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Car Prep?!

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Old Jun 5, 2003 | 10:29 AM
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Default Car Prep?!

Ok, my car has 62,000 miles. I just changed the oil 5 minutes ago...I have raced in 3 AutoX comps so far, and I have Sebring this weekend. I plan on racing 3 or 4 more this summer, including Sebring. I have a monkey on my back telling me I need to do some maintanence...Hows this sound?

New fuel Filter...(What kind?!)
New Brake Fluid....(What kind...)
Bearings?...Somebody mentioned to me the first thing I should do when involved with any type of racing is replace the bearings...
Injectors?...
Plugs?....
Stainless Brake Lines?

Future mods are: Kooks Headers, ORY, SLP Subframe connectors, and SHOCKS (what kind....)

Let me know what you think about this maintanence list thanks.
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Old Jun 5, 2003 | 06:47 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!


New fuel Filter...(What kind?!)

Fram or some name brand


New Brake Fluid....(What kind...)

Motul 5.1 or Castrol SRF


Bearings?...Somebody mentioned to me the first thing I should do when involved with any type of racing is replace the bearings...

Only if they fail. Jack up the car, greab the top and bottom of the tire and check for play ...


Injectors?...

Not necessary until you get over 450hp


Plugs?....

Change once a year ... I use NGK TR55s


Stainless Brake Lines?

Jury is still out on this one for me. If you stock brake lines are less than 8 or 10 years old, they are probably OK ...

Beyond that ...

Run 7 qts of motor oil

Never get below 1/4 tank of gas and you will use a LOT of gas ...

If you go with something less than Castrol SRF, you should probably consider burping the brake fluid after each day.

Exchange the stock PS fluid with Redline. Don't fill it past the "ADD" mark. It will burp out the cap.

I also suggest you put a Redline gear oil in the diff. I use 80W140 because of the heat buildup in the rear.
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Old Jun 5, 2003 | 11:43 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

7 qts of motor oil?! The manual calls for 5.5..I run around 5.75...why 7?
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Old Jun 6, 2003 | 06:59 AM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

Don't wanna starve the pickup in a high G turn. The oil level is determined based on a lot of factors, none of which are engine performance. Mostly emissions and fuel economy.

You also might find you will consume an amount during a session. I will use 1/4 - 1/2 a qt in a 20 minute session, depending upon how high I rev and how much compression braking I do.

FWIW ... I have ZERO consumption daily driving.

And I use 6qts when I daily drive it. You just never know when you will "need" to take a high G corner or do a lot of compression braking.

And when I say you will use a lot of gas, I mean you could easily use 1/4 in a 20 minute session. My on track mileage is around 5 or 6 mpg.
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Old Jun 6, 2003 | 05:02 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!


You also might find you will consume an amount during a session. I will use 1/4 - 1/2 a qt in a 20 minute session, depending upon how high I rev and how much compression braking I do.


And when I say you will use a lot of gas, I mean you could easily use 1/4 in a 20 minute session. My on track mileage is around 5 or 6 mpg.
Mitch uses dino oil also. I use Mobil 1 and don't use any during a session. But I still overfill for the g factor.

FWIW, I got 4.5 mpg at TWS last weekend. I got 7 at MSR.
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Old Jun 7, 2003 | 09:45 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

My using fossil oils shouldn't have anything to do with it.

You have to remember, I've got 70K+ miles on that fossil lubricated motor ... the last 3 years of it has seen hundreds of laps and thousands of miles on local road courses.
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Old Jun 8, 2003 | 05:40 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

As far as oil goes, I use Neo Synthetic 0w-5 race oil. My car has just turned 20,000 miles,with nary a problem. It revs real quick and fast. My oil filter is a Canton Racing remote filter, part #25-100. You'll need a their billet remote adapter that's made for the LS1, and that's #22-840. You'll also need some -10 Aeroquip oil line. The oil filter filters down to 8 microns, and flows 45gpm. You only need to change it every 10,000mi. I picked up 9hp due to a decrease in restriction.
For a fuel filter, I use their CM-15 GM EFI fuel filter #25-909. It filters down to 1-8microns. It flows 90gpm, and snaps in place of the factory unit. It kicks the sh*t out of the stocker.If you haven't heard of Canton Racing, they designed the oil pan for the Cobra R's. They've been around a long time, and their stuff works. What's funny, is that the Ford, and racers know about em', but the GM guys don't, simply because it's not in GM High Tech Performance. Go figure. Hope I helped.
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Old Jun 10, 2003 | 11:31 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

Thanks
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Old Jun 13, 2003 | 08:50 AM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

Anyone else running approx 7 quarts of oil during events? Seems a little high. Wouldn't windage trays inside a custom pan be more effective? Even w/extra oil, you can still get high g starvation. Also have to factor in the "foam" factor created by engine components spinning in a pool of oil and the potential loss of power created by such drag.

I hope I'm accurate in the above assessments.

Regards
Steve
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Old Jun 13, 2003 | 02:50 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

Steve,

Those are all very valid points.

