34Geeteetee Daily / Track Project

[The Bogan]

Hardy Spicer said if I wanted a strong custom tail shaft that handled all of the rpm it would cost around $2-3k, but that also included different yokes and replacing the rubber coupling for uni-joints

[Kinkstaah]

I got a 2 piece tailshaft made for my T56 Magnum (T56) to R34 Diff for about ~$800 from Knox driveshaft services. I did supply the center bearing (which is now buyable). I had read that the uni's and center bearings were "non replaceable" but it turns out they are available now.... or a generic version exists!

[MBS206]

4 hours ago, Kinkstaah said:

I got a 2 piece tailshaft made for my T56 Magnum (T56) to R34 Diff for about ~$800 from Knox driveshaft services. I did supply the center bearing (which is now buyable). I had read that the uni's and center bearings were "non replaceable" but it turns out they are available now.... or a generic version exists!

I was about to post to ask what roughly prices would be for doing something like this!
Going to need one to go from teh T5 Barra box, to the middle flange on an R33 Tail shaft.
Probably best to redo all the centre bearings and rear joints etc too on the original back half of the shaft.

[34GeeTeeTee]

On 24/08/2023 at 6:04 PM, The Bogan said:

Hardy Spicer said if I wanted a strong custom tail shaft that handled all of the rpm it would cost around $2-3k, but that also included different yokes and replacing the rubber coupling for uni-joints

Yeah my initial consult had me filling out their motorsport tailshaft forms which had max power, rpm, speed etc etc... I felt they were heading in the right direction at that point but when they gave me a Frankenstein shaft using OEM Ford XR6 parts that didn't even fit in the tunnel after 18mths of chasing I wasn't exactly impressed. Even the centre bearing bracket was wrong and they had the factory shaft with them at the time of the build (which they then lost). The Unis they used also had grease nipples in them which were impossible to access once in the car and they said grease the Unis after every session 🤬

Anyway, my experience was not a good one and will never recommend them to anyone. The local branch seems to have a reputation for the same issues with others so I'm not saying it is the whole company. Shitshow!

On 24/08/2023 at 6:19 PM, Kinkstaah said:

I got a 2 piece tailshaft made for my T56 Magnum (T56) to R34 Diff for about ~$800 from Knox driveshaft services. I did supply the center bearing (which is now buyable). I had read that the uni's and center bearings were "non replaceable" but it turns out they are available now.... or a generic version exists!

That is pretty cheap! The centre bearing is a Nissan OEM part and available online from most places, the actual centre section that it runs on was the delay with my current shaft build and not sure where Gibsons sourced that from.

On 24/08/2023 at 10:26 PM, MBS206 said:

I was about to post to ask what roughly prices would be for doing something like this!
Going to need one to go from teh T5 Barra box, to the middle flange on an R33 Tail shaft.
Probably best to redo all the centre bearings and rear joints etc too on the original back half of the shaft.

Do the whole thing once and never have to worry about it again!

[34GeeTeeTee]

Update was posted on the Bookface but here it is again anyway - 

The box was stripped and checked by Newcastle Gearbox and Diff and they then located the rear OEM bush for the rear housing, cleaned and reassembled in a couple of days which I was extremely thankful for! Carmen gave the gearbox a coat of high temp silver paint as the stuff used when the box was built burnt off in sections so hopefully this stuff sticks better.

Clutch and bearings etc are all like new so there was no need to mess with them, just wiped clean and give it some fresh graphite powder so it was all free to move (no grease near clutch components).

The box has holes in the stronger sections of the bellhousing to keep the clutch cooler on track when copping a flogging.

Fitting gearboxes on the floor is not my favourite job but cranked up the tunes and kept the coffee flowing and chipped away at it. Once I got the angle of the dangle right it fell in but took a lot of messing about. Ended up using the engine crane to tilt it up at the front to give that slight bit of clearance. When removing the box I disconnected the silicon joiners and removed the engine fan and shroud etc as there isnt a lot of clearance between it and the radiator when it leans backwards with the box.

After lots of swearing the box fell in and then it was just a simple task of hooking everything back up.

I flushed the clutch fluid as it has been quite a while since I did it last, it was all clean anyway but flushed it through so its fresh fluid. Filled the box with Penrite 75-90 race stuff and will see how it goes on track. Made the rookie error of only grabbing one bottle so had to run to Supercheap halfway through the job.

