1LE really track ready...or not?

[Sgtrod]

Greetings all,

I have a bunch of questions regarding the 1LE's claimed track ready status.


I took my car to PBIR this weekend for my first HPDE and I boiled the brakes. Yes its my first track day (how dare I question the 1LE with my limited experience at the track) at the end of the day, my brake pedal sunk almost to the floor. Now the clutch feels spoungy too.

I found myself shopping for rotor, fluid pad and brake line upgrades. This gets real expensive.

I know you have to pay to play...granted, but what truth is there to the track ready slogan behind the 1LE if you need zl1 or ctsv brakes??

Someone help me understand this. After all, a novice should not be able to push the 1LE to the limit of its "track ready set up".

Am I missing something???

Im not just bashing the 1le, afterwards, I have some valid questions in my quest to actually make it intermediate track day ready.

Anyone have similar experience.

[FunkedOut]

What's up Rod?
Good time this weekend.
Clutch and brakes share the same fluid.
If you boiled your fluid, I guess there's a chance you got some bubbles in the clutch line?
Flush it all out with better fluid. Hopefully that fixes your clutch.

As for the novice comment, you were moving good.
You got me shopping for wheels/tires, shocks/struts and gears! lol!

[CamaroDreams76]

Boiling the brakes is a common problem on this car. Did you switch your brake fluid out before the HPDE?

[Sgtrod]

Hi Joe!

I had a great time. I might be addicted...lol

The people were all really cool.

You were going really fast. Especially since you were not on the nannies like I was.

Im hoping to be at the next track day but dont want to stress issues like brakes. Im sure I can learn lots from you. I never got your number.

I saw wheels on the forum and wished I could call you.

I was hoping the track experts (JDP or Justice Pete) would chime in and tell me what the limits are, what parts/fluids need upgrading and what maintenance regiment would be a good compromise.

Track on a budget

[skipinminn]

DOT 4

[Aero_Sport_Concepts]

Originally Posted by Sgtrod

Greetings all,

I have a bunch of questions regarding the 1LE's claimed track ready status.


I took my car to PBIR this weekend for my first HPDE and I boiled the brakes. Yes its my first track day (how dare I question the 1LE with my limited experience at the track) at the end of the day, my brake pedal sunk almost to the floor. Now the clutch feels spoungy too.

I found myself shopping for rotor, fluid pad and brake line upgrades. This gets real expensive.

I know you have to pay to play...granted, but what truth is there to the track ready slogan behind the 1LE if you need zl1 or ctsv brakes??

Someone help me understand this. After all, a novice should not be able to push the 1LE to the limit of its "track ready set up".

Am I missing something???

Im not just bashing the 1le, afterwards, I have some valid questions in my quest to actually make it intermediate track day ready.

Anyone have similar experience.

To start you should change the Fluid to a Dot 4 so the boiling point is higher. This is why you had peddle fade. I would also suggest to change the Brake Line to Stainless. Braking will feel stiffer under foot.

One thing i think that is important is adding Brake Duct Cooling to the brakes, the easiest for you would be the Z28 GM Ducts. Pretty easy Mod. I found almost 100deg difference in temps with them.

Your clutch probably acted up after boiling the fluid since they are shared. If you do the above you shouldn't have this problem. You'll want to flush the fluid from the clutch slave so corrects itself. To do that you need to pump the peddle 30-40 time and exchange the fluid and repeat the process a few time.

[Sgtrod]

If I flush my brakes, do I need to also flush the clutch? Or is it all one same line/system?

Is the Ranger clutch fluid method possible on this car?

[mySSt]

Originally Posted by Sgtrod

If I flush my brakes, do I need to also flush the clutch? Or is it all one same line/system?

Is the Ranger clutch fluid method possible on this car?

I flushed the clutch slave cylinder AFTER flushing the brake lines and purged some nasty looking crap out of the line at the slave. The brakes and clutch slave share the same reservoir, but independent lines. Also, bleeding the clutch slave at the top of the bell housing is a pain.

