Ah no worries man. I'm not aiming my overbearing "I know everything and you all are idiots" attitude at you. It just pisses me off when people spout off at the mouth with information they read on the Internet without actually having real world experience with it. Because you know everything on the Internet is fact and all...

I'm sorta envious of you having all that cart experience. It's one of those things I've always wanted to give a go at. Lucky.

 

It was good times. some of the most fun i've ever had with both my family as a whole! My mom even raced for a season.

We stopped in 1990 after 2 people were killed in same season... 10 years of racing and never an incident and then one year 2 in a row. one guy decided to shove his head under the guard rail... you know... the ones with that recurve S shape which are flush to the ground... yea... messy. Another guy was killed when he hit an anti-freeze slick that was on a curve and spun off the track. never seen a kart bounce end over end until that day. Superkarts run with an intercooler setup... some guy dumped his **** on the track and that was that.

i'll see if i can dig up some old pics and scan them to post.

 

Lol no that gets aimed for whatever dumbass (read, wrong) reason at people that haven't "earned" the right to speak.

I still haven't seen where I'm spouting off at the mouth though about all my knowledge.

As far as "real world experience" goes, I'm building it. I'm trying the koni's and the s-tech's and the rs3's this season. I didn't want coilovers yet because I would **** up the settings so I'm taking it step by step and learning as I go. I don't see what's wrong with that.

I think you've taken something I've said the wrong way Brian because I'm not some cocky ******* that thinks he knows it all. Far from it. But having said that, if I have an opinion or suggestion or whatever, be it theory or practice based, I am and should be allowed to voice it without you or anybody making derogatory comments about it.

I get what you're saying, I just don't like the way you say it. If I'm wrong about something, fine say so and I'll accept that, but don't be an ******* about it.

 

Your mom ran too? That's awesome! The most my parents ever got involved with racing was I have taken my mom out for a few laps in the 8 and my Focus at Nelson Ledges. I doubt I could ever get either behind the wheel though.

As for the incidents on the track I couldnt imagine having to see that. I'm also surprised they ran coolant and not just water with water wetter or something like that. Unfortunate someone had to die because something like that was overlooked.

 

Hey! who wants to help me replace an alternator?

gr...

 

I've never replaced one before but if you just need a helping hand I'll help.
You sure it's not just a dead battery?

 

brand new battery. got it in Nov right before i stored the car.

Started the car and let it warm while i ate lunch. Car idled for 10-15 min. backed out of the drive... it died in the street. restarted and pulled fwd into the drive and it died half way to the garage. restarted it a third time, revved up, got it going and... it died, coasting back into the garage.

dead batts don't idea for 10-ish minutes. called Park Mazda in Akron and told them what i just related here. they came to same conclusion i did.



hoped to take it out this weekend. grr! have to wait until i get tax return before anything happens anyway. 6 months out of work doesn't allow for fixes to big boy toys.

 

That sucks man. I'm glad it atleast idled long enough so that when it died it didn't flood or anything like that on top it.

 

If only there was some kind of DIY written for this task
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-remove-alternator-218808/

Also check for loose connections at the battery and where it grounds to the frame (below battery box).

 

Jon to the rescue lol

 

LOL i was just about to post that i did a search and found your thread, Jon.

going to delve into this after work.

Thanks for the heads up on the grounding below the batt-box. will check it as well. i can only hope it's that easy but i've a feeling... it wont. but here's hoping!

 

Matt, if by chance you get the replacement alternator today, see if you can limp it over to my house and we can take care of it after/before Danny's rear suspension gets installed.

 

Ok, I have a spare few minutes at work so l'll throw you a bone. I wasn't going to respond to you anymore, but this is way too fun to pass up.


Earned the right to speak? Never said that. I said everything I learned about my car in regards to RACING is privilaged information that I will share with select people (aka MY setup). I spent a lot of money to get it where it is and I am not just going to give that information out FOR FREE to just ANYONE. In fact, you can't even pay me for it. I will share it with those that deserve to know, those that have also put the same effort I have into it. Pretty much if you don't have anything to bring to the table you aren't going to be sitting at the table. We help each other out because we both have something to offer each other and have worked hard for it.

I definitely don't know everything, but I'm not going to pass out tips and tricks on what alignemt works best for me and what tire pressures I am running that day and the settings of by shocks, sway bars, my tune, etc... I'd be a fool to just give that to anyone. Certain people I will share with, and that is a small select handfull.


