1 Topic by Spank (edited by Spank 2010-08-12 08:23 AM)

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

Topic: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

Quite the weekend for generating stories to tell the grandkids. The first storyline was how I was unable to deliver on the promised second car and we ended up with 8 drivers in the Mr. Bean LeMini. That turned out not to be so bad, but was, is, and will always be a sore spot for me, personally. I learned quite a lesson eating a humongous slice of humble pie with that one.

Things started off with, well, a black flag. Yep, we earned the first black flag of the event when our first driver went off over the blind crest turn 5. We earned the Bart Simpson penalty and had to write all over the car "I will not go four wheels off". Realty hit hard at that point because had we earned 3 black flags we would have been parked for a 3 hour cooling off period and at the 4th black flag we'd have been done and put on a trailer. And we got 1 flag in the first 15 minutes and the car was full of 6 track rookies, 1 "I raced oval Legends Cars 10-years ago" guy, and me. Luckily, that didn't happen and everyone got a couple stints in the car before both the track and the beer went cold at 6pm.

Oh, almost forgot-- I sorta earned a black flag. Well, I DEFINITELY earned it but... In my second stint of the day, on my very first lap of the session, I too went off at turn 5 trying to avoid a hard-charging full size car hell-bent on taking the inside line to pass me over the crest. I went in to the penalty box before any flag was thrown and was let back out after a stern talking to. It helps to fess up, and that it was the last 20 minutes of the day, I guess.

The LeMini performed predictably with a neutral suspension setup and 20 year old yokohama A008 tires giving a nice controllable 4-wheel drift. Same tires we used at Thunderhill back in May, actually. The std bore 998 that was built and installed during an all-nighter at the track a few weeks ago during the C@#$%^ race was showing no problems. And sure, it was slower than poo, but it made for some exciting laps and everyone got out of the car more than a little wide-eyed.

Saturday night saw an oil and filter change and back on the track it went Sunday morning with a full tank of fuel (15 gallon fuel cell). Everyone was going through their first stint with more confidence and zeal. More drivers reported passing other cars on the track and even the 997 mini of Crazy Mike finally got another motor installed (see thread on Red Mini) and made it out for some lap-turning.

It wasn't all peaches and cream, though. Our #7 driver Mur earned a black flag for getting the tires dirty and our penalty was to pick up the mini and rotate it 360 degrees in the penalty box. Of course, Mur didn't get out of the car to help and the rest of the team did the lifting (a caged mini is surprisingly heavy!). [Anyone got video of that?]

Then, when the second driver (Tan-- the only non-mini familiar person on the team) didn't show up within view around his expected time, we all got a little worried. Then we saw it getting towed in behind an emergency vehicle. Tan exited the car and said, "It started making funny noises at turn 5 like marbles crunching around in there so I tried to limp it into the pits but didn't make it."

1.5 hours to go, spun the engine over in the pits with no evidence of compression, so it appeared there was a head gasket or head problem at best. Then when we started to disassemble things we saw it was much more than that. Maybe it was the metal chunks in the head inlets after the manifolds were removed, (images upside down)

http://hubgarage.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/3321785/DSC03761_detail.JPG
http://hubgarage.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/3321793/DSC03760_detail.JPG

or the #1 intake valve that was stuck down.

http://hubgarage.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/3321789/DSC03758_detail.JPG

Or it was the #4 intake valve spring retainer that was broken in half.

http://hubgarage.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/3321799/0808101457_detail.jpg
http://hubgarage.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/3321830/DSC03762_detail.JPG

"Ah, maybe it's just the head. We've got time to replace it and take the checkered flag. Let's get that head off, boys!"

http://hubgarage.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/3321809/0808101506_detail.jpg

http://hubgarage.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/3321821/DSC03764_detail.JPG

With only about 1  hour to go in the race, it wasn't feasible to get the "backup motor" together and installed so we had to call it a race without taking the checkered flag.

I want to say that the mix of personalities we had on the team was darned-near perfect. I couldn't have hand-picked a better bunch of semi-strangers to come together for the weekend to share time and tales. Even Crazy (red Mini) Mike and I, who are both colossal control freaks when it comes to working on something and who should never be asked to share ideas for how to run a team, managed to find a neutral ground on which we could risk cross-pollinating our idiosyncrasies.

A couple of stats:
4 Lemons races with 19 different drivers and 9 black flags
7 track events total with total count of different drivers at 26
3 Broken 998cc motors (in just 2 events--2 a result of broken spring retainers 1 due to thrown rod)
2 broken transmissions
2 steering racks
3 sets of brake pads
12 tires (& 8 were used when installed)

Spank's Website

  • From: Gilbertsville, PA
  • Registered: 2009-12-22
  • Posts: 3,251

Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

how about a franken mini next time?  Might get a whole race out of it.

