Civic Type R at the track, goods and bads! Let's share our experience.

Lust

Senior Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Threads
16
Messages
1,411
Reaction score
1,774
Location
Bay Area
Vehicle(s)
2019 Champ White Type R
Country flag
I plan to test PMU 999 front pads and PFC08 pads as well. I’ll be reporting back sometime soon.
Sponsored

 

chibo

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
5
Reaction score
4
Location
Arizona
Vehicle(s)
2007 Civic Si Sedan, 2002 S2000
Country flag
This is what my rotors and pads (top ones in the picture) look like after 2 track days with stock pads.

Pad material is embedded in the rotors and pads look glazed. These were my first track days ever so I’m probably being too rough on the brakes I’m guessing, must be over heating the pads? Also this was with traction/stability control left on so that may also be contributing.
Yes, that is pad smear, so you guessed right that you just overheated the pads.
 

razi_fk8

Senior Member
First Name
Razi
Joined
Jul 2, 2018
Threads
1
Messages
54
Reaction score
56
Location
South East UK
Vehicle(s)
Sonic Grey FK8 & Civic Sport FK7
Country flag
This is what my rotors and pads (top ones in the picture) look like after 2 track days with stock pads.

Pad material is embedded in the rotors and pads look glazed. These were my first track days ever so I’m probably being too rough on the brakes I’m guessing, must be over heating the pads? Also this was with traction/stability control left on so that may also be contributing.

C0354F56-EAB8-48C2-AA9C-B3DAEB642B82.jpeg


2B830E41-B53F-40D5-9DAE-249A726C9973.jpeg
I'd run the VSA fully off. The car feels a fair bit faster through corners with it turned off.
 

harko226

Member
First Name
Max
Joined
Mar 13, 2018
Threads
1
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
Location
Dayton, Oh
Vehicle(s)
2019 Civic Type R/2017 Civic Si Coupe
Country flag
Hey.
I don't have the gold tape anywhere. I just moved to TX so I need to revamp my cooling system. I added the hood vents and will add some thermal tape/wrap on the oil pan and downpipe. I'm also installing a turbo blanket. However, I'm not expecting to solve the issue, just mitigate a bit further.

I don't daily my car anymore and yes, I cut the hood myself. It's a PITA tbh, but it's a cheap mod that should be effective. I don't think you would have any issues with rain.

As far as i know, that secondary radiatior did not help much (USR tested it).

Best.

Thanks for the response. So if you don't think youll be able to completely fix the cooling issues, what are your long term plans for the car? Will you just continue tracking it for fun and make improvements to the cooling where you can? Does it bother knowing it may never be 100% mitigtated? I wonder what the Type R racing teams in the TCR series do to mitigate the cooling issues for their races.
 

TypeSiR

Senior Member
Joined
May 15, 2017
Threads
67
Messages
2,091
Reaction score
1,689
Location
On a Twisty Road
Vehicle(s)
1.5T Civic, Fit, MX-5, CTR
Vehicle Showcase
3
Country flag
Thanks for the response. So if you don't think youll be able to completely fix the cooling issues, what are your long term plans for the car? Will you just continue tracking it for fun and make improvements to the cooling where you can? Does it bother knowing it may never be 100% mitigtated? I wonder what the Type R racing teams in the TCR series do to mitigate the cooling issues for their races.
They elected to block off the top front grille and drilled a new one below it (on the bumper) and make two vents on the hood. Racing photos look the same as promo pic below (click on photo to enlarge). The "Type R" logo on the top front grille is actually a piece of plastic with grille pattern printed on it.

Honda Civic 10th gen Civic Type R at the track, goods and bads!  Let's share our experience. honda-civic-type-r-tcr-race-car-1


More: https://www.autoblog.com/photos/honda-civic-type-r-tcr-race-car-sema-2018/#slide-1305268
 


harko226

Member
First Name
Max
Joined
Mar 13, 2018
Threads
1
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
Location
Dayton, Oh
Vehicle(s)
2019 Civic Type R/2017 Civic Si Coupe
Country flag
They elected to block off the top front grille and drilled a new one below it (on the bumper) and make two vents on the hood. Racing photos look the same as promo pic below (click on photo to enlarge). The "Type R" logo on the top front grille is actually a piece of plastic with grille pattern printed on it.

honda-civic-type-r-tcr-race-car-1.jpg


More: https://www.autoblog.com/photos/honda-civic-type-r-tcr-race-car-sema-2018/#slide-1305268
Thanks! Interesting though. There must be a lot of measures under the hood to deal with the heat. I know they run pretty close to stock HP numbers, but they beat on them lap after lap with no issues presumably. I am very curious to know what they did under the hood now.
 

GeezR

Senior Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Aug 3, 2019
Threads
3
Messages
109
Reaction score
66
Location
Cincinnati
Vehicle(s)
Honda Type R, Caterham, VW Touareg, Chevy Volt
Country flag
This has probably come up already but if so, I haven't found it: has anyone tried running straight water only in the cooling system, rather than a 50-50 mix with anti-freeze? Or a reduced mix, say 80% water/20% antifreeze? Water dissipates heat better than the antifreeze/water mixture. All of the overheating issues are reported on hot days when there is no chance of freezing.

I know antifreeze may supply some lubrication to the water pump, etc., but is pure water a track-day only option that might help with heat soak, limp mode and the other ongoing maladies the engine is reported to suffer on hot track days? Or, would all water and adding a bottle or 2 of Water Wetter supply the needed lubrication and also further reduce engine temps?

Apart from theory, has anyone tried this? I am interested in theory too but sometimes experience shows the theory is incomplete, misleading or simply wrong.

Just got my Type R and I am headed to my first track day this Monday and it's going to be hot.
 

