My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

[mexicotait]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

car looks ace mate well done for the recent good results

[JonSegger]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

Thanks again all...

Yes, I'm going to try a bit more caster and then set the angles up again. I've also ordered a pair of slightly stiffer rear springs - as they're not too expensive, its a good way to experiment with the handling and see what difference they make.

I had a look at the brakes last night to see what had happened and why the fluid had leaked out. It turned out to be quite simple really... there was no friction material left on the front right pads and one of the pistons had pushed itself into the metal pad backing (as it got very hot I guess...) This let some fluid past the seal. We'd checked the amount of pad material every couple of stages and we knew they were getting low, but I thought there was plenty left to finish the last stages.

So, a replacement piston is on order and a new set of pads are ready to go in. Luckily there doesn't appear to be any damage to the disk.

[JonSegger]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

I fixed the brakes last night.

I took a couple of pics of the knackered brake pad and piston.... you can see the hole on the back of the pad where the piston cut through it. Luckily, the disc looks OK though - which is pretty amazing really.







Anyway, all sorted now. New piston and pads fitted last night, and then I took it up the road to bed them in.

[JonSegger]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

So, last weekend we did the Lynn Charity Stages rally at Sculthorpe.

We'd changed the rear springs to some slightly stiffer ones and added a little more caster to see if that would help with the understeer at all and were keen to get out in it again.

We got through noise and scrutineering without issue, then it was on to the first stage.

It was very slippery. Even though the weather was good, there was a lot of mud covering the surface of the concrete in places. It was great fun though and despite a spin and overshooting a corner we were still easily catching the Aston in front of us on the first stage.... until an alternator bolt sheared off, causing the alternator body to break.

The body of the alternator fell forwards, taking the alternator belt with it. The bigger problem was that this belt also took the dry sump pump belt off - whilst I was at full throttle coming out of a corner. I killed the engine pretty quickly, and we don't think any damage has been done, but it's now coming out and going back to Paul Dunnell for a routine check over anyway, along with some new bits he wants to try.

Here's a few pics from the Digital Motorsport site - but of course there's not many due to a DNF on stage 1:

http://www.digitalmotorsport.co.uk/dms/Lynn%20stages%2009/slides/Lynn%20Stages%2009%2012B%20(1).html

...and of course I still don't really know if the springs and caster change have made any difference, as it was just so slippery I couldn't really tell.

I've also posted up some video footage of us from the Richard Burns Memorial Rally back in August at RAF Marham to YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhW2yW8XOGsYouTube- RBMR2009.

[GavinR]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

I saw you'd retired at Sculthorpe - hope there's not too much damage

Nice pics

[JonSegger]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

I saw you'd retired at Sculthorpe - hope there's not too much damage

Nice pics

Cheers

Yes, fingers crossed. I'll find out in the next week or so.

[JonSegger]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

So the engine went back to Paul Dunnell and it needed new big end bearings, but other than that it had got away without any other damage. I got the engine back just before Christmas and Mark and I spent a couple of very cold January weekends at the farm getting it back in and running again in time for the Bentwaters stages rally yesterday.

This was the first rally to be held at Bentwaters so we didn't really know what to expect. It was fantastic. The stages were very good. Some real nice flowing fast bends and some extremely slippery muddy sections. I loved it. Other than one of the master cylinder resevoirs developing a leak and my co-driver Mark feeling sick, we had a fairly drama free day.

The car held together perfectly and we finished 12th overall and 6th in class - which we were happy with after the troubles we had last time. (I'll post some pics if I receive any.)

So a quick spanner check is needed now and then on to Goodwood in a fortnight.

[quantumjohn]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

Jon,
Good to see you out on the Bentwaters stages. I was marshalling and came to say hello during the lunch service (cup of tea in hand) but there was no one around the car. Guess you must have been in the queue for the burger van.
Had a good look over the car though
The engine and exhaust are very impressive.

The stages looked really good, we had a drive of them at the end of the day - we were clearing up cones, honest.
I am aiming to have my car finished for next years event.

John

[Retromotorsport]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

Thats a bit of good news Jon, and well done on the result and good luck for Goodwood

[JonSegger]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

Jon,
Good to see you out on the Bentwaters stages. I was marshalling and came to say hello during the lunch service (cup of tea in hand) but there was no one around the car. Guess you must have been in the queue for the burger van.
Had a good look over the car though
The engine and exhaust are very impressive.

The stages looked really good, we had a drive of them at the end of the day - we were clearing up cones, honest.
I am aiming to have my car finished for next years event.

John

Ah we went for a wander around during the lunch break - the only real chance we got to see a lot of the other cars. It's a shame I missed you though - hopefully say hello next time.

Yes, get yours done for next year - it was a really good rally. Great stages and very well organised. And nice and local for me too - which is a nice change.

[JonSegger]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

Thats a bit of good news Jon, and well done on the result and good luck for Goodwood

Cheers

[JonSegger]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

I'm due an update I think....

A fortnight after Bentwaters we did the South Downs Stages at Goodwood. We've done this one a few times now and it is always a friendly, laid-back event. We had one incident where we approached an exceptionally tight chicane too fast and had to stop and reverse to get round - a bit embarrasing, but there was a lot of people made the same mistake, so I didn't feel too bad. Then on one of the stages we lost power. It felt like it was the coil pack or an ignition driver so I backed right off to prevent damaging the engine, thinking that it would still be pumping fuel into the bores but not firing.

When we got back to service and investigated, it turned out to be a broken wire on one of the injector plugs. This was fixed in time for the next stage and we were up and running again. Despite all the time that we had lost, we still finished 5th in class and 12th overall - and got the trophy for 'Best Southsea finisher'.

Then, last weekend, we had the Spring Stages at Sculthorpe. This was a great weekend for us. After stage 4 on the Saturday evening we were 8th overall and 1st in class. Then on stage 6, Sunday morning, a combination of trying to squeeze too much mileage out of the rear tyres and lack of driver talent ended up with a spin and our car briefly beached on a tyre. I then stalled the engine trying to drive over the tyre and it took a few tries to start it again. The car behind caught us, so we lost at least 30 seconds and must have dropped a few places.

We came in to service and put some new tyres on the rear for the remaining stages. This transformed the car and we had some grip again. The next few stages felt quick. We had avoided looking at the results during the day, but going into the last stage we were told that we were leading our class. Thankfully, that last stage was fairly uneventful and we held on to the class win and had made it back up to 8th overall.

I haven't seen any pics yet, but I'll post some up if I get any.

[mervhill]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

Nice work Jon! That's an excellent acheivement even with the mistake. I think it's a rule that you have to have at least one slightly over zealous moment during a rally!

Are the South Downs stages actually at Goodwood Circuit? What's the noise limit there now?

[GavinR]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

Well done

When are you out next?

[JonSegger]

Re: My mk2 Rally car - Duratec power

Nice work Jon! That's an excellent acheivement even with the mistake. I think it's a rule that you have to have at least one slightly over zealous moment during a rally!

Are the South Downs stages actually at Goodwood Circuit? What's the noise limit there now?

Cheers

Yes, the rally takes place at the circuit. Its a really nice event and they allow spectators in for free, which is a nice change to the usual airfield ones we do where no spectators are allowed. http://www.southdownsstages.co.uk/

(I think the noise limit was 102 decibels.)