[Alpines] World's Fastest Sunbeam (wannabe) continuin story

drmayf drmayf at mayfco.com
Thu Sep 6 19:26:24 MDT 2007


Well, Jim Leach up in Seattle just reminded me that I need to update you 
all on what's happing to the car. Here is what I just sent to him

WOS is not gonna happen this year, but maybe World Finals in october.  I 
cooked one piston pretty  badly, trashed all the bearings and broke 
some  rings on other pistons. Have the block cleaned up enough to make a 
run or 2 and have a new set of pistons in hand. Just have to find a 
place that can swap out the pistons and I am back in business. But also 
want to rebalance the crank and have it micropolished. Just to take out 
some of the minor damage...  I have new very much larger fuel injectors, 
a new boost controller, new inconel exhaust valves. New solid copper 
head gaskets, new exhaust header gaskets also solid copper as well as 
header collector solid copper. I blew out a lot of gaskets, lol. HAve a 
new ignition module for the distributor as well. Just need to put it all 
back together now. Oh new main bearings on the way also, some trick 
coated ones. New one piece pan gasket.   We are planning on WF but it 
may rain out. Hope not, then the next outing will be Tigers United in 
Big Bear...  Oh, I have planes for an ice water to air turbo charge air 
intercooler. 360 degree air into the motor is just not good.  So things 
are mushing along, just slowly. Has been hot enough here to dang near 
melt lead, today being cool enough to actually work on the car for an 
hour or 2.

The last week has been more in the nature of chasing parts, trying to 
find suppliers, etc.  Lots of stuff supposed to hit here tomorrow, but I 
am going to Las Vegas to find a shop ththat can swap the pistons out. I 
don't know why the original motor used the crummy press fit pins, but 
that's what they are and that's what I will stick with for this motor. I 
will do things a bit differently in thenext motor: 331 cid, full 
floating pistons and rods, H beam rods, total seal rings. Forged crank.  
In any case, I am working to get it all back together. Assembly wont 
take long, just the parts chasing consumes a lot of time.

more later

mayf


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