First time 818S track notes

[Dave 53]

Got my 818S first track days in at Streets of Willow, California.

Two fuel system notes.

1. Gas tank that came with the kit. Fuel starvation in right hand turns after about 45 minutes of track time which is just over half a tank of gas. That means I couldn’t do two consecutive 30 minute sessions. Luckily a trip into town to top off the tank was only about 20 minutes round trip, but this is not a long term solution. The hydromat was a waist of money. On a track car, skip the hydromat and go straight to a surge tank.

2. Fuel was dripping out of the charcoal canister. Not much, probably only about a tablespoon when stopped, but enough to leave a noticeable spot on the pavement. I already have the vent hose looped as high as I could before going down to the canister and I don’t know any other way to prevent liquid gas from getting into the canister when tossing the car around. My canister vent is on the bottom, so I’m relieved to know the canister isn’t just filling up with gas. Easy fix, I’ll rig up some sort of catch can.

These were my only two issues!

This car is FAST! Engine tune by Snail Performance, Auburn and suspension tune by Roger Kraus Racing, Castro Valley are amazing!

Brakes worked great… for me. I let a seasoned racer drive it and he complained about the effort needed on the brake peddle (OEM Subaru master cylinder and Wilwood after that). After 3,000 miles of street driving, I’m use to the brakes and have no plans to immediately address his complaint. A few guys suggested an external vacuum booster(?). Maybe someday I’ll look into it.

I was going into the weekend concerned about oil pressure. I have a Killer B pan and Arctangent oil control plate. Between the track and getting dizzy on a skid pad, I didn’t see any dips in oil pressure. These SoCal tracks are over 100 degrees in the summer, so I suspect an oil cooler is in my future.

Other than the disappointment of the hydromat and reality of needing a surge tank, the first track shakedown weekend was a huge success!

[taco20]

Hey Dave
If I can make one suggestion to help with the brakes that helped me out. Drill another hole 1/2 higher and move the rod up above what FFR said to do in the manual. It makes all the difference with pedal effort. When you are late braking at 140+ you want to be sure the car will stop. Changing pads won’t change the feel at all so don’t waste the money unless you want more total braking from the pads.

From all my testing and talking to Wilwood it is all about pedal ratio that effects the effort on the pedal. Wilwood is the one who told me to raise the hole to be closer to the numbers they set for their pedals. Anyway just a easy change that won’t cost you anything and can always be put back if you don’t like it.

Good luck with the car and keep an eye on the engine temp, I lost my first engine from over heating because the stock cooling system isn’t up to the challenge if you make good power.