Clio 182 Track Car & Daily Projects

[RustyMojo]

Absolutely! I can understand, you know I chucked my toys out the pram before! But this car is lovely. Someone is going to get a bargain. I still think you should ask more or at least strip off the decent bits. It’s worth £1500 with standard 182 wheels and a cheaper exhaust etc.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Absolutely! I can understand, you know I chucked my toys out the pram before! But this car is lovely. Someone is going to get a bargain. I still think you should ask more or at least strip off the decent bits. It’s worth £1500 with standard 182 wheels and a cheaper exhaust etc.

I know, but I’m not built that way. I can sorn her and let it rot tbh. If I knew what it was going to cost to fix, I’d reprice.

I drove her to work last Friday with a smile on my face, no intention of selling. It’s only a car at the end of the day and I’ve absolutely loved working on it and getting it to a decent standard.

Hopefully somebody else will finish her.

 

[sennaalbronda]

I know, but I’m not built that way. I can sorn her and let it rot tbh. If I knew what it was going to cost to fix, I’d reprice.

I drove her to work last Friday with a smile on my face, no intention of selling. It’s only a car at the end of the day and I’ve absolutely loved working on it and getting it to a decent standard.

Hopefully somebody else will finish her.

John. Send me a message please. I'll help you get it running mate.

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[Mr Underhill]

John. Send me a message please. I'll help you get it running mate.

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That’s really nice of you. Message sent

 

[sennaalbronda]

He found the issue!

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[Mr Underhill]

He found the issue!View attachment 1534799

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Much appreciated @sennaalbronda . The DF067 code also led me in the wrong direction, in fact I’ve still got that fault code now despite the car running perfectly 🤷🏻‍♂️

I guess having a proper Renault Clip diagnostic pays for itself.

 

[Mr Underhill]

So a dodgy breaker switch from Amazon, less than 4 months old, appears to have been the cause of my frustration.

Anyway at least I know how to take a UCH out of a Clio now 😂

I also noticed the female spade connector on the solenoid was pretty loose. I think this has been at the heart of most of this cars problems from the day I got her.

So much so I ended up getting a new starter motor fitted when I probably didn’t need to.

Again, another reason why I’m learning to do jobs myself so I know they’re done properly.

A kind techie at RMB Renault gave me this off his old Megane. One less thing to worry about.

The car’s back on the road and running great. Thank you to everybody who messaged me to discourage me from selling her. The cars certainly tested my patience but it’s strangely satisfying keeping these old cars going.

 

[Mr Underhill]

A few shots from Croft last week.

Not many Clio's there this time, but had some good fun chasing the few that were there down. New PB too 🚗💨

More satisfying though was the car held up beautifully, which means all that work i did over the winter paid off. Pretty pleased considering i'd never picked up a spanner until 3 years ago.

Cadwell next on the 6th May.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Another trackday done at Cadwell last week although it was probably the most red flags i've seen to date with major oil spillages at Coppice going into Charlies, end of Park Straight into Chris Curve and finally between Gooseneck and Mansfield.

At one point I went out, did 1 lap, red flags came out, went straight into the holding area so i could be first back out. They held us there for at least 20 minutes, let us out and i only got as far as Barn and another red flag came out. I mean who spins coming out of the holding area haha.

Still we had the best of the weather with decent amounts of sunshine, although the cold temperatures meant getting heat into the tyres wasn't great. managed a few decent times considering so it's onto the next one in June at Croft again.

A few pics of the car and a link to some of my laps on Youtube below.

Trackday at Cadwell Park May 6th - Youtube.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Finally managed to source a few more Yokohama A052's after searching all over the place. Plenty of deals about but no stock.

Luckily enough a good mate tipped me off to a local supplier who was keeping them for a lad who races in tin tops, but doesn't need them right now. Mixed reviews on them. They certainly grip, but are a bit on the soft side so wear out pretty quickly. My last set lasted 2 trackdays.

My preferred choice would be A050's but you can't get them now, so might try the A048R's next.

