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I have plenty of throw on the shifter mechanism. If you notice on the pic I have another hole down low on the bottom. The ratio change makes for an even shorter throw, but with a bit more force. Both work just fine.

The clutch lever suffers from a crappy designed mount and adjuster. When I adjust the preload to take out the last bit of slack the adjuster slips through the threads.
Even with the locknut tightened it still slips. To be fair though, it is a bicycle brake lever, so I'm not sure it was intended for the force needed to pull a clutch.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

A bit of messing about in the garage over the long weekend.
First wiring, neatened up just a bit and have 2 switches and a push button on the dash. First switch is master power, the second is fuel pump, and the button is start. Nothing too terribly complex, just had to splice into the bike harness. I had it with temporary wiring last week, now it's a bit neater and more permanent.

Second was working on the el-cheapo piece of crap universal motorcycle dash from fleabay. What an absolute piece of garbage. Glad it was only $20 wasted. Never could get the tach to behave. Speedo kind of sort of worked when it wanted to. Decided to toss it.

Now the dash has 1 light, a neutral indicator. Not really a necessity, but makes me feel better. I like starting in neutral and knowing where it is in the paddock and in grid. When I go out for a test drive I'll see if I can easily drop in and out of neutral / 1st idling and rolling at a slow walk.



Then I did a rework on the shifter and clutch lever. I made the shifter a few inches longer. Then built a simple clutch handle from square tube and a bit of 14 gauge I had lying abut. I changed the ratio to get more clutch travel with less clutch lever. That took the force ratio the wrong direction, so I made the handle a couple of inches longer than the bicycle unit. Last item was to reinforce the perch to get rid of some flex.



Last item was ordering a fuel bypass regulator. The high flow unit really doesn't like deadheading against the relatively low flow of a 4 cylinder bike. There was nothing in stock locally, so a bit more internet shopping and it should be here end of this week. Saturday I'll plumb it in ,and tweak the pressure down to the stock bike fuel pump pressure of 45 psi and let the rest of the flow go to the return line to the tank.

Want to take it out for a shakedown drive next week as our next Solo event is Saturday 4/29.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Hi TooBusy, have you seen the Formula SAE shifter which puts a little bit of clutch in for downshifting?
Here is a discussion of it with some explanation of how it works:
http://www.fsae.com/forums/archive/inde ... 5198249449

Here is a picture of the device itself:
http://www.v6performance.net/gallery/up ... utch_2.JPG

Simple and compact, eh?

I saw the FSAE butterfly shifter. It may end up in the car later this season as I just didn't have access to a machine shop in the past few weeks. I hade to build what I could easily build with hand tools.

This weekend I've been doing the last minute bits and pieces getting ready to take the car out next weekend for our groups 3rd Solo event.
Yesterday was the fuel pressure regulator and bypass install. Set the pressure to 45 psi and locked it down. The engine is happy, starts with the push of a button and the fuel pump isn't deadheading. Fuel pump is MUCH quitter now.

Then pulled out some Horrible Fright free zip ties and began strapping bits in place. Morse cable, clutch cable, wire bundles, fuel hoses, radiator hoses all benefited from zip ties.

A car buddy came over to hang out and I fired it up for him. OMG Love it, it's too loud. So I spent the rest of yesterday building some silencers.
I stole a couple of pieces off the 2 stroke exhaust and cobbled together the rest. It's packed loosely with #3 steel wool.


I'm sure I gave up a little bit of power, but it is SOOOOO much quieter. I won't get black flagged for noise next weekend. Open headers would have been a different story. We're running in a parking lot adjacent to a church and noise limits are STRICTLY enforced.

I wrapped the exhaust and trimmed the body to fit around my mods.
She drove onto the trailer, so the clutch and shifter work.


Next weekend I'll get 5 runs hopefully.
First will be 100% tentative to make sure nothing breaks.
Second will be trying to get a feel for putting down power and seeing how the car rotates.
Three, Four, and Five will be finding my control limits and hoping I don't break it.

I've got the big multi chord rear wing loaded in the car, so it will be an experiment for grip versus getting the inside rear tire to lose traction so it can turn.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Today was our 3rd Solo event for the season and Take Two made her debut... for 1 1/2 runs.

I took it out and tried to get a feel for it on the first run. Video link below.

https://youtu.be/dwu6Hb_JOp4


What I learned.
Steering is EXTREMELY QUICK. I need to soften the inputs or change the tie rod mount points to slow down the steering.

