Greg,
I just got up to speed on the thread. I hope this has a happy ending for you. (as in driving the car, not the Hwy 99 kind ;) )
I like the 9am Barney tunes blasting the nieghbor.

Eric --


I still chuckle to myself every time I think about that event. When I left the house - I was laughing so hard I couldn't hardly get the door locked...

my popcorn is empty?????

BRB

Greg,

Thanks for a great read. Yada Yada blah blah all the bad crap. But I love the way you turn this into a positive " lets play ball, dont worry I brought my own glove ( s ) "

Now can I please go back to the picture in my head of you lounging in a red smoking jacket!! :rofl:

Matt

Matt --

I've posted more than once that it "ain't my first goat rodeo".... Stuff like this actually gives me something to do during the day. :rofl: True enough!

If you ever meet me - you'll be shocked. I'm a total blue jeans and car t shirt guy. Getting dressed up means putting on a clean pair of jeans and a clean non torn or burnt t shirt. I even keep a pair of "newish" tennis shoes around for those occasional brushes with dignity.

True Story: When we all ran into Greg at Del Mar we first thought he was just one of those random car t-shirt wearing show attendees that had consumed a gallon of beer by 11am and was just yelling at us randomly... turns out he was sober and we actually knew him.

Again, hope everything turns as best as possible at this point. We all know you're more than capable of taking care of yourself.

Matt

p.s. since everyone is eating this drama up, having you considered approaching the Speed Channel about making a tv show entitled "The Real House-Husbands of Washington State?"

greg is the tallest short guy i know. very stand up guy. I don't think I have ever seen you in anything but a tshirt and I bet you would give it someone if they truly needed it.

Okay -- So Chuck - the foreman at SAR just called me to discuss the issues. He's very calm - is a car guy - and get's it. While I've yelled at him in the past - not in a personal way but as a po'd customer... he - like I - seem to be able to separate issues from personal BS. Just setting this up here...

I can't describe the "noises" this car makes but they're not natural or normal sounding to me... so we have a very good discussion about what I can hear and why - and what I did etc in order for him to be absolutely certain that when they button it all back together - that they / we - haven't missed something.

KUDOS TO HIM! Now this is the way this is supposed to go!

I think what I heard/hear - is a throw out bearing squeal... I put the clutch IN and the noise goes away (while still going forward - any speed - doesn't matter).... This car is NOISY no matter what - it's a friggin' roadster - the wind is beating your ears - the exhaust ain't far from the back of your head -- the quick change gears are STRAIGHT CUT.... These TKO trannys are noisy (I think).... tough to pull out of all that - where this is squeal is coming from. I've tried to describe and diagnose the best I can (I'm "fairly" knowledgable...) BUT -- I've never had a TKO 600 -- and I've never owned a quick change rear end... MAYBE the noises are the gears.

Solution -- put HELICAL cut gears in -- Simple -- no biggie on the cost - I said if they need to be fed ex do it! I have no problem with that.

Ditto - if you have the hydraulic bearing in your hand - put in a new one - double and triple check that the install settings are what they are supposed to be -- DUDE! That's the best job a guy can do - that's all I ask.

The other couple of little things are items I've asked them to do.

My point is -- this is how it should go... forget the money thing... that's just my way of adding "leverage" -- and their only way of gaining any traction is to hold the car hostage. While this works with the average customer - it don't work with me - I've already posted that I took a giant step forward and did my part -- AND they've risen to that and are obviously working hard to find a solution to my complaints.

The gear grease puking is also being worked on -- they are going to add a vented can (my best description since I'm not down there) to get this under control. They've been in discussion with Kugel on it and seem to have a resolution.

I said to Chuck -- I'm a big boy -- if it's the rear end -- and it bothers me - I'll pull it out of there and put in something different -- NO BIGGIE... I have absolutely ZERO issue doing that if that's what it takes. I hope I don't have to do that because I L O V E the looks of this whirly jig... and it's the old skool look I am after.

The stupid StarDrive is an easy fix... and the only thing I asked for is a keyed ignition that FEELS quality. The temporary one that was in there was a notchy POS... So he's looking around to try to get something better. I trust him to make this judgement. So let's me just share the StarDrive issue. Because it's patently unfair of me to berate it... it's up under the dash - so I can't SEE what mode it's in. In order to start the car - its SAYS that you just have to have the key fob with you == depress the brake == and start the car. Good luck with that.... if you don't depress the brake enough - it goes into some other mode -- then you don't know where it's at.... you start over - it does nothing... You then LOCK the car using the key fob - and start over - this might work and it might not. SOOOOOOOOOOO I don't know if it's the OPERATOR or the "system" with the EFI and it's computer - and the StarDrive - and or the switch in the brake blah blah blah.... All I know is -- the "koolness" ain't worth the hassle factor for me. I want to push a button or hit the key or whatever and I want the SOB to roar to life. Period. There are NO accessories in the car - no need for accessory mode... no radio - no A/C - no windows - no top - no nuttin' honey. START - OFF. Done. :rofl: Regardless - it's O U T. I hope Jocko has a higher opinion of it.

NOW FOR THE BUSTED REAR END.....


Some shafts (like axles but smaller) -- both sides are twisted and broken -- these are out at the hubs...I have the EXTREME HORSEPOWER "HUBS" or whatever they call them. KUGEL says they've NEVER had these break. WTF -- they're CORVETTE C4 stuff - ditto the half shafts... this car is LIGHT -- and ain't no HP monster... They nor I = nor Chuck - has any idea why this has happened. Again - no biggie - just fix 'er up -- and if it happens again -- I rip the REAR out and put something else in. I did not, nor will I, ask anyone to pay for these repairs... nobody knows what's wrong or why and say it should never happen -- good enough for me.... We'll see if the repairs work - and I have a solution if it doesn't. :unibrow:

SO FAR, SO GOOD... Resolutions and solutions... that's all a guy can ask for.

There could of been some type of binding that allowed to twist on itself and the pop you heard was it snaping and causing it to release the tension.
Wouldn't that be a warranty issue with Krugel?

What are your and Steve's opinion of what happen to cause that?

Fourth gear is by far the noisy gear in a tko600. Especially if you are lugging it a little. 5th is not straight cut from my fuzzy recolection. I've never noticed much noise in any other gear.

I think it's safe to say that a problem needs to be found with your kugel rear end. Unless they are that weak, it has to be a set up or a manufacturing problem. Of course, it is chromed. :D What is the hp rating?