Time Attack, What went wrong with the Reyland Escort....
#1
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1st to 200 without NOS
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From: Birmingham
Time Attack, What went wrong with the Reyland Escort....
As some of you might know my Escort didn't go as well as it should have at Brands, here's why....
Time Attack gives three 15 min practice sessions before qualifying takes place so as I had never driven there I knew that getting the most out of those was the only way I would ever have any chance of getting anywhere near the missiles that were there. I could have attended the track day laid on for competitors a few days prior to learn the track but sadly I only found out about it at 4pm the very day.
First practice 10am:
Started the car up at 9.50 to get it warmed up, ahhhh it's on three cylinders Faster than a fast thing I whip a new set of plugs out the back of the van and in they go, restarted it and on four again whayhey.
Started the session and after the tyres had warmed up I started trying to get used to the track at this point the car goes back onto three, I decided to try and learn the lines with the misfire but in the back of my mind I was scared I was hurting the engine so I came into the pits and quickly removed the plug leads only to find one had a hole burned in the side...
After finding this I taped it up with insulating tape and ventured back out onto the circuit and all was good for half a lap and then the misfire returned
During that session Steve Fitzpatrick suffered a electric water pump failure and was putting his car back on his trailor so I cheekely asked him if he would lend me a lead, he did. Nice one Steve I took the car up and down the lanes and give it a beating, during which it didn't miss a beat.... Back in business
2nd practice 1pm:
Sitting in the pits waiting to get on the circuit I noticed a strange oscillating vibration that I had never noticed before, oh well no time to look now so out onto the track I go. Again once the tyres get some heat into them I try to press on but then the car starts popping and banging during each time it completely looses power, I drove it like this for about three laps but it wasn't getting any better Luckily for me someone had a spin so the session was red flagged and we all returned to the pits until the obstruction on track was removed. I opened the bonnet looking for a loose pipe or wire and noticed to my amazement that the crank pulley was running out badly, doh... I thought the bolt had come loose, sadly this was not the case and in fact the nose of the crank had broken off!!
The popping and banging was due to the teeth on the pulley eating the crank sensor. How the timing belt stayed on for several laps and the engine still remained timed up I will never know.
So that was my day over and I was pissed off but at the same time felt really lucky that the belt had stayed on and not mashed my engine to bits.
Thanks to Glen and the Time Attack folk
Time Attack gives three 15 min practice sessions before qualifying takes place so as I had never driven there I knew that getting the most out of those was the only way I would ever have any chance of getting anywhere near the missiles that were there. I could have attended the track day laid on for competitors a few days prior to learn the track but sadly I only found out about it at 4pm the very day.
First practice 10am:
Started the car up at 9.50 to get it warmed up, ahhhh it's on three cylinders Faster than a fast thing I whip a new set of plugs out the back of the van and in they go, restarted it and on four again whayhey.
Started the session and after the tyres had warmed up I started trying to get used to the track at this point the car goes back onto three, I decided to try and learn the lines with the misfire but in the back of my mind I was scared I was hurting the engine so I came into the pits and quickly removed the plug leads only to find one had a hole burned in the side...
After finding this I taped it up with insulating tape and ventured back out onto the circuit and all was good for half a lap and then the misfire returned
During that session Steve Fitzpatrick suffered a electric water pump failure and was putting his car back on his trailor so I cheekely asked him if he would lend me a lead, he did. Nice one Steve I took the car up and down the lanes and give it a beating, during which it didn't miss a beat.... Back in business
2nd practice 1pm:
Sitting in the pits waiting to get on the circuit I noticed a strange oscillating vibration that I had never noticed before, oh well no time to look now so out onto the track I go. Again once the tyres get some heat into them I try to press on but then the car starts popping and banging during each time it completely looses power, I drove it like this for about three laps but it wasn't getting any better Luckily for me someone had a spin so the session was red flagged and we all returned to the pits until the obstruction on track was removed. I opened the bonnet looking for a loose pipe or wire and noticed to my amazement that the crank pulley was running out badly, doh... I thought the bolt had come loose, sadly this was not the case and in fact the nose of the crank had broken off!!
The popping and banging was due to the teeth on the pulley eating the crank sensor. How the timing belt stayed on for several laps and the engine still remained timed up I will never know.
So that was my day over and I was pissed off but at the same time felt really lucky that the belt had stayed on and not mashed my engine to bits.
Thanks to Glen and the Time Attack folk
#6
Didn't know you had entered the Time Attack Series now Martin, (been on holiday incase you've posted before) excellent news!
