mickq

Hey all, Anyone know if they are on this Friday, and if they are on....whether there will be many people racing? I havent been in January before, and am a little concerned that there may not be many cars there. People away on holiday or being lazy or whatever. (And no, dont move this to the events forum....I looked at posting this there, but no one has been there lately and the drags are only 2 days away...)

DIFFerent issue (pun intended....) Yours is an oil type seal that went, leading to a loss of oil from inside the diff. The one above is related to the mounting of the diff.

It wont make any noticeable difference getting rid of it. Anyone with knowledge of aerodynamics would look at it and half a second later tell you that. I would be surprised if much thought went into its design from an aerodynamic point of view - its there for looks NOT downforce. In fact Id put money on the fact it may even slow down the car way more than any potential top speed downforce on the rear wheels. How about this: rip it off, and if you happen to be doing a bunch of 200kmh+ runs in your car, stick 2 x 2 litre bottles of milk in the boot to make up for the tiny amount of downforce you will be missing....

Id definitely go a manual. Straight line is one thing, real life is another. Ask all those guys on this site who have written off their cars in the wet, due to an auto gearbox changing gears....well....automatically. Nothing beats manual cars for real world performance, because you have a real, physical control of the car. You dont have that, even in manual mode in an auto. There is still a CPU at work in the background, doing things. Ever wonder why every race car except some drag cars are manuals? Two things I can say about autos: 1) 70% of HSV drivers drive autos - enough said on that. 2) If you have to ask whether you should get an auto or a manual, *always* get an auto....

I have the honour of being the first person in the world to break the diff mount, on my Mk1 about 2-3 years ago. Took them a while to work it out, as it hadnt happened before. My symptoms were a squeaking more than a clunk. It was a big job, as from memory the rear wheels come off, and a lot of the rear suspension setup. I didnt need a modded T to do it either....but perhaps getting it airborne and landing hard at 140 may have helped...

Use dynamite. Would take about 3/100ths of a second. Boring holes with a machine is for pansies.

Nizpro tend to over-engineer their cars, which is a good thing if you drive hard. The difference being you can get away with high power if you use it now and then - but you DO need to take more care and use better parts (ie more things modded) if you want to do the same and thrash the sh1t out of it all the time - something Nizpro have always said is their aim. They want a car that has power AND reliability even if driven hard - just like the OEM car. I dont have a problem with that concept. Id rather have it slightly over engineered then risk that 1 in 100 chance that something goes nuclear because of certain conditions happening to occur. Im sure there are people here who know of editors who impacted some cars now and then by NOT up-speccing something. I dont think anyone can say Nizpro dont do their homework - they do an incredible amount of testing, even buying their own test cars for the purpose - not many (if any!) others do that. They then use those test mules to probe the limits of where various things break, and then wind things back a little to add in a safety margin. Same goes for their go-fast parts...you can be pretty sure you have an ok safety margin if you use them. In a nutshell, they do conservative engineering, which is unreal if you can afford it. If you drive hard all the time, and DONT have that kind of logic built into your car, then you will break a lot more things. And no, I dont work for Nizpro and I also dont have a car modded by Nizpro! From what I read in threads on the Nizpro site I believe their springs would be better. Threads on the Nizpro site from Simon state that the V8 springs are close to spring bind and that is why Nizpro had their own springs made. These are a stronger spring but cannot be compressed to cause spring bind. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Of course they would say that. Funny thing is, Ford are fitting GT inlet valve springs as an upgrade to the XR6T and provide warranty for parts and labour. So who's right and who's wrong about the coil bind? Speaking of Nizpro's site (and I'm not having a go at them), I read I should be running the Stage 2 - 3 Cobra kit according to their Power Upgrade section, to achieve the power I'm running with the factory manifolding. Don't believe everything you're told. <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Im personally much more interested in 0-100kmh times for a road car. Its a better indicator of how a car will be useful to me around the city, as I do 0-100 around 10+ times a day easy even though I dont use freeways much. For a race car, bike or supercar Im interested in 1/4 mile times or 0-100, 160 or 200 or 300, but its not that often I have reason to accelerate hard for 400m so quarter miles are of limited use to me from a road point of view, other than novelty value and a historically useful way to know how fast somethng is (ie if someone says they do a 9 second quarter - now or 10 years ago, you know they are quick). Im much more impressed by a car that does 0-100 in 2.5 seconds than I am by that same car doing a 1/4 mile in 9.9 seconds. But then again, Im an accelration freak (and love bikes for that reason), and for me a car is all about 1st and 2nd gear, with a bit of fun in 3rd now and then (which is a great gear by any means - just not as 'urgent' as 1st and 2nd). As someone mentioned though, things like Nurburgring times are THE way to evalaute how a car does in the real world as they contain everything - the need for full on acceleration, braking and cornering. 1/4 miles are highly artificial events, and cars that tend to do very well over the 1/4 tend to suck the moment a corner approaches - meaning the 1/4 is of limited use for evaluating road vehicles. (As is 0-100 if you apply that logic!)

