Good Time at Thunderhill (8/27) - Now where's that spare tranny?

CupertinoSteve · 08-27-2003, 10:00 PM

Hi Everyone,
It was good to see everyone out at the track at the same time. This is by far, the most Subies I’ve ever seen at any HPDE. Kudos to BAIC!

[Steve’s Eulogy]
Well the time finally came for my tranny to "retire". On 8/27 @ 11:50AM going into Turn 9 at Thunderhill, I tried to rev-match and downshift into 3rd gear but my transmission said "I've had enough". At that point it decided to spit all of its teeth from third gear throughout the transmission case. Luckily, I still had enough braking capacity left to safely exit the turn (guess how embarrassed I would be if I went off track with a passenger).

So I only got to run with the "Red" group for 2.5 out 5 sessions (not including the 50 minute enduro). Oh well, I could feel the tranny weakening dramatically over the past month (synchros were all crushed and it grinded getting into gear - even with a new clutch, fully depressed). I had lunch (since it was already paid for), watched one more session and headed home. It took a good 35 miles for the metal bits to settle at the bottom the case, but for the first 40 minutes of the drive home it sounded like I was in a tin can full of pebbles.

So before I conclude, I would like to highlight the accomplishments of my original 5MT:
- 40,068 total miles driven before breakdown, now its sits at home with 40,251 miles (the last 183 miles, it limped home at 80mph).
- Outlasted original stock clutch by 1 week
- 800+ dyno pulls in 3rd gear (Dyno Dynamics + Dynojets)
- Converted to 2 wheel drive FWD for 3 months and made over 250+ dyno pulls on Dynojet @ Mustang Ranch
- over 18 HPDEs in the past 18 months (moving from green group to yellow group and retiring in red group)
- survived 1 two day beating by the folks at Sport Compact Car
- survived countless "hot laps" throughout the southern Bay Area

First Owned - 7/18/01 @ 3:40PM
Retired - 8/27/03 @ 11:50AM

I'm working on converting the last lap of the tranny to .mpg ... I'll post the link to this thread. I just ordered my newly, used 5MT (500 miles or so on it). It should be here on Friday. I'll see if I can get it installed early next week. I'll open up the tranny and do a post-mortem on it (pictures will be included in this thread).

Safe Driving Everyone,
- Steve

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

CupertinoSteve · 08-27-2003, 10:02 PM

Anyone one else have any stories for the day?

I just converted the video to mpeg using the low quality mode, its frickin’ 14MB for the short video clip and 45MB for the clip that included the whole lap leading up to the trashed tranny. Can anyone help me convert this file to smaller mpeg format? Or host it?

tartay · 08-27-2003, 10:12 PM

I have no stories, yet I offer my condolences to you...lol poor car, tranny been thru a lot...seems like it held up pretty damn well tho for all its been thru, a friend back in tennessee went thru 2 tranny's in a month...question tho, are you just gettin another stock tranny, or are you gonna get one with beefier gears and such?

- Brian

CupertinoSteve · 08-27-2003, 10:56 PM

Hey Brian,
I've already got a stock 5MT on the way (ordered it on the way home). As far as I can tell, it held up pretty well. I think I did a good amount of abuse on it and it lasted 10K longer than I thought it would. Now the RS track car has a nice 6spd RA spec C tranny (plated center diff, I was told that the DCCD version is a little weaker). Hopefully the track car will be ready for the next track day.

Steve

Kostamojen · 08-28-2003, 01:22 AM

Ya, I got halfway airborn off of the inside apex burm on turn 5 for a good second and a half

I dont think anyone but the cornerworker saw it though

KurleeDaddeeWRX · 08-28-2003, 08:59 AM

OUCH!!! Sorry to hear your tranny's misfortune. I really can't believe it last for as long as it did. And I just can't believe you didn't source out a 6MT to take its place. I sure hope you build up your new trans or it just might grenade like the last one. You make TOO MUCH power my man. Good luck.

