Burned Spark Plug Wires Can Be A Race Day Problem

It has to happen sooner or later.  You are up front, leading the race, when you feel the engine start to miss.  The car in the mirror keeps getting bigger, and bigger.  Thermal plug wire covers are an inexpensive solution to prevent headers from taking out your plug wires.   The vibration under the hood of a race car is extreme.  These easy to install covers will keep you from having to buy a whole set of plug wires, to replace just one that is burned.  Rated to with stand temperatures of up to 1200 degrees F, these things really work.  Take a look, they are available for four, six, and eight cylinder racing engines: 

 

http://gearheadzproducts.com/thermalsleevesparkplugwirecoversetfourpack.aspx

 

 

Typical installation on a four cylinder Formula Continental racing engine. 

 

 

http://gearheadzproducts.com/sparkplugwireseperatorswithbrackets.aspx

 

 

Wire seperators help to keep everything in line, when the high speed vibrations starts.

 

 

 

 

A Look Under The Hood Of Our GT2 SCCA Road Race Camaro

This car is a GT-2 legal SCCA race car, that can also be entered  as a TA-2 car, in the professional Trans Am series.  Our Howe/Port City car is an ex-ASA perimeter chassis, circle track race car.  It has  an actual series LS1 motor, that runs factory ignition coils, 10.5 compression ratio, dry sump oil pan, 180 headers, and a GM factory ECU. The sealed engines that were supplied for the ASA series went from Chevrolet, to Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE), in Decatur, IN.  You will not find that they have much interest in them now days, but we have received good support from Schwanke Engines, in Springfield, MN.  They are doing a number of motors for the professional Trans Am Series (both LS-1, and LS-3), and offer packages that include everything from short blocks, up to complete, ready to race motors.  Visit them at:

 

  http://www.schwankeshortblocks.com/

 

Our own shop offers a lot of automotive related accessories, as well.  We are stocking more race related items every day, and have just finished redoing a nearby industrial building, for our mail order business.  We have a lot of used parts that are very useable, as well  If you are new to track days, or SCCA racing, we will be glad to answer any questions, and assist you however we can.  Our toll free number is:  866-229-7939.  You can visit us on the web at:

 

http://www.gearheadzproducts.com

 

 

 

 

Easy To Install Race Car Switch Panel

This is a good time of year to review everything in the cockpit,  add some upgrades such as an LED oil pressure light, radios, dash labels, etc.  A clean toggle switch arrangement is very important for the driver to have easy access to.  The photos below show our GT-2 house car dash board, as orginally supplied by the fabricators at Port City Racing, in Muskegon, MI.  All the operating switches are to the drivers left, easy to reach, and read as well.  You can purchase toggle switch extensions, which make it much easier  to access the switches, when buckeled snugly into the car.  The panel shown in the second photo is an easy to wire up and install unit, with most  of the hook  ups already made for you.  We had to relocate the fire bottle in the car when we brought it home, so it was in easy reach of the drivers left hand.  A very important detail, the last owner overlooked.  Don't forget to add high density padding, to all areas around the driver, and anywhere near by. 

http://gearheadzproducts.com/racecarcontrolpanel.aspx

SCCA Camaro GT-2 GTA LS 1 Motor Will Not Start

We recently ran into an electrical issue with our Lingenfelter preped LS-1 engine, that would come and go at random.  The engine would start to miss, then quit completely at the track.  On another occasion at the races, the engine ran, then died when we pulled into the pits for a flat tire, and would not refire.  Later back at the shop, it started with no problem.  We ended up tracing and checking all the grounds, and found a loose connection, at the positive side of the battery terminal.  The lock nut holding the cable had vibrated loose.  It was covered with  a plastic terminal cover, and could not be seen until we removed the Optima AGM design battery to check it's status.  The cable was still connected, but with no positive force.  Always check the basic battery and ground connections with these cars.  There is a ground on the back of the right side cylinder head.  There are also a series of fuses in the electrical system.  Our car has an eight fuse box, located by the driver.  Very close to the OBD 2 port.   Make sure the battery is on a trickle charger all the time, and stays fully charged, when the car is not in use.  For a battery charger, we prefer the C TEK micro processor controled unit, shown below.   It is compact, and simple to use,  with a easy to read level of charge indicator.

http://gearheadzproducts.com/ctekbatterychargermus4.3.aspx

GT-2 Howe Port City Road Race Camaro

This blog is all about the work and set up involved with running a Howe type chassis, in road race compeition.  Our base car for discussion purposes can run in the GTA, and GT-2 classes of SCCA.  It would most likely make the grade for TA-2, in the Trans Am series as well.  It is a former ASA race car, with the LS-1 motor which came from Lingenfeher, down in Indiana.  The car was built at Port City Racing, using the Howe ASA spec center section.  It has a Jerrico four speed transmission, Winters quick change reat end, Wilwood brakes, Sweet power steering, Cool Shirt system, and Pro Shocks.  We worked with Schwanke up in Minnesota to get the ECU reflased.  Mike Cope down in Florida did the AR Camaro body conversion, which involved lowering the roll cage to get it to fit.  Mike has also helped us with the basic set up on the car, since this is our first tube frame road racer.  We will make reference to some of the products used on the car, that come from our own business, Gear Headz Products  

http://gearheadzproducts.com/