Projects rebuilding after the crash

Brian sorry for you misfortune...and glad I didn't see it happen.
It would of made me sick.
Build it back up and go man go!

 

Well I am glad you were OK. It was good hanging out with you.
Ialso want to thank you for the way you treat Ethan.
You and your family truly are a Class Act.

 

Day one is in the books. This is what i got done.
I picked up the stainless tubing for the steering.
I got the fuel tank bracket welded
Got new header tubing ordered
New shocks were ordered
The torsion bars were removed and straightened
A new axle and components ordered
Hilborn called
And my moms gutters cleaned out.
We are on our way

 

You will handle it just fine! After watching the rebuild your attitude will carry you in the right direction! Go for it, Gary

 

You truly are the Energizer Bunny! aren't you?

 

So, what did Hilborn say?

 

its my day off this week so i had to make the most of it. the machining of the wheels will be my biggest concern.

 

they are very concerned. i spoke to andy starr this morning. he does drag week with us. he knows my car very well. he said he will call don at the west coast office today were they handle the mechanical injection. they have the links to the videos and will review everything. i have yet to hear back from them. it may take a few days. they want to work with me. i talked to the owner of super bell axle today. he wants the axle back in a big way after he saw the pic of the car on one wheel and the damage to the axle. he is very familiar with road kill nights and drag week. we are working out a deal for parts that could save me a lot of money. i think he wants to use it as a display piece to show the strength of the aluminum axle. there are a lot of people out there that think the aluminum will break. this axle is proof it won't. getting replacement parts is a better deal for me than just hanging it on the wall. don't get me wrong i would like to keep it but the repair bill i figure is going to be around five grand. i spent a lot of time on the phone today lining things up.

 

Brian it was nice to chat with you and hated to see the mishap but that's racing and it could happen to any of us Jason will want the axle back to study they are always good to deal with and have always taken care of our needs in the past your car is awesome and I studied it very closely the attention to detail is top notch


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thanks for stopping by. there was a lot going on. too bad we couldn't have spent more time talking. i might attend the hamb drags. if so i will see you there.

 

You really are a class act, Brian. I know you're fully aware of the risks you take when you line that beast up, but I'm amazed at how you are so calmly writing things and keeping us all updated.

I've seen guys go ballistic on themselves if they've bottomed out on a speed bump.

Best wishes for your car's speedy recovery.

 

Mom's gutters...good to see you still have your priorities straight!

 

Yes gutters. Mom needs help sometimes. At 84 she is not going up on a ladder. Family before the car. I could throw wrenches and go on a big rant here but i would rather channel that energy into doing something positive to get the car back out. Im actually very relaxed. By the time i got the car back to the pits i already had most of my plans set on how we were going to fix the mess. Things are falling into place to over come this minor setback.

 

Stay positive brother!

 

Brian, like I said at the track, glad your ok. I asked a few questions to ya afterward, then stepped back and talked to your wife, what a nice lady. Every time I talk to ya I learn something, this time is no different. Ya solved one of my problems while working on yours, Enos was called talked to Craig and my new wiring harness will be here friday. I am hoping to have my 37 at the H.A.M.B. drags, if you are there I would like to get a pic of my truck next to your car. Good luck with everything, and go, go, go.
Tony

 

glad to help out. if you still need a fuse box pm me your address I will get it out right away.

 

Thanks, got one coming, give it to a kid that is into hot-rodding and doing good in school. Just happy I finally got it figured out.

 

Glad you are OK, cars can be fixed. Everything happens SO Fast, is it possible to put a ingnition kill button on steering wheel ? Or with a big % nitro car does engine keep running without spark ? Interested to hear Hilborn's responce to your problem. (Thinking someone there made a mistake) Stay Safe ! Have at it !

 

Wicarnut yes a nitro car can diesel. All it needs is heat. Nitro is a monofuel. It doesnt need o2 to burn. It carries its own o2. It can burn under water. Its more stable than gas until its heated or compressed. Thats why rooman and i thought it was funny the way the track owner was all worked up about the nitro leaking on the track. He called on his radio for every fire extinguisher on the property. We could have been throwing matches into the puddle and nothing would have happened. A hot cylinder is the perfect environment for nitro. Serious injury can and will result from turning over a hot nitro motor if some fuel drips out of a nozzle. It can back fire so bad it can knock the heads off the engine. Studs and all. Thats why before and after a hemi on nitro is run a turn down bar is attatched to the blower and the engine is turned backwards. The piston pushes any nitro out the exhaust valve. A jumper wire grounding out the coil should always be in place until the engine is fired. Bbc need to pull the plugs out first clearing out any nitro before starting. The rumble a nitro car makes in the shut down area is nitro still burning after the fuel valve is closed and the ignition is off. There is always some delay before they are shut down completely. I saw a friend almost get killed turning over a hot nitro engine setting valves. The turndown bar almost got him. Nitro is a fairly safe fuel if you know how to use it and how it works.

 

I did receive word from hilborn. They want the barrel valve back to examine. They will send me a new one in return. The valves are cnc machined pieces. They are all press fit and have been since the fifties. Nothing further will happen until they are done with their testing. They are good people and i will give them the time they need without passing judgement. The main thing is safety. What ever the problem was it needs to be found and fixed before someone is hurt. Thats all i care about.

 

If the barrell valve design has worked for decades like that, maybe you should check your fuel pump pressure? What if that went extreme for some reason and barrel valve was the fuse, just a thought eliminating all possible causes avoiding this in the future

 

Brian, good luck from Aussie & I would love to see you be able to run in Joplin!


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We are sure its the bv. I can push it back in with a light tap. No press needed.

Guys have been sending me pics and videos of both times we went to run. Thanks.. If any one finds something can they forward it to me? I may not have come across it yet.

 

Here are a few pictutes I found online from ClearOne Photography.


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Back in the day the hilborn systems I used on my midget and Sprint car engines had the main return and pressure bleed offs with direction arrows. Does your system have anything like that ? I'm guessing the newer systems have changed some, but the mechanical system has to be the same with improvement's. Just a thought this am, That would explain extreme pressure at Barrell valve.

 

I have two valves coming off the shut off valve. one is a pump saver the other a lean out valve. both return fuel to the inlet side of the pump. the other valve is the idle check valve. they are going in the right direction. we think its a bushing issue as it seems too small.

 

Interesting, all my lines returned to the fuel tank, but anything I had did not use the volume of fuel your engine uses

 

I also have two returns going to the tank. one for the idle check valve the other is the main return. the third line on the tank is the vent.

 

im happy to report I just got off the phone with Jason at super bell axle/pete and jakes. we finalized a deal that we feel will be a win win for both of us. he will have the parts to my door Friday so I can start mocking up the brakes this weekend. Jason was very helpful the first time around when I needed a raw unmachined axle. he also provided a lot of technical information we needed to make it all work. he really out did himself this time helping us get back on the track. a true friend of the hot rodders. thank you super bell axle co.

 

I can't wait for the wheel replacement to arrive. I suspect it will need polishing at a later date.


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