Ouch!

[WhalePirot]

I finally took the '84 racing; to a SpeedVentures.com event at Buttonwillow.

Lessons:
- a great street car is not necessarily a good track car
- street pads belong there
- street brake fluid belongs there
- tire pressure is crucial for max sticky
- start slowly, and learn the basics, like the line, first
- a great sounding/running street engine can overheat and break :cry

Mike

 

[SoLow]

How bad did it break?

 

[JonM]

Will you be making the "When good laps go bad" list?...

 

[WhalePirot]

How bad did it break?

Dunno know yet. A Mazda 7 builder/racing shop owner took pity after hearing about a $1700 towing bill and will pull the engine. It'll probably go to a reputed outstanding race-engine builder named Pablo, in Lancaster, CA. It sounded like rather heavy mechanical rattling towards the engine front; also it overheated. Tom suggested perhaps a wrist pin. The Valvoline smelled burned, but looked raher normal.

Will you be making the "When good laps go bad" list?...

Gee, will I go that high? I got caught up in the desire to pass the blown '04 C-5 in front of me and to dust the gray (non-stock) Prelude on my tail. It was my first track laps, with some autocross experience decades ago.

Sorry, guys, but at least some other Vettes (C-5s) did better than this sole C-4.

 

[maxrevs85]

Sorry about the car ,but did you have fun?

 

[JonM]

Sorry, guys, but at least some other Vettes (C-5s) did better than this sole C-4.

And some didn't...:L

Z06 Link

 

[Moonunit 451]

I finally took the '84 racing; to a SpeedVentures.com event at Buttonwillow.

Lessons:
- a great street car is not necessarily a good track car
- street pads belong there
- street brake fluid belongs there
- tire pressure is crucial for max sticky
- start slowly, and learn the basics, like the line, first
- a great sounding/running street engine can overheat and break :cry

Mike

Mike, those are very good points, and lessons someone should have pointed out to you before you hit the track. My track day was kind of a surprise to me as well. Although I had the basics well covered, it was by far the worst beating my car has ever had. The car got HOT! And my oil pressure was doing very unpleasant things at high R's and comming out of the long G corners. Like this one.

I thought you had a really upgraded fancy brake system. Sorry to hear you broke, and badly at that.

 

[WhalePirot]

I knew the risks and the diff between race and street, I felt that such a great performing street car would do okay on ONE day at the track. Also, with my job I have two lives which causes some loss of bearing and I got eager to go drive, forgetting a few small details.

Partial news: two rods broke and the crank is shot. I know #7, which is usually the first to fail in this vintage SBC, is one that poked through the big Moroso pan. There is more block damage, but it may be below the ring-swipe area. I'll know more when Pablo (Palmdale, CA) gets into it.

Pablo has a great reputation for racing-rotary-engines, but I am looking for feedback on his specific to SBC builds. Anyone?

 

[rrubel]

Oh boy... that's either really great news (if you wanted to build a nice new engine) or really sucky news (if your wallet is like mine).

Was this an oil starvation issue, or something else?
[RICHR]

 

[MBDiagMan]

I have the same question as Rich, but I would be willing to bet that the reason was overrevving. That is usually what breaks rods.

These experiences always bring to mind the age old question: "speed costs money, how fast do you want to go?"

Good luck with it,