Nice fabwork Jay!
Have you considered working with high density expanded polystyrene and using a hot knife to shape your parts? That stuff would disolve in solvent like you wanted.
Regarding your caliper ducting...
I've tried ducting in two locations:
1) At the caliper like both you and Doodson have done
and
2) Behind the upright, pointing towards the center of the rotor, to force air thru the rotor and out the wheel.
Method #1 is easier, and gives you more room for the ducting with less chance to rub.
Method #2 seems to be more effective at cooling the brakes. I haven't had a problem with cooking the fluid since my old Showroom Stock days when I still ran LMA brake fluid. And keep in mind I used to get Carbotech pads hot enough at my two home tracks to cause the backing plates to soften and bend around the piston (see photos in my gallery). The Raybestos ST41/ST43 pads don't have this issue. I do have issues with my tires rubbing on my ducts when I use a lot of steering angle moving around in the paddock/false grid. Not an issue on the track (and if I do have to use more than 1/2 turn of steering while on track, at that point my brake ducts are the least of my worries...if you know what I mean
![rolleyes.gif](https://www.redpepperracing.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)
) Also, by cooling the center of the rotor, you are getting some cooling air to the hub and bearing.
If I had room, I would run two ducts, one to each location. Bigger is better. That's what the books say, and I've kinda proven that to myself via some quasi scientific tests as a passenger in a car on the highway, holding hoses of various diameters out the window and feeling with my hand how much difference in flow you get from 2", 2.5" and 3" ducts.
I wil say this... the CRX gives you a heck of a lot more space for mounting ducts than the Civic does. I'm jealous. It's a challenge to get decent ducting to fit on the Civic. Still, you've given me some ideas for this spring. I like my current duct locations (picking up air from the front turn signals) but they are just generic off-the-shelf 'circle-track' ducts. They don't seal very well and I think I'm getting alot of air spilling off and bypassing my ducts. I might try your technique to make some custom ducts that seal up tighter to the bumper better for more efficiency. The alternative is to mount them in the air dam, but then you risk ripping them off if you go off track. Edit: Then again, some custom made ducts could be made that are wider yet flatter to get the same amount of surface area, yet provide more ground clearence...hmmm might have to look into that!
I've been playing around with a rear mount bracket design that uses the existing threaded holes in the upright for the OEM dust shield. I would prefer a better method of securing the ducts than my present method, which is to use a ton of zip ties, hoes clamps and safety wire.
Edited by Greg Gauper, 28 January 2008 - 04:01 PM.