Australian Belly Tank

[bvillercr]

We had the same problem when we built our new A motor, except our cam was bigger in diameter so it made our push rods too long.  Good luck at speedweek down under.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Worm can opened
G

And worms EVERYWHERE!.

Is an adjustable push rod a possibility?  You'd be able to dial it right in and maintain correct rocker geometry and lifter preload without undue stress on the pushrod socket, and less side loading on the valve stem.

They would also give you more options for next year, should you decide to skim the head.

I know, it sure is easy to spend your money . . .

[Dr Goggles]

Been searching on the topic and it seems that the feeling is that adjustable rods are for motors that aren't going to trouble the tacho, or repairs. They're too heavy is the word and that means they are more prone to causing float.

Thankfully the original rods are in the range of SBC rods and so it was easy to find the length we needed .

[Reverend Hedgash]

Did some good work on the weekend, strengthened the canopy hinge; something we mucked around a bit with previously to have a release mechanism of the canopy at the hinge if the car was upside down which weakened the whole link in the first place.

Now we have decided if the car is upside down we can peel back the body work to get to the hinge if needs be, or the canopy might indeed be off anyway. (!)

We made the seat more comfortable by a factor of three by removing a piece that met right at the coccyx and by making a lumber support piece to fill in that gap in your lower back. Less stress in the cockpit = good.

Continued making the canopy trim. As discussed elsewhere this is important in completing the look of the car as it is the car's "face" and we want it suitably hungry for speed.

Other than that news is the wife and baby aren't coming which is a big loss, she loved it last time and I want to introduce the youngster to the lake, but simply cannot afford it to the level of comfort they'll need if it gets really hot.

So another men's meet it will be.


rH+

[SPARKY]

Comfort, comfort,    there is no comfort in Salt Flat Racing 

[Stainless1]

Doc, don't worry too much about the canopy, they come off as soon as the car turns sideways so it will not be an escape issue. 

Be careful out there, do you have a way to get the chute out quickly?  without removing your hands from the wheel?  it has been such a long thread that I don't remember.  If not, practice the move a lot, so the first sign of loss of control you instinctively throw the laundry. 

Can't wait to see your results. 

[Dr Goggles]

Comfort, comfort,    there is no comfort in Salt Flat Racing 

well, comfort may not be the right word for it.Last year I would have been less uncomfortable if I'd been kicked up the fundamental by a horse every five minutes. A slight miscalculation, OK a complete redesign of the way the seat worked had my coccyx sitting on a cross bar, instead of on the padding that finished NEXT to it.......

Doc, don't worry too much about the canopy, they come off as soon as the car turns sideways so it will not be an escape issue. 

Be careful out there, do you have a way to get the chute out quickly?  without removing your hands from the wheel?  it has been such a long thread that I don't remember.  If not, practice the move a lot, so the first sign of loss of control you instinctively throw the laundry. 

I'm not so sure about the canopy blowing off, when we sorted the pivots on the hinge it went from ..kind of rickety to SNAP!....it has a bit of weight to it and  a station wagon tailgate catch on either side and it seems to catch better , close tighter and be a little more reluctant to pop than it did.
The parachute release is on the steering wheel , a momentary button right under your thumb.At the moment there is no fail-safe for the solenoid which would be as simple as a cable that can be yanked if the solenoid don't do the do.

With a bit of luck we might have the motor buttoned up today.

[Stainless1]

I'm not so sure about the canopy blowing off, when we sorted the pivots on the hinge it went from ..kind of rickety to SNAP!....it has a bit of weight to it and  a station wagon tailgate catch on either side and it seems to catch better , close tighter and be a little more reluctant to pop than it did.
The parachute release is on the steering wheel , a momentary button right under your thumb.At the moment there is no fail-safe for the solenoid which would be as simple as a cable that can be yanked if the solenoid don't do the do.

With a bit of luck we might have the motor buttoned up today.

