Lewis's Clio 200 Cup

[Johnny 99]

Never nice to get an unexpected large bill. At least you caught it before the water pump failed as that could have been even more expensive.
Calipers are prone to sticking & brakes benefit from being stripped & cleaned once a year. I'm no mechanic & always get it done when the car is in for servicing.
The lumpiness you were experiencing is common & normally removed by a remap so good that it has disappeared for you. When my car was remapped after fitting an aftermarket exhaust it removed a flat spot that I hadn't realised I had until it wasn't there anymore.
Hopefully that's the last big bill you'll have for a while.
Enjoy Knockhill.

 

[Pav]

Will feel much better..enjoy

 

[Lewis Watson]

Had good fun at the Super Lap Scotland event at Knockhill. Was great to be on track with all the Clio Sport Owners Club Scotland guys.

My wee Clio was running well, exhaust sounded a more throaty. Strangely enough I didn't notice much of a difference with braking, even though the rear brakes were probably not doing anything last time.

Had showers throughout the day so experienced a mix of dry and wet driving. Kept my PS4's on for the first session as it was wet, then changed onto the R888R's for the remaining 5 sessions. I'd say the R888R's performed great in dry to moist conditions. The PS4's still had the edge when it got proper wet though.

I didn't go fast enough at the hot hatch track day to say how the R888R's performed at the edge of grip, did a better job this time though and can report that they are quite predictable in how they slide. Really happy with them.

The check ABS/ESP light came on duing the final session so will need to get that checked out. I'm hoping its something simple like a speed sensor needing adjusted.

 

[Pav]

glad you had a good time..

 

[Johnny 99]

Had good fun at the Super Lap Scotland event at Knockhill. Was great to be on track with all the Clio Sport Owners Club Scotland guys.

My wee Clio was running well, exhaust sounded a more throaty. Strangely enough I didn't notice much of a difference with braking, even though the rear brakes were probably not doing anything last time.

Had showers throughout the day so experienced a mix of dry and wet driving. Kept my PS4's on for the first session as it was wet, then changed onto the R888R's for the remaining 5 sessions. I'd say the R888R's performed great in dry to moist conditions. The PS4's still had the edge when it got proper wet though.

I didn't go fast enough at the hot hatch track day to say how the R888R's performed at the edge of grip, did a better job this time though and can report that they are quite predictable in how they slide. Really happy with them.

The check ABS/ESP light came on duing the final session so will need to get that checked out. I'm hoping its something simple like a speed sensor needing adjusted.

So interested to read your views on the tyres at Knockhill. I am using PS4 myself but have just got another set of rims (I had dropped hints to my wife that I was thinking along these lines & ordered when there was no negative reaction). Just ordered some R888R to go on these rims. I'm going to Knockhill 20/10 so might get to try the Toyos if it's ok dry day. Never had a trolley jack, but my birthday this week & there's one waiting in the spare bedroom for my birthday present. Should make life easier!

 

[Lewis Watson]

Sounds like we have very similar setups! And supportive wives (so far at least

The R888R's have been great. I've driven them in a few different weather conditions now and I'd say its only when its proper wet (as in actually raining) that they struggle. I'd say put em on as soon as the track starts drying up. They offer loads of grip and seem to be progressive when they slide. My ones haven't shown much sign of wear which is a good sign.

I see the 20/10 track day is an open pit lane, which should be ideal. My last two track days have been in the hot hatch format so not that much time on track. You'll be able to ramp up the speed throughout the day at your own pace. I've been taking it easy on the first lap, and they seem to get up to temperature quickly.

Not sure how much experience you have with swapping wheels, but here is what I've learned so far (one novice to another)

1. Get a rubber hockey puck to sit between your jack and the car. This will spread the load
2. You'll notice all the regulars using impact guns to whip their bolts off. This is because its a pretty laborious job doing it manually. I spent ages swapping the wheels the first time, and was literally the last person to leave! I haven't got an impact wrench yet, but I was a bit faster the second time which I put down to practice and investing in a breaker bar. The bolts expand when hot and are quite hard to get off!
3. ... cant think of anything else...