The rear housing still had a fair bit of carnage from the tailshaft issue so I have filed it the best I can and ordered a new OEM dust shield which arrived yesterday. It was painted overnight back to the black I had it previously as it suits the tailshaft and brackets better (lol)

I'll have a crack and knocking it in tonight but feel there may be more work to do with the file to get it back into place! The fact we were able to salvage the rear housing of the box was lucky as they are discontinued on the Nissan site and finding 2nd hand R34GTT boxes is no longer at easy task as everyone has used them up in conversions etc

We are just waiting on the 2pc shaft now which should be completed in the next couple of days. Hopefully it is back to a performance OEM style which is what I was wanting originally and hopefully there are no additional costs associated with the replacement shaft as it is what I originally wanted (TBA). I'll get specs and details once I collect the shaft and post them up in here and possibly on Bookface as well.

While the R34 was getting TLC I decided to replace the diff oil with the Motul 300 stuff and to my surprise the original fluid was still like new, I think that is due to all of the rounds being done this year being low speed so the diff isnt copping massive speed or heat and oil remained fresh... Maybe.

So the driveline will be all refreshed again but wasn't an ideal situation. I worked out the 1pc shaft situation probably cost around $1000 in losses with Gearbox repairs, Loss of Track Day, Replacement bits, Paint + Oils etc... That doesn't account for the couple of days labour and the running around Newcastle chasing parts and repairs.

While we were waiting on parts for the 34 the Fiesta ST also went up on stands and got some TLC, I ordered the Engine and gearbox inserts from Powerflex and they were pretty easy fitment, the gearbox one required battery and airbox to be removed but that allowed me to fix a few things and clean it all up anyway. We also got a $80 plastic generic lip kit for the front bar while we are waiting on the original owner to ship the splitter brackets so we chopped up the kit to test fit and now just waiting on glue and sealant to dry so we can fit it all properly. This is only a temporary solution but we figured it needed something on the front bar to balance the wing 

We will probably run the Fiesta ST again as is before we start messing with the exhaust and intake setup on it. The factory exhaust is shitty and rotted so its starting to leak in about 5 places so I'll most likely order a 3inch decat pipe from turbo and then get the remainder of the exhaust fabbed in stainless with V bands for easy removal for future work. The intake on these things is stupidly restrictive and needs replacing before any kind of mapping or tunes can be added.

The poor Toyota 86 is sitting neglected in the front shed and is next into the back shed for repairs. It is due to go out again in a week or two and still has something wrong with the front suspension and brakes which got progressively worse last time I drove it. That thing has been to 3-4 hillclimbs in a row without a spanner on it so I really need to get it in the air and show it some love!

I'll post further updates during the week once I get some updates from Gibsons and feedback on the ETA etc...

 

 

 

 

[Komdotkom]

So you're running the standard centre bearing on the tailshaft? My car is a 32 but it looks a bit poxy.

[34GeeTeeTee]

On 29/08/2023 at 3:12 PM, Komdotkom said:

So you're running the standard centre bearing on the tailshaft? My car is a 32 but it looks a bit poxy.

Yeah brand new OEM centre bearing as it never gave me any issues in the past. Can't see any reason why aftermarket would be an better than factory items.

 

[34GeeTeeTee]

Took a lot of filing and fking around to make the OEM dust shield go back onto the back of the box. The old one did a fair bot of damage when it came off so I slowly filed it back to a shape where the cover could go back on!

The new shaft was completed pretty quickly by the guys at Gibsons Driveshaft Services and is built to their motorsports spec in a 2pc design. This was matched to the OEM style shaft using heavier duty Chromoly shaft and beefy units throughout. I can't say its light, it really puts the heavy in heavy duty but I'd rather it be heavy that flapping around through the floorpan lol

Fitting was also a PITA as the Yoke OD was around 41.8mm and the new bush ID was 42mm so by the time you factor in pressing the bush into the housing and slight tolerances it was a slow painful event to get it into the rear housing. Oiled up the yoke surface and slowly rotated it in until it aligned nicely and slid in from that point. Having a hoist and some help would have made the job 10 times easier but I had to work with what I had!

I ran the car on the stands through to 3rd gear but decided not to push my luck and will save testing for the circuit, so far everything seems better than before. Even just driving it from the shed out onto the driveway for a wash felt better in terms of the driveline with less binding and knocks which I put down to the aggro Nismo diff previously.

I still have  a pesky knock from the left rear which I have been chasing for a couple of rounds now, I found the swaybar was hung up on a bracket on the subframe which was fixed with an angle grinder but unfortunately did not get rid of the knock! With everything solid mounted now the sound echos through the car and requires no load on the suspension to occur, I will have a look at the MCA strut tops next to see if something is moving there.

