Track forum general chit chat.

[Adrian g.]

Originally Posted by dogbone

I haven't done it with my Slon pan. I just don't want it being fully exposed to constant high speed dust, dirt and rocks. The extra cooling could be nice, but there's a lot of crap flying around under the car.

As it is, my pan took a direct hit.....don't know how, where or when it happened. Some of the fins got damaged, but the pan held up fine. I'm guessing it was a berm but I have no idea. I know the felt can't protect against larger strikes, but it does keep random high-speed dirt off.

Debris is my main concern as well, when thinking about cutting out the entire area of the cover below the DCT pan.

My idea is to enlarge the existing (front) openings slightly and perhaps adding (rear) openings just past where the DCT pans ends. Really the only thing holding me back at this point it's just my (lack) of understanding of airflow and how it would be affected with the addition of rear openings.

My last track day I was getting double upshifts. Seemed to happen when in 3rd and shifting to 4th, but instead I'd get 5th gear.

I have since installed my slon DCT pan, which has been sitting on a shelf for about a year. Likely the new pan + extension for the suction pipe is enough to fix that problem, but more cooling is always better, right? I'm still undecided if I'm going to cut up the cover. I might wait to see how things go next time, with the new pan.

[Adrian g.]

Originally Posted by slicer

No but damn that seems like a good idea for cooling.

Seems like it... plus the weight savings of a few grams

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by Adrian g.

Debris is my main concern as well, when thinking about cutting out the entire area of the cover below the DCT pan.

My idea is to enlarge the existing (front) openings slightly and perhaps adding (rear) openings just past where the DCT pans ends. Really the only thing holding me back at this point it's just my (lack) of understanding of airflow and how it would be affected with the addition of rear openings.

My last track day I was getting double upshifts. Seemed to happen when in 3rd and shifting to 4th, but instead I'd get 5th gear.

I have since installed my slon DCT pan, which has been sitting on a shelf for about a year. Likely the new pan + extension for the suction pipe is enough to fix that problem, but more cooling is always better, right? I'm still undecided if I'm going to cut up the cover. I might wait to see how things go next time, with the new pan.

Maybe install a low profile naca duct and put some stainless mesh in front of it.

[roastbeef]

Undercar aero is tough because once the air gets past the front splitter, it's not a straight shot anymore. There are already ducts in the transmission felt cover, but improvements may not be that easy because the air is all messed up.

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

Undercar aero is tough because once the air gets past the front splitter, it's not a straight shot anymore. There are already ducts in the transmission felt cover, but improvements may not be that easy because the air is all messed up.

More fluid capacity doesn't equal less heat. Just like adding more oil to the engine doesn't equal lower oil temps. Not an engineer by any means but if you have to run more hot oil through the same amount of cooling surface...it's going to run hotter.

I run my E46 M3 at half on the dipstick. It runs hotter when I'm at the top...like I am now. This was a big problem on my 330ci since I ran oil levels at the top to reduce oil starvation.

A pan with external two fittings to circulate to a second cooler and a fitting for a temp switch...that would probably resolve shifting issues. I believe you need to keep the DCT within a temp range or it starts shifting funny.

I think this pan is similar to the e46/e9x M3 "upgraded" oil coolers. It doesn't work. I guess it works when you have beat up original coolers stuffed with sand, gravel, tire booger's and bugs and swap in an aftermarket unit. My opinion is you need more cooking surface area exposed to more fresh air.

I say that with no solution for an E90 and trying out a solution for an e46.

[roastbeef]

I'm taking about modding the felt DCT cover.
Most of the cooling of the aftermarket DCT pans is the transition from plastic to aluminum...

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by Adrian g.

Debris is my main concern as well, when thinking about cutting out the entire area of the cover below the DCT pan.

My idea is to enlarge the existing (front) openings slightly and perhaps adding (rear) openings just past where the DCT pans ends. Really the only thing holding me back at this point it's just my (lack) of understanding of airflow and how it would be affected with the addition of rear openings.

My last track day I was getting double upshifts. Seemed to happen when in 3rd and shifting to 4th, but instead I'd get 5th gear.

I have since installed my slon DCT pan, which has been sitting on a shelf for about a year. Likely the new pan + extension for the suction pipe is enough to fix that problem, but more cooling is always better, right? I'm still undecided if I'm going to cut up the cover. I might wait to see how things go next time, with the new pan.

