Project "Payback"

[Vegas69]

I don't know, I haven't installed the race belts yet. I ran out of time before El Toro.

[Vegas69]

After about 4 hours of elbow grease, I finally have most of the rain washed off this baby top and bottom. It was worth it! I've got my first SCCA race coming up next Sunday. Rumor has it that we have been bumped from our normal lot to the best lot at Las Vegas motor speedway. The SCCA guys said they have only had the priviledge to run there once in 10 years. High speed and 70-80 second runs. I can't wait!

These cars are definitely high maintenence when you use them at their limit. Of course having an all aluminum solid roller big block doesn't help. I haven't changed the oil since September so that was first. I always cut the filter open to anticipate any problems. Everything looked fine. It takes approx 12 qts between the engine and accumulator. I checked all the valves cold. Spec is .006 cold at .016 hot. Found only a few that were out of spec. One at .007, two at .008, and the loosest at .010. I pulled the distributor to check the gear. It needs replaced. The engine has 2500 miles or so and around 8 events so it was due for an inspection. Glad the oil filter bypass is blocked and I run a magnetic drain plug. I have another melonized gear on the way. Looks like I'll be replacing it every 2500 miles.(Every year)



After reflecting on the road race Sunday afternoon, I realized that my brakes felt spongy. Once I got the car home and pulled it off the trailer, they indeed felt really spongy pulling it into the garage. After a brake fluid inspection. The front resorvoir fluid is thrashed. The front rotors have been pretty hot. I'm going to lean towards overheating at this point with moisture a close 2nd. Anyway, I picked up a power bleeder at harbor freight for $25. I flushed the rears and fronts with genuine GM brake fluid. I'm going to give it a shot. It took two pints to clean up the front! I suspect my back to back to back to back to back runs on the 0-90-0 event are to blame here.

[Vegas69]

For those of you that have been following along, I made new rear shock brackets to give me an additional .5" of compression travel. I found that the car was bottoming out the rear shocks big time after the Optimat Street Car Invitational.(Since day one really) I raised the spring rate 100lbs as well. I took the car on 2 desert hail marys and ran the El Toro event. The RR always compresses about 3/16" more that the LR. Upon inspection, I have a good 1/4" of travel left.


I took the race belts to RTTC but was to busy and lazy to install them before the event. I finally got around to installing them last night. I opted for a set of Simpson old school harnesses. They are reasonably priced and this set up worked out perfect. Kelli cought me simulating putting a beat down on Carl, Gordon, or Rupp.



My last project for the day was to frame a piece of art my Dad sent me out of the blue. I was going to make it garage art but like it so much that it ended up in my game room.

[Vegas69]

I still need to pull the front shocks and send them to DSE for a dyno session. I just ran out of time. After RTTC is was left feeling the front end was still soft. I have the compression cranked 23 of 24 and it still rides beautifully. Anyway, when I got to RTTC I had changed all the springs and you really don't know what you have until you go 100%. I started out with a tight chassis. (Front pushing) On the autocross I kept tuning in more and more compression and rebound. I ended up with 11 of 16 clicks to get the car to loosen up and rotate better. The problem is, the car gets pretty rigid back there with those shock settings. It felt pretty good in the autocross but was still to tight in my Sunday run on the road course. From what I've read, you don't want to adjust shocks to the extreme to balance out your chassis. When I switched from R888's to BFG's last year, the car went from good to ice skating. I had to take the rear bar off the car to get it to handle. Now that I've changed all the spring rates, I feel it may need a bar back on the rear to balance it out. I ordered a weaker rear bar from Helwig and will put it on for the event next Sunday. My hope is to get the rear shocks in a more compliant setting and raise the spring rate with the weaker sway bar. If I'm close, I'll play with tire pressure and mild shock settings to dial it in. If the front shocks are found to be weak, new shocks will only tighten up the chassis. I may be pulling the new rear bar on the lunch break.

The bottom line is I have the car back to where I feel it's a little faster than it was on R888's. The barometer is really my memory of how the car felt and running within .9 of David Pozzi in Bad Penny on the road course at RTTC.

Soon I'll be switching to a full floater out back or a floating caliper. Likely this Summer after a few events.

[Sieg]

Obviously you're using the brakes proper.

Since you're toasting distributor gears and a little under-powered could you run a Mallory crank-triggered ignition and front drive distributor to eliminate the gear wear and potential failure issue?

[Vegas69]

Sure, what the hell. I've got all kinds of room up front with my serpentine setup. I'd love to rewire my whole ignition system as well. Distributor gear wear is a fact of life with a high volume pump and anything but a cast iron distributor gear. As with many things in life, it's a compromise between a few different variables.

Underpowered compared to very few.

[Sieg]

So oil viscosity creates the rapid gear wear?




•0W-20 is an advanced racing engine oil based on new concepts in oil formulation

•This unique low viscosity synthetic cuts oil drag yet maintains a tough low-wear flim on highly stressed components

•Using the unique Electrosyntec technology 0W-20 engine oil provides both extra power and long term performance retention

•Developed and tested at the highest level by Factory Moto GP teams


Probably a little more money than switching out the gear every season, but the reduced drag would certainly give you a few more needed ponies in your underpowered hotrod.

[Vegas69]

That would net me about no oil pressure. This ain't no cbr1000 or factory tolerance engine.

[ccracin]

Todd,

It is refreshing to see you doing the type of prep and maintenance to the car that should be done before events. So many don't think that autocrossing is "racing". It very much is and should be prepared for as such.

On a side note, I am heading to Vegas next week for a trade show. I am flying in Wed. morning and flying out Sat. morning. I would love to hook up and see the car. I'm not a gambler so I would much rather bench race! Let me know what yah think.

[Vegas69]

Chad, the road racing and 0-xxx-0 events are the hardest on the equipment. Autocross is so short with lots of rest in between runs.

Sure, I'll likely be stabbing the distributor, adjusting a few valves, and adding the sway bar a couple nights this week. I'll PM you my number.