The cars are all sort of ready for the track but with stuff still to be done! Ready for the track doesn't mean the jobs are finished lol.

The little Fiesta ST front plastic lip turned out for $80 worth of plastic. Still need to add a rubber insert and adjust the level of it but for now until the splitter brackets arrive from the original owner it will have to do - 

The 86 is booked to go back to the final round (Round 6) of the local championship this weekend and has something going on in the front end so I'll get it jacked up and checked during the week. If I can't locate the issue I can always take the Fiesta ST and just change race numbers as it should be in the same class.

 

[34GeeTeeTee]

It is going to be a busy and expensive end to 2023.

The following is what we have planned with some of the events already booked.

10th Sept - Toyota 86 Ringwood Hillclimb for last round

14/15th Sept - R34 at Marulan Test day to make sure driveline is sorted for RD5

30th Sept - R34 at Marulan for Round 5 CSCA Championship

10/11/12 Oct - R34 at SMSP for testing - Have to try work out what event I can get into and it will be a weekday

22nd Oct - R34 at SMSP Nth Circuit - Round 6 CSCA Championship

28t/29th Oct - R34 or 86/Fiesta ST at Bathurst for Hillclimb/Supersprint

10/11/12 Nov - R34 at Morgan Park Raceway QLD for State Supersprint rounds (TBA - Waiting on reply)

19th Nov - Fiesta ST at Ringwood for Regularity Hillclimb event

 

With the tight turnaround with some of the days the Toyota 86 is on backup duties for Bathurst etc...

The R34 should be good but based on my track record for reliability we have a Plan B in place

I'll try make an effort to get videos and images from each event.

[34GeeTeeTee]

Mocked up windscreen banners for the 34 and will probably run the same across the other cars - 

Will run the black version for now as white is a bit in yo face based on past banners I've run.

I plan to keep the car mostly sticker free and looking "Street spec"... Well at least clean spec anyway!

 

 

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Seems the Garrett life is treating you well, and in true Nissan form something needs to break or go wrong lol.

Hopefully after that whole ordeal with the prop shaft you've appeased the Nissan gods enough for a few events of trouble free racing 😆

[34GeeTeeTee]

1 hour ago, Dose Pipe Sutututu said:

Seems the Garrett life is treating you well, and in true Nissan form something needs to break or go wrong lol.

Hopefully after that whole ordeal with the prop shaft you've appeased the Nissan gods enough for a few events of trouble free racing 😆

Haha yep so far so good! 

OEM style should be the go! Shouldn't have let the Nissan out! The whole tailshaft ordeal was a weird one, but with the box repairs and back to a 2pc design hopefully I have eliminated any potential issues.

 

 

[34GeeTeeTee]

Have been slack with the thread again, most updates have been on Bookface anyway I think.

10th Sept - Toyota 86 Ringwood Hillclimb for last round

The Toyota 86 did its thing and belted out 5 runs at Ringwood Motorsport Complex. As usual the car got better as the day went on but ran out of day to go faster and the beetle behind me took out the timing beacons on the last run so it was day over anyway. That Beetle is super impressive and is actually a state champ in our class, on 3 wheels and sideways most of the run, awesome to watch!

I found those cheap Zeknova 240tw street tyres were sensitive to pressure and launch quicker at lower PSI hence the quicker sector 1-2 times on runs 1 and 4 as one was cole and the other I bled down before the run. 4.3 is normal of the line but with less pressure it would run 4.1 which is a significant gain on a short tight hillclimb.

No Go Pro as the mounts were in the R34 Skyline and I figured its the same ole footage over and over. Although I did drop a wheel off on run 4 which was exciting, that would have been quickest of the day if I had kept it on the black stuff!

(Photos courtesy of 2 of the MGCCN members)

All up it was a good day but I think the last hillclimb for the Toyota 86 as it is better setup for Circuit practice and the little Fiesta ST can step up to the plate and Carmen can also drive it on the same days.

15th Sept - R34 at Marulan Test day to make sure driveline is sorted for RD5

So we booked the Friday at Marulan or Pheasant Wood Circuit once we knew Matt (Deka) was ready to go. The day was an open pit lane day which had just 3 cars all day, 2 x R34s and a little swift track car doing testing with 2 younger drivers. Plenty of track time was had and I used the day to sort a few things.

Nova Stickers and signs killed it with the window banner and I also updated a couple of faded stickers on the car. I measured up the Skyline for the banner and had 2 made so I chopped one to fit the 86 but with the different glass shape it didn't work as well on that one and I will redo it later!

