Discussion
I'm off to Hullavington Airfield on 11/07 with Motorsport Events. Who I've previously done Abingdon airfield with. I'm doing an airfield again because it's cheap at £109.
I also did Bedford Aerodrome with Easy Track, which cost more, but was an excellent day.
The main operators off my head are:
BookATrack
Easy Track
MSV (motorsport Vision)
Gold Track.
Basically all you need is Money a driving licence and a car. Helmets can normally be hired for money.
However I would suggest you take the time to upgrade the brake fluid to some high temp stuff(normally racing fluid is DOT4, or you can use DOT5.1). You need plenty of brake pad. I got through a LOT of green stuff front pad at bedford. And tyres need to be used to get you home...so make sure theres plenty of tread.
Edit:Oh and I do it without insurance....because I figure the car is disposable....track insurance is available from some companies if your road policy cannot be extended to cover you.
I also did Bedford Aerodrome with Easy Track, which cost more, but was an excellent day.
The main operators off my head are:
BookATrack
Easy Track
MSV (motorsport Vision)
Gold Track.
Basically all you need is Money a driving licence and a car. Helmets can normally be hired for money.
However I would suggest you take the time to upgrade the brake fluid to some high temp stuff(normally racing fluid is DOT4, or you can use DOT5.1). You need plenty of brake pad. I got through a LOT of green stuff front pad at bedford. And tyres need to be used to get you home...so make sure theres plenty of tread.
Edit:Oh and I do it without insurance....because I figure the car is disposable....track insurance is available from some companies if your road policy cannot be extended to cover you.
Edited by Munter on Monday 23 June 10:03
Cool, just changed pads and discs so should be ok in that department, I dont know what fluid is in there though so I guess its worth emptying it and refilling with the good stuff...? How is it done or is it better to leave it to the pro's?
Insurance wise I thought you had to have track specific insurance? Am I covered under my policy if I hit someone on the track? Or do you go round separatly?
I have roll bars, although they may be show ones, how do I tell, they were on there when I bought it... and the whats the likely hood of flipping the car!
Sorry for all the questions, just dying to get on the track and see what my new toy can do!
Insurance wise I thought you had to have track specific insurance? Am I covered under my policy if I hit someone on the track? Or do you go round separatly?
I have roll bars, although they may be show ones, how do I tell, they were on there when I bought it... and the whats the likely hood of flipping the car!
Sorry for all the questions, just dying to get on the track and see what my new toy can do!
fr3n2y said:
Insurance wise I thought you had to have track specific insurance? Am I covered under my policy if I hit someone on the track? Or do you go round separatly?
Errrm in a word, no. Unless your policy specifically states that youare covered for track work (HIGHLY unlikely) then you're not covered as soon as you venture onto the track. You can get trackday insurance but many do not bother as it can be very costly. Often the excess (compulsory) can be more than the value of the incident. It usually goes on 10% of the value of your car.
It depends what kind of trackday you go on. Likely to be a sessionned novice day for your first. They will allocate you into a group based on driving ability and previous track experience and you'll go out for timed sessions (usually 20 minutes in every hour) with your group. they also normally limit the number of cars to 25 (ish) per group.
fr3n2y said:
I have roll bars, although they may be show ones, how do I tell, they were on there when I bought it... and the whats the likely hood of flipping the car!
Unless you're doing something totally wrong, the chance of flipping the car is very slim.Post up a picture of your bars and we'll take a look. If they are 'style' bars, they'll offer no protection at all from rolling the car.
fr3n2y said:
Sorry for all the questions, just dying to get on the track and see what my new toy can do!
At first you'll be slow. Accept it and think about what you're doing and where you can go faster and save time. You'll be much improved even after your first couple of sessions.At first it is very confusing, but follow the rules and etiquette and you'll be fine. Be corteous, watch for flag signals and CHECK YOUR MIRRORS!
Don't get hung up about something much slower overtaking you, most of it is not what you drive, it's how you drive.
My final piece of advice is get professional tuition at the track. They'll teach you where position your car and when to press the loud pedal.
Hope this helps.
BRILLIANT, I'M ITCHING FOR IT NOW!!!
