Minor carnage

[Martin0660]

My Capri wasn't quite up to its normal self at Quaker. Ran pretty flat both time trials, then fell dead flat the first round of eliminations. Got the thing home and did a compression check ... #1 hole was pretty dead.

Started to tear into it tonight and found the culprit. This is the HLA from #1 intake. The good news is I got all the parts ...



I have also had a small exhaust leak that got substantially worse on the last pass. After dealing with cracks in the old tube header I expected something cracked. Pulled the assembly off and no cracks (good news). Pulled the turbo and found the culprit ...



I have the parts on hand and am going to throw a fresh set of valve springs on it while I'm at it.

[Ares]

Ok seriously how do you break that. You sir win

[Martin0660]

You sir win

Now this is an honer


As you all suspect, it is RPM related. The 2.3 has a lash adjuster on one side and a spring on the other with the cam in the middle (I think a 4.6 is similar?) When you are turning it hard, or cranking launch RPM into it, the spring needs to be able to control the valve or the HLA's will "pump up" to try and take up the slack ... If you go into major float, they will occasioanlly toss the follower out because the HLA can't move enough ... This one just happened to get wedged in there when it spit it out and broke it :(

Fortunately, this answers a number of questions. Sunday it bogged a little on the first pass, I gave it 100 more RPM and it was worse. For eliminations I gave it more and it puked ... So i'm going up in spring pressure with the new springs. This answers that issue. Hopefully I wont need those RPM anyway with the gasket fixed ... I never go over 6500 RPM rev limit, this was at 6800 (shift at 6200).

The other thing I've been chasing is this bog after the hit ... part of it was likely related to the valve float, but I was also loosing turbine drive energy from the burned out SS gasket ... Hopefully it can recover quicker now.

So between needing higher seat pressure and the leak .... I might have fixed a few issues ;)

[TooFast98Cobra]

racing...what can I say. either love it or hate it. lol

[THE BIG KOALA]

Glad to see it wasn't as bad as it could have been and good to see the tube header didn't crack.
Hey Ed do you really have to ask.

[Ares]

Hey Ed do you really have to ask.

No not really as I know the answer.

MORE RPM

[Martin0660]

Turbo and manifold back together (with a new gasket) ... Should I mention I installed a new spring combo in the gate?

[yeahloh95]

Glad to hear that's all it was and that great short block is still ok

[Martin0660]

that great short block is still ok

Lol, I would of hated to pull one junkyard short block to put another one in when my new bullet should be done by the end of the month.

The one that's in there is far from right, but I should be able to muttle with it for a while. It's got to live for Milan, then I'm going to try the spray on it. Hopefully I can get all that worked out then swap in the new stuff.

[PaxtonShelby]

Your license plate should say "BIONIC".

[Martin0660]

Your license plate should say "BIONIC".

Lol, but then I would miss the laugh when people are standing behind the car and ask what it is :)

[sutyak]

Wow I bet you were relieved to find that! I saw your other post with the dead compression number and glad to hear it's not major. While it was one bad day now you know you need stronger springs.
BTW how do you like the Precision turbo? Did you go ball bearing? I was considering one but got a deal on a GT2871R.

[Martin0660]

I love the Precission turbo. My last one was one of their "SC50's" and I got a lot of years and passes from it. This one is a 5557 with their billet compressor wheel. It's only 1 mm bigger but spools faster than the old SC50 and will support about 40 more HP (not that I'm maxing it out now). No ball bearing turbos for me, I just don't see the point, especially with these new billet wheels.

[THE BIG KOALA]

BIONIC BOB