1500 Lunched

[aeronca65t]

After 8 hard years of racing (plus about 3 years of street useage), my 1500 motor has fully died.
I'm pretty sure it will never fire in anger again.

At the last session at the NJ Historics, it puked a load of oil (and water) out of the valve cover cap and catch can. I wish it could have made it to Watkins Glen (in two weeks), at which point it was due to be retired. Oh well....it doesn't really owe me anything. The weak point in these engines is rod bearings and I've been careful to replace them regularly (about every 25 hours).
But in the end, a piston failed, turning into aluminum dusk. The unrestrained rod hammered through the cylinder wall and into the water jacket, allowing collant to fill the sump.

Odd firing order(below).....three up and one down. :laugh:

Carnage

You can just see the hole in the cylinder wall (below).
I don't think this will buff out.

 

[drooartz]

Are you going to put a 1275 in it, or just focus on the A35?

 

[Deleted member 8987]

Sleeve it.

 

[dougie]

Nial's -

Looks like she gave her all.............. at least it's at the end of the season. How about a 1275? https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Crossflow...=item51955742f1

Dougie

 

[aeronca65t]

The 1500 could be sleeved if I had time.

I have a 1275 (two, actually). Both run but are used and in unknown condition.....I don't want to hurt a decent engine by running it before taking it apart and really going through it. I only have two weeks.

I also have a complete 948 that runs (from the A35).......but only 35 hp.....

It would be quicker to put a roll bar in my MGB and race that.

Still trying to think what to do. We'll see.

 

[Jeff_Graham]

Nial,
Sorry to see you have to end the weekend that way. It was fun trying to follow you around for a few laps, showed me some lines I didn't think I could do.
Thanks for trying to help with the bum slave cylinder, hope you get something running for the Turkey Bowl.

Jeff - #948 Bug Eye

 

[aeronca65t]

Jeff:

Great to see you. I'll have more pictures (and video) posted soon. Will send out link via the VRG e-mail (plus here)

Can't make Turkey Bowl. Might run the 4-Hour night enduro at Summit in mid-November (in a modern car).

I'm looking at a stock 948 for The Glen in two weeks.....not sure if it will be worth the effort. I'll pull the engine apart tonight to see how it looks inside and then decide.

 

[Hap Waldrop]

Jeff I recognize those wheels

Nial, well you gotta admit, thoe ole girl took for one heckva ride.

 

[Jeff_Graham]

Hap,
Get tons of questions and positive comments on the wheels. Certainly sets the car apart from all the minilite shod cars. I tell everyone where I purchased them.

 

[aeronca65t]

Some better pictures.....will post all from the event soon.....

 

[ChrisS]

The 1500 could be sleeved if I had time.

I have a 1275 (two, actually). Both run but are used and in unknown condition.....I don't want to hurt a decent engine by running it before taking it apart and really going through it. I only have two weeks.

I also have a complete 948 that runs (from the A35).......but only 35 hp.....

It would be quicker to put a roll bar in my MGB and race that.

Still trying to think what to do. We'll see.

I heard you won the handicapped race at WG with the 948. Are you going to run that all next season?

 

[aeronca65t]

Yeah, I "won". :laugh:

But really, only because ~This~ happened (causing a re-start that boosted me back up the leaderboard).

I'll keep the 948 in the Spridget for now. It's a proven race car and I can have fun with it, while I am finishing up my A-35.
But in the long run, I'd like to have both cars running 1275s

By the way, I'm planning on running the EMRA 4-Hour Twilight enduro in two weeks. As you may know, that race is also an "indexed start" (handicap) race. This will be my first EMRA race after all the nonsense in '08 (they've ejected all the juveniles off of their Board after a messy coup).
Anyway, I'll be renting one of Charlie's Entropy Sports Renaults and running the full-dark stint.