How long is an HPDE tech inspection good for?

[pjmcgarvey]

Didn't see this mentioned anywhere on the tech sheet, or in the rules I read over. For a car participating in an HPDE, how long before the event can your car get tech'd by your mechanic?

[jimbow]

Depends on the region.

 

If its a street car my guess would be 4 -5 weeks before an event on the outside.

Since I know 99% of my car inside and out I self tech, usually just before it goes on the trailer.

Now understand after each event I go over every nut, and bolt I can get to and check it.

Wheels and tires come off, brakes get bleed and checked.

 

When I was just doing HPDE I'd check a week or so before an event - just in case I forgot to order brake pads or rotors, but had the same checklist of every bolt and bleed brakes.

[pjmcgarvey]

Good point, forgot to list my region. It's the Northeast Region, and Pocono and NJMP will be the primary tracks.

 

Not having good luck getting email responses (2 weeks now) from the "contacts" for nasane.com in the Tech and Driver Ed. departments... hopefully they browse these forums once in awhile.

 

Will make a phone call if nothing turns up. Thanks

[beerkat]

It is not a bad idea to have your mechanic check your car once in awhile but that can get expensive. Learn to tech your car. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself get a friend to help you. The DE tech is fairly simple to learn and will help learn your car better.

[pjmcgarvey]

Hmm, maybe I'm missing something. I'm looking at the tech sheet and it seems to require a certified mechanic do the tech. Not to mention there are multiple tech sheets on various NASA sites... maybe there is some clarity lacking in what the exact requirements are. Just trying to play it safe here so I don't get turned away at an event.

 

I'm plenty handy and familiar with the car and have completely redone brakes, steering, and other mechanicals in preparation for tracking my car and been over just about every critical bolt on my car myself, though I leave welding and alignments to the experts.

 

I agree a mechanic's inspection would get pricey for each event, which is why I'm trying to make sure that if I do get one it's not invalidated due to some inspectors "unwritten rule".

 

I think a week is fair, but after that initial one what follows for any other track events that year?

 

Thanks for help

[jimbow]

Hmm, maybe I'm missing something. I'm looking at the tech sheet and it seems to require a certified mechanic do the tech. Not to mention there are multiple tech sheets on various NASA sites... maybe there is some clarity lacking in what the exact requirements are. Just trying to play it safe here so I don't get turned away at an event.

 

I'm plenty handy and familiar with the car and have completely redone brakes, steering, and other mechanicals in preparation for tracking my car and been over just about every critical bolt on my car myself, though I leave welding and alignments to the experts.

 

I agree a mechanic's inspection would get pricey for each event, which is why I'm trying to make sure that if I do get one it's not invalidated due to some inspectors "unwritten rule".

 

I think a week is fair, but after that initial one what follows for any other track events that year?

 

Thanks for help

 

I don't know about your region. But in the SE, and serveral other groups I instruct for what you stated above is enough to do a self tech for HPDE. I would post your question in your regions message board here and see what they say.

For the events where I need a tech sheet filled out I'll read it over, anything on the sheet and not on my checklist gets added to the checklist (I haven't had to add anything to my checklist in years). Then using my checklist I go over the car, takes about an hour (my checklist is really long and I hate leaks)

Then I fill out the sheet knowing I've looked at everything the organization would look at if they decided to do a full inspection.

 

Shoot my last event I instructed at was in a rental car. I still went over my checklist and topped off the brake fluid cause it was a little low. Went through their tech inspection with no problems.

[beerkat]

You as the owner of the car can do your own tech on. You assume the responsibility for your own safety. Like Jim, I have always tech my own car for DEs. As far as I know all of NASA use the same tech sheet. At the bottom of the tech sheet it reads "I have inspected the above vehicle and take full responsibility for its condition on the track" that the one for the owner/driver of the car to sign. There is also a spot for an inspector to sign if you use one. You do not need both.

 

When I said that it does not hurt to have a mechanic to look at your car I just meant that once in awhile having a different set of eyes look at your car might see something you missed.

[pjmcgarvey]

From my crosspost to the NE region forum:

 

http://www.nasaproracing.com/forms/form_hpde_tech.pdf <--- seems suited to a self-inspection??

http://nasane.com/images/documents/nasa-ne-tech-form.pdf <--- seems suited for a mechanic's inspection

 

both are for HPDEs, so you can see my confusion. Even if I just assume I should follow my local region's rules, that would mean I need a full mechanic tech.

[beerkat]

The first form is the one that we use here in the SE and the one that NASA uses nation wide. I have never seen the second form but from what I read it is the NE region's DE tech form. I suggest that you talk to the powers the be in the NE to see what the deal is. Sorry that I can not be of more help.

