[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

I think you are all correct about the using trans cooler as it would be hot already…. longer piping required too.

Anonymous wrote:

I run a 50mm thick A2A cooler for the Pwr Steer, small one on the left. 

@IJ where did you get that cooler from?

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

Did a track day yesterday at Queensland Raceway and got the heel / toe working real well… just bend the pedal!

And it was easier on the track with brake pedal depressed further.

• This reply was modified 9 years ago by  SSEN8R VS #1081.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

well the brakes survived a track day at Queensland Raceway… did leak the tinniest bit from between the booster and spacer (since I got VT master). you could see were an evapourated oil trail ran down the booster… tried to tighten up the nut but it was plenty tight.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

If you do any track or drag work, you may want to consider using trans cooler in the radiator as a power steering cooler. I do track work (manual) and just cooked my power steering, so i’m going to use the trans cooler in my radiator (after market) as power steering cooler. see my track thread in my sig if you want to read more.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

Bump :bye:

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

Did another track day at Queensland Raceway – brakes worked sweet but I didn’t push em too hard with late breaking…. the rears did get up to 300 degrees (laser temp in pits as soon as I jump out of car) and the front were less than 250… really need bigger brakes :/

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

Next track day is at Lakeside on Nov Fri 13th with BMW car club, then track arvo on Sat 21st with HSV car club.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

UPDATE – Queensland Raceway Track Day 15/10/15

So yesterday I took the VS Senator out again for another thrash, this time around Queensland Raceway (Willowbank) with Paul Stokell’s Driving Events company. I had signed up for a ‘track training day’, which I thought would be good as I have not done QR before….

Showed up around 8am, got sorted in a pit bay, unloaded the car, handed in my paperwork and went to driver briefing. The schedule was 3 groups doing 20 mins stints, with three in the morning on the Clubman Circuit and three in the arvo on the Sprint Circuit (QR has 4 circuits). [they don’t do the full paper clip circuit due to too much high speed breaking for street cars]

There was a fair spread of cars too, again I think I had the cheapest – VF GTS (w/ Walkinshaw pack 400rwkw), BMWs, Audi, Toyota GT86 supercharged, Alfa Romeo, a couple of Radical Racecars, a couple of real full on race cars, Lamboghini, Skyline GTR (2008), AMG, Ford Mustang Boss 504(?), VF SS Ute, BF XR6, even a micro style race car and proper touring race car with massive team semi trailer…

So the track day was sold as 1 instructor for two cars, but that was a croc (tho one was missing due to death in family). I wasn’t really too phased by this but at twice the price ($400) of day with BMW car club, don’t think I’ll be going back. You do get lunch, snacks, coffee (from a real coffee van) included…

No timing devices were supplied, unlike BMW car club days, so I don’t know what my lap times were and there was a fair bit of overtaking. Atleast QR is alot easier to overtake a slow car than Lakeside due to wide track with plenty of straight sections, and the slow drivers were good at watching their mirrors.

I was a bit worried that 20min stints might be a bit too much for the Senator, but she did pretty good. I did keep the late breaking til later in the afternoon though.

I’ve had plenty of brake dramas previously but albeit just the tiniest ever sign of brake fluid leaking from between the VS booster and spacer (to fit VT master), they went sweet. Radiator held up too with temp only getting to half.

I topped up the oil a bit too much on purpose, so I was getting some smoke out of the rear end through a S turn, which did stop after first stint.

The Hankook RS3’s i’m really happy with – you do need to get some heat into them first, but even if they are squealing they still have more grip. They did give a speel about pumping the tyres up to 44psi but I only put it to 38psi as they are meant to be track tyres.

The new swaybars worked sweet (adjustable up front, upgraded at rear). I was a little worried that I would unsettle the car, make it tail happy, as it previously was balanced pretty well. There is a slight click when changing from hard right to hard left… I still got one more setting on the front, but I think i’ll leave it as is until I do another Lakeside track day.

I have been practising my heel/toe on the road after bending to accelerator over and I was getting it going sweet – was impressing myself. Definitely became body memory by the end of the day.

Paul Stokell’s company had a Radical Race Car that you could pay to do some laps in with an instructor… so at one stage I was chasing down a radical race car… I don’t care how crap driver you are, if you have me chasing you down, and your not going to let me pass, I’m going to sit right on your arse and pressure you…. so I chased this thing around for about 3/4 of a lap. At the low speed corner before coming onto the main straight it’s better to do the late apex race line, but the dumb driver took the normal line, so I was on their arse coming out of the corner, they tried to get on the gas too early and spun the thing right in front of me… almost shat myself, but I stomp on the brakes and we missed easily.

Session 5 (of 6) I got one of the instructors to jump in with me – he gaves me some good tips about keeping it smooth and how much speed to carry through the sweeper at the end of the straight. He didn’t like me braking while turning, but I thought it was working… he said stomp on em harder but brake only in the straight line. Disappointingly no timing device so who knows if it worked but smoother is always going to be faster. Then when he said to drop him in the pits after 15mins of laps, smoke started coming out of the rear end… went into the pits and the power steering wasn’t working when trying to reverse in. Popped the bonnet and it was obvious that I cooked the power steering pump, as smoke was coming off it and fluid was everywhere. I packed up while I let the power steering pump cool down and it was way too hot to get ya hand or face near it.

