Weak points for high RPM use

Hey guys,

I wanted to hear some thoughts on what parts I should consider replacing due to sustained high rpm use due to track events. I was thinking of adding a giken diff and some gauges this winter but based on the events of last weekend, I want to make sure there isn't something else I should be looking at first.

Background:
Sunday in my last track session of the day the outer part of the crank pulley decided it wanted to live in the fender lining instead of attached to the rest of the pulley. Loss of power and power steering on track is quite startling but luckily it was coming out of the slowest corner on the track and I managed to coast into the grass under control and didn't hit anything. Very luckly as through the turn before I was over 100mph and that could have been much harder to deal with no power steering then :blush2:

Took a tow truck ride home, AAA membership paid for itself as they took me the whole 65 miles home and came in 20 minutes! The destruction also took out the belt tensioner, tensioner pulley, and the fender liner. I do have a DT tensioner stop but looks the event was a bit too violent for it to save my tensioner, will give the Alta one a try next.

Car has 45k miles, lived in PA with the original owner then VA with me, and the belt was 9k miles old. Based on reading a bunch of threads on crank pulleys and P1688, I was initially surprised that my pulley let go as it doesn't have a lot of miles and didn't live in a hot climate. I then realized it could be due to the stress of sustained high rpm use on track (sometimes I can't shift until after I complete a turn, like 7 at summit point main if you know that track, or don't want to shift up right before a braking zone so feather the throttle a bit which keeps it at 7krpm)

Based on my reading of other threads, I probably should have upgraded the crank pulley as soon as I started doing track consistently instead of only a couple times a year, but thought I could put it off based on the low-ish milage. Oops. I have a ATI one on the way, which I think should be able to take the punishment better then the oem part based on what I have read. I could be complete wrong about the high rpm triggering the failure but regardless I think the ATI part looks like a safer alternative.

Basically, I want to check there isn't anything else I should be doing in terms of track level parts so I don't experience a preventable BOOM what was that omg smoke everywhere :eek6: situtation again. Pretty sure "my garage" is up to date as to what parts I already have. As much as I want that limited slip diff I want a reliable (when it comes to track use) car first!

Thanks for looking

 

Thanks for the info, Jan, looks like high rpm can indeed cause early failure then. I will definitely not be putting a factory part back on. Any other oem parts that you have seen fail due to track conditions?

k-huevo, Thanks for pointing that out!!! I paraphrased a bit as the post was getting too long, the power steering cut out after not instantly (i did have the car 'on' but motor not while limping back around to the pits, and being pulled to the local gas station) could the battery deplete in less then 3 miles due to a non-pulley connected alternator?

 

Hmmm... thanks crashton, looks like i will have to do some more investigating and $$$ spending

 

Very good point, especially as I plan to move the mini to r-comps next year which will increase the Gs further, added that to the list.

 

Thanks for the link! much cheaper than a new engine lol

 

Haha yeah that would be useful, unfortunately i don't have a good place to park a trailer and that is a bit out of budget for this year lol

 

Thanks hadn't considered plug wires. Current mini only has 45k so I haven't replaced them yet, will do the same as I do with the s-belt and keep the most recent swapped out set in the track bag.

Oh my, I was going to add oil temp and pressure gauges over the winter as I only have a scangauge right now (set to boost, water temp, iat, and ignition adv) might just go ahead and add and oil cooler at the same time if you are seeing temps that high on a relatively cool day, some of my events are over 100F in the peak of the summer.

Keeping up with the R53 is a lot more work then my R50 was, although it is massively faster so I guess that makes sense haha. Probably should have started this thread when I made the jump to the S...

 

Hi Sneedspeed,

I had heard mixed reviews on the redline stuff and in the lemons races i particpate in they mandate only water in the rad, so i never really gave that a thought... might be worth revisiting, as i am by no means a engine pro.
Fancy new damper and brand new oem jcw belt are on and the car is running again
Did find your guy's oil cooler, added to the list
Good point on the fuel filter, how often do you guys change it on track cars every (insert number here) event, I am guessing earlier then the standard recommendation lol.
I thought the DT one was the best too but after have 2 break (one i noticed before the belt went while just checking the car over), decided a change might be worth a try.
I do have the stock clutch and flywheel, was planning on a giken + lsd this winter but based on the other things people have suggested it might have to wait a bit.
I did have the front control arm bushing go on my r50, called it an active toe upgrade :crazy: I haven't seen the super pro ones, will take a look on google, most of the aftermarket ones look like them don't have the same movement profile which put me off, so have been swappin in new OEM ones.



Hi Thumper, is there much you can do about the oil pump, for example weld the pump nut on like on the e46 3-series motors? Or is maybe it is driven by stravation in high later loads and a baffle system would help? Or just proactive replacement, anything to look for when i have it apart for the baffle install? sorry for all the questions lol but this site has much more knowledge than me!



Here is my current list of projects in order of priority could you guys let me know if something is out of order or still missing?

ALTA Tensioner Stop
RMW Oil Pan Baffle / Pickup
Sneedspeed Oil Cooler
OEM Fuel Filter
Rad Flush, with fancy fluid?
Cravenspeed Oil Pressure/Temp Gauge Package
OS Giken LSD
OS Giken Flywheel & Clutch
Vibratechnics or TSW Motor Mount
Something with the Intercooler (iAT gets pretty absurd in the summer)

On a trip starting today, so my response will be delayed

Thanks for the help everyone, i love it when a corner workers says "i had no idea a mini could do that!!!" less impressive when i end up broken in the paddock :blush2: