Let's hear it for checklists. I'm developing one for Peyote. I was talking
with Bob Yarwood yesterday and he reminded me that I should look for chipped
teeth on my diff having dragged my transmission down the road at high speed.
Should probably check out the driveshaft too. Duh.
I have a practical checklist developed for first run of the year. I'll type
it in and share if any of you folks that have one will do the same.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-fot@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-fot@autox.team.net] On Behalf
Of Mark J. Bradakis
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 11:07 PM
To: fot@autox.team.net
Subject: An ounce of prevention
Perhaps this should be titled "Waiter, checklist please."
After some disassembly this evening, the initial theory is that a few fluid
ounces of Redline Shock Proof gear oil may have been all that was required.
Given the amount of time that Killer's tail end was up in the air while I
whacked on the exhaust, it seems I could have taken a few moments to check
the fluid level in the diff. It looks like the diff was running too dry,
the pinion bearings got too hot and I got hosed. I was going to take a few
pictures of the evidence, but the memory card for the camera was not in the
camera, it was still at the house in the slot on the printer. Drat.
But such "organisation" shown by the memory card not being in the camera is
typical of my life. If I would change my habits and go through a checklist
of things to do before a race, next time I would make sure the rear axle
fluid level was okay, and I wouldn't melt down a pinion head bearing and my
one and only large-bearing 4.1 Spitfire gearset. You know, somewhere in the
shed I might have this 5.13 or some such Herald ring and pinion ... that
should get Killer to jump off the line! At least once, that is.
mjb.
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