Mildly drunk and annoyed with my race car

[jnoiles]

Background, I spent last season developing my mk1 mr2. The last thing to do was the engine. I paid an engine builder to build me a decent engine in the off season. He did so. The guy he used to clean the blocks left blasting media residue in the oilways. We learned this when number 2 bottom end went splat on a test day. Conversation with engine builder who agrees to give me another engine while working out what needs to be done to fix mine. I spend 2 days swapping engines so I could race at Brands Hatch this weekend.

Today at Brands I got 6 laps in qualifying before the head gasket goes kaput. Well, either that or the oil/water cooler pipe has rusted internally and leaked the oil and water together. But I reckon its head gasket. I'll do a compression test later. Right now, I'm concentrating on getting drunk and taking my mind off the sunburn I got while sitting on paddock hill, watching other races. My head is radiating heat from the left side like you wouldn't believe.

So anyway, no real point to this post other than my race car died today and I'm mildly grumpy and half drunk on a lovely bottle of Penfolds grange from 1996 that I've had in the cupboard for ages. Yes, I'm choosing to deal with the crazy of today with a £275 bottle of wine. On Sunday. With work tomorrow.

If anything good has come of this day, it's this: I'm moving up the priority of the Fiat Panda race car build. DTA ecu, new 1.4 fiat engine, big brakes and we'll take the fight to the big boys in a funky old school panda.

Racing. What a foolish pursuit. I'm certain it should be technically classified as a mental illness.

 

[jvandyke]

Well, a bad day race'n beats a good day work'n yet, no?

 

[Eastep]

'96 was a good year



Sorry about your luck. I personally would be asking for a refund from the builder. Blasting media in the head/block is not signs of a very competent/thorough engine builder and would lead me to have other doubts concerning the build. The blown head gasket or assumed blown head gasket could be chalked up to maybe you didn't torque the head properly IF YOU assembled it, which in this case I'm confident that you did not, and if you had assembled it, it would have been torqued properly. Which only leaves the builder assembling the head and using the wrong gasket or not torquing it properly. Combine that with the ruined bearing and I must redirect you to my my first sentence :sigh: GL

 

[TonyK]

Well let us get a bit...

Forget about the car, tell me more about the wine you are drinking.

275 Quid? Start talking you have my interest.

TonyK.

Grimsby Ontario Canada.

 

[jnoiles]

Well, a bad day race'n beats a good day work'n yet, no?

This is a very good point.

'96 was a good year



Sorry about your luck. I personally would be asking for a refund from the builder. Blasting media in the head/block is not signs of a very competent/thorough engine builder and would lead me to have other doubts concerning the build. The blown head gasket or assumed blown head gasket could be chalked up to maybe you didn't torque the head properly IF YOU assembled it, which in this case I'm confident that you did not, and if you had assembled it, it would have been torqued properly. Which only leaves the builder assembling the head and using the wrong gasket or not torquing it properly. Combine that with the ruined bearing and I must redirect you to my my first sentence GL

It was a full build. I haven't got the clean facilities to do an engine build so I bought it in based on the success his engines had the previous two years in the one make series. The engines from last year and the year before had blocks that I believe were chemically cleaned. This year when he sent them off for cleaning they were blasted clean. Not happy about that. When the first one went bang I had the oil analysed and it had blast muck in it. He replaced it with an engine that was from the previous years batch. It had done half a dozen 15 min races. This was to get me back on track while he sorted mine.

It's entirely possible that the oil/water cooler pipe has corroded or cracked internally causing the oil/water contamination and I'm keeping an open mind until I know for certain it hasn't. I need to do a compression test to work that out. If the cylinders come up ok on the compression test I'll replace the cooler pipe, flush it all and run it up again, see what happens. But if, as I susepct, it's the head gasket I shall be very unimpressed. To the point of handing them both back and asking for a refund.

On the plus side, the new series I playing in yesterday looks like it might be my new home. Very cool bunch of people. Lots more mods allowed. Much better standard of driving. Very very welcoming and nice organiser. If it is head gasket, I'll ask for a refund and very likely put a 20v blacktop on ITB's in her, bolt on a set of coilovers and GT4 brakes and take another hundred kilo's out of her in line with the new series regs.

Forget about the car, tell me more about the wine you are drinking.

275 Quid? Start talking you have my interest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penfolds_Grange I bought a bottle ages ago when it was merely painfully expensive. It's now horrendously expensive. Last night seemed a good a time as any to consume it. It was glorious. Today I am slightly fuzzy about the head though.

 

[Eastep]

We can only hope the builder is/will be as reasonable and understanding as your trying to be, given the circumstances. Like you I don't have the space/machines and most likely knowledge to build race engines. If I did however; I know that I would most certainly test every engine I were to slap my name on, even if I couldn't afford an engine dyno, I would have some sort of engine stand setup and run the engines at various RPM ranges and lengths of time, while monitoring pressures temps etc. I would either provide the recorded data to the customer or invite them down to watch prior to the test so they can watch OR both.

 

[jnoiles]

One of my goals this year is to try a rebuild. But I'm nowhere near where I'd trust that in a race car yet.

On the positive side, a mate and I have got a line on 850sq ft of workshop that we can rent reasonably cheaply for working on our race cars. It has an office area, power and a toilet. This has brightened my day.