Shame the car is making a horrible rattle and squeak at the mo, once its been checked out/sorted I'll be looking to get out on the track asap.. Are there any local to me, Berkshire/Buckinghamshire??
I'll post a pic of the style/rollbars once I get home this evening so you can let me know.
Shame the car is making a horrible rattle and squeak at the mo, once its been checked out/sorted I'll be looking to get out on the track asap.. Are there any local to me, Berkshire/Buckinghamshire??
I'll post a pic of the style/rollbars once I get home this evening so you can let me know.
The track is where the real fun is to be had 
As has already been said but I'll fill in/repeat:
Insurance - get some if you really want the peace of mind but it's not really worth it. You usually sign a disclaimer at the start to say that if anyone crashes into you it's your fault for being there so nobody can try to claim against your insurance. I've never seen an accident in a properly organised track day (except for a bit of over-exuberance-meets-armco but nothing serious).
If you don't have track cover, don't bother telling your insurer. You won't be covered and it might be noted on your record and affect your renewal price.
Brakes - make sure you have plenty of life left on your pads & discs - front AND rear. Mazda pads are ok but will fade after prolonged use. EBC Greenstuff are road pads and not made for track-use. They too will fade after a while and will wear very heavily.
Tyres - again, make sure they have plenty of life left in them. You will probably need extra pressure in them but don't do it in advance as all tracks differ and it could be that you are on a track where no extra pressure is required. Once the tyres heat up the pressure increases anyway.
Engine - Make sure all the fluids are topped up and in good condition. Track driving is a good way of showing up any lack of maintenance.
Roll-bars - very good thing to have if you roll over but not essential. A roll over is incredibly rare on track - you have to be doing something really stupid or hit something very hard to roll. I've never seen or heard of it happening on a non-competitive track-day. Style bars offer little protection if any. Basically, if you can see all the mounting points above the rear-shelf, it ain't gonna help much. A real roll-bar will mount on the chassis.
You - You will start slow. You will pick the wrong lines. You will be slow on the straights AND on the bends. There will be someone there who is slower - there always is! There will be a slow car there that seems to be incredibly fast. A slow car in good hands is capable of embarrassing a fast car in inexperienced hands.
Take your time and don't try to keep up with others. Everyone started somewhere and some are more "natural" that others. You will get faster as the day goes on. If you take a training session from a pro you will improve much quicker.
If someone hassles you on the track - overtaking on a corner or in a braking zone, tailgating excessively or simply driving to aggressive just let them past and then complain to a marshal when you get back to the pits. The chances are they have already spotted it and will have a word with them.
Don't try anything fancy - heel & toe is an advanced skill which even some racers have trouble with.
Most of all - have fun!
As has already been said but I'll fill in/repeat:
Insurance - get some if you really want the peace of mind but it's not really worth it. You usually sign a disclaimer at the start to say that if anyone crashes into you it's your fault for being there so nobody can try to claim against your insurance. I've never seen an accident in a properly organised track day (except for a bit of over-exuberance-meets-armco but nothing serious).
If you don't have track cover, don't bother telling your insurer. You won't be covered and it might be noted on your record and affect your renewal price.
Brakes - make sure you have plenty of life left on your pads & discs - front AND rear. Mazda pads are ok but will fade after prolonged use. EBC Greenstuff are road pads and not made for track-use. They too will fade after a while and will wear very heavily.
Tyres - again, make sure they have plenty of life left in them. You will probably need extra pressure in them but don't do it in advance as all tracks differ and it could be that you are on a track where no extra pressure is required. Once the tyres heat up the pressure increases anyway.
Engine - Make sure all the fluids are topped up and in good condition. Track driving is a good way of showing up any lack of maintenance.
Roll-bars - very good thing to have if you roll over but not essential. A roll over is incredibly rare on track - you have to be doing something really stupid or hit something very hard to roll. I've never seen or heard of it happening on a non-competitive track-day. Style bars offer little protection if any. Basically, if you can see all the mounting points above the rear-shelf, it ain't gonna help much. A real roll-bar will mount on the chassis.
You - You will start slow. You will pick the wrong lines. You will be slow on the straights AND on the bends. There will be someone there who is slower - there always is! There will be a slow car there that seems to be incredibly fast. A slow car in good hands is capable of embarrassing a fast car in inexperienced hands.
