Jeff's Technology Weblog

I’m hitting the track on Thursday for the first time with my Spec Miata. I’ve put in a ton of hours preparing the car and am looking forward to finally taking it on track. My car isn’t really set-up properly yet, so I’ll be taking it easy. The primary purpose of the track session is to work out any reliability bugs and also begin to think about setup adjustments.

As part of my prep, I’ve been working on tech inspecting the car and working on various checklists for pre- & post- track.

On the tech inspection front, I ran the car for another short road session (<5 miles) to test the brakes and steering (after several previous sessions of 10-20 miles in the mountains near my house). After the drive, I did a full inspection and nut/bolt check of the brake system, parts of the suspension, tires, lug nuts, engine compartment, etc. I also ran the car suspended on jack stands in order to inspect for leaks. I did find one minor coolant leak which was fairly easy to fix. Now it feels like I’m ready.

I created a few checklists for use on track/race day. I’m sharing those here for others to use. Feedback is welcome.

Pre/post-race:

1. Inspect engine/trans/diff:
   • radiator & heater hoses
   • crank, cam, valve gasket
   • transmission
   • differential
2. Inspect pads/rotors
3. Inspect tires
4. Torque lug nuts @ 76ft-lbs (YMMV – 76 is for my car not necessarily yours)
5. Check/set tire pressure
6. Clean windshield, rear window, mirrors
7. Check/fill fuel
8. Check/fill radiator
9. Check/fill oil
10. Check/fill brake fluid
11. Check/fill clutch fluid
12. Check/fill windshield washer fluid
13. Secure hood pins
14. Secure trunk

.

Pre-grid:

1. Fire pin: Out
2. Center net: Attach/Tighten
3. Window net: Attach
4. Belts: Attach Lower & Upper
5. Steering Wheel: Attach
6. Helmet: On
7. Chin Strap: Tighten
8. Belts: Tighten Lower & Upper
9. Gloves: On
10. Sunglasses: On

.

Grid:

1. Fire pin: Re-check
2. Center net: Re-check
3. Window net: Re-check
4. Belts: Re-check
5. Steering Wheel: Re-check
6. Chin Strap:  Re-check
7. Data: On
8. Video: On

.

1-minute Board:

1. Data: Record
2. Video: Record

.

Pit-return:

1. Engine: Off
2. Gear: 5th
3. Brakes: Off
4. Video: Stop/Off
5. Data: Stop/Off
6. Steering Wheel: Detach
7. Window net: Detach
8. Center net: Loosen
9. Belts: Loosen/Detach
10. Helmet: Off
11. Fire pin: In

Though I definitely don’t need it, this techie could not resist picking up a data acquisition gadget for my Spec Miata. I chose to buy a Traqmate Complete ($999). The Traqmate uses both GPS and accelerometers to measure acceleration, velocity, and position around the race track. So using this toy, I’ll be able to see how slow I am at each part of the race track.

If you have a video camera (e.g. Motosports Hero HD) and spring for the extra Traqstudio software ($199), then you can overlay collected data on your raw video to produce integrate data and video. Traqmate also sells integrated data and video acquisition gear called Traqcam ($1799 to $2099). The Traqcam unit probably makes life a lot easier as non-integration data and video acquisition requires several steps to synchronize and process data/video from different sources. I couldn’t bring myself to spend an extra $600-$800 to get video when you can get a decent HD track camera for $200-$300.

Installation of the Traqmate was pretty easy. I mounted my data collection/sensor unit on the passenger side floor of the vehicle. Lamely, they don’t include a mounting brack — just velcro — so the current mount is less than satisfying until I get the mounting tray (+$15).

Traqmate Complete Data Collection

The Traqmate has a display/control unit that can be used for lap time monitoring while on track. It can be dash mounted (velcro again! or $29 for a real mount) or mounted on the roll bar (+$25 for their rollbar mount). I used the velcro and some plastic ties to put mine on the rollbar. The main downside with my approach is that it requires data to be offloaded from the display unit using a laptop.

Control & Display Unit with Glove-friendly Buttons

Rollbar Mount near Mirror

Once you collect some data, you can use the Traqview (included) or Traqstudio (+$199) software to download data and replay sessions. Downloads from the Traqmate were quick and easy. The software only runs on Windows (works fine under VMWare Fusion on Macs), but it is fairly straightforward to use. There are many different ways to slice and dice the collected data. To be very clear though, you will need extra sensors if you intend to collected additional items like temps, pressures, and tach. The software can only produce analysis for items related to GPS tracking and accelerometer readings (which is a lot of useful data but you’ll always want more).

I’m taking my car on track this Thursday (Laguna Seca) and will post a data/video session after I run (at the risk of great embarrassment to myself). This will be my first run on the track with this particular car, so I will definitely be taking it easy as I learn the balance of the car.

I finally got back to my Spec Miata project after a couple of weeks of inactivity due to work and travel. Today’s primary task was to replace the stock oil pressure sender. The primary reason to install an aftermarket gauge in the Miata is that my 1999 stock gauge doesn’t indicate true pressure. Instead, it simple indicates if there is or is not oil pressure.

Getting the stock pressure sensor out of the engine block is a little bit of a pain due to the inaccessibility. But using a 24mm deep socket and some patience is rewarded. The stock pressure sensor can only be seen with the engine removed or from underneath the car looking. However, removal of the sensor is best accomplished from the top of the engine compartment reaching under the engine block.

The following picture shows the location of the sensor above and to the left of the oil filter.

Replacing the stock sender with a remote sender

For my needs, I installed  a remote oil pressure sender relocation kit from Advanced Autosports. Using this kit, you can reconnect the stock sender and also add the aftermarket gauge connection to the new port. It is important to use high-temperature thread sealant on the fitting that goes into the engine block. You can pick this up at most auto parts stores.

Multi-port with stock sensor and aftermarket gauge tubing

For my application, I chose an AutoMeter 4421 2 5/8″ mechanical gauge. I mounted it in my radio plate next to my water temperature gauge. Note that you will also need to do some wiring into the fuse panel for gauge lighting (if desired).

Oil pressure gauge (on the right) with water temperature gauge

If you are reasonably proficient, then this job only takes a couple of hours.