I can spin the tires in first or second easily. Rolling on the throttle I can break it loose coming out of a turn.

GREAT BRAKES!!! I barely touched them on the first run, but they grab. More seat time required.

I overdid it on the mufflers. Wanted to be sure it was quiet enough, but mufflers are too restrictive and the motor won't rev all the way. Time to take out some steel wool packing.

New chains stretch a lot when you first stress them. I had the chain tight when I put it all together. I threw the chain on the second run when I downshifted; ending my day early.

It's stupid fun to drive and surprisingly comfortable.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

A bit more from the weekend.

She looked lonely pushed over into time out while the rest of the run group had fun.


It turns out that I broke a motor mount on the downshift. I lifted the body off when I got home and saw this. The engine SHOULD NOT be at an angle in the frame.


So I modified the broken left front engine mount. Reinforced everything and while I was dirty, added an idler gear using the jackshaft from the old setup.


Once I had it all back together Wifey Dearest suggested I take it for a romp around the neighborhood to be sure it was working.

Did a little blast down the back alley, then came around the front side at a reasonable speed in second.
Seems ok.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

End of April I broke the car at our local solo and spent the next day putting it back together. This past Saturday was the region south of me with a Solo event at Roebling Road Raceway, one of the most fun solo course around the area. They set up an autocross course on a race track using the existing track elements and complicating them a bit.

A couple of l learned. The mufflers weren't the problem with the car not revving. Turns out the injectors aren't happy if fuel pressure is too high. The stumbling and lack of power was from flooding. I experienced the same problem on 3 runs this past weekend.

Run #4 I got the pressure turned down where the motor was happy and OMG what a difference
Sadly, only got 1/3 of the way through the course before I broke it again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC5uO5hVzkY

Took it apart yesterday.




Today at work I machined a sprocket adapter from 316 stainless. We had some nice new, but scrap flanges lying about. Bored to 63/64's then reamed to 1.002 and broached for 1/4 key. Last item is wait for my new steel sprocket to show up so I can drill the bolt circle.

Next time the hub breaks it will be spectacular.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

looks like a riot! Thanks for keeping this up to date.

Got the A Mod back together again. Come to think of it, Together Again might be a better name than Take 2.

Anyway, yesterday I spent a couple of hours on the drill press making a Harley Davidson 40 tooth sprocket marry up to the stainless hub flange I made at work on Monday. Drilling through 3/4 thick stainless is time consuming and hard on drill bits. Even with plenty of cutting oil and drilling in steps I wore the edge off of a few drill bits.
FWIW, Horrible Fright and Craftsman drill bits BOTH SUCK BIG TIME!!!!. Titanium Nitride coated bits and the TN wears off about 1/8 inch into the stainless. About 1/4 of the way through the 3rd of 5 holes I had to take the bit out ad sharpen it by hand on the grinder. Had to do the same for all four steps to get up to a 7/16 thru hole.

Then it was time to put it together, check alignment, take it apart, do a little tweaking, put it together,... repeat repeat repeat...
I got it close yesterday but when I laced on the chain I realized I had flipped the dished sprocket the last time I put it together and the alignment of the chain was off.

Called it a day yesterday and started fresh mid / late morning today. 3 hours later it was apart, and back together for the (hopefully) final time.



heavy duty steel 530 sprocket, 316 stainless hub 7/16 grade 8 bolts and double locking collars holding it all in place.

If / when it breaks again it will be an event.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

What did you do differently on this one? More metal?

Did the first one split through the groove for the keyway?

_________________
-Andrew
Build Log
Youtube

The original was 3" OD aluminum about 5/8 thick with a pretty sharply tapered body. It was a split hub with a locking bolt and yes it split at the keyway.

The new one is 5" OD 3/4 thick stainless with a longer milder taper on the hub. The hub isn't split; it's reamed to 1 inch and I broached the keyway. I drilled and tapped for a setscrew 90 degrees out from the key and it's a snug slip fit onto the shaft. The locking collar are split clamshell style. I tack welded 1/2 of each locking collar to the hub with a 3/8 fillet.
It should be pretty robust, but only time will tell.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Memorial Day Weekend update
Saturday I didn't do jack squat on the A Mod. I had finished getting it all back together a couple of weeks ago and she just sat quietly on the trailer waiting to go out and play yesterday at event #4.

