[Alpines] Spirit of Sunbeam Salt Flats Plans

[drmayf]

Well, time for me to inform all those who follow the Spirit of Sunbeam 
in it's quest to be the worlds fastest Sunbeam.  The current top speed 
for a flying mile is now at 186.192 mph.  Changes have been made to the 
car for this years activies. Oh first, we will not be at Speed Week in 
August. That event has become a happening and costs have skyrocketed 
beyond our means.  Last year, we paid 1300 bucks for one hotel room for 
6 nights. Instead we are going to World of Speed in September: same 
hotel but costs for the entire stay is 249 dollars.  Mods to the car 
have been few. I mentioned that I built a simulator so that the 
electronic engine management systems could be run in situ without 
running the engine. That showed that the missing rpm was not an 
electronic issue.  The car now has a new ice water to air intercooler 
for the charge air coming from the turbo. The water tank for that holds 
about 13 or 14 gallons of a mix of ice and water.  Last year at WOS, the 
fuel tank developed a serious leak. The tank was in front of the engine 
and close enough to exhaust parts to cause worry. That tank was replaced 
by one that now resides in the trunk. I hand built the fuel cell to fit 
there. It also holds about a gallon more fuel.  The area where the front 
mounted tank was located is now where the intercooler hangs out.  I also 
changed from a draw through mass air flow meter to a blow through. The 
blow through is roughly twice the flow capacity and it is the same 
diameter as teh new turbo to intercooler to motor duct work.  The 
installation is much cleaner than before.  After the electronics 
simulations told me that the electronics were not at fault for lack of 
rpm, I looked at the data a lot and concluded that the two chinese made 
waste gates were not working correctly. I borrowed a Turbonetics 
RaceGate and installed it in place of the two foreign made ones.  
Control plumbing is way simplified as well by that move.  I also slowed 
down the steering by a factor of 1.5. A short wheel base is subect to 
twitchy hands on the steering wheel, lol.  I also had a dyno day that 
was nearly disastrous.  I had purchased a couple of used police cruiser 
V rated tires, supposedly good to 149 mph. Inspection showed them to be 
good. But, on teh first hard pull on the dyno, I literally destroyed one 
of them! At 164 mph. Enough data was gained though to show that the new 
mass air flow meter was pretty close.  For those who may venture to 
Wendover, UT in Septmeber, the meet starts on the 14th and runs through 
the 18th. We will arrive there on the 13th just to park the trailer and 
get the car out. For any that do come to watch, you are all welcome in 
out pit, we'll have cold drinks during the day and after days work is 
done a beer or two.

Oh, the car now has two firsts! It has become the world fastest Tweecer 
( an engine tuning piece) as well as having the fastest Performance 
Automatic AOD transmission.  Those two with a buck fifty might get me a 
cup of coffee, lol...

Any questions, just send me an email and I will do my best to answer them.

mayf
Spirit of Sunbeam
World's Fastest Sunbeam (wannabe)
Not an Alpine, Not a Tiger, just a Sunbeam