Boss & GT350 Winter Mods 2017

[ford20]

Well since November is tomorrow and most people are prepping for some of their last track outings of the season or prepping the car for winter storage I figured I would start a thread over what people plan to get over the winter months for their cars.

Here is a list of what I have planned for the car. I will probably be removing the Schroth Flex since at this point I don't think I would really need it. Once I move up in speed around the track and such I would like to pick it up though. The Tiger Racing Hood would also be something I'm not certain on getting. If I end up getting the money for it I wouldn't mind it, but I think the money would be better spent on some items from Cortex in all honesty.



So what does everyone else have planned?

 

[Swiss Boss]

Front brakes to replace this mess

 

[VoodooBoss]

Sean, that's a pretty solid list there and follows what a lot of TMO members have done over the years. I'd suggest moving down the hood and rotor upgrades and get the Hans device first. Your personal safety is much more important than those other mods. If you have a roll bar and harnesses a Hans device should be mandatory. One view of the Hans video and you'll be convinced.

https://youtu.be/NSaiZuzNMSY

https://youtu.be/bFOprqPmgqQ

My 2017 Winter mods will be pretty light since I've already done most of it this year. I'm considering a CF driveshaft but I'm waiting to see others use one first. A new MGW shifter is also on my list. I'm hoping to install my @Tob GT350 brake caliper stud kit this weekend along with a 14mm wheel stud kit from @tim and my titanium brake shields from @KNS Brakes that I never installed. I also have another set of N4SM R spec wheels on order for street use. Then if @BigTaco uncovers any nuggets from SEMA this week I might be adding to my list.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Wow, that is one serious crack!

 

[302 Hi Pro]

Front brakes to replace this mess

In my best Rocky Balboa accent: "So is this the Liberty Bell, or what?"

Amazing to me how thermo stresses can affect brake rotors.

What are you going to replace them with?
2HP

 

[ufnavy06]

I'm looking for rims/tires since it looks like the Boss is getting thrown into light snow duty in a few months.

Hope I can find a decent set.

 

[byronj]

If plans work out, sale Boss upgrade to GT350. If not then install new brakes, lines, different suspension, get safety equipment, and the list continues.....

 

[ford20]

Sean, that's a pretty solid list there and follows what a lot of TMO members have done over the years. I'd suggest moving down the hood and rotor upgrades and get the Hans device first. Your personal safety is much more important than those other mods. If you have a roll bar and harnesses a Hans device should be mandatory. One view of the Hans video and you'll be convinced.

https://youtu.be/NSaiZuzNMSY

https://youtu.be/bFOprqPmgqQ

My 2017 Winter mods will be pretty light since I've already done most of it this year. I'm considering a CF driveshaft but I'm waiting to see others use one first. A new MGW shifter is also on my list. I'm hoping to install my @Tob GT350 brake caliper stud kit this weekend along with a 14mm wheel stud kit from @tim and my titanium brake shields from @KNS Brakes that I never installed. I also have another set of N4SM R spec wheels on order for street use. Then if @BigTaco uncovers any nuggets from SEMA this week I might be adding to my list.

The only reason why I may take the HANS off the list for the moment is I would still be in the beginner class at HPDE days and I figured at that point I would be more focused on my lines and hitting the apex than I would be for all out speed and wouldn't be too worried about it. I mean if you guys think that I should still get the HANS than I will, but I wouldn't want to scare the instructor having them thinking I am trying to be Mario Andretti or something haha.

 

[Flyboygsxr]

I'm looking for rims/tires since it looks like the Boss is getting thrown into light snow duty in a few months.

Hope I can find a decent set.

I have some wheels and tires for sale...the continental DW's are a great rain tire. Not sure how they would fair in snow but they have massive tread blocks.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Actually, as an Instructor for two tracks and with NASA , I would look very favorably on a student with a Hans Device. Shows me he understands the dynamics of tracking a car at high speed and he is concerned about his safety -- which means he is also likely to be concerned about mine!!??

 

[Smilieboy]

So, I'm still working my list. I've got a list of wishes and a list of needs. Needs come first, and whatever is left will go to wants. I would like some input from people of what they are seeing in their cars regarding maintenance of bushings and such. Will be at 60k miles and 46 track days by December and want to make sure I’m covering all the bases. I want to be the old guy in 40 year still beating the hell out of this thing.

Needs:

Fix rear end venting situation. Blew 2 pinion seals back to back months. It could be one of 2 things. First is over filled and the other is the vent isn't venting enough air to allow fluid to expand. I'm going to replace the filter setup and see if that remedies it. If not, I may have to pull the trigger on full on diff cooler setup in the trunk.

Replace pinion seal and bearings. This kinda works with fixing the venting situation. When I had the pinion seal replaced the shop said there was a slight chance the bearings may be worn out from the track use and the amount of heat they have seen. They said if the seal broke again that I would likely need to replace the whole bearing setup.

