Tracking the 914 - Need some street love too..., Turning this into a regular thing... Options

[infraredcalvin]

1st track day in the bag with the new 914, no decent pics yet (there was a photog in attendants, but haven’t seen his pics yet). Car rand great and although running with much newer machinery she was holding her own once her driver brushed off the cobwebs... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

Since this was essentially her first shakedown I found a number of little things I need to address, one in particular I’m questioning:

After a few laps I noticed - mainly on a flat sweeper turn, when entering hard on brakes and trailing off while turning in I’d get a soft groan from my outside wheel (drivers in this case). I’m thinking wheel bearing? I’ve never had one go bad on the front spindle before, so I’ve never heard or felt the slight vibration before. Never really occurred on any other turns.... thoughts?

[wndsrfr]

First thing that comes to mind is "You could actually hear something like that?" Need to turn up the volume on the exhaust/intake!!
Seriously...probably bushing on the torsion bar or possibly strut shaft is dry and moaning as it's extended/compressed. Compress and release your left front by leaning on it in the quiet parking place slowly, even just slightly then more rapidly--might be able to track it down that way...
You can squirt some lube on the bushing and also mist some spray lube up into the strut cover to see if that makes any difference...

[914 Ranch]

When I turn in right my front left tire touches the valence's bottom corner and makes a gurrr sound.
Is that Thermal?

[infraredcalvin]

Ha, car is loud, 44 webber’s and headers, it does have a muffler though, not sure how much it muffles though... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

Hmmm, didn’t dawn on me that something could be rubbing, thanks, some good things to look for, thanks, I’ll get it on the lift tomorrow and check it out. Getting tech’d tomorrow am for sunday autocross. Poor thing is getting its trial by fire!

Not Thermal, will get out there sometime (been scheduled and cancelled 3x now (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) ) but it was streets of willow... Never done anything at willow before, fun little track, although braking zones are short and I need to work on my shifting (sloppy+user error).

[infraredcalvin]

Took a hard look, couldn’t see any rubbing, autocross on sun, will see what she does then. In the meantime, putting on number graphics, she’s starting to look like a proper race car...

[infraredcalvin]

Photo credit: @garyambrose1256

[Charles Freeborn]

Wheel bearings usually make noise under lateral load regardless of brake pressure. That said, on track cars they're a consumable and not terribly expensive so I'd suggest switch them out.
What brakes, pads, etc are you running?
Sweet looking car btw.

[infraredcalvin]

Thanks! As far as brakes and pads, I’ve got A calipers in front on 3.5 struts (not sure if the inserts), Ms in the back on coil over bilsteins with 200# springs. running Porterfield RS-4 pads. Large aftermarket front sway and stock rear sway.

With street tires I get a nice gradual oversteer at limit, the way I like. I’m looking to get some 200 tread wear tires, then I’ll start tweaking from there...

[2mAn]

I recognize that car, I nearly bought it myself but was worried that the displacement was going to run my fun in vintage racing. Somewhere I have a bunch of pics I took of that car.

[infraredcalvin]

I recognize that car, I nearly bought it myself but was worried that the displacement was going to run my fun in vintage racing. Somewhere I have a bunch of pics I took of that car.

I know, you were posting on thoughts about it here when I was working the final negotiations with jacquot...

Lit a bit of a fire under me, bought it in October last year then got rear ended shortly thereafter. I had just finished updating all the safety gear and giving it a good once over... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hissyfit.gif)

As for vintage, i used to race in the 2 liter group in a well prepped 912. Originally I wanted to get a 914 for vintage, but so cal vintage racing has changed, VARA let’s in too many non vintage cars and drivers that shouldn’t be out there, and other groups have gotten too many cubic dollars spent on cheater motors for me to be competitive.

Got this car for autocross and DE, will see if I get the wheel to wheel bug again after that....

[infraredcalvin]

October autocross with POC, nothing too eventful, gotta get rid of the rust, then find my balls! Had mandatory instructor for most runs, in the end let me run solo. Said he’d put in a good word to allow me a check run at next autox to get out of “student” classification.

Morning pic in the OC...

