• Please only use these forums for blogs, they are not a discussion forum

PollyMobiles Rebuild

brought some velcro straps to secure the laptop for datalogging like this

DSC06156.JPG

extra velcro stuck to laptop to stop it sliding off

DSC06157.JPG


found the consult cable was long enough to reach so didn't need to use the usb extension cable i brought
DSC06158.JPG


routed under the covers out the way

DSC06159.JPG


made another cam mount thats lower down at eye level

DSC06161.JPG
DSC06160.JPG
 
Last edited:
the technique i prefer is kinda more toe & toe blipping. the brake & throttle pedal on this k11 was closer than usual which was gr8 cos i would brake with 1/2 of my toe then roll the ball of my foot over to blip the throttle with the outer part of my toes

abit like senna here

You need to find yourself a nice pair of slipons for the footwell shots polly ;)
 
i think i got some homer simpson slippers :p

but i'm more comfy with my hush puppy work shoes the edge lip helps blip the throttle and is soft enough from being worn daily to feel the pedals
 
Goes all smokey and the bandit for a bit at 17mins eh. Sounds and looks like the cars running well.

I can't get over how quiet it seems in the cabin, think i'll have to do a vid of mine for rough comparison... :D
 
Goes all smokey and the bandit for a bit at 17mins eh. Sounds and looks like the cars running well.

I can't get over how quiet it seems in the cabin, think i'll have to do a vid of mine for rough comparison... :D

smokey n bandit? ya mean the lorries boxing me in?
runs ok but on few occasions she gets the odd brief misfire n even popping only at low loads for some reason

she sounds fine upto 60 but over 70 its more road noise and the backbox becomes boomier, ears ringing after long cruise at 80
 
like a disconnected manifold loud? if mines any boomier I wouldn't be able to stand it. tis just right at the mo.

Like this loud

On the road I use Bose QC3 headphones or earplugs on a long journey solo. With a passenger I use Bose aviation head sets with intercom. On track I have a Stilo ST4W with intercom. Without is too loud on long journeys, is no good from a noise exposure perspective and conversations are useless o_O
 
Like this loud

On the road I use Bose QC3 headphones or earplugs on a long journey solo. With a passenger I use Bose aviation head sets with intercom. On track I have a Stilo ST4W with intercom. Without is too loud on long journeys, is no good from a noise exposure perspective and conversations are useless o_O

yep like without a manifold lol. sounds devilishly fruity reving at like 10k there. just compared to my 7k turbo at combes, mine sounds like a quiet fridge lol
 
smokey n bandit? ya mean the lorries boxing me in?

Yup...If you've not seen the film, he gets the truckers to box him in so he can hide from the coppers. :)

On the road I use Bose QC3 headphones or earplugs on a long journey solo. With a passenger I use Bose aviation head sets with intercom. On track I have a Stilo ST4W with intercom. Without is too loud on long journeys, is no good from a noise exposure perspective and conversations are useless o_O

Ah well mines not that bad haha.
 
drilled hole in fusebox lid to hold the footwell cam

DSC06163.JPG
DSC06164.JPG


point at pedals like this

DSC06165.JPG

footwell needs more light so got an inspection LED lamp from maplin n taped it above pedals for the vid



lamp was slightly too close in the way so cut the lower tray n taped the lamp in place

DSC06166.JPG
DSC06167.JPG


test it again soon

DSC06169.JPG

 
Last edited:
i reversed the cam mount so the JVC cabin cams further back



the pedal lightings too far forward and overexposed, further tweaking
 
think you crack'd the angle, just need it a little left now to catch the gear changes (pedal cam bottom right?) nice jacket :)
 
think you crack'd the angle, just need it a little left now to catch the gear changes (pedal cam bottom right?) nice jacket :)

with the limited JVC FOV i can't get the pod gauges, road & gearstick in the one shot.
i'm gonna try the x170 in the cabin and JVC in the footwell now.

its my fav M&S coat :p
 
Cool vids pollyp, will make for some cool track video footage :) How are you getting on with the 5kg springs btw? MeisterR have bowed out on coilovers, so it's back to BC. I was considering their 6kg/4kg setup, seeing as the car will be run on semi-slicks and never be a daily....

So much content in each upsate, and Low rider i've been looking for that video for an age!

