JPR AutoSports

I’ve been speaking with Geoff and Jon over at Full-Race. Chris, head tuner at EFI Lggics, indicated I should touch base as Geoff has developed some incredible solutions for the Evo X. Specifically, I wanted to discuss their manifolds as the Evo X stock exhaust manifold isn’t bad but flow could be improved, and Full-Race has done the right research to determine how to maximize the air moving from the motor to the turbo (remember, the hot exhaust air spins the turbo, which makes more air for the engine to breathe). Here’s some pics comparing the stock manifold to the Full-Race manifold.

Beautiful work. Geoff and Jon are great to work with and forgot yesterday more than I’ll ever learn about engines and exhaust flow. My new manifold arrived yesterday and will get bolted in with cams and springs (with any luck) in late March. The idea here is to improve the flow and provide EFI Logics the flexibility to meet my HP limits on pump gas. This should save a ton of money and actually increase engine reliability by running on lower boost. Needless to say, I’m excited – Hats off the Full-Race for an impressive piece of craftsmanship. If you haven’t yet, check them out.

Here are some Dyno results showing the benefit of the manifold over stock.

What an incredible display of weather. I don’t know about you but I am more then a little tired of the snow. Some big projects underway and so I needed to get the car down to Straightline in Matawan, NJ. A snowstorm loomed, one of many, and so I worried about the trek down. I got lucky though and the trip went fine. Robi from RobiSpec has the car now and is making some dramatic changes to the the suspension. If I’m lucky I will pick up the car on Saturday and will post up some pictures of the work. I’m excited about the project but worried about getting the car back in the snow.

I thought you might want to see some shots of a recent event at Lime Rock, when there was considerably less snow…

Here’s another

You can see full res versions in the photos section!

I’ve been experimenting a bit with some different lug nuts for the race car as I wanted a nut that would be light, hold up well to quick changes and is finished nicely and consistently. I’m swapping wheels constantly at the track, multiple times in a day, and so expect to tear up aluminum nuts over time. I had tried some others and had problems with marring and finish inconsistency so they would sometimes get locked inside the socket. As importantly, I want them to be reasonably inexpensive so it didn’t hurt too much to replace them, if I needed to, during the season.

I found these from Yonaka in our size on their website, but they are available all over the internet:

These Yonaka nuts weigh nothing and, for my use, have held up easily as well as MUCH more expensive nuts. I was worried the metal might be softer or the fit wouldn’t be as consistent, given their lower price but I was wrong. They use a 19mm socket and the fit is tight and the manufacturing is very consistent from lug to lug. The shank is long and so these work great with normal or long track studs. (there are so many opportunities for inappropriate jokes in here I almost don’t know what to do with myself ).

I use both a torque wrench and then a drill to get them off and on fast which seems to be the right combination. You can’t/ shouldn’t use a impact drill with aluminum nuts, they can get torn up and stuck inside the socket – this will make you very sad when you are at the track (as me how I know). I did also buy, a while back, a thread chaser in M12 x 1.5, which I highly recommend as it’s a good tool to have if you ever cross a thread.

The Yonaka nuts are finished very well and, while they don’t come in yellow, red or blue, look pretty nice in Black and Silver (I think they have gold too). Ultimately, they fit the bill perfectly – they are light, finished well, hold up and are inexpensive. I can get part way through a season, mess a couple up and get a fresh set without mortgaging the house. I don’t see too many discussions on different lug nuts but if you are looking for a fresh set for the upcoming season, check these out. Let me know what you think.

I’m running them again this season (2011). Here’s a shot of a set on the car.

I received their newsletter today regarding the entire 2011 season track schedule. There are a bunch of track days available and some races but I’m thinking it might work to rent the track for the day if I could get a few people interested. It’s not as expensive as it might seem. It’s important to remember that, on most days they have sound restrictions, so you’ll need to comply at 88 db. Let me know if you are interested in participating.

An update to those of you interested in some of the car projects. We are working hard to prepare for the 2011 season. Let’s get started:

Engine:

Oil cooling and management: we are working with a well known manufacturer that has developed custom racing pans for some of the biggest names in racing. The Evo X will have a bigger pan that will help keep oil temps low, as well as a system to protect the engine at start up and in the event that G forces are high enough to cause a loss in oil pressure. The car should be done this week. Once we have the car back and are authorized to do (yes it is secret) we’ll post pictures.

Cams and Springs:
EFI Logics will be tuning the car again for the upcoming season. Chris is an exceptionally gifted tuner and has done a great job at finding that balance between performance and reliability. In an effort to provide greater flexibility with different fuel octanes and tracks we are looking at GSC cams and their newly designed beehive springs. These are state of the art cams with a very aggressive profile for racing which should allow us to run lower octane and boost levels for the same power levels.

We are looking at different manifold solutions as well. The intention is not to make more power then in 2010 but produce the same power over a broader rpm range, at lower boost levels, on lower octane. All good and we are excited about getting the car to EFI Logics to start this work.

Radiator:
A flush as part of the season prep but also an opportunity to install a Mishimoto racing radiator and hoses. More efficient then the oem radiator, the Mishimoto radiator should help lower engine temps in race conditions.

All very exciting and a good start. Next up is Cage design and suspension work.

Hey everyone! Just wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa – all of it! It’s a great time of year to focus on family and friends and put down that wrench, racing magazine, computer, if only for a minute. Thank you to everyone who has helped make this all possible – Here’s to your having a great holiday and successful new year. Our very best to you and yours.

JPR AutoSports.