Track Chronicle of my 2014 BRZ

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by AndyBRZ

I have to say that contrary to what everyone may think in this post, the Viper ACR is a momentum car with a lot of power and downforce.

Fast drivers treat all cars as momentum cars.

[AndyBRZ]

Now that I come to think of it, you are correct. I love the Viper just for the visceral power and downforce that exerts into the ground. The only other car I can treat in the same category is the Porsche GT3 RS. It is another momentum car that has cojones but this one has cheaper consumables. Very nicely said.
A very close friend of mine brought his ZL1 Camaro this time. Lovely car and he has a Viper ACR too.
I said what is your consumables with the ZL1. He says, in about 8 track days I am well into the second set of front and rear tires and 2 sets of front brake pads and one set of rear pads already went through.... Holy Shit... It is more than 30 track days worth of BRZ wear on consumables... But the ACR wears them twice as fast as the ZL1....

[Deep Six]

Hey Andy, thanks for a great read!! If you go with an ACT clutch I highly advise not using the TOB that comes with it. I'm on my second one and it started squealing days after install. I've heard several others complain as well. I'm going to try an SKF bearing next just to see if it's any better.


My entire Chump team is comprised of Viper nuts, 3 ACR's one ACR-X and an older GTS. Their cars are crazy fast but I have no intentions of replacing the FRS. It's kind of liberating when you don't have to worry about the consequences of wadding up a six figure car!

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by AndyBRZ

I did a lot of good work in VIR today with the BRZ. Today I posted a 2:14 lap in the full course which is not bad at all for the BRZ. My throw out bearing had been chattering at idle since last Thursday. I knew she was in her way out and I decided to give her the track hard work until it imploded. It finally gave up today as I was giving a lap to a fellow FRS owner to help him with his line. It happened right after I actually came out of the pits shifting from 1st to 2nd. I went ahead and rev-matched my shifts like I was driving a truck and completed 2 laps to show him the proper line.
I shifted from 2nd to 3d to 4th and then downshifted rev matching. I have to say that this car never stops to amaze me. She is a fighter in the best of the ways. She deserves a good ACT clutch and all the improvements available like a forged fork and SS braided line for the slave master cylinder. Maybe a lightweight flywheel.
After I got the car hooked up for the repair with awesome local shops I still had the itch so I went ahead and drove the Viper ACR for a few laps. I managed a 1:59.2 in the full course in the fifth lap which made my day as we were playing with radicals and basically erase them from the track.
It was a little wet which accounts for cojones currency.
I have to say that contrary to what everyone may think in this post, the Viper ACR is a momentum car with a lot of power and downforce.
Makes you wonder why in the hell Subaru does not give the BRZ a fighting chance with a proper FA20 turbocharged engine. Oh yeah! Corporate Numb People Making Decisions.... I forgot...

Too many people forget that every car is a momentum car!

Which gen viper do you have?

[AndyBRZ]

Thank you for the advice on the TB. Does anybody know about a better one?
I am thinking McLeod Aluminun flywheel and clutch. It is American.
Any experience with them?
2017 Viper ACR.
01 Dealer Edition.
Today we were driving in the Viper back to Chicago and going down the hill at 85 mph on 6th gear you can literally hear the downforce. It is wicked...
We are working on putting together a team for American Endurance Racing and all the guys are Viper Drivers too.

[Kayysonie]

Originally Posted by AndyBRZ

I took the day off Today and I wanted to share some of the lessons learned with my 2014 BRZ after 3 years and 25,000 miles of hard track life in the Midwest, mainly. I am a solid and experienced driver and instructor for more than 25 years and I am also a mechanical and electrical engineer with hands on experience in cars for about the same amount of time.
I will go through improvements in what I consider more to less importance order and then I will end with a list for Maintenance and Important Check ups in your track BRZ/FRS.

Great read, I too have a 2014 and I believe built 11/13.

I've had always concerns of coil pack going bad due to heat but so far I have not had any issue. I have extra ones from engines I tore down for customers but I am hoping I won't need them. I will be putting aluminum tape over the coil pack for heat reflection this winter.

DI Injectors was another concern. With injectors going up to 170 each, seals might be easier to replace but that is still a hell of a job. What Mike said, later 2014 models had the software fix already had it and I am running Wayno tune which he incorporated that fix. I just hope I wasn't too late that possibly caused damage.

Have you done any oil analysis to your car?

The biggest concern is definitely oil starvation that can cause spun bearing. With the slicks youre running, id be down to my last nail.
I plan to add accusump as another precautionary.

Can you show pictures on how you mounted your Rally 4 Scroth Harness?

Half cages these days are too expensive so I am going the same route with the stock seats.