 

[bikesandcars]

sigh......

Sounds like lose-lose for all parties

I'm sure your engine builder isn't putting his kids through college on free motors, but that's good he's making it right.

best of luck and keep your chin up, the struggle makes it more rewarding

Regarding what it takes to build a "race" engine... suprisingly little to build a reliable one. I outsource balancing and machining and do the rest myself. You don't need much specialized equipment to build a very competant motor.

Now, if you're really into getting the last 5 hp, there's things that a business can do better.. example: if you do nothing but build MR2 motors you have quantities of engine parts on-hand that makes it easier to match and balance, everything from rods to valve springs, but that isn't required to make a 8 or even 9 tenths motor.

Of course, time is a factor. If you have more time than money and a patient wife I suggest building yourself. If you are a businessman who travels or have more money than time professionals are really the only way to go.

 

[Eastep]

One of my goals this year is to try a rebuild. But I'm nowhere near where I'd trust that in a race car yet.

On the positive side, a mate and I have got a line on 850sq ft of workshop that we can rent reasonably cheaply for working on our race cars. It has an office area, power and a toilet. This has brightened my day.

:thumbsup: Moving in the right direction.

 

[Rupunzell]

IMO, get another engine builder... no engine builder worth their spanners will allow media blast cleaning of an engine block...!!!

Once that has been done, I do not believe it will be possible to get all that grit out of it.. there are simply too many places for that stuff to get trapped and come out to cause trouble when least expected.

It is also possible the head gasket failed due to:

*Surface finish of the cylinder head or block.

*Cylinder head and/or block mating surfaces are not flat. Check this before trying again with another head gasket.

One thing worth noting, the MR2 series one brigade at LeMons have constant overheating problems (4AGE engine) which results in failed head gaskets. They have tried everything from "hot rodded" water pumps, to swirl pots (to de-air the cooling system), larger radiators and now they are using electric water pumps which appears to make a difference. What I have been told by the MR2 folks, while the 4AGE has been used in Toyota Alantic race cars that produce nee 200+ Bhp at 9,000 RPM, they need a rebuild every 12 hours of running. 4AGE and other Toyota engines tends to eat bearing at LeMons and spit con rods every so often.

When these 4AGE engines die at LeMons, they change them.

Regardless, your engine builder owes you in a big way..

Can we open up a bottle of vintage Dom Pérignon when victory is in hand?


Bernice

The guy he used to clean the blocks left blasting media residue in the oilways. We learned this when number 2 bottom end went splat on a test day. Conversation with engine builder who agrees to give me another engine while working out what needs to be done to fix mine. I spend 2 days swapping engines so I could race at Brands Hatch this weekend.

Today at Brands I got 6 laps in qualifying before the head gasket goes kaput. Well, either that or the oil/water cooler pipe has rusted internally and leaked the oil and water together. But I reckon its head gasket. I'll do a compression test later. Right now, I'm concentrating on getting drunk and taking my mind off the sunburn I got while sitting on paddock hill, watching other races. My head is radiating heat from the left side like you wouldn't believe.

So anyway, no real point to this post other than my race car died today and I'm mildly grumpy and half drunk on a lovely bottle of Penfolds grange from 1996 that I've had in the cupboard for ages. Yes, I'm choosing to deal with the crazy of today with a £275 bottle of wine. On Sunday. With work tomorrow.

If anything good has come of this day, it's this: I'm moving up the priority of the Fiat Panda race car build. DTA ecu, new 1.4 fiat engine, big brakes and we'll take the fight to the big boys in a funky old school panda.

Racing. What a foolish pursuit. I'm certain it should be technically classified as a mental illness.

 

[bikesandcars]

IMO, get another engine builder... no engine builder worth their spanners will allow media blast cleaning of an engine block...!!!

True! It could be a one-time goof (someone said they cleaned it and didn't) or evidence of habitual laziness... if it's the latter run away quick

When these 4AGE engines die at LeMons, they change them.

no joke.. saw them last year at capital offense... all NIGHT! ... no thanks

 

[jnoiles]

I did the last engine swap out, took out the media blast one and put in the one that blew the head gasket. It took me 2 days but I learned a lot. I'm still at the beginning of my getting hands dirty stage of mechanical knowledge but learning fast. I don't think it's a terrible fault of the engine. A couple of race series run on 4age's over here and very few get heat problems. I seem to be the unlucky one at the moment.

To be honest, now that I've moved to a new series that isn't so restrictive, the future will likely be blacktop on ITB's with DTA ECU and new suspension and a massive weight loss programme. A move to 15" wheels and bigger brakes with new cooling will greatly enhance the giggle factor. I can also run more engine cooling and ducting. So we'll get there but it'll take a back seat for now while I collect bits.

For now, the focus is on the Fiat Panda racer. The engine I have for that has done only 72 miles since it left the fiat factory so I anticipate few reliability issues there. It's essentially the 1.4 superfire from the Fiat 500. Only on standalone ecu, supersprint manifold, straight through exhaust and ITB's. Onwards and upwards. And if we do manage to get the workshop pics will of all will be forthcoming.

Thanks guys and gals for the kind words. I was sort of bummed yesterday.