"Did you use Loctite on your bolts?"
The title question was asked casually by a good friend and skilled vehicle tech as I showed pictures of the transformation I had worked on BB over the Winter. "Loctite!" I thought, "Does he question my manly strength in bolt torquing?!".
Fast forward two weeks, to the first autocross for the new rear suspension. Now, this is an occasion of some trepidation! After all, I will be inflicting forces related to the order of 1g. That means BB's (and my) mass sliding sideways on the tires. Roughly, we weigh 2100lbs together. That is a lot of force! And it must be borne by the welds I did myself and the bolts I torqued down myself. So it's on me!
First step is to pass tech. I was a bit nervous here. After all, I had welded in a hybrid of a Honda S2000, Porsche, Driveshaft Shop, and good old Moss wire wheels into an IRS never before seen on an MGB (to my knowledge, after several hours on the internet, the font of all human knowledge!). So, as he approached the car at the front, I was calm. After all, I did the front end 3 years ago, so, no problems there! Then he grabs the driver's side front wheel and gives it a shake (as they do to all 4 wheels every year) and it shook! I explained that that was just not possible and grabbed it myself to show how wrong he was. And it shook...
So, a fellow Schaeffler Wooster (or as some still say, LuK) employee was there with a jack (and a pretty sweet Datsun!) and we jacked up the front end and, sure enough, I had wheel bearing play. Now, no offense to my colleagues, but these are Timken UK tapered roller bearings. So, I have no idea how I could have missed the preload three years ago, but these are robust.
So, they let me pass. However, during this inspection, we discovered that my front sway bar had lost a nut on the driver's side link. So, I have had no front sway bar for goodness knows how long. Hmmm. That won't help the first autocross with the new rear suspension (which Tech never noticed). So I thought and I thought until my puzzler was sore and found a nearby Autozone, which I visited at lunch and paid $8.75 for a 3/8-24 nut and lockwasher (well actually 6 of each, to be fair). And with pliers and a 1/2" wrench, I managed to reattach the link. Pheww!
After inspection, things seemed to go very well. There was an odd noise after my second run but I didn't hear it on my third, so I figured it must have fallen off with no harm done! Little did I know! In spite of the noise I bettered my time from 42s at first run to 38.6 seconds for my final run. I'll not admit here how many times I was off course and had a DNF (Did Not Finish) but it was a lot!
In any case, I tried to leave, proud and happy but BB wouldn't start. This may be my fuel pump problem or maybe some undiagnosed problem of a 53 year old car. I am 54 and it's easy for me to believe that I have undiagnosed problems! Anyway, I cranked the battery dead and had to get a jump from a Mustang owner. I was so excited when she started, that I forgot I was in gear and nearly stalled her again!
So, then I left, a bit less (but still) proud and happy and drove to my parents deck and ate ribs and BB got me home.
The next day, I looked closer and, damn! I had lost a rear sway bar link. I guess that explains the strange noise after run #2. I wonder how many seconds that cost me?
Then I remembered my colleagues comment about Loctite. First, because I had three separate nuts go loose on this adventure! Second, because he learned that building a drag racer with his Dad.
Which, I guess is the biggest lesson of this post. Our Dad's teach us a lot. I remembered my Dad saying "Too much force, Sonny!" several times when I brazed up my first go-kart, which had some failings in the torque transmission department. And, I used many of his tools in finishing this project (I'll return them one day, Dad!).
And, although it's Father's Day, I'll also shout out to the Mom's, who aid and abet all this with their patience ("Are you OK, Son?" after coming in at 2am welding an engine lift, "Yup, just taking a shower, Mom!") and periodic food deliveries (I don't mean that to be sexist, just reflecting my experience, but I don't care which sex turns the wrench and we all love cooking!)
So, I guess this is less about autocross and car building and fabrication and more about the people who inspired us to learn those things. My friend lost his father recently. The one with whom he learned about Loctite. It reminds me that every moment we have together, everything we can teach each other, every way we can remember each other, has more value than anything else we can do.
So, stay safe, hang on to each other, and have #funwithcars!