Silent But Deadly Racing-  Ricky Bobby's Laughing Clown Malt Liquor Thunderbird , Datsun 510, 87 Mustang (The Race Team Formerly Known as Prince), 72 Pinto Squire waggy, Parnelli Jones 67 Galaxie, Turbo Coupe Surf wagon.(The Surfin Bird), Squatting Dogs In Tracksuits,  Space Pants!  Roy Fuckin Kent and The tribute to a tribute to a tribute THUNDERBIRD/ SUNDAHBADOH!
  • From: Sacramento
  • Registered: 2010-08-09
  • Posts: 1,665

Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

umm, spank, you should'a photo-shopped out the roller rockers...

and Aw, shucks, we're just builders and we like to build things to a purpose that frequently only we see -- and then often we forget to listen.

nice working with you, I really look forward to the next time (we can afford to...)

~in the words of Michael Caine: "hang on guys, I have an Idea"~

  • From: Kansas City, MO
  • Registered: 2010-06-19
  • Posts: 41

Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

crazymike wrote:

umm, spank, you should'a photo-shopped out the roller rockers...

and Aw, shucks, we're just builders and we like to build things to a purpose that frequently only we see -- and then often we forget to listen.

nice working with you, I really look forward to the next time (we can afford to...)

~in the words of Michael Caine: "hang on guys, I have an Idea"~

LOL, I saw those and thought, "Those look expensive!"

  • Registered: 2009-05-11
  • Posts: 122

Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

I'm going to need an awful lot of beer to forget about those roller rockers.

6 Reply by Spank (edited by Spank 2010-08-10 07:09 PM)

  • Spank
  • Utter Madman
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  • From: Escondido, CA
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
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Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

yea, well, If it were cheating I would have chopped them out. I've got nothing to hide. But they were part of the haul that came from my trip to Oregon back in December that netted me a bunch of parts.

Link:  http://forums.24hoursoflemons.com/viewtopic.php?id=2900

Bought a 66 Cooper S and a 62 Cooper (real, matching numbers CA blackplate cars sitting in a honest-to-goodness barn still with CA plates) . Sold the cars and then I kept all the spare engines/parts (BTW: The wheels and tires we were running were also from that parts cache). I just don't have the guts to run an NOS 1275 engine / tranny-- as rules-legal as it would be, I still don't think it's in the spirit of Lemons.

This latest blowup was a bog stock 998 motor-- didn't get a $40 Schneider cam regrind in it like our first motor did, so to help it get out of everyone's way I thought a little more valve lift was in order hence experimented with the high lift rockers. Might be what broke the spring retainer, actually.

Furthermore, they could be considered part of the upgrades from our 2 previous $350 post-race residual value assessments. Either way, they are cheaper than your swingarms, crazymike smile

It will undoubtedly be another 998 engine that goes back in the Mr. Bean car, probably built from the pieces of the 3 dead ones. I'm currently out of used oversized small bore pistons so will be looking for alternatives to allow me to clean up the whopping 2.543" bores because new 998 pistons are waaay overpriced.

And at the end of the day, even our "hot" motor was a whopping 58 f-ing horsepower.

Spank's Website

  • From: Toronto, Ontario
  • Registered: 2009-05-03
  • Posts: 1,114

Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

Love the rockers! I used to arc weld the top of the stamped units and grind away the underside to lighten them up....you guys must be millionaires...:)

But for the guys who don't know A-Series BMC units, everything in the valvetrain is stupid heavy (e.g. lifters strong enough for a 454 and pushrods long enough to pole-vault with) so I doubt the rockers added much in the way of RPM's...

Jim "Endo" Anderton
30 years of racing and still not Brambilla.....

8 Reply by Spank (edited by Spank 2010-08-10 07:27 PM)

  • Spank
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Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

jimeditorial wrote:

so I doubt the rockers added much in the way of RPM's...

We couldn't get it to rev over 5K in 3rd. In 4th we couldn't get over 4K and that was only from the Flag tower to turn 1 entrance. 70mph top speed. Yea, baby.

Even with the first motor which used the stamped steel rockers, it went to 5500 for a while, until the springs were baked at the second race. After that, 5K natural, internal rev limiter.

Spank's Website

  • From: Sacramento
  • Registered: 2010-08-09
  • Posts: 1,665

Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

yeah - I just got smacked around for the plexi SCCA windows I nabbed outta Fortech's trash, spare parts that even you wouldn't have bought off of my shelves and $14 worth of Dzus fasteners... and so am envious...
that said, I can always paint the spendy arms black and then they aren't aluminum anymore, right? (in reality they were $50 more than rebuilt stock ones, so I went that way 'cause I could)

I think the $40 regrind is more in the keeping of residuals - and think you should go for that again, I'm pretty certain no one would even complain.
I have a 276 cam that may or may not have a flat lobe, or may or may not still be a 276. ~ and I've a really nice stump puller that does have a flat lobe (put a single 1.5 rocker out of my 5-piece broken set on it?)