First bit of business was run the car as it was at SMSP with same tyres and same settings to check the driveline issues. It was noticeably smoother and quieter than the single piece shaft even at low speeds! I was getting vibrations through the car on the straight previously that went unnoticed until I got to compare it to the new 2pc shaft... SOOOO much better now! 

After the first session I noticed the rear knock I have been chasing much louder and more consistent. I jacked up the car and cycled the suspension through the motions and found it wasn't movement causing the knock but binding in the front lower control arm spherical. I swung spanners off it and found no movement so figured it would be fine. I made a last minute decision to hit it with WD40 and to my surprise all binding and noise is now gone!

The car was good so after the first session I slapped on the old dyno tyres from 2017 that were on my spare rims. One was rotating the correct direction and the other was running backwards but I figured for the day on track I might as well enjoy it without having to worry about killing rear tyres. The old Z221s were past the wear indicators and still handled it quite well, by the end of the day they actually had more grip than the front AR1 rubber which made it harder as the car was out of balance but still threw it around and just enjoyed the track time.

(Also, enjoyed... not Enhjoyed lol... Its what happens when you slap a video together quickly without proofing or effort)

Overall the day was a success and now I just need to service the car and prep it for Round 5 back at PWC.

After PWC we head back to SMSP which means we get a chance to test the shaft at high speed which I am really keen to do and get an idea of car balance at higher speeds.

Will work through stuff during the week and update more then!

 

 

 

 

 

[34GeeTeeTee]

Also, Matts R34 was running awesome all day and was good to get a passenger ride. Was good to be back out on track together again as its been a while. Here is some incar from Matts - 

 

[34GeeTeeTee]

Updates to events list with addition of Lapdash in Tamworth. I noticed they had low entries and its a great little club so I will go and try support them. Smaller clubs and tracks need all the support they can get so they continue to run events.

For those keen on drifting Tamworth has allowed drift practice on Saturday the 20th and only had 4 entries showing online. I speak to guys at the track quite often that say they have nowehere to drift so keep an eye out of get in contact with TSCC if its something that interests you and they may do more if it goes well and everyone behaves. I may even find some skinnier wheels for the 86 and work on some front lock and have a crack myself in 2024.

 

10th Sept - Toyota 86 Ringwood Hillclimb for last round

14/15th Sept - R34 at Marulan Test day to make sure driveline is sorted for RD5

24th Sept - Toyota 86 - Lapdash Series Tamworth (Booked and paid)

30th Sept - R34 at Marulan for Round 5 CSCA Championship (Booked and paid)

10/11/12 Oct - R34 at SMSP for testing - Have to try work out what event I can get into and it will be a weekday

22nd Oct - R34 at SMSP Nth Circuit - Round 6 CSCA Championship (Booked and paid)

28t/29th Oct - R34 or 86/Fiesta ST at Bathurst for Hillclimb/Supersprint (Booked and paid)

10/11/12 Nov - R34 at Morgan Park Raceway QLD for State Supersprint rounds (TBA - Waiting on reply)

19th Nov - Fiesta ST at Ringwood for Regularity Hillclimb event

 

Marulan on the 30th will kill the last of the AR1 tyres I have to run and then I will have to decide what to do moving forward. The skyline really needs to return to an R comp tyre to justify the setup but will see how things go $ wise. Also running the CSCA series I chose to give myself a handicap with tyre choice as there were no cars to compete against in the higher classes, I think I'll just put a decent tyre on it again and race against my own PBs instead.

 

Speaking of tyres, Ryan at K Racing is trying to sort a pair of wheels and tyres with a 295/35/18 to see how the gearing works at Marulan as I think the 4.5% difference will be enough for me to hold 2nd gear in a few spots and even avoid 4th on the straight which I assume means less shifts = more fasts! Not sure if the addition of tyre height/rake etc will have any negative impact but only one way to find out.

 

[robbo_rb180]

Thats a lot of driving which is great, only way to get faster.
Good on you for supporting the smaller events, I miss the smaller club stuff.

Hopefully can get a spot at Morgan Park, the series is usually booked out a year ahead. If you don't hear anything by next week, I can give Jonno a prod to contact you.

[34GeeTeeTee]

2 minutes ago, robbo_rb180 said:

Thats a lot of driving which is great, only way to get faster.
Good on you for supporting the smaller events, I miss the smaller club stuff.

Hopefully can get a spot at Morgan Park, the series is usually booked out a year ahead. If you don't hear anything by next week, I can give Jonno a prod to contact you.

Yeah I figured I'll do as much as I can while I can afford to do it  Driver needs all the help he can get!

