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PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
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I hope you aren't going to return the trans for the core charge, change shift fork and bam got a spare trans which you know you will be needing in the future lol.
Nah, won't let it go so easily. I'm fighting time right now with the season opener just weeks away, so getting something in there that I know will go right in was key. I don't expect it to blow up immediately, so the 2-3 week delays for parts then doesn't hurt as bad as it was before. I've never popped open a transmission, but I've also never done most things I've done to her this year, so ... heh, what's new?

Someone is selling a t56 kit on here id do if i was u
Yeah, that was Sal a few posts up, and Carl grabbed it because he blew it up the day before mine at ACS the other weekend. Since his trans was going coffee grinder mode the whole time, while I just lost access to 3+4 without noise, so he's got it way worse. I'll eventually upgrade it, but as most of my budget was spent on just repairing and not improving things, and with the new NASA tire modifier changes, I've got to use whatever little money I have to close that gap if I'm to have any chance this year. Under last year's rules, maybe I could get to a Nationally competitive car in TT2, but it'll be much harder this year, with competition capable of going 100-150rwhp avg up on me, and that's average. Looking back, kinda wish we had different spec classes in SoCal... not that I don't like e30, Miata, or 944's, they're just not my cup.
 
Nah, won't let it go so easily. I'm fighting time right now with the season opener just weeks away, so getting something in there that I know will go right in was key. I don't expect it to blow up immediately, so the 2-3 week delays for parts then doesn't hurt as bad as it was before. I've never popped open a transmission, but I've also never done most things I've done to her this year, so ... heh, what's new?


Yeah, that was Sal a few posts up, and Carl grabbed it because he blew it up the day before mine at ACS the other weekend. Since his trans was going coffee grinder mode the whole time, while I just lost access to 3+4 without noise, so he's got it way worse. I'll eventually upgrade it, but as most of my budget was spent on just repairing and not improving things, and with the new NASA tire modifier changes, I've got to use whatever little money I have to close that gap if I'm to have any chance this year. Under last year's rules, maybe I could get to a Nationally competitive car in TT2, but it'll be much harder this year, with competition capable of going 100-150rwhp avg up on me, and that's average. Looking back, kinda wish we had different spec classes in SoCal... not that I don't like e30, Miata, or 944's, they're just not my cup.
Just do a 6xd sequential….u got the coin
 

Fabman

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PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
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Just do a 6xd sequential….u got the coin

7 Speed....jus' sayin'.


Even if I did, I don't know how I could justify that... what, $20-25k? I did a fair amount of research into Albins, Holinger, Quaife, et al, but considering the negative 0.2 mod hit that I'd be taking with the NASA rules for it being a sequential/dog/paddle shifter is a big one. For a lot less money, I could just learn how to drive better, so that's the route I've been taking... until things break, and then I have to figure out something that's cost effective to get back onto the track. Sal -- do they penalize you based upon your choice of transmission, whether it's oem or aftermarket?

If you're a diehard Ford guy, then you've very likely cracked open some Richard Holdener books, so my next power mod would then be, no surprise, a junkyard 351 Windsor to turbo up. The common issues with it are well known, and generally simple fixes with gaskets, main seals, waterpumps and whatnot leaking, and for this build to work, it'd have to be based around one that can go in with little additional work, because I'm still running this from a 1 car garage and not much more than a basic Lowe's socket set.

1639524928918.png

I figure if I make my power quicker and lower, I won't have to be the high rpm screamer I am now, and the lower revs probably extend the life of those products. He ran this to 1000+, but I'm not going to go to that length when I know I can get a replacement engine and perhaps even try to get a warranty replacement or two if I can convince them they're coming out of something like an older Ford Econoline van. Best part of all is that this would drop 200# from the front, which puts my race weight at about 3400, and nearly 50/50 as I was +245 in the front last time I scaled it. I also still have things like the dash, evap, full glass, and lightweight battery that could probably take another 100# off. You don't need any sort of background in statistical analysis with something like that either, set your VE and have a standalone system manage the fuel to comply with the desired rate to stay in that happy zone the whole time.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Coyote, it's just that I can't afford to fix it when it explodes. That, and I'd be a straight up fool to race something other than a d-sport/prototype racer if I had $30k to waste. It's both a blessing and a curse that somebody my size doesn't really fit in them all that well, that, and I don't know who races Formula Atlantic/Indy Lights/Prototypes down here, it'd probably be no fun winning by so much, like the Mazda prototype who shows up to our races here and wins every race by 30+ seconds.
 
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Don't get me wrong, I love my Coyote, it's just that I can't afford to fix it when it explodes. That, and I'd be a straight up fool to race something other than a d-sport/prototype racer if I had $30k to waste. It's both a blessing and a curse that somebody my size doesn't really fit in them all that well, that, and I don't know who races Formula Atlantic/Indy Lights/Prototypes down here, it'd probably be no fun winning by so much, like the Mazda prototype who shows up to our races here and wins every race by 30+ seconds.

I know the salvage yard prices went sky high last year or so but still probably easier to source whole car with new coyote than to buy new engine which mean plenty of spares for other stuff as well. With that in mind your plan sounds interesting. But Coyote also have a lot of potential if you are going FI route or even FBO N/A. I don't know what power you are currently making and what power mods you have ? But I think it's worth considering a Coyote option as well. Tracking the Mustang for me is all about that amazing engine as is the most reliable track engine in the price point of the Mustang. Sure a turbo M2 is faster but for how long is the real question. I didn't look the new TT2 rules though.
 

JDee

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LS/LT swap? Improves everything in terms of weight placement. Lighter, lower, further back, better gearbox. Scads of them around. Reliable. Cheaper than a 'yote. Kits available.

The engine was what I most admired about the Mustang, but now not so much especially given the lousy MT82 its saddled with. It's really a great chassis and deserves a better packaged motor and a better gearbox.

Enter LS/LT.
 

Fabman

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LS/LT swap? Improves everything in terms of weight placement. Lighter, lower, further back, better gearbox. Scads of them around. Reliable. Cheaper than a 'yote. Kits available.

The engine was what I most admired about the Mustang, but now not so much especially given the lousy MT82 its saddled with. It's really a great chassis and deserves a better packaged motor and a better gearbox.

Enter LS/LT.
Sacrilege….
 
LS/LT swap? Improves everything in terms of weight placement. Lighter, lower, further back, better gearbox. Scads of them around. Reliable. Cheaper than a 'yote. Kits available.

The engine was what I most admired about the Mustang, but now not so much especially given the lousy MT82 its saddled with. It's really a great chassis and deserves a better packaged motor and a better gearbox.