Yeah, it's the only video around that really sums up what we're aiming at. Given the spec we're pushing and the fact we will be using the same gearbox, it should be pretty similar. Not sure how many rpm they are pulling there but I suspect we'll be ~1000rpm less :cool:
 
Cool vids pollyp, will make for some cool track video footage :) How are you getting on with the 5kg springs btw? MeisterR have bowed out on coilovers, so it's back to BC. I was considering their 6kg/4kg setup, seeing as the car will be run on semi-slicks and never be a daily....

on daily drive i got used to em now. when going over speed bumps i still think the 3kg rear on low damper setting on lighteneed rear end is still too hard compared to how the front end reacts.
i think the 1st time at castle combe using 4kg fronts it exits tighter but on the 2nd time after fixing the fuel pump for max rpm/power when i used the 6kg front coils it tended to power understeer at the exits.
i'll try both at oulton if i can.
 
k i need to redrill some holes to mount the JVC cam cos the very narrow FOV is making it tricky to align, will have to make some bracket.

and some worrying news bout the LSD, after 2 weeks of driving its no longer chattering or feels like pulling the steering when turning, verified by lifting either front wheels and i could spin em by hand like before so i worry that the damn preload spring has broken again!!!!?
gonna ring john at gripper to see if the zero preload is norm so soon or if it seems its indeed failed.
its not turning out to be a reliable LSD this :(
 
k i need to redrill some holes to mount the JVC cam cos the very narrow FOV is making it tricky to align, will have to make some bracket.

and some worrying news bout the LSD, after 2 weeks of driving its no longer chattering or feels like pulling the steering when turning, verified by lifting either front wheels and i could spin em by hand like before so i worry that the damn preload spring has broken again!!!!?
gonna ring john at gripper to see if the zero preload is norm so soon or if it seems its indeed failed.
its not turning out to be a reliable LSD this :(

I've given mine a fair bit of abuse and it's still an arm breaker. Even with some Redline friction modifier in to cut down on the chatter, it still proves to be a complete pig out of T-junctions and always locked the fronts together when on stands showing remaining pre-load. I never got on well with the Lodexol, it always exhibited severe chatter and generally sounded as though the front end of the car was going to disintegrate when driving out of corners :eek: I may break the box later in the year when I am next over and take a peak inside to see the condition...
 
i don't think i have enough time to remove the box & LSD to check if its broken before tues night. i'll have to live with potentially a broken LSD at oulton then check it afterwards. tis a bumma
 
ok spoke to john and since we changed the ramps and they replaced 2 new plates for a lower initial preload (since higher preload to make it engage even harder and noisier on street driving), after 2 weeks of driving the bedded plates would've lowered the preload to bout 20ftlb enough to move by hand. he's certain the new spring hasn't failed and that turning the wheel by hand is not a definate diagnostic of if the lsd's working cos its mainly the torque ramp action that engages it.
lsd oil viscosity & temp could also affect it (i was only testing while its barely warm and maybe thicker) so i should take it for a longer drive home to heat up the oil & diff then test its preload
 
That sounds about right, I expect the pre-load on mine is criminally high still and since we wont be hammering it nearly as much as you torque wise, that probably explains it coupled with my use of Redline friction modifier :rolleyes: If I ever re-use the LSD I will get it re-built but since I'll be using the 31V box, there's probably more chance of working with that box instead, (keeping my eyes open for a Nismo LSD on yahoo auctions).
 
ok i tested it on a grass verge and upon mid rpm launch the revs stay reasonable, car body feels mushy cos its on grass, steering wheel wants to pull left and the car heads towards left.
seems like its working. its not like a 100% off-road locking diff, but instead the clutch would slip portions of the power onto the gripper RH wheel on tarmac which pushes the front end towards the verge felt through the steering.
on an open diff the car would use to just spin the less grippy wheel and steering feels light.

back at home with the warmed gearbox oil i lifted either wheel and i can feel the ramps gripping as normal, more in one-way than the other.
so the diff is fine. phew

gotta clean the filthy car now :)
 
you have done soo soo soo sooo soooo much to the car it is unreal man :) keep up the outstanding work man :) and cant wait to drive down hartlepool :)
 
soz bout the delayed update. editing these divX & jvc MOD files together for the past 3 days has been a real PITA but got there.

ok before the trackday this happened

DSC06176.JPG


i paided for university parking which is 1min walk over the road from the building but for the past 5 months i've parked in these unsigned numbered parking bays just behind the building for convinience no probs. there's no relevant pay n display signs just numbered bays and when there's a bay free i use it.

