We have an anthropomorphic personification on the Mini-list, called
"Finger-Tight Malcolm;" we even have FTM awards on a web page, devoted
to really horrible boners by mechanics who should have known better, but
perhaps went to lunch and came back and forgot they hadn't torqued down
the mains, etc. etc.. ;)
I suffered a previous-mechanic FTM-created crisis this evening earlier
that was actually pretty funny, but potentially dangerous, so I thought
I would mention it. I was in some medium traffic this evening, where
every single driver in the clump was behaving oddly, as if they had all
just watched "Grand Prix" or the equivalent. ;)
I was mostly concentrating on staying out of the same space as these tin
piles when a clear open space appeared in front of me. I floored it. The
MBG power train in the light Victor setup is really quite impressive, so
we rapidly got ahead of the pack, with plenty of room to spare. But then
the engine was stuck at full throttle and wasn't interested in idling
back down to any silly old 40 mph.
I cut the key and drifted into the parking lot of the new
Skaggs-Albertson's mega-complex, laughing my ass off.
Popped the bonnet; my suspicions were confirmed: the same thing had
happened in the middle of a race in my 850 Mini 34 years ago:
The throttle mechanism had gone over the top. It was set up wrong, so
that absolute full throttle (something a regular town car doesn't often
do) would pull the throttle shaft so far over that the return spring
would hold it open. Feels almost exactly like the car has turned into an
unruly horse with the bit in its teeth. ;)
Needless to say I will be setting the linkage up pretty soon and
avoiding full throttle in the mean time. :)
Something to be aware of and check for.
LBC's: what fun, like having a hard-headed woman. :)
-Rock
--
Rocky, JJ Cale Band & Pratchett Books: http://www.rocky-frisco.com
Rocky's Mini Cooper Page: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/6437/
Mini Books: http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/6437/rockboox.html
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