[beerkat]

I just went to the NE regions home page. You need to talk to Joe Grande Chief of Tech for HPDE I tried to post his email but I lack a java script or something. You can find him under the contact us section of their home page. Hope this helps you.

[audiobuffru12]

I have my car inspected before every event . Because it is a daily driver . I try to keep it in tip top shape.

 

Oil changed every 8 weeks, tranmission done every 2 months, brakes bleed and new fluid evey 4 weeks ,Greased and inspect wheel bearing every 6 months, Coolant inspected and swapped when needed ,All electrical functions of trun signal,brake lights and headlights reviewed every weekend when we are piddling around with it in the shop .

 

 

Now we have really stepped up with oil leak reviews and extra seals on hand .

 

New clutch and all sealed repalced this week , all gaskets also replaced for oil pan and valve cover while we were in there safe than sorry .

 

I may be taking it overboard but I don't want to have issues on race day events .

 

[madspeed]

did you ever get the final answers you needed? I am in the same boat, and curious if I can tech my own car and how soon before the session I can do it. Are you hitting the Glen the end of Sept??

[ericwh]

For the events where I need a tech sheet filled out I'll read it over, anything on the sheet and not on my checklist gets added to the checklist (I haven't had to add anything to my checklist in years). Then using my checklist I go over the car, takes about an hour (my checklist is really long and I hate leaks)

Then I fill out the sheet knowing I've looked at everything the organization would look at if they decided to do a full inspection.

 

Ok, when are you going to share this checklist with us?

[jimbow]

I wrote that post so long ago. . . . . .

I haven't teched my car in months so I'll dig it out and put it somewhere, probably my skydrive should work.

[n80]

I appreciate the fact that NASA-SE allows DE self tech. I change pads and rotors before each event so it is easy to do my own tech. Turn-1 at CMP allows self tech as does the Carolina Regional Mustang Club. Tarheel Sports Car Club requires you to take it to a mechanic and have it inspected and signed off. THSCC puts on a great track weekend, with tons of track time and has great instructors but the requirement for professional tech inspection adds more cost to an already expensive hobby.

 

I asked my mechanic to do it while he was doing an oil change and bleeding the brakes for me. At first he was very hesitant about doing it at all because he was concerned about his own liability. I showed him the THSCC tech form which indicates that all liability is the owner's and he agreed to do it but did not look happy. I did not ask him how much he would charge (my bad) because I've done them myself and it really doesn't require much especially for a car that is already on the lift, maybe 15-20 minutes at most. Well, he charged $60. I did not complain or even ask why since I had not asked for a price. And I'm not even saying it wasn't a fair price. BUT, if it is a fair price then that $60 has to be factored in to the cost of a THSCC weekend which is not a cost for a NASA-SE weekend.

[ericwh]

I wrote that post so long ago. . . . . .

I haven't teched my car in months so I'll dig it out and put it somewhere, probably my skydrive should work.

 

Thanks. The NASA tech form doesn't really seem very involved but I'm not really sure what additional items need checked and what don't. It's like I want to check more but I don't know how much more.

[Cooper93]

I appreciate the fact that NASA-SE allows DE self tech. I change pads and rotors before each event so it is easy to do my own tech. Turn-1 at CMP allows self tech as does the Carolina Regional Mustang Club. Tarheel Sports Car Club requires you to take it to a mechanic and have it inspected and signed off. THSCC puts on a great track weekend, with tons of track time and has great instructors but the requirement for professional tech inspection adds more cost to an already expensive hobby.

 

I asked my mechanic to do it while he was doing an oil change and bleeding the brakes for me. At first he was very hesitant about doing it at all because he was concerned about his own liability. I showed him the THSCC tech form which indicates that all liability is the owner's and he agreed to do it but did not look happy. I did not ask him how much he would charge (my bad) because I've done them myself and it really doesn't require much especially for a car that is already on the lift, maybe 15-20 minutes at most. Well, he charged $60. I did not complain or even ask why since I had not asked for a price. And I'm not even saying it wasn't a fair price. BUT, if it is a fair price then that $60 has to be factored in to the cost of a THSCC weekend which is not a cost for a NASA-SE weekend.

 

If I remember correctly, somewhere deep in the CCR it states the inspection doesn't cost anything if you find a specific mechanic (maybe someone on NASA's "list"....I can't exactly remember the wording) but before I started doing self tech, I took my car to a local car nut that owns a shop and he willingly did it for free. It may have taken him 15 minutes each time.