... but still "Where'd you get the rest of the parts" in my tech came to mind. They really didn't listen when I told them no one would buy them over four or five swap-meets and it was unlikely I could pay to get them gone. Maybe after this weekend they believe me.

:-)
Get the ghetto-charger going!
or - I have two 850''s and a think twinnie 'charged car would maybe make 80hp and add 300#? (haha)

My new idea keeps team CCCP going one more 'round, as a theme and as a mini.
I need enough residual to get one of the four a/a engines new bearings and some machine work... and maybe new oil seals.
and something better than the single 1-1/2" carb.
perhaps I can make an LCB out of steel linguine I suppose, too.
...unless I can con the men in black into allowing more crap-parts off the it-should-be-trash shelves!
(Long-term storage has no documentation, Phil, sorry.)

~problem is that I have no $$ to spend and the only place I have to get the parts is from that limited supply.

  • From: Sacramento
  • Registered: 2010-08-09
  • Posts: 1,665

Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

About your valve springs failures: (don't miss the last item!)
Harmonics visual:
http://www.racingsprings.com/mov10kvst.asp

referred from:
http://www.power-t.com/spring/Bind-Valv … ester.html

and to get more techie than you like:
http://highperformancepontiac.automotiv … index.html
page four gives the biggest clue as to what's going on, what we have and can do with our limited budget - we need to cool the springs more effectively for endurance racing - this means more oil flow and more oil drain to/from the head.
Perhaps a spray bar and my cover-to-trans drains?

Hope this helps!

11 Reply by Spank (edited by Spank 2010-08-10 08:29 PM)

  • Spank
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  • From: Escondido, CA
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Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

Do you REALLY care about penalty laps? Do you REALLY think you can finish top 20 in an A-series powered mini? Come On. Take whatever laps they want to give you, however wrongly attributed, and go have fun anyways.

Those rockers weren't ever intended to be on there. -- The now-used reground cam and stamped steel rockers will go back in whatever I can slap together, rest assured.

NEW BEARINGS! WTF: None of the 3 blown up motors have EVER had any new bearings. In fact, the only new engine internals have been rings on engine #1 and engine #3. Lotta good those did me.

And if ANYONE thinks the Mr. Bean Mini is a cheater, I invite you to sign on as a driver for Buttonwillow. 1 Lap and you'll change your mind.

Spank's Website

  • From: Land Of Subarus, Colorado
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 9,416

Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

Hmmm... roller rockers, eh?

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  • From: Sacramento
  • Registered: 2010-08-09
  • Posts: 1,665

Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

Hey - Minisport has new HD springs for either 1275's or small-bore for ~ $20 - that's gotta be inside the residual of even a car that finished!

Yeah, Phil, those are the same rate as oem and were onna spare he cobbled together in a last minute desperate bid to even get that one car here, IF I'd'a seen 'em and were a Judge  I would'a *maybe*required a bottle of Jaeger to offset it, but still wouldn'a give any laps.

Spank, yeah, when I pretty much was sure we'd be hella pushed to get in the positive if we got any penalty laps, so yeah - I cared.
... that said, we did get "on the board" for 9 laps and that rocks.

Beans' not a cheater - putting a motorcycle engine in it would be cheating.
I think any stock-block in a mini is worth extra laps, not penalty! for that matter, I don't think an average vintage mini could even battle with the E-21...

14 Reply by Spank (edited by Spank 2010-08-10 08:55 PM)

  • Spank
  • Utter Madman
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  • From: Escondido, CA
  • Registered: 2009-06-10
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Re: Team Mr. Bean needs to change name to Fatigue-to-Failure Test Team

No, those were 1.5 rockers, not the stock 1.3(ish) lift. That's the only reason I put them on-- for a few more thou lift over the stock cam. Could've cared less about the roller feature.

OK, just for grins:

Current price for new rockers from minisport: $277.721 USD http://www.minisport.com/mini-spare-par … S0480.html

Per Jay's email residual: "Hey, Mike: Let's do $250 on the Mini, just to keep it interesting, and 5 cents on the DS, just cause what the heck could you possible do to it anyway?"

The blocks and heads were no different, so I'd call that a wash. Subtract $40 for what it cost me to get the original cam reground which motor #3 didn't have, leaves me using up only $237.721 of the residual. Free and clear with money left over for the oil change.

Spank's Website