Enter LS/LT.

smh…..you are banished if you do this

also, what about the 7.3 godzilla. Its the same size and more better than a ls
 

PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
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I know the salvage yard prices went sky high last year or so but still probably easier to source whole car with new coyote than to buy new engine which mean plenty of spares for other stuff as well. With that in mind your plan sounds interesting. But Coyote also have a lot of potential if you are going FI route or even FBO N/A. I don't know what power you are currently making and what power mods you have ? But I think it's worth considering a Coyote option as well. Tracking the Mustang for me is all about that amazing engine as is the most reliable track engine in the price point of the Mustang. Sure a turbo M2 is faster but for how long is the real question. I didn't look the new TT2 rules though.
I didn't push it too far last year because the modifiers and points had me close to busting out, with my race weight around 3600, and my max rwhp at 460. I should have asked my tuner, or really could have prepared my own sheet in something like notepad to calculate my average rwhp which would be about 440rwhp, which in an 8:1 class means I could have shed another 200#. Typically, your power/weight is most influenced by your tire selection, where if you take slicks, you get a mod penalty, if you take a street tire (100tw+), you get a mod bonus, and anything else DOT-legal is nothing (A7, R7, etc). People were playing with "Super 100" tires like the Goodyear 3R and Yokohama A052 for time trials and the benefit of the extra point allowed them to come in with silly levels of power that they wouldn't otherwise have had. I could have done the same, but I'm a stock motor with longtubes and e85, trying to keep things cheap, and hoping to not push the motor past its limits. I guess that kinda worked, because just about everything else died over the course of the season.

LS/LT swap? Improves everything in terms of weight placement. Lighter, lower, further back, better gearbox. Scads of them around. Reliable. Cheaper than a 'yote. Kits available.

The engine was what I most admired about the Mustang, but now not so much especially given the lousy MT82 its saddled with. It's really a great chassis and deserves a better packaged motor and a better gearbox.

Enter LS/LT.

smh…..you are banished if you do this

also, what about the 7.3 godzilla. Its the same size and more better than a ls
I see the light in going with something lighter and taking it off the nose, and yeah, the transmissions with the Coyote aren't great, with exception to the TR-3160. Although I don't know what it would do on a more powerful car, I believe that was designed for Jaguars and lower torque high revving motors, but I don't see many people actually racing GT350's, and those I do are tracking them in stock-ish form because of the extended warranty and motors going left and right. I need to spend some time thinking it out, I guess.

I'm just thinking worst case out loud, that's all. I'm still considering the Coyote, sure, but Ford didn't expect these things to see the track, which is why they gave all the fancy whizbangs to the Voodoo motor, which has its own set of issues. Maybe things are slightly different with the Mach1, I haven't taken a look, only assuming they just gave it the GT350 intake and trans. I could probably twin turbo the Coyote for $5-7k, and that only unfortunately makes me that much heavier as well, being 20% heavier than a Corvette makes it that much more difficult in the turns, which is also a challenge for us, as our courses are half power tracks (AutoClub, Willow Springs) and half non (Buttonwillow, Chuckwalla). Mexico is less than an hour away, and they were the last to produce 302's, and with 351's in service for what, 25 years across all the workhorse trucks, vans, even wagons, they're not too hard to come by. You can get a longblock for less than $1500, and a decent set of AFR heads and intake, and you're cookin. Coyote longblocks are $5-7k, and generally the Gen1 11-14, I'd have to do some research to see if I could even fit that into my Gen3 setup, but bottomline is it's a good chunk. If I can cut my weight down a few hundred more, it really doesn't matter what I have, as I just need to make about 450 to the wheels which isn't a big ask for just about any v8 motor, heck, an ecoboost 3.5 might even suffice with a little boost.

I dunno, we'll see. I've broken plenty of parts this season and whatever I had budgeted for fancy upgrades is gone just trying to push the stock mess out there and get points. It's going to be a long season that I intend to power through one way or another, and I'll be more than happy to go on record to admit that I was totally wrong, because if that's the case, my car and motor made it through another season. If I'm right, well, I guess I'm putting on dresses and turning on the red light. Walk the streets for money, don't care if it's wrong or if it's right.
 
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I didn't push it too far last year because the modifiers and points had me close to busting out, with my race weight around 3600, and my max rwhp at 460. I should have asked my tuner, or really could have prepared my own sheet in something like notepad to calculate my average rwhp which would be about 440rwhp, which in an 8:1 class means I could have shed another 200#. Typically, your power/weight is most influenced by your tire selection, where if you take slicks, you get a mod penalty, if you take a street tire (100tw+), you get a mod bonus, and anything else DOT-legal is nothing (A7, R7, etc). People were playing with "Super 100" tires like the Goodyear 3R and Yokohama A052 for time trials and the benefit of the extra point allowed them to come in with silly levels of power that they wouldn't otherwise have had. I could have done the same, but I'm a stock motor with longtubes and e85, trying to keep things cheap, and hoping to not push the motor past its limits. I guess that kinda worked, because just about everything else died over the course of the season.

My understanding is for track use the Coyote is really reliable (minus the high CHT's though). And I guess running routine maintenance as you should if you are racing will go a long way. I was playing with the TT2/ST2 calculator that Nasa has and in order to reach 8:1 with my current weight is something like 500 rwhp My car is 3790 as is close to stock anyway. With that in mind I'm sure Gen 3 don't have any problems making that much HP reliably on track. But yeah I agree with you that the Mustang is a fat pig with not enough power to compete in such classes. Mach 1 engine is really what is in the Bullitt so just Gen 3+GT350 Intake+TB+CAI but the difference is that Mach 1 has additional oil cooler so this will help with CHT's on the track. I think this is your second season with the Gen 3 motor ?
 

PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
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So, last time out, I lost 3rd and 4th, and ordered a reman since the season opener is right around the corner, and I'd much rather go with what I know, instead of having to do some quick learning and trying my luck to find out that I need something on short notice. I would have liked a TR-3160, but with my gearing, it'd be suboptimal as I believe the GT350's are 3.73 rears, and it'd goof up a bunch with my shift points and having to relearn the courses. The Tremec T-56 Magnum would be nice, but if it's wide geared, I'd still have two overdrive gears which don't do me good, in only briefly touch 5th at Autoclub going 150+, and with NASCAR fooling with that track, I'd then have no tracks that speed. So, out with the old, in with the new (to me).

PXL_20220101_204654656.jpgPXL_20220106_205858353.jpg

I've gone 40 something years without pulling a transmission on my own before, and it wasn't all that bad, actually. The top two bolts through the bellhousing to the engine are an incredible pain with the longtubes eating up a bunch of space, and how mine collect right there make it a pretty difficult angle that can only be hit with the right combo of extensions and swivels, and careful planning to not cross-thread it or round off the head. I made a rookie mistake in leaving a bolt in and because of the longtubes, unable to see it, which was right over the hole where the starter was. With it out, was able to inspect my JB-weld skills, as that, a two hour death grip, and the careful angling and dangling of @Hye Power still have it sitting pretty from Chuckwalla's affairs. I also replaced the driver side valve cover gasket, which was leaking at Autoclub and didn't drip since, so thankfully that was an easy fix and not a much bigger issue.

PXL_20220101_222216784.jpg

With the new transmission back on, went up to Buttonwillow a day early for the Friday Test n' Tune to get a good place to set up camp, and take it through a quick shakedown to see how we're all feeling. I also like to tech early, because of new rules for this year, and that our last year was somewhat of a challenge, as each and every single time was a different issue pointed out and somewhat inconsistent as 3-4 different people saw her. With all of the tire changes and whatnot to Super Touring / Time Trials, we also have to actually spell out what tire we're using, its dimensions/size, and of course our annual dyno. I did a few sessions of 15-20 minutes and was keeping myself down on revs, coming off to cool down, and increasing the limit another 1k every time out, but didn't bother timing anything at best a 4-5/10ths pace. Did semi-successfully build it up though, and smoked the clutch a few times, so hoping it was the new transmission that wasn't yet ready for some real quick speedshifts, or it's sticking, I dunno, but high rpm shifts are a known issue for this transmission, as are others.

