04/12/2024
Just a random catalogue of old photos from May this year, showing the progress on the blue race car. I tackled minimal engine work—just a new rocker cover gasket for the actual engine itself. Other than that it was new oil cooler hoses, alternator and wiring mainly. Welded up an oil cooler bracket, add a new 13 row oil cooler, AN8 PTFE metal braided hoses put together in the workshop, and fabricated new bracket and cowling for a fresh VW GTi radiator (over-cooling is easier to control than under cooling!). During the first start-up oil pressure was showing 100psi tick-over and rev, so I’m fine-tuning the release valve to get it just right. Alternator had also packed in during the season when it was last raced, so swapped in a lighter 60amp alternator, a new thicker charge wire, larger 4inch pulley, and larger XPZ850 fan belt ( if it helps anyone that’s an 863mm OD & 813mm ID fan belt when you’re running a 101.6mm alternator pulley and 119 water pump pulley combination). The fuel tank’s back in the OE position for lower cg— makes it a bit trickier jacking up the rear from under the diff and when I come to install a panhard rod, but a minor hassle for better lap times!
The gearbox was a whole different story—it would select gears but had a constant high-pitched whining sound, unlike the usual straight-cut box noise, even though the oil level was correct. Initially, I thought it may be the clutch, but ruled it out as it was engaging and disengaging into and out of gears, albeit not very smoothly. However, it turned out that the competition half shaft had come loose from its fl**ge (it’s an interference fit and very rare occurrnce), which might have been causing the noise. Upon draining the gearbox oil, I found a lot of brass fragments and some concerning pieces that looked like gear tooth material! I swapped in a spare gearbox, new roller release bearing, fitted two standard half shafts (temporarily), newly balanced prop-shaft, and added a 7/8 clutch slave for a bit more travel. Now, the gear changes are smooth, and there’s no whining—just power to the wheels!
