• From: Washington State
  • Registered: 2009-05-07
  • Posts: 55

Topic: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

The odd noise the Autosport Labs Merkur was making was the result of our teams' cautious attempt to keep racing all weekend.  Friday we blew the head gasket (Surprise!, not) and replaced it shortly thereafter. Testing proved that wasn't our only problem. We were still leaking water out the #2 spark plug hole. Block seal came next. Saturday morning we tested again and it was holding its water under no load. Just to be safe we disabled the #2 fuel injector and took the green with only 3 powered cylinders. The combination of short shifting at 4,000 rpm and the odd number of cylinders is why it sounded like a Harley all weekend. We're just glad it ran all weekend and could take the checker flag. We had a blast!

Scott "Leadfoot" Miller
"The Autosport Lab Rats"
"The Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys"
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-08-17
  • Posts: 364

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Interesting... I wondered about the exhaust note. Congrats on finishing! That's what it's about.

Pendejo Engineering "Captain" - 1991 Alfa 164
1983 Shaguar XJ-S V-12 "The Two Ton Miata"
1995 Mercedes S600 V-12  - First car ever CLAIMED by JAY!
1980 Maserati Quattroporte - Judge's Choice

magnusracing's Website

  • From: Long Beach
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 232

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Are you sure it wasn't an XR2TI at the end? I swear it sounded worse at the end than at the beginning. Damn solid chunk of iron Ford built there. At least 3/4 of it...

-Dave

  • From: Omaha, NE
  • Registered: 2010-05-11
  • Posts: 26

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Personally, I loved the way it sounded.  But, I'm strange like that.

  • Spank
  • Utter Madman
  • Offline
  • From: Escondido, CA
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
  • Posts: 5,864

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

And you STILL passed me in the mini with an hour to go. Pathetic.

Spank's Website

  • From: Washington State
  • Registered: 2009-05-07
  • Posts: 55

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Eyesoreracing wrote:

Are you sure it wasn't an XR2TI at the end? I swear it sounded worse at the end than at the beginning. Damn solid chunk of iron Ford built there. At least 3/4 of it...

-Dave

It did sound pretty bad by then. The downpipe had shaken itself loose. Some said it sounded like a radial engine.

Scott "Leadfoot" Miller
"The Autosport Lab Rats"
"The Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys"
  • From: Virginia Beach
  • Registered: 2009-09-04
  • Posts: 57

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

i'm with hermit, it sounded fantastic. both from track side and running next to you.

Key Lemon Racing #963
Haze Gray and Underway Wagovan

8 Reply by Autoxer (edited by Autoxer 2010-05-11 09:17 PM)

  • From: Washington State
  • Registered: 2009-05-07
  • Posts: 55

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Hermit wrote:

Personally, I loved the way it sounded.  But, I'm strange like that.

Although I would have rather had all four working while I was driving, I actually liked the sound too. It made me smile every time it went by. The rest of the team may be less amused.

Scott "Leadfoot" Miller
"The Autosport Lab Rats"
"The Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys"
  • From: Washington State
  • Registered: 2009-05-07
  • Posts: 55

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Spank wrote:

And you STILL passed me in the mini with an hour to go. Pathetic.

Hey, we'll make you a great deal on our rpm limited, block repaired, 1.7L turbo. Then you could stuff it under the bonnet and rename your ride "Harmini". Is it a deal? :-)

Scott "Leadfoot" Miller
"The Autosport Lab Rats"
"The Cheese Eating Surrender Monkeys"
  • From: Kinda Seattle-y-like-ish
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 182

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Autoxer wrote:

Some said it sounded like a radial engine.

I know radials, and that, sir, was no radial.

What it was was friggin' awesome, though!  Great pitting next to you guys.  You showed the "can do" attitude and dogged determination that makes for good times.  And if I recall, you finished in the top 40 or so?  Just plain awesome.  big_smile

TST, fool.

It's a Bunny.  With a pancake.  On its head.  Really, is it that tough?
  • From: Pacific NW
  • Registered: 2009-12-02
  • Posts: 32

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

It did sound pretty awesome- shame I never saw the flames.  It was a bit impossible to talk on the radio, but cool still !

We were thinking of wiring up a dashboard switch to enable/disable cylinder #2 injector so we could do fun things with it: "push to pass", or just have our engine go kablooie down the straight on the last lap!

We're now talking about running a 3" straight pipe from the turbo (no cherry bomba)  and re-tuning the Megajolt to provide some kind of anti-lag feature so we can retain some of that sound + flames when we restore the 4th cylinder. ;-)

Glad we finished the race- for a moment there we weren't sure if we would start- especially the moments (pre block-seal) where we watched in dismay as our cooling system was over pressurizing, with exhaust gases injected into it.