If anybody reading this is using the A048R's on the their track car i'd be interested to get your feedback.

Of course there are other tyre brands out there but i'm a Yokohama fanboy, having pretty much used them without complaint for 4 seasons.

My mate, who races in the trackday trophy, has gone through the expense and pain of other brands, before finally settling back to Yokohamas. I guess it's a trust/superstition kind of thing.

Convince me otherwise!

 

[Mr Underhill]

Back in the company lease scheme for 6 months so new car on the way.

Took the old girl out for a final drive before tucking her away until 2022.

I’ve had a solid offer to buy her which I’m still mulling over, but my heart is telling me to sorn her, then when the lease is up, go and have another drive and see how I feel.

I’ve never owned a car that pulls at the heart strings like this one. Usually I just bin them as fast as I get bored of them.

 

[Mr Underhill]

 

[Mr Underhill]

Driving is now effortless but missing the old girl already and it’s only been 2 weeks 🙈

 

[Mr Underhill]

Then I was drooling all over this today. Already had one and sold it after a few months. What is wrong with me 😂🙈

 

[Mr Underhill]

I think it’s the need for speed.

Thank god I’ve got some trackdays coming up in August to get my fix 🙏

 

[Mr Underhill]

Good to be back in the old girl again.

 

[Mr Underhill]

@FPummell How did the Trackday at Croft go?

 

[FrogJam Motorsport]

@FPummell How did the Trackday at Croft go?

Yer went really well thanks. Managed to destroy another rear wheel bearing but had a spare so managed to run the whole time. But order the PMS larger rear bearing kit which uses the Mk3 discs and hubs. Assuming the stub axle is bent but didn’t want to mess around with it since we are at Donny in a couple of weeks.

James managed a 1:42.27 so lap times are getting there. I was a second behind that but all of that was lost in one braking zone pretty much so both of us are really pleased.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Yer went really well thanks. Managed to destroy another rear wheel bearing but had a spare so managed to run the whole time. But order the PMS larger rear bearing kit which uses the Mk3 discs and hubs. Assuming the stub axle is bent but didn’t want to mess around with it since we are at Donny in a couple of weeks.

James managed a 1:42.27 so lap times are getting there. I was a second behind that but all of that was lost in one braking zone pretty much so both of us are really pleased.

Good stuff. Wheel bearing seems a strange one as you don’t normally hear or see many issues with those.

So are you just doing the remainder of 2021 developing and doing trackdays?

 

[FrogJam Motorsport]

Good stuff. Wheel bearing seems a strange one as you don’t normally hear or see many issues with those.

So are you just doing the remainder of 2021 developing and doing trackdays?

Yer does seem odd. Something isn’t right with it. 2 wheel bearing in about 4 hours of running isn’t normal.

That’s the plan. Got 2 trips to donington booked and Croft in September. Got a few other niggles to sort out and few things which we’re hoping with last until the winter.

Engine seems to be using oil which isn’t surprising. Gearbox is leaking. And the GPS keeps dropping out which throws the timing off.

Then once our driving becomes more consistent and stop having niggles with the car we can play with the setup and dial that in. Thinking we may need to widen the track a little at the front.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Time for some new boots.

I love Yokohama A052’s. Tons of grip, good on damp circuits but not very hard wearing. This is after 2 trackdays

 

[Mr Underhill]

What a stunner (car in the background) 😂

Might just be having a play of this shortly 😅

 

[Mr Underhill]

Sadly had to cancel this Sunday’s Trackday at Croft because of a knocking coming from the upper part of the engine.

I first heard it at Cadwell but it seemed to go away after the car was warmed up but now it’s pretty obvious hot or cold.

People have told me it sounds like a dephaser but I had this changed, along with timing belt in Jan 2018 at 79,000 and the cars just gone 81,000. Granted it’s 2,000 hard miles, but I’d expect it to last longer than that.

I’ve switched the VVT solenoid over from my daily and it’s no better. So it’s off to Alistair Hutchinson on Saturday to get sorted.