PXL_20220107_235911090.jpg

So for our official season dyno, at about 260ft above sea level and a low 60s day, we put down 469, pretty similar to last year's 466, so I'm digging the consistency. For TT2, we're 8:1, but can take additional points for modifications, and so at 3605 minimum race weight, and +1 point for Yokohama A052, and being so heavy, I get to go to something like 546 average rwhp, for which I'm well underneath at 455rwhp avg hp. With that cushion, you better believe that I'm going to continue the weight loss.

picking up right where we left off

Saturday's first session was really cold, and so I went out on the tires virgin session with higher than usual pressures, knowing they wouldn't likely warm up as much as the 8-10# they usually do. I went out near the front of the pack, and on my second lap, started my weekend of firsts.


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First, we were running Clockwise 25 + A section, which was new to me, and pretty much everybody. The A section is weird in CW because you're coming up to that blind, similar to Phil Hill, and then it's a short, tight turn, that then quickly switches back for the I-5 straight into Cotton Corners. There is a ton of speed coming through the Dog Leg, where you have to slow into Riverside to your happy 100-110 or so. This configuration also has the Star Mazda turn, so there's a straightaway there to pour on some speed, and build some up as you exit into the esses. I really like this a lot, and to be honest, I wish they'd run this one a lot more. This is probably their fastest configuration, and it's a fun one when you've got some muscle, sure, you don't get to do the bus stop, big whoop. I would have wished my fully charged GoPro batteries didn't die, but I guess you can only cycle them so many times, the video would make this upcoming story so much cooler. So we did the parade lap to warm them up, first flying lap with no passing unless pointed by, but we were actually pretty close to our normal stacking, not like being stuck behind a Miata or something, ... then the second lap happened. I'm pulling 130-140 on the back, coming 100ish into Riverside, hop Phil Hill just nicely, and feel a wobble immediately on the landing. I was pretty aggressive as I had just passed my TT3 Mustang buddy just coming into Phil Hill, and had a pretty good run, and for some stupid reason, stayed in it as I had a good line on another that was a few classes down that I could snag before Star Mazda.

PXL_20220108_204203842.jpgPXL_20220108_170536932.MP.jpg

It would seem as if my studs would have a strong difference of opinion as to how my day would turn out. As I made a hard, straight brake (or is it break?) to shed some speed now that I'm really not starting to enjoy this wobble, I turn hard right, and feel as if I'm sitting in a rocking recliner, now harnessed in and leaning back. I keep my balance on that right, and then carefully get over and start pointing a few of the close people by and straighten up for the esses where I'll have to make a beeline right through and be careful on that last exiting left so I don't throw the car, damage the rotor, lower control arm, and everything else on the left.

PXL_20220108_182912607.jpgPXL_20220108_182906569.jpg

I am so crazy fortunate that while I have bad luck, I have pretty good bad luck, as the track services team was able to track my tire down, as it went perfectly straight through the mud as it was wet and sticky out, and all the way down to the new track that they're building up. I don't know if it would have carried on to Lerdo Highway, the John Deere dealership, or even the Southbound I-5, but how about we keep that one for another day, yeah? I'm so thankful to have something like @APEXRaceParts on my side, as I have put these things through an absolute beating, and of all the things that could have happened, we escaped with what looks to be a little scarring from what appears to be the dust shield or rotor against it for a few revolutions, a slight scraping/porting where the lip of the rotor hub/lip make contact with it, but an otherwise flush and clean mounting surface, no elongated stud holes, and still straight and without any warping. Amazing, simply amazing. I have no idea how some of you are bending rims, but please don't f***ing tell me, because I just know I will once I learn that secret.

PXL_20220108_182536831.MP.jpgPXL_20220108_182929140.MP.jpg

I had a little crew cheer me on as I made it back under my own power to my space, and we went to work on popping out the ol' slugs, and just the night before, my buddy Chad was talking about how he changed out to ARP's and kept his stock, and I guess that universe works funny sometimes, huh? If you're ever in a jam and don't feel like taking off the whole hub assembly with that huge fatty nut and the 9000# of torque it requires, you can actually slip the stock length ones in a little curve from the back if you have the hole at about 3 o'clock (looking from the back/underneath). A few taps on it, or perhaps some impact extensions to get it in, and then some open lugs and grease you can pull it back through nice and snug, and with that, we went out again later that day, good as new.

Comedians term this a callback

1641848002604.png

So, my transponder somehow didn't work/register for any of that first session, including that first flying lap which was like a meh 2:06, so once again, I start Buttonwillow from the back of the pack, just like last year. Since I was busy tending to other matters, remember when I said we can't pass on the first green lap unless we get a point by? Well, yeah, and as my luck would have it, I didn't get one, and coasted for the majority of the lap. I find it hard to believe that they couldn't hear or see me behind them, and somewhat disappointed that they didn't have the awareness or kindness to point me by, but I literally coasted for half the lap, and figured it was time to try touching 6th for the first time ever. I technically broke protocol and got a good jump on the exit of the last turn and passed him before the lap finished, and with apologies to the man's poor, poor left ear, went full WOT right on his door as I roared by. I couldn't get any clean laps in, but as the only entrant in TT2, I just needed to avoid any further explosions to take home the day's win.

and now for something completely different

PXL_20220109_023406380.jpg

Since I won the TT2 in the SoCal region, I got this cool trophy made out of wood, and if you actually take it out of the base, it's a surfboard, which makes this the most unique, wonderful, and Southern California thing I've ever had the pleasure of getting. It was a really nice fitting to a really difficult and patience testing season, which almost makes it worth all the mental and physical pain. It was a cold night, so we had all those heater stands, and it was nice to chat and hang with a bunch of people that usually run off to their hotels and whatnot, putting faces and names to the cars and all that. Certainly got a few "holy f***ing shiznit your car is loud" and "how have you not exploded?" over the night, so it seems that all my deeds, good and bad, are getting noticed.

Sunday started off brutally cold, I believe the coldest I can remember in SoCal, with my IAT showing single digits as we went out. I talked to my GoPro this time, and this battery died as I was doing my morning blabbering, but at least recorded my cheap therapeutic dump. Starting up near the faster cars, I didn't have as much slow traffic to deal with, and with both the track and tires being frighteningly cold, put down a 3rd overall 1:59.36 which again, uncontested meant that I won the day as long as I finished without an incident, 4 off, or any other explosion. The race group warmup beforehand didn't have anybody sub 2, so it really was that cold and slick. Came off early to seal the deal, but really just let time do its thing, hoping that we'd get more run groups to warm the track up, and the sun to come out of hiding. Second session went a little better, and put down a 1:58.29 which is now the TT2 class record for CW 25A.