Kurlee Daddee
(THE ORIGINAL)

RS TURBO 211 · 08-28-2003, 06:11 PM

well i saw three WRX's rallyin off track....so I know some people have stories to tell!!! Only story i got is my 2.14 lap time...got the point by between 13 & 14 from a blue wrx sedan with gold wheels(Vanessa possibly)...thanks that allowed me to stay on the throttle and bust out that 2.14!! First time i've ever used a lap timer and it's nice to track your improvement throughout the day....props to Christian for the lead follow (cat & mouse)!!

HighWayDrifter · 08-28-2003, 07:15 PM

Sounds like you guys had a blast, im still saving for my tranny swap as well.. Stupid ninjah bills just seem to pop up every time i am a bit ahead.. grrr

Word of advice dont get a student loan unless you need to.

Steppin Razor · 08-28-2003, 08:39 PM

Awww, man I've got a spare tranny you could have had Steve!! It's got brand new gears and synchros in it and all it needs is a new shift fork. I can't wait to get that sucker open and see what she's like inside.

And I am farking jealous of all you suckas that went to the track, I just can't stop spending money on mods for long enough to save for a track day. Perhaps some day I'll either get ahold of myself or just get a better job so I can do both.

Oh and Steve, I can host that video just send it to tim @ wrxnutz.com.

08-27-2003, 10:00 PM	#1
CupertinoSteve Scooby Newbie Member#: 12566 Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Cupertino, CA Vehicle: 2002 Impreza WRX Silver - Vishnu Stage 2+	Good Time at Thunderhill (8/27) - Now where's that spare tranny? Hi Everyone, It was good to see everyone out at the track at the same time. This is by far, the most Subies I’ve ever seen at any HPDE. Kudos to BAIC! [Steve’s Eulogy] Well the time finally came for my tranny to "retire". On 8/27 @ 11:50AM going into Turn 9 at Thunderhill, I tried to rev-match and downshift into 3rd gear but my transmission said "I've had enough". At that point it decided to spit all of its teeth from third gear throughout the transmission case. Luckily, I still had enough braking capacity left to safely exit the turn (guess how embarrassed I would be if I went off track with a passenger). So I only got to run with the "Red" group for 2.5 out 5 sessions (not including the 50 minute enduro). Oh well, I could feel the tranny weakening dramatically over the past month (synchros were all crushed and it grinded getting into gear - even with a new clutch, fully depressed). I had lunch (since it was already paid for), watched one more session and headed home. It took a good 35 miles for the metal bits to settle at the bottom the case, but for the first 40 minutes of the drive home it sounded like I was in a tin can full of pebbles. So before I conclude, I would like to highlight the accomplishments of my original 5MT: - 40,068 total miles driven before breakdown, now its sits at home with 40,251 miles (the last 183 miles, it limped home at 80mph). - Outlasted original stock clutch by 1 week - 800+ dyno pulls in 3rd gear (Dyno Dynamics + Dynojets) - Converted to 2 wheel drive FWD for 3 months and made over 250+ dyno pulls on Dynojet @ Mustang Ranch - over 18 HPDEs in the past 18 months (moving from green group to yellow group and retiring in red group) - survived 1 two day beating by the folks at Sport Compact Car - survived countless "hot laps" throughout the southern Bay Area First Owned - 7/18/01 @ 3:40PM Retired - 8/27/03 @ 11:50AM I'm working on converting the last lap of the tranny to .mpg ... I'll post the link to this thread. I just ordered my newly, used 5MT (500 miles or so on it). It should be here on Friday. I'll see if I can get it installed early next week. I'll open up the tranny and do a post-mortem on it (pictures will be included in this thread). Safe Driving Everyone, - Steve * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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08-27-2003, 10:02 PM	#2
CupertinoSteve Scooby Newbie Member#: 12566 Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Cupertino, CA Vehicle: 2002 Impreza WRX Silver - Vishnu Stage 2+	Anyone one else have any stories for the day? I just converted the video to mpeg using the low quality mode, its frickin’ 14MB for the short video clip and 45MB for the clip that included the whole lap leading up to the trashed tranny. Can anyone help me convert this file to smaller mpeg format? Or host it?