Hoping it’s nothing more than a Dephaser and that the work can be sorted in time for Croft on the 16th August. I need a trackday in my life 😂

 

[Mr Underhill]

Update on the track car engine. Not the dephaser - didn't think it was that anyway - but the valves.

When i think about it, it's the same issue i had when i first bought the car. I guess after 4 track seasons and several thousand hard track miles, it's gotten a lot worse.

Going to replace the 2 piece 182 valves with 1 piece versions aka 197.

Might as well change the belts as well as that's coming up 4 years in September. Water pump wasn't changed when i booked into my local Renault 'Specialist' for the timing belt kit, even though i supplied it, but that's a whole different story So we'll do that.

Might as well change the Crank pulley to a lightweight one, as that's looking a tad on the rusty side and put some ARP bolts in too.

Not a cheap repair but at least i didn't blow the thing up 😂 and she'll provide me with many more trackdays to come.

 

[sennaalbronda]

Update on the track car engine. Not the dephaser - didn't think it was that anyway - but the valves.

When i think about it, it's the same issue i had when i first bought the car. I guess after 4 track seasons and several thousand hard track miles, it's gotten a lot worse.

Going to replace the 2 piece 182 valves with 1 piece versions aka 197.

Might as well change the belts as well as that's coming up 4 years in September. Water pump wasn't changed when i booked into my local Renault 'Specialist' for the timing belt kit, even though i supplied it, but that's a whole different story So we'll do that.

Might as well change the Crank pulley to a lightweight one, as that's looking a tad on the rusty side and put some ARP bolts in too.

Not a cheap repair but at least i didn't blow the thing up [emoji23] and she'll provide me with many more trackdays to come.

Rip.

197 valves are 2 piece still, atleast in my experienced it has been. Maybe Supertech is a better bet. And be carefull with the lightenend crankpullyes. Mine snapped on me.[emoji29].


Onto better times!

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[Mr Underhill]

Rip.

197 valves are 2 piece still, atleast in my experienced it has been. Maybe Supertech is a better bet. And be carefull with the lightenend crankpullyes. Mine snapped on me.[emoji29].

Can't be 197 valves then, but they're definitely 1 piece.

 

[JamesBryan]

I was under the impression 197 valves were still 2 piece as well 🤔

@NorthloopCup will know.

 

[NorthloopCup]

I was under the impression 197 valves were still 2 piece as well 🤔

@NorthloopCup will know.

They are 2 piece mate yeah. Even supertech ones are. But the friction welded join is higher up the stem so less chance of failure.

Only other valves I know of for the F4R are Sinus (sp?) but not sure if they’re 1 or piece.

Lightweight pulleys are fine, providing you have the entire assembly balanced.

 

[Mr Underhill]

I was under the impression 197 valves were still 2 piece as well 🤔

@NorthloopCup will know.

It's what he said 🤷‍♂️ I'll find out what they are. Got me thinking now 😂

 

[Mr Underhill]

Lightweight pulleys are fine, providing you have the entire assembly balanced.

As in make sure all other pulleys are lightweight?

 

[NorthloopCup]

As in make sure all other pulleys are lightweight?

No mate, as in the entire rotating assembly, so crank, rods, pistons, flywheel and clutch. I actually went to the extreme of cams and exhaust pulley on my build, but that’s a tad overkill 😂

 

[Twingo 1??]

Is that Alistair quoting? His car always goes like s**t off a shovel so may know of some valves that are 1 piece. It's a nice drive over to his garage!

 

[Mr Underhill]

No mate, as in the entire rotating assembly, so crank, rods, pistons, flywheel and clutch. I actually went to the extreme of cams and exhaust pulley on my build, but that’s a tad overkill 😂

Not like you Mark 😂 sound over complicated so might just stick with a standard pulley.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Is that Alistair quoting? His car always goes like s**t off a shovel so may know of some valves that are 1 piece. It's a nice drive over to his garage!