Now on the flip side, I will help ANYONE with general automotive knowledge. I never withheld anything I know about working on a car from anyone. The same with instruction during racing. I go out of my way to help rookies in the club get better, as well as those that have been around for a while and are just looking for pointers. So maybe next timre read what I wrote instead of getting pissy for no reason.

It all started with your inability to comprehend the fact that your wing is illegal for STX. I made a suggestion that you take it off or run another class. You insisted on pusshing the issue of a suggestion in the rulebook, even though I repetedly told you we will not be allowing said suggestion at our events. You had blinders on to the fact, and you wouldn't drop it even though the answer was given to you on the clubs stance.

Also, I seem to recall a few pages ago when you accused my car of having illegal parts on it and Steve trying to skirt Tech Inspection. Remember that? More uniformed posts of you just spouting off.


You were told that the RS3 is not the appropriate tire for a single driver car in Northeast Ohio. 50% of our events are in the rain, and another 20% are in the cold. In fact you wer going to run Star Specs up until the meet, and then I mentioned running the RS3 and testing a new size on the car now all of a sudden you changed your mind.

Also, what can you screw up with a coilover? There are no more settings other than ride height than what you have on your Konis... Also, nothing wrong with learning as you go, I never said a single word about that.

I'm not the one that started the bashing, you were. I'm a dick and everyone here can agree on that. I say whatever pops in my head without censorship, and even though it may sound bad sometimes, most of the time it's just the end user taking it the wrong way. Typically the weak ones or the insecure ones are the first to cry.

Also, the name calling in your posts lessens the seemingly little credibility that you have. Also, claiming you are humble is actually the exact opposite of what you should be doing if you were truely humble. Im not sure youknow what that word means...

Go ahead and voice your opinions. But in the same respect I shouldn't have to censor myself because someone may get their vag in a twist over something I say. It's called the First Amendment. Welcome to America...

You didn't seem to have a problem with any of this when you weren't the direct center of the conflict. When McGraw was (who I still have to call and apologize to) yo sat back and laughed and egged it on. Sucks when the shoe is on the other foot, doesn't it?


I could dissect all the other posts you made and make rebuttles for those as well, but they have more holes in them than swiss cheese and I have to get back to work.

 

Just start the car and disconnect the battery. If your alternator is functioning properly you can run a car without a battery on it. If the car dies you need a new alternator.
Luckily the alternator is easy to get to. Even easier if you don't have the big *** factory airbox in the way.

 

You're mistaken Brian. I never asked for any secret setup tips. If I asked anything it would be a good point to start from. Also I was debating the rs3's before the meet. as soon as I asked you if the lower control arm swap was unavoidable then it sealed the deal, not because you said so. I even said during the conversation that I considered the 245's because the 255's were out of stock.

Again, about the wing, I was merely curious about the club's stance on the matter. I wasn't pushing anything I just wanted to understand. As soon as you mentioned the aero kits I did and I changed my registration.

The illegal car thing is taken way out of proportion.

I am humble and grateful but that doesn't mean I'm going to sit back and just let you bash me. I didn't deserve it.

About the wookie, I was on here for 5 seconds before he left. How did I egg **** on that looked like has been going on for way longer?

You're not getting what I'm trying to get across so I'll say it a different way. I understand your point of view. I know you are very knowledgeable about cars and racing and setups. I'm not debating any of that. The bashing started when you compared us (or me) to special Olympians (which really rubbed me the wrong way since my little brother is mentally handicapped) and I cannot stand being spoken to like that. A foreigner joke sure no problem but don't talk down to me. I'll come right back at ya.

Listen this can go on forever and it's useless. The special olympic thing pissed me off and **** went from there. In no way did I ever mean to come across as a know it all or step on anybodies toes.

You can tell me I'm wrong all day just tell me in a way that isn't condescending. That's all. And what you thought of as pushing the issue was just me trying to understand why. If I'm wrong I want to know why I am so I can learn from it.

 

While I've never the alternator die when I owned my 8, I have had alternators die before.

The only thing that doesn't seem to point to the alternator in your case is the fact that the battery had enough juice to start the car after it stalled. In my singular experience (Not expert racing experience or internet research), when the alternator isn't working, the car is running completely off the battery. So when the car stalls, that indicates the battery doesn't have enough juice to power the car anymore.

It slowly shuts down non-critical systems and relays go a little crazy.


So how did it retain enough juice to start it?

 

Only thing I would add is that while its a good way to test it, I wouldn't run the car for too long like this and don't try to "rev" the engine either.
The battery also acts like a voltage regulator supplying the car with a steady (or near) 12VDC and devices such as the PCM could get damaged if exposed to voltage spikes .

