Carl Brings the Titan Back to Life
(Carl gave us a CD of pics of all of the Titan's repairs.)
Thanks so much, my dear friend!
As of today, the next big race -
will be Coronado!
HOWDY ALL!
(Bill, Dave stole that from me!)
A good day of working on the Titan. After ten days in the motorhome you would think I would sleep in my own bed until at least 0900... Well, 0345 and I'm wide awake and staring at the clock, ceiling, etc. By 0430 I decided the hell with it and made coffee then headed out to the shop.
I hand lapped all the valves, finished cleaning the head and somewhat de-carbonizing the ports, then assembled the head. Next item on the list was a thorough cleaning of the engine block, then removal of the front and rear covers. I cleaned up another (different) front cover for you since the mechanical tach drive is 'going away'. Painted the front cover then set it aside to dry. Removed the rear cover, cleaned it, then installed a new oil seal.
I finally got around to checking the cam lift. YEP... that too is illegal! 0.258" lift on exhaust and 0.257" lift on intake. (0.229" is legal for exhaust and intake) THAT explains why they machined valve pockets in the Cortina pistons. With an extra .030" lift that translated to the valves opening an extra .045", and that, coupled with the .090" milled off the head its getting those valves down "right close" to the pistons... Especially if you get into a valve float condition.
Next I fabricated a cover for the fuel pump mount on the side of the block since we're going to use an electric pump and installed it. Installed the oil pressure idiot light sending unit. Cleaned the oil pump and installed it. Installed the new Gilmer pulley on your new water pump. That took a bit of engineering as the shaft on the new pump is longer than the old one.
Installed the rear cover. Installed a new seal in the front cover and installed it, along with the new water pump. Installed the oil pressure sending unit.
The next 'crisis' was the head bolts. I don't know who built that engine before; I'd bet money it wasn't a professional builder..... They used soft 'crush washers' under the head bolts! Based upon the 'lack of' carbon on the pistons and valves I'd bet the engine didn't have that much time on it, but those crush washers were well worn! I'd be willing to bet it would have blown the head gasket in short order. I scoured the shop and couldn't find any old washers so I ended up using some (high dollar) "ARP" grade 8 hardened and machined washers! (Can you believe twenty bucks for 10 washers!?!?) I can assure you the head will stay properly torqued from now on.
NExt I torqued the head down, installed the valve train and adjusted the valves. I searched my references but couldn't find any specs matching your cam, so I just used the standard Ford valve adjustments.
The vent tube out of the top of the valve cover was another "Rube Goldberg" Special! The 'old' tube was glued in with super glue! Well, the 'old' tube is now in a large green receptacle outside the garage that gets emptied and hauled off to the "sanitary landfill" every Friday morning!! The 'new' tube is a brass plug that's properly screwed into a threaded hole where the previous super glued 'old' tube went, and that plug in turn has a threaded aluminum tube screwed into it.
Last thing was the thermostat housing. When I tore the engine down it didn't have anything in there. Two schools of thought. One is to "break" a thermostat in the open position and install it, the other is to leave it wide open. Behind door one is the philosophy that you need to restrict the water flow, otherwise it moves too fast through the engine and doesn't pick up enough heat. The other school of thought is moving the water as fast as possible. "Carls Law" of engine cooling is to install a restrictor plate. Thus, I fabricated an aluminum plate with a 3/4" hole drilled in the center and installed that in lieu of a thermostat.
By this point I was through "inventing things" for today so I rolled up the sidewalk and came inside.
I completed and wired the instrument panel yesterday. I ended up taking it off and after machining it out so the tach would fit, painted it with "hammer finish" Rustoleum. Next I installed all the gauges. In the foto you'll note the tach is centered and rotated so 6500rpm is straight up. The engine gauges, and the oil pressure idiot light to the left of the tach. The switch on the left side (with the safety cover) is a combination "off-on-momentary on", for ignition off or on and start. On the right side is the fuel pump switch. (The fuel pump switch is independant of ignition so you can operate one without the other). Next I wired all the gauges and switches, then coiled all the wires for later installation. I need to get a fresh can of "electrical tape in a can" to paint all the contacts and wire leads, then I'll permanently install the panel. (Each wire has a piece of masking tape on the end indicating what it's for).
Here are some foto's for your pleasure.... If I were a betting man I'd just lay odds that this is the front of the engine.
Same scene, take two... front of the engine again. Note the 'professional job' of mounting the oil pressure sender..
Now if the last two foto's were the front, then "odds are" this next one will be the back of the engine. Let's see.......
So much for engines, here is how the panel turned out.
Think you could sort out this 'jungle of wires'?
Last one for today is what will soon be "BILL'S VIEW OF THE PANEL"!
Barbs... Go slap your husband a round and drag him in to look at these photos..
Harlan... I saw the Kraco display at the SEMA show this week but you were not there. I gave my card to one of the guys and he said he would tell you I had asked about you at the show. (See if he follows through....)
Mom.... Do you like what I've done to my 'lil brudders' race car?
Later,
Carl
14Nov2005
Hi Carl,
Good News my friend...I just got back from my Cardiologist and he
"SIGNED OFF MY RACE LICENSE PHYSICAL"!
He said my stress test looked great and my whole cardiovascular system was A-OK.
Believe me buddy, I was sweating it "BIG TIME".I was seriously afraid I was going to have to tell you..."thanks for all your hard work...but I can't road race it"! Man, the world looks much brighter today!
And the car...unreal Carl...it's like a dream looking at these pictures...will I wake up and find it still sitting in my garage...!!!!!!!
I'll call you after you get to the "Springs". Barb's and I will be there both days. Mom and Shari are coming out on Sunday. What are your plans for Saturday/Sunday lunches and Saturday night dinner...?? Usual questions...can I get a vehicle pass...maybe we can do what we did at Fontana last year...I'll shuttle everybody in...??
Later, gotta go eat something.
Thanks, Brother Carl!
Bill
14Nov2005
Wilhelm.
FANTASTIC! Way to go, Memo! I knew you could do it!! It's ironic. All my life I've 'sweated' the physicals. For years in the FAA for my annual ATC physical, my annual class 2 physical for flying and flight instructing, physicals when I was hired for (first) Auburn P.D. then Washoe Co. S.O., and now for racing. My physical next month will be the last one good for two years (58). After that one (age 60) it'll be an annual physical.
Glad your happy with my progress on the car. Let me remind you, your still going to be facing doing the bodywork (very little) and painting it. I didn't remove the old numbers as I had planned. I thought I had some (aircraft quality) paint remover still around from the Alpine restoration but I didn't. If I can get some of it I will, but if not...
Either you didn't 'key' on my comment of putting the Titan aside till the end of January, or you were so excited about the physical it didn't register. You were supposed to 'vaporlock' when I said the Lotus was getting first priority. Actually that was Ricky-Poo's idea! He wanted me to tell you I was cancelling Palm Springs and leaving imediately for Arkansas to spend the holidays with my sister, and would be back just in time for PIR in 2006!
RE: the Titan... It has been remarkably easy to work on. The only 'problem' I've had was when I installed the engine. It was a @!#$%&%^&$%^%&! I'll write down instructions for you when you get the car, telling you how to remove and install the drivetrain with no major problems. In any event, it's monumentally more difficult than the Lotus is. As of this morning I was at 91 hours on it. I'm a little behind, but that's because I've spent more time cleaning and detailing than originally planned. No biggie though. Probably less than 50 hours and it'll be "track ready"!! Once I decide how I want to finish the brakes I can bleed them and they'll be done. The fire system is done. Electric is mostly done. Mechanics are done. Fuel system and cooling system to go, then alignment, install the belts, (I got you RCI "Platinum" six point cam lock belts) then testing...
I "FUBAR'D" regarding the food for this weekend. It didn't even cross my mind when Lynne was planning what to get at the store. I told her to head out to the market in the morning and get a big package of ballpark franks and hot dog buns. We've got the bar-b-q in the motorhome so we can do a credible job of burning the dogs beyond recognition. Maybe if you whip up some of food to go with the dogs, and LOTS OF GOOD BEER, we can wing it from there. One 'nice thing'.... I'll be done driving for the day on Saturday and Sunday before lunch time so I'll be able to relax and enjoy some good food and drink and not have to get back in the Lotus. Regarding Saturday nights dinner...... Don't have any plans for that. Friday night is a catered get-together but Saturday we're on our own.
If you pull up the HSR-West website they have the 2006 schedule posted. PIR is (I think.... I'm not looking at it now) the second weekend in February. Drivers school is Friday and races Saturday/Sunday. BE THERE!!!
Ho-Kay...... I'm about out of words for now. I finished up the Lotus and loaded the trailer. SHIT! I just realized I fired the engine and ran it for about a minute without water in it.... Hope I didn't hurt anything (i.e. water pump bearings). Never took it over two grand so it should be OK. DAMN! WHY didn't I think about that???? (I know, cause it's been in the trailer the past month, that's why!)
Regarding vehicles and all that..... Since I've never raced here before (nobody has raced here before....) I don't know what the setup will be. IF they have a pass for service vehicles at registration (or whatever they have) I'll have the pass there for you. I'll be out there bright and early Thursday morning to help Ed turn the airport into a race track, so hopefully I'll have a "PREE-MO" place to pit. Don't have any idea what the layout or anything is going to be yet though. Entry into the races is (accornign to what Ed has published) is off Higgins Drive. Check the website, there may be some late info I'm not aware of...
OK, that's it for now.
Carl
UPDATE: Just got an email back from Ed Swart. We will probably be pitted up close to "where the action is". He's promised me a 'good spot' for helping set the place up. That's all I know for now.
18Nov2005
Hi guys!
Bill: congrats on passing the exam - I'm excited for you!
Looking forward to hooking up with you all.
Tina and I will be staying with friends in Thousand Palms Saturday night and Cindy may possibly join us.
See you on Sunday.
- Mike
25Nov2005
Good morning Guys... (Barbs, go slap Bill around and drag him into the computer to read this..)
Well, Bill, for starters I didn't take a photo of your driving suit. I ordered the "pre-fab" suit. The thing fits me like a glove! It's PERFECT!! Yesterday Lynne sewed my HSR-West, HMSA and SCCA patches on it. I think you'll be very pleased with your suit. (My suit is blue... Yours is Navy Blue).
I didn't really do anything to speak of on the Titan on Wednesday. After running all over town spending your money on stuff for it I just 'tinkered' a little! (WOW! He gets to "tinker" at $85.00 an hour!?!?!? Man, how do I get a job like that!?!?!?) Thursday I spent much of the day completing the wiring on the car. When I had 'connected' everything I could connect I tested circuits. I discovered the Master Switch on the rollbar is shorted and works intermittently, so you'll be getting a new one of those. Next I didn't like the way I had wired the gauges, so I changed them so that they only work when the ignition is on. Of course I had already 'wire wrapped' everything, so I had to cut off a bunch of 'wraps' and do it over again. Finally, I was pleased with the way things were done. Here's a photo of how that "jungle" of wires looks now....
Next, I tested the ignition and starting circuit. Ignition worked fine as did the starting circuit. As a final test I connected jumper cables to my 'booster battery' and "bumped" the starter switch.
THE STARTER ENGAGED BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER!
like the crankshaft was frozen solid in the block!
{Oker, put your heart back in your chest again! I fixed it!).
Before it was 'fixed' though, I gotta tell ya I was sweatin' it!! I could envision having to pull the engine, demate the gearbox, pull the pan off, and basically 'repeat' about 20 hours of work!!!
Instead, I decided it best to knock off for the day and 'sleep on it'.
This morning I investigated a few things, and crawled under the car and looked at everything from the bottom. I just didn't like the clearance I saw on the ring gear and the adapter. Further, when the engine was still on the stand and all assembled, I easily turned the engine over to adjust the valves, so it HAD to be assembled correctly. There are no gears in the gearbox so there's no possible way the input shaft can be binding. Hmmmmmm. I loosened the bolts holding the adapter to the engine and gave it a little 'tap'; moving it up about .050". Put a wrench on the front crank pulley, gave it a turn and it rotated just like it did on the engine stand!!
Hal-leee-looo-yaaa!!!
I tightened all the bolts back up and it still turns the way it should, jumpered the battery to the starter and it cranked
Just Fine!!!
Two things I didn't like when I tore the car down:
the ignition coil was 'mounted' to the frame with some sponge rubber and a couple tie-wraps.
That had to go!
Second, the oil filter was mounted upside down, which means you dump the better part of a quart of oil on everything when you change it! (Can make a person 'forget' to change it on a regular basis when it's a big ugly mess to change). There is a mounting bracket on the firewall for the coil, but I used that spot to mount your electric fuel pump.
I took an old Bosch coil and figured a place to hang it; on one of the bolts where the (mechanical) fuel pump was, and an unused threaded lug on the block. I made an adapter and bolted the coil into its "final resting place".
I was so 'pleased' with my new coil mount, that I dislocated my shoulder patting myself on the back!! So the next 'challenge' was locating a new mount for the oil filter. I 'relocated' my shoulder into place and tackled that challenge.
I fabricated a bracket that attaches to a motor mount bolt and to a threaded lug on the block that (originally) attached to the generator bracket. It turned out VERY sanitary, has the oil filter nearly vertical, and you even have room to install/remove it without spilling it's contents all over the shop floor!! Take a look...
I'm ready to start doing some "plumbing" now with oil lines. I have most everything in place except for the oil cooler, which is still enroute.
Oh, I also figured out where I'm mounting the "puke tank", and looking at improving the oil tank mount. That's it for now.... Bill, you better go work some overtime now. Let's see...... $85.00 an hour times 470 hours...... HEY, I can afford to buy an Indy car after all!!!!!
Later guys...
Carl
p.s. Here's the electric fuel pump in its new location..
27Nov2005:
Good morning guys,
HAPPY MONDAY!!
As you will see by the photo's, I've been kinda busy. The back of the car is starting to get 'awful busy' now. All that room that was there when the engine bay only contained a 'bare engine' is suddenly filling up. System wise things are nearing completion..
Electric: All the wiring is completed except a brake-light switch and actual light. I gave that old "beehive" tail light (actually a clearance light, not a brake light) 20 whacks with a 20# sledge just to prevent my being tempted to install it. I need to stop by Auto Diesel Electric and pick up your battery, too.
Oil: The filter is installed and plumbed from the pump and to the block. The tank is installed and plumbed to the pump. The overflow line is plumbed to the 'Puke Tank'. The puke tank is mounted on the exhaust pipe support. I didn't like the way the oil tank was mounted so I fabricated a new mount for it this morning. The 'old mount' was about .040" aluminum and attached to the gearbox bearing carrier and end cover. The bearing carrier was OK, but hanging something off the end cap puts too much load on it. (It's only secured with 1/4-28 studs). My new mount attaches to the top and bottom of the bearing carrier, then has a cross brace to the top of the gearbox case in a highly reinforced area. (See the photo's) As soon as your oil cooler comes in I can complete the oil system.
