Hot Rods XO/PP Bonneville project

Congrats to the whole team for their efforts!! This experience will serve you well and the glimpse of speed will surely light a fire in your bellies to dust yourselves off and prepare for the next attempt at the elusive record!!

Proud of you all!! Have a safe trip home!!

 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

TR, The Man in The Arena

 

Team XO/PP! You’ve done ALL you could and MUCH MORE!

Pick up the dice, keep ‘em warm, and we’ll all blow on them for your next BIG ROLL!

Thank you for the ride...SAFE HOME!

 

Bummer John. I hope nothing is hurt. It’s not overlooking things that seem to bite you up on the salt it’s ones you never expect to fail. When I was running with Joe Fontana and his fuel GMC 12 Port he suggested a Systems One oil filter unit because it had 2 o-ring seals. I felt the screens they used were not fine enough for me but he assured me it would be fine.
I know you will return and with some maybe do some LSR on pavement.

 

I'll echo Jimmy Six about oil filters, and I'm wondering what filter you were using?
There's got to be a big pressure build up on the oiling system with the sustained high rpm of a land speed attempt.
Maybe you already have such a setup, but if not, a method if warming the oil to a temp that lowers the viscosity of the oil prior to the run might also help.
Now's the time for you and your crew to head back home for some rest and recuperation, and then take a look inside that big six.
Please let us know what you find inside.

 

Don’t forget to buy a T-shirt

 

T-shirt? I like T-shirts! Specially for righteous causes!
Musta missed the link...

 

Congrats! You gave it your best and your doing what most on here dream about. Fantastic effort! Looking forward to next time.

 

Not a problem, I'll get a couple, always have to get my nephew a shirt or two anyway.

Sent from my KOB-L09 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Well Shucks, I was hoping to see a time slip with a new record on it but it is what it is and I'd agree that the bearings need to be inspected before another pass.

 

You guys did your best and never gave up! I am very proud to be a part of the XO/PP 640 team.

 

Cheer up. You may get lucky.

I once was at a drag race having trouble getting my six-banger Ford to run fast enough to qualify. So I borrowed my bud's spare mag to see if it would help. Didn't. So I took his mag out and returned to his pit spot, then asked my wife to get in the car and fire it up and rev it up to 4000 rpm and hold it there while I reset the timing with my mag back in. As I was shining the timing light I happened to glance up to see my bud sprinting across the pits toward me with his mag in one hand, gesturing at my oil pump drive hex quill hanging off the bottom of his mag. I had forgotten to re-install it.
YIKES! 4000 RPM without a bit of oil pressure.
Needless to say I tore it down to check the bearings and there was absolutely no damage. I believe it takes a bit of time for the oil film to completely disappear from the journals, and if it did not run under load for a good bit of time before you caught it you may not have hurt the bearings.
Let's hope.

 

John, you said you had enough of automatics and were going to hunt up a Ford Toploader close ratio 4 speed.
Just offering a suggestion to at least take a look at the Hightower transmission. It's a custom built racing box offered in 2,3, and 4 speeds and built in Traveler's Rest SC ph 864-834-7712.
I took a tour of Johnny Hightower's operation a few years ago with a group from SEGA and as a 50+year machinist and lifelong gearhead I was very impressed at what I saw.
The trans is offered in a multitude of ratios, as Johnny cuts all the gears in house. Fact is, except for nuts, bolts and other small stuff of that nature, the only thing not done "in house" is the casting of the cases, and he does all the machining on them.
The gears are straight cut spur gears, which as I'm sure you know have no end thrust and a much lower horsepower loss due to friction. The gear selection is by dogs, rather than synchronizers and are much stronger and resist hanging up due to broken blocker rings, etc.
Cost? I expect it's more than a 4 speed, but a toploader worthy of trusting it for hauling damn near all the way across USA and then doing the job ain't gonna be cheap these days either.

 

I will be selling Tee Shirts once I return home so i can ship them. I will post the info when I get home in about 10 days.
Hope to sell many as we have spent all our 2020 funding this trip.
Tee shirt sales will help get started on repairs to the engine. Broke my pocket but worth every penny.

 

Mark me down for 6 shirts John

 

Thanks Dave ill give that some thought.

 

Size?

 

Found two more shot on Bangshift

 

Well I see the salt ended with broken parts for XO/PP 640. I was there fri -Sunday met these great guys trying to see how aerodynamics works on a cinderblock the 16 inch side!
Very well put together crew all of them Gentleman. I was watching these guys asked many questions
Seeing how things work. Picked up a rule book left Sunday.

Hope to see these guys back next year they gave me inspiration to move on building two of my trucks
One to run in diesel xo 159 cid
The other to run in stock pp ford!
I might not make it there with either truck but it has got me rolling forward.

Thank you guys.
Thomas Butcher
Penryn ca.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

It was really nice talking to you Thomas. Hope we can catch up again one day on the salt.

 

Are you sure there is a diesel XO class? Maybe. News to me.

One to run in diesel xo 159 cid

 

ok now for the rest os the story.
3 blow outs
1 blown tranny
1 blown out oil filter
Ending our Speed Week
One lost tire and wheel
6 broken wheel studs
Then 6 miles from home the truck came loose in the hauler, had to stop and tie it back down,
Then while I was backing the hauler down the drive way to my shop i began to smell hot Diesel fuel, got the truck shut of without a fire. I'm home safe and sound. What more could I ask. I am so blessed .
Speed Week 2020 will go down as one happening event to day the least.
Hot shower, hot meal, and my own bed..
Whooo Daddy...

 

We run Oberg filters on our turbines. https://www.obergfilters.com/ It is just 2 aluminum halves with a 28, 60 or 115 micron wire filter between. Also acts as a cooler also. Could be used for fuel or oil. Good stuff.

 

More photos

Ordered one today..

 

John, those broken wheel studs are scary. Do you think they were poor quality studs or is this a problem with tri-axle trailers? I have no experience with them personally, but in time spent in the pits around tracks over the years I have noticed lots of side scuff in low speed, tight turning. I at least would research on stronger alloy studs.

 

I'm wondering if the on-the-road change to 6 new 10 ply trailer tires (because we blew three and another was about to let go) is the reason the new weakest link (the wheel studs) broke? I mean if the sidewalls on the brand new, stiffer tires are not flexing as much as they were, then perhaps the lateral movement/force generated by a tight turn was transferred to the studs?

 

Another possible factor, rims installed with an impact wrench set to "OVERKILL"? If not on the last tire installation, a previous installation could have stretched (necked) the studs.

 

This.....don't overthink it!

 

Home again, Tee Shirts are now available and will be shipped anywhere in the lower 48 at no charge Tee Shirts are $25.00 each in sizes LG XLG 2XL AND 3XL .
TO PLACE YOUR ORDER
PLEASE SEND Your size's and a check for how many you want and your shipping address to
John Mullen
9428 Richmond Road
Lanexa, Virginia 23089
I'll ship your order right away. I have ordered more of the most popular sizes and will ship as they come in. Thank you for supporting the
Virginia H.A.M.B. Special
XO/PP 640 Bonneville
Project.
John and the team

 

Unpacking and salt removal day