Post by madmatt on Dec 3, 2014 14:42:55 GMT -5
Well, Another Tall Pines, and I need another motor…
This was probably the best Pines result since 04… were we actually finished.
First off the car works fantastic! Or it did.
I rolled into Maynooth around 5:30 am after leaving Montreal later than expected (as usual) on Thursday evening. Got a bit of sleep, and then headed for breakfast and recce. Recce went pretty smooth, but we were so late getting started (10:30 or later) we did single pass, which as far as I’m concerned is all I needed… I wasn’t planning on putting the hammer down.
Back to service to prep and tech the car, and we made it out for a few shakedown runs. Car was running “pretty good”, still a bit rich, but I had some smaller jets we decided we might swap to. Rolled into service with a cloud of exhaust steam! WTF!!!!! Pull the #1 plug, soaked…
I had tossed in a couple of “mildly” used headgaskets (thank somebody…) so we found one in the pile I knew had not even been run ( made some decision to pull the head after having installed it, but only just torqueing in down). We popped the head off and found it blown out between 1 & 2, At first we suspected just a bad gasket, but wait.
I’ve had some service help in the past, but usually I’m also service crew lead… this year some guys came along that were all amazing! I pretty much stood around and watched! We bolted it all back up, fired it up and VARRROOOM! Pulled out the timing light… um 40+ degrees of advance! Ahhhhh maybe that’s what took out the gasket, still not sure, there were some issues with that gasket elsewhere…. Dialed it back to 15 degrees to be safe and took it for a run again. Nice. All good! Rubber in 2nd still. winking smiley
Saturday morning was a bit chaotic, I won’t go into details. Lucky, just lucky… Oh and problems with driver built cars… label you fuel pump shut off switch in case someone else needs to move the car while you are in a meeting. Oops.
A1 was slow and tentative, first stage since going off last year. Car felt good though, and we picked up the pace as it went on.
A2 was the “partial peanut” and pretty rough. I had decided to go out on snows, as my gravels are pretty old and hard for the frosty morning, so that was a nervous pick through the rough stuff. The winterforce tires though took a beating without issue, and again, I slowly picked up the pace.
A3 was pretty awesome, a repeat of A1, and we shaved a whole 30 seconds off our first time, 9:04 to 8:34.
Back to service, for a casual check over of the car, nothing major to do, was nice.
A4 was friggin amazing! Really started to pick up the pace, and get on the go pedal. That motor makes great sounds at WOT and 6000 rpm! Still no HP monster, but it goes sooooo much better then stock. Here’s to compression and breathing!
Then the beginning of disaster. Right near the end of the long stage (9 min for us) we started dropping oil pressure, not huge, but down a bit…. Hmmm
Finished the stage a bit hot, but didn’t think too much. On transit we still had 20 + lbs, and the Justy’s known to run low. 30 is good… I’ve finished rallies with 10.
Then… a rod knock slight at first. The wrong decision to carry on was made, just run really light on the pedal and coast through the next 3 stages, and go with a heavier weight oil at service (was running what was spec’d for the motor, 10/30).
So the next couple of stages were nothing to speak of, basically just running slow times.
Then on the transit back, less than 1 k from service…. Clackacta, clackata clackata 10 lbs, 5 lbs…. BAMMMM rod left the building.
Things I know I did wrong…
Did not install cooler… had almost all the parts but the hoses, and the “cold pines, no worries” was a mistake.
Forgot about the new restart rule!!!!!! Coulda, shoulda just left straight for service after A4 and restarted on the B leg with heavy oil.
Shoulda just said “QUIT” and saved the motor when it started getting bad.
However. A new rebuilt block that is known good, with only 20, 000K on it has been sourced for cheep cheep.
Plans…
Oil cooler
Head oiling gallery restrictor
And I have finally figured out a way to increase oil flow. Plan is to take a stock oil pump rotor set and cut in half and have it added on to stock pump, and then add a housing spacer. Will give more flow… hopefully keep the bottom end together!
P/N? maybe… we’ll see
cdnrally.s3.amazonaws.com/pictures/gallery/tall-pines-2014/_MG_0222.jpg
We have some decent in-car... will get it up soon.