Gansan

Senior Member
First Name
Glen
Joined
Sep 13, 2017
Threads
9
Messages
392
Reaction score
396
Location
San Diego, CA
Vehicle(s)
1999 NSX, 2018 Civic Type R
Country flag
This has probably come up already but if so, I haven't found it: has anyone tried running straight water only in the cooling system, rather than a 50-50 mix with anti-freeze? Or a reduced mix, say 80% water/20% antifreeze? Water dissipates heat better than the antifreeze/water mixture. All of the overheating issues are reported on hot days when there is no chance of freezing.

I know antifreeze may supply some lubrication to the water pump, etc., but is pure water a track-day only option that might help with heat soak, limp mode and the other ongoing maladies the engine is reported to suffer on hot track days? Or, would all water and adding a bottle or 2 of Water Wetter supply the needed lubrication and also further reduce engine temps?

Apart from theory, has anyone tried this? I am interested in theory too but sometimes experience shows the theory is incomplete, misleading or simply wrong.

Just got my Type R and I am headed to my first track day this Monday and it's going to be hot.
I had the same thought. If you look at the typical temperature drop of tens of degrees by using pure water + water wetter/super cool/whatever additive, then it seems like it would go a long way toward solving the overheating problem. I personally hesitate to do it because I don't track the car often enough to want to leave it with pure water and the corrosion issues that may lead to, long term.
 

GeezR

Senior Member
First Name
Mike
Joined
Aug 3, 2019
Threads
3
Messages
109
Reaction score
66
Location
Cincinnati
Vehicle(s)
Honda Type R, Caterham, VW Touareg, Chevy Volt
Country flag
If there is an easier do-it-your self car project than changing the coolant in a Civic, I dont know what it is. So I will be happy to swap back in the Honda coolant after track days are done. Unless someone else tells me that the Type R is super sensitive to coolant type, etc., etc. My info is that the stuff I have with water pulls 28 degrees from the engine temp. Maybe all snake oil salesmanship, who knows? But at this point I'm inclined to try it. Sure seems simpler than heat wrapping everything in the engine bay and dropping in bigger radiators, oil coolers, inter-coolers, relocating them (and basically doing the engineering that Honda seems to have overlooked) and simultaneously "adding lightness" to my wallet. I might also drill some holes in the massive plastic blanks stylishly filling up the front of the car and blocking cool air from the engine bay.
 


handsoffsam

Member
First Name
Sam
Joined
May 21, 2018
Threads
2
Messages
37
Reaction score
17
Location
Houston, TX USA
Website
www.trackjunkies.org
Vehicle(s)
08 S2000 CR / 99 Spec Miata / 99 WRL Miata / 18 Type R
Country flag
Apart from theory, has anyone tried this? I am interested in theory too but sometimes experience shows the theory is incomplete, misleading or simply wrong.
Yes, and it made little to no difference down here once ambients were hitting 90+ (and to be honest it was going limp mode even when it was mid-80s) when all else was stock. Given my location, I don't run antifreeze in any of my vehicles (except tow vehicles since they live outside). This is obviously a little dependent on driver as well as one person's 10/10ths might be a light load for the vehicle compared to another driver. As others have stated around the forum with varying degrees of success, in the end it just seems to be a conglomeration of heat mitigation mods that stack up to help.
 
Last edited:

JimmyCricket

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Threads
0
Messages
12
Reaction score
5
Location
UK
Vehicle(s)
FK* Type R
Country flag
Agreed with your first point. Regarding the Nurburgring, that is such a fast track that the radiator and intercooler of Honda's record-setting car was fed plenty of cool Bavarian air versus some of the guys overheating on more technical (lower-speed) tracks in warmer climates.
I've been meaning to reply to this but had to wait until I'd visited the Nürburgring. My son was desperate to go so we visited earlier this week on the way back from European driving trip. It was a warm evening (28 degrees), we were 4 up with luggage and I had the air con up high, but I wasn't going that quickly (probably around a 9:40 full lap). The temperature gauge was near the top half way round the first lap - was quite surprised by this.
I'm assuming when they set the record it was cold enough to avoid too much power loss but with sufficient temperature to get heat in the tyres.
 

voiddweller

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2017
Threads
13
Messages
141
Reaction score
52
Location
Ridgeland, MS
Vehicle(s)
'17 CTR (Sold), '04 TSX MT, '19 Camaro ZL1 1LE MT
Country flag
I was going to run distilled water with Water Wetter.

Most of the Water Wetter type products have built-in anti corrosive additives.

They should be safe all year round in climates with above sub-freezing temperatures.

Swap out with Honda fluid if engine warranty work is needed.
 

jasonjm

Senior Member
First Name
Jason
Joined
Jul 29, 2018
Threads
33
Messages
932
Reaction score
481
Location
Pennsylvania
Vehicle(s)
Type-R
Country flag
The down pipe is interesting.

Honda Civic 10th gen Civic Type R at the track, goods and bads!  Let's share our experience. 43CE9EC1-BF58-43F3-AEF3-322D00CFCD6F
Honda Civic 10th gen Civic Type R at the track, goods and bads!  Let's share our experience. 518FD242-3A3F-4701-913A-A8793D879ACB
View attachment 174034
Honda Civic 10th gen Civic Type R at the track, goods and bads!  Let's share our experience. E1A557DD-8E2B-40D0-94F4-8EA92FD9F309


And the radiator + shroud have a lot of air diverted upward that ends up exiting the hood. I bet that flow is enough to greatly cool down the bay. And it makes sense that they added fins to the inlet, to take advantage of the flow.
 

Attachments

  • 0 bytes Views: 0


 


Top