Superformance MKII, Riverside Racer 289 FIA vintage race car

[Morris]

OK Jim

Here we go..... I'm only going to suggest things we did when we were racing against the A/P and B/P cars ... like you I didn't have all of the money, so I had to figure out how to do modifications on my own .... As luck would have it, we learned a lot and had much more confidence in the car when we got on the track. It is a great feeling when you win and have built or modified the vehicle you are driving.

Since you showed the Rear End.... here's some photo's of what you may want to consider ....










One of the problems we encountered was filling up our catch can on the rear end .... and we found out that the oil was going out the breather or vent hose into the catch can .... and then would not return to the diff.... then we would damage the differential.....

These are the mods we did to fix that issue...

These are the things we did to KMP259 as well and it has proven very successful.

[1795]

Morris,

Thanks! Yes, like you, I will be doing most of the install and some fabrication. The hole that you covered with the small piece of metal in place, is that a vent hole?

I take it that the piece of metal that you installed acts like a windage tray and keeps the oil from splashing out of the top of the differential, right?

I am sending mine out to Drive Train Specialists in Warren, MI for new gearing, seals, etc. I all take a look at the differential when it returns and see what I can do that might be similar to yours.

In the meantime, I do need to take a welding course and look for a used welder.

Looking forward to learning more from you along the way.

Jim

[Mark IV]

Jim's chassis has been ordered from the factory and will be expedited to allow time for the build-out and race prep needed.

As Jim indicated Ross Henry and others prevailed upon SVRA to allow the composite body cars to compete. Vintage racing is facing an issue in that many of the original race cars have reached values that have caused the owners to pull them from competition thus reducing the grids in the most spectator popular classes. Realizing that a viewer can't tell the body material from the stands, SVRA has decreed that we can run our MK II 289 series cars so long as the powertrain and brakes are of period type. We have developed an option for the Girling calipers and solid rotors that may be owner installed on the existing chassis to meet the regulations now in effect. This means there will be several new "old" cars to compete. We have had inquiries from owners of original vintage Cobras about duplicating their race car in a new Superformance MK II and fully expect that within a year there will be several more competing. In fact if we get enough cars, we are looking at a "sub" class that will have their own placing and awards with sponsorship from us.

Currently Jim is the first of two Superformance FIAs destined for SVRA competition. We welcome inquiries from anyone interested in racing on of our cars.

[dallas_]

Very cool indeed.
Nice to see other experienced people willing to chime in.

[Blas]

Jim,
Owner's Manual package will be in the mail in the morning. (see earlier email)
Includes the Wiring Diagram and Service Bulletin package, etc. for the MKII FIA's... Owner's Manual to follow after chassis number etc. is established.

If you track any electrical modifications you make, I will customize the Wiring Diagram to specifically match your cars. We will talk down the road on this... I will send two paper copies to you tomorrow, one for marking-up changes and the other copy to soak up coffee spills... We can also do something similar with the Owner's Manual if you like...
Blas

[1795]

Rick and Blas,

Thanks! Great to here that the car will be in production soon and that it will be on expedited status. Things continue to fall in place. Much appreciated.

[1795]

Originally Posted by Morris

OK Jim

Here we go..... I'm only going to suggest things we did when we were racing against the A/P and B/P cars ... like you I didn't have all of the money, so I had to figure out how to do modifications on my own .... As luck would have it, we learned a lot and had much more confidence in the car when we got on the track. It is a great feeling when you win and have built or modified the vehicle you are driving.

Since you showed the Rear End.... here's some photo's of what you may want to consider ....










One of the problems we encountered was filling up our catch can on the rear end .... and we found out that the oil was going out the breather or vent hose into the catch can .... and then would not return to the diff.... then we would damage the differential.....

These are the mods we did to fix that issue...

These are the things we did to KMP259 as well and it has proven very successful.

Morris,

My welding skills scare me and I did not want to take a chance on ruining the rear cover for the differential. In addition, on the jag differential that I have, the design is different and there is a block inside of the vent hole that prevents direct access of fluid to the hole.

But I am concerned that there still could be a loss of fluid while racing, so this is my solution. Let me know what you think.

I made an aluminum cover (the rear cover for the differential is aluminum).

Drilled and tapped it for screws and a 90 degree elbow fitted with a hose barb.


I have a used piece of stainless steel braided fuel line that I plan on running from the differential into the bottom of a catch can located in the trunk, so that if any fluid were to escape into the catch can it could flow back into the differential. I will have air vents in the top of the catch can to allow for air pressure to escape.


Any thoughts? Using the braided fuel line to decrease the likelihood that the line could get cut while the car is engaged in hard cornering.

Car should be completed at the factory next week and shipped out. April and May are going to be very busy months.

