[rosscarlson]

First day of the season - correction first session of the season and after about 8 hard laps I pulled into the hot pit and heard this horrible screach when on the clutch. Talked to Phil at BEO (he built the car last year for me) and he's thinking (from the description, don't think he's seen this video) that it's the throw out bearing (others at the track thought the same)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozwWHYMCQVs

I considered just driving it until it broke but figured I'm 40 now so I should be, uh, smarter (if you can be smart about this stuff!) so I stopped which was a bummer as I was going to be there 3 days (was instructing so I stayed through to Sunday evening).

So what do you guys think, agree/disagree? Either way I'm going to take her back to Phil as soon as I can work out that schedule so we'll see if I just bought a new transmission too (hello sequential if so).


-Ross

 

[cashxdr]

You don't need no stinkin clutch

Just joking, that completely sucks. Yup, sounds like a throw out bearing to me

Just get some jack stands and change it yourself. Is it a complete pain? Yes. But you will know a lot more about your car and get it back on the track again faster

 

[rosscarlson]

Yup, sounds like a throw out bearing to me.....Just get some jack stands and change it yourself. Is it a complete pain? Yes. But you will know a lot more about your car and get it back on the track again faster

While you're right honestly I both don't want to deal with it and would rather Phil have a look as I'm hearing a few other "noises" that I'd like him to check out. Given how much we (he) did last season (and what I spent) I want to make sure it's done right. While you're right it's not that hard (hell I've already swapped the motor once myself) I'm also not a professional mechanic and I tend to work too fast and make little mistakes. So since I know that about myself I'm just going to make sure it's done correctly.

I suppose my primary question I should have asked is do you guys think that I can at least drive it enough to unload it from the trailer and get it in the garage (then back in the trailer for the trip)? While I can get some neighbors to push it my driveway, while not steep is uphill. Fortunately the car is light, right???

 

[andy7777]

I think you've hit the tough spot with any build where the added power is going to make things less reliable. Good luck.

 

[rosscarlson]

I think you've hit the tough spot with any build where the added power is going to make things less reliable. Good luck.

I absolutely think you're right. When I decided to do the build I knew it would be a slippery slope and that as I upgraded one component and another broke I'd upgrade it. That said I did hope to get more than 7 session in it before breaking something, not really upset about it at all, that's just the deal. It breaks, you fix and upgrade. Lather, rise, repeat.

More power needs better brakes, then you're going faster so you need better suspension then you're going faster and need better aero then you're overloading the tires and have to move to Hoosiers then you start getting fast and upgrade to Yoko slicks then you get scared and add a cage then you break the trans and go with a sequential then then then then.

Ah, what a sport.

 

[cashxdr]

hehe, yes it is a very slippery slope.

Have you tried slicks yet? I do not know why I am hesitant. I hear they are like crack

 

[rosscarlson]

Have you tried slicks yet? I do not know why I am hesitant. I hear they are like crack

Yes, they are absolute hero makers and a whole new level of grip. I wouldn't say crack, I'd say excasty cut with herion in a big bowl of pot smoked through a crack pipe then the remains injected straight into your heart. They're that good.

In my opinion Hoosiers are sort of a waste. For me I consistently run 2:05s on R888s, 2:03s on Hoosiers and 1:58 on Yoko slicks. While the slicks are more expensive than the Hoosiers the Hoosiers just aren't worth it over the R888s in my opinion. I get 50+ heat cycles out of a set of R888s (or did before power) and they were still drivable (certainly loosing grip but not dangerous or loose). Hoosiers I get 10-12 good cycles then after 15 they are worthless. Slicks are the same but at least they grip so much more it's worth it to me. Hoosiers are this middle ground you get pulled into thinking it's not that expensive when really if you care that much about your ultimate lap time you need to move to slicks. Otherwise just go out on R888s and enjoy yourself, those last few seconds are only more fun in the paddock when you're comparing, uh, sizes...

