Ok update. This weekend wasn't a highlight. Motor ran great, first lap and the Pcv hose routing kinked, pressurized the crankcase and dipstick blew out with about a half a quart of oil, black flagged as i made a mosquito fogger proud. No qualifying time, start dead last. Oh boy. 32nd starting position. Great start at vir, my crew guy on the radio tells me green and away we go, passed 9 cars before turn one. My word it was a thing of beauty. By the end of lap one 14 positions and I am rolling, end of lap 2 I see and pull even with 4 th in my class. Oh then there is the **** that racing brings. My car is equipped with a fully functional dash cause the factory builds good stuff. We piggy backed an AIM data system which is attached to the steering column. Lights up, warning, high temp, factory gauge for temp pinned full hot, aim system lights up 240 degrees, both fans are on and the mechanical gauge is only 200, normal for my motors. Ecu goes to limp mode, into the pits, race over. Reset computer with powering all systems off. Restart back out for an expensive test session. Car feels good. New front end setup seems to be working, rear brake lock up still but what is going on. Two more laps and now on off throttle checks losing or getting low oil pressure readings, this day is done. Pit review we found the head temp sensor had a cut wire which we never would have looked for under the shielding, which is directly related to putting the car into limp home mode, one issue we think we found, low oil pressure, I don't know but looking at the cam journal I think I may be screwed, not pretty, so lower teardown autopsy will be tomorrow. Boy not like last year but its a learning curve and I race cause that first lap was amazing and when its all right look out for a four door focus
Spec focus racecar
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Ok autopsy done, so am I for now. We didn't do a good job of putting this one together. We or I was careless and the basics were overlooked. So new block sourced, head going back to the machine shop, new pistons ordered. Going 20 over again, lets see if I can do this one right.
Well started fri and we completed the build of the new motor sat afternoon, bolted up to the trans and put back into the car today. Startup went smooth, for the first time, oil pressure on spin over with no plugs 30 psi, plugs in fuel hooked up and it started first time. For me a wonderful relief. Well everything buttoned up oil pressure at idle is at 25, at 4k 45 and at proper race rpm of 5500-6500 I showed 60 psi. Well maybe this motor will live. Looking to put on dyno possibly this week, will send a dyno log to my tuner this week for some reviews of the details. Just happy it all works as this one took way more time and effort and I did this one with a lot more attention to detail, way more attention. Will prepare for the track this week and off to the races this fri.
Race day update, sat qualified on pole one sec off my best lap. 11th out of a starting 73 cars. Car ran good, although with so many cars with different speed potentials there was an accident in turn four, full course yellow and then black flag all. Lost all the positions we got on the start. Restart went well, but race was shortened to 6 laps, got to 7th overall its in class and took the checkered. Smelled something burning on the cool down lap, alt was throwing flames, seems like some trash got in and while it was charging it was smokin and burning. Replaced it and still holding 42-44psi at speed with 6500-7k rpm's. new alt in and Sunday qualified 17th overall, 1st in class, track was damp and steering felt weird. Found out the rack was loose, that's not encouraging, so all morning was checking everything, and found I stripped a caliber slide bolt in the rear. Repaired all of that and what should have been an opportunity to watch my friends race all day was thrash city. Race start was good until mid lap one, RAIN. The whole field was on slicks and we tip toed around for 2 laps until a line damp line was showing. Well fwd really is fun when everyone else in front is rwd, went thru and finished 7th overall and two wins for the weekend. Still low oil pressure so offer suggestions as the first thing is we are pulling the pump. Got to meet another focus racer, Steve Martin running Brian's car in STL. was so much fun to have another focus running and great to share ideas and thoughts about the car. Their car looks great and will be a force to contend with, in a few months when they make all the changes allowed in the class. Going to skip the next race to tackle the oil pressure issue, what so are any 2.3 guys seeing at 6-7k I need to have a target.
Got to spend today with two focaljet members, Mitchell and Will, Mitchell runs a Svt with a supercharger and Will runs a drop dead Boss 302. What a blast to meet like minded car crazy members at a track while they are tearing it up. Will is the artist who has built the super hubs for us racers and Mitchell has been the one showing the way with this safety part. Great to meet these guys and I have never seen so much Ford race stuff on track in one afternoon, I counted 15 boss mustangs and two Ford GT's on track turning laps like they should not being waxed like most are. Race hard and keep the shinny side up. Great day at the track.
Update, after a month of trying to diagnosis lower than I want oil pressure in my race car with a new motor we finally after checking gauges, checking all bearing clearances, hell checking everything we torn down a spare pump. Spring and plunger come out with a little effort. The spring and plunger allow excess pressure bleed off,or possibly maintain more. After reviewing two spare pumps, off the pan on the race motor. We removed the plug and with some careful prying out comes the plug and plunger. What the hell, this brand new pump ( yes a ford part oem) has a completely different spring and plunger. This spring is shorter and lighter and the plunger is at least 3/8" shorter. The design of the high pressure area in this pump is completely different than the three others on the bench. Dam. So we redid our measurements we had intended and created a completely adjustable oil pump pressure adjustment. Oh, yeah to get to it requires a removal of the pan and all that mess. We tapped the high pressure tube the spring and plunger ride in, used a cap screw and located this to,the desired depth. Buttoned up the entire set up and with crossed fingers and toes, filled up with oil and hit the switch. Started right up and we have 70psi cold. Warm at idle 1300rpm, 35 psi, 6000rpm showed 70psi. WE NOW HAVE A FIX. Wish a part number change could have indicated when the pump change design took place, but nope, went and looked at all three pump housings and nothing which indicates which one had the more aggressive spring pressure setup. Oh just so you know in our effort to put in a oil temp gauge in the car we tapped the spare oil pan for the sensor. Ready to bolt to block and why doesn't the oil dip stick hole have the little funnel looking adapter on it. Off to parts, order that little thing, nope its sold as a unit. Wait the hole isn't tapped on this pan, what is going on. Fusion 2.3 oil dipstick goes thru the valve cover not at the side of the block. Great to realize this after all the work to the pan. So we transferred all we did to an un modified pan and in just two more hours we had a pan to mount. Hope it helps someone else to make them look for the silly stuff like a dip stick hole
). We now have oil pressure YEAH.