Doc, Hope you never find out what a 200 MPH wind from the side might do to your canopy or its hinges.  The chute on a button was the best modification we ever did, has saved our bacon 4 times.  (finally figured out what was making it want to swap ends) 
Keep up the good work, you will be racing in less than a month if I have it right.   

[Dr Goggles]

yeah , a month. I got the fuel tank from the Colonel today to finish off the mods, had to drill the holes to mount the top plate, just sent him a text to tell him that I stuffed up and got the pattern flipped .......worst case I'll weld the holes I drilled and start again but it should be easier than that.....good news is during the course of the day I whacked my left thumb and my right index finger.....


If anyone needs an idiot , don't hesitate to call , I'M RIGHT HERE........

[Milwaukee Midget]

.....good news is during the course of the day I whacked my left thumb and my right index finger.....

Something like this?

Makes sweet-pickin' kinda tough, tele-brother . . .

You're NOT an idiot - you're just focused on the task at hand.

[Rob]

or perhaps the hands at task?

Keep going Doc, you're got a month and eight fingers to go!

Cheers,
Rob

[Dr Goggles]

or perhaps the hands at task?
Keep going Doc, you're got a month and eight fingers to go!
Cheers,
Rob

Fortunately when I got up yesterday the thumb was better , not worse as I'd feared, it's still sort of stiff......It was the moment when I thought ..."you should clamp that piece down while you're drilling it", about five seconds later , as I was drilling the last hole.....BAM!

Then I walk over to the bench grinder with the same piece...." don't put aluminium on the grinder , it always clags the stone, if it doesn't bite first..."......about one second into that venture it grabbed and smacked my index finger onto the rest.....

dunno if I can afford to fly to Stockholm to collect the Nobel Prize for those this year but I'll gladly accept it.

Yesterday we got a lot of stuff ticked off. We replaced the catch on the 'chute doors. We used a seat catch from a scooter, last years was as the Colonel said "as cheap as they come", we got a better made one and with a little fettling it seems to work much better than before.

The fuel tank access panel is finished and has a new breather. we also had a bit of a fiddle with the mount for the tank as it wasn't perfectly centered and we couldn't put the cover piece in the bodywork AND be able to undo the cap on the tank, now we can. This doesn't seem like a big deal but we had the original filler port from the tank which is a big brass flat cap with the classic old aero style ring , just like a real tuner car!...so anyway rather than the big hole above the fuel filler that we had last year we'll have the original filler port from the Canberra fuel tank.

We finished the fire system mods, and I have the cylinders with me at work so I can get them tested ....we're nearly at the stage where we can do a proper assembly and get ready to go.

25 days to go.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Dr. G, I'll make you a deal.  You tell me what the word "fettle" means - although I assume it's similar to the American "mess with" or f**k around with" -- and I'll acknowledge that you're in the middle of a "thrash".  Sounds great -- getting things done, not folding under the pressure.  Best to you, as we all wish every day.

[Dr Goggles]

Na , that ones from the dictionary slim, not the toilet wall,

transitive verb fettled -·tled, fettling -·tling

1.Dialectal to put in order or readiness; arrange

A former boss would use it in an "airey" way when talking to customers about a part that wasn't 100%......" look , they're hard to get now and I'm sure with a little fettling it'll do the job......."

read, " That's nearly stuffed that part, pay me for it and when you bring it back neither of us will be able to tell the difference between the damage done before and after you bought it , so I won't give you your money back....."

 

[Reverend Hedgash]

When I arrived on Sunday the doc had already welded up and redrilled the holes for the petrol tank (as he had had the template back to front) and all that was required was to tidy it up. Dr G said that with so many bolt heads on it that it looked, "You know...".

I said "...English?" referring to the tendency of UK engineers to use 18 bolts when 4 well placed ones would do, and he said, "No, it looks kinda gay".

So I made sure that I polished the lid up really well because the last thing is that we want anything to look English...

Photo please Dr G!!

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