Milwaukee Midget

[Milwaukee Midget]

What I find particularly irksome about all of this is that when I wanted to set an appointment 4 weeks ago, they didn’t want to schedule that far out.  So early last week, I stop by, nailed down the date, and today - the day before – after a solid week of working diligently to be ready to be in and out of their facility in a professional and timely basis, I’m told they’re backed up on their dyno?

I guess it’s the lack of respect for someone else’s time I find so difficult to swallow.

It’s a two man shop – fecal matter occurs – I get it.  But this crap has been going on since the day I ordered up my wheels,
and my rockers,
and my crank,
and my rods,
and my flywheel . . .

Well, I’m off Wednesday – I do have to finish my presentation for the MG-T Register in Bennington, Vermont, so maybe a day at the table with everything immediate pushed back to the back burner isn’t all bad.  But assessing how I feel right now, and comparing it to when I dropped the valve guide last September, I was in a much better head space then than I am right now.

Doc, thanks for the note.  I’ll see if a doctor of sodiumology has any sway with our insurance company.

[fordboy628]

What I find particularly irksome about all of this is that when I wanted to set an appointment 4 weeks ago, they didn’t want to schedule that far out.  So early last week, I stop by, nailed down the date, and today - the day before – after a solid week of working diligently to be ready to be in and out of their facility in a professional and timely basis, I’m told they’re backed up on their dyno?

I guess it’s the lack of respect for someone else’s time I find so difficult to swallow.

It’s a two man shop – fecal matter occurs – I get it.  But this crap has been going on since the day I ordered up my wheels,
and my rockers,
and my crank,
and my rods,
and my flywheel . . .

And therein lies the heart of the issue. . . . . . . .

Most small racing oriented dyno services/engine shops complain that they can not capture enough market share for a stand alone dyno service.    And yet, they are unable, (perhaps unwilling), to schedule properly to accommodate waiting, paying customers. . . . . . . .

Makes you wonder about their business plan, or whether they even have one. . . . . . . .

And, as you have pointed out, "optimisty" is a condition pervasive in all facets of the industries that try to serve the "sport". . . . . . .

sic erat scriptum, "Caveat Emptor".

Nothin' else to do but grab a suds or two. . . . .  sorry.
 
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

[Geo]

OK Seneca the Younger,

We will have none of Hercules Furens played out here.

my wheels,
and my rockers,
and my crank,
and my rods,
and my flywheel . . .

Stop that nonsense!    Doing what you and the rest of us here are doing, building racing machines, brings up these issues from time to time. That's one of the reasons we thrash, make the next race, continue our, my  , build into the next year. Put a little English in it!  Stiff upper lip and all! 

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
 Was there a man dismay'd?
 Not tho' the soldier knew
 Someone had blunder'd:
 Their's not to make reply,
 Their's not to reason why,
 Their's but to do and die:
 Into the valley of Death
 Rode the six hundred.

And so all of us involved in this build one way or another are in support of our brothers with hands touching the Milwaukee Midget.

Now we have time for a little beer talk. 

Geo

[Milwaukee Midget]

Tennyson – yes . . .

Geoffry, old chap . . .

Where’s my f#$%’n Pith Helmet!

 

[manta22]

"OK Seneca the Younger,..."

Reminds me of a Forward written for the original "Mad Reader":

"It was Pliny the Elder... (or was it Virginia Mayo?)..."  

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Captthundarr]

Chris, Amy says thats a bunch of crap.

[Kiwi Paul]

Chris--I have both your Pith Helmet and your 11mm combination wrench....

[Geo]

Chris--I have both your Pith Helmet and your 11mm combination wrench....

Paul,  I owe you a beer. LMAO 

Geo

[Dean Los Angeles]

Yea, though I rode through the valley of the shadow of death
I fear no evil.
Because I'm the meanest son-of-a-bitch in the valley.

[fordboy628]

Midget,

Although I no longer have access to an optical comparator, I do have my set of Starrett precision radius gages.   The valve adjuster you gave me is undoubtably a repop, made of ?? material and ?? heat-treat, judging by the failure.    The ball end radius is not a constant (spherical) radius, but some sort of compound radii form.    The tip appears to be ~ 11/64ths R combined with and edge radius of 3/16ths R.    ALL the wear is out at the edges.    This fact leads me to suspect the radius form is incorrect and/or mis-manufactured.   If all the contact is at the edge, the assembly can be "sealed off" from oiling, promoting increased wear until (and if) the parts "bed in"/"wear in".   Why anybody designs hardened parts to "wear in" is beyond me.    I normally want the adjuster to be .003"/.005" smaller on the radius, to allow oil to reach both surfaces, but still have enough "contact area" to carry the applied load.    I'll dig out some stock BMC pushrods to see if I can determine the stock radius.

I suspect the simple solution is to contact Titan to see if their adjusters are the same thread pitch, form and threaded length.    And if so, purchase a set of adjusters & locknuts from them or one of their sales agents here in the states.

I'm suffering from a severe case of dyno withdrawl. . . . . . .     and have set you a PM.
 
F/B

[wisdonm]

Since dyno day was postponed, I got in some drinking time. This lead me to imagine we were at dyno day. We don't have to go on the 17th because I saw, in my minds eye, the dyno reading 93hp. This should save time, effort, and treasure.

[Milwaukee Midget]

Since dyno day was postponed, I got in some drinking time. This lead me to imagine we were at dyno day. We don't have to go on the 17th because I saw, in my minds eye, the dyno reading 93hp. This should save time, effort, and treasure.

No, Don, that was the BOTTLE you were reading - 93 PROOF, my friend.  We'll be upping the octane.

But during my burned day of vacation, I have climbed down from the tree, and I have made huge progress on my presentation for next week.

Just a reminder - if you're in the Albany/Bennington area the weekend of the 12-14 . . .

http://www.nemgtr.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=267&Itemid=286

I also sought out and found a more professionally managed dyno facility.  I’ll be calling NVR and cancelling my appointment.

I just found it incredibly frustrating to have been in regular contact with NVR, to have had all of the ducks in a row, including double checking what we were bringing to the table against what they had available, to have had 3 other people lined up to help, and then to receive a call at 1:12 in the afternoon the day before I was to show up and be told that it “isn’t going to happen”.  

Note quotes.  That is a quote.  You may imply the tone.  

Perhaps I wouldn’t be such a crybaby about it if they had said, “Chris, I’m sorry” - That I would have understood.  Or “Chris, we just screwed up” - That I would have made allowances for.  Or “We’re having some trouble with one of our customer’s engine that’s on the dyno, and we really need to get it straightened out”.  That I would have respected – a demonstration of their concern for their customer’s engine.

To my mind, there’s something wrong when an amateur racer turns to a professional facility only to find that they run their business like a hobby.  

So I’ll be calling Mr. Nickerson and Mr. Volden to let them know that the problem has been removed from their plate.  I'll let them know that it "isn't going to happen".

You may imply the tone.

Although there’s a part of me that wants to wait until the 16th . . .  

[manta22]

"The Kimber Festival brings together enthusiasts who are keenly interested in M.G. history"

It isn't about firearms?

[Rob]

Bummer Chris,

The sad part is, the previous dyno mob will likely be happy they've gained time in their schedule and not give a rat's @ss.


Anyhow, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and you now have the time to have the last minute rush at your own pace.

Cheers,
Rob

[Milwaukee Midget]

"The Kimber Festival brings together enthusiasts who are keenly interested in M.G. history"

It isn't about firearms?

Neil, I've been trying to put firearms out of my mind today.

The reason I don't own one is that the damned thing would likely be empty before I got it home . . .