New Shop Progress
The big stuff is moved in. The small stuff will take longer to arrange and I still have too much stuff to fit in. Because I want the F1 ready to race by the end of this month, the paint, floor and wiring will have to wait.
My Next Shop
I’m setting up my 8th shop space. This time in a 2.5 car garage. I plan to have LE moved in by the end of May so I can prep a bike for the WERA Willow weekend at the end of June. The new garage door is just one of the steps.
Car Race
I crewed my first car race. Many things are the same but different than motorcycle racing, like how they return damaged race conveniences back to the pits.
Nice Touch
I added this brake rod length adjuster so the pedal can be moved to or from the driver. The nice touch is adding a tool size note for the person who wiggles under the car to make the adjustment.
Formula Car
I’m working on a new Crawford F-3. The turbo brace needed to be in the same place as the water pipe so they passed the pipe through the brace, nice weld too. The car looks super racy and it is but but it’s just a stock street car engine with a strong tran in a light chassis with good aerodynamics. The operating costs will be lower than most heavy street cars.
Today’s Projects
The Formula car has a cracked exhaust and the ’49 Cadillac’s passenger window wants attention.
At the same height as someone or something else.
In the race car world you need long levels to set up your scales pad. This is a raised platform you drive a car onto with a scale under each wheel. It is also a good place to take your geometry measurements.
I stack our levels like a pyramid. This is Wrong On Every Level.
Great Question
Dennis sent a question:
Perhaps you can help me with my question. We used to road race our modified RD-350s down in Florida back in the 70s and 80s. All of the Yamaha ring sets for the RD included a thin, flexible octagonal shaped “ring expander” to fit behind the bottom ring. The hot tip was to omit the expander for racing. I’m sure I used to know Yamaha’s explanation as to the function of this “ring expander” for the street bike, but over the years I’ve forgotten. Can you help me?
My answer:
Hi Dennis,
Great question.
They went out of style about the time I got started racing. My best guess is that as metallurgy improved, expanders were no longer needed. Other factors may included better machining for better fitment between the ring and the groove and remember that as the pistons got better they collapsed the ring grooves less.
If you have more info I’d like to hear it. Maybe a good RD story too.
Kent Riches, owner of Air Tech, says on my FB page:Â “The top rings had combustion loading… the 2nd ring chattered and skipped on the cylinder wall often breaking from vibration harmonics.. the expander forced the ring against the wall and dampened vibration…”
I think Kent is more right than I.
Fiery Tongue
Though I haven’t fought a Dragon in a fortnight,
and the humble joys get duller every day,
for when I’m asleep a Dragon,
with his fiery tongue a wagging whispers,
Eddie won’t you please come out to play.
It’s time to race the Hurricane again.
Throttle Cable Bracket
If you say the Password you can enter the Secret Lab and you might see this throttle cable bracket I made for the ’32 Hot Rod. The chrome bracket it had was misaligned and caused binding you could feel with your foot.