Washing and polishing your car can be great fun, as can experimenting with different products. Most products are fin, just stay away from anything that mentiones is is a "cut and polish" or contains "cutting compound". (These are generally only used on old paint). That LS1 forum link someone mentioned above is excellent, although you might find some of it information overload if you are new to it all. With waxes/polishes there are 2 main categories: 1) Sythnetic polishes: generally polymers. They tend to last longer, but dont tend to look as good. The shine is often a bit "2 dimensional" (but still looks pretty good). Nufinish is an example of this and Meguires just bought out a bunch of stuff called Next Gen or NXT or something that's also a synthetic. 2) Real natural based products, the best to use is normally high in carnauba wax. These dont last quite as long, but look much better in general. These can make your car look like a deep pool of water - very "3 dimensional" depth to the polish. There are some mixed products, like Meguires Gold Class which is a polymer/liquid carnaba wax mix. Easy to use and looks great, but doesnt last as long as it could. The pros realise that both products have advantages. They start with a Synthetic polish, then afterwards put a layer of carnauba wax on top, and end up with a car that looks incredible. I started playing with that concept a little while ago (I am an experienced polisher/waxer/washer!), and its true - you wont believe what your car will look like. I almost needed to park the car between the flags, because you could drown in it. If you want a *really* good finish, I suggest you: 1) Wash your car, and use whatever products necessary to get it really clean - ie remove bug bits and super-toxic bird crap stains etc so you end up with a nice clean car. A simple good car wash and clay bar (if needed) can achieve this in general. 2) Then use Autoglym Ultra Deep Shine. Hopefully you have it with the rest you bought. Its a milky liquid and leaves an ultra hard protective layer to your paint. Comes up reasonably glossy as well. You only need to do this part every 6 months or so as it stays on. Be sure to read the instructions, and let it sit on your paint a full 60 mins prior to removing (that's quite unusual). Its job is to "lock in" your nice clean paint by putting a hard and reasonably shiny protective layer over the top that may last 6 months or so. 3) 24-48hrs later, give your car a quick wash and dry to ensure its clean, then use a carnauba wax based product (one that is solid is often (but not always) better than a liquid). Examples are Meguires No.5 Yellow Wax (if they still make it), and another excellent new product is Turtle Wax Platinum Series Ultra Gloss Carnauba wax which is new and fantastic. Put this over the #2 step above and you end up with paint that looks absolutely incredible - seriously. People on the footpath turn to watch you go by. (PS I used to hate Turtle waxes/polishes as they were cheap and accumulate on your paint...but this is a new product and VERY good). Its possible one of the Autoglym products you bought may be Carnauba wax based? The Step3 above doesnt last as long as the Step 2. But what it adds is a serious "depth" to the colour of the car....you just dont tend to get that with anything other than carnauba waxes. The main problem is that you find the depth doesnt last - and if you are picky then within 2 months you will want to do step 1 and then step 3 again. (Id only do step #2 every 6 months or so). The best thing is, after giving your car a really good polish, for the next 2-4 months all it takes to get your car looking fantastic again is a quick wash with a sponge and soapy water and it will come up looking better than new. After you get used to all this, if you want to go to the next level, I suggest you replace step 3 with Zymol wax. They make THE BEST waxes. All the professional show and shine winners tend to use them (9 out of 10 of the last world title winners). Expect to pay about $80 for the Zymol wax, but I reckon it will last a while. (Check out http://www.zdoau.com/products/productdetail.php?pid=37&p=1 for the one you maybe should consider). They make products that suit particular paint colours, so you can pick the best to suit your car.

