Yesterday - I drove from my dads condo in Clearwater to Gainesville for the Winter Jam track event.. The car didn't sound right on the way up, but I attributed it to the fact that I was driving with the top up (I usually always drive with the top down). I went to the road course event first and watched them guys racing around the track.. When I drove over for the Drag Race event - the car sounded worse and worse and started hesitating at lower RPM.. I was sure that there was something wrong... I pulled all 8 plugs and 7 of them were nice and brown and number 1 was black and had deposits on it - indicating a problem with cylinder number one... I pulled off the valve cover and checked the rocker arms and pushrods when I noticed that the spring on cylinder number 1 was broken... One of the guys at the track (Tony) who has a shop in Jacksonville was very helpful.. He called up some people for me and checked if one of the local shops (Rollins Automotive) had the spring that I needed. Luckily - the shop had the spring and I drove over at low RPMs not to cause any more damage.. When I got there - they pulled my car into the back and installed the new spring. I also asked them to set the valve lash on all 8 cylinders.. When they were done - I asked them what I owe them and they only charged me $50... The guy was working on my car for over an hour... I tipped him well...
Here's a pic of the broken valve spring:



After they finished my car - I drove back to the track. When I pulled into the street that leads to the track - I floored the pedal in 2nd gear for a little fun.. It made a big bang and the car stalled... I immeditely took of the valve covers to see if there was any problem with the freshly adjusted valvetrain... but everything seemed normal... I checked the voltage at the ignition and it only got 3 Volts.. I thought that the MSD box was shot and I disconnected it and ran a +12 volt wire to the ignition and tried to start the car again, but it wouldn't start...
Then I finally checked all the contacts on the alternator.. One of the ground wires came loose when I pulled on it.. I put a new connector on it and re-attached it to the alternator... I cranked the engine... and it started :hurray: :hurray: :hurray:
I hoped that this would be the last problem of the day.. but it wasn't.. Well - there was no more mechanical issues, but on the way to Orlando for the rest of the Winter Jam events - we stopped at a rest area... When we pulled out of the rest area - Joecoool pulled out of the rest area in full acceleration (he has a supercharged C5) I was right behind him and Wolf1171 pulled out behind us... Unfortunately - the cops were waiting for us and pulled us over for street racing :eek: :eek: . We could have gotten to jail, but they let us get away without even issuing tickets.. :hurray: :hurray: . They warned us and let us go.. This is proof that cool cops exist!! :cheers: :cheers:
So far today - I haven't had any problems and I hope that It'll stay this way for the rest of the event.. However - it has started to rain.. Not too nice weather for the event... :( :(


[Modified by GrandSportC3, 4:57 PM 1/30/2004]

 

Indeed, that was quite a day. That is great that they fixed the valve spring for so little. What great people. I know the feeling with having constant, little problems. That's what happened to me at the last cruise-in. I blew a fuse on the F.I. leaving the museum then I spun 3 rod bearings at the drag strip.

 

I was lucky so far with my engine... It's the first problem with the engine since I bought it 11k miles and 60 drag strip passes later... Well - valve springs don't last forever if a car is raced :D

My issues were very minor considering yours... :eek:


[Modified by GrandSportC3, 4:35 PM 1/30/2004]

 

I saw Joe's post over in OT. You guys were lucky Fo Sho!
As for the repair. I bet the guy was jazzed about working on a cool car like yours. Prolly had wood the whole time. :D

 

Yea, I guess I had a bit more trouble but you got really lucky with the cops. That is really cool. A ticket for street racing would have been brutal. The question is.....were you keeping up with joecool and his Lingenfelter monster?

 

Don't think so.. Those guys are drag racers.. He had a 8 second Mustang in the back and a few more cool drag cars... Those guys are hardcore racers..

 

I was right on his tail :yesnod: :yesnod: . He has more RWHP, but my car is lighter... My best ET is almost a second faster than his best.. He hasn't gotten into 11's yet.. but he has problems with his clutch.. His car should easily be a mid 11 second car. He is going to change a few things on his setup to make the car even faster...

 

Wow, what a day. Glad you made it home and your engine wasnt damaged. It is nice that others are willing to help out.

I cant wait to drive my vette again this spring because it is around zero degrees here in Ohio.





[Modified by Cool427shark, 1:40 PM 1/31/2004]

 

can you upgrade those springs and what type of springs did you have?

 

Glad you didn't damage the engine. And as the saying goes, bad things come in three's so you're done! With my luck I would have been arrested and thrown in jail for racing. You were lucky! :thumbs:

 

I could upgrade them, but good springs aren't cheap...

Currently - I have Z-28 springs on the car... (the same type from the 1st generation Camaros with the 302 engine)

 

I'm surprised you don't have dual springs on your heads. I thought with the roller cam that you would need the dual springs. I am running dual springs on mine. 120 closed and 300 open spring pressure. i would think with the roller cam you would need at least that kind of pressure.

 

I don't have a roller cam.. just a flat tapped solid cam...

 

OK, My mistake I thought it was a hyd. roller.

 

nope...

Actually - if I'd ever put a different cam into the car - it would be a solid roller cam...