Showing posts with label LeMons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LeMons. Show all posts

Monday, August 19, 2013

Race Report: 2013 LeMons The Real Hoopties of New Jersey

Update: WE PASSED TECH! Woooo hooo. The actual race almost didn't matter  pffft. The Fuel Cell build out passed, so we were good to go. We were 3rd in line this time, and very prepared.

Final result: 47th out of 138 cars, 5th in Class C out of 18. Best of all: no tech flags, no black flags, NO CONTACT with other cars, and she ran all weekend during incredible weather.

Baby George even made the Official LeMons Video Recap with a "Hella Sweet" tag! See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGvjMUzmwII

MGB-GT at speed, New Jersey Motorsports Park Thunderbolt track, August 2013, Scot at the wheel.
Some pics:


George Alexander Louis in the Royal Buggy on the way to the race
looking forward to a Gormless Weekend




Scot trimming the steel-braided fuel hose access hole in the MGB GT Battery Box cover
 (under which the fuel pump lives).



Prince George demanded the attention of the LeMons judges, so the Royal Guards stood outside the judge windows for about 5 minutes until they were noticed and a ruckus ensued. pip pip!

Ray escorting Brandon to the Technical / Safety Inspection garage. You know: the inspection that got us thrown out of Summit Point 2013... nerves were a bit frayed at this point, but the Royal Guard Never Waver! When Jay announced that we passed, all 5 Royal Guards present spontaneously lost composure (what little we had) and sent up a cheer.
We passed tech: we were already a winner. George is already hitting the sauce pretty hard.
Left to Right: Kurt, Ray, Brandon, George Alexander Louis, Carl, Scot.




Last minute repairs: had to move wheel weights so they wouldn't rub on hand brake.
The weights ended up falling off anyway, that's probably why we lost the race.

Our nearly empty garage space. The Gormless MGB GT needed almost zero work over the weekend, it was quite brilliant.


Ray in the lead, dodging the 4 foot poo that was deposited on the last turn before the straight by a Subaru. It was hilarious watching cars come around the bend pedal to the floor and then noticing a 4 foot poo on the track, then a delay, then a dodge to one side or the other.  

Stealing Ice from George Alexander Louis' beer cooler to refill the home made cool shirt cooler. Blessed, heavenly, wonderful, life giving and affirming cool shirt cooler.


Scot and Kurt check the vitals and top off the oil, which was being lost more by crankcase vent spewing than by burning as far as we could tell. A visit to AutoZone Millersville Saturday night and they scrounged an O-Ring, then shaved it to size, so the valve cover oil filler cap would not leak: it then proceeded to leak from every other place...


...while Ray and Carl strap in Brandon for his 2nd and award-wining 2 hour stint.
Gormless Racing MGB GT, quite possibly going the wrong way on the track... (it's an English thing)

Gormless Racing made Car & Driver's blog.... first and last time I assure you

Some idiot, standing guard and refilling George's bottle with Guinness every 1/2 hour.
Session beer indeed.


Refilling at the gas pump: the only way to go!!!!
It was an honor and a privilege to race against a Rolls Royce... the Rolls Royce! We were about to take down that frenchie in front of us like Nelson in the... well maybe not.


New Jersey Motorsport Parks Thunderbolt track from the air. 


It looks so innocent....

Links to Videos and Pictures of the Race:


at No comments:
Labels: , ,

Sunday, July 14, 2013

MGB GT gets an FIA rated ATL Fuel Cell

At the LeMons 2013 Capitol Offense race, we were politely told to fix the ass end of the car, as described in our race report.

What we did...

FUEL CELL INSTALL OVERVIEW

Specifications:
  • ATL 15 gallon FIA rated LeMons Legal fuel cell, direct off the Lemons web site in order to guarantee this cell is acceptable. 
  • Mounted in the OEM gas tank location (a little higher so we don't drag on bad entries to The Karussell!)
  • Using professional Speedway Motors Fuel Cell Bracket mount bolted to the frame
  • We have the OEM back bumper and an additional internal bumper (built from old roll cage material) behind the cell to help in heavier fender benders
  • No splash bulkhead required (though we may add one later)


The fuel cell install has begun!

