Off-season checklist

B

Boswoj

New member
Has anyone developed an off season checklist for all the maintenence, inspection and rebuild items on a first gen? I would love to see it, and make sure there isn't something that others have had trouble with that I am missing.

I've got a long cold winter to make sure the car is perfect!

Thanks
 
I will preface this with I drive an ITA rx7, I am not a frontrunner(mid packer even), and I like to spend time in the garage.

This what I plan on doing.....however it might never get done, except the last one
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Build a spares inventory (easier over time with my financial consultant(wife
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- Front brakes
- Two front rotors
- Set of tires
- Seals and bearings Front/Rear
- Build two rear axles (have the axles, need the mounting plate for rear disc)

Install new go fast goodies(Santa I really want these, I think!)
- Front coil over springs

Pull the motor and paint the engine bay

Replace the hard lines from the front to back of the car since they are getting on twenty years old.

Change the engine, tranny and rear end oil, repack the front bearings, check the rear bearings,check the brakes/rotors, and given another post and Santa's goodness check my shocks just for good measure.

And I almost forgot, drink a few beers go zoom zoom in the race car at least every other week
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I run a 1st gen RX-7 here in Canada, and ended up winning my class. My winter check list is as follows:

1. Start at front bumber and go to back bumper.

2. Look at everything.

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G. Brooke Carter
# 10 Challenge Car
Calgary, Alberta
 
That's kind of how I do it too BCarter, but being the over-organized zealot that I am, I usually make checklists to make sure everything is ready by the time I get to the track. Every now and then I hear someone say something like "Oh, I have to change widgets every three races or so" and I realize I have NEVER looked at mine, so I was just wondering if anyone had developed a failure based inspection and/or replacement schedule or something. Mine continues to evolve, I was just hoping someone had done the work for me!

(Lazy bastard) - Boswoj
 
My between race weekend checklist pretty much covered everything. The club I ran with required a tech inspection before every race weekend.

The items that I found which needed constant attention were the front wheel bearings, panhard heims, driveshaft u-joints.

3 sets of bearings, panhard heims always having their locknuts coming loose. 3 driveshafts in 3 seasons (1st one was 200K street miles old, 2nd one from a local driveshaft shop lasted about a season, the factory (Mazda comp) one had 2 seasons on it and was begining to feel worn.


I would scale, align, nut and bolt everything, repack wheel bearings, check brake pad linings. Oil and filter, flush and bleed brake fluid. Check driveshaft u-joints (non-replaceable in certain years), check belts/hoses. Water level, water-wetter. Recharge battery. Check seat mount, fire system charge status, harness condition. Clean it.

A stock clutch had 72 race hours on it, no problems. Changed the trans and rearend oil with a hi-quality synthetic once a season.



[This message has been edited by Quickshoe (edited October 09, 2002).]
 
I may have seemed flippant about the winter check list, but I am serious. I look at every nut and bolt on the car. In the winter in Canada, there's not a lot of other stuff to do once you have the igloo built, and the sled dogs fed.

In between race weekends, besides any obvious damage/wear-out, I pretty much always replace front bearings, while checking rotors, and pads, check ALL moving parts, and all suspension connections, change oil/oil filter, low-pressure wash and re-oil KN air filter, check plugs, belts, rad, oil cooler for leaks, rad for oil in water, plug leads and other electrical, shocks for leaks, bleed brakes ( another whole thread )check all my tires, and flip some on rims for more even wear, tranny and diff fluids, transponder battery, tailpipe/muffler mounts, etc.

My life is in my hands. I have been behind several cars whose wheels have fallen off!! Ya gotta check it all, all the time !

Now... why do we all seem to go through so many front bearings??

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G. Brooke Carter
# 10 Challenge Car
Calgary, Alberta
 
Checklist hmmmmm.

(1) get better job so I can outspend all of you. check.

(2) trade wife in for one that makes more money so I can outspend of of you. ya right.

(3) sell car and buy a faster one so I can go faster than all of you. still cant drive worth a crap.

(4) figure out why I live next to a golf course and spend all of my time driving a twenty five year old putter. hehe

Daryl
 
Originally posted by bcarter:
I have been behind several cars whose wheels have fallen off!! Ya gotta check it all, all the time !

Now... why do we all seem to go through so many front bearings??
Click to expand...


I am lucky...never had a wheel fall off! (I can list, but won't, some other pretty embarassing things, minor in nature), but the wheels get torqued and then checked again before every session....people understand when a trans mount breaks, but not tightening your wheels is just plain embarassing!

I've never lost a front bearing either...I can feel one starting to get loose...theres a "gritty feeling" through the steering wheel, and I take the hint and repack them and adjust them before the next session. At the end of the season I always replace them, although they always look fine! Too cheap and easy not to!

I do run synthetic rear diff oil, and plan to start in the trans as well, and I just had my first trouble with the rear bearings....after 5 years racing on a 130k mile rear axle!


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Jake Gulick
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
First lap on a car they barley let on the track do to it's looks, and I come in, as all the lugs on every wheel gets a full turn or two in front of the "cheif steward", thats called "NOT" having ANY check list...it don't work !! Rick
 
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