As on other track days I have had heaps of power steering fluid spill out of the power steering reservoir cap and stain the heat matting under the bonnet, I put a bit of rag and a cable tie to stop it spraying out… which seemed to work a treat but I wondered if it actually caused the issue by making it hotter.

After the car cooled down, I went to chop off the cable tie and the cap with rag just come straight off. The dip stick on the bottom of the cap and the metal locking mechanism was missing, melted off? – must been inside the power steering pump, not good. There was still fluid in the power steering reservoir, so that was good. I grabbed a pair of scissors to see if I could fish out the broken dip stick but nup it must have been stuck in deeper or chewed up.

So as the cap wouldn’t lock on anymore, I used the trusty rag and cable tie solution again. Amazingly the power steering still worked except at walking speed it’s crap, so I got home no worries….

In hindsight, I think the power steering fluid boiled. I may have been partially boiling it previously and it was condensing on the heat matting…. but in this case I think it popped the reservoir cap off slightly and sprayed out, as there was fluid everywhere, so it prob was smoking off the extractors. I guess the power steering pump just doesn’t like been spun up to 5000rpm consistently, and makes sense why the fluid gets so hot.

I think i’ll need a power steering cooler before the next track day… Then I remembered that even though I have a manual, I have an auto radiator, so I have a spare auto trans cool in built in my radiator. From memory I’m pretty sure that power steering fluid is the same as auto trans fluid, so should work a treat… just need to get some piping made up.

Engine now has over 200,000km on the clock but the engine didn’t miss a beat!

Queensland Raceway VS Lakeside – QR is like cruising around on a flat highway in the middle of a oval, which is good but there is no white knuckle moments and feels almsot too safe when compared to Lakeside. This does allow you to push the car right to the edge of the track. I only got to 130ish at the end of the main straight, compared to 190 at Lakeside. Even the VF GTS with 400rwkw only got 190 at the end of the straight. I like Lakeside better, but it’s also the most deadliest track in Australia (most deaths of any track). So at Lakeside the walls are too close and at QR they are too far away, hehe… I may go back again, but for doing laps, Lakeside is the track.

Overall good fun day, and although I didn’t get lap times, this gave me less pressure on getting good times and gave me more time to mess around with things, like the heel / toe and race lines.

I’ve got some gopro footage that I have not watched yet, so hopefully will make a youtube clip up.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

i’m running RS3’s and like em.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

nah I haven’t as all you can see is a bit of green coolant coming out of the aluminium radiator – mechanic says he’s getting me a new one on warranty… went to top it up and it only took ~200ml…

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

Go track training day at Willobank (Queensland Raceway) on thursday… Been trying to get the car sorted, but still got concerns about brakes and cooling. I think the leak is fixed (turns out a metal plug on the master was leaking a little), but the 6 month old fenix aluminium radiator is slightly leaking…. luckily the car sits at 1/3 hot on the track, so i’ll be watching that guage intensely and checking my brake fluid regularly…

also worked out how to stop my power steering fluid coming out of the breather in the cap… rag and cable tie.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

ok, so after a few weeks of practise, I think i am actually getting the hang of this heel toe thing… definitely recommend bending the accelator across… haven’t had any problems with it being too close.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

Update – so the brake fluid lasted 2 weeks before the reservoir was down at minimum, and I don’t even drive it to work… as I still have the VT reservoir on it, min is too low….

took it to another mechanic today, and he said it was leaking from a metal plug in the master, which the fluid dripped off and ran along the chasis rail….

My engine bay, after almost 20 years, isn’t too sexy, so yes the fluid leak is obvious when someone else points it out… feel bit stupid for not picking it up but that was the reason I took it to a fresh set of eyes.

so that’s been fixed, so hopefully it’ll hold the fluid now… hopefully!

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

my mate just uses a couple of planks of wood… not even sloped…

 

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

hmm the ramps are 70mm high… i would assume that would get me a couple of pumps to get the jack going…

My Senator is standard FE2 height too!

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

yep, as someone who has only lived in brisbane for 18 months… every time someone recommends a mechanic, he’s miles away, like gold coast or sunshine coast… this bloke was recommended to me too!

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

Master Model No. 0037 C3.1 15A23 – bugger to read so hope that’s right.

From a quick google that model number does get a hit but the master looks identical to PBR VT version (and I was told that it was a new VT one).

• This reply was modified 9 years, 1 month ago by  SSEN8R VS #1081. Reason: grammar

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

@phire – yep it sits a fair angle. if you fill it up to the full dot/marker it’s almost over flowing at the rear of the reservoir… i’ll check that screw.. it’s screwed in from the otherside, as this photo is taken from the passenger side leaning over the motor. check pics below.

@Gary – well I’ve got a new one now…  I was a little worried about messing with the hardness and making the thing tail happy… atleast I know this is what whiteline recommend for the rear.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

found a photo, will get the model number.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

[SSEN8R VS #1081Participant Brisbane, North Side\'97 VS II HSV Senator 185i View build HERE Member since: March 16, 2015 Posts: 227]

bwahahahahaaa @ phire

I updated my specs on the first post, but the bars are 32mm on front and 20mm on rear.

the plastic is all new on the reservior… I’ll take a photo including the PBR model number.

My build thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-ii-senator-185i-1081/
My track day thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/lakeside-track-sprint-day-second-go/
My VS brake upgrade thread - http://www.commodoresplus.com.au/forums/topic/vs-brake-upgrades/

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