Find out what is knocking in the rear end. There is a few possibilities with this and I'm hoping to get some input on this. On a hard down shift I occasionally get a knocking noise coming from the rear part of the car. I can't fully identify what it is but there are some possibilities I've narrowed it down to. 1, the exhaust is hitting the rear axle area due to the car being so low. I'm working on a fix for this, it's later in the list. 2. UCA bushings may need to be replaced. I'm likely going to replace them anyway since the car will be at 60k miles by winter. Figured it can't hurt with almost 50 track days on the car. 3. Rear diff needs to be replaced. This is one of those I'm not sure how to even tell if it is or not without taking everything apart. Worst case I'll plan for it budget wise and hope I can just leave this alone. If it needs to be I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on a T2R and dropping to 3:55's.

Fix the exhaust. As stated above, the exhaust is knocking on the rear axle. It’s been doing it since I lowered the car, but lately I think it’s getting much worse. It melted the fuel vent tube and I’ve had 5 shops try to wiggle it around to make it work. Always ends right back up against the axle housing or pumpkin. What exhaust are you guys running on really low cars? I’ve got the magnaflow comp catbacks. Love the sound, but if I have to go to a different setup to get them to stop hitting, I have no choice. One option I looked at is getting the
Kooks interceptor mufflers and dumping the exhaust before the axle, but not sure if I’m risking melting anything else.

Fix the oil temp gauge. It’s either the sensor or a wire. I’m hoping more of a sensor since occasionally it will start working again.

Figure out if I need a new grille to facilitate oil cooler. This requires the step above. At best I keep my setup like it is. Worst case, I need a bigger cooler. Good news is Improved racing is redesigning the 172 oil cooler to be better. If it’s out by next season, I’ll look at that as an option.

FLCA bushings/302s control arms. I want the control arms, but I can’t justify 1k on a set of arms and the bushings. I’ve looked and buying stock arms and modifying but my technical expertise leaves much to be desired. I’ve looked at the BMR ones, but I want to talk to some track day guys who actually use them to see if they are holding up. More research needed on this by far.

Needs/Want:

This is kinda in the middle of actually needing and wanting. The KW V3 coilover rear shocks are starting weep. To be honest, I haven’t liked these much at all and I’m really just using it as an excuse to look at a new set of coilovers. Debating between the Bilstein coilover kit from Vorshlag or a set of MCS2’s from Vorslhag. Was hoping to keep this below 4K if possible, which is why I was leaning to the Bilstein setup. Plus, with the Bilstein, I can just focus on driving and not worry about adjusting the suspension. I haven’t touched the KW’s in a while because I just don’t feel the need. I just want to drive lol.

Tiger racing hood. At the end of many straights my hood is fluttering at it’s slightly scary. I’ve wanted one since year one. Maybe this will be the year.

302S radiator, to further help the cooling.

Want:

Longtubes, cause more noise and some horsepower.
Cams, cause even more noise and horsepower. ;D
Steering wheel replacement, cause the stock one is starting to fray a bit.

 

[VoodooBoss]

Nick, what venting or catch can are you using on your diff? I had the Bob's and it would hit when I got close to bottoming the suspension. Check the thread below on installing a proper diff breather.

https://trackmustangsonline.com/index.php?topic=7851.0

 

[dabossinnne]

My list, likely to expand:

1. Remove stock oil cooler, install thermostat for already-installed Setrab 172 oil cooler.
2. Antigravity light weight battery.
3. Halo-type racing seat (haven't decided yet which one).
4. FPP B302R/S ABS module.

 

[F.D. Sako]

My list, likely to expand:

1. Remove stock oil cooler, install thermostat for already-installed Setrab 172 oil cooler.
2. Antigravity light weight battery.
3. Halo-type racing seat (haven't decided yet which one).
4. FPP B302R/S ABS module.

Before you remove the stock water-oil cooler, make sure the Setrab 172 has enough cooling capacity to cool the oil on its own. Based on members' inputs, you'll need a pretty big air-oil cooler to compensate for the removal of the water-oil cooler and accomplish additional cooling.

 

[ford20]

Actually, as an Instructor for two tracks and with NASA , I would look very favorably on a student with a Hans Device. Shows me he understands the dynamics of tracking a car at high speed and he is concerned about his safety -- which means he is also likely to be concerned about mine!!??

Thanks Bill! I will put it back on the list than!!

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Good man , Sean, as sure you will sneak up to Watkins Glen sometime in 2017 and .......................definitely a needed item there!!!

 

[TymeSlayer]

My list, likely to expand:

1. Remove stock oil cooler, install thermostat for already-installed Setrab 172 oil cooler.
2. Antigravity light weight battery.
3. Halo-type racing seat (haven't decided yet which one).
4. FPP B302R/S ABS module.

Which Antigravity Battery are you looking at? The AXT12-20 or something pricier?

 

[Smilieboy]

Nick, what venting or catch can are you using on your diff? I had the Bob's and it would hit when I got close to bottoming the suspension. Check the thread below on installing a proper diff breather.

https://trackmustangsonline.com/index.php?topic=7851.0

Just running a hose up to a fuel filter setup.

 

[F.D. Sako]

Just running a hose up to a fuel filter setup.

I have the same setup and havent ran into problems. Are you venting at the axle or diff cover?
Have you noticed if the hose kinks when suspension is loaded?