Sequential box/straight cut gears; noise at trackdays

[edb49]

I've got an R400 on order and I am starting to have sinful thoughts about a sequential box. It seems like the ideal compromise - you still get a clutch and get the interaction of changing gear, heel/toe, etc, but you get the excitement of quick gear changes and clutchless full bore upshifts.

The R400 is the right car for me in that it's not too noisy for track days, and it's not so highly strung it needs constant TLC. I am wondering how the sequential box copes with track days though, is it going to put me over noise limits?

[jleroux]

no, you'll be fine. the standard 6-speed caterham box is hardly the quietest box on the planet anyway!

the seqential is an aweseome addition to the car - highly recommended. I think i'm right in saying it's the same quaife box they put in the 300bhp ginetta G50's as well so it should be reasonable reliable with ~200bhp in a Seven.

Jonny
BaT

[edb49]

Not what my head wanted to hear, I can feel more expenditure coming on!

My heart says something different though....

[The Wookie]

I raced a C400 with the sequential. It's superb in a race/track car, really suits the Caterham, but it's pretty clunky and noisy around the paddock. In terms of overall volume on track, it doesn't make a significant contribution to how loud the car is

[fcat]

I've got the sequential in my race CSR. Good box, sounds like a bag of nails but tough as nails too. IIRC, Quaife were looking to do a version with helical cut gears rather than straight cut which ought to be much quieter - might be worth an ask?

[BT]

I would have thought that the noise from a straight cut sequential would only be a problem to your own ears inside the car. I would think that noise from inlet or exhaust would be the issue for tripping noise limits (which as you say, should be OK on the 400).

[BT]

I would have thought that the noise from a straight cut sequential would only be a problem to your own ears inside the car. I would think that noise from inlet or exhaust would be the issue for tripping noise limits (which as you say, should be OK on the 400).

[Sam_68]

BT said:

I would have thought that the noise from a straight cut sequential would only be a problem to your own ears inside the car.

Yeah, I've never had any problem with the S/C box on my Westfield (which is like sharing the cockpit with the bd offspring of a foodblender and a dentist's drill).

I think the higher pitched noise of a gearbox upsets the sound meters less than lower pitched exhaust noise, as a general rule.

[The Wookie]

BT said:

I would have thought that the noise from a straight cut sequential would only be a problem to your own ears inside the car. I would think that noise from inlet or exhaust would be the issue for tripping noise limits (which as you say, should be OK on the 400).

My C400 race car failed Donington track day drive-by, the sensor was on the inlet side too. I don't believe a Duratec engined car with an external intake will pass many noise tests

[sfaulds]

The Wookie said:

My C400 race car failed Donington track day drive-by, the sensor was on the inlet side too. I don't believe a Duratec engined car with an external intake will pass many noise tests

Just as well the R400 has an internal intake then - they are fine at Donington.