MG On Track! BlueOsprey, Season 2
11-03-2011, 07:50 AM
#132
Thread Starter
Update #1
"Holy Macherel!" is all I can say!
Day started below freezing with heavy frost. They let us drive in our street cars for about 5 laps to get a feel for the layout. That was very helpfull.
I started right off at 9:00 a.m. The whole car felt like lead. The brakes were not responsive (as usual). I eventually noticed that the brakes were pulling to the left, which was disconcerting to say the least. I was pretty slow with Porsches blowing by at high velocity. When I got back in, my right front wheel was very hot compared to the left side. I feared the brakes on that side were dragging. But I checked the air pressure and determined that my front tires had about 2 pounds of pressure differential. So I pumped 36 lbs into all four tires, and deferred further analysis of the brakes.
When I went out the second time, the car felt much better. The pulling brakes seemed to have been cured. I picked up some speed on both the straights and in the corners. I have not hit my top speed.
The track itself is very complex. Two turns, the hairpin at the end of the front straight (not straight!) and the Oak Tree at the end of the Uphill Esses are very complex and I'm not close to figuring them out. I've almost driven off track at both corners several times. The Esses go on and on and on! They are in two sections and are much tighter than the esses at Watkins Glen. On the back straight (uphill), I feel that the car is lifting at about 80 mph.
"Holy Macherel!" is all I can say!
Day started below freezing with heavy frost. They let us drive in our street cars for about 5 laps to get a feel for the layout. That was very helpfull.
I started right off at 9:00 a.m. The whole car felt like lead. The brakes were not responsive (as usual). I eventually noticed that the brakes were pulling to the left, which was disconcerting to say the least. I was pretty slow with Porsches blowing by at high velocity. When I got back in, my right front wheel was very hot compared to the left side. I feared the brakes on that side were dragging. But I checked the air pressure and determined that my front tires had about 2 pounds of pressure differential. So I pumped 36 lbs into all four tires, and deferred further analysis of the brakes.
When I went out the second time, the car felt much better. The pulling brakes seemed to have been cured. I picked up some speed on both the straights and in the corners. I have not hit my top speed.
The track itself is very complex. Two turns, the hairpin at the end of the front straight (not straight!) and the Oak Tree at the end of the Uphill Esses are very complex and I'm not close to figuring them out. I've almost driven off track at both corners several times. The Esses go on and on and on! They are in two sections and are much tighter than the esses at Watkins Glen. On the back straight (uphill), I feel that the car is lifting at about 80 mph.
11-03-2011, 08:00 AM
#133
Former Moderator
Very cool Jeff. Im glad they let you go out and explore the track in your Explorer. VIR on TV looks complex and I can only imagine that the effect is amplified when one is actually driving on it.
Glad you appear to have ironed out the wheel gremlins in the car. This being last race of the season and all, I think you should just focus on getting the line right and save the speed for the actual event on the weekend.
Your upstate fanbase is eagerly (albeit silently) looking forward to your updates. Keep them coming and enjoy yourself
Glad you appear to have ironed out the wheel gremlins in the car. This being last race of the season and all, I think you should just focus on getting the line right and save the speed for the actual event on the weekend.
Your upstate fanbase is eagerly (albeit silently) looking forward to your updates. Keep them coming and enjoy yourself
11-03-2011, 01:19 PM
#136
Very cool Jeff. Im glad they let you go out and explore the track in your Explorer. VIR on TV looks complex and I can only imagine that the effect is amplified when one is actually driving on it.
Glad you appear to have ironed out the wheel gremlins in the car. This being last race of the season and all, I think you should just focus on getting the line right and save the speed for the actual event on the weekend.
Your upstate fanbase is eagerly (albeit silently) looking forward to your updates. Keep them coming and enjoy yourself
Glad you appear to have ironed out the wheel gremlins in the car. This being last race of the season and all, I think you should just focus on getting the line right and save the speed for the actual event on the weekend.
Your upstate fanbase is eagerly (albeit silently) looking forward to your updates. Keep them coming and enjoy yourself
11-03-2011, 05:49 PM
#137
Thread Starter
Update #2
This update is made by grimy, brake dust hands.
I was focused on my tire pressure this afternoon. After the second run, one of the front tires seemed to have slightly lower pressure than the other three. I thought I might have a slow leak, but I pumped all the tires up to 37 lbs for run 3.
