Chip,
Awful! It nearly brings tears to the eyes.
After working on our TR4 all winter, it nearly burned down on the first
test day at Blackhawk Farms in 1992.
The the bottom dropped out of one of the Strombergs allowing gas to land
on the header. Sean pulled into the pits and THE FIRST TWO BOTTLES were
not operational, after sitting all winter. We had visions of 6 solid
months of work going up in flames. Recently, Sean admitted that he had
visions of himself going up in flames and he is not easily frightened.
The car went back together easily and was running again in two weeks.
Sorry to hear about your car, but appreciate the report. All of these
things are near immediate reinforcers of what care we need to take with
our Triumphs.
Sunday, I blocked off a hole in the firewall that has been missed by
Tech and neglected by me...I will go looking for other stuff, now.
Regards,
Joe
>----------
>From: Chip Bond[SMTP:spirals@esinet.net]
>Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 1997 10:48 AM
>To: 'fot@autox.team.net'
>Subject: Bad weekend report.
>
>
>Good Morning Friends,
>
>Made the pull up to Connelsville National leaving at noon for the six hour
>run. Got on the PA turnpike and at the entrance ramp saw a fellow class
>competitors car parked. I stopped to offer assistance. The tow vehicle (89
>Blazer) had blown its torque converter, thrown fluid all over the place and
>ignited, starting a pretty good fire in the engine compartment. Todd had
>called his crew and they were bringing another tow vehicle to pick up the
>race trailer and he had already made arrangements to have the Blazer towed.
>We loaded up most of his gear into my motorhome and his mother caught a
>ride with me the rest of the way to the track. Todd would be along in a
>couple hours.
>
>We got to registration and signed in my competitors mother on my crew, so
>she wouldn't have to wait to get in! Had a good laugh about that twist.
>
>Through registration and find there were a total of nine EP cars
>registered. The best turnout I'd seen at a SCCA event.
>
>I had new EGT guages installed along with a pressure gauge on a ducted
>airbox that I've been playing with. I was hoping to see a bit of positive
>pressure in the box at speed. I 'd been experiencing a high speed miss only
>in 4th OD and was starting to think that perhaps there was sufficient
>pressure in the airbox to overcome the 3-4 lbs of fuel line pressure. This
>idea was reinforced by the cars ability to pull well up to 7200 rpm in 3rd
>od and 4th direct. I took along a new high volume fuel pump to be installed
>if I needed it.
>
>Well the practice session was going along pretty well, I had run about ten
>laps and was really starting to work into a rhythm. The "miss" now seemed
>to be a small and somewhat infrequent burst of power, perhaps. I can't
>describe it really. I would be running along pretty normally and the sound
>of the engine would change for a brief moment. It felt more like a surge
>than anything else. It only happened in 4th od. All I can think of is that
>there must be some type of system resonance where the car speed and the
>harmonics of the airbox and duct all seemed to work together once in a
>while. I never noticed any positive pressure on the guage....
>
>Anyway, I came out of turn three, a long ,full power, left hand sweeper
>then into a short straight and, whoosh!...a ball of fire comes out from
>around my feet and back across the cockpit. I react by hitting the brakes
>hard, no traffic around. The car starts to rotate so I ease off on the
>brake petal and resolve myself to the fact that I really can't get out of
>the car until I bring it to a stop. And I'll have to do this with a major
>fire going on in my footwell. I pull the fire bottle cable but don't notice
>much difference. Then I remember drivers school where they tell you to park
>the car near a corner worker if you are on fire. I drive straight to a
>worker in turn four all the time thinking that I want to get out. It must
>have been Todd's mishap the day before, but somehow I think the small
>transmission leak that I've had all season has become a major one and the
>exhaust pipe has ignited some trans fluid. Anyway it seems like a very long
>time before I get to the corner worker, get the harness unfastened and get
>out of the car. Flames are coming from under the hood now. I get out and
>first check my legs. They are fine, the suit is singed and the shoes feel
>hot. The shoe laces are melted but nothing is burning. Then I go over to
>the corner worker who hasn't made a move. I ask him if he has a fire bottle
>and he tells me no, that they are sending the fire truck. In the meantime,
>a couple workers from back on the straight section are headed over with a
>bottle. We lift the hood and they discharge the bottle into the compartment
>without any real abatement of the fire. By now the fire has burned though
>the right front fender, the passenger compartment is going, all the plastic
>guages are melting.....
>
>Then it occurs to me that, in my haste to get out, I had not turned the
>fuel pumps off!
>
>The fire truck finally got to the scene. It seemed like forever and I
>haven't felt so helpless and stupid since grade school. The car just sat
>there and burned. AUGHHHH.....
>
>Back in the paddock I find the brass fuel feed tube to the rear float
>chamber had broken (vibration?) at the point where it is pressed into the
>float chamber lid. It looked like the hose came to rest on the Tilton
>master assembly and spewed fuel down through the openings for the petals.
>Damage is pretty much limited to body panels, rubber and plastic, wiring,
>dash, mirrors and guages. The steering wheel is history. Without close
>inspection, it appears that the carb bodies and intake are not distorted.
>The paint is burnt off the tub. And all of the plating and anodized
>aluminum is corroding. I suppose all the braided lines should be replaced.
>I'm sure I'll find more when I get into it.
>
>I hope to make the July 4-5 National at Lime Rock.
>
>I'll post an update on the axle project in a day or two.
>
>With a singed ego in Virginia....
>Chip
>
>
>
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