F**kin’ race cars man
Posted by Creeping-Death-333@reddit | projectcar | View on Reddit | 58 comments
This is more of a vent post than anything else. Why is it that everything on my race car has to be "special" nothing fits right the first time, usually resulting in a couple of hours of fabrication and customizing. I tried to hook up my lines for my throwout bearing today and the opening in the bell housing is too small to get my hand into to the the line started on the fitting. On top of that, the line size that came with the bearing is smaller than the line size on the car, so I had to come up with a reducer to join the lines together. FML
octane_matty@reddit
I feel this Needed an M12 bolt with 1.5mm thread today Bolt shop only has 1.25mm and 1.75mm thread fml
Jay-Moah@reddit
Because race cars aren’t usually designed to be maintainable, atleast not at the hobby level. I give respect to engineers that can make a car mostly maintainable. And I don’t really fault some brands for having silly maintenance procedures, look at how much stuff has to all work together…lol
LeroyRochester@reddit
I find that if I trick myself into believing that the build is the point of the project (rather than actually racing it), I feel much better about how hard it can be rebuilding a race car that they only built 32 of and changed the design of nearly everything each year…
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
I wish I could think like that. You have a much more rare car than I do. That’s for sure.
LeroyRochester@reddit
Just an old open wheel car. Easy to work on, but parts are hard to find!
hansomeransome@reddit
If the part description says “direct fit”, it ain’t.
boostedmike1@reddit
Yup I have had same issues I got so many an fittings that was the wrong one I could open a shop I have various clutch master cylinders from trying to match one up for my triple plate clutch feel like one step forward and a small jog backwards every time I work on it I’m 90%there now tho
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
I tried to bleed the throwout bearing before I left for work today. Had nothing but leaky lines. Now I have to figure out what’s leaking where. It’s a pain in the dick when you’re by yourself.
PyroMedic1080@reddit
I agree. Race cars ARE stupid.
fdotaku@reddit
Where are the doritos?
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
Ouch. I just fired mine up for the first time Sunday night and during the cam break in, the oil pressure line blew itself off of the fitting while I was messing with the timing. So I got a face full of hot oil and it’s pretty much everywhere now too.
prexzan@reddit
Just a unique under-hood polish you mean ;)
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
If it had a hood, yeah. But it doesn’t. Nor a windshield. So, it’s on the intake, firewall, seat, gauges, dash, roof, back window, roll cage, I could go on, but you get my point.
DeadTinker@reddit
Oh, must be a diesel or some shit, right? /s
Feels bad, man.
wasack17@reddit
The valve just wanted to struggle snuggle that piston a bit. Don't kink shame.
Flushing-Frank@reddit
Yep I have been there. That’s the challenge of building a race car, there will be some fun days ahead once it’s done. You will be proud that you stayed with it.
chuck-u-farley-@reddit
EVERYTHING has to be fabbed on this….. EVERYTHING!!!! It’s so dang frustrating
dsmerritt@reddit
You're being sarcastic, I assume.
DirtCheap1972@reddit
Is this an internal slave nv3500?
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
No. It’s a hydraulic throwout bearing for a racing clutch in a stock car.
dsmerritt@reddit
Hydraulic TO bearings are a bad idea, as you are learning. Use an external slave cylinder with an activation lever to a conventional TO bearing.
Estef74@reddit
Totally feel you pain. There is nothing even claimed to be bot on for my ongoing project.
Alternate_Usernames@reddit
Man this is the best part about project cars. Finding the right configuration of whatever parts and custom too do exactly what you want it to go. That process is the fun part about doing different stuff.
If you could buy everything that just works with everything, then it's just assembling a vehicle kit. At least that's how I see it. I love my stock daily driver, easy to service and maintain. I love my weird projects, nobody knows the cool stuff, work and modifications in every single little piece. I get such a joy from having my hands on every single part to know it's set up and clean and ready to do exactly it's job.
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
I just wish the detour wasn’t a 4 hour time suck that totally fucks my plans for the day on what I wanted to finish on the car.
JediMineTrix@reddit
What it feels like to be 9 hours into a 20 minute install
_clever_reference_@reddit
Fuck
Rocko3legs@reddit
Let me share with you some of my favorite moments doing race car things over the past few years lol I understand your pain.
Rocko3legs@reddit
Rocko3legs@reddit
Rocko3legs@reddit
Rocko3legs@reddit
Rocko3legs@reddit
Some days you have Bluetooth cv axles
Rocko3legs@reddit
Other days just getting to the track is impossible lol keep your head up and I wish you well on your racing adventures!