For run 3, I was probably driving 8/10 on the straights. I figured out a few of the corners and was going faster in general. I'm still flummoxed by the complex Hairpin and the Oak Tree corners. About 40 mph is all I can do to keep the car on the road in these corners. Of course, all of the Porsches with Hoosier tires can do the corners at 80, so it's hard for me to keep my line. I do a lot of point bys just to get them past me. But I started to find my rhythm (red lined big time only once! AARGH! Oil pressure held!). Then in the last lap, one very aggressive (and fast) Porsche driver (911 S/T) passes me going into the Oak Tree and really cuts me off getting back on his line. I mean I gave him 9/10th of the track and lifted, and still he almost collected me. I rarely get mad, but I had a few words with him afterwards. It was a positive experience: He said it was my fault! I guess he thought I needed to give him 10/10th of the track for him to get by safely! This is a practice session, not the GT Championship for crying out loud! I'm driving a car with street radials and maybe 100 HP! So the end of the run was kind of upsetting.
Then, I hung out, went to tech (passed) and then got ready for run 4. Tire pressure was a concern and I ran all tires at 38 lbs, as I was having a little bit of understeer on a left-right combination turn (4-5). Run 4 went pretty well. I was probably driving 8.5 to 9/10. A new Porsche 914 came on track after I did a couple of laps, and I lifted to let him pull in ahead of me. But he had some sort of misfire, at least initially, so he was running about my speed. I was probably a little faster than him, but I couldn't see a pass, until he spun out at turn 4-5. So then he was behind me. He made up some ground when I let a wave of fast cars by, but I lost control coming out of the Oak Tree (tail kicked out) and lost enough momentum that he passed me on the Uphill Straight. But I was in trouble by then. Initially, I thought one of my tires had lost air during the tail spin, but then my brakes seemed weird. I should have pulled in, but I went around again and my car really started to struggle. I had to shift down to 2nd where I would normally shift to 3rd just to keep moving. I couldn't figure if I had a flat tire or my brakes were seized. But as I came in, it was apparent that my brakes were the problem.
So I get the car into my spot and both front wheels are too hot to touch. I jack up the front end, take the front wheels off (lug nuts too hot to handle). There seems to be a lot of debris on the inside of the front wheels. But even after things cool down, the front discs are seized. I open the bleeder valves, but that does not relieve the pistons. So I take the brake pads out, take the calipers off, and just try to clean things up. The brake pads look like hell and are highly glazed. I use a mill file and file off all the glazing. I put everything back together, and the front wheels turn, but the brakes, especially the right drag pretty severely. I probably toasted the O-Rings in the calipers. By the time I put everything together, it was 7:00 p.m., getting dark, so I didn't test drive the car. I certainly don't know how to rebuild the calipers and I don't have the parts. I may have to go begging tomorrow. I just hope that the wheels turn and that by removing the glazing, the brakes may grip better and generate less heat. Alternatively, I may just have to remove the front brake pads and drive with rear brakes only!
So the moral of the story: VIR (at least the way I'm driving it) requires a lot of braking. I count 8 brake zones.
The other issue is that I don't see where I can do any passing unless I just have more grunt on the straights. I don't think I'll be able to do much passing in the corners - I just don't have the power that the Porsches have!
Otherwise, it was a lovely day! The track is beautiful, although a little hard to see all the nuances. The run off areas are huge!
This update is made by grimy, brake dust hands.
I was focused on my tire pressure this afternoon. After the second run, one of the front tires seemed to have slightly lower pressure than the other three. I thought I might have a slow leak, but I pumped all the tires up to 37 lbs for run 3.
For run 3, I was probably driving 8/10 on the straights. I figured out a few of the corners and was going faster in general. I'm still flummoxed by the complex Hairpin and the Oak Tree corners. About 40 mph is all I can do to keep the car on the road in these corners. Of course, all of the Porsches with Hoosier tires can do the corners at 80, so it's hard for me to keep my line. I do a lot of point bys just to get them past me. But I started to find my rhythm (red lined big time only once! AARGH! Oil pressure held!). Then in the last lap, one very aggressive (and fast) Porsche driver (911 S/T) passes me going into the Oak Tree and really cuts me off getting back on his line. I mean I gave him 9/10th of the track and lifted, and still he almost collected me. I rarely get mad, but I had a few words with him afterwards. It was a positive experience: He said it was my fault! I guess he thought I needed to give him 10/10th of the track for him to get by safely! This is a practice session, not the GT Championship for crying out loud! I'm driving a car with street radials and maybe 100 HP! So the end of the run was kind of upsetting.
