A 2

Haha, for some reason I thought I had posted an update.

I made it to Lime Rock early AM. It was pouring rain and cold. Attended the instructor meeting and then walked over to the drivers meeting where I’d meet my student. He was a no show. Since he had a drive from Long Island, I figured I’d wait to see if he arrived late. At noon, I checked in with the registration and he still had not arrived. The Chief Instructor said they were all covered and didn’t need me for anything so I could go home.

Adam offered me a drive in his car, but I turned him down. EJ Smith, the MoHud leader was there instructing in his BMW M2 Competition. So I asked if I could ride out with him for a session as I’ve always liked the M2. That was thrilling. The car was on the factory tire, a Michelin Super Sport and it was amazing to see how it hooked up in corners on a wet track and just took off. If I had the money lying around, I’d love to own that car.

after the ride was over, I got in the truck and drove home making a stop at the nice brewery in Millerton to pick up some beer and food.

next and my first time on track this year will be May 19th wit CART at Thompson.

blueosprey90

I made it through tech although I needed to re secure my shoulder harnesses in a different manner.

When cold, car starts with several backfires - something new - probably too retarded timing. In an attempt to avoid overheating, I have it set at 31 degrees advance at 3,500 rpm. But there are 34 degrees advance built into the distrtibutor. I drove the car up the hill and while only to about 3,000 rpm, no misfires. Paid $14.80 a gallon for Cam-2 Race fuel. Ouch, Cut it 50-50 with some premium so should probably be about a 102 Octane. Hopefully that will work.

First run tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Excited and scared! My Nemesis got himself bumped to my run group.

A 2

Jeff - it looks like we have great weather forecast for today. No matter what I’m sure you’ll be smiling as will those around you. Have fun and wish I were able to come.

A 2

Hope the car ran well today. Looking forward to the update

blueosprey90

Race day #1: Quelle Disaster! I got hit, well a tap, coming into Turn 1, but rear fender damaged. Engine ran very poorly and I had water in the oil. I spent the afternoon changing the head gasket with an old copper gasket I had been carrying for years. Although I don't believe it was a head gasket failure, time will tell. Clutch needed sorting as well. Heading up early this AM to change the oil. First run at 9:00.

NNY S2k

Levi

A 2

Surprised you got tapped especially given how much the VSCCA emphasizes no contact. I’m guessing the offender is torn up about his indiscretion.

hoping you got the gasket fixed and oil changed on time and had a productive day out on track. Beautiful day to be at Lime Rock too.

blueosprey90

Er, ... uhm, ... the culmination of my winter's work led, shall we say, … to an ignominious start to my 2023 racing season!



Right out of the box, on the warm up laps, the engine was OK to about 3,500 rpm, but then had massive hesitation when I accelerated and a general lack of power. I was ginger with the transmission and it shifted OK until the clutch heated up a bit. Then I had difficulty shifting because of clutch overthrow. I only did about 4 or 5 laps. When I came in, the plugs (old) looked rich so I leaned the carburetors significantly under Jim Juhas’ supervision. I also checked under the oil fill cap and noticed that the bottom of the oil fill cap was milky. But I lied to myself and said it had rained all week and that some humidity must have built up in the engine. I adjusted the clutch pushrod to try to address the clutch overthrow.


(Jim Juhas and Earl Tucker)

I went out for the second run. No significant change in the engine performance and I was still tentative with my shifting. I managed to get myself dinged in Turn 1 – apparently I was going to slow for the slowest car in the field, an Austin A-35. But it's right hand drive. Perhaps he didn't see me!


When I came in, I winced when I saw my body damage – no big deal for a hammer and dolly guy, but significant for me. I pulled the oil fill cap and very milky. Pulled the valve cover and underside very milky. Cleaned it up, retorqued the head, reset the valves, tweaked the clutch pushrod some more and hoped for the best.

I went out for the third run. No significant difference. My lap times are pitiful – about 8 seconds off what I would consider my basic journeyman’s lap! Pulled the valve cover and again very milky on the underside. In addition, I had lost radiator fluid (a total of about 2 2/3 quarts, estimated). Compression was very good on all cylinders, all about 150 psi.

I didn’t believe it could be a failed head gasket, but with no other options, the question at the far end of A Paddock was "Are you a man or a mouse?" Go home, or change the head gasket. The paddock peanut gallery and my crack team shamed me into changing the head gasket. We pulled the head and replaced the gasket – this time with a solid copper gasket that I had been carting around for years.




On Saturday morning, I changed the oil, including the oil cooler, and oil filter. Missed the first run because I couldn’t start the car. Of course I was puzzled. It turned out I had (a) stripped the screw holding the throttle linkage together on the twin carburetors, so only one carburetor was getting gas; and (b) had failed to adjust one of the exhaust valves on the side that was getting fuel so that I have no compression on that cylinder. Finally got the engine running, however, and Jim Juhas did a pressure test on the cooling system with a cold engine. No evidence of a leak – no pressure lost. I put in new plugs.

Ran one race on Saturday. Same condition under the valve cover on my return. This time, Jim did another pressure test with the engine hot. Same result. The system held pressure. We then started the engine. The pressure stayed constant – not pulsing – and slowly rose as the engine water temperature increased. We retested compression, and it was still about 150 psi on all cylinders.

But that was it for me. The day was nice, so I hung around to watch some races and eventually put the car back on the trailer and came home.

Not sure what to do at this stage.

Unfortunately, the owner of the MGA #307 had a worse time than me.



There were about 6 MGAs at the event, one of which was the ex Andrew Hiller, ex Scott Brown (Vintage 31), ex Jim Shelly MGA that I had last seen with a failed engine several years ago. It was with one of the big rigs, I think the KTR Motorsports rig, and I stopped and asked if it was Jim Shelly’s car. The “attendant” said he didn’t know who the owner was, but that the car had been recently purchased. In any event, on the second run, it appeared as if the driver went two wheels off coming out of turn 1 (perhaps turned in too early) and he spun around into the wall on the inside of turn 2. The driver’s side of the car sustained significant body damage nose to tail; and although it looked like the running gear was OK, I did not see the car go out thereafter. So despite my trouble, at least my car is intact.

A 2

Excellent account Jeff although I wish you had more running and the incident hadn’t happened. I see that Nancy was your pit crew this event. Hope you guys had fun through all the challenges.

A 2

Just watched that video. That was a highly optimistic and ill thought out move. Was he expecting you to park in the Sam Posey rest area? One car went by and he did not even have his nose alongside you so there was no way you could tell that he was trying to pass.

https://yousuckatracing.com/2021/04/...is-your-fault/

I think they should discuss the vortex of danger at the next VSCCA drivers meeting. Their was no excuse for that incident to happen and certainly not at a VSCCA event.