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
What car are you running that has 5 valves per cylinder? I’m just using small block stuff and that’s bad enough. I had a fully prepped block fall off the engine stand (totally my fault) and it broke the #1 crank journal beyond repair, so I’m in an aftermarket block now. I totally feel you pain to my core.
Rocko3legs@reddit
That's depressing.. this is a volkswagen 1.8 liter turbo. I race asphalt oval in a Sport Compact class.
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
Got ya. Mines a street stock. I’m just ready to hit the track and have all of this work pay off.
Elitepikachu@reddit
That's the fun part though.
KittiesRule1968@reddit
Some of the biggest lies ever. "We're here from the government, we're here to help" "don't worry, I'll pull out THIS time" "the check is in the mail" and "direct bolt-on"
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
Yeah. Directly to the spacer/sleeve/shim/whatever I had to make to fit it
KittiesRule1968@reddit
I've been building cars since the early 80s, motorcycles since the late 80s. There are very few bolt on parts that actually bolt on lol.
Sir_J15@reddit
I definitely get it. Every time I turn around it’s something else that’s around a grand or so. People complain Harley’s are $100 a trip. Damn track cars it’s like every thing is $1000 a trip. If you need a SFI or FIA it’s double that.
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
Yep. I had to order a drive shaft today, because the one I have is about 4 inches too short. The yoke isn’t even in the transmission all the way. Luckily Fast Shafts will have a driveshaft on my doorstep tomorrow afternoon.
Hypocrispy@reddit
Most aftermarket manufacturers don’t have the $$ to invest in proper r&d for fitment. The ones that do charge an ass-load for their parts or install kits.
Aleutian_Solution@reddit
You're telling me. The front suspension on my E90 is completely custom because I decided, in my infinite wisdom, that doing wide-5 hubs on a BMW would be cool as fuck (and it absolutely paid off). So I look around for a set of spindles that fits the hubs I got (turns out they all use the same size snout) and got them on order. Then I decided that heims were a lot cooler than ball joints so I order a set of heim adapters only for the spindles to have a straight shank rather than a tapered fitting. I ended up finding a set of taper adapters, but those ended up being for a 1 ton rock crawler rather than a road going vehicle so now I get to use 1 ton ball joints instead of heims and I also get to foot a bill having my spindles drilled out for the adapter and then welded in place.
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
That’s pretty funny. I bet wide 5 hubs look pretty dope though.
Aleutian_Solution@reddit
It will all be worth it once it comes off the jackstands.
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
That’s what I keep telling myself.
OddMathematician6102@reddit
Bro the amount of fab work that has gone into my stupid little honda crx k swap (1991) is insane lol. Besides motor mounts and certain things pretty much everything is a fab part lol. Very fun 😎😎
fmlyjwls@reddit
Yup. Nothing fits as it should. That’s normal. 🤷🏻♂️
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
Never does. Another thing I’m having to do is a remote oil filter because the header is too tight to the kick out on my oil pan and it’s a pain in the ass to get a filter in and out. Figured that one out when I drained my break in oil.
who_even_cares35@reddit
My 77 289z has made me want to push it into the ocean because of this sort of thing many times. There is so much support for it but a lot of it is trash.
Lichenbruten@reddit
Geez yes. The lows are nothing when that shit runs btw.
Buy a solid purse to slap that shit. A cooler fell of the garage ceiling and gave mine "character". Hate life and enjoy. You got this.
Fryguy302@reddit
Only weld it back if youre certain you won't have to service it that way again. If its something youre going to race, even if it's a street car, it's gotta be serviceable.
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
Yeah. I’ll likely leave it. I’m only making the hole bigger by a couple of inches. Enough to get my hand into there and get the line started on the threads and get a wrench in there to tighten it up.
rudbri93@reddit
yuuuuup the fun part is making 'direct fit' aftermarket parts actually fit.
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
Nothing is “direct fit” on this car. It’s way too modified for that. I just buy the best aftermarket stuff I can and make it fit.
Fryguy302@reddit
Your title covers it, dude. Part of the game. Nothing ever fits without work and every mod is a slippery slope. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Keep going 👍
Creeping-Death-333@reddit (OP)
I’ve got to take my metabo and cut away some of the bell housing to get these lines hooked up. Then I have to decide if I’m going to weld the part I cut out back in or not. Lol.