Third Place finish at Gorman Ridge Rally

Posted on August 31st, 2009 by Admin

I co drove this weekend at Gorman Ridge Rally for Julian Parmann in his new (to him) Subaru Impreza 2WD car. This was Julian’s first time at a rally ever, and he did an excellent job of getting the car to the end. We picked up speed through out the event and avoided many of the mistakes that first time drivers make. We finished Third in the USRC National Championship Rally in Open 2WD and finished second in the California Rally Championship CRS-5 Class. It was a long couple of days, but finishing well always makes you forget how much work it was. Looking forward to my next event which is Black River Stages in New York with Brad Morris in the Mitsubishi on September 19-20.

Tennessee Win for Morris / Nagy in the Wet

Posted on August 5th, 2009 by Admin

Brad Morris and Doug Nagy Move Up in the Standings

Linden, TN. Brad Morris (Charlotte, NC) and co-driver Doug Nagy (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA), in only their second rally together, won their class at Rally Tennessee on 23rd and 24th of May 2009 in soggy conditions. As in years past, the NASA-sanctioned tarmac event took place on the lovely and sweeping roads in and around the town of Linden in Perry County. Along the way they set or tied fastest-in-class stage times on 7 of the 28 stages. The victory lists them as the M1 winners in the Atlantic Rally Championship and first in 2 Wheel Drive in the United States Rally Championship. The result moves them up to Second in USRC points for the season.

“This makes it two for two!” said Nagy. “We won our class at the Mad March Stages Rally in Florida a couple of months ago, our first time racing together.” They used the Floridian event as a warm-up for Tennessee in order to learn how they could best work together and get up to speed with pace notes.

The driver reported that “This was our first real tarmac rally. Our goal was to get up to speed on Saturday without giving up too much time to the competition, then see what Sunday brought.” Clearly the strategy proved successful. Morris added: “We had a good run from the very beginning and finished the first day third in class, less than 30 seconds behind the leader.”

Saturday was not without incident however. Explained the driver, “We had a ‘moment’ with a high speed spin on Owl Hollow, then a low speed spin in the same place going the other way on Owl Hollow Reverse.” The codriver pointed out that it happened in a “loose section” of pavement in the middle of the stage where the asphalt was “marbly.”

He continued, saying “Sunday was great racing. We were able to lay down some fast times early before the weather changed. Racing in the pouring rain was a first for me. It made the stages very exciting!”

“Brad did an excellent job of driving and really made up the difference as our car is down on power to the other cars, which are mostly turbocharged, in our class,” observed the codriver. (Due to multiplication factors, the Mitsubishi Lancer with its 2.4 liter four valve engine is classified in M1 in NASA, but it’s a Group 2 car under Rally America’s rulebook.) “Neither of us have much wet weather rally experience, but the car had a surprising amount of grip on the wet roads. The rain really ended up being no drama at all. As a matter of fact stages 19 and 20 were the wet ones and they were two of the ones we won.”

It was their first time at Rally Tennessee. “The roads were fantastic: all you could ask for, and more. They featured smooth, fast, rolling terrain, and the host community really made us feel welcome.”

On Stage 22 (Treefarm) the team felt like it was their best run yet on the repeated stage, but when they came up on the rolled Subaru of Patrick Brennan/Eamon Sweeney, they stopped to render assistance. Fortunately, the rules grants a time adjustment under just such an emergency situation, so it didn’t affect their final results.

“Doug was ‘on the money’ all weekend with the notes,” praised Morris. “I’m looking forward to our next rally together, Rally West Virginia in August.”

Morris thanked his sponsors, pointing out “We couldn’t compete without the valuable support from Promotional Management Group, Streetwiseparts.com, Larry Jay Mitsubishi in Charlotte, and Carquest Auto Parts. In addition, we received some great brake pads from Performance Friction that really made a difference in the changing conditions.”

The 2002 Lancer is prepared by the Morris Motorsports Group in North Carolina, with engineering support, performance parts, and west coast preparation by Streetwise ® Motorsports.

Trailer Tribulations

Posted on August 4th, 2009 by Admin

Brute Industries and Streetwise ® Offers Safe and Easy Solution for
Trailering Your Low Ground Clearance Car

“Last year at VIR/Museum event, I shot a 2×12 homemade ramp about 30 feet. I could have easily killed someone. I just ordered a set of TrailerRamps.”
–Bink, Corvette Forum Senior Member

Getting into a Scrape

Transporting your sports or collector car can be a real challenge. Most car-carrying trailers and flatbed trucks aren’t equipped to handle the special needs of a low ground clearance vehicle: their angle of approach is simply too steep. This can cause damage to the vehicle at three different points. Initially, the front end can scrape as the vehicle is pulled onto the ramp. Secondly, the rear can drag on the ground as the vehicle pivots upward. The third and final assault occurs when the vehicle reaches the top of the ramp and the underside “bottoms out” while passing over the fulcrum point between the ramp and trailer floor. Then, one must subject the vehicle to these same punishments in reverse order to get it off of the transport.

