So, my Neon's PS/AC belt flew into the wild blue yonder, again. This time
it happened on lap 2 of the morning practice sessions for a MSCC event at
Blackhawk Farms road course this past weekend. Oh well, who needs PS on a
road course anyway. ;^)
The event was one of MSCC's "high speed autocrosses" where you get two 3 lap
practice sessions in the moring (well, at least until some other Neon guy
stuffs his borrowed car into a tire wall) and 3 times laps in the afternoon.
the timed laps go as follows: You start on the false grid, from a stand
still, go on the green and trip the start light just like a regular solo
and go around the track to take the checkered flag, and tyrip the light
again under the bridge at the end of lap 1. I still turned a 1:41, having
never driven on the track before that weekend, with a grand total of 9 laps
on the track, ever, on 3 year old Kumhos, and getting too greedy with 4th
gear coming into turn 7 and having to literally park the car to keep from
sliding off the end of the track and then make a 90 degree right turn to go
down the straight for the checker.
I replaced the PS/AC belt the next day, which was promptly rejected by the
engine again due to the locked-solid AC compressor not allowing the belt to
spin and causing the crank pulley to literally burn through a brand new $10
gates PS/AC belt in no time flat. :^|
Anyway, I drove all the way back home (500+ miles) and now have to wait 'til
Thursday for the dealership to fix it under warranty.
With all the driving I did, both spiritedly on the track and sedately on the
freeway, should I be at all concerned about a reduction of life or
functionality of the PS rack on my car or is the only thing that's going to
wear out any faster be my upper arms?
Eric Linnhoff in KC
#69 STS
'98 Dodge Neon (see-dan)
www.geocities.com/eric10mm/KnuckleDragger.html
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