[AndyBRZ]

Thank you. I am not sure these engines will starve for oil under any G Forces unless, it is upside down. The oil pan is an excellent design for what I have seen and I think it would be real hard to starve it.
For the harness, I will send you pictures when I get my car back (I left it close to VIR in the hands of my very trusted friend Peter Basica who owns JP Superior Solutions, excellent shop).
In any case, the Rally type harness clips in the rear and in the front of the driver / passenger seats. In the rear, one of the harness leads with a special clickable insert, bolts into the baby seat under your rear window tray. You will have to remove the baby car seat hookup, the tray and then bolt the insert with the factory bolt. The kit provides another one of these clickable insert per harness but this one has a female seat belt connection with the red push in tab to release the seat belt. This inserts goes in the front bottom part of the driver or passenger regular seat belt. You have to undo the bolt, connect the insert and re-install the factory seat belt making a sandwich with this insert. The other rear harness just clicks into the rear seat female part.
In the front inside part next to the console you have a clickable link into the factory seat belt.
I used these harness back when I was young in the 80's on Audi Cars.
I hope this helps you in the meantime and I will send you an IM when I get the car back or take pictures of it.

Originally Posted by Kayysonie

Great read, I too have a 2014 and I believe built 11/13.

I've had always concerns of coil pack going bad due to heat but so far I have not had any issue. I have extra ones from engines I tore down for customers but I am hoping I won't need them. I will be putting aluminum tape over the coil pack for heat reflection this winter.

DI Injectors was another concern. With injectors going up to 170 each, seals might be easier to replace but that is still a hell of a job. What Mike said, later 2014 models had the software fix already had it and I am running Wayno tune which he incorporated that fix. I just hope I wasn't too late that possibly caused damage.

Have you done any oil analysis to your car?

The biggest concern is definitely oil starvation that can cause spun bearing. With the slicks youre running, id be down to my last nail.
I plan to add accusump as another precautionary.

Can you show pictures on how you mounted your Rally 4 Scroth Harness?

Half cages these days are too expensive so I am going the same route with the stock seats.

[imnotsureaboutbrz]

Originally Posted by AndyBRZ

For the harness, I will send you pictures when I get my car back (I left it close to VIR in the hands of my very trusted friend Peter Basica who owns JP Superior Solutions, excellent shop).
In any case, the Rally type harness clips in the rear and in the front of the driver / passenger seats. In the rear, one of the harness leads with a special clickable insert, bolts into the baby seat under your rear window tray. You will have to remove the baby car seat hookup, the tray and then bolt the insert with the factory bolt. The kit provides another one of these clickable insert per harness but this one has a female seat belt connection with the red push in tab to release the seat belt. This inserts goes in the front bottom part of the driver or passenger regular seat belt. You have to undo the bolt, connect the insert and re-install the factory seat belt making a sandwich with this insert. The other rear harness just clicks into the rear seat female part.
In the front inside part next to the console you have a clickable link into the factory seat belt.

If you wouldn't mind also sharing this with the class... I was unaware that Schroth was still supporting the Quickfit style harness for our cars. I'm also planning on installing a set in my car for next season.

[AndyBRZ]

I had to move into ordering parts for the repairs on my car and I decided to do the Velox Clutch Fork and pivot with the Cusco braided clutch line and replace the clutch with the Fidanza Qwik Rev-2 kit that has the aluminum flywheel, clutch and TB.
If you guys have some input, I would really appreciate it.

[AndyBRZ]

Here you go...
https://www.schrothracing.com/docs/S...structions.pdf
The only thing is that in the BRZ you can fasten the non click rear lead up to the baby latches in the rear window base instead of the "other" seat bolt. The higher the angle is, the better for you and less risk of spine compression, in the unfortunate case of an accident.
A 6 point harness is always better but this is the hell of a good solution that allows you to use Hans devices.

[AndyBRZ]

https://ibb.co/ey1f2b


https://ibb.co/coxRaw


https://ibb.co/bwM8oG

[ajh88]

Originally Posted by AndyBRZ

Hey guys, sorry for the late replies. Today is my fourth day at VIR rocking the BRZ.

Ahh you were the guy with the silver one - I tried to find you on Friday but I ended up talking to your student for a while (at least I think it was him, he had a blue E92 M3). He did not mention the upchucking . I was in the red FR-S in the Intermediate group with Trackdaze but couldn't stay Sat/Sun. Your car looked pure business. Those are some great times. I agree that our platform comes alive in the Grand Course interior... what a fun section of a track that in its normal configuration seems to punish little momentum guys like us.

[AndyBRZ]

Yeah man, I remember your car. It looks beautiful.
Mine is a track rat but you are right, it is all business.
I had two students plus I was coaching my friend in the Caterham SP300R in the black group.
Literally I was running like a chicken with my head cut off.
Next year we all BRZ's ought a pit together and let the good times roll....

Originally Posted by ajh88

Ahh you were the guy with the silver one - I tried to find you on Friday but I ended up talking to your student for a while (at least I think it was him, he had a blue E92 M3). He did not mention the upchucking . I was in the red FR-S in the Intermediate group with Trackdaze but couldn't stay Sat/Sun. Your car looked pure business. Those are some great times. I agree that our platform comes alive in the Grand Course interior... what a fun section of a track that in its normal configuration seems to punish little momentum guys like us.

[endless_pain]

Originally Posted by AndyBRZ

In this car, after the left hook (turn 5) I go flat out through all the esses on 5 th gear upto 120 mph to brake finally at Oak tree (Turn 11).

Are you saying that you don't even tap the brakes before T10? I need to see that video!