Curious what the track guys are doing in terms of maintenance for:

Engine Oil:
Coolant:
Trans Fluid:
Tcase Fluid:
Rear Diff Fluid:
Brake Fluid:
Clutch line:
ACD Fluid:
PS Fluid:

Anything else I'm forgetting? Please specify built/stock/turbo, 5 or 6spd, any other relevant items, driven to track or trailer, and intervals in terms of track hours

 

I do 3-4 track days per year, car is trailered to the track. I also drive it on the street, usually about 8-10k miles/yr.

Engine Oil: before and after each track day
Coolant: every 2yrs.
Trans Fluid: before every track event
Tcase Fluid: before every track event
Rear Diff Fluid: before every track event
Brake Fluid: quick bleed before every event, full flush annually.
Clutch line: flush annually
ACD Fluid: this doesn't get changed. The fluid doesn't really do any work.
PS Fluid: annually
Blinker fluid: bi-annually
I also change the air in my tires before every track event.

 

damn, I thought I was overkill doing the trans, tcase, and rear diff annually. thanks for the info

 

I have a lot of money wrapped up in a built drivetrain. Fluid is cheap.

 

Is that a joke or do you have some weird superstition?

 

Oil: Usually after every 3rd track day, actually am due after this next one and plan to send to blackstone to see how it's doing
Coolant: Every time the engine is apart lol. But really, every year as I run water w/wetter in the summer and drain it out in the winter
Driveline fluids: annually, quality fluids don't need to be changed that often unless you're doing 30+ minute wheel to wheel races
Brake fluid: bled before every track day, flushed at the beginning of the season, clutch as well
PS fluid: I actually have yet to change this and probably should, annually is probably a safe bet though. Most guys who cook PS fluid are guys who run autox without a sufficient cooler (not an issue I've seen with evos)

Built bottom end, stock 5 speed, driven to and from the track but that's changing once I get a truck and trailer.

 

We all, obviously, have opinions on the proper intervals & more than likely, changing these fluids this regularly is a giant waste of money & personal labor

The only real way to tell is to send the fluids to the lab for a UOA (used oil analysis). i.e. Blackstone Labs
https://www.blackstone-labs.com/free-test-kits.php

 

that's roughly the tact I'm using, minus I run coolant + water wetter and don't regularly flush it.

I've regularly sent my samples to blackstone, bought like a 20 pack a couple years ago lol. fluids always look good, but I want to get a feel for what people are doing for track days.

 

Sam, you are one of the few that are on top of this. Great topic for sure!

 

haha thanks. that said, I've never sent them used gear oil, only virgin gear oil for a comparison a few years ago and used engine oil. I'm not even sure what normal wear on the oil from gears/diff would look like

 

It came after blinker fluid, so...

 

Yea the only reason it gets flushed that regularly is because I don't run coolant and I don't want it freezing in the block and radiator during the winter. Non heated garage FTL

 

same, which is why I'm using coolant. but I also only have 300hp

 

I think you guys have hit on to something. They could start selling cans of "Track Air" at the local auto parts store next to all those other snake oils. If it had a brand name on it people would buy it.

 

Yeah, the brand name is Nitrogen. All high end racers use the Nitrogen as it is less prone to pressure deviation. For the common tracker, its not needed