We are pretty lucky here at the moment with lots of good things happening track wise providing they all go to plan - 

Marulan - Pheasant Wood Circuit = Major track extensions and facility upgrades coming soon (Bend SA spec)

Goulburn - Wakefield Park = This track will come back bigger and better with the new ownership - Can't wait!

Raymond Terrace - Circuit Italia = The Ashphalt is down and looks amazing! The track is one of the wide!!!

Then you add the little hillclimb tracks and clubs that are supporting motorsport like Ringwood (MGCCN) and TSCC etc and there are plenty of options. The clubs just need the support to keep the events going hence why I am road tripping 4hrs each way to support the guys on the weekend.

Fingers crossed 2024 if full of motorsport but will see what the budget allows! Trailer needs attention and $ so will just keep things ticking over for now and see what next year brings!

The QLD event would be great but not stressed if we don't make this year as the 34 will cop a flogging in the lead up to the event so I will be getting plenty of seat time. It would be a good event to come up and experience as its something I've wanted to do for ages. If that fails I will still have Morgan Park in my sights for 2024 and hopefully Dale has the R33 boat up and running so we can hit the track together!

 

[34GeeTeeTee]

Last weekend was pretty successful! Got the R34 jacked up and brakes bled, rotated the tyres around the car using the best of the worst I have left for the final rounds. I need to get an oil and filter change done tomorrow arvo before loading on the trailer for Marulan.

Then I switched to the Toyota 86 as we had booked that last minute Lap Dash event with TSCC in Tamworth. Knowing the car was on the mismatched tyre set and that balance was going to be a bit  I decided to just do the basics with servicing the engine, bleeding brakes and then loading it on the trailer.

It was an easy run up to Tamworth although Kangaroos were launching across the roads in some sections which kept me awake considering it was a 3.30am departure.

We arrived at Oakburn Motorsport Complex (Tamworths multi purpose track, including dirt drags and speedway) and got everything unloaded. Because I went into the event half assed I soon realised I had left my tyre gauge with the Skyline prepped stuff along with a bunch of other things I needed on the day 

Rather than worrying about tyre pressures or car setup I got the car scrutineered and just drove it as hard as I could, The tyres didnt really get up to pressure until the afternoon sessions and by then timing was over, it still did OK considering and was a bit of fun to drive. The tyre imbalance gave it a boaty feel in the rear end and it would slowly lunge into rotation but with the lack of power it was difficult to hold a slide or pull it back into line with the throttle like I would in the 34.

Footage was again limited by my inability to learn Go Pros! We are going to try hard wire a power feed into them for future events and see if we can make them last longer than a couple of sessions. I took 2 batteries and out of the 15 or so runs I did I managed to record 2 or 3 of the car in the mid morning stuff where I was getting my head around the car balance.

Anyway, I suggest the volume be on mute unless you like the sound of an FA20 and its 120kw of fury - 

 

This weekend is back to Marulan for Round 5 in the R34GTT but not expecting any miracles as the Nankang AR1 rubber is well past its prime and will be lucky to last the full day. Will give it a crack anyway!

 

[robbo_rb180]

The 86 looks like a heap of fun to drive, shame it sounds so bad.

Wire in a 2 port USB charger and run a cable for gopro and phone. Remember gopro doesn't like heat so will have issues using for extended periods without airflow over it. I am lucky too get 5-10 mins on a hot day (30+ outside)in the race car. 

[34GeeTeeTee]

3 hours ago, robbo_rb180 said:

The 86 looks like a heap of fun to drive, shame it sounds so bad.

Wire in a 2 port USB charger and run a cable for gopro and phone. Remember gopro doesn't like heat so will have issues using for extended periods without airflow over it. I am lucky too get 5-10 mins on a hot day (30+ outside)in the race car. 

Yeah its good fun with low grip tyres, its taught me a fair bit since owning it!

I want to swap the engine to a Lexus V8 but the $ to do so don't make sense when trying to keep the 34 running reliably and also getting the Fiesta ST up to speed (Literally)... Would sound a million times better and the conversion isnt that difficult! LS conversion is also easy but I think I would want to go the Lexus route for something different... Finding an engine thats not got 400000kms is the hard part... I have been looking in case the right package comes up but its still not what I need to be focusing on

FA20s just sound 💩

A few parts started arriving for the Fiesta which I will update soon... Mainly just exhaust and intake stuff so I can do a Stage 2 map in the thing and that should kick it up from 180hp to around 240hp I think... From there it just needs a diff and it will be a fun little pocket rocket!