Hydraulics: All the brake lines are completed. Everything is new. All I need for that is a brake-light pressure switch, then I can bleed the system. Clutch hydraulics are completed; only needing bleeding.
Fuel: I cleaned the cell as best as I could, then packed it with new foam. I installed an in-line fuel filter in the end of the cell. (The same as I used on the Alpine.) When it gets clogged you can take it apart and clean it then put it back together. Electric fuel pump down low so is will gravity feed for the most part to the pump. After the fuel system was completed I poured three gallons of race gas in the cell. Happy to report.... NO LEAKS! I then pumped a gallon out of the cell and let it settle. Inspected the filter and the bottle I pumped the fuel into.... no sediment from the cell so I must have cleaned it pretty good.
Carburetor: I boiled out the carburetor then reassembled it with the old gasket. It was OK. The accelerator pump felt 'stiff', so it should be replaced. My recommendation; considering the car has a 'second rate' carburetor on it anyway: call Jay Ivey, and have him send me one of his race prepared Weber carbs, along with one of his race recommended (filtron type) air filters. IF you decide that racing a formula Ford is the greatest thing in the world, you'll end up getting an Ivey prepared carb anyway, so you might as well do it now...... IF you decide you don't like open wheel racing then when you sell the car I'll put my spare carb on the car and keep your Ivey carb for a spare (I'm using an Ivey carb.... It's easier and cheaper in the long run to just buy it, rather than try and modify one yourself). And, now would be a good time to switch the carburetor because I'm at a good point to redo the carburetor linkage and return springs.
Cooling: The last major system installation. I'll take the radiator's to Superior and let them hot tank them. That will (at a minimum) degrease the outsides of them and maybe dislodge enough of the gunk inside that I can determine if they need to go to "A-1 Radiator" (the best place in Reno to Take A Leak!). If the rad's come out of the hot tank OK then I'll redesign the manifolding and work on finding all the weird hoses I'll need for it.
So whats left? After finishing the systems listed above I'll reinstall the lower body panels, then hang the upper body and engine cover, and trim as necessary the panels in front of the pedal box bulkhead, then fit the new nose. (Now WHERE did I put that thing?? Haven't seen it for a couple'a weeks!! OH YEA... I threw it out on the wood pile behind my shed!
Afert that? It's Alignment Time! Following that?
Track Testing!!!
Yea, Bill.... We're getting close!
Fo-to's:
Here's what it looked like when I came in the house tonight.
A 'trial fit' of the left side radiator shroud.
(Thanks again, Andy.. They fit well).
Note, too, the firewall and fuel cell in place.
The 'manifold' for the rear brakes. Note the 'ears' on the gearbox, attaching it to the crossmember? When I get your oil cooler I'll be fabricating a mount that will attach to those bolts, then I can decide where to put the coolant recovery tank.
Yea, I'm running out of space back there!
Like the mount I fabricated for the oil tank?
Unlike the old one, this one isn't going to overstress the end cover on the gearbox and it won't break off. Right now your wondering.... "Why did he bolt everything instead of welding it?" This is an area that gets a LOT of vibration! Welds would have ultimately cracked, but here you just tighten the bolts occasionally, plus it gives it the ability to 'flex'.....
Like the panel?
Note there are 'three' (grade 8, 5/16-24) bolts on the steering wheel instead of the previous 'six' (grade 5, 10-32)..... That's because the steering wheel is now attached to a quick release steering hub.
OK guys... I've "shot my wad" for the night.. Y'all enjoy your "Monday"
(Just another Saturday for Dave and I!)
Later,
Carl
29Nov_2005/re: 11-25 report:
Wow Carl...I'm really at a lost for words
especially after yesterday's follies!
I'm still a bit confused about why the engine wouldn't turn over that first time?
BTW...I think I have a "new" Blue Coil in a box somewhere that I was going to use on the Fiero but went with the recommended 80,000 volt Accell coil instead.
Finally. Something "I" can do when I get the car back...!!
Everything looks so clean in the photos.
It won't take much touch up to make the frame look freshly painted
good ol' Navy Grey should work.
The Navy says I have to produce for pay. Stuff to read.
Later
Bill
Well, Willie...
WHY the engine wouldn't turn over:
Under normal circumstances there would be an alignment sleeve in either side of the block so when it mates to a bell housing everything is aligned. These usually "go away" when your dealing with an adapter between engine and gearbox. Such was the case with your car. I had noted in putting things back together that there wasn't a lot of clearance between the adapter and flywheel (relative to the clearance with the Lotus flywheel and adapter) but didn't give it any real thought. A couple weeks later, when I try, the engine wouldn't turn over.
When I crawled under the car I again saw and noted the 'lack' of clearance between the flywheel and adapter. In fact, the adapter was pressed tight against the flywheel! As soon as I loosened the bolts and 'tapped' the adapter I had about 50 thousanth's clearance. Since this isen't a nuclear warhead, "a miss is a miss!".
What I WILL DO, if I build you an engine at some point in the future, will be to machine about 50-100/1000's out of the inside of the adapter and 'make' alignment sleeves so this problem won't happen again.
One other thing.. I have a new coil on order from Engine Builders Supply.
That's it for now. Gonna do my 'e-jigsaw puzzle' and call it a night!!
Carl
30.November2005 (pics were missing on original email)
Hey Guys,
I thought you might like to see the car after the first trial fitting of the body. Well here ya go!!
I'll start off with "Oker's view". Note the new (Longacre) master switch on the rollbar. (See my new snowblower in front of the car? We got snow Monday afternoon and evening, it warmed up and melted before I could go try it out Tuesday morning!)
Next is a view of the new nose.
Now the side of the car with the nose, upper body, engine cover and radiator shroud in place.
A side view from the left front.
Another showing the lines of the car. Actually it's a pretty car.
The 'small APU' connector had to go. It was mounted on the receiver for the radiator shroud. You can see how I mounted the new recepticle. I wired it the same as I did on the Lotus. You can charge both the auxiliary battery and car battery at the same time with the master switch shut off. A more sanitary method from the originally wiring.
OK guys... this ones short on words but long on pictures.
Bill has a brand new Ivey modified Weber carburetor enroute to me. As soon as I get that I can complete the fuel/carb system. As soon as I get the oil cooler I can complete the oil system. As soon as I get a few hoses I'll complete the cooling system. Bleed the brakes, and "drive her up the street"!!! (How'z that for getting close, Bill?)
Later,
Carl
1December2005:
Good Morning Carl,
Boy, it does look good doesn't it!
Did you wax it? Looks really shiny.
And yes, it's getting very close.
I wanna get in it!
Thanks Carl!
Brother Bill
And your wallet is a lot lighter too, right Bill?
I told Carl when he bought the trusty Lotus from me
that it's such a tight fit that
it's not possible to get in with a billfold in your back pocket.
Cheers all, Dave
from Don:
Looks really cherry! Nice job Carl!
Bill,
I 'waxed' a few spots on the aluminum to test where I had removed the old number paint. Get yourself a jar of "Mothers Aluminum and Magnesium Polish" (Pimp Boyz) and plan on a few hours polishing. "Mothers" is second only to "Flitz" for polishing but a lot cheaper, and it'll really clean up nice.
Actually, I didn't even wipe it down.. it's dirty as hell right now!
How soon am I gonna 'crank it'? I don't know yet. Still a lot of little 'nagging' things I'm working on, then all of a sudden 'BANG'.... I'm ready to spin it up. Lets see, you should be the sixth person to know when it runs (right behind the 3 Sparks PD units and their two dispatchers who are engaged in the pursuit!).
Don, thanks for the compliment.
Carl
from Bill:
Glad you all are havin' so much fun with this!
Barb's is info'd on this and
she's seein' her bathroom mods goin' down the toilet!
from Don
No, I'm a supervisor where he works, but not Bills.
I'm Larry's partner on the Aardvark. It's actually a mid '70s vintage Sports Car Engineering CSR that's been pretty wildly modified for Autocross. Not quite Nationals winner yet, but I think we'd make the top 5 now. Gonna race Saturday morning. It's supposed to rain, and solo racing that car in the wet is akin to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (not to mention really soggy).
Don,
It will never snow in Sparks, again! Not after I bought a 9.5 horsepower, two stage snow blower last summer.
I vaguely rememebr the Aardvark name...
C modified car form the early 70's?
Good luck in the rain...
Just wait till Bill gets his first oppotrunity to drive the Titan in the rain!
The open cockpit isn't a problem, its the lack of fenders!
Carl
from Bill:
Actually...I've always done quite well in the rain.
I beat the National Champion CSP Miata in the rain with my
Fiero about ten years ago!
from Don:
Yeah, but you didn't have someone spraying you in the face
with muddy water at the time either!
Bill,
In a formula car on a racetrack, like Don said, the spray isn't coming back into your face so it isn't a big problem. The 'problem' occurs from a couple sources. The front tires throw up a big spray that changes your field of vision. You get 'tunnel vision'. The rear tires throw spray forward so it comes in the back of the body. After a couple minutes of driving your discover your 'getting soaked' from the back to the front. In traffic you can't see shit due to the spray from the guy in front of you. You'll either want to lay waaaaay back to avoid it, or pass him ASAP so HE gets all of your spray! Then of course the car doesn't handle worth a damn...
You'll find that for the most part, historic racing in the rain becomes 'follow the leader'.... The lineup at turn 1 on lap 1 is pretty much also the finishing order.
Carl
4December2005:
BILL, I was gonna put this photo at the end but even I couldn't stand the suspense:
Here she is "up front", the way it looks at this very instant!!!
Good morning guys.... HAPPY MONDAY!!
Progress has been slow on the "Trusty Titan" the past few days. The temperature has been into the 40's out in the shop in the mornings. Finally had to fire up my propane heater! I think I'm finally going to buy a (natural gas) 'shop type' heater that has a thermostat, etc. The cost of propane is getting so high it'll pay for itself in a couple years, not to mention the 'luxury' of simply flipping a switch.
Hey Bill! I sat in the Titan yesterday for the first time! Tell me, did you sit in it with the body on it? I was really cramped around my shoulders. I either need to remove the seat so I can get lower in it, or modify the upper body so my shoulders have room.
I went to NAPA and got all the hoses for your car, then stopped at Ace Hardy Wear and got the Cu tubing and fittings that I needed to fabricate the manifolds. I filled the system with water, and all the water is still in the engine, so I guess the cooling system is finished. (Still need to attach the coolant recovery tank but I need the oil cooler in place first).
I tightened all the oil lines and filled the oil filter with oil. All I need to do is 'prime' the oil lines, block and pump; install the cooler, connect the lines back to the tank, fill it with oil, and that system will be done.
Electrical: done. Oops, I need to go test the brake light, then it'll be done.
Hydraulics: The clutch works. I put the old brake pads in place so I could bleed the brakes, tightened one minor leak and bled the brakes. That system is now done except for installing the new pads when they arrive (Pegasus). One thing of interest... For years I've used a vacuum bleeder and been pleased with it except it takes 'forever and three days' to bleed out a system. Both Pegasus and Bean are advertising "speed bleeders". I thought "what the Hell, it's Bills money I'm spending", so I opted for a set for the Titan. All I can say is WOW!!!! I'll be getting a set for the Lotus when it comes in from the trailer for it's annual overhaul! Put your bleed canister on the bleeder, crack it open, and start pumping the brake pedal. It's that easy! (Unless you forget to top off the reservoir, then it's back to square one). Another thing I do that also greatly helps is bench bleeding the master cylinders and calipers before they go on the car. Especially the calipers, cause you can 'vibrate them' and get a lot of tiny air bubbles out of the nooks and crannies. SO, I guess we can say the hydraulics are completed.
I installed the new belts yesterday. What a bitch!! If that Titan were mine I think I would 'lose' that seat and make one that fit me; kinda like I did with the Lotus. (On the other hand, when I get back down below 240 I can put the "Jim Clark" original seat back in the Lotus, so I shouldn't say too much!) All I need now is for Oker to show up so we can fit the new belts to his "trim, lythe, formula Ford svelte body!!"
The exhaust: I welded up a crack in the #4 header at the manifold. It had previously cracked and some "Yea-Hoo" had brazed it; hence it cracked again. I tried to heat it and 'blow out' the brazing but it wasn't happy with that, so I rebrazed it. It's going to crack again eventually. My recommendation on that is when it does, take that one pipe to a professional welder and have it done right. And while I'm on that subject; it's real common for the exhaust tubes to crack on formula cars. They get a hell of a lot of vibration back there. The 'one piece' exhaust manifold gasket I've installed is thick (also expensive) and they last about a season before they burn out, but they do absorb a lot of the head/header vibration. Plan on getting a couple of them for spares. Also, the exhaust pipe support absorbs a lot of the vibrations.. that's why I made one for the Lotus. Exhaust system finished.
Intake: I sealed a new gasket and installed the intake manifold last week, fabricated new studs and installed them, and installed the Ivey carb and air cleaner. I fabricated throttle linkage and installed that, as well as new return springs. I didn't like the setup at the pedals so I 'massaged' that a bit. It's now getting full throttle with about 1 1/2" of throttle pedal travel. We may have to change that a bit, as well as adjust the brake and clutch pedal height, but I need an Oker here to sit in the car and push the pedals to do that. Otherwise, the induction system is completed.
So what's left? When I prime the oil system I'll bring it up on top dead center on #1 so I can align the distributor then install the cap and wires. I'll use the old wires. If they are OK, then OK. If I'm not happy with them I'll get a set of Taylor wires from Summit. I received the new lug nuts from Bean Friday. 3/8"-24 thread lug nuts are not cheap! I'll clean up the old ones for you to keep as a spare.... Don't lose them!! The new nuts have a 'rounded' face on them and the old nuts a flat face. when I get your wheels and tires out of the trailer later I'll inspect the wheels. We'll either have the 'correct' nuts for your steel wheels now or else I'll need to run all the new ones through the lathe and machine the correct 'flat' on them. Bill, you mentioned a galled thread on one of the studs.. right rear you thought. I haven't found it yet, but when I do I'll clean it up.
While I'm thinking of vibration, let me forewarn you. Driving a formula car (as compared to, say, the Fiero) will be like comparing a Morgan to a Lexus. Your going to fell everything that the car feels. It's quite dramatic really. As the tires heat up and the shock oil heats up it'll transition into a well handling car. But don't go out there on lap one of the first Saturday practice and try for a new track record or you'll be the "first person to the scene of the crash!" I've ordered Hawk Black pads for your car. I liked them very well on the Lotus. I went to a "better" pad on the Lotus, but they wear like a pencil eraser, so as soon as they are worn out I'm going back to the Hawks. (I haven't looked yet, but that may have been one of my 'brake problems' {along with the bias} at PSP. I may discover when I get the car out of the trailer that there's nothing left on the back!!).
What's left? part 2: I'll most likely get your tires out of the trailer so I can do the lug nuts, then PUT THE CAR ON THE GROUND!! Assuming I do that, I'll start on the alignment. I can always put it back on stands to finish the oil system.
So that's about it for now.