but that day the friggin uni parking wallys slipped a note saying i haven't brought a pay display (um its not a signed pay display area, its like private) and i'm causing an obstruction (how?) and cheeky enough they put up the chain barrier so I and couple other cars along couldn't get out, now thats not on:mad:
so rather than talk to those monkey idiots to open the chains or buy a chain cutter and inflict property damage i just reversed at an angle and drove out the disability bay LOL :D good thing i parked there instead of between 2 other cars and get trapped. ah the advantage of a small car :p

the x170 cam speaker was always abit muffled so i cut off the waterproofing rubber cover and can hear the speaker clearly now

DSC06177.JPG
 
Last edited:
Oulton Park trackday March 7th 2012

DSC06178.JPG
DSC06179.JPG


set off at 4.30am for the long drive down to oulton. dad drove most of the way down while i kip.
arrived 8am and it alsolutely chuckered it down, oh gr8.

signed in, brekky, briefing. the rain has now stopped and sun trying to burn through. went for sighting lap on the damp track. not enough time to unpack so had to go with the car loaded, felt ok at low speeds.

went on garage, unpacked. the guys went for their missed brekky while i spend awhile setting up the cameras and checking tyres n dampers. we're waiting for the track to dry out enough before going out.

10:20am the tracks drying in the sun so we went out for the first run. dampers on 30clicks hard front/20clicks rear and tyres 3bars front rear.
taking it cautiously cos its very greasy and the car felt unsettling in the fast corners where it sometimes wanna understeer and sometimes oversteer. the spongy feel of the premature ABS didn't help

laptimes were:
2.49
2.54
2.45
2.58
2.35



11:15am i disabled the ABS for better braking feel, ducktape over the light, going on my own so weight distrib should be ideal and the tracks drying quickly. turned dampers down 20click front/15click rear to try regain front end grip in the bumpy fast corners. getting the odd exhaust popping at times. running outa fuel so had to pit to fill up with the cans

laptimes were:
2.57
2.29



11:39am filled up with 5L, dampers 20clicks front & rear to reduce the understeer and track was almost fully dry and warm so tyres began to stick and the front rear balance is improving.

i found cornering with the lsd & turbo required abit of balancing. not enough power, the lsd remains open and she understeers. too much power the lsd locks and spins both wheels which again causes power understeer. i'd have to hover it just before it power understeers to pull the front in. trail braking and lift-off oversteer also helps get the back out abit n help turn in.

i recorded the telemetry throughout the day and the new thicker rad is def holding up, temps never go above 90C at full pelt

next session was hoping to go out before the 12.30 break but twas red flagged for awhile and went straight to lunch.

 
Last edited:
1:30pm after lunch i brimmed the tank & cans but then an allmighty hail shower dropped and the track was soaked again, ahh puka. waited again till its just damp before going out

DSC06180.JPG




1:46pm now the scary moment where i let my dad drive around :eek: thank god its dry enough. most of the torque comes from 5-7k rpm and he's changing way to early before 5k hence felt sluggish. he was prob afraid of wrecking the engine or unsure of the cars behaviour at the limit. once pitted the shower hits again



2:44pm the track dries abit after the shower, i drive out but had to wait first in pit queue cos of red flag, someones gone off. green light, i was first to go out. everyone was very cautious n slow and i passed afew, twas abit greasy.

but at 10mins into the vid i had a hairy moment at the fast turn 1 where i must've trail braked and the back end slipped out unexpectedly on the very wet corner.

i thought hang on i didn't want it to go there, its oversteering, don't crash. took a millisec to recall my prev vauxhall VXR trackday skid training at rockingham that i should countersteer and just floor it to pull the front straight, thankfully i caught it in time and twas a relief. new underwear please

laptimes were:
2.27
2.27
2.24
2.33
2.31



3:18pm i take my cousin out for a ride. track was still abit greasy. at 2:00 i brake into 3rd then turn for the scary double right hander.
i should enter wide into the first false turn but i always feared the car would just understeer strsight onto the grass and then game over so i tended to turn in prematurely from the middle.

my mistake was i went slightly too fast for the damp corner, turned in, she started to understeer wide and my wrong instinct was to back off and steer more to try scrub speed but that unlocked the lsd which made it understeer more till the back wheel touched the wet grass and she went into oversteer:eek:
oh crap, countersteer and full puwer! i tried full left steer without cross arming but it didn't react enough for the steep angle i was sliding at so had to cross arm steer to apply more steering which recovered the first skid.
before it straightened up i felt the rate of spin from countersteering would prob pendulum the car to the other side if i didn't straighten the steering fast enough so i turned the wheel right just as it was pointing straight but was abit too much and didn't release the throttle fast enough which caused a secondary spin towards the righthand barrier but with abit of off-roading i recovered it:D