Yeah, knows his stuff

 

[sennaalbronda]

No mate, as in the entire rotating assembly, so crank, rods, pistons, flywheel and clutch. I actually went to the extreme of cams and exhaust pulley on my build, but that’s a tad overkill [emoji23]

Ur right. But i think just fitting a lightweight pully is a bit pointless if you arent balancing it afterward. But could just be me.
Arent the 250 valves 1 piece? I havr always bought supertech valves, never had any of them fail[emoji2369]

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[JamesBryan]

They are 2 piece mate yeah. Even supertech ones are. But the friction welded join is higher up the stem so less chance of failure.

Only other valves I know of for the F4R are Sinus (sp?) but not sure if they’re 1 or piece.

Lightweight pulleys are fine, providing you have the entire assembly balanced.

Yeah I've heard of Sinus.

Think they might be oversized too.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Not like you Mark 😂 sound over complicated so might just stick with a standard pulley.

Lol! I’m just a bit OCD about stuff that’s all. Build em right, build em once 👍🏻

Ur right. But i think just fitting a lightweight pully is a bit pointless if you arent balancing it afterward. But could just be me.
Arent the 250 valves 1 piece? I havr always bought supertech valves, never had any of them fail[emoji2369]

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I wouldn’t be fitting a pulley without balancing the entire RA mate. It’s a modification that will only give any rewards when used in combination with other things. My R3 Maxi engine build revved like a bike in comparison to the original F4R for instance.

I couldn’t comment on the 250 valves tbh mate as I have no experience with them. But I’ve never seen a set of supertech valves fail in a F4R. I used a set in my own build.

Yeah I've heard of Sinus.

Think they might be oversized too.

Yeah supertech do them too.

 

[sennaalbronda]

Lol! I’m just a bit OCD about stuff that’s all. Build em right, build em once [emoji1303]

I wouldn’t be fitting a pulley without balancing the entire RA mate. It’s a modification that will only give any rewards when used in combination with other things. My R3 Maxi engine build revved like a bike in comparison to the original F4R for instance.

I couldn’t comment on the 250 valves tbh mate as I have no experience with them. But I’ve never seen a set of supertech valves fail in a F4R. I used a set in my own build.

Yeah supertech do them too.

So we agree .
Tbh when im building a 197/182 hybrid i'd be using lightweight pullies.

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[Mr Underhill]

Now the weather’s starting to cool and the nights drawing in, it’s time to start getting some more work done on the Clio’s.

Managed to pick up a cheap upper and lower inlet from a local lad. Then get it off to Max at MS Custom Engineering.

I’ve heard good things about this lad and he didn’t disappoint. Once I’d made comms with him everything went really smoothly and I’m super happy with the way these look.

Can’t wait to actually see the finished results when they arrive. Just not sure whether to put them on the daily or track car.

Next up is tackle my old rear beam off the daily.

I managed to get another rear beam last year and have it powder coated. Then replaced this one with the refurbed one.

Trouble is it’s already started to rust, so I’m going to do this one myself as I think I can do a better job.

First up is to get the rear hubs off. They didn’t put up much of a fight baring one bolt.

Tomorrow I’ll be tackling the brackets and then remove the bushes.

 

[Mr Underhill]

Time to finish disassembling the rear beam.

Bolts on the brackets came out pretty easily and look like they could be refurbed - we’ll see.

Next it’s on to the bushes and this time I bought the proper tool - a 4 in 1 frame press kit off EBay for £24.

Seems a little extravagant just to remove some bushes, but the last ones I did my tools comprised of a blowtorch, hacksaw and a big hammer.

Almost melted my shoe, choked myself to death on the fumes and burned a big hole in my rubber flooring. I guess Kids shouldn’t play with matches. Lesson learned. 😂

To make removing the bushes a little easier I first pushed the centre out of the bush, then went onto the outer part. It took a fair bit of pressure but eventually it cracked off and came out without too much drama.

So with the beam dismantled, I’ll start removing the crusty bits and begin the restoration.