Observations (and Wish list) after 6 Track Events
 

Ok....I've been lurking here for awhile. After 6 track events (COTA, MSRH x2, MSR Cresson x 2, and TWS), decided to share some observations and a wish list I wish Nissan would pay attention to. Btw, 2013 NISMO with 9200 miles on it...not a DD. For those of you who have not done a track event in your Z, or any other car, you are missing one of the most thrilling things you will ever do (I used to fly helicopters in the Army - driving on the track is more fun!)

Anyway, I have experienced most of the things mentioned here several times: fuel starvation, clutch pedal stuck in, brakes fading, OEM tires (Yoko Advans) done at 8300 miles, difficulty going from 4th to 5th gear, ICE mode due to oil temps over 260. Fortunately, I have a great dealership service department. They know I am on the track and even do my tech inspections for free! They have replaced the CSC, upgraded my fluids, and am getting a new transmission on Friday...all covered under warranty.

I am replacing my stock clutch same time, going with South Bend Stage 2, lightweight steel flywheel! upgraded CSC, heavy duty lines, etc. Also have a 25 row setrab oil cooler on order. And added new Bridgestone RE-11's before my last event at COTA....loved the new tires!

Driving at COTA, has to be like playing baseball in the new Yankee Stadium.....it's the Disneyland of tracks. I know not the storied history of places like Laguna Seca, Lime Rock, Road America... but sooo smooth, soo fast.

My NISMO is not near the fastest out there, too many Ferraris, McLarens, Vipers, 911 turbos, Rousch Mustang (700+HP), but damned if I couldn't hang with them on the curvy sections. The new tires helped lots. But was disappointed on the straight aways, not so much being passed by the faster guys, but how anemic my car felt. Seemed like it took forever on the long back straightaway to get up to maybe 125. My oil temps stayed at about 260 for every session..could be part of the problem.

Ok....wish list for Nissan:

1 - fix the damned fuel,starvation problem....I get laughed at when I tell about it
Actually talked to a Nissan NISMO engineer. He said car was not designed for the track..... WTF?
2 - upgrade the CSC to a more robust one. I know they won't do lots for the high oil temps we see on the track
3 - redesign/move the rear tie down to allow for a tow hook or strap
Im sure there are a few more. I haven't thought about.

Also thanks to all the other track crazy guys who contribute here. I've learned lots.

Any way to switch out the oil cooler to a 34-row before it gets here?

It is too late. Guess I could return it unopened and pay additional shipping for a 34 row. I had assumed the 23 row would keep me a few degrees under 260.

:rofl2: It's Texas, man. The 25 row is the "street/daily driver" option here.

Fellow Texan here: I'm prepping my car for its first season of HPDE/TT events before heading out. I've already got all the coolers in place (PS/Oil/Brake)...however, I keep reading about the clutch pedal. This used to annoy the hell out of me in the C5 Vette's. Is a high temp fluid swap and some fireproof shielding enough to keep the temps at bay and the pedal working properly?

Big Bend Open Road Race is in April and I need all this ironed out ASAP. I'll be testing at Harris Hill in a month.

Apparently the OEM CSC has plastic parts in it. The first time I had the clutch pedal issue was thankfully during a cool down lap at MSR Houston. I limped to the track garage. They bleed the system and used Motul 600 as the fluid replacement. Clutch worked fine for a few weeks. Pedal stuck in while driving in town. Made it to the dealership and ended up with a new slave cylinder. I'm not sure higher temp fluid and shielding will make enough difference. I'm having my CSC replaced with an upgrade when my transmission is replaced. Good luck with your car. Will probably see you on a track in Texas.

I bled my clutch with Motul and wrapped it with insulation. 10 trackdays and 22,000 miles. Fingers crossed. Still good. :D

Honestly, I think the 25 row oil cooler is fine. Set it up right and Run a premium oil. I would think differently if you were doing an enduro or had forced induction.

Depends on how much tracking will be going on. This time of year at least in utah is great weather but, you hit the track june thru sept and you may have some issues. Bigger is better you can always block a portion off if your to cold DD ing.

Crazy. These motors get so much hotter than what I'm accustomed to. We never had to run coolers this big in the Vettes. So if it's a 45 min session and 98* out...what's the oil temp running? A 25 row really doesn't satisfy the cooling??