I've dropped my car off at the mechanics over the weekend. Waiting to hear what they think is causing the abs/esp light to come on. Depending on how expensive that is I might get them to replace my rusty front sub-frame/radiator mount while its in. I'd really like to join you on the 20/10 track day, but might be a tall order after sinking multiple thousands into the car this year so far. We'll have to see how it goes!

 

[Lewis Watson]

A new speed sensor fixed the problem that was causing the ESP/ABS light. Possibly more fallout from all the heat the stuck rear calipers were generating. A new sensor fixed that problem, so I decided to go ahead with replacing the rusty radiator mount.

This is what the old radiator mount looked like after it was pulled out of the car



Not really saveable



I don't really consider the car as having much of a rust problem, but there are definetly some components that were letting the side down!

The radiator mount was the worst offender, but there was also a wee metal mount for the bonnet alarm sensor



The boot latch



And one of the boot gas struts



All of the rusty parts were fully functional, but visible whenever I had the boot/bonnet open. Not what I want to see after investing so much money getting the mechanicals sorted.

I ordered replacement gas pistons and boot latch from eBay. The factory fitted alarm isn't a renault part so difficult getting replacement parts for, so I decided to try restoring the part.

Restoring the Bonnet Alarm Sensor Mount

Chanelling everything I have learned from Handtool Rescue, I first stripped what remained of the paint, removed the loose rust with a wire brush, then the sensor mount went for a bath in rust remover dip.



After the best part of a week in the rust bath, and some filing



Given how pitted the bare metal was, I could have used some filler primer. I had some Forth bridge style red-oxide primer already in the shed though, so I used that instead.



After primer I added two coats of black metal paint (also already in the shed). Attempt #1 didn't have a great finish to it.



After sanding the rough paint down again, more primer and more black paint I think it looks presentable. The alarm hasn't went off since I've done this so I think its a win!

 

[Lewis Watson]

Replacing the rusty boot latch

Replacing the rusty boot latch should have been a quick job since I had effectively thrown money at the problem by investing in a new original renault part. However, more rust was lurking behind the latch...



The latch sits insde a black metal cartridge, that in turn sits inside a metal cave formed of bodywork. The black metal cartridge was rusted around where water seems to collect. I didn't like the idea of putting my shiny new latch up against all that wet rust so something had to be done.

Ideally I would remove the black metal cartridge so I could remove all the rust and repaint. However, I don't think I would be able to do that without damaging the bodywork. Sanding it all down in situ would be difficult and messy, so I decided to try using rust converter.

Took about three applications of the rust converter before I thought it was good enough for paint.



With that done I was able to put the new latch in.



Putting all the plastic interior pieces back in was not straightforward. I'd probably look up the proper way of doing that before attempting it again. I'd also not do it in the dark on my driveway...



You can also see the new gas struts in that picture. That was an easy job that only required a flat head screwdriver.

 

[Johnny 99]

Good work! Always nice to see a car that is in the hands of an owner that looks after it properly.

 

[Big Ben]

Great effort

 

[Pav]

good job..just wonder ..my never gone rusty...

 

[Lewis Watson]

Had my first track day of the year on Sunday at a dry Knockhill. Good mix of cars in attendance and I had a blast



Over the winter I invested in a Simpson Bandit helmet and a Ryobi Impact Wrench, hoping to make the track day a bit less hectic. This worked well, but I was surprised when the impact wrench struggled to get the wheel bolts off in the morning. I had to deploy the breaker bar in the end. Worked better in the afternoon though, got my road wheels back on a lot faster.

Overall, the car survived well. The only casualty was the OSF wheel arch liner. Not sure when it broke, possibly during the track day. Looks to be a ~£90 part.

