Stripping and rebuilding motorsport vehicles (pre-competition)

URN: SEMPEO256
Business Sectors (Suites): Performing Engineering Operations Suite 2
Developed by: Enginuity
Approved on: 30 Mar 2017

Overview

This standard covers a broad range of basic competences that you need, to prepare a Motorsport vehicle, in a recognised sequence and to a high standard, prior to a competition. It will prepare you for entry into the Motorsport sector, creating a progression between education and employment, or it will provide a basis for the development of additional skills and occupational competencies in the working environment.

The activities will involve the dismantling and removal of components, inspection and checking for faults and excessive wear and potential problems, replacement of components, and rebuilding the vehicles using hand tools, specialist tools and test equipment, in accordance with approved procedures. It covers Motorsport vehicles such as single seat, rally cars, sports cars, karts, historic vehicles, motor cycles and other specific approved competition vehicles, and covers a range of equipment such as chassis and suspension, engine and transmission, steering and wheel braking systems, fuel and lubrication, electrical and other specific equipment.

The preparation activities will include carrying out all necessary safety activities to lift and support the vehicle and its components, lifting and removing engine and transmission systems, breaking into hydraulic and fuel system circuits, removing springs under compression, removing and replacing faulty equipment at component or unit level, replenishing fluids, and setting and adjusting the completed system in readiness for testing. You will also be expected to use recognised methods for crack testing ferrous and non-ferrous materials/components, and to be able to inspect a motorsport vehicle within the team's guidelines.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with recognised procedures for the stripping and rebuilding activities undertaken, to take account of any potential difficulties or problems that may arise, and to seek appropriate help and advice in determining and implementing a suitable solution. You will be expected to work with either a high level of supervision or as a member of a team. Where team working is involved, you must demonstrate a significant personal contribution during the team activities in order to satisfy the requirements of the standard, and competence in all the areas required by the standard must be demonstrated.

On completion of the activities, you must show that you can competently clean the work area that you are responsible for, including tidying up bays or garages to a standard that will reflect the professional image of the team. You must show that you can use and maintain the tools and equipment needed for the dismantling and inspection activities, and return them to their recognised storage area ready for further use.

Your underpinning knowledge will provide an understanding of your work, and will enable you to apply the appropriate dismantling, inspection and rebuilding procedures safely. You will know how the equipment functions, the common faults that can occur, the purpose of the individual components and associated defects, in adequate depth to carry out the removal and replacement activities, correct faults and ensure that the equipment is replaced to the required standard. You will also have sufficient knowledge of these components to ensure that they are fit for purpose and meet the specifications.

You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the stripping and rebuilding activities, especially those for lifting and supporting the equipment. You will be required to demonstrate safe working practices throughout, and will understand your responsibility for taking the necessary safeguards to protect yourself and others in the workplace.


Performance criteria

You must be able to:

  1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety legislation, regulations, directives and other relevant guidelines
  2. obtain all the information you need for the motorsport vehicle preparation activities to be carried out
  3. establish and, where appropriate, mark component orientation for re-assembly
  4. ensure that any stored energy or substances are released safely and correctly
  5. carry out the removal and replacement activities, within the limits of your personal authority
  6. remove and replace the required components, using approved tools and techniques
  7. take suitable precautions to prevent damage to components and the surrounding structure
  8. report any instances where the removal and replacement activities cannot be fully met, or where there are identified defects outside the planned activities
  9. complete the relevant documentation, in accordance with organisational requirements
  10. label and store, in an appropriate location, components that require repair or overhaul
  11. dispose of waste materials and scrap components, in accordance with safe working practices and approved procedures

Knowledge and Understanding

You need to know and understand:

  1. the specific safety practices and procedures that you need to observe when stripping and rebuilding motorsport vehicles and when using lubricants and fluids (including lifting and handling techniques; safe working practices with regard to dismantling motorsport vehicles; procedures which satisfy current regulations - such as HASAWA, COSHH, PUWER and other related legislation and guidelines)
  2. the hazards associated with removing and replacing motorsport vehicle components, and with the tools and equipment used (such as the safe support of the vehicle at the correct working height and position, the safe release of fuel and other liquids, handling hydraulic fluids, misuse of tools), and how they can be minimised
  3. the protective equipment that you need to use for both personal protection (PPE) and protection of the vehicle
  4. the importance of good housekeeping within the working area (such as leaving the work area free of debris and used materials, cleaning and maintaining tools and equipment, returning equipment to designated storage area, leaving the work area in a safe and tidy condition), and of good personal presentation to ensure quality representation of the team or organisation
  5. preparations to be carried out on the vehicle (such as removing bodywork or fairings, cleaning away dirt, dust, oil or track debris; making visual checks of the systems and components for obvious signs of damage or excessive wear - such as bearings, bushes, bodywork, floors, fairings, leaking coolant or oil, chafing, cracks, excessive clearances); ensuring that suitable storage space is readied once the systems have been removed from the vehicle, and providing suitable containers for the storage of fasteners and other small components
  6. how to use and extract information from motorsport vehicle documentation (such as vehicle manuals, system diagrams, telemetry data, engineer's records, set-up sheets, inspection reports)
  7. the importance of ensuring that you use the correct and up-to-date documentation
  8. the techniques used to remove components from vehicle systems without damage to the components or surrounding structure (such as release of spring pressures/force, draining of fluids, proof marking, extraction of components and the need to protect the circuit integrity by fitting blanking plugs to exposed pipes)
  9. how to use a range of hand tools (such as spanners, sockets, screwdrivers, punches, drifts) to remove a range of components (such as studs, pins, circlips, rivets, seals and gaskets, bearings, gears, final drives, wings, floors, skid plates, fairings, seats); and using release agents to help free joined parts where seizure or crash damage may have occurred
  10. the various mechanical fasteners to be removed and replaced, and their method of removal and replacement (such as threaded fasteners, special securing devices)
  11. the various types of electrical connectors that are used, methods of unlocking, orientation indicators and locating and locking-in of the connections
  12. methods of lifting, and supporting the components/equipment during the removal and replacement activities
  13. methods of checking the components for damage or wear (using visual methods, measurements, and crack detection techniques)
  14. the need to use new components where checks during dismantling revealed such needs; fitting together new or prototype components, where a degree of initial fitting may be needed (such as filing, fettling, reaming, tapping, shimming, polishing and adjusting to achieve the required assembly specification); sealing and securing components (such as using fasteners, sealants and locking compounds); checking for correctness of fit and accuracy at critical stages during the rebuild and on completion of the assembly
  15. how to make adjustments to components/assemblies to ensure that they function correctly (such as travel and working clearance, timing and sequence)
  16. why securing devices must be tightened to the correct torque and locked, and the different methods that are used
  17. the tools and equipment used in the removal and replacement activities, their calibration/care and control procedures, and the need to control and account for all tools and equipment used during the removal and replacement activity
  18. how to deal with problems (such as damaged or worn components, availability of parts or equipment, components do not come apart as readily as expected)
  19. the recording documentation to be completed for the activities undertaken and, where appropriate, the importance of marking and identifying specific pieces of work in relation to the documentation
  20. the procedure for the safe disposal of waste materials, scrap components, hydraulic fluids, contaminated fuel
  21. when to act on your own initiative and when to seek help and advice from others
  22. the importance of leaving the work area and vehicle in a safe and clean condition on completion of the stripping and rebuilding activities (such as returning tools and equipment to the designated location, cleaning the work area, and removing and disposing of waste)

Scope/range


Scope Performance

  1. Carry out all of the following activities prior to stripping and rebuilding of the motorsport vehicle:

    1. positioning and securing the vehicle, using the correct equipment
    2. carrying out all preparatory work (such as removal of wheels, bodywork or fairings, removing dirt, oil and track debris)
    3. checking for leaks in the braking system, clutch, cooling, steering, lubrication and fuel systems
    4. checking for play in spherical bearings, bushes, couplings and joints
    5. checking for excessive wear to bodywork fasteners, brake linings, clutch linings, skid plates, dog rings and gear ratios
    6. making initial judgements as to the cause of damage and/or wear
  2. Use three of the following to aid the vehicle preparation:

    1. system diagrams           
    2. vehicle telemetry data
    3. set-up sheets
    4. equipment manuals       
    5. engineer's records   
    6. inspection check sheets
  3. Remove and replace components on one of the following types of motorsport vehicle:

    1. single seater   
    2. karts    
    3. motorcycles (such as circuit and off-road)
    4. rallying          
    5. historic    
    6. sports cars
    7. other specific approved competition vehicle
  4. Carry out all of the following removal and replacement activities:

    1. disconnecting electrical connections
    2. draining and removing fluids
    3. disconnecting and removing hoses and pipes
    4. proof marking/labelling of components to aid reassembly
    5. separation of components by means of removing mechanical fasteners (such as nuts, bolts, circlips, quick- release fasteners, rivets)
    6. inspecting components for damage and wear, and identifying all components and fasteners that require replacement.
    7. arranging and storing components in a manner that makes re-assembly as straightforward as possible
    8. labelling (and storing in the correct location) components that require repair or overhaul
    9. reassembly of components using mechanical fastening devices (such as nuts, bolts, quick-release fasteners, circlips, rivets)
    10. replacement of sealing devices (such as `O' rings, seals, gaskets, sealing compounds)
    11. positioning, aligning, setting and adjusting replaced components (such as travel, working clearance)
    12. tightening fastenings to the required torque, and applying bolt locking methods (such as split pins, wire locking, lock nuts)
    13. making electrical connections and earth bonding
    14. replacing fluids and bleeding the system
  5. Remove and replace motorsport vehicle components from all of the following categories:

    1. `lifed' and consumable components (such as filters, gaskets, seals, bearings, securing devices, fuel cells)
    2. pipes and pipe connecting devices (such as rigid pipe, hoses, unions/couplings,)
    3. chassis (such as uprights, suspension systems, steering and brake callipers/discs)
    4. mechanical controls (such as throttle, brakes, clutch, gear)
    5. safety equipment (such as seats, belts, fire extinguishers)

Plus assist in the removal and replacement of motorsport vehicle components from three of the following categories:
6. engine and ancillary components (such as exhaust primaries and silencers, airboxes, engine mounts, filters)
7. transmission (such as gear ratios, gear selectors, dog rings, final drives, clutches, oil coolers, drive and prop shafts)
8. fuel systems (such as fuel pumps, fuel tanks, fuel collectors)
9. cooling systems (such as radiators, heat exchangers, header tanks)
10. electrical (such as voltage generation, ignition system components, engine management, data control boxes, ECUs, wiring looms, lighting)
11. system components (such as sensors, regulators, safety devices, gauges)

  1. Carry out all of the following inspection and testing techniques:

    1. functional testing               
    2. sensory testing (such as sight, sound smell touch)
    3. mechanical measurement

Plus two more of the following test procedures:
4. ferrous metal crack detection   
5. cylinder pressure/balance tests
6. non-ferrous metal crack detection
7. electrical tests
8. static or dynamic balancing    
9. damper dynamometer testing
10. brake balance and pressure testing
11. other specific tests

  1. Remove and replace motorsport vehicle equipment and components, in compliance with one of the following standards:

    1. Race Association's (such as FIA, MSA)
    2. BS or ISO standards and procedures
    3. vehicle manufacturer's specification
    4. customer standards and requirements
    5. team/company standards and procedures
    6. specific system requirements
  2. Complete the relevant paperwork, to include one from the following, and pass it to the appropriate people:

    1. job sheets
    2. computer records
    3. vehicle preparation sheet
    4. formal risk assessment

Scope Knowledge


Values


Behaviours

​Additional Information

You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:

  • strong work ethic
  • positive attitude
  • team player
  • dependability
  • responsibility
  • honesty
  • integrity
  • motivation
  • commitment

Skills


Glossary


Links To Other NOS


External Links


Version Number

3

Indicative Review Date

31 Mar 2020

Validity

Current

Status

Original

Originating Organisation

Semta

Original URN

SEMPEO2-56

Relevant Occupations

Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies

SOC Code

5221

Keywords

engineering; engineering operations; stripping motorsport vehicles; rebuilding motorsport vehicles; pre-competition; cars; chassis; engine; transmission; braking