Slonik pan improves oil starvation issues

Get the do88 cooler for the DCT. It's around twice the surface area vs stock and makes a huge difference

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Slonik pan improves oil starvation issues

Get the do88 cooler for the DCT. It's around twice the surface area vs stock and makes a huge difference

Agree.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Agree.

and speaking about the pan: I run without the felt thingy, my pan is free to breathe!

Not that I ran into any issues before, I just didn't bother putting it back on

[roastbeef]

I feel like there is some added value in having the sides of the trans cover to shield from the radiant heat of the exhaust.

[StripclubDJ]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

I feel like there is some added value in having the sides of the trans cover to shield from the radiant heat of the exhaust.

This

Also why my test pipes are heat wrapped

[Ximian]

The Aim Solo was set to the the open circuit type - is there a way to convert the data to a closed circuit in Race Studio? The GPS data is fine but I can't make a track map automatically.

[Samo6556]

I just ripped my felt DCT pan cover off somehow. Going to leave it as is with the slon pan exposed but keep the aluminum shields on the side on

[roastbeef]

speaking of dct pans, i had my xpipe swapped today and the dct cover was off and she was weeping a bit. all you slon workshop peeps have dry pans?

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by SYT_Shadow

Slonik pan improves oil starvation issues

Get the do88 cooler for the DCT. It's around twice the surface area vs stock and makes a huge difference

Didn't realize there were starvation issues...what does that feel like? I'm planning for an E9X M3 track car at some point...some day...

[kyippee]

Guys, Carbahn 4.2L vs. 4.6L motor build:

- Would either be preferred from a reliability perspective?
- What supporting mods would be helpful for reliability? Oil pan baffling? More cooling?
- What engine parts are worth doing? I vs. H-beam rods? High-flow throttle bodies? Are they worth it? The TBs for example are very expensive and only provide single-digit power gains

[kyippee]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

Didn't realize there were starvation issues...what does that feel like? I'm planning for an E9X M3 track car at some point...some day...

laggy DCT shifting and very clunky feeling. If it gets bad enough, limp mode happens and half your gears won't work. reading codes will show pressure loss errors

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by kpewpew

Guys, Carbahn 4.2L vs. 4.6L motor build:

- Would either be preferred from a reliability perspective?
- What supporting mods would be helpful for reliability? Oil pan baffling? More cooling?
- What engine parts are worth doing? I vs. H-beam rods? High-flow throttle bodies? Are they worth it? The TBs for example are very expensive and only provide single-digit power gains

I'd call them and ask to speak with the builder. If they can't answer these questions easily, I don't want them building my engine. :

[kyippee]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

I'd call them and ask to speak with the builder. If they can't answer these questions easily, I don't want them building my engine. :

I did, they seemed confident that just doing the base build is plenty fine. Reading on this forum, some seem to think high flow throttle bodies and catless provide significant gain

[roastbeef]

Originally Posted by kpewpew

I did, they seemed confident that just doing the base build is plenty fine. Reading on this forum, some seem to think high flow throttle bodies and catless provide significant gain

so if i'm understanding you correctly, there is a base build, then you can add all those other options you mentioned at additional cost?

throttle bodies are tricky. might help, might not do anything depending on how the motor is built. its said that shorter is for horsepower and longer is for torque. i would guess that widening without lengthening would have the equivalent effect of having a "shorter" throttle body without shortening it. you essentially change the air velocity which these cars like at 8k rpms.
i would theorize a higher displacement car would appreciate the throttle bodies but it might depend on how they achieve the increased displacement. i was thinking about the throttle bodies a while back, but after research and talking with people i trust, i decided against them.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

Didn't realize there were starvation issues...what does that feel like? I'm planning for an E9X M3 track car at some point...some day...

My main symptom of starvation was double up-shifts. I’d be in 3rd, shift once to 4th, and the car would shift again all by itself to 5th gear. And it wasn’t an overheated trans. This could happen on my first hot lap. And for me, it seemed to happen most of the time after high-G left turns.

The Slon pan virtually eliminated the problem. It went from happening on most hot laps, to happening rarely——probably now when the trans actually is overheated.

[SYT_Shadow]

Originally Posted by kpewpew

I did, they seemed confident that just doing the base build is plenty fine. Reading on this forum, some seem to think high flow throttle bodies and catless provide significant gain

The two entries with high flow throttle bodies show zero gain

Catless definitely gets you something