I've received several emails and calls about what is going on with my car. I appreciate the concern I've been so damn busy lately that I really have not been on the forum at all. (this new house which is supposed to be done in 3 weeks is really eating up my time) I know now that regardless of the status of my car that I will definatley not be going to the NCCC event as my sceduled closing date is now set for JUNE 30th. and

As you guys know I've had a very bad "tickin" sound coming from the engine the day before the last SCCA race which prevented me from particpating. As I got back home the noise got worse and worse. My mechanic Nick came over the other day and we pulled off the Valve covers. The springs were in tack (which was surprising since I've heard a broken spring first hand before it we were both sure this was the initial problem)?? The noise really seems like it is coming from the valve train, however we did not have the tools to pull off the heads in my little apartment garage. These particular heads and all valve components only have around 1500 miles on the parts. When shutting off we both are hearing a metal to metal sound..which is not good...however I'm not blowing oil so counted out a dropped valve or a broken ring. Hopefully it is only a bad lifter and/or a bent push rod. To be safe were are trucking it to Moorseville to tear it apart. Hopefully the block is OK and the bottom end is intact...really won't know until we take more things off. All the componets I'm using are top of the line so really nothing to upgrade....but my get and even bigger cam though since everything will be apart anyway to get me above the majic 500rwhp mark on just the engine alone.

 

Ohh yeah one more thing...my damn fuel line that runs into my Nitrous system had a leak at the Solenoid. Apparently the presure regulator valve malfunctioned and I was blowing fuel all over my engine ...have no idea how long this was happening

If it happens again...please tell my wife that loved her...and someone please sprinkle my remains in the parking lott of QS&L

 

We shall surely miss you in Sanford...Best of luck with everythhing else..

 

Time to add a fire suppression system Rick.

 

Guess that sweat equity is worth saving a few $?

 

Okay, I guess I'll leave your tires at home until you say you need them. If you don't get it back before July 10th, I'll have room for Jed's new tires on the trailer.

Just curious, did you guys try and spin a few of the pushrods? Sometimes this will spot a bent one. Were all the rocker arms tight? A bent pushrod will loosen up a rocker arm and produce a loud ticking.

Well, get settled in you new nest, or should I say Leona's nest , and get your butt back to racing.

Missed you guys at the QS&L.

 

Hope your engine trouble is something minor and easy to fix.

Glad to hear you caught the fuel leak, that could have been real ugly.

 

Rick is there any word on what's wrong?

 

Rick I'm guessing your mechanic is Nick Williams? Hes a great guy and more and more people seem to be going to him even though I don't see how he has the time making all those throttle bodies

 

Yes it is Nick, he's a great guy and a good mechanic. I like the fact that he is not a big company as he can give more time and be more flexible with custom projects.

 

exactly. I've known Nick for a couple of years now and hes always cool to work with

 

yet

 

OK, just got off the phone with Nick...tore the heads off and...

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5 of the rockers were loose....(3) valve stem tips were wore...At least one bent push rod...Fouled spark plugs...and not sure about the lifters (have no way of checking) but we are replacing them as well Also found some build up in the combustion chamber (not carbon), but what Nick described as what looked something rust colored WTF??

 

Sounds like coolant was getting in there, hopefully just a head gasket leak. How many cylinders? One, or two adjacent, or more? Has it ever been seriously overheated? Check those heads for warpage. Do you run solid or hydraulic lifters? Were they ever readjusted after installation?

 

Odd thing is the car has ALWAYS run great until the noise started all of a sudden (2) weeks ago??

It was in both cylinders banks. Have upgraded LG Racing rad and oil cooler so the car NEVER overheated....infact it took about 1/2 hour just to get to operating temp. Running Comp R hydraulic lifters and every part of the valve train was upgraded with the new heads about 1,500 miles ago. To my knowledge they were never readjusted after installation. We are obviously using new gaskets with the new installation so hopefully this will be corrected.

 

Will you need to have the car re-tuned as well Rick?

 

A half hour to get to temp? You ARE running a thermostat, aren't you? This is not good, running an engine at low temps for that long causes excessive wear. If you're running a colder than stock thermostat, get rid of it and go back to stock. I'd put a thermostat in the oil cooling system too. Oil takes much longer than coolant to get to temp anyway, this is critical stuff.

 

I mean racing temp...ie. C5's operate best at 200 and up water and 220 and up oil. T-Stat is 160 and fans come on at 170 plus running Water Wetter with a 50/50 distilled water mix. The radiator and Oil Cooler are both huge and made to keep the car in about these ranges for long endurane road racing. Prior to these upgrades my car would run 240 water and 280 oil cruising on the highway

 

Does this mean you are signing up for VIR July 30&31?

Hope all goes well with the repairs.

 

Well I'll be on my honeymoon...so yeah if the wifey dosent mind