Not familiar with the Ranger method you listed.

Fresh DOT 4 is a must for track days. Also, IMO the nannies can add more brake use as they try to 'correct', so that would mean even more heat into the brake system.

[X25]

Regarding your title question: is it ready for track? Well, almost no car is, but this one is very close.

• Oil temps hit the roof, but don't seem to go as high as critical levels. Still, if you intend to attend many track days, you should take care of it.
• Brakes are overwhelmed, especially longer you go in the sessions. Brake ducting helps a lot, but ZL1 brake upgrade (at about $1200) is relative cheap, and very effective. I went with a BBK for other reasons, but it's not a must.
• Especially if you go with stickier tires, you might suffer oil starvation. It's not as common as C6 Z51s had since our cars have 8 quarts of oil to run through (vs. 6 quarts), but at some tracks with long (left?) sweepers, you will be on leased time. I installed an oil pan baffling to combat the issue. Combined with my XL oil cooler core and almost 10 quarts of oil in the system, I believe I'll be safe in any scenario.

Well, this is what I would list to my friends if they wanted to use a Camaro SS at the track; hope it helps : )

[snarky]

it's track capable. i think they fixed the language.

[FunkedOut]

Originally Posted by Sgtrod

If I flush my brakes, do I need to also flush the clutch? Or is it all one same line/system?

Is the Ranger clutch fluid method possible on this car?

same reservoir, but different lines. look at your res; it sits on the brake master, and has a black hose coming off the driver side. that black hose feeds the clutch master.

if you suck enough fluid out (like the Ranger method), you'll find a baffle in the reservoir that divides the clutch side from the brake side. this is there I case you spring a clutch leak, you don't lose your brakes and vice versa.
if you keep the fluid levels low enough to keep the two side isolated, you can do the ranger method using less fluid.
once the clutch is clean, fill it up flush the brakes.

you can also separate the clutch reservoir. JDP sells a kit.
remote bleed line on the throw out is "clutch"

[Stock Boy]

Hey Sgtrod. Everyone hit on it. The brakes are by far the weakest link for tracking this car. It is for almost all cars at the track, but the weight and speed of our sleds just make this issue all the more pronounced. The more you track and faster you get, you'll have to mod more and more to make the car able to withstand the session. It's a great hobby. (Throwing clumped fists of cash directly at car)

[cornerspeed92]

Everybody makes a valid point. Here's my 2 cents, remember this http://www.camaro5.com/stock-1le-put...repped-cars-2/. As i used to race my superbike here and know the track intimately, and my experience here is second only to a few. I drove my 1LE like a race car, now remember im STOCK and there hasn't been anyone in a stock or non stock beat my time as yet, and i think this time will stand. As far as brakes, watch my glowing rotors again driving this as a true race car. Now do our cars have a weakness of course, there not race cars, but when i drove mine like one, it out performed. I like this last video too, this is my 1LE chasing down another Z-06, you will see the yellow Z-06 within a minute, again driving just has hard as i could and on the ragged edge the 1LE had nothing more to give. But on this day a stock 1LE went toe to toe with 2, Z-06's, which are race cars, and the 1LE kicked ass!

[Gruby2k]

Sgtrod,
I feel your pain. I did the same thing my first time out. Overheated the brake fluid, and the pedal went to the floor. I questioned and bad mouthed Chevy (still do) for putting DOT 3 in a track "capable" or "ready" car, when they knew it should be replaced (with DOT 4) before any performance driving. Yeah I read that in the owners manual before I went but I'm a beginner, I'm not gonna push the car, right? IMO, good brake fluid with a good bleed before you go is all you really need. The GM brake ducks aren't too expensive and would go along way too, like Aero said. I haven't had any over heating problems, but I run in the spring and fall because I know it's just to hot (in the south) during the summer for me and probably the car too.