I have had the DSM-320 since they first came out. They still suffer from poor software (and Im using the latest - not the ones on their website, the ones you can find on their FTP server). The hardware is not bad and has excellent potential, but the software is still sub standard. They really need to encourage the software community to make their own software for the DSM-320, and it would take off if they did that. They should release the source to both the firmware and the server software. Having to reboot a switch is apalling. They are such simple devices, they should never, ever need a reboot - under and circumstances whatsoever. The DSL router also shouldnt need rebooting, although it is wise to reboot them now and again as they train down in speed when there is line noise and dont train back up again. If you want a good switch, go look at an HP 408 (8 port - doesnt do GigE though..but you can get them and ones with more ports). They just dont stuff up. I have deployed nation wide networks dependend on them (in fact chances are you are using one of those networks right now...) and a critical element of those networks is a handful of little 8 port cascadable HP 408 swtiches. Oh, and they come with a lifetime warrantee! Try finding another manufacturer that does that - I havent found any that confident with their switch. At home I use an HP 408 and an HP GigE 8 port (HP 2708). But be warned the GigE one is a very high standard one - it also has some fans suitable for a server room, not a desktop! http://www.hp.com/rnd/products/switches/switch408/specs.htm http://www.hp.com/rnd/products/switches/sw...-2724/specs.htm

I agree, I have had lots of problems with Dlink products. Their hardware tends to be OK, but their software sucks as they rush it out without adequate testing. Same with Netgear. You can be lucky though - lets hope he has a good one. From now on, Im going LinkSys. Bought a LInksys router/ADSL2 modem and its flawless - stable as hell. The other thing I like is they have a ton of extra configuration options you dont normally find in home products, which is great if you know your stuff. If people reading this dont know Linksys, they are now owned by Cisco and their products have been steadily improving. Cisco is the world leader in routing devices.

The turbo spins down for a lot longer than 5-10 seconds. When I blew the front pipe off my turbo, I was amazed to see the impellor still spinging for 5 MINUTES (yes you read that right!) after stopping the einge. The bearings they use, and the balance of the impellor, must be totally amazing for it to spin that long. I guess it doesnt surprise me too much, given they can spool up to 100,000rpm - where even theslightest imbalance will cause them to go nuclear. If you dont believe me, simply undo the front hose from the turbo and watch the impellor spin after you stop the engine. I know the sound you are talking about - I dont think its the turbo bearings.

I got the exact same crap story a year or so ago. Said 'you must have driven over something straight, like a piece of tin or similar that cut into it like a knife" What a load of sh*t. As I get my tyres for free I didnt argue, but I wasnt impressed. They looked IDENTICAL to the photos that were posted here. It is clearly a flaw in the tyres.

I understand, but must admit if you were in the middle lane on the Sth Eastern doing 90kmh, then you were probably impeding the traffic flow (against the law), and no doubt being a pain in the a$$ to whatever car was behind you, regardless of whether it was that truck or not. The problem was you should have been in the left hand lane, getting ready to exit. Instead you found yourself stuck in the middle, and driving slowly hoping for a gap on the left. Pays to be in the correct lane well before the exit you want to take. If I were behind you, I would also have my hand on the horn - your inability to be in the correct lane in good time doesnt give you the right to impede traffic flow on a freeway. You cant just decide to make your mistake - your problem - everybody else's. Seriously though, given the performance of the T, you should be looking at your driving habits. With that much power on tap, you shoudlnt be getting yourself into those kinds if pickles.