1641849429882.png

I did have a predictive 1:57.5 headed into the last turn, but a combination of my setup not being quite right yet, or cheap base Mustang rear end forcing heavy understeer, or getting onto the gas just early had me saving an off, and falling out of the super wide 3rd gear powerband meant that I lugged it across much weaker than I could and should have. Happy with where things stood, the temperatures started to come back, so I felt with the brakes starting to go, clutch starting to slip, called it a day and spent the rest of it relaxing and hanging out. I've got a Torsen T2R out of a GT350r with my name on it, and still trying to decide about how frequently I want to shift, thinking of 3.90 or 4.09's, and while I'm still well underpowered, I also have that CobraJet intake and matching wide mouth CAI to slip in, so maybe we'll see how close to 500 we can get. That said, the record still stands, and had I cleaned things up and went out with the race group, I would have done just fine there too, as it was 3rd fastest on the day. So, a good start to the season, I'm not yet the driver I want to be, and the car is certainly not the car it wants to be, but we've got a whole year, and an awful lot of hopes, dreams, and promise ahead.

PXL_20220109_182339428.MP.jpg
 
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Fabman

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So, last time out, I lost 3rd and 4th, and ordered a reman since the season opener is right around the corner, and I'd much rather go with what I know, instead of having to do some quick learning and trying my luck to find out that I need something on short notice. I would have liked a TR-3160, but with my gearing, it'd be suboptimal as I believe the GT350's are 3.73 rears, and it'd goof up a bunch with my shift points and having to relearn the courses. The Tremec T-56 Magnum would be nice, but if it's wide geared, I'd still have two overdrive gears which don't do me good, in only briefly touch 5th at Autoclub going 150+, and with NASCAR fooling with that track, I'd then have no tracks that speed. So, out with the old, in with the new (to me).

View attachment 71700View attachment 71702

I've gone 40 something years without pulling a transmission on my own before, and it wasn't all that bad, actually. The top two bolts through the bellhousing to the engine are an incredible pain with the longtubes eating up a bunch of space, and how mine collect right there make it a pretty difficult angle that can only be hit with the right combo of extensions and swivels, and careful planning to not cross-thread it or round off the head. I made a rookie mistake in leaving a bolt in and because of the longtubes, unable to see it, which was right over the hole where the starter was. With it out, was able to inspect my JB-weld skills, as that, a two hour death grip, and the careful angling and dangling of @Hye Power still have it sitting pretty from Chuckwalla's affairs. I also replaced the driver side valve cover gasket, which was leaking at Autoclub and didn't drip since, so thankfully that was an easy fix and not a much bigger issue.

View attachment 71696

With the new transmission back on, went up to Buttonwillow a day early for the Friday Test n' Tune to get a good place to set up camp, and take it through a quick shakedown to see how we're all feeling. I also like to tech early, because of new rules for this year, and that our last year was somewhat of a challenge, as each and every single time was a different issue pointed out and somewhat inconsistent as 3-4 different people saw her. With all of the tire changes and whatnot to Super Touring / Time Trials, we also have to actually spell out what tire we're using, its dimensions/size, and of course our annual dyno. I did a few sessions of 15-20 minutes and was keeping myself down on revs, coming off to cool down, and increasing the limit another 1k every time out, but didn't bother timing anything at best a 4-5/10ths pace. Did semi-successfully build it up though, and smoked the clutch a few times, so hoping it was the new transmission that wasn't yet ready for some real quick speedshifts, or it's sticking, I dunno, but high rpm shifts are a known issue for this transmission, as are others.

View attachment 71699

So for our official season dyno, at about 260ft above sea level and a low 60s day, we put down 469, pretty similar to last year's 466, so I'm digging the consistency. For TT2, we're 8:1, but can take additional points for modifications, and so at 3605 minimum race weight, and +1 point for Yokohama A052, and being so heavy, I get to go to something like 546 average rwhp, for which I'm well underneath at 455rwhp avg hp. With that cushion, you better believe that I'm going to continue the weight loss.

picking up right where we left off

Saturday's first session was really cold, and so I went out on the tires virgin session with higher than usual pressures, knowing they wouldn't likely warm up as much as the 8-10# they usually do. I went out near the front of the pack, and on my second lap, started my weekend of firsts.


View attachment 71704

First, we were running Clockwise 25 + A section, which was new to me, and pretty much everybody. The A section is weird in CW because you're coming up to that blind, similar to Phil Hill, and then it's a short, tight turn, that then quickly switches back for the I-5 straight into Cotton Corners. There is a ton of speed coming through the Dog Leg, where you have to slow into Riverside to your happy 100-110 or so. This configuration also has the Star Mazda turn, so there's a straightaway there to pour on some speed, and build some up as you exit into the esses. I really like this a lot, and to be honest, I wish they'd run this one a lot more. This is probably their fastest configuration, and it's a fun one when you've got some muscle, sure, you don't get to do the bus stop, big whoop. I would have wished my fully charged GoPro batteries didn't die, but I guess you can only cycle them so many times, the video would make this upcoming story so much cooler. So we did the parade lap to warm them up, first flying lap with no passing unless pointed by, but we were actually pretty close to our normal stacking, not like being stuck behind a Miata or something, ... then the second lap happened. I'm pulling 130-140 on the back, coming 100ish into Riverside, hop Phil Hill just nicely, and feel a wobble immediately on the landing. I was pretty aggressive as I had just passed my TT3 Mustang buddy just coming into Phil Hill, and had a pretty good run, and for some stupid reason, stayed in it as I had a good line on another that was a few classes down that I could snag before Star Mazda.

View attachment 71695View attachment 71701

It would seem as if my studs would have a strong difference of opinion as to how my day would turn out. As I made a hard, straight brake (or is it break?) to shed some speed now that I'm really not starting to enjoy this wobble, I turn hard right, and feel as if I'm sitting in a rocking recliner, now harnessed in and leaning back. I keep my balance on that right, and then carefully get over and start pointing a few of the close people by and straighten up for the esses where I'll have to make a beeline right through and be careful on that last exiting left so I don't throw the car, damage the rotor, lower control arm, and everything else on the left.

View attachment 71694View attachment 71698

I am so crazy fortunate that while I have bad luck, I have pretty good bad luck, as the track services team was able to track my tire down, as it went perfectly straight through the mud as it was wet and sticky out, and all the way down to the new track that they're building up. I don't know if it would have carried on to Lerdo Highway, the John Deere dealership, or even the Southbound I-5, but how about we keep that one for another day, yeah? I'm so thankful to have something like @APEXRaceParts on my side, as I have put these things through an absolute beating, and of all the things that could have happened, we escaped with what looks to be a little scarring from what appears to be the dust shield or rotor against it for a few revolutions, a slight scraping/porting where the lip of the rotor hub/lip make contact with it, but an otherwise flush and clean mounting surface, no elongated stud holes, and still straight and without any warping. Amazing, simply amazing. I have no idea how some of you are bending rims, but please don't f***ing tell me, because I just know I will once I learn that secret.