Why the tranny replacement?

And you said ice mode with oil temps. Not sure how they go hand in hand. Ice mode is losing brakes because abs kicks in and kills the brake boost or something because of sticky tires and rear pads being to strong. The 260* oil temps kick in limp mode and pulls timing which kills the cars hp. Do you have both or just limp mode?

The CSC is all plastic. Dirt gets into the non ball bearing plastic CSC and it just cracks and breaks and is a total POS!! I'll try to find a video of one pulled out of a car I saw.

Texas, go with the 34 row cooler. ;)

Or a wide Setrab Series 9 25-row. I won't run my car when it is 98 degrees out. It is just to hard on the car. To me the summer is the off season down here.

Synolimit - you are correct. Think I am flirting with the limp mode. After putting on new NISMO pads and better fluid, brakes have been behaving. Getting new tranny because 4-5 gear shift is hanging up. I didn't get the details from the dealer service guy on why it was happening, just that I was getting a new tranny. I'm really debating now returning the 23 row Oil cooler, paying the extra freight and getting the 34 row instead. My Car stays mostly in the garage. Gets driven a little on nice weather weekends and about once a month at an HPDE event at one of the Texas tracks. I got a thin piece of red tape and put it above the 260 deg mark on the gauge. The last few track events from May through Sept have seen temps at or slightly above 260.

I love driving this car on the track. It sticks great! Just frustrating to have these issues to deal,with. This is the only car I have tracked, but perhaps other cars (Porsches, Vettes, BMWs) have their own issues when tracking them.

i'm in PA and i run a 34 row lol

My last trackday. There was 2 mustangs. Both went into limp mode when they got hot. So we are not the only ones.

Chicago here...did a 30 minute session (4th or 5th of day) and was seeing 260 with a 34 row cooler. It WAS 92 degrees however.


Tracy Ramsey

34 row setrab and the CSF triple pass kept me well under 260 Oil temps in 100+ degree weather just 2 weeks ago out at Chuckwalla raceway. The CSF triple pass imo is a must have. Engine and oil run WAY cooler.

Someone needs to design and manufacture a shroud so that all the air going into the front grill is forced through the coolers as opposed to being allowed to just flow around them. That would made the radiator and oil cooler infinitely more effective.

They did some custom shrouding on mine just with some sticky rubber foam type stuff-I'm sure there is a better name for it. But it seems to do the trick.

I've been giving this topic lots of thought. Since Stillen has been ZERO help in exchanging/returning my 25 row setrab cooler, I'm going to have to utilize it. I do need to looking into to whole engine cooling also. Using water wetter and also ducting to the oil cooler are next on the list. I'm considering running a tandem, 2nd oil cooler if the single doesn't support the engine the way I feel necessary.

Anyone done this on the Z yet?

If you think the 25 row will be insufficient, could you find a simple electric pull fan to mount in front of the cooler?

Fans help some. I've got one on a relay that kicks on over 220, but the other thing you're not getting with the 25 row is the extra capacity that the 34 would provide.

Perhaps an oil pan spacer to give him an extra quart, maybe that will last him an extra lap or two?

I'd say that needs to happen regardless of cooler size or fans if he's going to be doing heavy tracking in Texas. Summer lasts 8 months here. :rofl2:

I ran an oil pan spacer for a couple of years along with a 34 row cooler. That was about 8 quarts of oil total.

I have a 25 row oil cooler, and the highest I've seen (in august) is around 240 degrees.

The one catch is I have the Stillen front bumper and i removed the impact foam from behind the cover, which seems to direct more air into the general area of my cooler (center mounted).

The fuel starvation does suck since we can't run with lower than 7/8ths full.

I have the same cooler as abm89 but stock bumper and its mounted to the side the way Stillen sells the kit. My temps were a littler higher than his, but i never came close to limp mode.

It might sound silly at first, but I was talking with an STI guy - IIRC he hacked up his windshield washer pump and pointed it to spray their various coolers. It seems like that should work very well. I've seen another guy spraying his radiator every time he hit the paddock.

That's nice wetting the track when people are unexpected

Next time he pulls in the paddock why don't you just take a piss on his STI?

The older STi's had an intercooler sprayer system from the factory, it's not uncommon. The volume that doesn't evaporate before hitting the ground probably isn't much different from a car's AC condensate.