Various team credits:

Scott: block seal
John: Reinstall OEM radiator
Brent:  Run on 3
Doug: making us think things out logically
Kelley: insisting Radiator fan run continuously after re-installing thermostat on Sunday smile

Brent Picasso

12 Reply by Solracer (edited by Solracer 2010-05-20 12:46 AM)

  • From: Federal Way, WA
  • Registered: 2009-06-11
  • Posts: 333

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

It was incredible how fast the thing was with only 3 cylinders! John and I had quite the good dice on Sunday for several laps until I finally got a good enough entry onto the straight to get enough of a lead to stay ahead. Can't wait to see what the thing will do on all four!

Solracer's Website

  • From: Oakland, CA
  • Registered: 2009-07-28
  • Posts: 134

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Ah the XRATTY...nice work.  Now you have no reason not to do the 16V Volvo head conversion...ya gotta take the head off anyway smile

  • From: Duvall, WA
  • Registered: 2009-11-28
  • Posts: 7

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Brent Picasso wrote:

Various team credits:

Scott: block seal
John: Reinstall OEM radiator
Brent:  Run on 3
Doug: making us think things out logically
Kelley: insisting Radiator fan run continuously after re-installing thermostat on Sunday smile

Don't I get credit for talking us into doing the practice day so we could blow it up Friday instead of Saturday? smile

Seems like everybody here likes the sound as it is, so maybe we should leave it as a three cylinder, pour in another bottle of block seal, and turn up the boost!  Lemons baby!

Doug Chase
Good cages for bad drivers
Duvall, WA
  • From: Pacific NW
  • Registered: 2009-12-02
  • Posts: 32

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

The lopsided vibratory magic fingers butt massage the 3 cylinders provided would be like a mini spa day for each driver during their stint!

So Doug, we'll disconnect an injector just for you when you go out wink I'm sure you'll still kick our butts for lap times smile smile

Brent Picasso
  • Registered: 2009-09-15
  • Posts: 11

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Every time you guys went down the back straight I'd look at the folks near me, and we would all shake our heads and say something like "that has got to be their last lap", and then you just kept running all weekend.  It also sounded like you were having wastegate problems on Saturday morning?

-Barry
Rooster Juice Racing

  • From: Sherman Oaks CA
  • Registered: 2009-08-16
  • Posts: 422

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

My mom called those "ex-er-atis".

  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,640

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

bearklaw wrote:

Every time you guys went down the back straight I'd look at the folks near me, and we would all shake our heads and say something like "that has got to be their last lap", and then you just kept running all weekend.

haha same here. But their car sounded way better than the white/red 1st gen RX7 with the obnoxiously loud exhaust. No way that thing met the sound requirements.

The Homer: Powerful like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a Nerf ball.
  • From: Pacific NW
  • Registered: 2009-12-02
  • Posts: 32

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Next race: Straight pipe and programming some flames into the engine management smile

Brent Picasso
  • Registered: 2010-03-25
  • Posts: 43

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

I passed you in between turn 1 and 2 and for some reason I thought my half-shaft was coming through he floor and completely got out of it.  As the flurry of cars passing me made the sound go away, I realized that it was your car making that horrible noise.  Same thing as I went all the way past you the second time.  I just ignored the "half-shaft" noise and it all got better as I passed.  Congrats on finishing ahead of Team Apathy.

  • From: Dallas Tejas
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 527

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Program in some decel fuel overrich with random spark cutout

El Capitan de los Bastardos De Lemons
1993 Linco Mark Ate
1957 Renault Dauphine
Driver with LemonSpeed's V6 Mustang
  • From: Pacific NW
  • Registered: 2009-12-02
  • Posts: 32

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

scottmgraves wrote:

I passed you in between turn 1 and 2 and for some reason I thought my half-shaft was coming through he floor and completely got out of it.  As the flurry of cars passing me made the sound go away, I realized that it was your car making that horrible noise.  Same thing as I went all the way past you the second time.  I just ignored the "half-shaft" noise and it all got better as I passed.  Congrats on finishing ahead of Team Apathy.

Ah, one of our competitive tactics revealed!

Brent Picasso
  • Spank
  • Utter Madman
  • Offline
  • From: Escondido, CA
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
  • Posts: 5,864

Re: Not a Harley, it's an XR3TI

Car full of spares practically in my backyard. Need me to pick it up for ya?

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/1764973039.html

--Spank

Spank's Website