This was probably the best Pines result since 04… were we actually finished.
First off the car works fantastic! Or it did.
I rolled into Maynooth around 5:30 am after leaving Montreal later than expected (as usual) on Thursday evening. Got a bit of sleep, and then headed for breakfast and recce. Recce went pretty smooth, but we were so late getting started (10:30 or later) we did single pass, which as far as I’m concerned is all I needed… I wasn’t planning on putting the hammer down.
Back to service to prep and tech the car, and we made it out for a few shakedown runs. Car was running “pretty good”, still a bit rich, but I had some smaller jets we decided we might swap to. Rolled into service with a cloud of exhaust steam! WTF!!!!! Pull the #1 plug, soaked…
I had tossed in a couple of “mildly” used headgaskets (thank somebody…) so we found one in the pile I knew had not even been run ( made some decision to pull the head after having installed it, but only just torqueing in down). We popped the head off and found it blown out between 1 & 2, At first we suspected just a bad gasket, but wait.
I’ve had some service help in the past, but usually I’m also service crew lead… this year some guys came along that were all amazing! I pretty much stood around and watched! We bolted it all back up, fired it up and VARRROOOM! Pulled out the timing light… um 40+ degrees of advance! Ahhhhh maybe that’s what took out the gasket, still not sure, there were some issues with that gasket elsewhere…. Dialed it back to 15 degrees to be safe and took it for a run again. Nice. All good! Rubber in 2nd still. winking smiley
Saturday morning was a bit chaotic, I won’t go into details. Lucky, just lucky… Oh and problems with driver built cars… label you fuel pump shut off switch in case someone else needs to move the car while you are in a meeting. Oops.
A1 was slow and tentative, first stage since going off last year. Car felt good though, and we picked up the pace as it went on.
A2 was the “partial peanut” and pretty rough. I had decided to go out on snows, as my gravels are pretty old and hard for the frosty morning, so that was a nervous pick through the rough stuff. The winterforce tires though took a beating without issue, and again, I slowly picked up the pace.
A3 was pretty awesome, a repeat of A1, and we shaved a whole 30 seconds off our first time, 9:04 to 8:34.
Back to service, for a casual check over of the car, nothing major to do, was nice.
A4 was friggin amazing! Really started to pick up the pace, and get on the go pedal. That motor makes great sounds at WOT and 6000 rpm! Still no HP monster, but it goes sooooo much better then stock. Here’s to compression and breathing!
Then the beginning of disaster. Right near the end of the long stage (9 min for us) we started dropping oil pressure, not huge, but down a bit…. Hmmm
Finished the stage a bit hot, but didn’t think too much. On transit we still had 20 + lbs, and the Justy’s known to run low. 30 is good… I’ve finished rallies with 10.
Then… a rod knock slight at first. The wrong decision to carry on was made, just run really light on the pedal and coast through the next 3 stages, and go with a heavier weight oil at service (was running what was spec’d for the motor, 10/30).
So the next couple of stages were nothing to speak of, basically just running slow times.
Then on the transit back, less than 1 k from service…. Clackacta, clackata clackata 10 lbs, 5 lbs…. BAMMMM rod left the building.
Things I know I did wrong…
Did not install cooler… had almost all the parts but the hoses, and the “cold pines, no worries” was a mistake.
Forgot about the new restart rule!!!!!! Coulda, shoulda just left straight for service after A4 and restarted on the B leg with heavy oil.
Shoulda just said “QUIT” and saved the motor when it started getting bad.
However. A new rebuilt block that is known good, with only 20, 000K on it has been sourced for cheep cheep.
Plans…
Oil cooler
Head oiling gallery restrictor
And I have finally figured out a way to increase oil flow. Plan is to take a stock oil pump rotor set and cut in half and have it added on to stock pump, and then add a housing spacer. Will give more flow… hopefully keep the bottom end together!
P/N? maybe… we’ll see
cdnrally.s3.amazonaws.com/pictures/gallery/tall-pines-2014/_MG_0222.jpg
We have some decent in-car... will get it up soon.