Walking the Plank

Owners of low ground clearance vehicles are known to get very creative when trying to remedy this situation. Most frequently, they seek a solution with lumber. They put their trust in long, narrow planks that function as improvised extension ramps, precariously bridging between the ground and the preexisting ramps to provide a reduced angle of approach. Unfortunately, this arrangement does not provide much stability. The traction between the planks and the ground is not often enough to keep the planks in place as the wheels move forward, causing the planks to shoot out like missiles. Woe to anyone, or anything, in their path. The lateral stability also is compromised, which can cause the planks to shift to the side. Whether the planks shoot backwards or move sideways, the result is the same: a car dropping and slamming onto the ground. The use of these makeshift lumber ramps can cause significant damage to the vehicle and, in the most unfortunate of cases, to the people nearby.

Inclined to Perform

Enter Brute Industries, Inc., makers of RaceRamps. Known for manufacturing service ramps specifically for low ground clearance vehicles, Brute Industries was asked if they could also manufacture a safer, easier alternative for getting low profile cars onto trailers. Using the same patented technology that has made their other ramp lines so successful—including lightweight, non-slip materials and 100% solid construction—the company developed the TrailerRamps product line. TrailerRamps have a sturdy ledge on which a trailer door, the rear edge of a tilting flatbed truck, or the existing ramps of an open trailer can be placed. They raise up the existing ramps or trailer door and stretch the angle of approach—reducing it to as little as 4°. They are held in place by the weight of the car as it starts to drive up and additionally have a textured coating, which prevents them from sliding on all surfaces. They also won’t scratch or otherwise damage driveways or painted floors. TrailerRamps are available in different lengths and heights to suit different applications, and can also be made in custom sizes. They are extremely lightweight and have built-in handles so that they can be easily carried, positioned, or hung on a wall. As any sane person would agree, lumber is not a safe solution to the common trailer ramp/car loading dilemma. Don’t put your valuable collector car at risk. We have found a safer way.

For more information, visit our website: Streetwiseparts.com

Understanding The Subaru WRX Fuel System

Posted on August 2nd, 2009 by Admin

One of the keys to achieving power is the correct ratio of fuel for a given quantity of air. Either too much or too little fuel results in an engine that is down on power, delivers poor economy and has a big question mark against its long term durability. The primary job of the engine tuner is to ensure that the engine management system has been programmed to deliver fuel in the correct quantities at all times. Fuel Mixture is measured in units of either Lambda or air fuel ratio (AFR). Also referred in tune-speak as either lean (small amounts of fuel to air) or rich (large amount of fuel to air). What is the correct mix of fuel and air? While there is no such thing as an absolute across the board setting, the generally agreed “golden rules” of fuel mixtures are:1. At low power outputs (no boost) catalytic converter equipped cars require a fuel mixture of Lambda 0.99 (AFR 14.64) for best emissions, and is the target fuel mixture when the OE ECU is operating in closed loop. Improvements in fuel economy can be made by leaning fuel mixtures off to Lambda 1.05 (AFR 15.4 to 1), but this is done at the expense of cat converter operation and will increase exhaust temperatures when cruising. 2. Medium power outputs (the transition between on and off boost) sees best power achieved at around Lambda 0.89 (AFR 13.1 to 1).3. At high power outputs things get interesting, as this is the area where the greatest potential for engine damage exists. Version I to VI engines with stock internals running around 1.2 bar boost typically make good power reliability at Lambda 0.78 (AFR 11.5 to 1). At the same boost pressure and with stock internals, Subaru WRX Version VII and later models have redesigned cylinder head combustion chambers for a very different set of burn characteristics and fuel distribution compared to the previous model, dictating significantly richer fuel mixtures of around Lambda 0.75 (AFR 11.0 to 1) or lower to achieve best power safely. Typically, air fuel ratios can be leaned slightly for a small increase in power on engines equipped with forged pistons, due to their strength and greater heat resistance when compared to OE cast pistons.

