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Track day results

Discussion in '348/355' started by bobzdar, Mar 3, 2015.

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  1. bobzdar

    bobzdar F1 Veteran

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    #1 bobzdar, Mar 3, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Well, I had a short day at the track yesterday. Put the new hawk hps pads in and did one short 4 lap session to bed them in, then let them cool for half an hour and went back out. At the end of the 2nd lap the oil line from the tank to the block let go right where it connects to the track and dumped a couple of quarts of oil on the header tires.

    Video:

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jslt7Ogwg4[/ame]
    And the aftermath attached. Very lucky in that there's almost no damage to the car, the fire appears to have gone out as soon as I killed the motor so only a melted vacuum t and a hole in the metal grate on the hood that I could find damage wise. Paint isn't even damaged, just oil all over.

    The oil line was not leaking at all before, and I fired the car up after everything had cooled down and it gushed another quart out on about 30 seconds, so something in the connection to the oil tank completely let go suddenly.
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  2. cuneo

    cuneo Formula 3
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    #2 cuneo, Mar 3, 2015
    Whoa, welcome to the club! :( Glad it went out on it's own. Everybody needs to have a fire extinguisher in their cars, even if not tracked!

    Sorry you missed out on a track day.
     
  3. Drock28

    Drock28 Formula 3

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    #3 Drock28, Mar 3, 2015
    that was crazy. Awesome driving!

    what happened, how did you know to cut the engine, it seemed like you still had power ?
    did you see fire coming up through the hood from your review?

    maybe that slide at the end pulled the oil line
    or did you slide cause oil got onto the tires?
     
  4. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
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    #4 308 GTB, Mar 3, 2015
    I'm happy you caught that in time, Pete. And in a fortunate spot too! I'm glad you're OK...and so is the car.

    Barry
     
  5. INTMD8

    INTMD8 F1 Veteran
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    #5 INTMD8, Mar 3, 2015
    Wow! Glad it wasn't worse. Interested to see what failed.
     
  6. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #6 WATSON, Mar 3, 2015
    Whoa. Nice recovery. That could have ended much differently if you spun it into the grass.

    Glad to see the track worker leaning on your car kept his belt buckle off the paint. :)
     
  7. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    #7 SoCal1, Mar 3, 2015
    Good save!!! Glad you here to talk about it.

    Safety first always
     
  8. bobzdar

    bobzdar F1 Veteran

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    #8 bobzdar, Mar 3, 2015
    The slide was due to the oil, when I got back on the gas the motor still pulled fine but I saw flames shooting out of the hood in the rear view and shut it down right away which seems to have saved the car. I was the only car on track at the time, so everyone was watching and two guys basically met me where I parked it with a couple of big bottles.

    I'd say I was extremely lucky both in where it happened and that I saw it right away. It could have been much worse. I could have gotten hurt badly if it had happened in that 90mph left hander 5 seconds earlier and I went flying off track. The car could have blown the motor or, even worse, burned to the ground. As it sits it looks like an oil line and maybe a vacuum line or two is all I'll have to replace. I may just go ahead and do the engine out as is getting close to time anyway and the engine bay is covered in oil.
     
  9. bobzdar

    bobzdar F1 Veteran

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    #9 bobzdar, Mar 3, 2015
    Thanks Barry, lots of luck and quick thinking seems to have saved it.

    I'll pull it apart and see, but it was gushing oil out of the union between the oil line and oil tank. When I say gushing, I mean like a garden hose that had one thread engaged on a spigot, and that was at idle.

    The grass was compeletely soaked from the just melted snow, but it may have delayed the workers enough or my little pea shooter bottle might have been small enough that it turned out differently.

    I wasn't going to complain about him leaning on it after he made sure it didn't burn. He moved surprisingly quickly :)

    Thanks! A fire suppression system might be a good investment....
     
  10. adhesivo

    adhesivo Karting

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    #10 adhesivo, Mar 3, 2015
    Wow, you got a track just for yourself! Nice!
    Glad to hear it all went good. I might jump to the track this weekend. I need to find a way to safely secure a fire extinguisher inside the car. Any recommendations?

    BTW, are you using stock exhaust? any mods?
     
  11. Robb

    Robb Moderator
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    #11 Robb, Mar 4, 2015
    Pete, glad you and the car are ok. I enjoyed your video a lot.

    Good public service post to the group to check your lines and connections.

    The oil and fuel lines were just replaced in our challenge car. Expensive but worth the piece of mind so we can avoid a similar situation.

    Looking forward to your repair and seeing you back out on the track!

