beutler

There were several cars on the track at FC04 that were smoking coming out of turn 7 on the downhill section only. Once they started into turn 8 the smoking stopped. This seemed to happen every lap on the same cars but only in this one spot. This was not minor smoke this was a huge cloud but only briefly. Anyone know what the cause and solution to this problem would be? I am glad it wasn't my car but I am curious as it seemed to affect about 6 or 7 cars and seemed to get worse as the day wore on and the speeds increased.

jakub2000

The oil moves to one side and has no time to return back on time.It happens to me as well in one corner only on our local track and my Spoon buffle oil pan is already on its way.

beutler

So its oil starvation then. Does it affect some more than others, because only the same few cars were doing this? Or is it that the smokers were being driven harder causing the oil starvation? I wonder if this affects the MY04s as well as pre04?

mxt_77

No, you can probably search and find more details, but this is a common problem. It is not oil starvation, it is oil being sucked in the PCV valve and into the intake manifold, where it is subsequently sucked back into the engine and burned... thus making a pretty, black smoke cloud.

The solution is to install an oil catch can.

It is my understanding that the MY04's still see this problem, although the valve cover was slightly re-designed (presumably to help with this problem, but I'm not sure).

TubeDriver

Odd that is only happens on some cars. I have an MY03, was probably among the fastest cars there and I noticed no smoke (although I guess I could have missed it as most of my attention was straight ahead on T7). I saw it on a few cars in my group (instructor/experienced group), even cars ahead of me that were going slower through T7, which suggests that either we had very different lines (I do early apex T7) or it is specific to just certain cars. I have recently put in a new PCV valve so I know mine works and I use Mobile1 10w-30 if that adds anything to this.

mxt_77

The oil level may also have something to do with whether or not this occurs (although I'm not certain of that). Higher oil level may make it more likely to occur. Also, it seems like certain driving techniques cause it to occur more frequently.

turbo_pwr

You weren't following me were you? I was the one shooting out flames.

xviper

Was he the one with the marshmellows on the end of a long stick?

cdelena

Smoking right handers are not too common.. I have noticed it happens most often to drivers that do not heel toe.. I would guess a downshift before the turn drives the revs up pumping oil just in time for it to get moved over to the PVC.

TubeDriver

That might explain it as I was in 3rd throughout T7, shifting to 4th on the end of the turn. If some of the slower cars were going through T6 in second gear, the might have been shifting into 3rd in T7?