I hung the body and for the first time since you brought the car up, it's on its "own four feet!" This afternoon I went over the radiator shrouds. They really need to go to the "fiberglass doctor". They will be OK for a while, but they have some cracks in them that need rapair. I installed screens to prevent stones through the radiator's (or at least slow them down a bit). Then I hung the rest of the body. I machined your new lug nuts to fit the wheels, then hung them. The front wheels have a white paint mark on the wheel and on one lug stud. ALWAYS match them up when mounting the wheels. Why? The brake calipers can rub the inside of the wheels. I had to grind the left front caliper to eliminate this, and installing the wheels 'as indexed' will assure the problem doesn't persist. (The rears are not a problem). I didn't find any lug studs with galled threads, but the left rear studs show a lot of use. The rear lug studs are also welded to the hubs (fronts are pressed in to the hubs and they are fine). My recommendation: if you decide this is the car of your dreams, at some future time in the next year or so, take the hubs to a machine shop and have them replace (as in grind out the old studs and weld in new ones) the studs.
REMEMBER THIS NUMBER: 50. That is the torque for your lug nuts. Tattoo it to your forehead! Before EVERY track session I want you to check the torque on the lug nuts! Do it by 'feel' and over torque them; you'll snap the studs. DON'T torque them before every session and as you enter a corner you'll see your wheel(s) and tire(s) pass you.... just before becoming the first person to the scene of the crash!
Alright, I'm tired of typing, so here's some pictures......
The right side radiator shroud installed with 'rock screen' in place. You can also see the radiator manifold and hose from the radiator back to the water pump. (Note the throttle linkage... well, you can't really see it here).
Here is the manifolding from the thermostat housing to the port side radiator. Better view of the rock screen.
Here's a shot of the starboard side radiator shroud. Also another view of the "APU" plug.
Your first look at your RCI "Platinum" six point restraints.
(They were a Bitch to install!)
Now you can see how the port side radiator connects to the starboard side radiator.
And one final shot of the car on 'All Fours'.
Later,
Carl
5December2005:
Good Morning Carl,
All right!
She looks so cool on all fours!
and I like the number!
Chilly here too, 37F this AM in Alpine
and probably freezing at Mom's place!
Yes, it does sit a little tight at the shoulders, but I think you're broader there than I am. You definitely can't fit in there with the forward roll bar braces in place. That's why I removed them. I don't care for the seat either. I plan on fabricating something eventually. Or just remove it and put a pad of some kind in there...kinda like you have in the Lotus.
As far as the bad stud goes, I just remember one of the right rears being hard to thread on. I hate crossed threads, especially lug-nut stud threads. I also remember the rear lug nuts were larger than the front ones. Is that standard?
The Fiero rides like a 2400 pound Go-Kart. It's really really really stiff, probably too stiff. There is no right front shock at all, the upper attachment point got ripped right out of the chassis years ago. You don't even know it's gone...everything else is so stiff. I was using a set of custom modified ($600 more than 15 years ago) Monroe Formula GP shocks/struts set full hard. With the poly bushings, Eibach lowering springs cut one inch (two inch+ drop total) and the one inch sway bars. There is NO give in the suspension. The inside front wheel comes up off the ground when you're really hooked up good coming out of a fast corner. Everybone tells me it looks really cool on the track, but it's probably not the best set-up.
I'm sure the Titan will ride pretty darn stiff too, and of course there's no insulation, so you're going to "hear" as well as "feel" all those mechanical sounds and vibrations...I can't wait to tell ya the truth!
Hey Dave, ya should give Carl a ride in a C-2 sometime
now there's a shaker!
(I know Carl's flown lotsa airplanes
some of which probably vibrate pretty good too)
We need to start planning for a trip back up there, but I certainly don't wanna impose on any Christmas plans Lynne might have - that's a HUGE NO-NO, especially if she's anything like Barb's at Christmas time!
I'm off between Christmas and New Years, and we have all of January
but that cold white stuff that you get, up there in Reno.
Let me know.
Thanks again, brother.
The car really does look cool!!!
Bill
December 14, 2005 (from Carl):
<
O.K. Carl, ol' buddy, ol' pal.
you've had enough fun.
Get to work on your own car, and leave mine alone!
Your shop is awesome!
You don't wanna see mine right now
at Christmas time everything migrates
into the house.
OK, heading back out there now. Back to the grease and grime and oil and cold while your getting paid all that money to sit in a warm office with unimited computer access.
Hey, you get off in 75 minutes. Have a good one!
Later,
Carl
Yeah...the (blueberry) muffins sound "DE-LISH".
I do all the regular cookin' but Barb's does the bakin'
and she's good at it.
You know, you didn't "have" to retire.
You could be a GS-infinity by now, if ya wanted too.
And I really am quite limited in my computer power...yeah...it's 2.4 Ghz Intel (R) Pentium, 260,088 KB Ram, MS Windows 2000 XP Professional,
but we are forced to use the NMCI (Navy Marine Corps Intranet) system
which we have dubbed "Not Mission Capable for the Internet".
So many restrictions.
It's warm in here. I often run a fan to cool off even on cold days
well, cold days for Coronado.
Keep warm. talk tomorrow.
Bill
15dec2005:
Good morning Bill!
Hey, I'm sure glad you called last night. I enjoyed voice chatting instead of 'e-chatting'. Lynne was fixing dinner at the time so your timing was perfect. She fixed (home made) chili a few nights ago and was heating up the left overs. Talk about good!! Any time you fix heavily spiced (not necessarily 'HOT' spiced but with a large variety of spices) food it should sit for a couple days then reheated.... it taking a couple days for all those delicious herbs and spices to really generate their full flavor.
We've been dining fairly regularly at one place for close to 20 years, not 5 diamonds, mind you, and we know everybody (plus Lynne gets a $120.00 dinner comped about once a month. The restaurant manager once gave us a bottle of white wine called "menage-a-twa" (HEY, I don't know French. Now if it had been German wine, like a bottle of "Porsche Uber Alles", I'd be able to spell it.). An interesting wine. As you drank it you could taste the unique blend of the three different grapes that went into it, then your palate would discriminate and you would taste the individual wines flavors, then 'sensory overload' would "blend them" back on your tongue. Anyway, it was a really unique flavor and I really enjoyed it. (We've also had the 'red' Menage-a-twa but I didn't like it as much as the white.)
OK buddy boy, it's time for me to head out to the shop and finish up.
Carl
23december2005:
Hey Oker.....
If you would do your "eight for eight" and give us taxpayers what we've paid for, you would'a gotten this today.
Regarding your mirrors, I'll drill the holes for the right side mirror. You probably won't receive it before you depart on your trip, but all you'll have to do when you get home is install two screws and your set.
Thursday/Friday are reserved for you. Come over Thursday morning and that'll give us the day (or as long as we want to spend) going over the car, systems, etc. I want to walk you through everything, then I'm certain you'll have a zillion questions. Depending on whether RFR is open next week we can make some 'moving' chassis adjustments. Right now the car is set up and the corner balance is set by adjusting ride height. I'll also need a "fresh set of eyes" to go over the car and find little 'FUBARS" for me to correct. It's like computer programming..... You look at it so much you see what you want it to do... NOT what it's actually doing. A fresh set of eyes can look and in an instant see a problem I've looked at so long I don't see any more.... IF that makes sense.
Better yet, if you think you guys will hit town on Wednesday why don't we plan on going out to dinner Wednesday night? We know a 'killer Sushi place' and its all you can eat (WHICH I CONSIDER A PERSONAL CHALLENGE!!!). Just let me know.
You all have a very Merry Christmas, and I'll be looking forward to seeing you next week.
Carl
________________________________________________________________________________________
Hi guys,
I wrote what follows below without knowing that my email server was down, thinking Bill wasn't at work cause I didn't get any email from him. The system just came back up and I got his email that he will be up next week, etc... here's what I had written.
Merry Christmas Guys!
I'm betting that Oker came down with the dreaded "PHSL" ("Pre-Holiday Sick Leave") virus and won't be in today. I'm betting that Andy, Harlan, Mike and Rick also came down with that terrible, highly contagious disease as well! Darn, I guess only Dave and I are safe!
I finished up the head for Roger's Series 5 Alpine. (For those of you who have not been to PIR when Roger has raced there {Bill was there and will remember}, Roger bar-b-q's the best Brats for lunch that ever warmed a race car drivers palate! They are simply fantastic! And, Roger races the prettiestSeries 5 Alpine you've ever seen!!) Last couple races he was having overheating problems, as well as blowing head gaskets. Thus, he shipped his head to me and I took it down to Superior for Auggie to "work his magic Ju-Ju" on it. It wasn't cheap, but take a look at this work.
Four Smiling "Happy Faces"!
Now, all I need is for Santa to 'reign down on me' with some oil control rings and valves that presently seem to be made of "Unobtanium", and Carl can return to the folds of "Happy Racers".
As soon as Bill comes and gets the Titan I can bring the Lotus in from the trailer and start prepping it for next year. Dave, you remember the original aluminum (enduro) fuel tank you gave me with the car? I'm going to start working it up and getting it race ready. I want to use it at Willow where I run out of fuel with my present (ATL) cell, and also, if Ed will let us race the one hour enduro's; run those as well.
For those of you who bleed your own brakes, I tried a new (new to me anyway) product on the Titan called "Speed Bleeders". They replace the conventional bleed screws. When you bleed your brakes you loosen them slightly and attach your bleed tank to them same as the old style, then pump the brakes just like before, except you don't have to hold the pedal on the floor while a second person opens and closes the bleed valves. These things have a spring loaded seal in them that closes and seals the flow as soon as the pressure equalizes. It took me ten minutes to completely purge, charge and bleed the Titan brakes! It works much better than my vacuum bleeder because the fluid is being 'forced' to the calipers under pressure rather than 'drawn' by a vacuum. Anyway, I liked them so well I bought a set for the Lotus and will be going on when I flush the brake fluid and replace it.
OK guys, I need to get going. Y'all have a very Merry Christmas......
29dec2005:
Good morning Guys,
A HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!! May 2006 be exponentially better than 2005 was, may we achieve all we strive for, and be healthy along the way!!
Barbs got sick last weekend forcing she and Bill to curtail their trek to Reno, and Bill's getting to finally test drive then take home his Titan. In some ways that may have worked out for the better. He would have been battling yesterdays storms coming up and would have been battling Friday evenings and Saturdays forecast storms on the way home. With a little bit of luck, when he does come up (tenatively planned for mid-January) I'll hopefully have the Lotus back together and we'll be able to test both cars at Reno-Fernley.
I made Bill a Christmas present which he didn't get to see since he didn't come up. I made him a windscreen for the Titan. It turned out being a lot more work than originally expected, but its "Guaranteed" to keep the rain out of his face at 200mph! (Should it fail to work as advertised he gets a double his money back on it and gets to keep it! HOWEVER, the 200mph Must be verified with trackside radar!)
Here's an 'almost' drivers view of the windscreen. You can also see the left side mirror that was added last week. Bill ordered a pair of mirrors and had them sent to me. Whoever packed them is training for a "Darwin award".... They sent two left side mirrors! Then, when I called them and pointed out the error, they UPS'd a right side mirror..... not to me, but to Bill in San Diego!
Next is a side profile of the windscreen.
And here is a front profile. You can see the 'crazing' of the plexiglass where I 'bent it'. I tried immersing it in boiling water, but it remained stiff. Next I used a propane torch. I tried holding it far enough away that it didn't craze, but that didn't work, so I just got the flame up close (where it blistered the plexiglass but kept the blistering real close to the bend {you don't look through it anyway so it doesn't matter there.... just aversely impacts on its beauty}).
OK guys, that about does it for me.... If I don't talk to you before, y'all have a safe and sane, Happy New Year!
Carl
3jan2006:
All right Carl...Congratulations on the trophy...!!!!!!!!
And thanks for the windscreen...looks cool...probably too much drag to get to 200 mph though...!!!!!!!!
I forgot to bring in the mirrors this morning...I'll get to it tomorrow...
Thanks again...
Bill
10jan2006:
Hey Bill,
No mail this morning? You at work or did you sick out?
The weather may be 'dicey' this weekend. forecast is for rain on Saturday and clearing on Sunday. We're supposed to get a warm storm tonight and into tomorrow, then clearing till Friday night. If you can wait till the last minute to depart (I know, the bags are packed and sitting by the front door) I can give you a better extimate on the weather Wed or Thursday.
11jan2006:
Good Morning Carl,
I took yesterday off to rest. I just wasn't feeling very chipper and wanted to get some more sleep. Don't wanna have a problem this weekend. I just checked with our Navy weather guesser site and it's saying rain on Friday in your area (I checked forecasts for Sparks, Fernley, Fallon and Hawthorne...and Bishop...all the same)...partly cloudy with a high of 48 to 50 on Saturday...no data for Sunday yet. I suppose ya should check tomorrow with RFR to see if they'll be open on Saturday if it rains heavily on Friday. Are they not open Sunday at all?
I need to get together some kinda waterproof car cover to cover the cockpit if I have to tow the car in the rain. Also something to cover the carburetor/air filter. any ideas? A large shower cap should work for the carb.
Yes...the bags are still packed and sitting at the foot of the bed...I keep digging undies out of the big one though!
I got my passport pic yesterday so I'll send off all the application forms, $$$, etc...for PIR this morning. I guess I'll just rent the transponder for this time. Can ya send me that motel info again...like an idiot I deleted that email this morning.
later...cross your fingers and toes.
Bill
11jan2006:
Yo Bill,
I just got off the phone with Michele at Reno-Fernley Raceway. We are set for Saturday test-n-tune. IF the weather fails to cooperate, Sunday is the alternate 'rain day'. The weather is forecast to be rainy on Saturday and clear on Sunday. Your off Monday, so getting home Sunday shouldn't be a life/death issue for you.
The weather in the Reno area is a mystery. Being on the east side of the Sierra's causes it to do abnormal things. A large part of the time weather that's forecast to hit us gets pushed north of us as it comes over the Sierra's. It seems that the weather we 'do get' is what should pass south of us but gets pushed up into us.... if that makes sense. As an example, the wind was supposed to blow all the power poles down yesterday evening, and it was supposed to rain all night and into the day today. I've thus far seen occasional 10mph breezes and almost overcast sky, incredibly warm, but completely dry. If we did get rained out Saturday I don't think we would have a problem for Sunday.
So why don't you plan on coming up Friday. We'll plan on going out to dinner Friday night (after you've drooled on and sat in your car). Worst case scenario: if we were to get rained out both Saturday and Sunday, we'll wrap your car in plastic so you can take it home and take it to the stadium or wherever you can get away with driving it down there. Otherwise, we'll be forever trying to hit a weekend, and before you know it, it'll be time for PIR.
File this phone number away just in case you feel the need to call: (775) 575-7217. That's Michele's number at Reno-Fernley Raceway.
OK buddy, let me throw a stamp on this and mail it. Be plannin' on seein' ya on Friday.... Where ya wanna go for groceries? Sushi, or Outback?
