Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project [Year 3 - Engine and Chassis Rebuild]

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Haha great video. The car is so tale happy when its a little bit damp or wet. Why do you think it was like that?

2009 probably mainly sh*te tyres and crap setup on the day - 2010 ended up being better with adjustable rear dampers, playing with tyre pressures more, different tyres etc...

 

[Andsu]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Great video f0xy....inspiration to us here in Brazil....

I just ave a MKII PH2 with a F4R but one day will import some parts to transform it as RS / 172 or 182...

And, of course, make a lot of Track Days (Here in Brazil it is diffcult to make an event like that)

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Thanks for the comments!


Oh, and I now have a new tow car :boring:

Now just waiting for the weather to improve so I can do a few bits to the car before deciding on some track days!

 

[Ratboyvalver]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

looking good mate :approve:

 

[Andyrg@ ClioTurbo]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

u done ya test yet foxy kidda?>

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Mid next month!

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Well that was a quick 200,000 views.

 

[chrispy.clio]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

After you have done your test can you just run through what you did in it? I need to sort mine out soon

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Whiteley's already done it, I'm sure he'll tell you.... but there are plenty of details on Google too

 

[chrispy.clio]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Sorry yeah I was just been lazy. I found all the information on the internet

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Long time since anything happened here, barely seen the car for 5 months! Been and moved it today though. Drove under its own power and ran OK...

Once that was done we moved it to a new home indoors. Although, got a pretty major coolant leak from the front of the block, so that will have to be looked at. Expect more soon!

 

[T.Trophy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Should I expect to see you and Whitely upsetting the turbo lads at Mallory again this year?

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

of course

 

[WilkyWay]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Will hopefully see you (try to keep up with you) at some events this year I was with Andy at Oulton Park and Rockingham last year if you can't remember

 

[elcie]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Look forward to reading more updates. Has seemed strange not reading your progress for the last couple of months, as pretty much been following it from the begging on other sites.

Lewis

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Yeah, I've just not had the time really. Parked it up on the 31st October last year and only been up to see it once between then and now. Got a few things to sort on it before the first track day in a months time so will more than likely put a few updates in here!

 

[elcie]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Was it just left on the side of the road then, will that be RTOC national day then ?

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Nah it was parked up on a driveway SORN, which it still is. Its not going back on the road again... Trailered it to a new home last night. Yep, we'l be at Mallory again, last two years were good.

 

[chrispy.clio]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Trailering is the best way! Pic with it on the trailer?

 

[adam172]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

i was just thinking what had happened to this car....and here it is again, out of winter hibernation, looks dirtty. cant wait to see more updates. do you actually have anything more planned for the car or is the plan just to enjoy it and fix what you brake on track?

 

[Nafoff]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

howdy jord...

1. did you get the bolts all ok, were they all ok etc? i never heard anything back so i assumed they were good.
2. do you run a heater? i can't remember, if so how do you find it? and what did you do with the pipes coming from the heaters etc?

 

[chrispy.clio]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Iirc jord doesn't run any heater/demisters. Just opens the little sliders on the windows

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Yeah got them fine cheers, spot on and MOT'd the day after!

As said, dont run a heater, never have done. Its OK, but when it comes to october/november time its w**k on track days as it does steam up after a few laps if its raining/damp..

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

i was just thinking what had happened to this car....and here it is again, out of winter hibernation, looks dirtty. cant wait to see more updates. do you actually have anything more planned for the car or is the plan just to enjoy it and fix what you brake on track?

Nothing planned really, other than use it all year and get rid of it come the end of 2011 I think. Will have been 3 years by then, and I want something new (and non-Renault) to build.

Just got to fit new disks and pads, swap a front hub over (so both sides have studs again) and tidy up a few other things. Although, after last night with the coolant leaking that is another problem that is going to have to be looked at, may or may not be an engine out jobby to sort, will have to see!

 

[Nafoff]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Yeah got them fine cheers, spot on and MOT'd the day after!
As said, dont run a heater, never have done. Its OK, but when it comes to october/november time its w**k on track days as it does steam up after a few laps if its raining/damp..

glad all got sorted,
yeah i am thinking it will only be a summer toy so am thinking i will probably loose the heasters now...

 

[gerupsausage]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

love this car

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Although, got a pretty major coolant leak from the front of the block, so that will have to be looked at.

Well, a summary of this post is I have some major issues, so here goes with the details...

Finally got round to looking at the car today after putting it off for a couple of weeks. I was hoping the leak would be related to the plastic water pump pipe on the front of the F4 block, as I would have been able to swap it with one from another of my spare blocks, but unfortunately my hopes were not correct. First sign of it not being from the plastic pipe was water sat on the block, rusty bits in it and still weeping even though it hasn't been ran for two weeks.

So started stripping it down ready for lifting the engine out to get a better look...

Out it came, along with Adam telling everyone 'this is how you do it!...

Then removed the 5th mount and Alternator setup to reveal the extent of the problem...

As you can see, that's one pretty hefty crack to the block. After removing the water pump and putting my finger inside the top hole, you could feel where the crack was and how everything had moved.