 

[Lewis Watson]

Other random ramblings:

So far I seem to be the only guy who leaves all his kit in a heap on the ground in the paddock. The norm seems to be to bring a support vehicle, or no kit. I haven't had any bother doing this though, other than folk occasionally parking next to my kit while I'm on track. Maybe eventually I'll get a trailer (not sure where I'd store it), or even just a tent to better mark out a spot in the paddock. Could also leave stuff in the pits, although it's not that much different to leaving it in the paddock...

@Pav I've been thinking about what you said about your boot latch not rusting. My driveway is inclined, so I've started parking facing up the incline as I think the boot collects less water that way.

 

[Pav]

yeah its strange one..lots of people have had this issue but i never..hope your new technique helps

 

[Banbury]

Had my first track day of the year on Sunday at a dry Knockhill. Good mix of cars in attendance and I had a blast

View attachment 132006

Over the winter I invested in a Simpson Bandit helmet and a Ryobi Impact Wrench, hoping to make the track day a bit less hectic. This worked well, but I was surprised when the impact wrench struggled to get the wheel bolts off in the morning. I had to deploy the breaker bar in the end. Worked better in the afternoon though, got my road wheels back on a lot faster.

Overall, the car survived well. The only casualty was the OSF wheel arch liner. Not sure when it broke, possibly during the track day. Looks to be a ~£90 part.

View attachment 132007

@Lewis. I’m in the same position as you... Advised to get a trailer. Also *exactly* the same as you re: impact driver/ wrench! I have the Makita impact driver and it’s too weak... if you find a wrench with enough torque let me know.[emoji106]



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DS197]

Had my first track day of the year on Sunday at a dry Knockhill. Good mix of cars in attendance and I had a blast

View attachment 132006

Over the winter I invested in a Simpson Bandit helmet and a Ryobi Impact Wrench, hoping to make the track day a bit less hectic. This worked well, but I was surprised when the impact wrench struggled to get the wheel bolts off in the morning. I had to deploy the breaker bar in the end. Worked better in the afternoon though, got my road wheels back on a lot faster.

Overall, the car survived well. The only casualty was the OSF wheel arch liner. Not sure when it broke, possibly during the track day. Looks to be a ~£90 part.

View attachment 132007

Mine is broken in the exact same spot too!

 

[Johnny 99]

Other random ramblings:

So far I seem to be the only guy who leaves all his kit in a heap on the ground in the paddock. The norm seems to be to bring a support vehicle, or no kit. I haven't had any bother doing this though, other than folk occasionally parking next to my kit while I'm on track. Maybe eventually I'll get a trailer (not sure where I'd store it), or even just a tent to better mark out a spot in the paddock. Could also leave stuff in the pits, although it's not that much different to leaving it in the paddock...

@Pav I've been thinking about what you said about your boot latch not rusting. My driveway is inclined, so I've started parking facing up the incline as I think the boot collects less water that way.

Strange, at the track days I've been to I've left my stuff in a pile in the paddock & never had any problems. People leave the space clear while I'm on track.
My impact wrench doesn't cope with the wheel bolts first thing so I loosen them half a turn by hand and don't get problems thereafter.

 

[Lewis Watson]

Intersting you guys have had similar issues with impact wrenches, with different brands too. If all I need to do is go through the bolts with the breaker bar in the morning before jacking the car up then I can live with that. Some of the bolts were proper stiff though, makes me wonder if I need to re-tap them again like what I had to do when I first installed my TPI bolts.

I might have been having a wee moan about the guy who parked in "my spot" but it really wasn't a big deal. I think he was there supporting one of the race cars and was gone before I needed to pack up for the day. I just parked nearby during lunch etc. A minor inconvenience, still had a great day

 

[tcw]

I've never had my Milwaukee impact fail to undo a wheel nut/bolt. What torque are the impacts you're using rated to?

 

[Lewis Watson]

I've never had my Milwaukee impact fail to undo a wheel nut/bolt. What torque are the impacts you're using rated to?

Ryobi claims 400Nm of torque. Found a Milwaukee one that can do 1627nm! Fair bit more expensive though. Maybe I'm getting what I paid for.