Jim

[CompClassics]

Originally Posted by Morris

OK Jim

Here we go..... I'm only going to suggest things we did when we were racing against the A/P and B/P cars ... like you I didn't have all of the money, so I had to figure out how to do modifications on my own .... As luck would have it, we learned a lot and had much more confidence in the car when we got on the track. It is a great feeling when you win and have built or modified the vehicle you are driving.

Since you showed the Rear End.... here's some photo's of what you may want to consider ....










One of the problems we encountered was filling up our catch can on the rear end .... and we found out that the oil was going out the breather or vent hose into the catch can .... and then would not return to the diff.... then we would damage the differential.....

These are the mods we did to fix that issue...

These are the things we did to KMP259 as well and it has proven very successful.

I just had this same exact issue happen to a CSX6000 Series Continuation Cobra that I completed for a client. The oil pumped out of the differential and out of the catch can and now the the differential has a noise. The car has less than 1500 miles on it and the manufacturer refuses to stand behind their product even though the manufacturer of the differential they installed has told them repeatedly they need to vent the differential differently. Needless to say that my client is not to happy with the way the manufacturer has dropped this problem into his lap on a very expensive purchase.

[1795]

Originally Posted by CompClassics

I just had this same exact issue happen to a CSX6000 Series Continuation Cobra that I completed for a client. The oil pumped out of the differential and out of the catch can and now the the differential has a noise. The car has less than 1500 miles on it and the manufacturer says they are not responsible for the way they assembled the car prior to my receiving it. The manufacturer stated that they had never seen this happen before, obviously not.

Having done the modifications that Morris suggested, no problems at all with differential oil coming out and filling the catch can. Even running at high rpms the catch can is empty.

[CompClassics]

Originally Posted by 1795

Having done the modifications that Morris suggested, no problems at all with differential oil coming out and filling the catch can. Even running at high rpms the catch can is empty.

It was great that you caught this perfect example of poor engineering and design prior to loosing a very expensive component. As I explained to the manufacturer "what good is it that the gear oil is in the catch can (not to mention the oil that spewed out from the catch can) while the differential is operating, doesn't the gear oil need to be in the differential to maintain the proper capacity for operation?" I find it even more negligent that the manufacturer of the differential had instructed the manufacturer of the vehicle how the differential venting system needed to be installed and the vehicle manufacturer neglected to follow the differential manufacturers directions. As the manufacturer explained to me "there is many ways to do something...", well I guess they proved how to do something........the wrong way.

[1795]

Originally Posted by CompClassics

It was great that you caught this perfect example of poor engineering and design prior to loosing a very expensive component. As I explained to the manufacturer "what good is it that the gear oil is in the catch can (not to mention the oil that spewed out from the catch can) while the differential is operating, doesn't the gear oil need to be in the differential to maintain the proper capacity for operation?" I find it even more negligent that the manufacturer of the differential had instructed the manufacturer of the vehicle how the differential venting system needed to be installed and the vehicle manufacturer neglected to follow the differential manufacturers directions. As the manufacturer explained to me "there is many ways to do something...", well I guess they proved how to do something........the wrong way.

John,

What is most disheartening is the lack of culpability. We all make mistakes or misjudgments, honor is in accepting responsibility and making amends.

I will say that just in case there was some differential oil making its way to the catch can, I had the inlet from the differential inserted into the bottom of the catch can so that fluid could return to the diff once pressure lessened.

Jim

[CompClassics]

Originally Posted by 1795

John,

What is most disheartening is the lack of culpability. We all make mistakes or misjudgments, honor is in accepting responsibility and making amends.

I will say that just in case there was some differential oil making its way to the catch can, I had the inlet from the differential inserted into the bottom of the catch can so that fluid could return to the diff once pressure lessened.

Jim

It really doesn't do the differential any good if the gear oil is forced into the catch can while driving for long periods of time as the gear oil isn't where it needs to be to properly lubricate the critical areas of the differential. Once you stop the car and what fluid that didn't spew out of the catch can is drained back into the differential what good does that do, the differential is no longer in use. When you start driving the car again the fluid is again forced out of the differential and into the catch can again, plus you have the added issue of the loss of oil that had previously spewed out of the differential from the previous drive or drives. Not all of the people that drive these cars pay attention to what is going on with their cars And may be oblivious as to what is going on with them. From what I was told by the manufacturer of the differential is that it takes very little fluid loss to start damaging the differential, so now you have lost fluid and fluid in a can where it does not belong especially when driving. In short if your differential has a predetermined amount of gear oil that it requires for operation that oil belongs in a place where it does the most good not in a can on the shelf to be put in later.

[1795]

John,

Point well taken.

Jim