laptimes were:
2.39
2.19
2.20



trackside cam


 
Last edited:
4pm let dad drive again​


4:28pm the track was totally dry n hot now in the blazing sun so the tyres were sticky and the dry handling is sooo much more neutral. i could throw it into the fast corners with tyres squealing and she'd behave neutrally and i balance her angle with my fingertips :D twas hella fun now​
laptimes were:​
2.20​
2.35​
2.32​
2.41​
2.17​
2.17​
2.15​
 
after 3pm i thought someone nearby was having a BBQ or burning stuff cos it stank of burnt wood all over during my cooldown lap. it turned out that the back of my car was smoking:eek: the block of wood i used to secure the backbox was smoldering against the hot exhaust, woops

DSC06182.JPG
 
Last edited:
went down to demontweaks to hopefully try out n buy the new £70 sparco club j1 helmet but they didn't have any. i tried afew helmets, not many were comfy enough even the £1k rally ones, they're too tight or pull my hair but i found the bell mag1 medium size to be the most comfy but is £210:eek: meh i'll be keepin it a long time for it to repay itself and the sparco's prob not that comfy anyway. comes with its own carrier bag which is handy

DSC06183.JPG
 
Last edited:
Try wearing a balaclava if the helmet pulls your hair :)

ah yes i'll try that. the bell helmet doesn't pull my hair badly so tis alright. maybe should wear it going to work so its like bedding in a new shoe as it gets comfy, that'd be a laugh lol
 
Depends what you mean when you say tight. My Stilo ST4W is very snug but it's brand new and still to be used. Given that they slacken off a little with time I always look for a slightly tighter fit when new, than one that's immediately comfortable to wear.

When I come to use it I prep the helmet by using a football shoved inside, inflate it with a track pump to give it a bit of a squeeze. I find it helps to simulate some wear...
 
Depends what you mean when you say tight. My Stilo ST4W is very snug but it's brand new and still to be used. Given that they slacken off a little with time I always look for a slightly tighter fit when new, than one that's immediately comfortable to wear.

When I come to use it I prep the helmet by using a football shoved inside, inflate it with a track pump to give it a bit of a squeeze. I find it helps to simulate some wear...

my head measures 59cm which is medium according to the helmet chart and the bell just felt right. medium size on a sparco or other brands just squished my head, cheeks etc and would be uncomfortable after awhile, their size large was more bareable but padding wasn't comfy.
 
Glad the cooling's finally sorted :). That back end 'incident' looked scary :eek:.

when its damp or wet the handlings slightly unpredictable so should take it easy and would require a different setup. but once its dry its awsome.
when the back comes out its an unsettling feeling but just keep focused, remember the training and go for it. takes getting used to overcoming ur gut instinct to lift off or even brake and instead flooring it but once u recover from a skid its so satisfying and phew, good thing the tracks wide enough for recovery
 
my head measures 59cm which is medium according to the helmet chart and the bell just felt right. medium size on a sparco or other brands just squished my head, cheeks etc and would be uncomfortable after awhile, their size large was more bareable but padding wasn't comfy.

Yeah, my bonce is 60.5cm :eek: which is rounded down to 60cm large in the Stilo range. My old helmet is a bell and is actually a 59 as the 60 was too big out of the box. I guess it depends on who you go with ultimately. Nice thing about the Stilo range is you can supplement crown pads and cheek plates to fine tune things or replace when worn out.

I can't wait to get back to trackdays, had way too much time off and am looking forward to re-learning the car again :)
 
Yeah, my bonce is 60.5cm :eek: which is rounded down to 60cm large in the Stilo range. My old helmet is a bell and is actually a 59 as the 60 was too big out of the box. I guess it depends on who you go with ultimately. Nice thing about the Stilo range is you can supplement crown pads and cheek plates to fine tune things or replace when worn out.

I can't wait to get back to trackdays, had way too much time off and am looking forward to re-learning the car again :)

indeed. yea different brands fit differently.
 
checked her over tday and found one of the gearbox bolts rattled loose and leaked oil

DSC06184.JPG


one of the alternator belt tensioner bolt also rattled loose

DSC06185.JPG


but i also noticed the LH disc has a small heat crack on the inside face :/

DSC06186.JPG
DSC06187.JPG


and the LH brake pipe kinda chipped

DSC06188.JPG
 
Last edited:
i read that heat crazed discs can be grinded down long as its within min thickness.
do i get the one disc machined or shall i get both of em machined exactly the same thickness? or shall i replace em with i'm thinking diamond black grooved discs?
 
Back
Top