April 2024

Shop page updated

Are you after looking to add traction control to your race car? Maybe you need a custom made trigger disk / reluctance ring? Check out the range of parts I can now supply.

RSR Escort front and rear trigger disks designed

Just getting prices for laser cutting these speed trigger disks for an RSR Escort. The front features 24 teeth and the rear, 12, and both are 4mm thick.


I should be getting the printed parts back next week. I've had a delivery of another 200 4mm dowels, ready for inserting in to the printed parts which I will be testing on my car at Blyton on the 19th.

Printed gearbox trigger disk

The 20 tooth 3D printed trigger wheel is now fitted to the output cup on the Hewland box, and in testing in the garage, the GT101 sensor sees the steel dowels as they pass; so I've edited the CAL to set it to 20 teeth, and will test the ring out at Blyton in just over 3 weeks time. I've also sent to print 24, 26, 28 and 30 dowel versions, which I'll also test. The 20 tooth ring gives me 18 degree's of rotation per pulse, which will again help improve the launch and traction control. The GT101 will switch up to 25KHz which is way beyond the number of pulses it'll see at 160mph.

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Fifth injector v3

The modified cad drawings for the third revision to the fifth injector parts are away for printing. I've changed the fuel rail to use an ORB-6 boss which will give a better seal for the AN6 fuel adaptor when its fitted. This took some headscratching to achieve; I used a 1859N107 adaptor from the McMaster library, and redrew the fuel rail around it. I think it looks great, and cant wait for the parts to come back.


For the past 3 weeks I've been helping a student at Leicester Uni, develop code to display BMS data on their Dash4Pro. It started off with them discovering they didnt have the CAN license, which was easily sorted. And after that I've been helping them understand the format of the data as it comes across the bus, and how to align the frames with the numeric controls on the display. Its all working now, and I look forward to seeing the finished product when they've completed their project.

After designing RLM their wheel speed trigger disks and sensor bracket for their race winning Cup car, I'm getting busier now with requests from other people. I've just sent off some other components to print for another client, and I've supplied some additional NPN speed sensors to another customer in Scotland. If you need any parts designing or supplying, please get in touch.

I have also sent off to print a range of front wheel trigger disks, with 22, 24, 26 and 28 dowels in them, which I will be testing on the Mygale. Parts should be back at the start of May.

If you want evidence of how the higher number of pulses per revolution improves launch and traction control, this video shows me launching at Anglesey, with 0-60 in just 3.1 seconds. I had the quickest launch of any single seater all weekend. As the car launches, the ECU automatically shifts 1st to 2nd then 2nd to 3rd, so I just have to hold on tight and enjoy the ride. There's also some clever stuff going on with boost and throttle position during the launch stage, but I cant say what that is, you'll just have to work it out for yourself.

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CAN BUS simulator - completed

Today I created a CSV file which contains the CAN data which would normally be generated and sent by the ECU during a run. I then wrote a short Python program, that transmits the data to the Dashboard over CAN, via the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. It reads the CSV file, and sends six frames at a time, 20 times a second, and the dashboard displays the frame data as it would in the car. That now allows me to test the Shift lights or the numeric controls, without having to run the engine or drive the car :D

I started by exporting the logged data from the ECU, from a run from Castle Combe last year. This is exported from LifeVIEW to CSV (@ 20Hz). Then using Excel, I imported the CSV and converted the data in to HEX and then in to CAN frame format, based on the DBC file I'm using. This ensures that each frame sent by the Python program, contains the data that the dashboard is expecting, to allow it to display the data as a numeric control etc. The CAN frame data is then saved back to CSV, and copied to the Raspberry Pi where the Python reads the file, and line by line, writes the data to the CAN BUS.


The source code is available at the following Github repository.

Here is a short video showing the process.

