LocostUSA.com

Race/Aero Mods Report--

HEY MARCUS!!! The damn thing works! the rear end felt more planted than it ever has. I intentionally didn't change anything from last month, too-low-in-the-front ride height and all. The car definitely felt like it had more grip on corner entry, when I was moving faster. It wasn't bad on exit, but I can't really say better. Overall, it's still tail-happy, oversteer is the word... But more controllable. Part of that is me getting used to the car, part I'm attributing to the spoiler. Needs more cowbell... I mean... More WING!

James/Earl noted that on a couple of runs where I went wide and threw up part of a chalk line of just trash in general, that you could see the "stuff" rise up kind of swirly behind the car all the way to the top of the spoiler blade and then get blown horizontally behind the car. Sounds like maybe a low pressure behind/under the car, so maybe a high pressure/downforce area on the rear deck and/or under the diffuser... Maybe... I choose to believe...

On the race report side of things, wellllll.... I didn't have all that great of a day. Never put together a lap I was happy with, finished in the bottom third somewhere. But it was a fun day, playing with cars. Got to visit with buddies and talk to some new folks that had never seen a Slotus before. (Who has, really?) The course was fun in places and hard to follow in places. I can't blame that on my lack-luster times, other folks went fast, so I should have. I think I just need more practice!

Generic "Look at ME!" picture-

Peace, Love and "More Seat Time!"
JDK

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

If'n it's good enough for Nascar it has to be good enough for you.

Now maximize the effectiveness of your diffuser and you ought to be able to drive right along side the timing trailer if you go off track.

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mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

We interrupt this discussion/build of a wing (or wingS) to announce YET ANOTHER engine problem. It's a "knock" in the engine... Noticed it a little bit at the event on Sunday last week. Had an exhaust leak that was making a helluva racket, thought it was part of that. When I got the thang home and cranked it up to unload, the noise was even louder. Fixed the exhaust (bolts had loosened at the end of the header) and then it was really loud.

Found a bent pushrod on the intake side of #5 cylinder. Replaced it, no better. I'm in the midst of checking all the other pushrods/rockers now. Stay tuned. Dammit...


JDK

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

No, no, no, I don't want to hear that JD
Any chance it could be trailer frog or shop snake?

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

It could be either or both of them... I think it's really Frame Lizard. He's been casting bad Ju-Ju ever since we welded him up in the frame rail...

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

JD, I have 2 words. Fire Bubba!

I know he is close to being family. But seriously. Again with the engine problems?

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

My sympathies, JD.

Are we talking knock as in metal-to-metal contact or knock as in bad fuel?

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886

Ohhhh... This is gonna hurt... Found the problem last night...

Remember the famous Pogo cartoon?
In this case it's more like "We have met the enemy and he is us and he is a dumba$$"...

In a Ford 302 with roller tip lifters, there are these little "keepers" that go at the top of each pair of lifters to prevent them from rotating so that they keep the roller lined up with the cam lobe. They look like this:
OK, the first dumba$$ item on the list- The problem with the bent pushrod was NOT number 5 cylinder, it was number 6. Don't know why I got that wrong. And then the big ticket item in the dumba$$ list is... (wait for it)... The pair of lifters for #6 did not have a keeper installed. It just wasn't there when I took the intake off. There's no way it could have gotten out of the engine, or even out from under the springy "spider" thing that holds them down. It wasn't installed.

And the lifters rotating out of alignment with the cam lobes has caused... (wait for it)... Two of the cam lobes to get wiped off, ground down, generally f*cked up.

So we're gonna be pulling the engine and doing a tear down... AGAIN... And replacing a camshaft ($$$) and various other stuff. ($$$)

Chuck, you hit that particular nail on it's big ol' rock hard head...

OK, you may point and laugh now...

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JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

Good Grief, JD, has Joe joined Team Slotus?

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Cheers, Tom

My Car9 build: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=14613
"It's the construction of the car-the sheer lunacy and joy of making diverse parts come together and work as one-that counts."
Ultima Spyder, Northstar 4.0, Porsche G50/52

Day-um JD!

If you had one of those video cameras that take pics every few seconds watching over you shoulder as you assembled the engine, you could watch it now and find out exactly who snuck in to your garage and snatched that keeper from your engine when you wasn't looking. Who is right behind you in the autocross standings? Maybe it was them? I know you wouldn't have missed installing that part.

On the other hand, you did get 7 out of 8 installed properly. That's a strong "B" in the classroom. It should be good enough to get a Blue Oval on your shop clothes.

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Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766

_________________
JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

JD, the good news is that you found out what the issue is and it can be resolved.
Any day we don't learn something is a day wasted.
Today was a learning day.

_________________
Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

So, dropping the pan and cutting open the oil filter to see where all that stray metal went?
You don't want it in the bearings.

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If I must be a one-man PC free zone, so be it!

Ahh yes, oil filter voodoo... Did that before I took off the intake, cut open the filter and examined the filter element just like a Voodoo Witch studying the entrails of a sacrificed chicken... And saw no metal

I was briefly relieved, but then kept digging and found the missing dog bone and the damaged lifters and saw the cam lobes.

Mystery to me is where did all that metal go -- since I know there had to be a bunch of it-- and yet not show in the filter element.

The engine is coming out and getting (ANOTHER) complete teardown. All the bearings will get looked at and thoroughly cleaned. (Can I borrow your dishwasher?) Might replace 'em, while I'm at it. Depends... No, not THAT kind...


JDK

_________________
JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

You will probably find the dog bone in the corner on the floor of the garage, next to 27 Sharpies. In the meantime, check, double check and triple check the entire engine for remnants just in case I'm wrong,

_________________
Chuck.

“Any suspension will work if you don’t let it.” - Colin Chapman

Visit my ongoing MGB Rustoration log: over HERE

Or my Wankel powered Locost log : over HERE

And don't forget my Cushman Truckster resto Locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17766