Carl
11jan2006:
Hi Carl...I just checked on the weather picture and they are calling for rain on Saturday vice(?) Friday now everywhere from your area to here in San Diego! The prediction for Sunday is "partly cloudy" in your area...they call that "partly sunny" in San Diego. And as you say, I get Monday off, so if we gotta wait till Sunday to run the car, so be it. We probably should spend Saturday going over the car anyway. There is a Saturday practice and Sunday Solo event at the stadium 28-29 Jan that I can run if needed. I will need to go out there anyway on Sunday to pick up my 2006 Solo card...to keep my number 59! They let you pay ahead to keep your number each year but if you don't pick up your new Solo Card (essentially your license) by the first Championship event they will sell your number to the first bidder at the next event...
I know what you mean about weather predictions. I'm sure after all your flying years you know not to depend on weather guessers. Be prepared as the Boy Scouts say. This morning the National Weather Service on CNN said it was 30 degrees in Alpine and partly cloudy. Well...at 0513 or so when I left it was 46 and clear as a bell.
You haven't mentioned your Loti head today.
later...
Bill
12jan2006:
Bill will you please go get that car . all this suspense is making me coo-coo.
Be careful have Fun. Love Mom
Hi Mom. yeah, we're going...rain or shine!
Good Morning Carl,
Wow. if the stripping was gold? Hmmmmm.
Now the weather guessers are back to rain Friday in Sparks and p/cloudy Saturday...rain Friday and Saturday in Fernley...rain Friday with snow flurries in Fallon on Saturday...looks like the "storm" is predicted to hit you Friday and then move east on Saturday...
Well, baring some other unknown, we're coming anyway. Leaving early AM tomorrow.
Bill,
I've already started working on Rich about this car... AND... if it were to happen, it would get DAVIS MOTORSPORTS OF RENO on the sides, and I will see to it that the trim becomes Gold!!! Might also find a detailer who will add to the back of the wing "To the memory of Bob Oker".
As for the weather, it'll be colder this weekend.. That's a given. Probably high's in the mid 40's. I'm still putting my money on the bulk of the storm staying north of us. If we get any weather on Saturday it should be cleared off by Sunday.
If Auggie is done with my head today (as promised) I'll be finishing off the Lotus and prepping the Titan for your arrival. Set up the ride height with you in it, go over everything with you on the car, and get you ready to drive it!!
OK buddy, gotta go clean up. I spent all morning machining a set of aluminum vice jaws so I'm kinda covered in Al dust...
Carl
OK. Sounds good. On the road again. Take two.
Bill
15jan2006:
Hey guys,
Bill and Barb came up yesterday, arriving in early afternoon. We met them at the Outback and had "a head of lettuce and a side of beef". Following dinner, Lynne and Barb drove back to the house and Bill and I drive over to Superior. Bill got to meet Auggie and learn a little about the guy's expertise. I'll let him comment, but I think he was impressed. Then we drove back to the house with my "six million dollar Cortina head". We were all quite tired so we called it a night and they headed for the "No-Tell Motel".
At 0600 this morning, as planned, there was a gentle knock on the garage door, and in came Bill. The poor guy, I went over system and system, explaining a raft of things that nobody could remember. I discovered one 'FUBAR'.... I never tightened the hydraulic hose to the clutch slave cylinder. Figured it out when I saw the puddle under the car... Then, in setting the pedal height to suit Bill, I had to revert to some old master cylinder pushrods because the new ones were about 1/2 inch too short. No big problem, just a pain in the 'posterior' to change out. Finally we had the body back on the car and the ride height set and ready to open the shop door and load the car onto the trailer.
Now according to every weather forecast I had seen, the wind was supposed to blow the roof off the house late Thursday night and we would get a foot of snow, starting Friday afternoon throughout Saturday evening. Well, at 0600 this morning is was overcast and breezy, but I was still having a problem believing it would storm.. Now it was very windy at Reno-Fernley RAceway today, and we got a little rain coming home from the track, but other than that... this storm was a 'Big Bust!!
"Eastbound And Down!!" Bill and Barb heading out to Fernley with the "BRT" and the "LWT" (Little White Titan). Talk about "Instant Vertigo!" Dave, you can appreciate this, being a pilot. I pulled into Bills "Eight", turned the camera on, when all the rest was ready put it up to my eye, then hit the zoom! WOW!!!! As soon as I 'checked the gauges' (looked outside for confirm my oriantation) I was fine..... But for a few micro-seconds....
After we arrived at "RFR" the "rent-a-cop" had us sign the release form, then he 'turned us loose' on the paddock. We were originally scheduled for a half day 'test-n-tune' day, but the storms about ten days ago really washed a lot of rock and debris onto the track, so it's still closed. RFR management was kind enough to let us use the pit paddock to test the car. As it turned it was probably better than the actual track because we were able to do more 'fine tuning' than if we were trying to go fast.
It was purely a coincidence, the pre-exisintg tire marks from the dirt shoulder, but it sure looks like Bill is in a quite serious yaw here! In this photo we are looking north toward 'beautiful downtown Fernley'. Out of the picture and slightly to the left in the far distance is Pyramid Lake, where I like to fish.
The 'exercise here' was to test the car and sort it out. Considering the 'lack of' room we had it worked out good. On this little 'straight' Bill could short shift and get up to 3'rd, then back up the other side which was longer he could get into 4'th before walking back down through the gearbox.
Up our "back straight" and it wasn't long before Bill was sounding good and looking good in the car!
Andy.. when I drove the car I was amazed at how stiff it is compared to the Lotus! That's a given considering the way the Mk9 Titan is built, but it sure is obvious when you drive it. The only suspension adjustments we made were to ride height. It could stand to come down a little more, but its completely driveable right now.. Although I didn't go fast enough to get close to any type of limits, it was entirely predictable and an easy car to drive. For Bills very first time in a formula car he really looked good.
A BIG "Thumbs Up" pretty well shows how the day went.
After we got home I made an adjustment to the clutch linkage, re-bled all the hydraulics, drained the cooling system, and generally got the car ready to "go home".
The "LWT" is going home tomorrow. Bill is planning on a SOLO event or two before Phoenix, which would be a good idea. Get as much seat time as possible... then come out to the driver's school and PIR races.
And what did Bill say as we were driving to dinner this evening? "Now we've got to find a (formula) Ford for Rick, and get him out here!!"
Y'all take care. I've got a Lotus to finish now!
Carl
17January2006:
Good Morning Gang,
First off:
THANKS CARL & Lynne!
We had a great time!
Well we safely made it back to our little shack in Alpine about 2130 Sunday night
"DIRTY DIRTY" Titan race car and all.
We left Carl's place about 0900 with about 1 or 2 inches of snow on the road. The ice on Sparks Blvd was well packed and serious slippery. traction. what's that?
We slid down to the 80 East. The road was slushy and covered with sand. Running about 45 in the right lane we were getting drowned by idiot jerks passing us on the left, splashing dirty sandy slush all over the BRT and the LWT. Before long I couldn't see a damn thing out of the windshield. When I got to Alternate 50 turn off for Fernley to Fallon I got blocked by some blanketey-blank truck and trailer so that I was forced to go straight.
Now this is Nevada...Interstate 80 East...no place to turn around for 50 miles! We finally decided to just run on out to Nevada 95 and head south to Fallon. We're outta the snow (for now) and it's actually really pretty out there. The road is laser beam straight and we get to Fallon, stop and clean the windshield. Now we're finally on the way home. What a beautiful ride south past Hawthorne. Man are there a lotta bunkers out there. We took the Highway 360 cut off to Highway 6. wild country, good road, try it, right onto Highway 6 and over Montgomery Pass (7132 feet) 22Fs but the road is clear.
We made Bishop about 1330 and stopped at the Whisky Creek for lunch.
Great place.
The view of the Sierras is fantastic!
Barb's gets pinched by the CHP just south of Independence.
nice to know they're out there.
It was an uneventful trip on in after that.
Light traffic on Cajon Pass. no problemo.
(Yas know? the story happened a bit different from my recollection.
I drove from Fallon on down to at least Kramer's Junction.
After the straight and narrow, it's all hills and curves and at the time, it was cold in them thar hills. Bill was ranting away at me along that road to slow down.
Then when we were on old 395, all the damn skiers were heading home from the sierras. screaming past us. (I was going 70-ish and getting the bird for driving so slow.)
The CHP at Independence was having a great day, I'm sure, but I will always insist that was the son of the officer.
Thort thit.
Freckles.
Rosy cheeks, lol.
and there I was...
singin away!
Hello
I'm sorry to hear Barb got pinched by the CHP near Independence, but it reminds me to ask some questions that I thought about when I was driving that same road last June. The weather was perfect when we left Bishop at 6:00 am, and there was no traffic until we caught at BMW 530. Apparently he didn't like being passed by a TL so he tucked in behind me and we traveled together at mostly a little below 3 digits until I took Hwy 14 off 395. Obviously, we slowed for the towns and somewhere, it may have been near Indpendence, I saw a guy pulled over by the CHP. That's when I thought - "I need to ask the group about radar detectors". So, what do you think/recommend?
Comparison of my speedometer to the posted speed limit says I would have earned a ticket that morning, but it would have been really irritating to get one. I passed a guy in a raised pick-up with giant tires (think Big Foot) that was right at the speed limit, but I think the BMW and I were both safer then he was - we were stable, whereas this guy was bouncing all over, and I bet his CG was 3+ ft off the ground - scary. I know "the law's the law" and I'm ratinalizing, but I try to be prudent in choosing my "fun zones" and to have gotten a ticket in perfect conditions on a nearly deserted road would have really bugged me. Back to my question - would I have been "safer" with a radar detector?
BTW, the TL is the only car of owned that has an "Extended High Speed Driving" section in the owners manual. Acura defines "Extended High Speed Driving" as long durations in excess of 121 mph and recommends adding a couple of psi to the tires. Since I hadn't added the recommended psi I avoided "Extended High Speed Driving".
18January2006
Good Morning Bill, Barbara & Ila!
I haven't much time lately to read or reply to e-mail. I have been doing contract work at a company in Poway.
It's great that you've gotten your car going - and I am interested in making the PIR event - however, as it is close to Valentine's day, it may not be possible for me.
My daughter Mandy came out last week - and I took her on a tour of Pala Gems (we panned gemstones), San Pasqual Battlefield (her ancestry includes Californios:
a spanish seacaptain de Toro and Olvera
We stopped in Alpine on our way back - and I phoned your home, Bill - as I wanted to drop off copies of the 3 DVDs I have produced.
Please give me yours, Ila's and Carl's addresses and I will mail copies to each of you.
About 2 weeks ago, Tina and I brought a TV with DVD player up to dad so he could view and share those DVDs with others.
He shared it with a good friend - and that friend's relative also saw the DVDs - and she produces a TV show.
She (Rita Mae) is an automobile enthusiast and was excited by the DVD.
She has invited dad and myself to be at the TV studio (which is in Eagle Rock, or Glendale) at 9:30 am, Feb 4th, to interview dad and myself, and show portions of the DVD.
I told Rita that you (Bill, Barbara, and Ila) live nearby - and she invites you also to be part of this interview.
What do you say? It's not real good timing for me - but I will go up there.
Dad seems to be doing well and is in good spirits in spite of his health problems.
Rita asked what you and I are doing currently and I told her that you were about to go formula car racing - she was excited about that and will want to ask you about it in the interview - so you may want to bring pictures.
-- Mike
18January2006
Hi Mike,
Nice to hear from you. I assumed you've been busy lately 'cause you've been quiet...!! We had a great time up at Carl's' place and the car feels really good...I felt right at home driving it.
Sorry...but the 4th would simply not work for me...that's the weekend before PIR and I've gotta lotta stuff yet to do on the car. I'll be on travel next week from Sunday through Thursday. So I'm rapidly running outta time to finish the cosmetics on the car.
Say Hi to your Dad for us. What TV Show does this lady produce for...??
Can't wait to see the DVD's!
Take care...
Bill
18January2006
Mike,
Nice to hear from you. I hope all is well.
That DVD sounds very interesting. I look forward to seeing it.
Regarding the thing on February 4'th, is this a 'live' TV show she's planning, or a taping, or just information gathering to look at a possible show for the future? Even if you had invited me, I couldn't have made that either with PIR the following weekend. But I ask, because if she's thinking of a future show, then possibly I could be of assistance to you at a later time.
We will be racing at Willow on March 11-12. Bring a camera crew up there for the weekend, photograph and interview, follow the progress over the weekend, etc..... It sounds good, and could feasibly do a lot of good for historic racing.
OK buddy, gotta go for now... Catching up on 'projects for Lynne' today. Got one thing left to do....
Carl
27January2006
I haven't yet made the copies and sent them out - will do it this weekend.
The Feb 4th thing will be an interview with my dad and myself and commenting on the DVD.
These people may help us add sound narration on the DVD (what would be really great would be to add a soundtrack with the sound of the cars but that would take a lot of time and money I don't have)
What you will get to see is our hero Bob throwing that Morgan through some wild slides as he pursues Ernie McAfee at Goleta airport. Ernie was driving a 2-liter V8 Siata - I don't know what the hp rating of the Siata was - but it had to be a superior engine to the TR3 4 cylinder (rated hp was 100 hp - but who knows what Binney and Oker were getting from it).
That was Saturday's race. McAfee took first in class - Oker second. I think Bob took first on Sunday. In sunday's race at the last turn you can barely see McAfee spinning out as Bob exits the turn.
As for Willow Springs - I'll have to talk to her about going up there - who knows - maybe she will do that.
Right now, her interest is in interviewing dad and having him comment on the action on the DVD - but she also wanted to hear from me as to what Savin Jr has been doing - and I felt that Ila and Bill Oker could talk about their involvement.
-- Mike
6February2006
Good Morning Guys,
I just came in from the shop. Wondered if I would have an email from Bill, indicating he had come to work today? Not yet. He's probably 'chewed his fingernails all the way to his elbows' in anticipation of this upcoming weekend and can't type on a keyboard!
The memory of my first race, in March, 2000, sure comes back to me now. I took the week off prior to the race. I was 'just finishing' the Alpine after a nine month restoration and still needed to go over many things on it. As it was, it was still "BONE STOCK" engine wise, with the original 1500cc (unrestored) series 1 engine. So unrestored that, (Andy, you'll remember me warning you about these), the carburetor's were missing the tiny little 3/16" diameter balls from the accelerator pumps so the accelerator pumps basically didn't work, making the car difficult to drive. That race was at Sears point with CSRG. Friday was the driving school with all the Russell Instructors, then races Saturday and Sunday.
We drove down Thursday afternoon so we could get all set up in plenty of time. I recall traveling west on I-80 around Colfax. A car passed us and honked its horn several times. I looked over and got a terrific "Thumbs Up!" from a fellow about 60 or so..... Maybe a Sunbeam Alpine driver in his youth?
Aside from all the uncertainty of delving into something for the first time was also the fact that 'I had never, with the exception of driving the car on and off the trailer, so much as RIDDEN in an Alpine, let alone DRIVE ONE. I had NO IDEA what this car was going to do when it reached Turn One!
