adjust his shifts, braking points and more in order to achieve the fastest lap of the weekend.  Our friend Andy has used data to secure LCU championships with his 211 and is one of the fastest drivers in our series.  We have a new AiM product that makes getting into data much more affordable and practical for track day enthusiast and racers alike.  See the new Solo DL.

Adjustments     
The guys were taking tire temps and pressures and adjusting pressures and camber.  Amazingly we are running less than -2deg of Camber with this kit and getting even tire temps.  Typically these Yokos require -3deg.  We also softened the High Speed Compression to improve our grip over the curbs.  In doing so, we stiffen the Low Speed Compression as well to quicken the turn-in.  Buttonwillow is a much bumpier track than Chuckwalla so a softer set-up is ideal.  Our new raceUPRIGHTs are running beautifully and allowing for an amazing low ride height.  We kept our ride height at 103mm/110mm to insure we did not bottom out.  These ride heights can not be achieved in an Elise or Exige with stock uprights.  We are now conducting our Set Down process to see how the raceUPRIGHTs are fairing.  I peeked at them and they remain in great shape after 5 track days.  Expect another Blog posting reviewing the condition in more detail.

Car Prep
A key tool that we use to prep and insure our car is running well are simple Checklists.  We use these lists to confirm that we checked critical areas on the car before it leaves for a practice session, qualifying or race.  Every time - not just at the beginning of the day.  It takes a bunch of time to run through these checklists but we've found it is a key way to ensure our car runs as well as it can.  Since we are running with the LCU leaders, we can't afford to make mistakes with the car prep.  If any of you would like copies of our Checklists, let us know.  They are an effective tool for the casual track day enthusiast to the hardcore racer.

What's Next?
We can't be happier with our results so far this season.  We have some work to do before the next race - including a Lexan Optic Armor windshield that should shave another 16lbs from our Art Car.    Infineon is the next race in mid May and we will be competing against a bunch of NorCal locals who know the track well.  We'll need to bring our 'A' game to keep our track record as it will be very competitive!

 Now watch Glen turn the record lap...

Determining Wheel & Tire Vibration

A common problem faced by owners of light cars with light wheels is high speed vibrations.  We faced a serious vibration problem at the last Lotus Cup race and wanted to determine the source.  Typically the following areas can be the cause:

1. Wheels
2. Tires
3. Balancing
4. Suspension

After returning from the races, we conducted a comprehensive set-down on our car.  We scrutinized the suspension components to see if any parts had come loose.  We were testing our new raceUPRIGHTS and new Delrin Bushes so we checked everything closely.  Nothing was loose or found to contribute to the vibration problem.  We then turned our attention to the ETHOS wheels that we had used.

We decided to send the wheels that we ran and were suspect to our supplier, Tom Merrifield, for measurement.  I called Tom to discuss the issue and he was open to conducting a Run-out test on the wheels.  Poor run-out in wheels could be from either poor manufacturing quality or track/road damage.  We decided to measure these wheels to see if they were out of spec.

Tom made a nice video showing the test method. See below:

He found that the wheels had less than .004" of run-out.  According to Tom, vibrations can not be felt under .015" of run-out.  We are well under this amount.

This leaves the Tires or Balancing.  Since the tires are from Yokohama, the quality is generally very high.  I spoke with the tire supplier and he was also confident that the tires were OK.  We've run them many times with good success.  Of course since we did not test them, we're not 100% confident.  In our mind, this left Balancing as the most likely source.

We arrived at the event with a set of scrubbed-in tires that we had locally mounted and balanced on a set of ETHOS.  They performed with no problems and Glen set the Fastest Lap of the Weekend.  We bought a new set of tires, at the track, and had them mounted and balanced to a new set of ETHOS. These vibrated badly around 70mph.

Balancing done at the track is usually difficult because of time constraints. There is usually a line of racers waiting for their turn, so the poor guy balancing never really gets enough time.  This was the case at this first race.  The tire supplier graciously offered free mounting and balancing so had their hands full!

