Coolant Hose Issue
06-16-2013, 09:38 AM
#16
Rennlist Member
I bought a 996 GT3 recently and nothing was done to address the coolant hose problem. I had some concerns and looked into doing it but it isn't cheap! Ended up flushing the coolant and replacing with water/water watter. If one of my coolant hose gives up, I'm just dumping water on the track... ruins my day but not a big deal as it dry quickly. It's a cheap "band-aid" to the problem.
06-16-2013, 09:45 AM
#17
Rennlist Member
My mechanic stated that the US department of transportation was going to make a decision soon on whether this is considered a safety issue that requires a manufacture recall.
I asked if it was worth doing now and he said wait and see what becomes of the ruling first.
Anyone heard more on this?
I asked if it was worth doing now and he said wait and see what becomes of the ruling first.
Anyone heard more on this?
06-16-2013, 11:25 AM
#18
The track will still charge you for each bag of speedy dri- even if it is water wetter. Only a slightly less chance of a wreck . Stop kidding yourself. "a little pregnant" So you are going to wait to see how the birth comes out !!
Last edited by Gofishracing; 06-16-2013 at 12:34 PM.
06-17-2013, 10:17 PM
#19
I know this is the recommended interim step, but water and water wetter spraying all over your tires and the track will still result in a potentially deadly scenario. The only thing water wetter and water does is eliminate a lengthy track clean up. You could still easily lose control and cause cars behind you to do the same. Unexpected water and water wetter on the track are nearly as slick as coolant. FYI.
... Don't know what to do ... It's not a cheap repair. It seems to me that opinions are divided on this subject, some say it's fine, others like you say it's not. I'm leaning toward waiting a bit to see if anything comes out of that investigation...
06-18-2013, 12:00 AM
#20
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You know you have to do it sooner or later. My logic is spend the money now and potentially avoid a crash for yourself or for others. Its the same 3k now or later but if you do now you're getting more for your money...maybe you'll save the whole car by doing now!
06-18-2013, 01:36 AM
#21
Burning Brakes
I was somehow convinced that I was "alright" with water ... Don't know what to do ... It's not a cheap repair. It seems to me that opinions are divided on this subject, some say it's fine, others like you say it's not. I'm leaning toward waiting a bit to see if anything comes out of that investigation...
... Don't know what to do ... It's not a cheap repair. It seems to me that opinions are divided on this subject, some say it's fine, others like you say it's not. I'm leaning toward waiting a bit to see if anything comes out of that investigation...I had the nipples welded, and replaced every hose, gasket, o-ring, etc., at the same time, along with several other maintenance items, and a lightweight flywheel and pulley. My welder told me that one of the other fittings that hadn’t yet blown was barely held in place and would have blown soon thereafter. Remember, these cars are all pushing a decade old by now. If you plan to track it, you’ll have peace of mind from attending to the maintenance needs up front. Sooner is better than later.
BTW, I have no idea if it’s just a coincidence, but I read several posts claiming that these nipples tend to blow on tracks with long straights, usually near the end of the straight (the worst possible place for the cars behind you!). Sure enough in my case, that’s where mine blew.
06-18-2013, 09:47 AM
#22
Rennlist Member
If this was merely an issue that might cause you to lose some track time, it wouldn't be so hotly debated. This is an issue that can cause you to not only damage your car, but cause loss of life to you and those behind you. It isn't a cheap fix, but it is potentially an extremely high price to pay if you gamble and lose.
In a similar situation with my previous car, e36 M3, the plastic end cap on the radiator broke at the nipple and I dumped coolant on turn 5 at Putnam Park. One of my good friends in a 993 went off behind me, luckily without any damage. Losing track time would have been the least of my concerns if there were any damage or injury as a result.
One of the more severe incidents with a GT3 that spurred the Water Wetter requirement happened at a track local to me. Multiple cars were damaged and a few were total losses. I don't know about injuries. What struck me as odd was the driver of the GT3 re-glued his fitting as was back on track the same day. I'd hate to be the cause of such an incident, and I'm not sure I would consider putting the car back on track until a more permanent fix were in place. I just can't imagine people looking at me as the cause of such damage, then getting to enjoy the rest of my weekend.
While we all do accept a certain level of risk when putting the car on track, we naively hope that others on track with us maintain a vigilant stance when it comes to reducing that risk. That's really not the case. Safety can be expensive and people cut corners or turn a blind eye all the time just to be able to get on track. All we can do is try to persuade people to make the right decisions. Especially when it's a well documented issue like this one.
In a similar situation with my previous car, e36 M3, the plastic end cap on the radiator broke at the nipple and I dumped coolant on turn 5 at Putnam Park. One of my good friends in a 993 went off behind me, luckily without any damage. Losing track time would have been the least of my concerns if there were any damage or injury as a result.
One of the more severe incidents with a GT3 that spurred the Water Wetter requirement happened at a track local to me. Multiple cars were damaged and a few were total losses. I don't know about injuries. What struck me as odd was the driver of the GT3 re-glued his fitting as was back on track the same day. I'd hate to be the cause of such an incident, and I'm not sure I would consider putting the car back on track until a more permanent fix were in place. I just can't imagine people looking at me as the cause of such damage, then getting to enjoy the rest of my weekend.
While we all do accept a certain level of risk when putting the car on track, we naively hope that others on track with us maintain a vigilant stance when it comes to reducing that risk. That's really not the case. Safety can be expensive and people cut corners or turn a blind eye all the time just to be able to get on track. All we can do is try to persuade people to make the right decisions. Especially when it's a well documented issue like this one.
