First race of the 2016 season – did not happen!
With high hopes Pat McMahon and I headed to NJMP Lightning racetrack for the first race of the 2016 season. The drive down was uneventful until we hit massive traffic on the Jersey Turnpike delaying our Thursday track arrival by a couple of hours. Unloading packed in for the night ready for Friday test day. The goal for #48 this weekend was to shake down the car, verify all new bits work (KRC Power steering, IRS, ABS, red brakes, Accusump rewire) and the car is ready for following weekend’s planned 12 hour Endurance race. Fellow FFR Challenge racer Carl Thompson stopped by to hang out Friday and was great to see him back at a track, maybe next time with his race car!
Friday morning first time on track had a big checklist, make sure abs works, how does IRS feel, is oil pressure ok in turns. ABS works, and is not bad, but there is no pedal feel, not what Im used to at least but this could be the size of the master cylinder being too big (will have to change back to 13/16 and try again.) The IRS added way more grip causing the car to understeer then with the solid axle. As found at autox it is extremely controllable easily catching any loss of traction events in the back. Oil pressure, marginally better, but not good, still dropping oil pressure in high-G turns, 1.7G+ is a lot to ask for a wet sump system, even being on 255/40/17 Toyo RR the grip level is pretty intense. I did have an issue with the power steering, the feed hose from the reservoir was loose and subsequently dumped all of the fluid while on track. I pulled in and diagnosed the problem. The second session was uneventful, getting fuel mileage data of 15gal/hr usage staying out the whole 30min session. Third session I had Chris Allen drive #48 to get him familiar with the car as he will drive the 12 hour race with Pat and I. His reaction was priceless, just laughing saying its so comical, the amount of grip level, the power, open cockpit, so different compared to his BMW E30. The forth session I take the car out and run decent times then all the sudden late in the session engine feels down on power. I bring it in and it does not sound right at all! ticking badly, feels like its down one or two cylinders. Taking off the helmet and ear plugs starting car back up can clearly hear something definitely wrong, and its mechanical. Friday night sulking my engine troubles in beers and grilled burgers (thanks for the gill-work Carl,) planning my departure for home Saturday morning with a broken race car. The 12 hour race has been cancelled.
Chris in FFR#48:
Pat in FFR#11:
Saturday Pat had a good race keeping two of the corvettes in front of him finishing 3rd, and a repeat 3rd place on Sunday as well, this time a lot closer to the corvettes. Chris had some great racing both days finishing 3rd both days in his E30, with Sunday’s race .009 behind P2!
Got home Saturday night, unloaded the car, went straight to diagnose my issue. After removing the spark plugs piston #8 was damaged.
Using a borescope I was able to look into the combustion chamber through the spark plug hole and found this:
It should look like this:
Engine has to come out! Sunday worked to get ready to pull the engine removing ancillary parts, and draining fluids.
Sunday also hunted for a replacement engine, finding a low milage junkyard engine in Plaistow, NH with it still in the F150 was unable to bring it home. That will have to wait until later this week giving the yard time to remove engine from the truck its in now.
What a way to start the 2016 season… I hope to make the next race May 21-22 back at NJMP but this time NASA racers are a support race for the super truck series (big semi trucks racing on track.)
More pictures of the weekend and engine diagnosis here: http://www.johngeorgeracing.com/gallery/index.php?/category/317