For me, the statement that made me think it may not be the alternator is his car stalls when in motion.
That usually indicates a loose battery connection because the vehicle is shaking more in motion than in idle.
I've seen many people on this forum overlook the connections to the battery because its new, but didn't realize the terminal/clamp itself came loose.
Matt did text me later and I suggested that he have his alternator tested at Autozone before purchasing a new one.

 

No, it wasn't taken out of proportion.

I told your their stance. REPETEDLY. Prep car for the class. If you have an illegal mod, move to class where it is legal. Period. It has always been this way. You just kept pushing the issue. I told you several times and you wouldn't listen to someone who knew what they were talking about. How many people did you have to hear it from before it was accepted as fact to you?


Claiming to be humble != being humble. It is the exact opposite. If you were truely humbe you wouldn't every mention that you were. Again, I don't think you know what that word means...

You didn't stand up for him, and you continued the jokes and took part in making fun of him. You are no better than me. And definitely not humble.


This is the part that really gets me. I am 2000% certain that I have made a "retarded" joke in front of you at some point, or called someone or somethihng retarded. It didn't **** you off then, why now? All of a sudden you bring your little brother into this as an excuse as to why you got your panties in a twist?

I call bullshit. Not that your have a special brother, but your logic behind the sand in your vag.

I'll have to agree with you on this. Why are we even discussing this as the conversation is borderline full simple. I say we just agree to disagree before this converstaion gets even more retarded.

 

Sounds good. I don't like arguing.

And again about the wookie, I couldn't stand him. Thought he was an idiot. and I was new so I didn't say much. The enemy of my enemy is my friend lol! I'm human lol not perfect.

I don't mind things or people being retarded or called retarded. It just rubbed me the wrong way because special olympians is very specific and retarded covers pretty much everyone at some point(I know not literally but you get what I mean). that's all. Again just human.

I'm not saying I'm always right or stand up at every turn, **** I'd never be done.

And it only took you to convince me to change my class I just wanted to see the logic behind it.

 

yanked the alt. got it tested. it's fine. so... hmmm. new battery. alternator is fine. car idles no problem. put it in gear and it dies. I can't get it to go even a driveway length.

thoughts?

 

I'm by no means an expert but can you rev it standing still? Maybe fuel pressure? Fuel pump or something?

 

it revs ok and will sit and idle for as long as I let it. though I admit, I didn't try to rev it any more than necessary to go in and out of reverse or first. no real stress tests persay

 

Matt- Does it stall as soon as you put it into gear or is the vehicle in motion?
Does the RPM "bounce" between 800 and 1200rpm before stalling?

If you want to rule out vacuum leak, hook a gauge to the VFAD nipple behind the throttle body while the car is in idle.
Should be above 16in.Hg

 

John -- to answer your question, the car stalls sometimes when put immediately into gear and sometimes just after about 10 feet. I've not been able to really go more than that without it stalling.

As for the RPM's, i never got a chance to actually watch what they were doing.

The more i thought about the possibility of the vacuum leak, the less i was convinced it might be the issue. here's why: in Nov when this first started, as mentioned before, i took the battery to be checked to see if it was dead. It was. so it got replaced (yay optima warranty!). I installed the battery and drove the car about 10 miles or so. Figured that within 10 miles, if there was something more amiss than battery, the car would fail. It didn't. so i brought it home and parked it for winter. Now, it's acting like it did before i replaced the battery.

I'm going to put it all back together and see if i can get it started again and then disconnect the battery to see if it does indeed idle on the alternator and for how long.

 

Steve and I finished up the car last night and I couldn't be happier. Handles like a dream. I took it on a couple 270 degree turns and nothing. Not a shake or a shimmy and the car stays so much flatter. I opted to set the rears at approximately 25% stiffness. Theory behind it being if I set it too stiff that bumps will unsettle the rear midturn. I can't thank Steve enough for all the help. Just got back from alignment shop and everything is where I wanted it and strangely enough the mechanic had no problem adjusting the front camber so no need for new lower control arms yay! I do need a new endlink for my rear sway bar though. (we kinda screwed it up putting in the rear shocks) but that's ordered. Now all I need is brake pads, fluid changes and tires and we're off :D
I took the car on my "redline de-carb" road and from a standstill to 90 there's a left hand turn that would unsettle the car a bit before at 90 but now, nothing. Like the road was perfectly straight. Can't wait to see what the tires will do and how the car will react adjusting the front shocks.