Sorry to see you've had trouble's though!
Did I read somewhere that you did not have a firewall in the car or something? I guess this has now been rectified?
Sorry to see you've had trouble's though!
Did I read somewhere that you did not have a firewall in the car or something? I guess this has now been rectified?
#7
that is a very lucky escape fella,
i came over and had a good look at the car and it such a shame it hasnt really performed to its abilitys in front of everyone yet as its an awesome machine
when i spoke to tommy form FMS he said it was fcuking shockingly fast once you put some boost into it at gatebil
hope to see you running without all these hiccups at the pf trackday soon and
would love a passenger ride if your offering them,
would give you a passenger ride in the xr2 in exchange, 300bhp in that to me is mental fast but it aint exactly gonna be much to you
i came over and had a good look at the car and it such a shame it hasnt really performed to its abilitys in front of everyone yet as its an awesome machine
when i spoke to tommy form FMS he said it was fcuking shockingly fast once you put some boost into it at gatebil
hope to see you running without all these hiccups at the pf trackday soon and
would love a passenger ride if your offering them,
would give you a passenger ride in the xr2 in exchange, 300bhp in that to me is mental fast but it aint exactly gonna be much to you
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#12
martin, that hole in the ht lead looks very much like a a high voltage track mark, as in the insualtion has broken down to an extent that the HT has found an easier path to earth than anywhere else and burnt through there. Once this breakdown starts theres no stopping it. Insulating tape wouldnt stand a chance at them voltages. If something has burnt through from the outside ignore the above but it certain looks like typical HT breakdown of the insulation material. Are you using a very high voltage coil? Are the leads rated for that correct voltage. Dont get me wrong, its safe to say you have way more experience than me in this field and I may be way off the mark, just my 2p worth (as a HV engineer I spend all my days trying to stop high voltges getting through materials and this is normally what it looks like on a failure).
#14
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1st to 200 without NOS
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From: Birmingham
Originally Posted by beefy-rst-2
just a case of putting another crank in it ??
#18
Thread Starter
1st to 200 without NOS
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From: Birmingham
Originally Posted by SteveB
Seen this a few times over the years....... bet you looked up and thanked god himself when you realised what could have happened!!!!!
Steve
Steve
Exactly that... All I could think of was smashed big valve head, pistons, damaged block etc and the huge cash that it would have cost to sort out Makes you think about driving on after having a few pops and bangs though!!
#24
Originally Posted by jacko
beefy would just glue the end back on and hope for the best lol
but i would of used chemical metal and gave it the full 24 hrs to cure lol
and then wrapped some duct tape round it to be extra sure !!!!!
#26
cant believe how lucky you were martin
obviously its a shame it happened, but my god it couldve been so so nasty
she lives to fight another day all teething problems,im sure in the first years of the 1st one it was similar?
obviously its a shame it happened, but my god it couldve been so so nasty
she lives to fight another day all teething problems,im sure in the first years of the 1st one it was similar?
#29
Originally Posted by beefy-rst-2
Originally Posted by jacko
beefy would just glue the end back on and hope for the best lol
but i would of used chemical metal and gave it the full 24 hrs to cure lol
and then wrapped some duct tape round it to be extra sure !!!!!
hope you get the car sorted martin you aint had much luck with it it has potential to do big things
#31
Lucky bugger could have been very expensive!
On a side note does it make much difference you not using a front ARB? And do you sell them legs you have fitted to your car as I may need something like that for my fiesta cosworth project.
Dan
On a side note does it make much difference you not using a front ARB? And do you sell them legs you have fitted to your car as I may need something like that for my fiesta cosworth project.
Dan
#37
could the misfire have caused the crank damage?
possibly due to a combination of the factors nicks' listed about lightened everythings?
but yes, i will repeat what everyone else has said, you sir are one jammy dodger, go and buy a pack and stick them all over the motor just to be on the safe side
possibly due to a combination of the factors nicks' listed about lightened everythings?
but yes, i will repeat what everyone else has said, you sir are one jammy dodger, go and buy a pack and stick them all over the motor just to be on the safe side
#38
more lucky than a lucky person living in luckyland
if it had been me it would have took the motor with it & probably caused me to crash taking a number of other people out with me just to make it even more expensive
hope its sorted soon
if it had been me it would have took the motor with it & probably caused me to crash taking a number of other people out with me just to make it even more expensive
hope its sorted soon