Plastics repair kit saves costs on race car damage

The laminated wings of a racing car cost between GBP 4-5,000 each and are very vulnerable to damage, so in the event of any mishaps a plastics repair kit is used for repairs.

Oliver Turvey, with Team Loctite, clinched second place in the Formula BMW UK Championship at the Silverstone finale - a truly remarkable result for a combination that didn't even join the series until one-third of the way through the season.

Turvey then went on to win the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC award at the Autosport Awards in London.

The award, which comprises GBP 50,000 in cash, a race in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, and a much sought after McLaren Formula One test drive, was presented by David Coulthard and Jenson Button.

The team won on its debut at Brands Hatch, and then reeled off another four victories and a string of podiums during the following months.

Those results placed Team Loctite in fourth place in the overall Championship before Silverstone.

The final weekend got off to a perfect start for the team with a double pole position in qualifying.

Turvey made the most of his advantage by leading race one throughout and taking his third win in a row.

That victory put Turvey into third place in the points as the final race began.

A finish in second place in that race was enough to enable Turvey, with Team Loctite, to take the runner-up spot in the Championship.

Apart from the spectacular performances, it is worth noting that Oliver is just 19 years old and in his second year of an Engineering degree course at Cambridge.

A wide variety of adhesive technologies can be found in the workshops and the pit stops of Team Loctite.

For example, when it comes to reassembling gearboxes, a silicone sealant is used to ensure no oil escapes from the aluminium casing - and no contaminants get inside.

This Black Flexible Adhesive is a single component, non-flowing, room temperature vulcanising (RTV) elastomer that is effective at temperatures up to 250 deg C.

Once the sealant has been applied the assembly is held together with bolts treated with Loctite 243 threadlocking adhesive.

"This is a particularly demanding application," stated Team Principal, Trevor Powell.

"The gearbox is right next to the exhaust and so very high temperatures are not uncommon.

It is a very harsh environment for any adhesive." The same product is used to secure the brake calliper bolts.

In fact, most of the nuts, bolts and screws on the Team's cars are secured with anaerobic adhesives.

Wherever it is practical, the engineers prefer to use Loctite 'stick' anaerobics.

The semi-solid formula means there is no mess - and because only the right amount is applied, there are cost savings to be made.

As well as threadlockers, the current stick range includes a retainer, sealant, anti-seize products and a gasket positioner.

"We use an anaerobic for retaining spherical bearings on the suspension uprights," reported Trevor Powell.

"There is a great deal of vibration during the races and we have to ensure the bearings will not shake loose." He continued, "The laminated wings cost between four and five thousand pounds each and are very vulnerable to damage.

When we have a mishap we use Terokal 9225 Plastic Repair Kit for repairs.

The regulations for Formula BMW mean that we generally cannot modify standard parts, so they can only be repaired or replaced.

Replacement is expensive - so for repairs this adhesive is invaluable." Emergency repairs are also carried out with Loctite Metal Set.

"On race days there is no time for welding to take place, so this two part epoxy that cures in about twenty minutes is used to fill up broken castings where the thread has been stripped out," said Powell.

It's not quite over for Turvey and Team Loctite yet, though.

The organisers announced on the eve of the Silverstone weekend that the top two in the championship would receive a free entry for the BMW World Finals at Valencia in Spain.

Having proved himself against Britain's best, Turvey will now take on the cream of Germany, Asia and America's young racing talent.

On his current form, he will head abroad as one of the favourites.

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