I have not seen an aftermarket oil pan for the LS1 (but I'm looking). I believe that GM considers the oil pan "structural" on this motor and it is supposed to be installed with special alignment tools (as I remember reading...I've not met anyone who has used said tools). I considered trying to adapt the corvette pan and manifolds (to clear the pan), but have done absolutely no research on this subject so far (I'm getting to it...). So, if the partsare available, you have a "better" idea....If anyone has seen oil pans, let me know where to get one....(please!). I was considering a canton accumulator (accu-sump) and a remote filter setup for my car (until a better mousetrap is built). Just my thoughts.
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Old Jun 14, 2003 | 08:39 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

Steve, I've been running 6 on the street and 7 on the track for over 2 years now.

I started doing it in 2001 when a local road course recieved 5 SS Camaros as school/track cars from GM.

After the school popped it's 3rd motor in the first month, the GM engineer sent to the school for a motor inspection said to run an extra qt of oil.

I heeded the warning ...

I also run a high volume ARE oil pump. So it sucks a lot of oil out of the pan ...
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Old Jun 16, 2003 | 08:22 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

Steve,

Those are all very valid points.

I have not seen an aftermarket oil pan for the LS1 (but I'm looking). I believe that GM considers the oil pan "structural" on this motor and it is supposed to be installed with special alignment tools (as I remember reading...I've not met anyone who has used said tools). I considered trying to adapt the corvette pan and manifolds (to clear the pan), but have done absolutely no research on this subject so far (I'm getting to it...). So, if the partsare available, you have a "better" idea....If anyone has seen oil pans, let me know where to get one....(please!). I was considering a canton accumulator (accu-sump) and a remote filter setup for my car (until a better mousetrap is built). Just my thoughts.
You guys, might give Canton Racing a call. I'd bet that they have one in the works. Trackbird, you definitely can't go wrong with the remote filter setup. You'd be surprised at how much power those OEM units suck up. You will see an improvement.
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Old Jun 17, 2003 | 01:16 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

I was looking at their catalog again the other day...it may be time here real soon. I haven't called them yet, because a "structural" pan needs to be made like stock and I naturally assumed that the Corvette pan is the only game in town....but a phone call never hurts (they make great stuff....I've worked on several motors with several canton road race pans for a friends race car....even washed the bearings out of one in the sink at road atlanta....the ones by the timing tower....).

I'll have to give them a yell.

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Old Jun 18, 2003 | 07:02 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

Mitch wrote: Steve, I've been running 6 on the street and 7 on the track for over 2 years now.

I also run a high volume ARE oil pump. So it sucks a lot of oil out of the pan ...
Were the track cars that ruined the motors also running improved oil pumps or stock? It sounds like I have to make another hash mark on my dip stick for a 6 1/2 qt fill!!

Mitch, do you drain some oil out of your car between visits to the track or does the high rpm use enough that it is unnecessary?

Regards
Steve
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Old Jun 18, 2003 | 09:17 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

No, all stock. It was a school sponsored by GM, so they were bone stock down to the F1 tires!

I put 7 and a filter in before the weekend begins and change it with 6 and a filter immediately after.

Oil is the cheapest amintenance one can do. I change it often. But, I don't use a synthetic because of that. Tests I've had done has shown that the oil I'm using is holding up very well for the short time I use it.

For example, I put 325 miles on the last oil change and used about 1/2 qt over he weekend. My theory is that the trash that is absorbed into the oil from combustion and normal wear is much more harmful than any viscosity breakdown.

I have another weekend planned next weekend and will have no more than 600 miles on this change.
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Old Jun 22, 2003 | 05:42 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!



I have not seen an aftermarket oil pan for the LS1 (but I'm looking). I believe that GM considers the oil pan "structural" on this motor and it is supposed to be installed with special alignment tools (as I remember reading...I've not met anyone who has used said tools). I considered trying to adapt the corvette pan and manifolds (to clear the pan), but have done absolutely no research on this subject so far (I'm getting to it...). So, if the partsare available, you have a "better" idea....If anyone has seen oil pans, let me know where to get one....(please!). I was considering a canton accumulator (accu-sump) and a remote filter setup for my car (until a better mousetrap is built). Just my thoughts.
If you want to step up to a full dry sump system, ARE (www.drysump.com not Agostino)sells a couple different pans. Big expense, but the best oil control available. Katech sells a billet pan too, for a measly $2400 I just finished making some custom brackets to mount a 5 stage Barnes pump to my LS1. I am using the ARE pan modified to fit over my BMW crossmember. I bought almost everyting used and still have almost $2K in the oiling system. For new, I would expect somewhere between 2 and 3 times that figure.
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Old Jun 22, 2003 | 06:34 PM
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Default Re: Car Prep?!

I had seen the dry sump pans....very nice (and, so far, very overkill). I'm not quite up to running a dry sump yet (not that I wouldn't like to try it).

Am I reading that right? LS1 in BMW?

Sweet!

Kevin
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