View attachment 71693View attachment 71703

I had a little crew cheer me on as I made it back under my own power to my space, and we went to work on popping out the ol' slugs, and just the night before, my buddy Chad was talking about how he changed out to ARP's and kept his stock, and I guess that universe works funny sometimes, huh? If you're ever in a jam and don't feel like taking off the whole hub assembly with that huge fatty nut and the 9000# of torque it requires, you can actually slip the stock length ones in a little curve from the back if you have the hole at about 3 o'clock (looking from the back/underneath). A few taps on it, or perhaps some impact extensions to get it in, and then some open lugs and grease you can pull it back through nice and snug, and with that, we went out again later that day, good as new.

Comedians term this a callback

View attachment 71706

So, my transponder somehow didn't work/register for any of that first session, including that first flying lap which was like a meh 2:06, so once again, I start Buttonwillow from the back of the pack, just like last year. Since I was busy tending to other matters, remember when I said we can't pass on the first green lap unless we get a point by? Well, yeah, and as my luck would have it, I didn't get one, and coasted for the majority of the lap. I find it hard to believe that they couldn't hear or see me behind them, and somewhat disappointed that they didn't have the awareness or kindness to point me by, but I literally coasted for half the lap, and figured it was time to try touching 6th for the first time ever. I technically broke protocol and got a good jump on the exit of the last turn and passed him before the lap finished, and with apologies to the man's poor, poor left ear, went full WOT right on his door as I roared by. I couldn't get any clean laps in, but as the only entrant in TT2, I just needed to avoid any further explosions to take home the day's win.

and now for something completely different

View attachment 71697

Since I won the TT2 in the SoCal region, I got this cool trophy made out of wood, and if you actually take it out of the base, it's a surfboard, which makes this the most unique, wonderful, and Southern California thing I've ever had the pleasure of getting. It was a really nice fitting to a really difficult and patience testing season, which almost makes it worth all the mental and physical pain. It was a cold night, so we had all those heater stands, and it was nice to chat and hang with a bunch of people that usually run off to their hotels and whatnot, putting faces and names to the cars and all that. Certainly got a few "holy f***ing shiznit your car is loud" and "how have you not exploded?" over the night, so it seems that all my deeds, good and bad, are getting noticed.

Sunday started off brutally cold, I believe the coldest I can remember in SoCal, with my IAT showing single digits as we went out. I talked to my GoPro this time, and this battery died as I was doing my morning blabbering, but at least recorded my cheap therapeutic dump. Starting up near the faster cars, I didn't have as much slow traffic to deal with, and with both the track and tires being frighteningly cold, put down a 3rd overall 1:59.36 which again, uncontested meant that I won the day as long as I finished without an incident, 4 off, or any other explosion. The race group warmup beforehand didn't have anybody sub 2, so it really was that cold and slick. Came off early to seal the deal, but really just let time do its thing, hoping that we'd get more run groups to warm the track up, and the sun to come out of hiding. Second session went a little better, and put down a 1:58.29 which is now the TT2 class record for CW 25A.

View attachment 71708

I did have a predictive 1:57.5 headed into the last turn, but a combination of my setup not being quite right yet, or cheap base Mustang rear end forcing heavy understeer, or getting onto the gas just early had me saving an off, and falling out of the super wide 3rd gear powerband meant that I lugged it across much weaker than I could and should have. Happy with where things stood, the temperatures started to come back, so I felt with the brakes starting to go, clutch starting to slip, called it a day and spent the rest of it relaxing and hanging out. I've got a Torsen T2R out of a GT350r with my name on it, and still trying to decide about how frequently I want to shift, thinking of 3.90 or 4.09's, and while I'm still well underpowered, I also have that CobraJet intake and matching wide mouth CAI to slip in, so maybe we'll see how close to 500 we can get. That said, the record still stands, and had I cleaned things up and went out with the race group, I would have done just fine there too, as it was 3rd fastest on the day. So, a good start to the season, I'm not yet the driver I want to be, and the car is certainly not the car it wants to be, but we've got a whole year, and an awful lot of hopes, dreams, and promise ahead.

View attachment 71705
Always a good read from you. Sorry for the crap luck, happy for the good luck.
Congrats for the great performance. :thumbsup:
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,154
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Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
So, last time out, I lost 3rd and 4th, and ordered a reman since the season opener is right around the corner, and I'd much rather go with what I know, instead of having to do some quick learning and trying my luck to find out that I need something on short notice. I would have liked a TR-3160, but with my gearing, it'd be suboptimal as I believe the GT350's are 3.73 rears, and it'd goof up a bunch with my shift points and having to relearn the courses. The Tremec T-56 Magnum would be nice, but if it's wide geared, I'd still have two overdrive gears which don't do me good, in only briefly touch 5th at Autoclub going 150+, and with NASCAR fooling with that track, I'd then have no tracks that speed. So, out with the old, in with the new (to me).

View attachment 71700View attachment 71702

I've gone 40 something years without pulling a transmission on my own before, and it wasn't all that bad, actually. The top two bolts through the bellhousing to the engine are an incredible pain with the longtubes eating up a bunch of space, and how mine collect right there make it a pretty difficult angle that can only be hit with the right combo of extensions and swivels, and careful planning to not cross-thread it or round off the head. I made a rookie mistake in leaving a bolt in and because of the longtubes, unable to see it, which was right over the hole where the starter was. With it out, was able to inspect my JB-weld skills, as that, a two hour death grip, and the careful angling and dangling of @Hye Power still have it sitting pretty from Chuckwalla's affairs. I also replaced the driver side valve cover gasket, which was leaking at Autoclub and didn't drip since, so thankfully that was an easy fix and not a much bigger issue.

View attachment 71696

With the new transmission back on, went up to Buttonwillow a day early for the Friday Test n' Tune to get a good place to set up camp, and take it through a quick shakedown to see how we're all feeling. I also like to tech early, because of new rules for this year, and that our last year was somewhat of a challenge, as each and every single time was a different issue pointed out and somewhat inconsistent as 3-4 different people saw her. With all of the tire changes and whatnot to Super Touring / Time Trials, we also have to actually spell out what tire we're using, its dimensions/size, and of course our annual dyno. I did a few sessions of 15-20 minutes and was keeping myself down on revs, coming off to cool down, and increasing the limit another 1k every time out, but didn't bother timing anything at best a 4-5/10ths pace. Did semi-successfully build it up though, and smoked the clutch a few times, so hoping it was the new transmission that wasn't yet ready for some real quick speedshifts, or it's sticking, I dunno, but high rpm shifts are a known issue for this transmission, as are others.

View attachment 71699

So for our official season dyno, at about 260ft above sea level and a low 60s day, we put down 469, pretty similar to last year's 466, so I'm digging the consistency. For TT2, we're 8:1, but can take additional points for modifications, and so at 3605 minimum race weight, and +1 point for Yokohama A052, and being so heavy, I get to go to something like 546 average rwhp, for which I'm well underneath at 455rwhp avg hp. With that cushion, you better believe that I'm going to continue the weight loss.

picking up right where we left off

Saturday's first session was really cold, and so I went out on the tires virgin session with higher than usual pressures, knowing they wouldn't likely warm up as much as the 8-10# they usually do. I went out near the front of the pack, and on my second lap, started my weekend of firsts.