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CAN BUS simulator

I've interfaced the Dash4Pro to a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, which allows me to send test data to the Dash over CAN, to make sure that any changes to the display design, can be tested, prior to driving the car. At Cadwell in March I arrived at the track to find that the engine oil pressure wasnt being displayed, due to an orphaned control. I can now modify and test the display, at home, without having to run the engine :D The project page is now live

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3D parts arrived

The Mk2 version of the fifth fuel injector parts came today, and although I've now found the right profile for the IW048 injector to push in to the main body which sits above the throttle body, I hadn't transferred those dimensions across to the fuel rail, so frustratingly the o-ring on the Pico injector wouldnt push in to the rail. It was the chamfer that was wrong which I've now resolved, so off to print we go again. If the Mk3 version fits together, then I'll go straight to manufacturing.


The 30 dowell trigger disk also arrived, and after fitting the 30 steel dowels, I am just left with fitting it to the front wheel for testing.

The Dash4pro worked perfectly over the weekend, after I'd remedied the issues with orphaned frames. What I'm writing at the moment is a piece of Python to emulate the CAN Data stream sent from the Life ECU. I am using an Inno-CAN board, from Windows, which is running python inside IDLE. I am just waiting for a second 9-way D-type breakout to arrive, and then I can connect the CAN Hi and Lo's together and provide 12V for the D4P, and I should then be able to transmit data to the D4P which it will then recieve and display. This will allow me to fully test the Dashboard on the desk, rather than having to run the engine to ensure all the frames from the ECU are being intercepted and displayed.

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1.1G launch

I'm positive the 20 dowel printed reluctance ring is helping with the launch and traction control. The car did a 2.2s 64ft launch on Sunday, and recorded over 1.1G. I've got some 30 dowel plastic rings on order, which I'll fit to the same left front wheel, to further increase the resolution. And I'll fit the 20 dowel printed rear ring for Blyton, so see if that also further reduces the 64ft time.

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Missing flags

After a lengthy conversation yesterday with the CofC and the Stewards, where I asked what the contents of the Motor Sport UK Stewards report for the meeting would contain, an explanation was given, for the missing red flags, and after some further dialogue, the situation has been resolved to my satisfaction.

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A weekend to forget

The less said about Anglesey the better. I cant get away with writing that though; a hell of a lot happened, and it was chaos with Storm Kathleen blowing gale/storm force winds all weekend. Needless to say, it was a battle to get through both days unscathed.

Saturday

Saturday was frequent showers, and a damp/drying or wet track, and I was on slicks most of the day, including the first run off when a quick shower fell just before the Run Off, we had the wet track, which then dried for the following drivers, and their times improved accordingly. I also ran the wets on one dry run, just to avoid the damp patches on a couple of the corners, and they took a battering when it was drier, but the times showed they worked in the dry, I was joint FTD at one point using them, the other driver on Slicks! The National circuit worked well, but the Hairpin was exceptionally difficult to slow down for, with the tailwind. And the exit of the hairpin was wet all weekend with a stream running across the track. I didnt score well, but was happy just to survive. No faults on the car, and the driver certainly enjoyed the banter and challenging circuit.

Results: 6th and 4th in Run Off 1 and 2
Link to results

Sunday

Sunday was awful. We had heavy rain at 4am which woke most of the paddock. My van was buffeted from side to side, and it wasnt a good place to be. The winds weren't reducing in strength, but at least when we ventured out and unlocked the garages, the track was drying out, and the skies were blue.

We did P1 and T1, and by 11am were waiting, prepared, refuelled etc to do the first run off in ever improving conditions. But the organisers decided we'd have an enforced early lunch, starting when the T1 batch had finished. And the forecast was rain for 1pm. We stopped for lunch at 12 Noon, and at 12:45, with darkening skies, we were all called to the line. I lined up with my best slicks on, and set off around 1pm, and monstered the car around. It was a fantastic run, even with rain appearing on the visor at Rocket. When I finished the run, the timing screen at the finish showed Pete's time, and it was a very slow time, and I knew straight away there was a problem. In the pits I checked the phone to see the live times, and myself, Pete and Stephen Miles were all given times of over 100 seconds, but the splits showed I was easily the fastest of the three of us. But then the rain started to come down, and we were told we all had to take re-runs.