The weird thing is, this had 60/40 anti-freeze mix in and I started it around Christmas time (bearing in mind its been sat from October > April) which was after the worst of the winter weather and I never noticed a leak. Although its happened now and its probably just down to bad luck once again, like with the whole of this car

Anyway, pushed the car outside to turn it around...

...as I had decided the subframe/wishbones etc are in a state, so just went ahead and removed the whole lot. Going to clean everything up and re-fit it all at some point along with new track rod ends and ball joints as all the boots/gaiters have split on them. Calipers need sorting too as the seals are split, along with new discs and pads to fit.

Threw that in the back of the car and left the Mk1 until I decide what to do about the engine, really don't know what the plan is yet.

I guess I've got some thinking to do :boring:

 

[Nafoff]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

gutted man....
perfect time for a megane lump...lol

 

[Fred@BTM]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

possibility that the extra mount has caused that?

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

gutted man....
perfect time for a megane lump...lol

Thats just farrrrr to common now, and I really cant be bothered p*ssing any more money into the wind on this car - hence why it was left for 6 months without being touched lol. I just wanted to get it out and use it this year without having to mess around, but once again I'm ending up having to! The plan was (and still is) to get rid of it at the end of this season as I'm bored to f*ck of it, lol.

possibility that the extra mount has caused that?

Doubt it, was fine for 12mo+ including the winter before... Plus there are 15+ people running them on the forums who havn't had any issues. I think the coolant has froze with it being parked up and not moved/touched when all the snow/ice/frost/cold was happening in winter, especially as there is usually quite a bit of coolant usually sat where its cracked at the top of the water pump where it enters/exits the block...

 

[Nafoff]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Thats just farrrrr to common now, and I really cant be bothered p*ssing any more money into the wind on this car - hence why it was left for 6 months without being touched lol. I just wanted to get it out and use it this year without having to mess around, but once again I'm ending up having to! The plan was (and still is) to get rid of it at the end of this season as I'm bored to f*ck of it, lol.

i was getting the feeling you felt like that about it, shame....
that feeling has dawned on me that once i have put all the work into the 172 i may feel like that...

 

[Fred@BTM]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

core plugs?

odd place for it to crack due to freezing, also its next to 3 bolt holes - a naturally weak area

simply from over tighening the bolts holding the bracket to the block can cause issues like that (not necessaryily in this case, normally common on ali blocks)

 

[Jay Payne]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

If you didnt have bad luck you'd have no luck at all :dapprove:

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

core plugs?

odd place for it to crack due to freezing, also its next to 3 bolt holes - a naturally weak area

simply from over tighening the bolts holding the bracket to the block can cause issues like that (not necessaryily in this case, normally common on ali blocks)

Yeah, the start of the crack was hidden behind the alternator 'block', ends just above the 5th mount. All the core plugs are fine both front and back... Never usually put bolts mega tight, just 'normal' i.e. the same tightness as they always have been. You can put your finger into the block with the water pump off and follow the crack along to the starting point, which I'm guessing is where coolant may have been sat considering it hadn't moved or even been ran.

If you didnt have bad luck you'd have no luck at all :dapprove:

Indeed... seems to have always been the case with this car!

i was getting the feeling you felt like that about it, shame....
that feeling has dawned on me that once i have put all the work into the 172 i may feel like that...

Yeah, to be honest I'm just bored of having to do the same jobs to it (well F4's in general) all the time. I want something new to learn and build...

 

[wilky19]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

that is a proper s**tter mate.

did it have a leak at all before it went it to storage?

you managed to find a unit/garage to work on it in?

will this not fix it? just your style:rasp:

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

that is a proper shitter mate.

did it have a leak at all before it went it to storage?

you managed to find a unit/garage to work on it in?

Nah no leaks, didn't even notice it when I went to check/start it around Christmas time. Yeah, luckily its got a garage (in the pictures) local to me for now!

 

[AdamAnderton]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Thanks for the pic jord... really am gutted about the block was hoping it was just the pipe
Im sure we will sort something out and get it back on track soon

 

[Andrew Cooke]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

was that block out of a crashed car? maybe it got kissed in the corner in a previous life? Or dropped onto the corner? I woldn't be too concerned about the mount, that's used on loads of standard F series installations, not to mention the cup cars.

 

[f0xy]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Unsure on the full history of it... I purchased it knowing it had came from a 182 on low miles a few years back (late 2008). Its just weird how its happened over this winter when its not been used and none of the winters before, but it could just be bad luck I guess.

Don't know what to do with it just yet - either get another bottom end (although it seems to be hard to get a good one second hand TBH), or swap the Crank/Shells/Pistons from this one to a new block with a set of new rings... although if there was an issue with doing that I would have wasted a new set of rings. Looking at it like that I suppose its just as well replacing all the shells too, but then its getting higher in cost and I wasn't planning on even spending anything on the engine this year!

 

[TimR26]

Re: Mk1 F4R/172'd Track Car Project

Sorry to hear about the engine

Hope it's sorted soon