Forgive me for forgetting - what driving level are you these days? What sort of cars/tires are you running similar times to? Quick list of your suspension and aero mods? That's the other thing, you're going to want at least -2.5 degrees negative camber all around and really more like -3 up front. They love camber and as our cars lean so heavily (especially when on stock suspension) you have to have the camber or they will just roll on the edge and you'll get such little contact patch that they'll be slower and you'll go through one of your fronts in 7 laps (from new to corded in 7 laps). Ask me how I know.

 

[cashxdr]

Here is all that I have and the link
http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f259/anatomy-dragon-188450/

I am usually in the intermediate 2 group but if the have a small group in advanced they let me move up

Caymans and S2000 with wings are the death of me but I do get to pass here and there. Its all relative to the drivers, there is a spec Miata driven by a guy named Bob that no one can touch

Engine:

VF2 with hump hose connectors,
2bular header and decat,
Radium surge tank, FPR, fuel rail, catch cans and coolant tank
Fidanza flywheel & APR bolts
ACT HDSS clutch
BOE ST exhaust
Gpan 3
Manlys motor mount inserts

Suspension:

BWR Penske shocks
BWR Swaybar
Sector111's V2 arms
RTD2brace
SubStiffy
Monoball bushings
Bullet wheel studs
R888's on Ethos wheels 16x7 17x8
Ride height 116mm/119mm and corner balanced

Alignment spec's

Front
Camber 2.0
Toe 0

Rear
Camber 2.4
Toe in 1/32


Brakes:

Ultra Disks
BOE vented SS brake pistons
SS brake lines
CL RC5+ for street, CL6 for track


Aero:

Kevin's Race Splitter
APR wing, side skirts and canards
Difflow flat race diffuser,
Custom anti drag aids as L brackets in front of front and rear wheel openings
Fast Toys carbon side scoops

Interior:

Vforce harness bar
Schroth Profi 2 harnesses
DBW Pedals
Micro Mirror
Innovate gauges

Other:
One of Pooters custom tow rings
BBhook
Gold foil firewall
Kevins mesh kit
Soon to have Pro rad radiator

 

[andy7777]

It's an interesting exercise knowing when to stop on these cars. They make lousy racecars for the most part because they're so expensive to fix after the slightest bump, so turning them into a NASA or SCCA wheel to wheeler makes almost no sense. Track day toy, yes, surely, but then at some point you say how much would I have to spend to do the occasional lap as fast as a high powered car?

I was at one of my tracks this weekend and ran a personal best. A guy in a 5 year old Evo with Hoosiers and a chipped engine, basically a beater beast, ran 5 seconds faster than I did. And I ran a reasonably quick time. The guy told me he's running about 400HP to his all wheel drive, so yeah, I get how he ran that fast.You could get that Evo for probably $10,000 all day long.

I'm pretty sure there are another 4-5 seconds to be had in my car per lap if I was willing to truly and really push it but that's it. There is just no way it can keep up with a well driven Vette or a Porsche GT3, not to mention any number of stripped out purpose-built racecars.

And that's OK with me 'cause it's more fun going slower in the Lotus than in an Evo any day.

I decided to not add power and left the engine basically stock except for the pan and a lower cam switch point, but did redo the suspension to add Nitrons and poly bushings, toe link etc. Running -2.6 degrees which is as twitchy as I care driving to and from the track. I figure when I'm done using it as a track toy, I'll switch right back to rubber bushings and take out the camber. Then get an Ariel Atom, heh heh.

Ross, you're trailering the car these days, right? So it should be a blast even if not always available. I know a guy around here who did a great power conversion on an Elise, running 350HP and getting around 5 seconds faster at the local tracks. The car spewed oil for a quarter mile once but he shut it off before he ruined the engine, amazingly enough. The car sold on this board in a day.

 

[evansp60]

I decided to not add power and left the engine basically stock except for the pan and a lower cam switch point

You need to try an inducted car. The Lotus becomes even more electrifying under boost. Much more involving than the Vette's and the Porsches. I instructed a fellow in a Porsche twin turbo that was boosted to 550hp at the wheels. The turbo's on the straights was amazing! But entering the corners you could feel the heft of the car. I took him out in my Lotus afterwards. The drive feel was night and day. The Lotus comes alive under the power. Much more exciting!