06-18-2013, 07:09 PM
#23
Liquid weld ain't the answer. You bring up another issue of self repair at track without re-tech. Hard to monitor. I look for those jugs of anti freeze & oil in the padocks when I help with Events.
06-18-2013, 08:49 PM
#24
I was in your shoes about a year and a half ago when I first got my car. I had read all the posts about coolant fitting failures and knew I had to do it eventually. But I decided to run it a few times on track, determine what else it needed, and then do it all at once. Well, the very FIRST time out on track I blew a coolant nipple. The car was pointed straight, so I didn’t spin, but the guy behind me went off. Fortunately, my home track (NOLA) has huge runoff zones, so he didn’t damage anything or get hurt. At many other tracks, it would have been a disaster. I felt terrible for risking the safety of others and shutting down the track for 30 minutes while they cleaned up my mess.
I had the nipples welded, and replaced every hose, gasket, o-ring, etc., at the same time, along with several other maintenance items, and a lightweight flywheel and pulley. My welder told me that one of the other fittings that hadn’t yet blown was barely held in place and would have blown soon thereafter. Remember, these cars are all pushing a decade old by now. If you plan to track it, you’ll have peace of mind from attending to the maintenance needs up front. Sooner is better than later.
BTW, I have no idea if it’s just a coincidence, but I read several posts claiming that these nipples tend to blow on tracks with long straights, usually near the end of the straight (the worst possible place for the cars behind you!). Sure enough in my case, that’s where mine blew.
I had the nipples welded, and replaced every hose, gasket, o-ring, etc., at the same time, along with several other maintenance items, and a lightweight flywheel and pulley. My welder told me that one of the other fittings that hadn’t yet blown was barely held in place and would have blown soon thereafter. Remember, these cars are all pushing a decade old by now. If you plan to track it, you’ll have peace of mind from attending to the maintenance needs up front. Sooner is better than later.
BTW, I have no idea if it’s just a coincidence, but I read several posts claiming that these nipples tend to blow on tracks with long straights, usually near the end of the straight (the worst possible place for the cars behind you!). Sure enough in my case, that’s where mine blew.
If this was merely an issue that might cause you to lose some track time, it wouldn't be so hotly debated. This is an issue that can cause you to not only damage your car, but cause loss of life to you and those behind you. It isn't a cheap fix, but it is potentially an extremely high price to pay if you gamble and lose.
In a similar situation with my previous car, e36 M3, the plastic end cap on the radiator broke at the nipple and I dumped coolant on turn 5 at Putnam Park. One of my good friends in a 993 went off behind me, luckily without any damage. Losing track time would have been the least of my concerns if there were any damage or injury as a result.
One of the more severe incidents with a GT3 that spurred the Water Wetter requirement happened at a track local to me. Multiple cars were damaged and a few were total losses. I don't know about injuries. What struck me as odd was the driver of the GT3 re-glued his fitting as was back on track the same day. I'd hate to be the cause of such an incident, and I'm not sure I would consider putting the car back on track until a more permanent fix were in place. I just can't imagine people looking at me as the cause of such damage, then getting to enjoy the rest of my weekend.
While we all do accept a certain level of risk when putting the car on track, we naively hope that others on track with us maintain a vigilant stance when it comes to reducing that risk. That's really not the case. Safety can be expensive and people cut corners or turn a blind eye all the time just to be able to get on track. All we can do is try to persuade people to make the right decisions. Especially when it's a well documented issue like this one.
In a similar situation with my previous car, e36 M3, the plastic end cap on the radiator broke at the nipple and I dumped coolant on turn 5 at Putnam Park. One of my good friends in a 993 went off behind me, luckily without any damage. Losing track time would have been the least of my concerns if there were any damage or injury as a result.
One of the more severe incidents with a GT3 that spurred the Water Wetter requirement happened at a track local to me. Multiple cars were damaged and a few were total losses. I don't know about injuries. What struck me as odd was the driver of the GT3 re-glued his fitting as was back on track the same day. I'd hate to be the cause of such an incident, and I'm not sure I would consider putting the car back on track until a more permanent fix were in place. I just can't imagine people looking at me as the cause of such damage, then getting to enjoy the rest of my weekend.
While we all do accept a certain level of risk when putting the car on track, we naively hope that others on track with us maintain a vigilant stance when it comes to reducing that risk. That's really not the case. Safety can be expensive and people cut corners or turn a blind eye all the time just to be able to get on track. All we can do is try to persuade people to make the right decisions. Especially when it's a well documented issue like this one.
06-19-2013, 02:32 PM
#25
cross post:
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Guys- I'm at the point with this that we should fix our lines - file complaints- and expect some compensation in the future as far as some financial reimbursement. Safety first issue. I'll contact my investigator at NHTSA tomorrow. He is not allowed to give me a count of complaints. I wish more PCA regions were pro active. I see some changes in the Tech forms for track events - an alert- which means to me a real problem - but these things take time. Deadline for Porsche for full disclosure to NHTSA approaching.
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Guys- I'm at the point with this that we should fix our lines - file complaints- and expect some compensation in the future as far as some financial reimbursement. Safety first issue. I'll contact my investigator at NHTSA tomorrow. He is not allowed to give me a count of complaints. I wish more PCA regions were pro active. I see some changes in the Tech forms for track events - an alert- which means to me a real problem - but these things take time. Deadline for Porsche for full disclosure to NHTSA approaching.
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