[infraredcalvin]

Nov autocross, I’m starting to get hooked... definitely fun, but still prefer the big track. But this is so easy and cheap while dusting off the webs. Check run, first one out (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)
Laid down solid 2 runs with chief driving instructor, upgraded my wristband to a real drivers band. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

Another morning pic, but this time I was in good company:



Nice driver mostly stock 2 liter, driver was a young autox junkie coming off a 2 year hiatus, all day in practice runs I was a hair quicker... then when it counted, I botched it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

My timed runs involved a little bowling, and lost time cause I forgot the course and wasn’t looking far enough ahead, so critical turns ended up being surprises where I left a ton of time on the table.... All my timed runs were over 3 seconds longer than my typical practice runs.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/hissyfit.gif) I watched his timed runs as I was packing up, he definitely laid down some good laps, much faster than my practice times...

Ok, so gotta work on my performance anxiety too... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/barf.gif) All in, hard to complain when finally doing what I’ve wanted to do for over 20 years now... There were 5 teeners including mine on sun, nice people all very glad to see another 914 over the newer hardware.

[infraredcalvin]

Back to the track! Entered the PDS group of POC, more my style as we ran Big Willow. I used Gran Turismo Sport to learn the track, amazing how much I learned in that game. Unfortunately no 914s, but I tweaked a (dare I say it) Miata to simulate my 914.

Only driving issue was in the 1st session where I downshifted from 5th to 2nd at speed on exiting turn 8 and setting up for 9 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) spun 2x around ended up stalled facing the right direction, but she flooded and took a minute to start back up again.... ahhh humbling rookie mistakes... the rest of the weekend was uneventful until my clutch cable pulley decided to vacate on the track on the straight.

I set out with the slowest car, and succeeded, by several, not being the slowest driver (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

[infraredcalvin]

Made it in to the POC mag Velocity, helps when the photog is a 914 guy!

https://issuu.com/porscheownersclub/docs/ve...sMDdhZTc3OTUzNw

We need more teeners out there, give me someone to dice with!

[dr.tim]

Fast spot in the outside of 8, a spooky place to spin.. better than to go off wide on the exit of 9 though.

My schedule is already pretty full this year with The Ridge, Area 27, and Road America. I may head south in the fall though.

[ThePaintedMan]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif) Looks like you're having fun. I have to say, once I got my car on track, I was delightfully surprised how durable a bone stock 1.8 is on track. Only the factory oil cooler, so the oil does get hot during the summer, but change it every weekend and it keeps on ticking. Slow a molasses by modern standards, but they are great cars to learn on.

The Rennshifter definitely helped me with my shifts. I have never done the 5-2 but used to miss shifts fairly regularly. Not sure if you have one, but might be worth looking into.

[GregAmy]

I have never done the 5-2 but used to miss shifts fairly regularly.

Been there, done that (2017 LRP Historics), bent all four valves... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Since then I've installed Tangerine Racing's shift linkage kit and firewall bearing and it got rid of all the slop.

As long as you realize that the 914 can never shift like a Miata, and purposefully adjust your shifting action accordingly (think "slower"), you won't have any issues.

[infraredcalvin]

I wa s looking at the tangerine kit. The PO did some funky stuff at the firewall where it looked like the clutch cable broke through, so I’ve been a little afraid to dig into without opening a huge can of worms during the season. The easy thing about big willow is that it’s 4th and 5th gears only track, so now that I have a rhythm (slow and methodical) shifting, I’m having no issues.

My shifting gets really sloppy with 3rd, when warm it sometimes fights. We’ll see how it goes on slower tracks. Last time I did streets of willow, I had a few issues cause there’s little time to downshift on that course, so I tended to rush.

[Charles Freeborn]

I have never done the 5-2 but used to miss shifts fairly regularly.

Been there, done that (2017 LRP Historics), bent all four valves... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Since then I've installed Tangerine Racing's shift linkage kit and firewall bearing and it got rid of all the slop.

As long as you realize that the 914 can never shift like a Miata, and purposefully adjust your shifting action accordingly (think "slower"), you won't have any issues.

Me too. Sheared off my flywheel bolts. Fortunately didn't lunch the top end. Got close tho. Had 2 broken valve springs when I tore it down.

[campbellcj]

It's cool to see a 914 out with POC, a fairly rare sight these days!