View attachment 71704

First, we were running Clockwise 25 + A section, which was new to me, and pretty much everybody. The A section is weird in CW because you're coming up to that blind, similar to Phil Hill, and then it's a short, tight turn, that then quickly switches back for the I-5 straight into Cotton Corners. There is a ton of speed coming through the Dog Leg, where you have to slow into Riverside to your happy 100-110 or so. This configuration also has the Star Mazda turn, so there's a straightaway there to pour on some speed, and build some up as you exit into the esses. I really like this a lot, and to be honest, I wish they'd run this one a lot more. This is probably their fastest configuration, and it's a fun one when you've got some muscle, sure, you don't get to do the bus stop, big whoop. I would have wished my fully charged GoPro batteries didn't die, but I guess you can only cycle them so many times, the video would make this upcoming story so much cooler. So we did the parade lap to warm them up, first flying lap with no passing unless pointed by, but we were actually pretty close to our normal stacking, not like being stuck behind a Miata or something, ... then the second lap happened. I'm pulling 130-140 on the back, coming 100ish into Riverside, hop Phil Hill just nicely, and feel a wobble immediately on the landing. I was pretty aggressive as I had just passed my TT3 Mustang buddy just coming into Phil Hill, and had a pretty good run, and for some stupid reason, stayed in it as I had a good line on another that was a few classes down that I could snag before Star Mazda.

View attachment 71695View attachment 71701

It would seem as if my studs would have a strong difference of opinion as to how my day would turn out. As I made a hard, straight brake (or is it break?) to shed some speed now that I'm really not starting to enjoy this wobble, I turn hard right, and feel as if I'm sitting in a rocking recliner, now harnessed in and leaning back. I keep my balance on that right, and then carefully get over and start pointing a few of the close people by and straighten up for the esses where I'll have to make a beeline right through and be careful on that last exiting left so I don't throw the car, damage the rotor, lower control arm, and everything else on the left.

View attachment 71694View attachment 71698

I am so crazy fortunate that while I have bad luck, I have pretty good bad luck, as the track services team was able to track my tire down, as it went perfectly straight through the mud as it was wet and sticky out, and all the way down to the new track that they're building up. I don't know if it would have carried on to Lerdo Highway, the John Deere dealership, or even the Southbound I-5, but how about we keep that one for another day, yeah? I'm so thankful to have something like @APEXRaceParts on my side, as I have put these things through an absolute beating, and of all the things that could have happened, we escaped with what looks to be a little scarring from what appears to be the dust shield or rotor against it for a few revolutions, a slight scraping/porting where the lip of the rotor hub/lip make contact with it, but an otherwise flush and clean mounting surface, no elongated stud holes, and still straight and without any warping. Amazing, simply amazing. I have no idea how some of you are bending rims, but please don't f***ing tell me, because I just know I will once I learn that secret.

View attachment 71693View attachment 71703

I had a little crew cheer me on as I made it back under my own power to my space, and we went to work on popping out the ol' slugs, and just the night before, my buddy Chad was talking about how he changed out to ARP's and kept his stock, and I guess that universe works funny sometimes, huh? If you're ever in a jam and don't feel like taking off the whole hub assembly with that huge fatty nut and the 9000# of torque it requires, you can actually slip the stock length ones in a little curve from the back if you have the hole at about 3 o'clock (looking from the back/underneath). A few taps on it, or perhaps some impact extensions to get it in, and then some open lugs and grease you can pull it back through nice and snug, and with that, we went out again later that day, good as new.

Comedians term this a callback

View attachment 71706

So, my transponder somehow didn't work/register for any of that first session, including that first flying lap which was like a meh 2:06, so once again, I start Buttonwillow from the back of the pack, just like last year. Since I was busy tending to other matters, remember when I said we can't pass on the first green lap unless we get a point by? Well, yeah, and as my luck would have it, I didn't get one, and coasted for the majority of the lap. I find it hard to believe that they couldn't hear or see me behind them, and somewhat disappointed that they didn't have the awareness or kindness to point me by, but I literally coasted for half the lap, and figured it was time to try touching 6th for the first time ever. I technically broke protocol and got a good jump on the exit of the last turn and passed him before the lap finished, and with apologies to the man's poor, poor left ear, went full WOT right on his door as I roared by. I couldn't get any clean laps in, but as the only entrant in TT2, I just needed to avoid any further explosions to take home the day's win.

and now for something completely different

View attachment 71697

Since I won the TT2 in the SoCal region, I got this cool trophy made out of wood, and if you actually take it out of the base, it's a surfboard, which makes this the most unique, wonderful, and Southern California thing I've ever had the pleasure of getting. It was a really nice fitting to a really difficult and patience testing season, which almost makes it worth all the mental and physical pain. It was a cold night, so we had all those heater stands, and it was nice to chat and hang with a bunch of people that usually run off to their hotels and whatnot, putting faces and names to the cars and all that. Certainly got a few "holy f***ing shiznit your car is loud" and "how have you not exploded?" over the night, so it seems that all my deeds, good and bad, are getting noticed.

Sunday started off brutally cold, I believe the coldest I can remember in SoCal, with my IAT showing single digits as we went out. I talked to my GoPro this time, and this battery died as I was doing my morning blabbering, but at least recorded my cheap therapeutic dump. Starting up near the faster cars, I didn't have as much slow traffic to deal with, and with both the track and tires being frighteningly cold, put down a 3rd overall 1:59.36 which again, uncontested meant that I won the day as long as I finished without an incident, 4 off, or any other explosion. The race group warmup beforehand didn't have anybody sub 2, so it really was that cold and slick. Came off early to seal the deal, but really just let time do its thing, hoping that we'd get more run groups to warm the track up, and the sun to come out of hiding. Second session went a little better, and put down a 1:58.29 which is now the TT2 class record for CW 25A.

View attachment 71708

I did have a predictive 1:57.5 headed into the last turn, but a combination of my setup not being quite right yet, or cheap base Mustang rear end forcing heavy understeer, or getting onto the gas just early had me saving an off, and falling out of the super wide 3rd gear powerband meant that I lugged it across much weaker than I could and should have. Happy with where things stood, the temperatures started to come back, so I felt with the brakes starting to go, clutch starting to slip, called it a day and spent the rest of it relaxing and hanging out. I've got a Torsen T2R out of a GT350r with my name on it, and still trying to decide about how frequently I want to shift, thinking of 3.90 or 4.09's, and while I'm still well underpowered, I also have that CobraJet intake and matching wide mouth CAI to slip in, so maybe we'll see how close to 500 we can get. That said, the record still stands, and had I cleaned things up and went out with the race group, I would have done just fine there too, as it was 3rd fastest on the day. So, a good start to the season, I'm not yet the driver I want to be, and the car is certainly not the car it wants to be, but we've got a whole year, and an awful lot of hopes, dreams, and promise ahead.

View attachment 71705
Did I mention that TMO members rock?
Seems like there are quite a few happy endings for members here....must be all the good advise.
 