Take your time and don't try to keep up with others. Everyone started somewhere and some are more "natural" that others. You will get faster as the day goes on. If you take a training session from a pro you will improve much quicker.
If someone hassles you on the track - overtaking on a corner or in a braking zone, tailgating excessively or simply driving to aggressive just let them past and then complain to a marshal when you get back to the pits. The chances are they have already spotted it and will have a word with them.
Don't try anything fancy - heel & toe is an advanced skill which even some racers have trouble with.
Most of all - have fun!
Well thank you all for your input, it looks like it'll be a while before i get it on the track..
Just got back from Rotechniks and there is definitely something wrong in the cam area, told me not to drive it at all!
£150 quid labour then he expects 150 odd quid for parts... Not happy, it drives fine just makes a s
te noise...
Is there a guide online to checking out cams etc etc? Would spare me alot of cash if there is!
I'll do what I can to get to the tech day Lazza but its hopeful..maybe a tow..
my account is yet to be activated for planet mx5..
Just got back from Rotechniks and there is definitely something wrong in the cam area, told me not to drive it at all!
£150 quid labour then he expects 150 odd quid for parts... Not happy, it drives fine just makes a s
te noise...Is there a guide online to checking out cams etc etc? Would spare me alot of cash if there is!
I'll do what I can to get to the tech day Lazza but its hopeful..maybe a tow..
my account is yet to be activated for planet mx5..
fr3n2y said:
Well thank you all for your input, it looks like it'll be a while before i get it on the track..
Just got back from Rotechniks and there is definitely something wrong in the cam area, told me not to drive it at all!
£150 quid labour then he expects 150 odd quid for parts... Not happy, it drives fine just makes a ste noise...
Is there a guide online to checking out cams etc etc? Would spare me alot of cash if there is!
I'll do what I can to get to the tech day Lazza but its hopeful..maybe a tow..
my account is yet to be activated for planet mx5..
If any quotes for engine work get into the high hundreds. Always compare it to replacing the engine with a quality 2nd hand one. Theres no point paying £1200 for someone to rebuild the head, if you can buy and fit a low mileage engine for 100s less. Plus you gain a spare engine to play with.Just got back from Rotechniks and there is definitely something wrong in the cam area, told me not to drive it at all!
£150 quid labour then he expects 150 odd quid for parts... Not happy, it drives fine just makes a s
te noise...Is there a guide online to checking out cams etc etc? Would spare me alot of cash if there is!
I'll do what I can to get to the tech day Lazza but its hopeful..maybe a tow..
my account is yet to be activated for planet mx5..
fr3n2y said:
What is HLAs?
Hydralic(sp) Lash Adjuster. A search for HLA noise will reveal a lot! But essentially they are something which can become bunged up which stops oil getting in to them and makes things noisy. It's not instant death to the engine so dont panic if it's that. As oil gets older you tend to hear it and know it's time for a change a few miles ago.
Munter said:
fr3n2y said:
What is HLAs?
Hydralic(sp) Lash Adjuster. A search for HLA noise will reveal a lot! But essentially they are something which can become bunged up which stops oil getting in to them and makes things noisy. It's not instant death to the engine so dont panic if it's that. As oil gets older you tend to hear it and know it's time for a change a few miles ago.
The noise is progressing with the throttle...like rattling a whistle and a slight knock that speeds up when pressing down the throttle.. It definitely sounds like something is hitting something else..
Strangest bit about it is that its not affecting the drive at all?? I'm really confused and dont want to shell out cash to Rotechniks for something that might be easily fixed!
What I need is someone to come and have a tinker for a small fee!!
Have you ever heard an old ford escort engine. It's gos down the road tick tick tick tick. Each time the lump on the cam comes around it "hits" the shim above the valve and then pushes the shim down which pushes the valve down. That hit shouldn't really happen. The shim should be up against the cam even when the lump is on the other side. But as the shim and cam wears away a gap is created. HLAs and hydraulic tappets try and stop that gap appearing by pushing things together with a bit of oil.
Thats what I understand. But I think I've proved recently I'm no mechanic..... I just pick up info I cant physically apply...
Thats what I understand. But I think I've proved recently I'm no mechanic..... I just pick up info I cant physically apply...