Our local wheel balancer, Frank, advised that plenty of lubrication is needed for these tires and that proper time needs to be taken along with careful balancing to get these light wheels and tires sorted correctly.  He also agreed with the run-out spec that Tom follows.  We're attending this weekend's race with new tires and old ones that Frank balanced to the same two sets of ETHOS wheels that we ran last time.  Running the old tires (that vibrated), balanced by Frank, will determine if the track balancing was the problem.

What's the moral of the story? Get an extra set of wheels and use a local tire balancer who will take the time to install and balance your race tires before you leave for your track event.  Follow this rule and you won't likely have the same headache that we faced.

The Thrill of Pole Position and the Agony of....

We brought our Art Car to the first Lotus Cup USA event last weekend with our friend, Glen Irani, our partner and driver this year.  Glen has been competing in LCU since the first season with his NA Elise.  He is a talented driver who has won his class and frankly is known for his aggressive style and out-right speed.  Plus he is a cool guy who beat cancer last year and is building back his strength and focus in the car.  He is driving our Art Car to help us push the parts we are developing, in race conditions.

Our goal is to prove that a well balanced Elise can compete against cars like 211s and highly modified Exige Cup cars.

The Thrill
If the results of this weekend are any indication, we've got the Cup cars covered with seconds to spare and are giving the 211s a run for their money...Glen set the fastest lap of the entire weekend with a 1.54.7 sec blast around Chuckwalla Raceway.

Starting the race in Pole Position on Saturday exceeded our expectations as the field included five 211s including one GT4 car.  Two of the 211s were driven by very experienced and talented LCU drivers who typically are the pole sitters and have won LCU championships.  So we're happy to report that we ran with some very qualified drivers with very well sorted 211s.

The Art Car
Glen, like us, believe that the Elise is a great platform as it is lighter than an Exige and has better aero potential than a 211.  We aren't delusional enough to think that the Elise is better than a 211 - we just think we can compete.  So what was on our Elise to make it competitive?  Our car weighed 2020lbs with driver & a full tank of fuel.  It makes 243 rwhp (see Dyno).  Here's the list of tasty bits:

• Proven Parts: KATANA265, Nitron Race Pro 3-Way, 308BBK + FCRbracket, RACEunderAERO, ReVerie: 1700x200mm rear wing, XC seat, Steering wheel, Canards, Side scoop, transCOOLER, subSTIFFY, ULTRAdisc, Carbotech pads (XP12 & XP10), AiM race pack, R3cage, DSbrace + S99pins, OSGiken LSD, Drexler gears,  Fidanza V2 Clutch & Flywheel, proRAD, coolantHOSES, CF hardtop, FIAtank, raceVIEW mirror, Spec Elise Clams   

• New Parts: 


• Dry Sump: We've been successfully running this Dailey Engineering/S111 developed solution for several months with great success.  We ran the car without the twin oil coolers and saw a max of 259degF (80degF Ambient).  We will add a cooler when ambient temps start climbing.  We are offering this kit to experienced shops.  If you are interested, please contact us.
• raceUPRIGHTS: This new upright solution was engineered by my friend Dennis@Palatov Motorsport.  It is designed to allow us to run lower ride heights than stock.  We ran our car at 102mm(F) & 110mm(R).  They also allow us to run less camber than is typically required.  We were very happy with the performance.  These uprights allow you to bolt stock brakes, hubs, steering arms, toe links onto it.  They are a very cost effective kit and will be available soon.
• Delrin Wishbone Bushes:  We developed this bush solution to deliver the stiffness required by slick tires with better resistance to adverse weather conditions.  Similar solutions are used extensively in off-road racing and perform well in dusty and sandy conditions.  These bushes are also more affordable and very easy to install.  They are working well.
• ETHOS 16x7 & 17x8 Wheels: We are very happy with the quality of the ETHOS and feel they are a great value for racers.  Two other 211 owners were running these wheels this weekend.  I expect to see more clients pick them up as they are light, strong and affordable.
• TRACKpipe: Our new muffler has been on our car for several track events.  It is another great value solution that we are offering.  The sound is great and we think clients will find it to be a good solution.
• DSbrace: Our new toe link brace has been run now for several track events.  It uses the tried and true parts from our RTD2brace in a lower cost solution.
• Nitron Hydraulic Spring Perch: We installed two of these adjusters onto our Nitron shocks and they allowed us to corner balance our Elise quickly and easily.  These perches use hydraulic pressure to adjust ride height on the Nitron with a simple knob.  We will be offering them shortly in both diameters for fitment to any Nitron shock we've sold.  They are an excellent solution for any racer who spends time adjusting his corner balance.   
• raceRACK: Our faster (2.2) race-oriented steering rack continues to run well.  Production parts are now in being built for us by Titan.  The car does not feel nervous with this rack.