Here's some pics, not done yet but here it is so far:

Where the mount meets the car; long horizontals (marked '1 inch steel' here) were cut to 38 inches so they overlap the upper frame for mounting. The section of roll bar you see was existing, and has a vertical piece (inside, between two frames) about 2 inches high that welds it to the lower frame.
ATL Fuel Cell in an MGB GT hatchback

The horizontal side pieces are used from Speedway unmolested, however the verticals were cut down to 8 inches and re-drilled (oddly, one of the eight holes was the wrong size from the factory):
ATL Fuel Cell in an MGB GT hatchback - side traps
 
 
Here is the first fitting, without the improved fuel cell cage frame pieces. We could not move it forward any further without hitting the differential! It's in the OEM position, so will be OK. Well, we could move it forward, but it would be sitting on the drivers shoulders... and that's just ridiculous since we already have a cool-shirt system.
ATL Fuel Cell in an MGB GT hatchback - snugly in place

Here is the original frame from Speedway Motors; note the two upper short horizontal bars (outermost) are held in place by magnets in this picture; we were fitting the fuel cell and moving those pieces around. The holes to mount those pieces permanently have not been drilled yet, we are waiting to finish the extra L-Channel trap frame before doing so, in order to ensure a nice tight fit.


Here are the pieces of the L-Channel trap frame (I don't know the proper name for it, but it is made of L Channel steel and it traps the bottom of the fuel cell, so that's what I am calling it). We made pieces to go around all the edges on the bottom and then up the sides on the corners. Measurements in inches are 24 5/8 (two), 18 1/4 (two), 9 1/4 (four). The vertical corner pieces do not hit the upper flange, we did not want that to be a stress point.


Here is the cage tack welded, before complete joint welding by pro:
The Speedway Motors Fuel Cell Cage - augmented with angle iron to protect edges, tack welded, prior to full weld.


Update 2013-08-06 - Cage back from the welder!

Painted, mounted:
Fuel cell cage, resting in well; about 6 inches higher than normal MGB gas tank and a bit more forward

Looks simple, doesn't it?

That vent line is just a place holder

MGB Fuel Cell corner with Grade 8 mounting hardware
Detail, underneath: corner protection evident, note cross bar bolted and welded! pffft
In situ; pay no attention to that missing vent line....
Front the top
Update 2013-08-07 - some extra pics for the curious


 





(more pics to come, as we endeavor to make NJMP!!!)


REFERENCES:

Some links to 24 Hours of LeMons Forums regarding Fuel Cells:

Shopping List:

Fuel Cell Rules & Notes from 24 Hours of LeMons site:

  • Common Tech Failures:  Fuel cells.  If the cell is not an FIA certified rubber bladder cell (Fuel Safe or ATL) then it must have a sealed metal barrier between it and the driver, even if it is in a metal can.  NO EXCEPTIONS!      This means most cells from Jazz, RCI, Summit, Etc.   They all need a metal bulk head between the cell and the driver.   A fuel cell install is always judged by its quality of install and is looked at by the race manager, The bar is high, do a good job.   
  • How NOT to Fail LeMons Safety Inspections: Cell can't be too low (punctures), too high (rollovers), and must be far enough away from edges to avoid damage during typical accidents.
  • Rulebook: (note: always check most up to date rulebook!) - 3.25: Fuel Tanks/Fuel Cells: All fuel systems, including OE fuel tanks and aftermarket fuel cells, must be sound and in good working order. Maximum allowed capacity is 24 gallons or less. Fuel tanks or cells must be completely behind, or completely in front of, the driver (unless OE parts in their OE locations). No second fuel tanks allowed (unless OE parts in their OE locations).
            3.25.1: Aftermarket Fuel Cells Versus OE Fuel Tanks. Fuel cells are allowed,but they are NOT mandatory. Don't make the rookie mistake of assuming that anything billed as a "fuel cell" is safer than a sound OE fuel tank.High-quality, professionally constructed, correctly installed fuel cells tend to be safer than OE tanks; cheap and/or poorly installed fuel cells tend to be less safe than OE tanks.
            3.25.2: Fuel Cell Installation: If you decide to install a fuel cell, it must be securely mounted in a professional manner and must be installed in a safe location where it won't be damaged in an impact or drag on the ground if the car leaves the track. All aftermarket fuel components must use threaded fittings and appropriate hose types, and must include all appropriate racecar-quality vents, valves, and other safety features. Fuel-cell installations will be judged on their overall execution and apparent safety. Cars whose fuel cells do not feature internal foam, a puncture-resistant bladder, and/or metal encasement are considerably more likely to fail tech inspection.
    Also this section spells out an FIA certified fuel cell if it is going to be sharing the passenger compartment with the driver (or in the rear hatch area in a hatchback)
    3.18: Fuel Bulkhead: The fuel-tank area must be totally separated from the driving compartment. For example, if the fuel tank is in the trunk area, any openings between the trunk and the cockpit must be permanently sealed with bolted, riveted, or welded metal panels. OE fuel tanks that are separate from, and located completely below, the trunk floor or rear-cabin floor are acceptable. If the fuel tank can't be completely separated from the cockpit by metal panels, a metal-encased, FIA-certified fuel cell with all related compliant fittings must be used.



