Matt Lane

I ran my 1st season with Big Bird, and out of an abundance of caution pinned all pipes right away upon purchase.

I also ran Royal Purple additive and straight water instead of coolant - didn't want to be 'that guy', endangering myself or others.

Usage is mostly track PCA DE and some open track (15-20 days per year estimated).

I am planning to keep this car indefinitely. It's a dream, bought with 10K miles on the clock and still ostensibly 'perfect'.

Now wondering if water is overkill with the pinned lines, concerned that long term effects of water and additive may be an issue.

For those that track and have thought this through - interested in your thoughts please. Tempted to go back to coolant.

Cheers

Matt

NXI20

All my fittings were welded back in 2012 and I ran coolant afterwards. It came to bite me in another way last year when a hose popped off under the car which joins 2 hard pipes. Subsequently I changed every rubber hose on the car outside the engine bay which is a very costly exercise both in parts & labour. What this did reveal was that most of the hoses had shrunk and a couple were only just hanging on. I'm confident enough in the integrity of the system now that I run coolant on the basis that the corrosion inhibitor is essential to the longevity of all the aluminium in the system.

The hoses need to be lifed & replaced at 10 years to be safe though...

rnh204

I have a 3.8RS and all of my lines are welded.

Even though welded, I had a rubber hose pop. Luckily no incident as it was the first session under yellow. Now in the summer I switch to water wetter for the safety of others. I would hate to be the ******* that put someone into a wall.

My friend in an m3 crashed into a wall because a 996 GT3 with welded/pinned lines either blew a rubber hose or they missed a metal line.

996FLT6

Even with pin or welded still used no coolant. Just water water plus water. Rubber hoses can pop off or due to aging cracks. Mike

dewyacht

I just picked up an 02 996 X50 Turbo in June. I had the hoses evaluated and Pinned as soon as I got her home and before my first DE track event. Was told, without being pinned, the 996 Turbo in particular suffered this failure due to the cycle of high pressure and temp and then cool down between stints which caused the hoses to eventually pop off while under high presure. Have been told the welds suffer vibration fatigue and thus failure/leaking over time. But have no personal experience on that. A friend with the same car blew a hose off on track before he pinned the hoses. My indie mechanic (30+years exp., dealership too) set my car up with 25% Coolant, waterwetter and water.
Just my 2 cents worth.

Spyerx

I've more track days than most I'd assume and welded lines... absolutely no signs of fatigue welded right they will not break.

I run water wetter. Some bits of coolant in there too but mostly distilled water and WW.

But I live in SoCal.

FFaust

Matt, you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Rubber hoses can blow on any car, nothing to do with the GT3 specifically.

You're pinned so you're good as far as 'our' issue is concerned.

Personally I would, and do, run coolant but keep an eye on your hoses. Replace the two big ones on either side every few years; it's cheap and easy.