[Ren Lacerda]

What tips you have for picking up a local shop to do your pre HPDE/Track Day inspection?

Also, what tips for preparing for this inspection besides what I'm already working on:

• Changing Oil to 5w40
• Flushing Brake Fluid and Replacing with DOT4 with dry boiling 600+
• Checking brake pads have 50%+ left/replacing if necessary
• Replacing Winter tires with Summer Tires (front brand new, rear with 2k miles DD, never tracked)

[m3bs]

If the shop tells you your stock brake fluid is “fine” and doesn’t need to be changed, choose another shop. I met a guy at Road Atlanta with an SS who experienced that. He lost a good part of the weekend dealing with boiled fluid.

Consider adding track alignment to your list. The car will handle better and your tires will thank you. The trick is finding a shop to do it to your specified settings, not the standard settings that are programmed into their machine.

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by Ren Lacerda

What tips you have for picking up a local shop to do your pre HPDE/Track Day inspection?

Also, what tips for preparing for this inspection besides what I'm already working on:

• Changing Oil to 5w40
• Flushing Brake Fluid and Replacing with DOT4 with dry boiling 600+
• Checking brake pads have 50%+ left/replacing if necessary
• Replacing Winter tires with Summer Tires (front brand new, rear with 2k miles DD, never tracked)

As the note above suggests: track alignment should be on the list. Ditto brake shields per the manual.

Fresh tranny fluid would also be a good idea imo, if you haven't replaced it recently. Bed in your brake pads, especially new ones. Get a torque wrench to ensure your lug nuts are torqued properly and check them mid day only when the wheels cool down.

Good quality tire pressure gauge is a good idea to monitor after each run and adjust to proper hot psi after each run. There was a thread here recently about a track day prep. See if you can find it.

Ps ensure oil is proper Dexos spec for your car (check the manual).

At the track: never set your e brake on after a run as it may warp rear rotors. Check your tires, brakes, under the car for leaks after each run. Then oil level at lunch.
Open the hood after each run to cool down the motor and the F brakes.

Bring plenty of water to hydrate, fruit or othef snacks, etc. Extra gas if the track doesnt offer it, or no station nearby to fill up mid day.

If your car is a manual and doesnt have rev match, you'll need to learn how to heel and toe to avoid locking up the rears on downshifts. Eventually, as this will likely not be an issue at the beginning (if you dont downshift too early ).

Cheers!

[Ren Lacerda]

Thanks m3bs! I am replacing the OEM DOT3 with a 600+ DOT4 myself. Also installing track brake shields too. I’ve never did car maintenance myself and learning it all, collecting the tools has been a fun hobby on itself.

Thanks TrackClub, this is great info for all of us starting in this awesome rabbit hole os HPDE/track days!

About transmission fluid, my car has less than 3 years of use and 14k DD miles. Wouldn’t a transmission fluid replacement be overkill?

On the alignment, I read that track alignment for DD can be hard on the tires and fuel economy. How much prior to the track days should I set track alignment? What would be the consequences of driving the 200 miles of my roundtrip to the track with track alignment?

[m3bs]

You won’t see any adverse effects in a few hundred miles. After a few thousand you might see some accelerated wear on the inside of the tires. The specs listed in the track prep guide are pretty conservative, at 2.0F/1.5R (1.25 Non 1LE) with 0.1 toe. I put 3000 miles on my M3 with 3.0/2.8 resulting in obvious wear to my rear tires.

I can’t really comment on the trans fluid for your car. There’s not a recommended frequency for it, and I’m just now getting ready for my first track day in the ZLE. I plan to do the engine, trans and diff after a few track days to see how they look. I used to do the trans in my M3 annually, but after adding an extra 100 HP I found it was cooking the fluid, and started changing it more frequently. My ZLE has coolers for all of them, but it’s also pumping a lot more power through them.

[cdrptrks]

If the HPDE group will let you self inspect that is what I normally do now.

Track alignment won't affect fuel mileage in any noticeable way. If you set toe to 0 or whatever the manual recommends (close to 0) the tires should not wear unevenly with combined street and track driving. Might as well ask them to max camber (around -2.4° front and -1.6° rear) if you plan to track it often. Most people set the track alignment once and leave it. The front end will follow unevenness in the road more with the track alignment so always keep a hand on the steering wheel.

For oil not just 5W-40 but specifically 0W-40 or 5W-40 that is Dexos2 approved to keep your warranty.

[cdrptrks]

Also you should change your diff fluid once before the first track day if it is still on the factory fill and once after, then every 24 track hours (or less) after that.

And 15 track hours is the recommended manual transmission fluid change interval per the 2018 manual. This info was not included in the 2017 manual. More info here: https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showt...=557574&page=2

[TrackClub]

I echo the above recommendations plus an excellent point regarding oil spec!

To the OP and the ZLE poster:
Read the manual and any High Performance Supplement if available (for sure one came with a ZLE) re required break in procedure and track fluid change frequencies when tracking the car. Cars with elsd specifically require diff fluid to be changed after a first track day and then about every 24 hrs of track duty or so. Ditto tranny fluid.
Many here flush all fluids after the break in period is done AND then again after a first track event. Then follow std intervals per the manual. The diff fluid comes out looking like sludge first few times and magnetic plugs catch tons of shavings. So...do NOT wait for a few track days!

OP: your motor and tranny are the same as any NA V8 albeit you may have a regular diff vs elsd ( not positive here). Either way, given your car is 3-4 yrs old...i would absolutely recommend to change ALL fluids ahead of your track event. And then follow std intervals per the manual depending how you use the car. Regular GM fluids as listed in the manual are just fine for any track duty (that's what i use).

