Carl
Condolences and congratulations - scary moment I'll bet. That's what
always used to worry me about a RHD Mini - never mind ankles - more
important body parts were at risk.
Just to set the record straight - it would only be the crank etc that
wound up to 9000rpm - the flywheel would "only" be doing 6000rpm or
somewhat less. Still an impressive story to tell your grandchildren but
maybe they won't pass it down to their grandchildren now.
Derek (met my wife via a white Alpine)
Carl McLelland wrote:
> To all "Alpiner's", and all vintage racers, regardless of what you
> race!!
>
> Last Sunday I was entering turn 10 at Sears Point, 2nd lap of practice
> so I wasn't really up to speed yet, when I had a potentially life
> threatening event occur. I had backed off momentarily to set the car
> for the corner and when I came back on the power had the
> flywheel/crankshaft bolts shear. I was turning 6000rpm in fourth at
> the time..... a couple laps later and I would have been somewhere
> between 6000 and 7000.
>
> The engine went "instantly" to 9000rpm before I could (1) get my foot
> off the "enthusiasm" and (2) shut off the fuel pump and ignition.
> Somewhere between 6000 and 9000 the flywheel came off the crank flange
> and started trying to grind itself out of the bell housing!
> Fortunately for me, it wasn't successful. What am I leading up to?
>
> 1. I made a steel scatter shield some time back, which may have saved
> me had the flywheel come through the bell housing (or had the flywheel
> exploded). If you haven't done something to protect yourself, DO IT!
>
> 2. For you Alpiners, a friend of mine, having seen the photo's, is
> dedicating himself to making some carbon fibre scatter shields that
> will be bonded to the aluminum bell housing. This should add 3-4
> pounds to the weight of the car, which is negligible. He presently has
> 10 bell housings, so they would be a manditory exchange (or I'm sure
> he could make a scatter shield for your bell housing if you sent it
> to him). Anyone who is interested in more detail of what happened, or
> wants to see the photo's, (or just wants to tell me what a supurb
> driver I am), please respond off-net and I'll forward the photo's.
>
> I don't have a price for the carbon fibre bell housings yet, but you
> can rest assured ones going to be installed on my car, in addition to
> the steel one!!
> Carl McLelland
> CSRG #247 series 1 Sunbeam Alpine
> CarLynne Racing LLC
> carlynneracing@home.com
> http://carlynneracing.homestead.com/home.html
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