974

[EMSjunkie]

Great job guys  

coming back home in one piece is always a good thing

Vance

[Ohio Blue Tip]

Great job, sorry I had to miss it, maybe next year.

[bucketmouth]

It's disappointing that Hooley couldn't back it up for another record but as the Team name saids "Just Glad To be Here".
:oops: actually I've been wearing the "Just Glad To be Here" T shirt Hooley gave me  to bed for the past week. I guess I can take it off now and throw it in the wash. :oops:

I'll be there next year to see a record though. Has the date for '08 been set as yet?
I went there in '05 and its been in my head ever since.

[Leon]

Has the date for '08 been set as yet?
I went there in '05 and its been in my head ever since.

They decided to change dates to free up rooms, so as of now, for next year the racing starts on Monday the 18th of August.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Has the date for '08 been set as yet?
I went there in '05 and its been in my head ever since.

They decided to change dates to free up rooms, so as of now, for next year the racing starts on Monday the 18th of August.

that will help me  a bit too.

I wish we could have hung around longer.  

I did not make it widely  known that we would be there... of course I no idear that Purplepickuptruck guy would be there , so we were both sirprised.

tomslik was unable to attend , maybe next year ? I guess his motorhome idear for the trip did not pan out.  He could drive a MH out and tow one of his iron trailers for entertainement ?

[Rayvyn]

Despite the conditions and setbacks, ya' done gone fast and ya'll are comin' home in one piece.
Click on the picture.

[tomslik]

Has the date for '08 been set as yet?
I went there in '05 and its been in my head ever since.

They decided to change dates to free up rooms, so as of now, for next year the racing starts on Monday the 18th of August.

that will help me  a bit too.

I wish we could have hung around longer.  

I did not make it widely  known that we would be there... of course I no idear that Purplepickuptruck guy would be there , so we were both sirprised.

tomslik was unable to attend , maybe next year ? I guess his motorhome idear for the trip did not pan out.  He could drive a MH out and tow one of his iron trailers for entertainement ?

shooting for next year, trying to tie up loose ends (not sheep) around here
still looking for the "right" MH, think it might be handy at the track, too, if it'll pull a car and trailer...


why would i need an iron trailer there?
you ridin' the gold wing?                                

[Crosley.In.AZ]

why would i need an iron trailer there?
you ridin' the gold wing?                                

IF you would ever make it to the salt you would understand my comment on the iron trailer and entertainment .

As you probably know more Hardleys are seen on trailers or truck beds while the Goldwings are ridden to destinations.  I know you are only joking around.  This thread is like one on the HAMB , good job  tomslik.

     

[tomslik]

why would i need an iron trailer there?
you ridin' the gold wing?                                

IF you would ever make it to the salt you would understand my comment on the iron trailer and entertainment .

As you probably know more Hardleys are seen on trailers or truck beds while the Goldwings are ridden to destinations.  I know you are only joking around.  , good job  tomslik.

     

rest assured, if i'm * at ya (or anybody else), YOU'LL be the 1st to know but it won't get aired publicly

he, i HAVE been there (just wasn't any racing going on), got a chunk of salt to prove it BUT when i go back, i'm returning it..
that's where it belongs....

As you probably know more Hardleys are seen on trailers or truck beds

that's the truth!
goldwing guys just leave 'em where they lay....

This thread is like one on the HAMB

what one is that?
ain't no way i can read 'em all...

[1FATGMC]

Just a quick note about our week on the salt, more later.

We ran about 7th Sat. morning and the officials were really hurrying everyone or telling them they would pull them from the line.  The car in front of us went and the one next to us was suppose to go next, but when they screwed around they switched back to us and put the pressure on to run "right now".  We got out of rhythm and Hooley forgot to turn the water pump on at the start of the run.  The temp spiked still in first gear, but he had his hands full and didn't notice to he had run to the 5 mile with no circulation.  Needless to say he was really down on his self.  Water was running out the pipes and even the scoop.  The car still managed 232 mph on this run.  We had upped the boost from 8 lbs. from last year and the data from the run showed 14 lbs. on the run.  We had also added water injection and I think it saved the motor.

We thought we were done right then.  We pulled the motor apart and found that the heads were warped about .016 in the middles.  The cylinders showed no transfer of metal from the pistons and the bearings looked ok, so it looked like the aluminum heads took the brunt of the heat.

We started asking around for someone that could machine the heads flat, remember this is on a Saturday.  We found Wolverine in SLC and gave them a call and Jeff there said to bring the heads right in.  Mark and I drove the heads into SLC and got there about 5 pm.  Jeff thought the heads might be able to be straightened which would reduce the amount they would have to be milled and would help to keep from taking more off the ends of the heads than the middles, which would help to keep the compression close to the same in all cylinders.  He wanted his dad to do this so it would mean a wait to Monday.  We sat out Sunday and got the car as much back together as possible.  Mark and I went back in Monday afternoon and got the heads back about 7 pm.  Instead of taking 4-5 thousands off they still had to take about 18 thousands and had to regrind the valves and re-do the seats.  Another problem was he couldn't find a new set of head gaskets and they wouldn't get to us until Tuesday by FedEx.