A standard T will kill a 3.2L Boxster S, no problem. I have lined up against a friends black Boxster 3.2 time and time again, and kill it every time...in my Black T. If we are actually moving, then I slaughter him, not just beat him. I dont care if the figures say 5.7 seconds - a properly driven standard manual T will kill it. I doubt an auto would have much of a problem either! Also, in the wet, you will find Boxster drivers often being quite careful. They are still subject to occasional 90 degree snap-oversteer like the Porsches of old. (Ask me how I know....). When my friend took my Mk1 and Mk2 for a spin, his first comment was "sh1t, its powerful". I have no issues lining up against any Boxster - and Im not edited.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think shortening the plumbing adds exrta KW's. I can see that it would reduce turbo lag (well the little amount we suffer from anyways). This in turn would increase say your 60' times. Over 400m.....not so much. Again correct me if I'm wrong. Cheers <{POST_SNAPBACK}> The thing many people forget is that longer pipes equals faster and generally more uniform (smoother) airflow - there can be indirect impacts from shortening pipes. Some cars may get benefits from a faster and smoother airflow. That being said, Id like to try some short pipes in my car please

I have it on good authority that wasnt a meteorite, it was Geea doing a 1/4 mile run....

You can be sure that Expensive Daewoo did a deal with them to get the publicity, and provided them dirt cheap or even free.

There is no way a bunch of short water sprays will have the same cooling effect as a bunch of peltiers at -100 degrees. Imagine piping your air through a hollow ice block...the air will get very cold. Ideally that's what it would be good to have your peltiers do to your intercooler. Sure its not going to happen (except in winter) but something between normal temp and "sh*t I just got an ice burn" would be nice for normal use. Spraying water on an IC is just another way of doing a pretty primitive heat pump. The water absorbs some heat and either evapourates or gets blwon away with the heat in it. A peltier is also a heat pump, but so efficient that it leaves the thing it takes the heat away from completely frozen. Try taking that much heat away with a water spray! (PS Water and metho works even better). <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah any gas, as someone mentioned, gets cold when you release it from a pressuried environment. The main problem with gas is the ongoing cost. Fine if you have access to free gas, but sucks if you ave to pay and go through it quickly. CO2 is a great idea as not only is it not flammable, but it also puts out fires. You could hook it up so that when flooring it a quirt is done on the IC, and also an over-ride button that cools down the IC when you push it.

There is no way a bunch of short water sprays will have the same cooling effect as a bunch of peltiers at -100 degrees. Imagine piping your air through a hollow ice block...the air will get very cold. Ideally that's what it would be good to have your peltiers do to your intercooler. Sure its not going to happen (except in winter) but something between normal temp and "sh*t I just got an ice burn" would be nice for normal use. Spraying water on an IC is just another way of doing a pretty primitive heat pump. The water absorbs some heat and either evapourates or gets blwon away with the heat in it. A peltier is also a heat pump, but so efficient that it leaves the thing it takes the heat away from completely frozen. Try taking that much heat away with a water spray!

I dont think the fact that the turbo will heat it up again is relevant as it wont undo the good done by the initial cooling. As an example, lets say standard: Air Box Temp: 20 degrees After Turbo temp: 45 degres And compare to a sample airbox peltier idea Air box/peltier temp: 15 degrees After Turbo temp: 40 degrees The point being the turbo adds a certain amount of heat - it doesnt *always* end up with air coming out at a set temperature. If cooler air goes into the turbo, then the temp out of the turbo will be lower. if hotter air goes into the turbo, the outgoing temp will be hotter by as much. Cool it anywhere along the chain, as the result will be a lower temp for all those parts that come later in the chain. They will still add heat, but since they started with a lower temp, they will end with a corresponding lower temp. you can use almost any compressed gas to do this cro, the problem I would see with using the peltiers on the cold air intakes is that the air is still going to pass thrue the turbo which is going to heat it up again alot more efficiently. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> hmm too true. I haven't really looked at the way the piping goes, but I assume after it goes through the turbo it goes through the intercooler. Maybe cool the pipe between the two? <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have used them on CPUs too. CPUs are in general very different. They are a very high concentration of heat that never lets up. Its not unusual for a CPU to reach 100 degrees plus and fry itself in about 3 seconds without cooling - especially AMDs . If an intercooler got that hot, for sure a peltier would not help. But they dont get that hot, do they...?!?