I quickly fitted the wets on the car, and jumped back in to have a re-run, otherwise I'd only score 13 points for not having a time. Pete and Steve did the same thing, and we were soon being glared at by the competitors still waiting to take their runs on slicks. Why wouldnt you fit tyres appropriate to the conditions?

I didnt queue jump, I waited my turn and when I set off my glasses steamed up and I had no idea where I was going, Pete had the same issue; and none of us really had a good run. When I returned to the pits and parked up, John Graham complained about the changing of tyres, said it wasnt allowed, but there is nothing in the rules about it. And I have seen dual driven cars change tyres between driver changes, so the precedent has been set.

Consequently, the Run Off 1 run was scrubbed, due to the weather and timing equipment fault. We were told that, while queuing for the 3rd timed run, and that the 3rd timed run was now the first Run Off! Which wasnt ideal. After that run we were then given another 5 minutes to prepare for the 3rd timed run, and that went as well as expected.

But was the 3rd timed run also going to be the final run, and therefore the 2nd run off, or would we get another one?

About 30 minutes later we were told we had a fourth and final run, and so we prepared. The track was drying, but I opted to stay on wets, and some of the corners were still quite damp and I didnt fancy a spin.

So for the final run, the 2nd run off, I set off after Goulding, and was surprised to catch him at the finish line. Had he had a problem? I asked Pete what had happened and he said he had spun ahead of me.

Nothing much else happened; we busied ourselves with packing up, and Smiles celebrated a run off win with his music. I left at 4pm to make the journey home.

After I arrived home, I was told about a red flag and re-run for Smiles. Apparently I had ignored the red flags and continued at race speed. I immediately felt guilty for not seeing the red flags. I honestly didnt see them. The CofC decided not to punish me for ignoring the red flags, and my time was allowed to stand. Again, what red flags?

On Monday morning, Smiley shared a pair of screen shots of the onboard from his Run Off 2 video, following me around the track, and he did have static red flags shown to him. What? How could I not have seen them? So after I unloaded the car on Monday morning, I took the SD card out the camera and checked the footage, and low and behold, there were no flags shown on my Run Off 2 run.

Make of that what you will. Why was Smiles shown the red flag for Petes spin and I wasn't? He was affored a re-run as he'd slowed down. But no red flag for me is a major failure; If Pete hadnt cleared the track ahead of me, I'd have had zero warning, and could potentially have driven in to him, or taken avoiding action and left the track!

It was a crap result in the end; Smiley went on to take FTD on his re-run, on warm tyres, a good ten minutes after his first run, and he capitalised on the opportunity to take the both run off wins, and the overall championship lead.

All in all, I'm not impressed. The lost run off win from the aborted Run Off 1, and then the subsequent red flag farce in Run Off 2, isnt the standard we expect, and at this level, isn't acceptable. To be accused of missing red flags, when they werent even shown, isnt acceptable either.

On the bright side, I completed seven runs on Sunday, with no issues, and didnt take a spanner to the car all weekend. That's how it should be. The next round is at Blyton Park in 6 weeks time.

Results: 4th and 4th in Run Off 1 and 2
Link to results

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Picture from the Mallory Park sprint

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Cadwell run off video

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Anglesey prep

The entry list is out for the Anglesey weekend (6th & 7th April) and its not a bad turnout with 15 drivers battling for the top 12 point scoring positions. I'm hoping for better luck than when I last went in October 2023, when the core plug burst. Travelling home on Sunday with some wins under my belt will be the best outcome. The forecast is pretty poor, with heavy rain and strong winds forecast for most of the weekend. I've no changes on the car other than replacing the pair of 3D printed plastic turning vanes that sit ahead of the rear wheels. The replacements are printed thicker, to make them both tougher, and hopefully less prone to stone damage. The dash4pro has been reprogrammed, to try and resolve an issue I'd created, by giving some of the frames 'friendly' names. Fingers crossed it doesnt have any more ophaned numeric controls.

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