776 replies to this topic

[Baldspeed Racing]

yeh it was me on the bridge learning how to use me camera mate, so wish i had stopped a bit further down on the road. thought its was AB Motorsport seeing it stickered up so thats why I kinda drove on a bit more.

[mini93]

had 1st event today...eeeerm...engine rebuild needed....thats all for now, freeking knackered

[*DJH*]

think about having a removeable front.

[mini93]

to be honest i would, but its another thing thats just too fiddlie if times cutting tight, say i needed to be at start controll in 30 seconds, i dont want to be F'ing with the front end. not like im going to be taking the engine out in service...now ever wings are chopped out already grill is a quick release and bonnets on pins easy removed then

how ever, i wish this never to occur again....so thinking if this is at all possible (i shall find out!) electronic or external oil pump, also one of the MOCAL oil pressure reservours...basicly it sences if oil pressure is lost in the lines, it will then release its pressureised charge into the system keeping crank etc lubricated, also i believe it re-charges itself on return to normal oil pressure

[*DJH*]

yeah i see, fair point. if you already have a q-release grille and bonnet then i suppose you don't need removeable front.

if you're whipping the engine out completley, you might aswell change the pump too, unless you've already thought of that

[mini93]

the pumps *******! which is the route cause for problems....eerm right i can bear to do the rundown now....

friday night home from work early go pick up window name stickers....joy upon joys! spent my name wrong, "O'Rouke"
my co-driver picks me up to run some errends, had brand spankers Yoko A032R's fitted(they had to be heated up to fit lol) and the off southam to pick up my rally car. it was there having the correct rear diagonal welded in place. was exelent...again i recomend southam mini and metro centre(contact me for te;. number)
Now...we were hoping to be at rockingham for 6pm however fried having trouble with his 205 we managed to change his rear beam in a couple or house, bleed the brakes fix the clutch....we then desperatly needed fule so went out for a meal to a place near home (we were going to find a place near rockingham to eat but time ment it was 9pm and would be very late when we got there) so we left home town about 10pm...now we had mis-read final instructions which in the end ment gate are closed after 10pm so we camped out side the main gate, me and colin(my co-driver) in his focus and chris and kev in a tent.
come the morning i still hadnt got my seats fitted correctly, diagonal ment i had to bring co-drivers seat slighly forward to stop it fouling but before that i had to pain the rollcage were the new bar was still uncoated. after much faffing we were off the sound testing and scruitenearing...soundtest passed with 90DB at 3.5K revs and scruiteneering passed...there good guys just gotta talk to them ya know....i was extatic it had passed 1st time.
after scruteneering was signing on, got door numbers applies and swapped over for the new set of tyres, final check of stuff proved we were ready to leave.
Into time controle at 9.30 exactly, earlier and later gain penelty. after queing in "perc fermme" and being informed of oil spill at hazard 11 i pull upto start line it count down in 30 seconds....was the quickest 30 seconds ever! and i was away...spin spin spin, bog-down but i was off non-the-less, take route of the carefully selected course selected with colin shouting directions tia route diagram (single venue means no detailed pace notes) everything was interpritated from a diagram pointing out key points, upto co-driver to mark with highlighers of merges and splits and cauction marks. problem with both colin and myself being novice is we didnt talk thru the course quite right meaning on the split for 2nd route ment i took the wrong direction. this inturn ment i took a stage maximum, thats a time of 16-minuets. Now durin the 1st stage i noticed that the crankcase was breating an incredible amount, i could see a stream of the smoke pouring from the bonnet corners...collected 2nd time card and got out due time and we were off to service area
back at services check the oil level, showing was just on low, to a top up later was good to go...by now tyres were really working a treat being supersoft compound they were like glue! picking up every tiny stone i passed over...love them!
upto SS2 start controle again on time. start over exelent, go through way better than before albeit engine crankcase breathing heavy still. better yet pass the merge with no problems! little slow thru the tight section gate but fair enough i didnt do it 1st time round and i was spost to be taking it easy(SS1 was very rushed trying to do everything at once)
All was well untill i was about 3/4 way thru stage 2 when i saw out the corner of my eye that my oil pressure ligh had flickered, quick glance over at the oil pressure gauge showed that oil pressure was nigh on 0PSI, i run thru 3 more corners to ensure i was in a safe place to stop, quick rise in oil pressure thru a hairpin left and i killed the engine an rolled to a stop, get out pull the OK/SOS board off and display the "OK" indicating myself or Col' were no injured hazzard triagle displayed we stroll away from the vehicle to sit down till last car had finished stage.
that was end of the rally being unable to complete the stage
after stage stopped cranked the engine over showed 40psi of pressure, when recovery came, we drove behind them for about 0.5 miles while oil pressure slowly dropped eventualy requiering me to knock off the power again, another car was already being towed back to services so i was hokked upto there towing eye 3 cars in a row
Services again check things out, after much convers it was deemed that the oil pump had killed itself, when oil was slighly cooler and thus thicker it was fine, oil pressure up a wee bit higher to about 40 cool and 60-70 when stone cold
considered doing the trophe rally which entitles you to start again at stage 5 for a 2nd parter consisting of 4 more stages run along side the normal rally. decided not worth it incase more engine damage done, another of our friends had put a conrod thru the block on his cosworth YB powered escort Mk2, the gudgion pin was still in the little end....not only that put it had twisted 90deg too :S

and so THAT is why i need to rebuild the engine and why im rather annoyed...also like to point out it is the BEST thing iv ever done...EVER so dont think this will put me off
got home by limping it about a mile to a petrol station and calling brakedown he kept asking if i had been racing i no...honest i havnt

sorry its long....but i just dont care lol

[mini93]

oh i think i forgot to say...on the way down to rockingham wheelbearing was feeling as tho it was about to collapse...now if anyone knows rallying, you just keep going untill it you are stopped so i was running the whole day with a bearing thats likly to explode next time i start the car...dont let that fool you...i was pushing it, never driven so hard. theres no way those tyres would even last 60 miles driving like that

[*DJH*]

Oh dear, but that was the wise choice though. you don't want to kill the engine by second guessing.

[mini93]

yep, over bore, pistons, hone, RR and everything else including is alot more expensive and costly otherwise and the £215 entry fee for just 2 stages of action

[*DJH*]

£215 is quite a good price for the event, but yeah, it's a right w##ker when you get an engine problem to *male chicken* your day right up.

[mini93]

still saved fuel costs right? lol also got a free twirl when i had to go sign off and declaration of 3rd party damage (clear in my case)

[*DJH*]

suppose so, fuel is still expensive. a twirl, the posh version of a flake haven't we gone high up in the world.

[mini93]

may aswell make use of my insurance policy eh!!! how ever i cnt help but think my premium wont lower as much next year...never mind might be sick of it and have a 205 by then lol

[wolfys_mini]

[*DJH*]

may aswell make use of my insurance policy eh!!! how ever i cnt help but think my premium wont lower as much next year...never mind might be sick of it and have a 205 by then lol

yeah why not, i'm still in two minds to get a kit car again