Hope this helps, cheers!

[TrackClub]

Fyi i do all 3 fluids every 6 days or so.
I count a day as 4x25-30min sessions.
So if i do 7 session each day of a 3 day weekend, that would equal (7x3=21) 5 days for my record keeping purposes.

[Ren Lacerda]

Thank you TrackClub

Do this 15 hours rule applies to manual transmissions too or just for automatic? EDIT: Nevermind, found out on the 2018 regular manual about manual trans too. Thanks!

The high performance supplement of the 2018 models mentions the ZL1's 10 speed transmission and states to change transmission fluid every 15 hours of track time, as you said (page 15). It doesn't mention manual transmission, neither clarify if this indication is only for the ZL1 A10 transmission of for all transmissions.

My car's regular manual (mine is not a 1LE or ZL1, so it doesn't come with a high performance supplement) mentions on the section about "Track Events and Competitive Driving" that automatic transmission fluids should be changed after 30 hours of track usage (pages 204 and 205).

Quite confusing from GM.

Originally Posted by cdrptrks

Also you should change your diff fluid once before the first track day if it is still on the factory fill and once after, then every 24 track hours (or less) after that.

And 15 track hours is the recommended manual transmission fluid change interval per the 2018 manual. This info was not included in the 2017 manual. More info here: https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showt...=557574&page=2

Thanks! So change once before 1st HPDE weekend, then change again right after the weekend?

Also as I said above, the 2017 manual states 30 hours of track usage between transmission fluid changes. Assume the 2018 HP supplement's 15 hours should be the most updated direction, right?

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by Ren Lacerda

Thank you TrackClub

Do this 15 hours rule applies to manual transmissions too or just for automatic? EDIT: Nevermind, found out on the 2018 regular manual about manual trans too. Thanks!

The high performance supplement of the 2018 models mentions the ZL1's 10 speed transmission and states to change transmission fluid every 15 hours of track time, as you said (page 15). It doesn't mention manual transmission, neither clarify if this indication is only for the ZL1 A10 transmission of for all transmissions.

My car's regular manual (mine is not a 1LE or ZL1, so it doesn't come with a high performance supplement) mentions on the section about "Track Events and Competitive Driving" that automatic transmission fluids should be changed after 30 hours of track usage (pages 204 and 205).

Quite confusing from GM.



Thanks! So change once before 1st HPDE weekend, then change again right after the weekend?

Also as I said above, the 2017 manual states 30 hours of track usage between transmission fluid changes. Assume the 2018 HP supplement's 15 hours should be the most updated direction, right?

Yes, the Camaro manuals are a bit of dog's breakfast to be honest. If you have a regular SS with M6, i would follow what is recommended for an SS 1LE in High Performance supplement: change tranny and diff fluids every 24 track hours, which equals about every 6 track days. Ditto for motor oil. Given your car is 2017 and not knowing its history, of last fluid changes, i would recommend to change all 3 fluids before your track event to be safe. Then follow frequency as mentioned above.
Hope this clarifies. Cheers!
PS i believe you can download the SS 1LE High Perf Supplement from Chevy Owners website.

[Ren Lacerda]

Originally Posted by TrackClub

Yes, the Camaro manuals are a bit of dog's breakfast to be honest. If you have a regular SS with M6, i would follow what is recommended for an SS 1LE in High Performance supplement: change tranny and diff fluids every 24 track hours, which equals about every 6 track days. Ditto for motor oil. Given your car is 2017 and not knowing its history, of last fluid changes, i would recommend to change all 3 fluids before your track event to be safe. Then follow frequency as mentioned above.
Hope this clarifies. Cheers!
PS i believe you can download the SS 1LE High Perf Supplement from Chevy Owners website.

Yep, I got several years manuals in PDF. Also got a PDF 6th gen service manual too. Thanks!

So based on all advice, I will replace all fluids before next track day and keep the aforementioned schedule.

I already did engine oil and oil filter this weekend. First time changing oil in 47 years of life! Not hard at all. I ordered a Motive power bleeder and will venture replacing DOT3 by DOT4 myself too next week.

I'm now inclined to do transmission and differential fluids myself. YouTube videos show it's little bit trickier than regular engine oil, but not much different. Considering my novice level in basic car maintenance, am I in for an unexpected challenge?

[TrackClub]

Originally Posted by Ren Lacerda

Yep, I got several years manuals in PDF. Also got a PDF 6th gen service manual too. Thanks!

So based on all advice, I will replace all fluids before next track day and keep the aforementioned schedule.

I already did engine oil and oil filter this weekend. First time changing oil in 47 years of life! Not hard at all. I ordered a Motive power bleeder and will venture replacing DOT3 by DOT4 myself too next week.

I'm now inclined to do transmission and differential fluids myself. YouTube videos show it's little bit trickier than regular engine oil, but not much different. Considering my novice level in basic car maintenance, am I in for an unexpected challenge?

Good stuff! Cant comment on the DIY aspect of maintenance, as i have a good friend, who is a Grand Master certified GM mechanic (now with his own race shop) and an ex crew chief for a Grand Am series champ, so he does all my maintenance. I'd say if you have a proper lift at home to replicate a pro shop, than it would be ok. If not, i am unsure as far as proper draining of fluids et al. Hopefully others will chime in here with first hand advice. Cheers!

[Move_Over]

I did not read all the comments but my biggest tip would be to get to know how to do track prep and inspection yourself. It will not only save you a bunch of money but will help you so so much diagnosing things at the track (and will not send you home early if you can fix it!)