Then, I hung out, went to tech (passed) and then got ready for run 4. Tire pressure was a concern and I ran all tires at 38 lbs, as I was having a little bit of understeer on a left-right combination turn (4-5). Run 4 went pretty well. I was probably driving 8.5 to 9/10. A new Porsche 914 came on track after I did a couple of laps, and I lifted to let him pull in ahead of me. But he had some sort of misfire, at least initially, so he was running about my speed. I was probably a little faster than him, but I couldn't see a pass, until he spun out at turn 4-5. So then he was behind me. He made up some ground when I let a wave of fast cars by, but I lost control coming out of the Oak Tree (tail kicked out) and lost enough momentum that he passed me on the Uphill Straight. But I was in trouble by then. Initially, I thought one of my tires had lost air during the tail spin, but then my brakes seemed weird. I should have pulled in, but I went around again and my car really started to struggle. I had to shift down to 2nd where I would normally shift to 3rd just to keep moving. I couldn't figure if I had a flat tire or my brakes were seized. But as I came in, it was apparent that my brakes were the problem.
So I get the car into my spot and both front wheels are too hot to touch. I jack up the front end, take the front wheels off (lug nuts too hot to handle). There seems to be a lot of debris on the inside of the front wheels. But even after things cool down, the front discs are seized. I open the bleeder valves, but that does not relieve the pistons. So I take the brake pads out, take the calipers off, and just try to clean things up. The brake pads look like hell and are highly glazed. I use a mill file and file off all the glazing. I put everything back together, and the front wheels turn, but the brakes, especially the right drag pretty severely. I probably toasted the O-Rings in the calipers. By the time I put everything together, it was 7:00 p.m., getting dark, so I didn't test drive the car. I certainly don't know how to rebuild the calipers and I don't have the parts. I may have to go begging tomorrow. I just hope that the wheels turn and that by removing the glazing, the brakes may grip better and generate less heat. Alternatively, I may just have to remove the front brake pads and drive with rear brakes only!
So the moral of the story: VIR (at least the way I'm driving it) requires a lot of braking. I count 8 brake zones.
The other issue is that I don't see where I can do any passing unless I just have more grunt on the straights. I don't think I'll be able to do much passing in the corners - I just don't have the power that the Porsches have!
Otherwise, it was a lovely day! The track is beautiful, although a little hard to see all the nuances. The run off areas are huge!
11-04-2011, 02:26 AM
#138
Former Moderator
Glad you gave Skippy Welcher in the Porsche a piece of your mind. Don't let such people get you down. He is an eedjyut and I hope the sanctioning body warns him.
I hope you can get all the brake stuff resolved today. Would hate for you to lose a session or two because of it.
Don't worry too much about passing. Driving VIR itself is an awesome experience and I'm glad you are able to do this.
Here's wishing you the best for today.
I hope you can get all the brake stuff resolved today. Would hate for you to lose a session or two because of it.
Don't worry too much about passing. Driving VIR itself is an awesome experience and I'm glad you are able to do this.
Here's wishing you the best for today.
11-04-2011, 06:25 AM
#139
Not sure how different the braking system on MG is from the S but in UTH forum there is a brake caliper rebuild thread. Here it is, this is for rears but fronts are similar without the e-brake to contend with https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/672...r-rebuild-diy/ Maybe it would be of some help as a reference if you can get the parts you need? Good luck and stay safe!
11-04-2011, 07:25 AM
#140
Thread Starter
Thanks PG. I have a factory manual and a very good website for reference. I don't think there is much to it. Just need to pop the pistons and replace the seals. One of the seals acts to pull the piston back. I need like $6.00 worth of parts and maybe a special tool.
But the good news is that I now have questionable, but functional front brakes. I came in this morning and drove around the paddock a little. They seemed to work at 5 mph. So I went out for the first qualifying session. Not being sure if I needed to rebed the brakes, having milled off all he glaze, I took it pretty easy, probably driving 5/10. But everyone else was taking it easy as well, as for most it was their first run of the weekend. The Spitfires and Minis were the fastest. I had the 12th fastest lap out of 23 cars. I suspect that will change as other drivers gain their confidence.
One of the sections of track that I haven't mentioned is the roller coaster. Its a left, tight right, left on a steepish down hill at the end of the back straight. It's a fun sequence.
But the good news is that I now have questionable, but functional front brakes. I came in this morning and drove around the paddock a little. They seemed to work at 5 mph. So I went out for the first qualifying session. Not being sure if I needed to rebed the brakes, having milled off all he glaze, I took it pretty easy, probably driving 5/10. But everyone else was taking it easy as well, as for most it was their first run of the weekend. The Spitfires and Minis were the fastest. I had the 12th fastest lap out of 23 cars. I suspect that will change as other drivers gain their confidence.
One of the sections of track that I haven't mentioned is the roller coaster. Its a left, tight right, left on a steepish down hill at the end of the back straight. It's a fun sequence.