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So happy you manage to sort your trans issues. Are you going to rebuild the old one ?
You lost a wheel I suppose rear left ? I understand the wobble but what happen to all studs ? Was the landing that hard ? And also how the wheel hub survived the next day of abuse ? Left wheel hub is prone to making such issues all the time and at that point for me is a wear item. Also the Yoko A052 isn't they a 295/35/19 tires and are you happy with them mostly temperature wise I'm trying to decide on new tires for the 19x11 wheels and this are a big contender but I'm not sure how they wear out ? Good that you are back on track enjoy your season wishing you have less technical problems this season.
 

PaddyPrix

If breakin' parts is cool, consider me Miles Davis
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Did I mention that TMO members rock?
Seems like there are quite a few happy endings for members here....must be all the good advise.
Certainly a wealth of information available here, I'd be borderline useless without the encouragement, help, and support. I don't know if I would have taken the chance at this project had this not been here for me to read up and kinda cheat my way to the front.

So happy you manage to sort your trans issues. Are you going to rebuild the old one ?
You lost a wheel I suppose rear left ? I understand the wobble but what happen to all studs ? Was the landing that hard ? And also how the wheel hub survived the next day of abuse ? Left wheel hub is prone to making such issues all the time and at that point for me is a wear item. Also the Yoko A052 isn't they a 295/35/19 tires and are you happy with them mostly temperature wise I'm trying to decide on new tires for the 19x11 wheels and this are a big contender but I'm not sure how they wear out ? Good that you are back on track enjoy your season wishing you have less technical problems this season.
Yeah, I think I will. As a GT, I'm somewhat in the minority already with that most of the s550 crowd are GT350's with the Tremec TR-3160, or some of the GT's who have swapped to it, and with the new Mach 1 having that trans too, I might let that gather a little more of a following which I'll keep some tabs on. There are plenty who just jump onto the Tremec T-56 Magnum, which is a great transmission and a known quantity itself, but in a way, I figure I might just as well give this MT82-D4 a shot and see how long it will hold up. I mean, I understand how some just copy/paste other people's subjective feelings without much evidence behind it, but with it only being out for a few years now, something with like how Ale is doing with the 10 speed Auto, I don't think there are too many really beating the piss out of these things, and I guess I'll be the sacrificial lamb here. Obviously Ford knows that the TR-3160 is better because it's going into their top of the line cars, and that they like the Holinger even better for their GT4 Mustang, but is this transmission costing me that much extra time?

I did lose the rear left, yes. I don't have the video, but I didn't catch that much air like a police action movie, but I am rather violent hitting curbs on this on nearly every turn because in a way the IRS allows me to do so. Upgrading to some higher quality ARP studs will just about eradicate that, and I'll have to add this to my maintenance schedule to stay on top of it. There is a very fast chicane at my home track where I'm tagging them at 125-130, and with more power on hand, I am still going to hit it because I'm trying to chase guys down with even more power, and I know I'm gaining that extra bit on them there. I run Apex 18x11 right now, and so I'm running their 315/30-18. There was a big shake-up rumored for a while, and friendly with the Time Trial and National Directors who are both in/at SoCal events, we knew something was coming, and so with the Super Touring / Time Trials being power/weight based, running the Yoko A052 I think gives me I feel a better car.

1641892131267.png

TT2 is 8:1, so essentially this tire allows me to be 7:1. I've run the A052 before about a year ago and was pleased with its handling and performance, but would love to hear from others who have run that against others in the +1 class, especially the Falken RT660, Rival S 1.5, and Nankang CR-1 (soon to be CR-S). The Yoko pricing is just about what you'd pay for a Hoosier, and the life of it is only slightly longer, with my heavy car getting about 8-12 good HC out of it. I ran it up to 16 earlier, and those sessions were just terrible with lateral grip that I was used to going pretty quickly. It was a nice exercise in car balance and control for an HPDE day, just delicately skating around, but I really wouldn't recommend it for trying to do anything competitive. They get up to temp relatively quick, so I felt that some hard start/stops and trying to turn hard in on turns on the parade lap would have them good to go for about 3-4 laps before they start to get hot. I'm sure they can go just longer, but for TT, running near the front, depending on the course length and group size, I'm already fighting through traffic by the 2nd lap.
1641892864271.png
They do hold decently consistent though, and you can tell which laps I had room and which I didn't rather plainly. My next tire in that class will be the Nankang CR-1, which I'm hoping would be pretty similar to the Nankang AR-1 which I've previously run and liked as well. Spec Corvette uses Nankang's NS-2R tire which is on that list in the +1.6 category and would be enough to allow me to add a ton of power, or with that ceiling, go down a class to TT3, but with hopes of joining the W2W ranks at some point this season, I need to stay around this weight/power so that I can move to a tire that I can trust to run consistently for a 20 minute session and finish strong.
 
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Bulgaria
Certainly a wealth of information available here, I'd be borderline useless without the encouragement, help, and support. I don't know if I would have taken the chance at this project had this not been here for me to read up and kinda cheat my way to the front.


Yeah, I think I will. As a GT, I'm somewhat in the minority already with that most of the s550 crowd are GT350's with the Tremec TR-3160, or some of the GT's who have swapped to it, and with the new Mach 1 having that trans too, I might let that gather a little more of a following which I'll keep some tabs on. There are plenty who just jump onto the Tremec T-56 Magnum, which is a great transmission and a known quantity itself, but in a way, I figure I might just as well give this MT82-D4 a shot and see how long it will hold up. I mean, I understand how some just copy/paste other people's subjective feelings without much evidence behind it, but with it only being out for a few years now, something with like how Ale is doing with the 10 speed Auto, I don't think there are too many really beating the piss out of these things, and I guess I'll be the sacrificial lamb here. Obviously Ford knows that the TR-3160 is better because it's going into their top of the line cars, and that they like the Holinger even better for their GT4 Mustang, but is this transmission costing me that much extra time?

Regarding transmissions the MT82-D4 has terrible gearing I raced a friend of mine with 2019 GT with it and on the drag strip I'm faster than him because of the better gearing of my MT82 and we are both 3.55 rear as in Europe we lack Torsen and 3.73 probably because of emissions. I don't know how the gearing is working for you on the track though. TR-3160 should be much better trans than what we have at least is rated for the power of the Coyote and made by a real trans manufacture. And the fact that FP is selling T-56 Magnum with engine combo is saying a lot as well. So my plan is to go with TR-3160 (easier to source in Europe) if and when my MT82 fail. A friend of mine is going to rebuild his MT82 as he is having a very annoying grinding when engaging 5th gear.
I did lose the rear left, yes. I don't have the video, but I didn't catch that much air like a police action movie, but I am rather violent hitting curbs on this on nearly every turn because in a way the IRS allows me to do so. Upgrading to some higher quality ARP studs will just about eradicate that, and I'll have to add this to my maintenance schedule to stay on top of it. There is a very fast chicane at my home track where I'm tagging them at 125-130, and with more power on hand, I am still going to hit it because I'm trying to chase guys down with even more power, and I know I'm gaining that extra bit on them there.

I do have a fast chicane which is left/right and I'm jumping through it with around 90 mph so I'm sure this is adding to my rear left wheel hub issues. Fortunately the track repaved that chicane and is much easier now on the car so I hope this issues are gone. Also consider changing your lug nuts I don't know what you are using but the oem ones are trash anyway.