08-27-2003, 10:12 PM	#3
tartay Scooby Newbie Member#: 13926 Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Livermore, Ca Vehicle: 2003 WRX Sedan Platinum Silver Metallic	I have no stories, yet I offer my condolences to you...lol poor car, tranny been thru a lot...seems like it held up pretty damn well tho for all its been thru, a friend back in tennessee went thru 2 tranny's in a month...question tho, are you just gettin another stock tranny, or are you gonna get one with beefier gears and such? - Brian

08-27-2003, 10:56 PM	#4
CupertinoSteve Scooby Newbie Member#: 12566 Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Cupertino, CA Vehicle: 2002 Impreza WRX Silver - Vishnu Stage 2+	Hey Brian, I've already got a stock 5MT on the way (ordered it on the way home). As far as I can tell, it held up pretty well. I think I did a good amount of abuse on it and it lasted 10K longer than I thought it would. Now the RS track car has a nice 6spd RA spec C tranny (plated center diff, I was told that the DCCD version is a little weaker). Hopefully the track car will be ready for the next track day. Steve

08-28-2003, 01:22 AM	#5
Kostamojen Scooby Guru Member#: 2272 Join Date: Sep 2000 Chapter/Region: BAIC Location: haha XD Vehicle: 95 L AWD LIFTED!!! 1970 Subaru FF-1 Coupe	Ya, I got halfway airborn off of the inside apex burm on turn 5 for a good second and a half I dont think anyone but the cornerworker saw it though

08-28-2003, 08:59 AM	#6
KurleeDaddeeWRX Scooby Specialist Member#: 16991 Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: San Jose, CA Vehicle: 2005 Cadillac CTS-V Redline Red	OUCH!!! Sorry to hear your tranny's misfortune. I really can't believe it last for as long as it did. And I just can't believe you didn't source out a 6MT to take its place. I sure hope you build up your new trans or it just might grenade like the last one. You make TOO MUCH power my man. Good luck. Kurlee Daddee (THE ORIGINAL)

08-28-2003, 06:11 PM	#7
RS TURBO 211 Scooby Newbie Member#: 32485 Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: San Rafael, NORCAL Vehicle: 1998 2.5RS (EJ20) WRB	well i saw three WRX's rallyin off track....so I know some people have stories to tell!!! Only story i got is my 2.14 lap time...got the point by between 13 & 14 from a blue wrx sedan with gold wheels(Vanessa possibly)...thanks that allowed me to stay on the throttle and bust out that 2.14!! First time i've ever used a lap timer and it's nice to track your improvement throughout the day....props to Christian for the lead follow (cat & mouse)!!

08-28-2003, 07:15 PM	#8
HighWayDrifter Scooby Specialist Member#: 8908 Join Date: Aug 2001 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: state of oblivion Vehicle: 2009 Dont make me mad or i will tell a mod!	Sounds like you guys had a blast, im still saving for my tranny swap as well.. Stupid ninjah bills just seem to pop up every time i am a bit ahead.. grrr Word of advice dont get a student loan unless you need to.

08-28-2003, 08:39 PM	#9
Steppin Razor Scooby Specialist Member#: 24035 Join Date: Sep 2002 Chapter/Region: BAIC Location: San Francisco Vehicle: 2002 GGA 5MT Seal Gray	Awww, man I've got a spare tranny you could have had Steve!! It's got brand new gears and synchros in it and all it needs is a new shift fork. I can't wait to get that sucker open and see what she's like inside. And I am farking jealous of all you suckas that went to the track, I just can't stop spending money on mods for long enough to save for a track day. Perhaps some day I'll either get ahold of myself or just get a better job so I can do both. Oh and Steve, I can host that video just send it to tim @ wrxnutz.com.