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Re: Driver School Report

To: Susan Hensley <susan@grotecon.com>
Subject: Re: Driver School Report
From: Bob Lang <LANG@ISIS.MIT.EDU>
Date: Mon, 06 Apr 1998 15:04:06 -0500 (EST)
On Mon, 6 Apr 1998, Susan Hensley wrote:

> Hi all!

[stuff deleted]

> To start, I drove up there Thursday and was very nervous about the rig
> -- I am towing with the Monster Jeep, my awesome 1979 full-size
> Cherokee, but had never really towed with it before, so was stopping all
> the time to make sure everything was okay.

This is what you are supposed to do. And after you see a wreck whereby a 
rig passed it's tow vehicle, you'll maybe check a little more often. 
Frankly, a lot of people who tow are a little "cavalier" in this regard.

> So, now I have some questions.  I will be replacing the valves, and was
> wondering if I should go with one-piece stainless.  I also need to know
> what I should do at this point with the head -- I am going to take it to
> a competition shop locally to have them check it out, but what else
> should I have done I don't know about, being a rank beginner?   I am
> running stock rockers and want to stay with them, since I understand
> they break instead of causing worse damage if they are hardened and
> don't break, if something like this happens. 

Go with stainless valves and silicon-bronze guides. If you start tweaking 
the engine for max. performance, then you can start doing the nifty 
stuff. But head work is expensive, so set your goals and stick to them. 
Head work is expensive because it is very labor intensive - grinding, 
flowing, grinding more, flowing more, CC'ing, grinding, flowing... you 
get the idea. You spend as much $$$ as you want on head work.

Have them magnaflux the head and make sure there are no cracks before you 
do any work on it. If it's cracked, there is no point in doing any work 
on it.

Don't tell the shop that you are a rank beginner.

> 
> And what about the block?  If it escapes unscathed (cross your fingers,
> PLEASE!!!), Jim suggested pulling the bottom end and checking the
> bearings, which I think is a great idea.

... and standard maintenance for racing! This way you find problems 
before you stick a rod through the block or other malaise.

>  The block is decked, but I
> don't know if it is o-ringed -- should I pull it and have that done, if
> I am taking it apart this far already?  And I was also told by some Spit
> pilots (Baby Grand driver now) at the track that a copper head gasket
> from some California guy's company (Gasket Works?) is the absolute best
> way to go.  

Gasket works is FOTer Mordy Dunst... copper is the way to go if you wind 
up doing lots of tear-downs.... you don't have to replace them everytime.

O ringing is more expensive. If you have reasonable compression ratios 
(less than 12:1) the copper is probably adequate. You don't have a 
supercharger, do you???  ;-)

> I would appreciate any and all advice about this engine (1296) at this
> point, since I have not done a competition "rebuild" and want to make
> sure I know how to do it right.  Thank you SO MUCH in advance!

You have the Spitfire "Comp Guide(s)" reprint? There is good stuff in 
there (if you can figure it out).

> Keep Triumphing,
> Susan  :)

Zoom Zoom.
rml
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