Measuring Fuel Mixtures There are only two ways to check fuel mixtures accurately; the preferred method is to use a high quality aftermarket wide band air fuel ratio meter in conjunction with a five wire Bosch LSU type lambda sensor. This type of sensor and meter can accurately measure fuel mixtures from Lambda 0.69 (AFR 10.1 to 1) to Lambda 1.30 (AFR 19.1 to 1) and beyond. Hence the name wide band sensor. An alternative method for cars with flash compatible ECUs, fuel mixtures can be read directly from the ECU data stream using Delta Dash, with a few exceptions. The OE lambda sensor can “see” lean mixtures well, but cannot measure fuel mixtures richer than Lambda 0.76 (AFR 11.2). Additionally, at power outputs higher than stock, sensor placement is an issue, as exhaust back pressure between the engine and turbocharger causes a significant reduction in sensor accuracy.Any other method of measuring fuel mixtures such as cheap DIY meters, reading tea leaves or consulting a psychic have no place in modern high performance engine tuning.For more information jump here.

Performance Engine Tuning For Your Subaru.

Posted on August 2nd, 2009 by Admin

It may come as a surprise to many, but the theory behind Subaru performance engine tuning is not nearly as complicated as it is made out to be, especially when dealing with production based equipment. Engine tuning is neither a black art, nor is it a form of magic. Extracting power from a Subaru WRX engine is not difficult. It only requires roughly the correct ratio between fuel delivery, boost pressure and ignition advance to suit existing mechanical specifications and fuel quality. Where real genius comes into the picture, separating the men from the boys, is the speed at which a good tuner can instinctively arrive at the best possible reliable tune to suit a particular combination of parts. Another defining trait of the really talented includes an ability to quickly and efficiently diagnose problems with setup, communicating clearly and accurately what can done to improve engine operation. Does this sound like your engine tuner? All things being equal, regardless of the type of engine management system used, professional engine tuners will always pay a great deal of respect to certain key areas of importance when tuning a turbocharged engine. In this section we will take a bit of a look at some of the considerations made when tuning for maximum power.Every industry has its own catch phrases and descriptions to sum up in a few words, rather than a whole paragraph, a statement of fact. Some of my favorite terms describing engine tuners and builders include:”Jerry Rigging” the slash and burn perpetrated by some individuals on a vehicles electrical system when installing an aftermarket ECU.”Smoke and Mirrors” indicating that a rather large pinch of salt should be taken when describing some performance claims.”Twigs and Tape” describes the act of fitting a new part to an engine in a less than durable manner.”Playing up above their level” over-exaggerating a tuners ability. Commonly used to cast a competitor in a negative light, while singing their own praises.Keep this in mind next time you are taking your Subaru in for a service.Click here for even more information.

Subaru Sensors Explained

Posted on August 2nd, 2009 by Admin

Cam/Crankshaft position sensors – provides information from which the ECU can determine the exact rotational position of the engine, RPM and rate of acceleration. This is used to enable sequential fuel injection, or the control of individual fuel injectors, in addition to sophisticated miss-fire detection functions. Base ignition timing is also calculated from these two sensors.Camshaft position – on engines equipped with AVCS, additional sensors in the cylinder head monitor camshaft timing for closed loop valve timing control.Air mass sensor – calculates the actual weight of incoming intake charge and is a major determining parameter used by the ECU to calculate both injection time and ignition advance. Flash 02 and later equipped air mass sensors feature an in-built air temperature sensor that further improves sensor accuracy.Intake air temperature – Subaru STi only, (MY99/00), measures inlet air temperature for fine tuning ignition and boost compensations. Manifold pressure or MAP sensor – monitors manifold air pressure. Used by the Subaru ECU to determine injection time, ignition advance, boost control as well as an overboost safety cut function.Throttle pedal position sensor – DBW equipped engines use this sensor to “request” a given throttle position depending how hard the driver stands on the “loud” pedal.Throttle position sensor (TPS) – DBW equipped engines have two sensors measuring actual throttle butterfly position at the engine. Used to verify that commanded throttle position is being applied correctly. Non-DBW equipped engines have only one TPS sensor. TPS is another determining factor in the calculation of fuel and ignition delivery.Front and rear Lambda or “Oxygen” sensors- used by the engine for closed-loop fuel control and the monitoring of catalytic converter efficiency. Cat converters operate efficiently only around a very narrow air fuel ratio band of around lambda 0.99 or 14.64:1 in air fuel ratio.Engine coolant temperature sensor – used to adjust fuel mixtures and engine idle speed for cold starts, and to switch radiator cooling fans on and off. Knock sensor – a specially tuned microphone that the Subaru ECU uses to “listen” for the tell-tale sounds of detonation. Ignition timing and fuel mixtures are modified from feedback supplied by this sensor.Vehicle speed sensor – cooling fan operation, idle speed, speed limiters (JDM models) and fuel shut-off on deceleration are modified in reference to road speed. Boost control is also modified to provide “soft” speed limiting by reducing boost pressure at high road speeds on certain models.