S197 3V Fabman's build; How did we get here? Build Thread

[Fabman]

The sign of a good life - keep enjoying that journey!

I have that going for me...I've done a lot of stuff some people are only able to dream about.

 

[Fabman]

Sunday Race:

 

[Dave_W]

Dion from Racers360 Coaching me

So I'm wondering if on T2 you might be turning in a bit early, which would also cause the early apex that Dion was talking about. If you waited a half-beat later to turn in, you could "wrap" around the corner more and be tighter to the curb a bit later. That would have you pointing the car the way Dion drew.

Have you thought about an Auto-Blip?

 

[Fabman]

So I'm wondering if on T2 you might be turning in a bit early, which would also cause the early apex that Dion was talking about. If you waited a half-beat later to turn in, you could "wrap" around the corner more and be tighter to the curb a bit later. That would have you pointing the car the way Dion drew.

Have you thought about an Auto-Blip?

I have an auto blip, for some reason it doesn’t work with the control pack for the coyote. We called auto blip and they had no idea why. It’s hooked up correctly and the lights display correctly but it kills the accelerator pedal and nothing happens when you press it. We hooked it up every which way and no go. Sucks cause I need that. My injured knee doesn’t like the twist needed for an effective heal and toe.

If you look at my YouTube channel you’ll see another video where he tells me to turn in there, it’s the part after that where I sometimes hold it too low and accelerate too soon that he’s talking about. I’m supposed to let it drift out farther and pivot and go back the other way. Like a diamond shape that circle trackers often use. I get it right sometimes, but not all the time. This lap happens to be one of the times I didn’t.

 

[Fabman]

So I'm wondering if on T2 you might be turning in a bit early, which would also cause the early apex that Dion was talking about. If you waited a half-beat later to turn in, you could "wrap" around the corner more and be tighter to the curb a bit later. That would have you pointing the car the way Dion drew.

Have you thought about an Auto-Blip?

 

[Dave_W]

I’m supposed to let it drift out farther and pivot and go back the other way. Like a diamond shape that circle trackers often use.

Ahh, the (Mark) Donahue line. Turn in early but only a little amount, trail brake deep, crank the wheel in the middle to get most of the turning done, then unwind quickly and get on the gas early. (Yeah, I know you know. Just 'splainin' for the kiddies. )

Something like this line, though maybe not quite as far out at the apex (I'm not an artist and using MSPaint). The line around Big Bend at Lime Rock is the same idea, just in the other direction.


Which actually leads to a bigger discussion, if you'll allow a bit of thread hijacking. For novices, and sometimes not-so-novices, the term "apex" can be misunderstood and/or misapplied. Some people may refer to the picture above as a "double apex" corner. However, I would argue that is technically incorrect. For me, the apex of a corner is the point on the curve where the most steering is being applied. This may be very different from what I call the "clipping point" of the turn - where the car is closest to the inside of the track and "clips" the inside curb. To me, the turn above has only one apex, but two clipping points.

On the average 90 degree turn, the "late apex" line is such that the techincal "apex" and "clipping point" are both after the mid-point of the corner; same with "early apex" 90s. It's mostly with hairpins where the difference between "apex" and "clipping point" really stands out. I think if we explain this better to novices, and try to differentiate these two different things in our instructions (e.g., the guide cone at the inside of the corner is a "clipping cone" not an "apex cone"), it will help the students bettter understand where / when to make their steering inputs.
[Steps off soapbox.]

 

[Fabman]

Ahh, the (Mark) Donahue line. Turn in early but only a little amount, trail brake deep, crank the wheel in the middle to get most of the turning done, then unwind quickly and get on the gas early. (Yeah, I know you know. Just 'splainin' for the kiddies. )

Something like this line, though maybe not quite as far out at the apex (I'm not an artist and using MSPaint). The line around Big Bend at Lime Rock is the same idea, just in the other direction.
View attachment 67147

Which actually leads to a bigger discussion, if you'll allow a bit of thread hijacking. For novices, and sometimes not-so-novices, the term "apex" can be misunderstood and/or misapplied. Some people may refer to the picture above as a "double apex" corner. However, I would argue that is technically incorrect. For me, the apex of a corner is the point on the curve where the most steering is being applied. This may be very different from what I call the "clipping point" of the turn - where the car is closest to the inside of the track and "clips" the inside curb. To me, the turn above has only one apex, but two clipping points.

On the average 90 degree turn, the "late apex" line is such that the techincal "apex" and "clipping point" are both after the mid-point of the corner; same with "early apex" 90s. It's mostly with hairpins where the difference between "apex" and "clipping point" really stands out. I think if we explain this better to novices, and try to differentiate these two different things in our instructions (e.g., the guide cone at the inside of the corner is a "clipping cone" not an "apex cone"), it will help the students bettter understand where / when to make their steering inputs.
[Steps off soapbox.]

Yes, only not quite so far out and a later apex than that. I actually saw myself on someone else’s in car video today nailing that line. If I can figure out how to copy and edit that video I will post it here. Yes it’s a shame that the nomenclature is not universal that would sure make things a lot easier.

 

[Fabman]

Starts about 20.10 in the video.

 

[Dave_W]

Hmm, got a weird video glitch just before you get to the apex and it jumped a second. What was there looked nice. Good entry & exit.

As the onboard car was between T10 and T11 and I saw your car in the rearview, all I could think of was Bullit. I was waiting for both of you to pass the same VW Beetle 3 times in the same lap.

 

[Fabman]

Hmm, got a weird video glitch just before you get to the apex and it jumped a second. What was there looked nice. Good entry & exit.

As the onboard car was between T10 and T11 and I saw your car in the rearview, all I could think of was Bullit. I was waiting for both of you to pass the same VW Beetle 3 times in the same lap.

Yeah weird glitch but not my video so who knows why.

 

[Fabman]

Watching that video all I can see is that extra bend in the A pillar.
If that car gets upside down it’s gonna fold up like a cheap suit.
I can’t believe it passes tech.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Watching that video all I can see is that extra bend in the A pillar.
If that car gets upside down it’s gonna fold up like a cheap suit.
I can’t believe it passes tech.

This one did not pass!!

 

[Fabman]

This one did not pass!!
View attachment 67167

Ouch...

 

[Fabman]

From "The wheel" magazine.

 

[PatrickStapler]

That had to be fun to watch…from the driver seat of either car.

 

[Fabman]

That had to be fun to watch…from the driver seat of either car.

Starts around 22:50

 

[Fabman]

The puke tank over flowed onto the front tire and sent me through the dirt there towards the end, almost costing me the race in the process. Those new GT 500 valve covers fixed this issue and it no longer pukes A FREAKING GALLON of oil per race......yeah, a Gallon. Per race. Ridiculous.

 

[Coz]

Those new GT 500 valve covers fixed this issue and it no longer pukes A FREAKING GALLON of oil per race

Wow. As I understand it, the GT500 covers have different baffling. So does that mean that instead of aerosolized oil that then condenses in the catch can, what you were experiencing was oil in a liquid state splashing into/sucked up into the PCV tube?

 

[Fabman]

Wow. As I understand it, the GT500 covers have different baffling. So does that mean that instead of aerosolized oil that then condenses in the catch can, what you were experiencing was oil in a liquid state splashing into/sucked up into the PCV tube?

My problem was 2 fold.
One is that the valve covers didn't have enough internal baffling so suspended liquid was able to leave the motor as the motor breathed at high RPM.
Two was that there was a PCV in the system that I was unaware of (looked just like the other side that had no PCV and I didn't bother to look in there-my bad) so that everything was breathing out of one valve cover essentially doubling the velocity in which the pressure flowed carrying more suspended oil, enough to fill a 5 quart breather tank up and slop out all over the tires in 15 laps.

I addressed these 2 problems for the last race and only lost about 2 tablespoons in a whole weekend of racing.
I'm calling that a win.

 

[PatrickStapler]

Hell of show. Thanks for sharing. Sorry about the oiling issue. Thought you had that solved.