>It's now 5:30, I haven't washed up yet, but the car is back together,
>runs and has oil pressure (60psi at idle).
Congratulations Larry. It sounds like a hard battle against race engine
entropy boldly engaged and finally won. I'm glad it all came together
for you in time.
>What is it about wanting to go racing that makes things go wrong, even
>before you get to the track.
And sometimes when you get there before the race. Bill Babcock brought
his car, the Peyote Special, a TR3 based aluminum body car to Laguna Seca
for the Monterey Historics. Thursday after passing HMSA tech, he decided
to retorque the head because he had been having problems keeping head
gaskets lately. Halfway through the process CRACK A long head stud
broke at the bottom end.
Of course he only had the tools and spares he thought he would need. So
the special was reloaded on the trailer and off they went to Greg Solos
Engine Room in Santa Cruz.
The head was pulled and an examination showed small surface block cracks
at the base of four head studs ( No wonder his 11.5 compression head was
going through head gaskets lately). By 11:00 PM Thursday, the broken
stud had been removed along with all the other studs, the holes were
drilled and tapped for a set of longer ARP head studs, and the head
replaced with a ringed head gasket.
So with a lot of help from a fully equipped shop that specializes in
building Triumph/Morgan four cylinder race engines (They are the folks
who built the engine in my TR), Bill has the Peyote Special ready for
Friday's practice session.
If it wasn't for a local fully equipped shop, the Peyote Special may have
spent the race on the trailer instead of going onto the grid today
(Sunday) with the rest of his class.
> The only problem was that I couldn't find a 1/2NF bolt anyplace,
>and there aren't any hardware stores open in the Santa Cruz mountains
>at 10PM. After about an hour of tearing apart my workshop (I got my
>bolt drawer cleaned out anyways) and the storage area under the
>carport I finally found one in my other shed.
Last year I got tired of doing just what Larry was doing (except I only
have one shed).
I broke down and spent the money to make an honest bolt collection. I
got tired of not having the right bolt and having to search desperately
for a long time before concluding that I did not have it.
I went to my local hardware store and told the manager I planed to make a
big fixings purchase plus other things and may I have a discount please.
I got a in store 10% discount for that day and started building a
collection.
I wanted my collection to be portable so I could take it out on the trail
in the Land Rover where things were most likely to break.
I made some compromises to keep the volume down. First I only bought
grade 8 bolts and fixings, second, for bolts I only bought fine thread
except where one of my cars specifically had a coarse thread fixing that
I was buying a spare for.
So my collection contains 4 each of 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16 from
the smallest length they in each length step to the longest length of
each size I have identified as being on either of my cars. Plus I added
larger sizes that I have identified as being on either of my cars, such
as leaf spring bolts.
To go with this is 4 each of every size grade 8 flat washer, lock washer,
fine thread nut, fine thread lock nut and coarse thread nut.
In addition I added an assortment of machine screws with their fixings,
sheet metal screws, fender washers, cotter pins and and other misc.
hardware that each car uses.
To this I have been adding special fixings, BSI, Whitworth and special
pins used by both cars. The kit includes a spare set of shock bushings,
a new rubber brake hose, a new hydraulic bleed nipple, special lock & tab
washers, and an assortment of goops for making new gaskets, repairing
threads, gluing plastic & rubber, anti seize and locktite.
I have found these plastic containers that are about the size of a
briefcase. They have a two compartment lid with lots of little
compartments and larger compartments in the bottom. They carry an
amazing amount of fixings.
And most importantly the kit contains a sheet of paper and a pen to write
down whatever is removed from the kit. This allows the kit to be topped
off afterwards.
Then of course when I'm home the old bolt box is the first place I look
for a replacement fixing. But now if I can not find it quickly I go into
the portable kit where I know one sits.
It has got to be one of the most anal retentive things I have ever done
in my life and represents a pinnacle of organization for me. But I just
made one too many long unsuccessful searches for something that was
essential and time critical.
When you are alone out in the middle of a desert sometimes having a
spare fixing makes all the difference between keeping going or becoming
totally imobile.
TeriAnn Near Santa Cruz, California
My old car: 1960 Land Rover 109 owned since 1978
My new car: 1961 Triumph TR3A owned since 1986
"Who could ask for anything more"
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