Friday morning tech inspection..... I'm wearing this brand spanking new (do "NEWBIES" always look like "Newbies") driving suit big enough for Lynne to get in with me, brand new shoes, brand new helmet, brand new gloves........ I get through tech with no real problems although I 'sweat a quart' over the 'unknown'.
After the classroom and instructor drive-arounds, we load up in our 'race cars' for lead-follow with the instructors. It's elation to finally be on a race track in 'your' race car, then very humbling when you consider that here you are..... going about 12/10's in your new, unknown racer, hanging it out on the line, defying death......... following a Russell Instructor out for a 'Sunday Drive' with one arm out the window, sitting crosswise in the seat while he chats with his unknown passenger driving a Mitsubishi SUV ... and you can barely keep up with him!
After what feels like 200 laps of Sears Point (you really drove about 15 laps at 50% ability), your sweat soaked from head to toe, exhausted, and feel like Bob probably felt after his 11 1/2 hour marathon in '57 at Sebring in the factory TR3. After lunch your back out on the track WITHOUT instructors in SUV's, although they are positioned around the track and are going to give you some good critiques over what they saw after every session. Remembering that everybody today is a 'student', you look forward to Saturday with renewed 'fears' because now your driving with 'real racers'!
There's a bit of nervousness when you grid for qualifying practice, but you remind yourself that its "only practice" ... Yea ... RIGHT! I think I qualified 35 out of 38 that day, a MAJOR achievement! Some lunch, a lot of nervous chatter and anxiety, and suddenly "it's time!" to get suited up!
If you think "What am I doing here?" is going through your mind now as you wait on the pre-grid ... just wait till you come out of the last corner on the formation lap and await the green flag!
Then you see the green flag!
What you experience now cannot be described in words ...
IT MUST BE EXPERIENCED!
First objective:
fit into traffic and get through Turn 1 with paint intact! Whew... Made It!
Next objective:
complete the first race lap!
Hmmmm, I'm getting tunnel vision ...
OH YEA BREATHE!
WOW!
it's amazing what you can see when you start getting oxygen back to the brain!!
Somewhere between the 'green flag' and completion of 'lap one', the "sanity portion" of your brain overloads and shuts down! "Survival Mode" kicks in, and without realizing it you prove what every law enforcement instructor has ever told you...
Under great stress you'll function according to your training!
Somewhere in the next couple laps you'll realize your still alive and functioning. You see what that guy is doing in front of you and you start working yourself and the car. You see what his errors are and your about to capitalize on them.
Since he's braking way too early for that corner you set him up and ...
YAHOOOOO!!!
Your first Racing Pass!
Now the "hunter becomes the hunted"! You have to stay ahead of him. You find that's its a lot easier 'chasing than being chased'!
You hold him off for a lap and notice that he's not as close as he was.
A 'good sign'.
Means your faster and pulling away.
About now your thinking you should've packed a sack lunch!
You've been out here seemingly for hours, and yet your only on your fourth lap!! You've settled down some, your thinking about what your doing, and now little perceptions from training are starting to make sense to you and your 'assembling' those perceptions into meaningful actions. You look at that guy in front of you and realize your inching up on him.
Can I possibly make another pass?
We MUST be running out of time. I think we've been on this (30 minute heat race) about four hours now. I've got to be running out of gas by now.
when alllll offfffff aaaaaaa suddennnnnnn ...
WHOSH! WHOSH! WHOSH! WHOSH!
$%&%*((!... I was just passed by a Lotus 61, two Mk6 Titans and a Merlyn! Four guys passed me and I never saw one of them in the mirrors! Hey, "Gravy Brain" ... WATCH YOUR MIRRORS! Look at them pull away! I thought I was going soooo fastttttt, I think I can get out and walk!
While it seems an eternity, all too soon your coming down the front straight and there's
a checkered flag!
It's Over!
You relax a bit, slow down... you concentrate on slowing down because
all of a sudden "slow" is about
100rpm's under "race" rpm's!
A 'thumbs up', wave, or some indication to the corner workers
who are giving you an enthusiastic wave or hand clap!
WOW!
I never realized how important these guys are!
When that guy spun in that corner I would'a NEVER seen him if it hadn't been for that gal waving that yellow flag! What did my instructor say the difference was between a standing and a waving yellow??? I'll have to check. It musta' been important!
Back in the paddock you taxi in, pleased that you remember the sequence of shutting off the fuel pump 10 seconds before shutting down the engine! Talk about "silence"!
You realize you've just functioned for close to 30 minutes in 100% 'sensory overload'! After experiencing some real difficulty climbing out of your race car you 'quietly so as not to call attention upon yourself' release the seat belts and remove the steering wheel.
Man, I GOTTA go find that guy in the green Crossle' that I passed!
I'm PUMPED!
AND, THIS IS ONLY SATURDAY.
THAT WAS ONLY THE QUALIFICATION RACE!
TOMORROW IS THE "REAL THING"!
Well, Bill, all I can say is that the 'jitters' and anxiety, and nervousness, and everything else your feeling now
Doesn't Go Away!
You'll experience it 'every time'.
You'll recognize it, and tame it, and put it aside, and prioritize what you need to do
but your not alone!
Everybody feels that same way.
This time next Monday it'll be but a memory.
A MEMORY YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!
And this time next Monday, why, you'll already be planning for
Willow Springs in March!
Carl
7February2006
Good Morning Gang,
Ready to "Rock & Roll".
On the ground.
Ready at last.
Let's go racing!
Bill
I think that the only thing that Carl didn't mention that I'm certain we've all done, is about four laps into your first session we remember that there are gages on the instrument panel that we should be looking at during the "extra" time we're not looking at the track or occasionally the mirrors! I know that I was astounded at how busy I was in the driver seat when I was "racing" on the track the first couple of times.
Yahoo!
Only a two more days until I leave for PIR!
Roger
7February2006
Hi Paul,
(Lori...please forward to Bud and the Steve's...if ya would please...)
Well here's the car...it has an English Ford 1600cc Cortina GT motor...about 110 hp. The whole car weighs just 890 pounds. Geared for California Speedway it'll get close to 150 mph...with a strong tail wind...!! For most courses though we'll gear it down a little. Right now it's geared for 126 at 6500 RPM in 4th for Phoenix.
Last August I ran across a brief ad...1976 Titan Mk 9 race car...sitting more than 10 years...never started...make offer...some phone number. I checked it out. It was sittin' in a garage in Le Mesa (just about 15 miles from us). It was covered with 10+ years of saw dust but otherwise it didn't look that bad. The owner was a guy named Howard Rayon...like the synthetic fabric...an old fireman chief. He knew little about the car. He said it probably ran a few times in the mid 70's and then got parked and forgotten. It found it's way "somehow" to another fireman's garage were it sat for some unknown amount of time. I made one phone call to my life long friend Carl (races a Lotus 61 Vintage FF...I've been pitting for him for the last 4 or 5 years)...he said, "you haven't bought it yet...!?!?!?!" I gave the guy $3900 for it and hauled it off. Here's what it looked like then and a few $$$ later...I haven't painted it yet...!!
titan_1stlook.jpg
titan_carlsfinished.jpg
I'm attend the HSR-West Drivers school at PIR Friday after next (10 Feb)...and if all goes well...my first race will be the qualifying race for the
Pacific Formula Ford Challenge
on Saturday.
If I make the grid I'll run the big race on Sunday!
Go to: http://www.hsr-westracing.com/index.htm
We're planning on running Willow in March and California Speedway in June...and definitely the Palm Springs Revival in November.
I'm not sure what else right know. We'll see how it goes.
See ya at the races. Come on out!
7February2006
Yes, I know that turn 3/4 at PIR fairly well. I was standing there on the in-field about 10, maybe 12 years ago when Nigel Mansel bounced off of it at about 180. It doesen't give!
Bill
7February2006
Good Morning Everybody,
All I can say, Bill, is "Welcome Aboard"! The 'midnight oil' burned in the kerosene lamp, suspended over the race car giving that eerie glow as you clean and polish and adjust and check and recheck. It's a never ending process, and now that you have "taken the bait and set the hook", you might as well resign yourself to the fact that it will never change; it'll only get worse! Go get Barbs the most comfortable computer chair you can possibly find. The 'bad news' is that she's gonna see even less of you now that you have the Titan to feed and maintain. The good news being she will always know where you are, and that you can't get into any 'trouble' out there in the shop! BTW,
the car looks BEAUTIFUL!
I'm truly proud of how you've prepped it after its restoration.
By this time next Monday you'll know if you needed to 'renew' your SOLO registration or not. You'll know if racing a 'clock' will satisfy you, or if it has to be 'wheel to wheel'. You'll know 'fear' in a sense you've never experienced before, and applaud yourself at the way you've already learned to master it.
By mid afternoon Friday you will have experienced a look at the turn 3/4 outside wall at Phoenix in a way few others have, and will have asked yourself 'what if these tires don't grip the way I want them to?'
As you come into braking and downshifting, all the while turning into the decreasing radius turn; 2 things like 'lateral weight transfer, slip angle and trailing throttle oversteer' take on a whole new meaning and significance.
As you feel the car 'sliding away under you' as you turn ever tighter into turn 2, straight line braking in a formula car takes on a whole new meaning.
And whenever you find that your going as fast as you can, you'll discover
(with elation)
that you can go even faster.
Your going to discover that Phoenix is an EXTREMELY challenging track!
Every corner and every corner group is significantly different, and it's a track you have to DRIVE!
Unlike tracks like Willow or Thunder Hill; that have a couple corner groups and the rest of the time your basically going straight, at PIR, much like Sears Point, you will find yourself working 100% of the time(!), with precious few seconds to 'relax and recoup'.....
Monday will be interesting to see if your interest in a 'sports car' to race is still there, or if you will have discovered (as so many of us have) that REAL race cars have One Seat and No Fenders!
One of the real, true beauties of a formula Ford is that is has just enough power to go fast enough to make you WORK, yet not quite enough power to get you into really serious unrecoverable trouble. Unlike formula 'V', which is a "Momentum Problem" of such magnitude you could do your Doctorate thesis on it, its not "as critical" in the Ford, but you can certainly use it to your advantage. And while our Ego's will tell us we want something ever faster, the bottom line of a 'Ford' is that we can go 'ever faster' simply by improving our driving ability!
On Friday I'll be your driving instructor (not that your "assigned, per se") but because we've known each other and raced and challenged each other almost 50 years now.
Being an instructor doesn't mean I'm some 'super star'. It doesn't mean I'm the hottest thing on four wheels. Hell, there are lots of 'Ford Guys' fully capable of blowing my doors off with little effort.
I think what's important in an instructor is
(1) the ability to communicate basic concepts,
(2) the ability to analyze what your doing and
(3) the ability critique without being insulting.
Long before we're into our second or third beers Friday evening
we'll know if I've mastered those skills or not...
When you go to work next Monday, sit down at your computer and start to type YOUR "Phoenix Report", it's not going to be exactly the same "Oker" that wrote this "Ready For Phoenix" report this morning. You will have taken the first of many steps along the "Yellow Brick Road".
You'll already be planning for Willow
already be thinking of gears
and engines
and tires and wheels, etc!
I recall when I started, that four races a year
(as CSRG ran back then)
seemed a 'perfect schedule'.
YEP, until right after that first event!
I maintained an 8 event season the first year, and it's been 10-12 events a year ever since.
If I could afford it, I'd double it!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well the trailer is packed, motorhome packed, motrohome attached to the trailer, flight plan filed, and we're almost ready to 'suit up' for the "ride out to pad 34".
You'll know where to find us on "motorhome row"
(or as Roger calls it, "the High Rent District").
Y'all have a safe trip and watch out for those 'Highway Coppers'!! (You know, they used to have quota's!
Not any more!
NOW then can write as many tickets as they want!
Ahhhhhhhhhhahaha!
See ya in Phoenix!
Carl
p.s. Lee! Dang, Cletis, I think the last time I saw you was the night I rode your brand, spankin' new 500cc, H1 Kawasaki triple! That would'a been back around the summer of '70 or '71? Holy Smoke! Only thing I can compare that bike to was the first time I flew a Learjet! (That damn airplane was so fast and so powerful...... and I was "so far behind it ...
IF I'D CRASHED I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT!).
7February2006
Sorry, I can't let Carl's "dig" pass by without comment. Contrary to what old retired cops may think, REAL race cars have fenders TOO. If you don't think so, check out the LeMans cars or, Carl, the vintage stock cars at PIR this weekend.
Now my Sunbeam Alpine may not have been originally built to be on a race track, but I think, Carl, that even you have to admit that as a "race car" the old Alpine does pretty darn good. Even can run times not too much slower than your "race car."
Hope to see you all at PIR in a few days.
The brats are "in the house." (that's bratwursts, not kids. :) )
Roger
Roger,
Yes, Sir! I cannot argue with you on that. Any car that is competed is a car to be driven!
"Last place on the grid is a better seat than Pole Position in the grandstands!"
See ya there........ We're.... OUT'TA HERE!
Carl
13February2006
Good Morning Gang,
Since I don't have any pictures, I'll await Carl's report which I suspect will be really interesting and will add my 2 cents then. He stayed at the track Sunday night and I suppose he won't be home until Wednesday sometime, maybe Tuesday night. Lynne says he drives home fast after a race. Has to get home to get ready for that next race I guess! But FYI, I completed the drivers school on Friday with no infractions and got my HSR Competition license, and had a really great time in the process. The Titan ran and handled well except for a fuel filter clogging problem due to the remaining sediment in the fuel cell likely shook loose due to running at speed on the course. I had to clean it after every session. Carl also had mechanical problems and got black flagged twice due to engine oil blow-by ... boy do those corner workers have sharp eyes! Teaser: I beat my buddy Carl to the checker in the final race on Sunday.
Speedvision woulda loved it.
More to come.
Bill
13February2006
That IS a teaser! Sounds like serious fun.
Drop by my office sometime
I've got a couple new trophies and a pinewood derby race car to show you.
Don
Good morning Bill!
I've been thinking about you guys all weekend - telling everyone within earshot about the two of you running PIR.
I'd say things went pretty well from reading your report.
Bill, Ila, Barbara: We'll be shooting another video episode on March 4th in either Glendale or Santa Monica. We'll be doing a voice-over for the first DVD - which includes shots of Ila with Bob. I know this will again be a weekend prior to a race - Willow Springs - however, I want you to know about it in case you want to join us.
Dad explained how he first met Bob. Bill - it was at that Tustin time-trial. Bob came over and asked dad if he could try the Morgan - dad replied something like "Sure, why not?" Dad says that by the time we saw him again at Santa Barbara, Oker was already his favorite race driver.
I took Tina to see the "World's Fastest Indian" Saturday at Horton Plaza - it's only playing at 3 theaters in San Diego - limited short run I think - the theater was full though. I thought it was great - Anthony Hopkins plays Burt Munro though Burt was a wiry, skinny guy - and he plays him well. Look up Burt on the Internet and you'll learn he was quite a mechanical genius - cast his own pistons, made his own cylinders, and built his own double-overhead cam setup for his 1920 Indian. He did over 200 mph at Bonneville with his 40+year old motorcycle in 1963-1970. He was in his 60s and 70s by that time.
