Tracking the 914 - Happy New Year!, Turning this into a regular thing... Options

[infraredcalvin]

1st track day in the bag with the new 914, no decent pics yet (there was a photog in attendants, but haven’t seen his pics yet). Car rand great and although running with much newer machinery she was holding her own once her driver brushed off the cobwebs... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

Since this was essentially her first shakedown I found a number of little things I need to address, one in particular I’m questioning:

After a few laps I noticed - mainly on a flat sweeper turn, when entering hard on brakes and trailing off while turning in I’d get a soft groan from my outside wheel (drivers in this case). I’m thinking wheel bearing? I’ve never had one go bad on the front spindle before, so I’ve never heard or felt the slight vibration before. Never really occurred on any other turns.... thoughts?

[infraredcalvin]

Gotta pin down front of hood. PO put spacers at the rear of hood, prob to let all this air out from the nose...sheesh it’s like a parachute! I now know why the factory has 4 pins on the nose (mine only has 2 just behind the light buckets).

[stownsen914]

Gotta pin down front of hood. PO put spacers at the rear of hood, prob to let all this air out from the nose...sheesh it’s like a parachute!

Wow. You may want to consider looking into different methods of exhausting air from the front trunk area. It's tempting to use the rear of the front trunk, but it's not ideal as it's a high pressure area (being immediately in front of the windshield). In fact, air may be flowing IN there instead of out. This might explain the hood popping up like in the pic - the air is working overtime to get out.

[infraredcalvin]

air may be flowing IN there instead of out. This might explain the hood popping up like in the pic - the air is working overtime to get out.

Hmmm never thought of it that way, I would like to adjust anyway, the stewards kept asking to check it as it looks like it’s not fastened down just sitting there. Also could be shock mounts preventing it closing all the way too... gotta investigate further.

The current air exhaust hole is tiny, and the cooler has no shroud, I’m losing a ton of efficiency here... sorry for the flipped picture, but here is my front trunk.

[stownsen914]

It's a little hard to figure out the orientation from the picture. A couple comments though.
On a track car, a fan shouldn't be necessary. In fact, it'll probably just get in the way of the air flow, which should be enough pretty much any time the car is moving. Fans are more for stop and go traffic situations.
As you suggest, air exhaust is just as important as the air coming in. If it can't get out, nor more air will come in, and the cooler won't do its job.
Shrouding on the inlet side is very important. Air doesn't like to go through a cooler, it'll choose pretty much any other path you give it. So the inlet shroud needs to go from the inlet and guide the air to the face of the cooler with no gaps, etc. on the seems. 1/4" is too much. You can use weatherstripping foam like you get at Home Depot for windows and ducting, or even tape to seal seams and cracks.
Shrouding on the outlet side of the cooler isn't as important. It's still a good idea, but not critical. But the air needs an opening in a low pressure area to escape the trunk. Wheel wells or trunk floor are good places. Some people just pull out those round factory plugs in the floor. Hood is good too if done right, but then you're cutting bodywork - not everyone's preference.

How are your oil temps?