    Robb
     
  12. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
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    #12 308 GTB, Mar 4, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Pete,

    I saw this happen to a 1995 F355 Challenge at Pocono a couple of years ago. There was no engine fire but by the time he noticed it, the engine had discharged most of its oil. I saw another F355 Challenge catch fire at Watkins Glen when a fuel line came loose.

    Two years ago at Watkins Glen, I was drafting a car on the sole of the boot straight and getting ready to pass when I checked my rear view mirror and noticed that the rear windscreen was all steamed up. I refused the point-by and pitted in. The corner worker said that they were about to show me the meatball flag. I pulled into the garage and opened the rear deck. I saw a fine coolant spray coming from the front of the engine. It was the upper 90 degree coolant hose. Classic Coach had a spare and my tech changed the hose over lunch.

    Last year at Watkins Glen, I pulled into the garage after the first session on the second day and noticed oil had sprayed into the left rear wheel well. It was a small crack in the oil radiator by the fitting. I was finished for the day and we put the car on the trailer. The radiator was repaired when the car returned to Classic.

    Our cars are sisters, one serial number apart. They're getting older and that's why at last year's major service I had all the fuel and oil lines replaced as well as all the coolant hoses. The rest of last year's season was uneventful.

    Barry
    .
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  13. 308 GTB

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    #13 308 GTB, Mar 4, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  14. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
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    #14 308 GTB, Mar 4, 2015
    It sure did, Pete. We've got to stay sharp out there!


    I think so. I had my hand on the red handle at Watkins Glen until I was certain it was a coolant leak.
     
  15. Gialllo uno

    Gialllo uno Formula Junior

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    #15 Gialllo uno, Mar 4, 2015
    Man great job and way to shut down. Awesome video. With as much oil as these cars hold I think it is fortunate for the quick shutdown and I doubt any engine damage as a result.
     
  16. Drock28

    Drock28 Formula 3

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    #16 Drock28, Mar 4, 2015
    scary moment.. I could feal your intensity when you were pulling into the pits.

    watched the video again.. if you look closely in the passenger mirror.. just after you slide/recover, i think you can see some flames coming up..
     
  17. bobzdar

    bobzdar F1 Veteran

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    #17 bobzdar, Mar 4, 2015
    Yes, and if you look at the reflection of the rear window in my helmet you can see quite a bit of fire shoot up right after the slide.
     
  18. Drock28

    Drock28 Formula 3

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    #18 Drock28, Mar 4, 2015
    I will keep in mind to kill the ignition, if I ever see anything, fire,smoke etc..
    I will likely never or very seldom bring my car to a track... but fires have occurred even on the street and killing the ignition as soon as possible.. should prevetn extensive damage.

    seems like you still had full steering operation..? ive never turned the engine off while rolling.. I assume the first off position does not lock the wheel..?
     
  19. bobzdar

    bobzdar F1 Veteran

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    #19 bobzdar, Mar 4, 2015
    After I killed it I moved the key back to unlock the wheel, the double beeps you hear right after are the radio powering back on. Trying to turn into the pits with the steering locked wouldn't have ended well :)
     
  20. hkomori

    hkomori Rookie

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    #20 hkomori, Mar 5, 2015
    Nomex racing suits, Nomex gloves and shoes are must have and wear....
     
  21. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    #21 drbob101, Mar 5, 2015
    Hey Pete, Thankful that it ended up like it did for you. I hope you get things fixed and back out no worse for wear and better for the experience.

    Eric just posted about a leak in that oil line/junction and mine has a slow drip at the engine end as well at the coupling. Do the hoses just give out over time?
     
  22. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    #22 johnk..., Mar 5, 2015
    Hey Pete, I presume you have checked it but when I watch the video I focused on the oil pressure gage. You can see that as soon as the gage is visible after you corrected, then got back on it, the pressure was down. There is a quick peak where you can see it's low, then your hands block it. Shortly after that it's visible again just before you shut it down.
     
  23. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    #23 johnk..., Mar 5, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Pete, here are some screen captures with time from the video. Before, just after, and a little before you shut it down. Note tack also.
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  24. bobzdar

    bobzdar F1 Veteran

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    #24 bobzdar, Mar 5, 2015
    Looks to have been less than a second that the pressure was low (and not zero). I fired the engine up again after it had cooled and there was nothing odd going on, other than the oil gushing out of course, and it had good oil pressure. Another couple of seconds and it could have been a major disaster.
     
  25. Drock28

    Drock28 Formula 3

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    #25 Drock28, Mar 5, 2015
    I assume you got the car towed away..
    keep us posted please with pics of your findings where/which oil line failed..
     
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