A quick recap of this season so far.
Event 1 Darlington Starting line school in the 318ti, then event in the ti because Take 2 wasn't ready
Event 2 Myrtle Beach - freezing ass cold wind and rain in the ti because Take 2 STILL wasn't ready
Event 3 Rolled out in Take 2. 1 1/2 runs in broke the motor mount and threw the chain... done
Event 3a 2 weeks later took her to Roebling Rd with Buccaneer Region; 3 1/2 runs when I GRENADED the drive hub.

Now to Event 4 Myrtle Beach yesterday
Sunny, hot at 90 degrees, light breeze, plenty humid.

Run 1 running pretty well went into a tight hairpin a good bit too fast and looped it. Never touched a cone. 52.xxx
Run 2 Settled my nerves put together a decent run 43.477 was surprised to see a +1 ??????
Run 3 dialed it back a bit and maintained control all through the course 43.882
Run 4 Was getting a feel for the car put together a decent run 43.294 saw +1 on my slip WTF????
Run 5 turn it up a notch, looped it in another section on a tight 120 degree turn. Didn't stop for my slip ~54.xxx +DNF
Run 6 Hero run Swung for the fences. Car skated all over the course and you can see me fighting it in the video
41.934 with a damn +1 when I took out a cone coming out of the eybrow.

https://youtu.be/AHCyx09ouow

Then best of all I DROVE IT ONTO THE TRAILER, DROVE IT, not pushed.

Things I learned.
Cheap ebay fuel pressure regulators aren't worth the few bucks you save. I had to adjust pressure every run

It's time to buy tires. Even Formula V traction treatment can't revive these to get grip on the rough parking lots. I can set these aside for Roebling Road and a proper track surface.

Car can launch in second if we have a long run it (10-15 feet). She's not totally happy about it, will shave a couple of hundredths off my time.

I'm 99.999% sure I need to remove 1 rear axle. The spool cause her to crab too much. It's fine in a big sweeper, but sucks big time in a hairpin. I won't be able to slam down as much power, but I haven't been spinning off the line with the new gear setup, instead she blows the rear tires when I roll on power in a turn.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

I did a good bit of research on how to make a spool car handle. While, I'm not anywhere close to sure that the changes will works, here's what I've done to reduce the oversteer when I apply power.

Original settings were
Shocks, stiff as hell almost no movement when I jump up and down on the rear frame
Rear toe less than 1/16th, might as well call it zero
Rear camber 0

New settings
Backed off coilover springs 3/8 inch. It doesn't move a ton, but it moves
Rear toe 1/4
Rear camber -2 degrees

With luck I'll get to take some hot laps in the work parking lot to see if she sticks before our next event.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

Saturday I did a little work on the front of the car. Looking at the front end setup and tires
The front tires are wearing on the inside edges. Front toe out 1/4, front camber 0. caster 2, camber gain on turn in 0.
I made a few changes that I might regret, but here goes.
Front toe in 1/8
Camber 0
Caster 5 to help self centering and get some camber gain on turn in
Camber gain 2 degrees @ 20 degrees

I also moved the tie rods to the slower steering position. If I can't slow my hands, I can slow the steering.

With that done I went to work on some sheet metal. My plan is to ditch the body sometime this season. First step is to build a simple bonnet.

Some measurements and a rough oversized pattern.


two minutes on the English wheel


two more minutes on the wheel


Work in a little reverse curve at the front so it fits the frame rail.


Then made some side pieces and welded them on. A few mig spots on the outside and a bunch on the inside.


If I like it a little metal finishing is in the future. Stitch welds, then grind, then hammer and dolly, but that's a later date.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

A friend of mine from the local SCCA group texted me yesterday wondering if the A Mod was healthy enough for a co-driver. I told him probably not, but I'm game if he's willing to risk not getting all of his runs in.

So the plan for the weekend is teach at Tire Rack Street Survival on Saturday. That will be a long ass day, but in talking with our Solo Chair, he'll give me parking lot access for a little bit at the end of the day for some testing if we finish in time.

All I want to know is will it handle reasonably well with the changes I made to suspension setup. If not, I can get it back to where it was in about 2 hours and be ready to run Sunday morning.

Sunday - Solo event with a co-ddriver. Justin has raced shifter carts and done a good bit of time in H Street C street and CAM. I'll be using him for tuning advice.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216