Just one week to go...

My gosh time has gone fast. Unfortunately we have had problems and I am trying to decide if racing this week is worth the risk, but looking back on things I guess things started to go wrong a few weeks back. So to wind the clock back I suppose it all started when hearing of the changes required to the roll cage. We sat around thinking of various solutions, because this is the rollcage it is important that things get done correctly. Normally when it comes to the rollcage we would turn the car upside down to make certain that all the welds are done right with good penetration. Unfortunately this was not an option with mine so we decided to replace the centred roof place with one that goes the full width of the cage. Of course even a thicker plate would still bend unless supported, so we decided to leave the 42mm roll cage bracing in place to make everything safer. Which then lead us to the new problem of weight. As this chassis was finished with just a couple of meetings left of last season it was never weighed. While we knew the weight of the 73a chassis, and know that my car runs lighter components, we didn't know what it weighed. So before anything changes were to be made, it had to be put on some scales.

We got the car into full race preparation and went off in search of a weigh bridge. We ended up going to the Papakura Transfer station where the scales are checked often and to our surprise the car tipped the scales at 1440kgs (required weight being between 1400 and 1500kgs). Whew that was a load off our minds, so it was back home to watch Bathurst.

Work began during the following week with getting the roll cage updated, along with getting the trucks and trailers ready. This meant the we would miss the Huntly meeting which was disappointing but there was just to much stuff to get done. On top of everything my partners horse float needed repairs, which needed priority also.

The 73a chassis also went under the knife and had the rollcage changed, but as that was already stripped waiting for painting it was easier to replace the pipes and weld in a new head plate. Unfortunately Bryce has also had a ton of work to get through with his job some weeks recently working 7 days and with a new addition to his family he has had other priorities than racing. However he has decided to take days off work this week to get the 73a car all back together and ready for Waikaraka's opening night.

So anyway back to the story. Once we all were happy with the changes to the roll cages the first practice was looming up. With Bryce's car sitting up on blocks and my new heads sitting on the bench, I decided that there was no point in mucking around and going to practice with one car. We might as well wait until the next week where we might get a few more runs in on one day and get the heads finished and on the car.

Of course nothing is ever easy, and compressing the valve springs inside one of these 1UZ-FE heads and getting the keepers in place has got to one of the most frustrating jobs ever. After 15mins trying to get the first valve done (and there is 16 per head), we stepped back and decided there has to be a better way. All the valve spring compressors we have suit the normal Ford/Chevy head design where the springs are sticking on top of the head. The Toyota valves/springs sit down inside the head. So after about 30mins of hunting for different tools, or things we could turn into a valve compressor tool, we found a long thin spark plug socket which we cut the sides out of and attached it to our adjustable drill press. We then filled up the combustion chamber with some high density foam, adjusted the angle of the drill head and instantly we had the perfect valve spring compressor! Within 30 minutes we had all 16 valves done. Then of course we moved to installing the new camshafts. Now these new billet cams have around more lift and duration than standard cams (otherwise what would the point be), unfortunately the lobes are so much larger we couldn't fit the exhaust cam gears. So we installed the cams without the gears to check for clearances and there was so much valve lift the standard valve springs where going coil bound before opening fully. The exhaust cam also hit the head and jammed big time and there wasn't enough clearance around the buckets. So we were stuck and had ran out of time to get to practice.

Unfortunately because of the long weekend it was an even longer wait before I could get hold of the cam guys to answer my questions. The result of which was an order for brand new valve springs, pulling the head apart again and attacking it with the die grinder and making clearances for the cam lobes. So with all the time it takes to cut and test and clean we were not going to get the heads done before practice 2. Being the case I thought we might as well go to practice anyway so come the end of the week the car was all ready. I started it up and left it to get warm to make a few final checks. Once warm it was giving a few good rev's and hang on, "Why are my ankles wet?", more to the point "Why is the floor wet?", what the "What's coming out the exhaust!"

Yup, its water. After some testing the engine appears to have a blown head gasket. How bad it is we can't be certain. So I ordered some more head gaskets, but do I change them now before the new heads are complete to safely go racing on Saturday, waste the $400 and all the time to take the heads off, or park the car until the new heads are done (possibly next week), or use the car. Which of makes me think back to the first night a couple of seasons ago running the Toyota when I blew the engine in the second race (can I be that unlucky twice?). But of course I really want to be there on the first night, and its another car on the track. I dunno, its a real tuff choice actually, I suppose I do have a spare engine sitting already in the shed just incase. Hmmmmmm.......

Being that there is a whole heap of work to do, including finishing the 73a engine, finish the 53a heads, rebuild the 73a car and of course we still have to go to work. When it comes to the engine of work there are no shortcuts, all the bearings are sized, tolerances checked, and components are blue printed. All of which takes time.

So with Bryce taking time off this week, the 73a car will be at the track, the 53a car I still haven't decided. If I can cancel my last meeting for the day I might get back early enough to get started on the second head I might stand a chance of having it all done by saturday.

Catch ya....MadPhil