Fast forward two weeks, to the first autocross for the new rear suspension. Now, this is an occasion of some trepidation! After all, I will be inflicting forces related to the order of 1g. That means BB's (and my) mass sliding sideways on the tires. Roughly, we weigh 2100lbs together. That is a lot of force! And it must be borne by the welds I did myself and the bolts I torqued down myself. So it's on me!
First step is to pass tech. I was a bit nervous here. After all, I had welded in a hybrid of a Honda S2000, Porsche, Driveshaft Shop, and good old Moss wire wheels into an IRS never before seen on an MGB (to my knowledge, after several hours on the internet, the font of all human knowledge!). So, as he approached the car at the front, I was calm. After all, I did the front end 3 years ago, so, no problems there! Then he grabs the driver's side front wheel and gives it a shake (as they do to all 4 wheels every year) and it shook! I explained that that was just not possible and grabbed it myself to show how wrong he was. And it shook...
So, a fellow Schaeffler Wooster (or as some still say, LuK) employee was there with a jack (and a pretty sweet Datsun!) and we jacked up the front end and, sure enough, I had wheel bearing play. Now, no offense to my colleagues, but these are Timken UK tapered roller bearings. So, I have no idea how I could have missed the preload three years ago, but these are robust.
So, they let me pass. However, during this inspection, we discovered that my front sway bar had lost a nut on the driver's side link. So, I have had no front sway bar for goodness knows how long. Hmmm. That won't help the first autocross with the new rear suspension (which Tech never noticed). So I thought and I thought until my puzzler was sore and found a nearby Autozone, which I visited at lunch and paid $8.75 for a 3/8-24 nut and lockwasher (well actually 6 of each, to be fair). And with pliers and a 1/2" wrench, I managed to reattach the link. Pheww!
After inspection, things seemed to go very well. There was an odd noise after my second run but I didn't hear it on my third, so I figured it must have fallen off with no harm done! Little did I know! In spite of the noise I bettered my time from 42s at first run to 38.6 seconds for my final run. I'll not admit here how many times I was off course and had a DNF (Did Not Finish) but it was a lot!
I'm particularly proud of this snapshot. This compares my first and last runs. The graph above has mph and acceleration. The white is my last mph and the blue is my first. So, I learned how to get a lot faster as the day went on! Those g figures are unfiltered. BB can't really pull a 1.33 but she can actually manage a 1.0. I haven't tested with the new suspension. We'll see!
I like this last run video because at 38 seconds, the phone is knocked out of the holder by the violence of BB and I's final turn into the finish gate! In spite of that, we didn't touch a cone!
In any case, I tried to leave, proud and happy but BB wouldn't start. This may be my fuel pump problem or maybe some undiagnosed problem of a 53 year old car. I am 54 and it's easy for me to believe that I have undiagnosed problems! Anyway, I cranked the battery dead and had to get a jump from a Mustang owner. I was so excited when she started, that I forgot I was in gear and nearly stalled her again!
So, then I left, a bit less (but still) proud and happy and drove to my parents deck and ate ribs and BB got me home.
The next day, I looked closer and, damn! I had lost a rear sway bar link. I guess that explains the strange noise after run #2. I wonder how many seconds that cost me?
Then I remembered my colleagues comment about Loctite. First, because I had three separate nuts go loose on this adventure! Second, because he learned that building a drag racer with his Dad.
Which, I guess is the biggest lesson of this post. Our Dad's teach us a lot. I remembered my Dad saying "Too much force, Sonny!" several times when I brazed up my first go-kart, which had some failings in the torque transmission department. And, I used many of his tools in finishing this project (I'll return them one day, Dad!).
And, although it's Father's Day, I'll also shout out to the Mom's, who aid and abet all this with their patience ("Are you OK, Son?" after coming in at 2am welding an engine lift, "Yup, just taking a shower, Mom!") and periodic food deliveries (I don't mean that to be sexist, just reflecting my experience, but I don't care which sex turns the wrench and we all love cooking!)
So, I guess this is less about autocross and car building and fabrication and more about the people who inspired us to learn those things. My friend lost his father recently. The one with whom he learned about Loctite. It reminds me that every moment we have together, everything we can teach each other, every way we can remember each other, has more value than anything else we can do.
So, stay safe, hang on to each other, and have #funwithcars!
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