There is a bit here about HLAs and what they do. Not our engine. But same job.
http://www.canardzone.com/members/phillipjohnson/E...
http://www.canardzone.com/members/phillipjohnson/E...
HLA clatter is a rattling noise from the top end that increases in speed with the revs.
Most cars do it for the first 10 secs or so until the oil can get round it. Irregular oil changes mean that they get gummed up. If your car suffers from it you can try Wynn's Hydraulic Lifter treatment, engine flushes, oil changes (fully synth). If that doesn't sort it you are looking at replacing all 16 HLAs at 40 quid + VAT each, plus labour
.
Personally I see no reason why you couldn't just strip the head and give the HLAs some sort of chemical bath...
Mine has always done it, improves after a service but gets noisy again quickly. Sounds like a lawnmower at the moment
Doesn't do any damage, just sounds crap.
Most cars do it for the first 10 secs or so until the oil can get round it. Irregular oil changes mean that they get gummed up. If your car suffers from it you can try Wynn's Hydraulic Lifter treatment, engine flushes, oil changes (fully synth). If that doesn't sort it you are looking at replacing all 16 HLAs at 40 quid + VAT each, plus labour
.Personally I see no reason why you couldn't just strip the head and give the HLAs some sort of chemical bath...
Mine has always done it, improves after a service but gets noisy again quickly. Sounds like a lawnmower at the moment
Doesn't do any damage, just sounds crap.
It's not the HLAs. I heard it on Sunday and it's coming from the front of the engine block somewhere so the most likely sources are the water-pump and cam-belt tensioners. The top of the engine is nice & quiet - in fact, apart from this noise it sounds like a good solid engine.
When he bought the car he was told that the cam-belt was changed but that doesn't mean they did a full job replacing the water-pump and tensioners (and we only have his word that the belt was changed!).
When he bought the car he was told that the cam-belt was changed but that doesn't mean they did a full job replacing the water-pump and tensioners (and we only have his word that the belt was changed!).
Lazza, you know your '5s
Any further advice on curing the HLA issue? It's really winding me up at the moment, nothing worse than dropping the hood on a nice day and being greeted by the worst kind of clatter from the engine. It's so loud at times it's embarrassing!
Getting it serviced in the next week or so - probably only done 6k miles since the last.
Any further advice on curing the HLA issue? It's really winding me up at the moment, nothing worse than dropping the hood on a nice day and being greeted by the worst kind of clatter from the engine. It's so loud at times it's embarrassing!
Getting it serviced in the next week or so - probably only done 6k miles since the last.
The best thing is to use a high quality engine flush (something like Forte is expensive but very good), fully drain the old oil (leave it dripping for a good few hours) and replace with a high quality synthetic oil such as Mobil1. Top quality synthetics have very good detergents in them which will help to clear old oil and keep things clean. I'd suggest, if your rattle is bad then repeat the process after a couple of thousand miles (Mobil1 is available from Costco for around £25).
Before adding the flush and draining the oil it is a good idea to get the engine as hot as possible - I normally go for a really good thrash, working the revs really hard and then add the flush before driving sedately home.
If that doesn't work you could have the HLA's cleaned or replaced but probably cheaper to find a replacement head.
Realistically, if it rattles when cold but stops when it warms up then it should be possible to flush out enough gunk to stop or at least improve the rattle.
Before adding the flush and draining the oil it is a good idea to get the engine as hot as possible - I normally go for a really good thrash, working the revs really hard and then add the flush before driving sedately home.
If that doesn't work you could have the HLA's cleaned or replaced but probably cheaper to find a replacement head.
Realistically, if it rattles when cold but stops when it warms up then it should be possible to flush out enough gunk to stop or at least improve the rattle.
Thanks, I'm taking it to Freelance Mazda so hopefully he will sort it (although he says he usually recommends semi synth).
Unfortunately it rattles whether it's hot or cold, can be absolutely hellish
Where's a good place to get Mobil 1 from if you don't have a trade card? What type? Currently using 5w40 fully synth (no name brand)
Unfortunately it rattles whether it's hot or cold, can be absolutely hellish
Where's a good place to get Mobil 1 from if you don't have a trade card? What type? Currently using 5w40 fully synth (no name brand)
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