Don't miss this movie - you will love it - and I don't think it will be out long.
http://www.indianmotorbikes.com/features/munro/munro.htm
DON'T MISS SEEING THIS -
- Mike
13February2006
Hi, guys,
Well, just to let you know from an objective point of view, Bill did an awesome job this past weekend. It was truly a treat to watch him gain confidence. The smile that was on his face was CLEARLY visible even through the balaclava and helmet, then when he wasn't in the car, he had this silly grin on his face ALL weekend. Looked darn good on him too.
My weekend in my Sunbeam Alpine ended up being a little different than we had expected. We got to the track on Friday afternoon in time to see the boys, Carl and Bill, finish the Driver school. Carl had arranged for us all to pit next to one another, so Jill and I set up our pit and got through tech with no problem. We bled the brakes to be certain that the new discs and pads would be nice and firm for Saturday morning.
Thanks, Carl, for the excellent pit space. If it hadn't been for you we would have been out near Tucson and in the dirt! Having shore power was definitely better than getting the generator out and firing it up.
Friday nights welcoming party was great with the weather clear and in the 70's. Quite the change from here in Salt Lake City. Jill and I left the track a little early so that we could get checked into our hotel and watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics.
Saturday morning we got to the track early so we could go through our pre-race prep with out having to hurry. Jill had the car in her usual immaculate condition. If I had a dollar for everyone who stops by and admires her handy work I'd have a great race budget! After the driver meeting, Jill got me into the car since we were in the second group.
My plan was to go slowly and work up to some speed later in our second track session. After all, I needed to bed the new brake pads and discs. Another funny thing happened immediately upon pulling onto the track at the start of the session. The car was vibrating so much my vision was blurred! It only took a second or two to remember that the tires "flat spot" when the car sits for a period of time; good old bias ply tires.
So go slowly I did, almost getting carpal tunnel waving the other drivers past. Near the end of the session as I was coming onto the front straight, in fourth gear and running about 5500 rpm (no where near my 7000 rpm redline), I checked the start/finish flagman and BOOM!!!!! CRASH, RATTLE, BANG Loss of power and A LOT of bad sounds coming from under the car. I immediately pushed in the clutch, turned off the motor and proceeded to coast to a stop between turns 1 and 2 high on the oval, next to the wall. As I sat there saying "shucky darn" I realized that there was a copious amount of smoke, or was it steam, coming from under my hood. Being the somewhat intelligent person I am, I figured that the car may be on fire and, get this, my paint job would be damaged! Not that I may get burned, but the paint might be burned! So, I did a quick exit maneuver, opened the hood, and noticed that my motor was looking a little more Swiss than British. My goodness, I didn't remember having that big hole in the side of the block and oil pan previously. Oh yeh, it was steam, not smoke and nothing was burning.
Then I went back to the cockpit and hooked up my helmet to the radio so I could tell Jill that
A) I was OK and
B) the car wasn't and
C) our racing for the weekend was over.
Ever since I put the two way communication in the car I have been grateful that I did. It is always nice to know what is ahead of you on the track or who is overtaking, not to mention to let my crew chief/wife know that I'm OK and not to worry.
Well, that was the bad part of the weekend. The rest was ALL good. It was a pleasure to "crew" for Bill and Carl. I kept flashing back to the early 1970's when I crewed for a FV driver for several years. We were fairly successful, winning the SCCA Central Division championship many times and a National Championship in '71. They even had to re-write the GCR after we won to not allow some of the legal things we had done! At any rate, Jill and I took the boys under our wings and made certain that they were suited up and to the grid on time, had shade (umbrella) to be in while waiting in their cars for their sessions to begin, pushing them back into their respective pit spots after coming in off the track, buckling them in, pulling the aux power once the engines fired etc. One of the highlights of the weekend was having Barb help Bill get onto the track for the last session. Don't worry, Barb, this will seem like old hat in no time.
We managed to fill the driver's bellies with Jill's special bratwursts. We invited a couple of othr pits to join us for Sunday lunch. No one went away hungry! Andy, wish you could have been there to up hold the Alpine tradition after I broke, but I understand and Jill and I did toast you Saturday at lunch time.
Our good friend, Lou, came up from Yuma and joined us on Sunday, also. Where were the rest of you? Late Sunday afternoon we packed up and headed north for an evenings rest in Boulder City, NV. That trip was eventful only in that the rock, not stone, but rock that was wedged between the rear tires of a semi that we followed out of a truck stop after refueling, DID NOT come through the windshield. Man, that sounded like a gun going off inside the truck! So, tomorrow now has getting a new windshield on the "to do" list.
OK, guys, that's my report. I'll attach a couple of photos and let Carl put the final wrap on the weekend when he finally gets home. Yes, Carl, I will email the pictures to you as we discussed, also I'll be sending an email with the new motor decissions.
Roger
13February2006
Bill:
Congrats on finishing your first driver's school! It feels great, doesn't it? I'm sorry I couldn't be there to meet you and watch you race with your ol' buddy, Carl, but it sounds like you did just fine anyway. One of these days...ooohhhh one of these days, I'm gonna get out there with the Alpine and race with y'all. Believe me, I can't wait to get the Alpine back on the track!
Take care and keep me posted on your progress with the Titan!
Be safe,
Andy
13February2006
Bill,
Just got home this afternoon at 2:30 PM. The trip was uneventful save for the head wind once we got to Utah, but that didn't slow us down much.
You were awesome this weekend! I know I congratulated you at the track, but here it comes again: CONGRATULATIONS! SUPER JOB! I'll attempt to include some of the photos I took during the race on Sunday. I'm not totally computer literate so sometimes I can get things to work and sometimes...
Sometimes the track can seem pretty crowded!
And then sometimes it seems as if you are the only one out there.
Runnin' strong and lookin' good!
Showing the instructor the way around the track.
So there you are. Sure was good to see you again after two years. Jill and I are both looking forward to the next time we can all be together again.
Now, I need to get an engine built!
Roger
14February2006
Thanks for all your help Roger, and Jill too! Sorry about your misfortune but that gorgeous Alpine will live to fight another day!
Hope to race with you soon...
Bill
14February2006
Hi All,
An interesting opener to the season. Not all the way I wanted it to go, but at least I was still running at the end on Sunday, which I cannot say for Saturday.
Teaser: I beat my buddy Carl to the checker in the final race on Sunday.
Yep, if the group three, formula Ford race had been just Bill and I, he would'a had the gold!
Lynne and I arrived at the track around "1ish" on Thursday. Oker's presence indicated an earlier arrival. Seems Bill was so eager to get to the track that he and Barbara came over a day early! Ed was true to his word and let me register and go in early; so I could get set up and 'police' the motorhome area, assurring everybody parked in their assigned motorhome spot. As soon as he got thru registration, Bill and Barb joined us. And as soon as I could track down Wayne Mitchell, got both the cars teched.
We visited a bit, then Bill and Barb departed for the restaurant and motel.
After a fitfull nights sleep I was up and prepping the car Friday morning. Although well over the cold (or whatever malady I had the week before) I still had a lingering cough that was bringing up really horrible, vile looking stuff..... The driving school went well through the classroom and walking sessions. Then I had Bill and a few other students load up with me in some kind of a mini-van, for about 15 demo laps of the place. Enough laps that I could demonstrate not only the 'correct' way to do things, but also lots of "wrong" things to do in the race car. After a short lunch break they started their first of three track sessions.
Early Friday morning:
Debriefing sessions after each track session, then for the final session I jumped in the Lotus and (without prior notice) went out on the track with the students. Starting at the back I came up on them and followed through a couple corners watching what they did, then passed and went on to the next student. It seems I spent more time than planned behind a Mk9 Titan, #59....... Boy..... talk about a "rolling roadblock"!! Just couldn't get around!! Actually, Bill looked very good in the car; considering his time in it. Regardless of past experience, formula cars are a unique breed, and kind of strange to drive. But, alas, around I went..... lapping him before the end of the session!
Roger and Jill Davis arrived Friday afternoon and they pitted with us. Actually, we "fudged" on our 'allotted' pit space, and had in our little 'compound', the motorhome, my trailer, Rogers trailer, Titan, Lotus, Roger's Alpine, Rogers (BRT {"Bright Red Truck"}) Ford turbo diesel pickup and Bills BRT.
After the Firday evening 'wine and cheese get-together', it's back to our pit, for our own little celebration..... The first bottle of champagne I ever won was for an overall first place in the Lotus Challenge at Phoenix in 2004. While I've won many bottles of the bubbly since, I saved that first one for a very special occasion. It turned out that occasion was a combination of Bill's completing drivers school and completing a full day of driving the Titan! Congratulations, my friend, now it's your turn to 'pass the torch' at an appropriate time in the future. "Cheap champagne never tasted so good as it did in celebration with friends!"
Saturday morning was clear and warm. Drivers meeting 15 minutes earlier than usual due to large turnout.
Roger went out for group 2 qualifying practice and Bill and I got "suited up" in our cars. We taxied out to the pre-grid only to find out we were being delayed. Didn't find out till later, but Roger had broken a connecting rod and pretty effectively destroyed the engine in his car... on the front straight between start/finish and turn 1. While that's never something you want to see happen to a competitor, doubly so when it's a friend, and when they have towed so far (Salt Lake City) to race with us! Darn Roger..... bout all I can say is: "been there, done that, got the hat and 'T' shirt"..... so I know what it feels like.
Start of our group 3 practice and I stay with Bill a couple laps while warming up my brakes and tires, then I 'turn up the boost' and go after some speed. I immediately note that the surface is very, very slippery! I'm thinking to myself that I should make a couple adjustments when I come in. All too soon there's a checkered flag... As I come in I'm waved into "Black Flag"... (Now WHAT have I done to offend the 'racing Gods'?? {Virgil... WHY aren't you here? I need you!) Anyway, I'm informed that nothing wrong with my driving. It's still impeccible... still the 'model for all other's to pattern off of!!' OH... OW! OW! OW! Darnit!... I just got a cramp in my shoulder from patting myself on the back! lol! The problem is some kind of oil leak that's coating the back of the car!
Sure nuff... I get back to the pits and spend the next hour cleaning and wiping! What was the problem?
Well, my piston rings have yet to seat after building the new engine. Now that I'm winding it up.... the excessive 'blow-by' into the crankcase is carrying oil into the overflow (also called the "Puke Tank"), then out of the overflow tank onto the engine and back of the car! Well, I didn't have the problem on Friday afternoon when I chased the school drivers, and I over filled it when I prepped the car Saturday morning, so it'll probably be OK for the qualifying race.
Out to the pre-grid, and there's that 'new addition' in the #59 Mk9 Titan, that will be starting alongside me!
A few moments before our race to reflect.12-13 years old we were competing on bicycles on turnbull Canyon Road.
16-18 years old and we're competing in slaloms.
Early 20's and we're competing in desert races on motorcycles.
But it will take us another 35 or so years before Bill and I are on the same grid for a race!
Green flag and Bill leads me into turn1.
Hey! He's looking pretty good!
First lap of the qualifying race... Mk9 Titan leads Lotus 61....
I quickly pass and set off after the front. I'm not certain how far I got up, I think about 4th, when I get a "meatball" (mechanical black flag) as I pass start/finish. I slow a bit and continue around.
sure enough.
the turn 9 flaggers (with sign board) also display a "247" mechanical black flag.
Well, guess MY racing is done for the day!
And yep, its 'same scene, take two'...
oil all over the back of the car!
SO, tomorrow, for the formula Ford "trophy race",
I'll be starting dead last,
BEHIND Bill
in the Titan
since he completed two laps more than I did.
Back in the pits, I "invent" a puke tank for the puke tank!
I install a hose from the overflow tank vent and route it into the top of a 1 quart plastic water bottle. Judicious application of duct tape and it's now a part of the car. Cut a couple breathing holes in it, and I'm back in business.
Sunday morning we head out for warmup practice, and I'm happy to report my new piece of equipment is working fine. A good session and I check the suspension changes I've made, then get ready for the Lotus Challenge.
I start the Lotus Challenge on the pole. This places me inside for turn 1, and I know I can get through there faster than Phillippe Reyns in his Lotus 51. YEP, the plan works to perfection, and after a lap I've got about a second lead! I'm asking everything from the Lotus that it had to deliver, and it initially doesn't let me down! HOWEVER, about mid race I note that I'm not building rpm's quite as fast as I was earlier. Also, each lap around the banked turns I note I'm losing about 100rpm each lap ... AND, I can see Phillippe inching ever closer to me!
As we pass under start/finish and get a white flag (last lap) Phillippe inches past me and into the lead! I remind myself of the Ali-Foreman "Rumble In The Jungle" fight in the 70's... George Foreman has Ali up against the ropes and is delivering a terrible beating to Ali... Pretty soon Ali says to Foreman "That all you got, George!?"... Years later Foreman was to recall that fight and admit saying to himself... "YEP!! That's about it!"
I finish second overall in the Lotus Challenge, then its back to my pits. Time to prep for the "main event"! There's about a cup of oil in the second overflow tank. So I need to make a decision.... I can 'push' the car and risk damaging it, I can elect not to race it, or I can self impose a reduced power setting and run the race. I decide to impose a 5500rpm redline and run the race.
Sunday afternoon pre-grid. That's Roger holding my umbrella and giving lots of encouraging words and Jill holding an umbrella for Bill.
At the green flag I'm 'jumped' by everybody, so I'm right behind Oker as we enter turn 1. I stay right here (on Bills gearbox case) for a lap, then make my pass. A few corners later and he pases me back, then I pass going into turn 1. Thus, it becomes a two man race, and 'life is good'. I don't know what Bill is thinking right now, but I know that stopping at 5500rpm is sure making me work staying in front. As I entered what turned out being our last lap Bill 'jumped me' going onto the front straight! Try as hard as I could, I simply couldn't hold him off and stay below 5500rpm! Bill beat me by about a 0.23 second gap! So there you have it! Race #1 of the 2006 season is in the history books. Stay tuned, or better yet, come on out and watch Oker!
Stand by for more
Carl 51/ff/79
15February
hey I am impressed :)
keep us updated on your upcoming races.
love you guys
hope to see you soon!
Steve, Kath & the girls
15February2006
Good Morning Carl,
Glad ya both made it home safe and sound.
Entry fees $605; hotel $488; race car $(classified)
shit eatin' grin...priceless!
I wanna thank you again right here and now in front of everybody
thanks for threatening me with fatal bodily harm if I didn't buy that car
thanks for making it run...thanks for making it safe
thanks for showing me the way through turns 1 and 2 at PIR
thanks for making the wheel to wheel transition so easy
thanks for making me look good during the race and at the checker
and most of all
thanks for being my friend!
OK. Deep breath
I could easily write a book right now about last weekend, but
I have a staff meeting in about 23 minutes.