We got the gaskets about 2 pm on tuesday and started to put the motor together to only run into the problem we could not set the valves.  The motor uses a Jesel rocker arm setup and with the 18 thousands off the heads and the valve job we could not get any clearance on the valve lash.  The solution was to make spacers out of the .040 old head copper gaskets that we used to raise the jesel setup.  We set the lash on the valves and fired the motor.  Next we had to pull all of the Jesel stuff back off and the headers to re-torque the heads.  A lot of work, but everyone stayed at it.

This resulted in finishing Wed. morning and going to the line.  We talked about getting gas, but decided since we had only run once we were fine as we had run 4 runs last year on a tank.  This proved to be a bad mistake.  We ran out of gas after the 2 mile.  Not good.  There was talk of going home, but we decided to forge ahead.

Thursday we got back in line and ran with a real good run with a 238 mph 5 mile and a 243 exit speed.  By this point the track had really gone down hill and how Hooley made it was a tribute to his driving.  I'll try and get up videos soon.  The 238 was a couple miles of hour over last year's record we set, so we went to impound   .

We had added another 200 lbs. to the car before that run and talked about adding more, but ran out of time in our 4 hour time allotment in impound.  Also about 200 lbs. had been added to the front of the car before speed week.  Another problem was that the temp went up to about 260 at the very end of the run.  With the added boost we were making  more HP and heat.  We need a bigger water tank for next year.

Friday's record run went well through the 3 where Hooley's speeds were right where they need to be to set a new record.  Things went bad when the car got away from him.  It didn't spin all the way around as he got the chute out in time again, but did some 180's.

We had broke the pits down the night before and after the run loaded the car and the guys took off for my place in SE Utah about 10 am.  I stayed and help SCTA break things down by taking flagging down and picking up cones.  I left about 2 and got home (430 miles) around 10 pm only to find that the guys hadn't made it to my place.  I called them and found out that they were north of Moab and had blew a tire and then the power steering went out along with the belt to the water pump and this resulted in heat and the radiator breaking.  I had gotten past them on a different route.  They got to my place about an hour after me and stayed the night and left for OK this morning.  I talked to them a while ago and they were in west OK and will be home tomorrow.

I'll have more later with pictures (Jim please send them as soon as possible) and some video.

Thanks to everyone who helped us.  It was a difficult week, but we feel like real racers now as we stuck with it when it would have been easy to pack up and go home.  I feel with a good track and a larger water tank the car will run 250+ just the way it is now.  He got very little full throttle time on the two good runs.  More weight will also help.  The new transmission worked great and saved our butts when the clutch developed a leak and couldn't be fixed.  I'd push him up to 50-60 where he would pull away from me.  From my truck I couldn't tell a difference from when he did have a working clutch. I also think the water injection helped with the higher boost.

c ya,

Sum

[river1]

We got the gaskets about 2 pm on tuesday and started to put the motor together to only run into the problem we could not set the valves.  The motor uses a Jesel rocker arm setup and with the 18 thousands off the heads and the valve job we could not get any clearance on the valve lash.  The solution was to make spacers out of the .040 old head copper gaskets that we used to raise the jesel setup.  We set the lash on the valves and fired the motor.  Next we had to pull all of the Jesel stuff back off and the headers to re-torque the heads.  A lot of work, but everyone stayed at it.

here are pics of the spacers.
first sumner "smoothing" the edges,
second in the midst of being installed
and third the installed pic.

[WZ JUNK]

I want to thank all of you who worked so hard on the race car this last week at Bonneville.  I know it was a difficult time and very frustrating.  We all know that Bonneville can be a heartbreaker, but I was so proud that you stuck with it and overcame bad luck and mechanical problems.  Now that you are home, take a break, get some sleep, and when you think of something that would make running the car on the salt easier or better, send me a PM.

John

[ChevyGirlRox]

I am proud to say that for a short time I was a part of the 974 team.  What a great bunch of guys.  I feel bad we had to cut out a little early and missed the exciting "spacer" creation and engine rebuild.  It really is true that you can really tell a person's true character when times are tough, everyone was still smiling (or sleeping under the car   ).  I think that the team as a whole truly lived up to the motto "Just glad to be here".  

It was nice meeting you guys and thanks for letting myself and posse be a part of your team.  You know, I just don't sweep floors for anyone!

I can't wait to come back out and do it again next year.  Who knew Utah could hold so much fun?

[river1]

It was nice meeting you guys and thanks for letting myself and posse be a part of your team.  You know, I just don't sweep floors for anyone!

who knew you had such a talent for brooms as well as packing chutes

[river1]

(or sleeping under the car   ).