at 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Race Report: 2013 Monticello There Goes the Neighborhood

Race Report: 24 Hours of LeMons 2013 There Goes the Neighborhood at Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, NY, April 6 & 7, 2013

Drivers: Brandon, Ruffy, Steve, Scot, Carl
Guardian Angel and Good Luck Charm: Zouneda


A 24 Hours of Lemons race at Monticello Motor Club is a rare event; in fact this will probably be the single time it will occur in the history of the Earth so it was imperative that we race there... even if it is to be very very very cold and tractionless.

A Beautiful Course, primped and proper, not at all what endurance racers are acclimated to:


24 Hours of LeMons at Monticello Motor Club North Course
Monticello Motor Club North Course

Monticello Motor Club North Course
A bit more to scale I'd say



Tech and Safety Inspection: we mostly passed, with only two warnings... I lost a quart of sweat while the officials negotiated Warning (go race) vs Fail (go home).
 
1) The Kirkely Race Seat we have is a tall back, and the seat harness comes through about a foot from the top of the seat (making a weak point) - we need to add a support bar or brace behind the top part of the seat to keep it from folding back via helmet strike. Note the support does not have to attach to seat, only stop it from folding back.
 
2) One of the roll cage 'star' connection points is weak since someone cut out a section of tube years ago; never mind that the car has been in five prior LeMons races and passed tech - I see their point!
 
Thankfully, they let us race with these two points of 'oppertunities for improvement' with a deposit of promise to fix them before the next race.
MGB GT 50 - Gormless Racing
MGB GT 50 - Gormless Racing, pic courtesy of official LeMons photo gallery
 
 Last minute check of the car yielded a loose bolt - THE loose bolt - that holds the brake and clutch pedal assembly on. This is the bolt that came off during the 2012 Captiol Offense race while Scot was driving. No coincidence that it is Scot's hand in the photo tightening the bolt!


MGB GT Pedal Box Bolt
More tea, Vicar?
In the first 15 minutes of the race, our driver pulled in complaining of loud clacking in the engine. We pulled off the valve cover and sure enough valves 7 and 8 were a bit off (0.016 instead of 0.013 warm), so we adjusted them and sent him back out.
Later, one of our newer drivers got into a bit of a tangle with one of Those Annoying Volvos and smashed in the front fender - luckily the tire was there to stop the steel from bending all the way in.... er....

MGB GT - Front Fender Bender Mender
Ruffy the MGB GT Front Fender Bender Mender - adding airspace between razor sharp jagged steel fender and soft supple race compound tire
We had to visit The Judge twice before we had bent the fender back enough to be deemed safe to rejoin the race:



 
At the end of Day 1 after 7 hours we were in 9th place in C Class and 80th place overall out of 121 entries.
 


MGB GT 50- Gormless Racing in action, pic courtesy of official LeMons photo gallery












The remainder of the race was spent adding oil, or trying to find out where the oil was spraying from, or swabbing the oil out of the engine bay, or borrowing oil from other teams, or cleaning up oil from the paddock.

MGB GT LeMons Monticello - typical scene
Scot checking... something, while two supervisors keep him in check.
Cardboard & Kitty Litter - yep, it's British Leyland!
Cardboard & Kitty Litter - yep, it's British Leyland!
MGB Head Gasket bubbling like overcooked eel pie
MGB Head Gasket bubbling like overcooked eel pie
MGB Engine Bay - now with built in rubber glove dispenser for oil cleanup!!
MGB Engine Bay - now with built in rubber glove dispenser for oil cleanup!!
We ended Sunday after 14.5 hours in 66th place overall (out of 121) and 6th in C Class (out of 16) - not too dang bad for having 3 brand new drivers and taking our sweet slow time in the pits.


at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)