Just let me say that there were so many things that I thought would be a problem
just wasn't driving in traffic at over 120mph
just keep alert and stay on line
do what they tell ya,no problemo
breath
relax.
I felt right at home in the car
I was more nervous standing in line to register than driving the car!
Well,gotta go for now.
OK ol' buddy...no 5500 RPM reline at Willow!
more later...
Bill
15February2006
Not bad for a rookie! Sure sounds like a lot of fun, but you just spent more in one weekend than I spend auto-xing the Aardvark for a whole season! Maybe someday after the kid is through college.
Don
15February2006
Good Morning All,
After a FABULOUS nights sleep I awoke at 0400. Made coffee and headed out to the shop. Surprize, Surprize! Don't like the weather in Northern Nevada? Walk across the street... it'll be different! After ten days of fabulous weather up here, and a high temperature of 60 yesterday, I looked outside to 15 degrees and about four inches of snow! The forecast is for it to stay this way for the next several days.
Recapping this past weekend at PIR, and 'what went wrong' with the Lotus (and what went wrong with Carl). After unpacking everything and putting it away, I raised the car onto stands and removed the engine cover. YEP! Looks just like it did at Phoenix! I cut off all the duct tape holding the 'puke tank' to the 'puke tank'. No indication of an oil leak anywhere; indicating it all came from within, and out through the breathers to the collection tank. No big conclusion, just confirming things with a clear head.
I pulled the plugs. They looked just fine. If no other problems I could screw them back in and go! But, as I well know, something is wrong.
I whip out the ole' compression tester, and while it's a 'cold soaked' engine, this will give me some clues to confirm my suspicions. I had done a cold compression test before leaving for PIR, and those numbers were 115, 120, 120, 125: all indications of unseated rings. This mornings test was 105, 90, 105, 115. As we all know, two things affect compression; valves sealing and rings sealing. Just for an additional confirmation, I squirt a judicious amount of oil into #2 (the lowest reading) to create a hydraulic seal around the rings, then do another test. A reading of 120 pretty well confirms rings.
Just so they don't ask any questions I have to answer with "I already tore it down", I'm gonna talk to Allan and Auggie at Superior before I remove anything from the engine. That way I can test anything they want me to test before it comes apart. I'm planning on an in-car teardown. Removing and installing the pan in the car is a 'pain in the posterior', but infinitely quicker than removing everything.
Barring the unforeseen, we should be back up and running well before Willow Springs. In the meantime, what we know now is...
1. The oil control rings are doing their job. There wasn't any 'oiling' of the cylinder walls, no smoke from oil in the combustion chamber, so at least one of three rings is doing what it's supposed to.
2. There are no "expensive noises" from the engine, so nothing is "broken" that needs to be replaced.
3. Compression is obviously "down", a pretty good indication that the compression rings are not doing their job.
4. Everything else is basically unchanged in the engine, so the problem of oil blowby out of the breather should be corrected by fixing #3 above. One final thing I'll do, when I remove the head is to take it down to Superior and give Auggie a look so he can see if everything is working the way he wants it to. Other than that... new rings, and close it!
The temperature at Phoenix hovered right around 80 this past weekend, and when I was running it hard my water temperature ran about 190-200... well within acceptable range. The oil pressure (hot) was 75psi at 6000rpm and just under 25 at idle, so the engine is oiling perfectly. One final thing.. the plugs were just a shade grayer than usual, so I think I'll go one main jet size leaner at Willow.
Bill chasing me into turn 3.
"Master Chef Roger", having just prepared another Brat to absolute perfection is ready to 'stuff another bun'.
My involvement in this 'Bratwurst tradition' ranges back to October, 2000, at Sears Point. I was racing my (series 1) Alpine then, Roger had brought his (series 5) Alpine out from Salt Lake to race, and the late Carl Christiansen was there with his (series 3) Alpine. We had tried to entice more 'Piners' out, but it was up to the three of us to maintain the Alpine tradition... Roger's car was "sick" so he didn't get out there in 2001. I don't remember about 2002, but in 2003 I brought my Alpine out for it's last outting in the "CarLynne Racing" stable. For Sunday's race Roger restricted his redline so we would be competitive, and a more fitting campaign couldn't have been plotted by anyone! Roger and I traded lead between ourselves several times during that race! On the last lap (Roger was leading) I made a valiant attempt to close the gap; going through turn 2 faster than an Alpine should and put four wheels off as though I had planned it that way! I caught and passed Roger under braking for turn 11, and it was a dragrace to the finish, with the two of us crossing the line in a virtual dead heat!
You know what, Roger, that race is one that will forever be ingrained in my memory. Without question, WE HAD FUN!
Last of today's photo's, our friend (Marine Corps Master Sergeant "TOP") Lou Meyers. Lou is on leave from the Marines and is retiring next month. He is one of the most knowledgeable "Alpiners" I've ever known and was without question'my savior' when I was racing an Alpine! Thanks for all your help over the years, my friend, and in retirement may you find every pleasure you've sought while defending our country and keeping it the great place it remains!
OK, that's about the sum of it for now. Y'all have a great day.
I'm heading back out to the shop.
Carl
15February2006
All in all, it sounds like a great weekend even with the problems. I would have liked to been present too.
Rita May is working on getting equipment and/or manpower with cameras to be at Willow Springs for the March race.
I will forward these e-mails to her so she will know something more about you all.
You can reach at: stagedoor2202@yahoo.com
-- Mike
15February2006
Good morning!
I have a treat for you all. Rita May has produced a trailer for her show,
Amazing People
This trailer can be viewed on-line. You will need to have Apple's Quicktime installed on your computer before you can view this however.
Once you have Quicktime installed on your computer, go to:
Morgan racing 1956
The movie should start right away. If it does not, click on the red Porsche convertible. It should start.
Soon after the movie starts, you'll see Ila, Bill Binney, Bob, the Morgan, Ted Block, Don Hulette, and others, and a 13 year old Mike.
Rita has dubbed in some sounds behind the film - unfortunately, the sounds don't match the action well.
I think you'll enjoy the short film clip though.
- Mike
15February2006
Wow, that's cool Mike! Torrey Pines?
Bill
15.February2006
Hi Carl,
Hope it all works out. the leak down test should tell all.
I plan to do the following mechanical things to the Titan at a minimum to prep for Willow. anything else you'd recommend?
I have a 3 day weekend coming up so I can get it up on jacks and give it a good once over.
1. Clean the fuel filter again and cycle the gas back through a few times to see if I'm still getting sediment.
2. Warm it up (how hot?) and adjust the valves.
3. Change out the plug wires.
4. Check the points/gap, etc.
Can I get you to check the timing at Willow on Friday?
(I don't have a timing light.)
5. Change out the front wheel bearings. anything to look out for here?
6. Do another chassis nut and bolt check.
7. Tighten the pan bolts and look for any other leaks/check fluids/etc.
8. Get you to put in your "secret go fast at Willow" gear set on that same Friday.
9. Add a turbocharger and intercooler. (don't tell Wayne!)
BTW, how often do you change the oil, hydraulic fluids, plugs, points, condenser, rotor, etc? I know you drain the coolant after every race this time of the year anyway since you live in the frigid north, lol.
The HSR on-line info for Willow says that the track will be available for practice, test & tune, etc, on Friday through the track management folks. I'd like to get some seat time Friday, like a few dozen laps at some specified rev limit. your call instructor. good idea?
I sent in the $295 entry fee today. somehow that sounds cheap after PIR.
later,
Bill
15.Feb2006
Answers:
1. Sounds good. I got that filter from Summit, for the Alpine in 1999. Check Summit.com and see if they still have them. MAybe get a couple spares, and just change it, then clean several at one time.
2. Bring it up to 150-180 then shut it down. The valves will stay hot for an hour so it's not like your in a race to get them done before they cool. I've always wanted to check and see if there is a real difference between hot and cold. Since I need to have Auggie relap the #2 intake valve on my engine anyway, I think I'll adjust them cold at reassembly, warm it up then recheck them hot and see if there's any real difference.
3. Don't need to warm it up to change plug wires. (Gee, No Shit!!) Just remember the firing order... 1, 2, 4, 3 Put some of those small wire ties on the ends so you can easily take them on and off and not cross them. I've used TAYLOR SPIRO PRO 8MM SILICONE wires for years with no problems. You have to cut them to length and crimp on the lug that goes into the distributor cap. Get a crimping tool for that. I've used pliers for doing it and it's a pain in the ass not using the proper tool. And if you don't get the crimp tight enough you'll (1) get poor connection and (2) the lug will pull off the wire whenever you pull the wire out of the distributor cap. 3a. Get yourself a spare set of points and condensor, and a new rotor and cap. Keep the old stuff for spares. Also, there are enough wires in the Taylor set to do a V8, so make a spare set and keep it in your spares. BY the way, you have an Autolite distributor.
4. Adjust the points at .024"-.025". After your done, rotate the engine enough so the points close. Put an Ohm meter on it to assure current flow, then open the points with a small stick or something that's not grounding and insure the current flow is broken.
5. Frotn wheel bearings.. the correct sizes are in the Dave Bean Catalog I gave you, page C-1. Outer bearings are .625"X1.625" and inner bearings are 1"X2". They should be availabel locally or you can order from Bean... Also, replace both the castelated nuts. I cranked them down pretty tight at PIR trying to get them tighter and would hate for the threads to fail on them when you replace the bearings. Also, when you assemble everything look at page C-6 in the Bean catalog so you get the Nilos seals back on right. Lastly, bring the bearings from the right front to Willow with you. I want a look at them and to try and figure out why I couldn't get them to snug up. 2 ea outer bearings 036C 6016 33.95 each 2 ea inner bearings 036C 6017 29.99 each 2 ea castelated nuts 036C 6010 1.99 each
6. Always a good idea before you trust your life to a 30+ year old race car!
7. The pan bolts are 7/16" socket. Just a little 'snug' on them. The cork gasket is the real seal and if you snug them too tight you can blow out the cork! (Then you got a mess!)
8. Write me back and let me know what ratio's I put in your car for PIR, and what the ratio's are on your other two gears. (I charge $50.00 to change gears, and $250.00 to change gears AFTER you've tried to do it yourself! Ahhhahahaha! {No problem. You'll see just how easy it is to do!).
9. I've already have your turbocharger cranked up to max boost! Want the effect of MORE BOOST? Simple: drain and don't replace the brake fluid!
Ahhahahaha AGAIN!
10. Change the oil and filter whenever they need changing! For Willow, just change the filter. Fill it with oil before installing it so when you start it your not running the engine dry while it refills. (Fram PH8A). By the way, you can thank me for turning the filter over so it doesn't leak out in its entirety when you remove the old one. When you tighten the new one in place (and yes, I realize I may be preaching to the choir but I'd rather you hear it several times than not at all) tighten the new filter HAND TIGHT then 3/4 additional turn.
Hydraulic fluid: annually.
Coolant: when necessary or, in the "Frigid North", you don't need to drain/change it if you don't mind cracking the head or block.
Plugs, points, condensor? I change the plugs every other race. not cause they need it but because new ones are about $1.25 at Pimp Boyz.
I can't remember the last time I changed the points/condensor other than Willow last spring when I changed EVERYTHING.
11. I think Willow charges $60 to join their "test-n-tune" club, $60 a day for the car and $60 a day for the driver. I thought it kind of steep, myself. I've always been able to "test-n-tune" everything in the pits when nobody was looking or in un-timed practices. If you want to test at Willow, then 1st session 4500rpm. Next session 5000 rpm. Third and all subsequent sessions 5500rpm. Don't use more than the prescribed rev limit, even on the straight!
You'll find you learn the course really well, and each time you bump up the redline you'll find your brakepoints don't change cause your right up there with the car! Also, using a lower redline and practicing techniques like I showed you in the PIR drive around such as using NO BRAKES, you'll really fine tune what you and the car are doing.
12. Regarding entry fees: Ed charges according to what he is charged to put on an event and what he anticipates the number of entries will be. If you go to Thunder Hill in May he will knock off another $50.00 for towing over 350 miles one way (sure wish he made that offer for every event.)
OK buddy, I think that about covers it. I'm waiting for a phone call from John Tribuzio. He and I may take the motorhome and shoot down to Bodega Bay tomorrow and go out Friday on a charter boat fishing for giant squid! (They've been killing them the last few days down there).
Hope this is enough to keep you occupied over the weekend. How many days till Willow? lol.
Carl
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART 2
I did the leakdown test and found leakage through the rings in all four cylinders. Although Auggie said 86% was acceptable it's not acceptable to me and I'm replacing the rings. Also had leakage through the #2 intake valve so I'll take the head down for Auggie to relap the valve or whatever it needs. He can also check the valve spring tension and if needed, add a shim to each spring.
I definately have to get me one of those leakdown testers. If the intake valve is leaking you can hear it through the carburator. Exhaust valve you would hear through the exhaust, and of course crankcase leakage you could hear and smell through the pushrod holes.
OK, gonna go take it apart now.
Carl
16.Feb2006
OK. as usual thanks for the complete info. I'll put this email right on my work bench and start checking off the actions.
I suppose your right about Willow's prices. that'd be $180 just to run a few laps on Friday. At least at Willow I know which way the course goes. Do we get untimed and timed practice on Saturday, and a qualifying race?
Just talked to Mom on the phone and she said Shary has agreed to watch the doggies for Willow. She asked if you wouldn't mind if she stayed with you in the motorhome. is that OK?
I'll have to check the gear chart you gave me for PIR. it's at home. I'll bring it in tomorrow. I bought the following gears:
20:31
22:29
24:28
24:27
19:21
I think you put some other first gear from your collection in the box for PIR? not sure. I remember you telling me that my gears for PIR were a little lower than yours, which makes sense since I was using 2nd were you were in 1st.
OK...I pulled out the turbocharger and intercooler last night to make room for the Nitrous bottle.
later. do you realize that this Willow Springs race coming up will be almost exactly 50 years since another "Oker" drove out there for the first time? I gotta bottle of Andre just for the occasion.
Bill
21February2006
Subject: Giant Squid, Morgan flicks and other Titanic Tales
Good Morning all,
Carl, did you get swallowed by a giant squid? No email for three and a half days, and I called about 4 times yesterday with no answer.
I pulled off the right front hub assembly yesterday to look at that bearing. The races? were going bad, both inner and outer. I called three different places in the area locally and got the same answer from all three. call Dave Bean. So I did. I have bearings and Nilos seals coming. I talked to "Tom" who knew my name and yours of course. I also ordered a new "D" washer and a nut. The "D" washer is so jammed into the bearing I can't get 'em apart. Bent the crap outta the seal trying.
I also have slow oil leak in the vicinity of the oil pump somewhere. It wasn't the pan gasket leaking although I did "cinch" nearly all the bolts up just a little. If ya start it up and run it for maybe 10 - 15 minutes and get it up to 180 - 190, it drips about a tablespoon of fresh oil off the bottom of the pump housing. I managed to get about one full turn on the bottom Allen head bolt which may have slowed it down some? There's another one that I can see on the top but can't get to. I can't tell exactly where the leak is coming from. I suppose I'll just have to live with it for now. I don't see any way to get that pump off without pulling the engine and/or a lotta stuff outta the way.