). We now have oil pressure YEAH.Ok, was able with a great parts manager assistance isolate the part number differences in the 2.3 oil pump issue I have encountered. 3m4z-6600-ba is the original number, it was changed to bh in 07, and then 3m4z-8e5z-a in late 09 as indicated by the 8 in the part number. My run of building motors shows we used the first part number the first two times and the last number two times, both motors expired before there time not all oil related as the motor before this one was 100% our fault. There are a few original pumps out there left but our fix makes any completely adjustable. There you now have the rest of the story.
Race weekend report, july fry is what they call racing in atlanta this weekend, hell it should be called rd Africa. 100 degrees with 100% humidity. So we qualified for two races one sat one Sunday, my buddy ran one race sat also. 1st race .002 off the pole, great start got by for first and had a terrific fight with my crx buddy. Swapped the lead a dozen times and lap 4 it shut off. Turns out the master switch quit. Race one done. Pat ran the car late in the day started from pole in his class and won, so we fixed the issue. Sunday I started from the pole. 14 and 3/4 laps perfect fun, first or second the entire run, best race ever until boom, blew a plugged water line to heater core line, lost all water at speed, two corners from the finish, hope the motor didn't get hurt to bad or this season is done. Great race, hope to have video this week.
Up on lift, down for the count. Early diag indicates a rod bolt may have let go, how do I know, well that's what is sticking out the back side of the block. I obviously have no clue on how to build a motor. I am bring this mess to a pro for some more answers after I recover from the hangover I am planning on getting for the next few nights. Season over.
2016, had a pro build a motor and it didn't do well, not well at all. We wanted to be on track, so we put the orginal motor the car came with in 2011. The history of this motor was a stock piece put in the car and raced for 3-4 years. I drove the snot out of it for 2 years. So at least 5 race seasons before we thought we were builders. So step back and reinstall the bone stock motor. Attached to a mtx75 gearbox with a Kaaz diff, 4:25 final drive and a quaife gear set. We had a trouble free weekend. Tire management and nothing else. 3 qualifers and 3 races. Car ran great, suspension was in the range as we actually ran a larger 225 series tires up front. With the larger front profile tires my lap times never fell off and the last race on sun my fastest lap was number 9 of ten. Great weekend cause we broke the curse and drove the car onto the trailer under its own power. May do one more weekend with this set up before we pull this motor to replace it with another pro build. Yeah I don't know any better and I want more like any racer so doing normal gearbox maintenance of the quaife equipped 4:06 box for the new motor. Then again if we do as well the next time out I may never take it out.
The motor which expired way to soon had no warranty, after some heated discussion a settlement was reached. The unfortunate part was all the lost time. The current rebuild should be ok with my fingers crossed but the stock Ford unit is a dam good piece as proven by last weeks performance. My tuner has built many motors with this shop. Much time was spent to ensure its a solid build. I plan on the install of the new one but after another weekend cause driving on the trailer at the end of the weekend doesn't suck.)
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Still working on the lock up of the right rear when unloaded and my not taking it deeper into some primary corners. The cars that I was able to stay in front of for some of the race and who actually do pass in the race are actually one or classes ahead of my class. The 6 cyl z car is an ITS car driven by one of the most helpful racers out there and a group ahead of my ITA focus. On of my better races, the motor stayed together and I won my race class and it drove onto the trailer under its own power.
Ok the site may be going back to normal with a lot of complaining to get there. We ran the race car during the last holiday weekend. First race at Carolina Motorsport park, cmp for short. This a flat track with a very a abrasive surface. With that my transponder screwed up and qualifing was no time for me. Had to start at the back of ITA shuck sucked but not good but ok. Before the first lap concluded I was on the leaders bumper. That's as close as I got. Used 225 series tires as I did at vir and it worked great for 1/2 the race. By then they were toast. Finished 2nd luckely as the 1st place car broke and I moved up one as all the a cars did. Sun race same issue with a new transponder, no time so start at the back. Now it really sucks. Well two laps in chasing the leader and I decide to not go to the front for a while. Stayed behind him until lap8, go to the front, great until I brain fart and spin out. Two laps to go I have to catch him then pass.. Video, cmp race on u tube, it's 26:16 long but the last lap is great fun. Yes we won by a margin of .001, or 6 inches. All at the line and we drove onto the trailer. Used an almost new set of 205's and because it was misting out I got lucky not to burn down the tires for the end. U-tube it it's a good view.
The spare motor which has been great for two race weekends has seen 5 years of full time racing and two more weekends. The new race piece is ready to go in so this weekend we did a double check of the current. Well compression after this hard life is starting to show, 3 cyls show 225 and number 2 shows 190. Leak down similar results, 3 under 15% and number 2 shows 45%. This weekend we pulled the motor and trans. New clutch and new race motor in. Well almost complete, I am just so slow and while putting the harness in I realized I forgot the knock sensor. Of course the manifold is on. I think I threw the wrench a mile. Well my buddy tried, pulled the starter, wedged a screw driver in the bottom of the manifold and was able to get it down. Lost only an hour. Will finish this week. I don't mind the taking out, I hate the putting back in.
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