At track speeds it may be a bit different - but on the street a mix of heat soak and high ambient temps definitely results in my T missing power, particularly mid to high rev range. Its that kind of thing I am most interested in targetting. It would be interesting to measure your actual intake temps at the start, during and after your laps to see the effect over that time. I think putting a peltier naywhere would be beneficial. Heat accumulates so anywhere you can take it away on the path from your air intake to your engine intake is a good thing. I dont think it would make too much difference where exactly you did it - just pick the most efficient spot where you could mount them to cover the greatest surface area. Cooling the IC is just one idea, as it has some nice surfaces you could attach it to. You could just as easily put it before or after the intercooler. I dont think the actual location would make a difference to your end temperature unless one location gave the air better/longer exposure to the cooler temp.

Welcome...hope you enjoy the forum. A few comments: Your example with your friend I bet was done at idle speed. What you are seeing there is voltage regulation leading to an idle increase. If you idle your friends car up to 2000rpm and hold it there, and then turn the stereo on, you will notice the revs wont change. The only reason the revs change at idle is you are asking a huge load for the stereo, the voltage drops and the ecu responds by boosting the revs rather than risk the car stalling due to low voltage. You can do the same on a car with a carby, and the effect will be the car stalls (or nearly stalls). Its not to do with the alternator creating more load, its to do with the car you did that test in being smart and realising it will stall if the revs dont increase as voltage has dropped to (for example) 9 volts after you turn on the huge stereo. Carby cars generally arent that smart, so they just let the stereo chew the power without changing anything to the point the car will stall as its revs drop and the sparkplugs stop working properly. (It usually takes a few seconds as it stumbles, gets even slower which makes the problem worse, then coughs and dies completely). As soon as your car is going faster than idle speed, that problem vanishes. And as this is a performance tweak, idle speed isnt the time to measure it! In a nutshell, I would expect a slight increase in idle speed fuel consumption for sure (for the same reason I mention above) but above that the alternator is just doing what it does...make the same power regardless of what the power draw is. Also, a decrease in intake temp DOES make more power. As I said, for most typical engines for every 4 degrees you decrease intake temp, you make an extra horsepower. Its related to cooler air being more dense....and as its more dense you can fit more into a cylinder....which means you can also put in more fuel to the cylinder and create a bigger explosion...and thus more power. The alternators run at a fixed load, do they not? The alternator is "tuned" to put out xxxx watts at 12v across a certain rev range.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> First of all Hi all, this is my first post and I'm new to the forums but not new to electronics ;p The Alternator in your car without getting to much into it produces a fixed (regulated) voltage and a varying amount of current. That is as you turn more stuff on the current draw goes up and the alternator has to produce more power (in Watts) to cope. It does this by converting the mechanical energy from the engine into electrical energy. Easiest way to demonstrate this is find a mate who’s spent more on the stereo for his car than the car is worth. Get him to turn the thing up while the car is at idle and watch the revs load up... Long story short whatever power you draw from the alternator you lose from the engine… Having said that intercoolers and turbos’ don’t really make an engine produce more power they just make it more efficient so you can get more usable power from them ( I know that’s confusing). For instance the turbo sucks the energy out of exhaust gas that would normally be wasted and uses it to compress air, thus making the engine more efficient and you go faster… By using engine power through Peltier’s or an adapted Air Con to make the intercooler work better you MAY make it more efficient overall and get extra rwkw... Remember you can’t get out more than you put in you can just use it better… <{POST_SNAPBACK}>