I did some more touch up painting and got a K&N Performance "Gold" oil filter for it from Pegasus. It replaces the Frame and has a valve to prevent back flow for the dry sump system, somehow. Itcould be a gimmick but I like K&N products.
It rained all day Saturday and Sunday, and froze on Monday morning. Well, it got some ice on the BRT windshield and noticed some frost on the roof. hardly a hard freeze.
Mike, I got the three DVD's. Incredible! THANK YOU, THANK YOU! That last Santa Barbara race on the third one should be a must see for anyone in the Fab50's. Phil Hill spins out! I'd like to watch it with Art Evans or somebody who knows all the drivers. D and C Jags galore, 300 SL's, more Jag's, Healeys, Porsches. Ken Miles is in there. Who's the girl driving the dark blue Morgan #58 I think? I'll have to watch 'em again, just a few hundred times!
later,
Bill
21February2006
Bill,
That's what I figured regarding those bearings. I should'a replaced them when I did the car "just because", but tried to save you a few $$$ so I just repacked them and installed them.
RE: the oil pump leak. It's probably not the bolts holding the pump to the block cause the gasket has 'high temp RV silicone sealer' on both sides of the gasket. It's probably the smaller screws that hold the pump together. Snug those up. On the Lotus I have the tach drive where your oil pump is (my Holbay pump runs off the front of the cam) and it's a constant source of the type leak you describe.
The squid fishing was fun but I doubt I'd ever do it again. They're not "sport fish". it's like cranking up a bowling ball that weigh's 40 pounds, and from depth's as deep as 600 feet, that's a LOT of cranking! The only salvation is that they are so dumb, the 'rest of the pack' follows the first ones caught up, so as you catch more and more they are ever shallower, until they get right underneath the boat. And a 65' boat with 45 fisherman isn't my idea of relaxation. They squirt ink everywhere after you get them up, and by the end of the day EVERYTHING is covered with that smelly shit and it's a real mess! PLUS, they stink! I brought home about 100# and John about 150#. Lynne and I recleaned and packed about 25# and threw the rest away!
BTW, Tom at DBE is very knowledgeable, as is Ken Gray. There's a girl that works there who doesn't seem to be technically knowledgeable, but at least she'll hand you off to Tom or Ken if you have questions. The other woman who may answer is Roberta: Daves wife. And, last but not least, Dave comes in about 10 every morning and knows more about these cars than anybody.
I didn't realize it till I came in last night from the shop.... I had a call yesterday morning and had to go upstairs to the office while on the phone, and had left the phone upstairs all day. Hence, I never heard you call cause the shop phoen wasn't out in the shop.
Lastly, speaking of "Titanic Tales", John Chatterton and Richie Kohler host a two hour show on the Titanic on History Channel Sunday evening. (check your local listings). John and I have chatted via email. He and Richie were the two wreck divers who discovered and researched and ultimately identified U-869, a German U-boat sunk off the New Jersey coast that was previously thought to have gone down in the Mediterranian. (Read the book "Shadow Divers" for an absolutely spell-binding story about the period between 1991 and 1997, when they first discovered and identified it as a U-boat and when they ultimately identified it as U-869). They also host the show on History Channel called "Deep Sea Detectives". (The History Channel sponsored deep submersible dives on the Titanic this summer. What they discovered is some completely new evidence regarding how it broke up and went down. I've seen previews and it should be a great show.)
Alrighty, gotta call Allan at Superior, then head over to my partners place so we can lock heads on this accident reconstruction we have going.
Later,
Carl
21February2006
Subject: RE: Giant Squid, Morgan flicks and other Titanic Tales
Hi Carl, that Calamari Grande fishing sounds just lovely.
I've had a queasy tummy all day from something. now I am sick.
BTW, how do you all fix the giant squid? Calamari Frita is one of my favorite treats, but I don't use squid big enough to eat me!
I'll try what you say about the oil pump screws and see how that works.
I saw that show about the German U-Boat off of New Jersey...very interesting. I understand that they now think that the Titanic sank much quicker that originally thought. I believe the last I read said that in broke into three pieces and sank in a matter of minutes.
Dave really likes the movie. may be the couch scene.
later...
Bill
21February2006
Wilhelm,
I constantly search for that show, which I did not see. It's called "Hitlers Lost Sub". With our "Dish" satellite service you can do an 8 day search by title. I'm always checking for past episodes of Deep Sea Detectives, etc.
How do you cook Calimari Frita? Lynne hasn't been able to find many recipies on the internet for cooking it.
And lastly, their theory is that the Titanic started taking on water which broke her keel. They found two large sections of the bottom way to the east of the rest of the wreckage..... Take a look at these links.
http://www.titanicsfinalmoments.com/
http://www.titanic2006.com/
Titanic's Final Moments: Missing Pieces Sunday, February 26 @ 9pm EST / 8CST (On the History Channel)
Have a good one..
Carl
21February2006
I think there have been recent evidence that shows the Titanic broke into three piecesit was in the news recently?
Fried Squid/Calamari Fritta, here goes.
There are as many ways to do this as there are Italian cooks. I've found this works pretty well. use the KISS principle. it's not as hard as it sounds.
I buy three pound packages of frozen California squid at the commissary, plenty for the three of us, or the two of you. (or the three of ya if Spenser likes Calamari).
Thaw completely. Rinse and put in a large bowl full of clean cold water. Clean the squid by pulling off the head and tentacles...cut out the "beak" and pull the "back bone" outta the sack. Squeeze and rinse out the goop in the sack and carefully rub and peal off the outer "skin" of the sack. I discard the little tail flippers as I peal off the skin. Just put the cleaned sack and tentacles (the best part) back in to the water as you work your way through them all.
This takes a little patience.
open a beer.
pour a glass of vino.
take your time.
When all is cleaned rinse well in a colander. Cut the sack pieces in roughly half inch rounds. Leave the tentacles whole. Drain the well rinsed pieces and put in another bowl and cover completely with buttermilk. Yes, buttermilk. Put in the refrigerator for about an hour or so.
In another large flat bowl put in three or four cups of general purpose flour, and a little sea or Kosher salt and, if ya like Emeril put in some BAM. Mix well. I use a large flat electric skillet to fry the squid. A deep fryer works well too. Whatever ya have that you can control the temperature. I use half olive oil (just the regular stuff, no need for EVO here) and regular vegetable oil. purists will use an olive/peanut oil combo. Fill to about one inch deep and heat to 350F. Line up the bowl of buttermilk and squid pieces, the bowl of flour, the deep fryer and some paper towels for draining (some folks insist on using brown paper bags to drain the fried pieces on...like the French do for French fries.). This gets a little messy. Reach into the buttermilk and grab a handful of squid and dredge in the flour. Shake off excess flour (I use a wide fine flat wire mesh metal strainer for this, and shake it well) Carefully drop them into hot oil. It only takes a couple of minutes per batch. They'll get tough if ya leave them in the oil to long. You'll get the hang of it quickly.
Make sure you let the oil get back to 350F between batches. Drain on paper towels and serve. Use marinara sauce, salt, EVO, whatever ya like as a dip.
Chinese/Japanese tip: use a mixture of 1/3 egg whites, 1/3 water and 1/3 corn starch instead of the buttermilk...whip it up and coat squid pieces...dredge in panko. This great, but it really gets messy. Do not refrigerate. Just go for it. Use soy sauce or red chili garlic sauce, or a mixture for the dip.
Greek tip: forget everything above Thaw them and carefully drop the whole squid into hot oil, or on a hot steel plate and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. drink Greek wine or Ouzo. Clean and eat the squid by hand at the table. Now this is reeally reeally messy, but it's great fun. I did this in Souda Bay, Crete. Nothing better!
I'll be right over later,
Bill
21February2006
Eh Bill, Thank-a you Verrry Much-a.. I print-a dis on-a da printer an give to da Bride! Nowz' she's cann-a make-a the good-a Calamari!
This species is Humboldt Giant Squid. Don't know if that's the same as calamari I've had before or not. I didn't keep the tenacles. the deck hand cutting them up said they were no good, plus I had enough of a mess on my hands as it was. The 'steaks' (I'd call them filets) range from about 1/2" to 1 1/4" thick. I cut them in strips about 2 1/2" wide and as long as they were. I cut off the outter skin, and they said to blanch them for 7 seconds and the other membrane on what was the inside will peel right off. They said if you don't peel this off then they have a strange taste to them. It would be easy to take these strips and cut them into squares to make cooking easier and more uniform and, as you say, don't overcook them or you'll turn them into leather.
Another idea would be to coat them with EVO and cook them on the bar-b-q. Maybe cause I saw them come up and lay on the boat deck and ooze water and ink and shit, then smell them, I'm not too keen on trying any "Calimari Sushi"... (I probably wouldn't eat sushi if I saw it being caught!)
I'm ready to try cooking them, though.
Carl
22February2006
You're Italian sucks, but I'm sure the Calamari will be good. I think I'd try cutting the "steaks" in say 1/2 inch strips and then frying them up just like regular Calamari. You could also give them a light "scoring" with a sharp knife and BBQ'ing or sauté in EVO...or wok in peanut oil with hot chilies Thai style...should be good. I'm sure you know that breaded Calamari steak sandwiches are all the rage. Several places here in Coronado serve them. They've often taste fishy to me. Freshness is always the key.
arrivaderci baby, ciao.
Bill
25February2006
Happy Monday! Dave, sure hope your 'tune-up' went well, and the new rings and bearings 'turn the old ticker into a Timex'!! (Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!!)
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Bill, glad you called last night. Enjoyed listening to you. Too bad your phone wouldn't let you hear anything. I gave you all the right numbers to win the next Lotto, next Superball and Irish Sweepstakes! I'd suggest your getting a new cellphone, but that money can be much better spent on race car parts!
It sounds like you have a "terminal infection" of "Racing Fever"! Once it gets in the bloodstream it becomes uncontrollable. Now I would tell you all kinds of things you could and should do to moderate the disease, but since I never listened to myself when I suffered the same malady I won't bother you with it!! By the way, you'll never be cured; you'll just learn to live with it. And in starting my seventh season, I'm as excited about Willow as you are. The primary difference, I have a clue of what to expect. For you its still an unknown.
Just like at PIR, when the pre-grid worker waves you/us onto the track for the first practice session all that anxiety your feeling will suddenly be gone. Far far far too much at hand now. You'll find all the turns look much much different than they ever did in the past, ESPECIALLY Turns 1 and 9! Unless you went and laid down on the track, you've just never seen those corners with your eyes 22" above the pavement: not to mention with your eyes 22" above the pavement while Scotty and Sulu have you cranked up to about "Warp 6".
Coming up the front straight your (obviously) in 4th gear. Position yourself about a car width off the right edge. Any further over it gets real marbly. There's usually a shutoff cone on the right side, use that to find your brakepoint.
Brake, third gear, turn in and back on the power. Try for a late apex, but most likely you won't be able to get the car to it. It will already be drifting out. Experiment and find your spot. When you've got it right you'll be at full throttle by the apex. You don't want to get too far out on the exit. The track really flattens out and again, it's marbly.
For now, do a little lift then back on the power; slightly left of center as you approach Turn Two. Don't get in too close because Two gets marbly also. Play around in untimed practice and watch how faster guys go through here until you find what feels good to you. When it all comes together you'll find that it is No Lift from the time you come on the gas entering Turn 1 until you brake for Turn 3! Turn 2 is a FLAT corner, and when you get Turn 2 right, you'll find your on about the right 1/3 of the track most of the way around, apexing the inside almost at the top of the hill, then as the suspension unloads drifting most of the way out to the left side.
Turn 3. Depending on how we gear the car, 3 will be a 1st gear corner. (also, how we gear the car you may upshift to 4th near the exit of 2).
The "LWT" isn't the "BRT", Sprite or "Dingle-vette". You'll do your braking in a straight line, not getting to use the steep hill for braking, but rather using the steep hill for compressing the suspension and holding the car in. You'll be awed at how much 'bite' the tires have here, and it's really really fast! Going up the hill to 4, there's a tendency to get too far inside, which will cost you on the exit. You have to go up high entering 4, apexing late, just past the flag station. Short shift 2nd and power all the way down. There's a little right hand 'kink' before 5, and get the car straight and brake as needed here. Proper entry to 5 is important cause you'll carry this speed all the way to 9. Turn 5 may be 1st or 2nd, depending on your gear stack. The car will REALLY PUSH and understeer in 5, but that's OK, provided you don't get out into the marbles on the exit. Make sure you've slowed BEFORE you turn in for 5 cause you want to be on the power to control the drift.
Turn 6 will also be like nothing you've experienced before. Again, you've never looked at it from 22" altitude, and you've never approached it at the speed you'll be going in the LWT. Normal apex, but get most of the turning completed before you crest the hill. First, you cannot see the exit and second, the suspension will unload! You won't have enough power/speed to go off the outside (unless you've really screwed up the entry) but its exhilerating the way the car handles and unloads/loads here.
Turn 7 is just "there". It's not a turn in a formula Ford. Since you are changing direction slightly though its a good place to study the mirrors for the "superstars" coming up behind you.
Entry into 8: I like to be about 1/3 track width from the right edge. Hold this position through 8. Also check the mirrors again. HOLD your line and let the faster boys go inside or outside. That little short straight between 8 and 9 is gonna look like it's about 50 feeet long to you. I don't have the Cajones to try and go flat here. I use this area to brake, then accelerate to and through 9. And again... you've never looked at this piece of real estate from "Flight Level 22 inches". I tap the brakes, grab 3rd gear, then start turning in for 9 and feeding in the enthusiasm.
TURN NINE.... "The Widowmaker".
It's absolutely of paramount importance that you get yourself wide, Wide WIDE... all the way out to the left side of the track as you enter nine! This little strip of "Bituminous Asphaltic Concrete" is where your speed in 9 comes from! As you turn in toward the apex your feeding in the power and should be full throttle well before the apex. (You'll be telling yourself to get the power in sooner and sooner. Your "survival instinct" will be telling you just the opposite! The most common error here is turning in too early... you have to hug the outside far beyond what feels 'normal'. DON'T try and master this corner too soon, give it time to come to you. The way I apex 9, I feel a little 'bump' right at the apex, and the car will run out to about 6 feet from the left edge. I know I have more track and could go faster, but mere survival is enough right now. When I feel that little bump at the apex I know I can start breathing again.
Down the front straight its anti-climatic. Merely surviving turn 9 time after time is enough euphoria for this old racer, and every time you go past start/finish and DON'T see the checkered flag your thinking "DAMN! I've got to do another lap!!"
(Not really, but for such an 'open, fast track',
Willow really is a challenge to do right.)
OK buddy, your assignment now is to go sit in the LWT, close your eyes and mentally drive it several laps.
For me, it's back out to the shop and install the oil pan.
Carl
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