The Agony

That sounds a bit dramatic but we suffered a broken stock shifter on our car at the start of the first race - luckily we had run several session before with no trouble and set the fastest time of the day.  Murphy's Law?! This shifter is one of the pre-recall shifters.  You can tell if you have one by its hexagonal cross section.  The upgrade has a round cross section.  

This car was a Lotus Press car so it is a shame it did not get the update - but in the end, we are at fault as we missed upgrading the shifter.  Shame on us, though the driver gets some of the blame as well...;^)  John did a great job of welding up the shifter so that Glen could run on Sunday.  Special thanks go out to Jim@LCU who is sending us an upgraded shifter so we can fix the Art Car properly!

Of course when you race a car, it sees significantly higher stress than street use.  We had a couple of other issues that popped up.  On Sunday the SSC shifter cable housing failed and the Art Car was stuck in 5th gear for the second half of the race.  Glen did a great job of keeping the car competitive and ended up with a 4th place finish overall finish.  

Additional 'challenges' included some poor fuel management by us which resulted in fuel starvation.  Our FIAtank is the original test tank that lacked some bleed holes so the fuel stays captured within the baffled area that holds the fuel pump.  You could say it traps the fuel too well!  The lack of a bleed causes the fuel gauge to read higher than the actual amount.  We've corrected this in the production tanks by adding some bleed holes in the baffle that allow fuel to level out slowly when it sits in the pit.  We also suffered some tire balance issues that we are still sorting now.  Initial evaluations did not prove conclusively what caused the issue.  

The Conclusion

Overall the team, John, Matt & Glen did a great job at this first event.  We proved that an Elise can be made fast with moderate levels of power.  Our Art Car showed great promise and we plan to come to the next event at Buttonwillow with a car that is ready to take on the 211s once again.  I also want to thank the Lotus Cup team, Jim and Robbie.  They are working hard to create a great venue for Lotus competition.  They are doing a great job - running any race series is a challenge and they are doing a fine job.  Stop by the Lotus Cup website and learn more: HERE.  

Brake Flush is Necessary: fact or fiction?

Spring is upon us and with it comes maintenance, especially for those of you in colder climates where your cars have been in hibernation for the last few months. Most Lotus/Ariel owners perform the required maintenance, but many overlook one very important service: the Brake Flush.  This service is very important for modern vehicles with complicated ABS systems. The fluid sitting idle in the system likely holds moisture and contaminants and should be replenished.  Why?  The water will expand when it gets hot causing brake fade and poor feel/performance - especially on track.

  You may be wondering how water/moisture enters the brake fluid. It's very simple: most automotive brake fluid with the exception of DOT 5 (which is a silicone based fluid) is hygroscopic. This means it has the tendency to attract and absorb moisture from the atmosphere.

  So, how can you tell if your car needs a brake system flush? They make special test strips which can detect high levels of moisture present in the brake fluid, but I prefer the old-fashioned eyeball method, personally. Remove the brake master cylinder cap and visually inspect the condition of the fluid. Brake Fluid should be clear or with a slight yellowish-tint.  Black or dark colored dirty fluid should be changed out. You can also test it with a refractometer or a fancy electronic tester.

  My personal recommendation for street-driven cars a biennial flush (every 2 years) but if you are taking your car to the track frequently, adjust accordingly.  Sector111 recommend at least once per year for a track oriented car.  If you are racing, we suggest even more frequent flushes...we've been very happy with Motul RBF600.