I run Apex 18x11 right now, and so I'm running their 315/30-18. There was a big shake-up rumored for a while, and friendly with the Time Trial and National Directors who are both in/at SoCal events, we knew something was coming, and so with the Super Touring / Time Trials being power/weight based, running the Yoko A052 I think gives me I feel a better car.

View attachment 71729

TT2 is 8:1, so essentially this tire allows me to be 7:1. I've run the A052 before about a year ago and was pleased with its handling and performance, but would love to hear from others who have run that against others in the +1 class, especially the Falken RT660, Rival S 1.5, and Nankang CR-1 (soon to be CR-S). The Yoko pricing is just about what you'd pay for a Hoosier, and the life of it is only slightly longer, with my heavy car getting about 8-12 good HC out of it. I ran it up to 16 earlier, and those sessions were just terrible with lateral grip that I was used to going pretty quickly. It was a nice exercise in car balance and control for an HPDE day, just delicately skating around, but I really wouldn't recommend it for trying to do anything competitive. They get up to temp relatively quick, so I felt that some hard start/stops and trying to turn hard in on turns on the parade lap would have them good to go for about 3-4 laps before they start to get hot. I'm sure they can go just longer, but for TT, running near the front, depending on the course length and group size, I'm already fighting through traffic by the 2nd lap.
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They do hold decently consistent though, and you can tell which laps I had room and which I didn't rather plainly. My next tire in that class will be the Nankang CR-1, which I'm hoping would be pretty similar to the Nankang AR-1 which I've previously run and liked as well. Spec Corvette uses Nankang's NS-2R tire which is on that list in the +1.6 category and would be enough to allow me to add a ton of power, or with that ceiling, go down a class to TT3, but with hopes of joining the W2W ranks at some point this season, I need to stay around this weight/power so that I can move to a tire that I can trust to run consistently for a 20 minute session and finish strong.

So for me the options are whatever I'm currently running in 295/30/19. Yoko A052 in 295/35/19 or Nankang AR-1 in 305/30/19 since you used both A052 and AR-1 which is wearing faster ? Because I kind of want to chose tires ones.
 

PaddyPrix

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Regarding transmissions the MT82-D4 has terrible gearing I raced a friend of mine with 2019 GT with it and on the drag strip I'm faster than him because of the better gearing of my MT82 and we are both 3.55 rear as in Europe we lack Torsen and 3.73 probably because of emissions. I don't know how the gearing is working for you on the track though. TR-3160 should be much better trans than what we have at least is rated for the power of the Coyote and made by a real trans manufacture. And the fact that FP is selling T-56 Magnum with engine combo is saying a lot as well. So my plan is to go with TR-3160 (easier to source in Europe) if and when my MT82 fail. A friend of mine is going to rebuild his MT82 as he is having a very annoying grinding when engaging 5th gear.
It does have terrible gearing, yes. It is also very similar to what many of the T56 Magnum XL are, although yes, there are plenty who do change around the gearing sets, sometimes switching the close and wide 1+2 combos. Regardless, they're both double overdrive transmissions, where if the 4th gear is 1:1, the overdrive 5th is very sparingly used on very high speed courses, and 6th, I'll be honest, at the speeds I'm doing in 5th, 6th would send me to morgue more likely than jail, because they aren't catching me at 200+ :D

I will say that changing the rear to 3.90 or 4.09 will shift them slightly, and when comparing the speeds per gear, the MT82-D4 vs the MT82 and TR-3160 both with 3.73 gearings then become pretty similar on the same tire. The 5th doesn't exactly become a 1:1 gear, but becomes more or less the straightaway gear. That means I'll be doing a little more shifting, but I'm down for it if means I have more chances at sitting in my powerband.

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So for me the options are whatever I'm currently running in 295/30/19. Yoko A052 in 295/35/19 or Nankang AR-1 in 305/30/19 since you used both A052 and AR-1 which is wearing faster ? Because I kind of want to chose tires ones.
Trying to be objective, NASA has classified the AR-1 as a +1.6 tire, and the A052 as a +1 tire. I'm sure they're going by pure laptimes, where either the A052 or the drivers of A052 are just that much better that they're not seen as being in the same class, so they allow AR-1 drivers to either have more power, less weight, or a combination of the two, and subjectively, having driven both, I'm inclined to agree.

However, higher performance doesn't entirely mean less life, but in this case, I'd have to believe that an AR-1 would last slightly longer. I'd believe that the AR-1 might last slightly longer, but only by a few heat cycles. The Nitto NT01 (+1.6) being a 100TW that lasts 20+ HC, and the Yokohama A052 (+1.0) being "200TW" that lasts 12ish HC, going by the laptimes and performance, I'd guess it's good for 16+, which is what I personally saw with the Toyo RR. Of course, that's with my car, bad driving, and weight, but I'd be curious to hear your experience and findings.
 

PaddyPrix

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About time I finally did something about my rear

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Perhaps it's what's on the inside that truly counts, and if you're one of those people, then you'll be happy to know that it's going to a Torsen and the 3.73's that came with it too.

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Should be a nice change to things in the handling department as previously I felt as if I was skating on thin ice, either locking it up and understeering off of a turn, or if slightly too aggressive coming out, it'll just throw the end around. Been jealous of all you guys just laying it down and getting some rotation in your fancy cars, so I am hoping that you all embrace me in the semi-cool kids club. I don't expect much out of the 3.73's as obviously it does very little (if any) to address the MT82-D4's gearing being so wide, but here's hoping I can really nail turns and get some even higher exit speeds. Any non-obvious maintenance or driving tips to a torsen noob would be appreciated, since the first time I'm going to be driving it is going to be at/on the track.

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Also going to make a sweetheart deal to a friend as I move on from the Cobra Jet. It's definitely the best for big power, but I don't have the cams, heads, or springs to fully unlock it's potential. At 3605/445 avg rwhp, it's pretty much right on for ST2 for +0 mod tires like the R7 which will probably do me better once I put on the finishing touches to pass tech get it to Super Touring. I could probably even kill off some more weight, but not sure how much I'd like to detune the thing, I am pretty happy to where it sits with just the e85 and longtubes, which allow me to slightly slack on the cooling mods.

Speaking of R7...

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Got my hands on the Apex 18x12's I'd been waiting on for far too long. Currently running a 27mm spacer up front which would just clear on 18x11's, but isn't on the 12's. It's also kissing the MCS on the rear but by just the tiniest amount. I've got some 5 and 7mm plates around here somewhere, but with 18's, the somewhat limited selection of tires drops even further when you go above 315. I've got some Conti G6000 slicks from the big close out from before, but thinking I can go 335 square in a bit. Since I'm no millionaire, might just save these for ST and use the 18x11 for TT and another set for HPDE things. Still playing with the idea of staggering 315 in the front with 335-345 in the rear, but I'd get hell from the internets for mismatching wheel colors and types, how dare I. I will also have to try my hands at fabbing soon, because while the rear looks great, they're a good inch or two clear of the fender on the front.
 
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Fabman

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Got my hands on the Apex 18x12's I'd been waiting on for far too long.
What you talkin' about Willis....?
When did Apex start making 18x12" mustang wheels?
 

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