TARP Blog

Here it is, in all its glory, the 2009 Yee-Haw It’s Texas LeMons Heroic Fix Trophy:

Misty Watercolored Memories of the Way We Were Author: Pat

Our team was awarded the Heroic Fix Trophy at Yee-Haw It’s Texas LeMons 2009 last weekend at MSR-Houston. It was a team effort, but it was really more than that. I suspect that Hillary Clinton will never have a book ghostwritten about the experience, but if she did, it could be called “It Takes A Village to Successfully Swap Motors on an MR2 in Less Than 6 Hours.” So I want to take a minute to thank everyone who helped us out.

For those of you who don’t know the story, here’s the brief version. On Friday during Break and Tune, we determined that we were getting compression of ~170psi on cylinders 1, 2, and 4, but only 25 on cylinder 3. We were creating excessive crankcase pressure, leading to a lot of oil mist coming out of the intake valve cover. We knew that if we didn’t do something, the oil smoke from the car would get us black flagged over and over again on Saturday, an outcome we wanted to avoid. So we decided to pull the spark plug and injector control wire and run on 3 cylinders for as long as we could. It didn’t last long like that (roughly 8 laps total over 3 drivers) before we developed an obnoxious rod knock. Pulling the spark plugs revealed about a 1/16 clearance on our rod bearings on the 1 & 4 cylinders; when we pulled the bottom end, the rod bearings on both ends were flat and burned, the crankshaft scored, and the motor was done. Turns out the #3 cylinder had a really nasty hole in it. See dramatic photo after the break:

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Misty Watercolored Memories of the Way We Were Author: Pat

We won the Heroic Fix Award! I’m so proud of how our whole team pitched in & gutted it out all day even when it looked like we were hosed.

Twitter Race Updates Author: Pat

We got back on track!!! I probably did 10 or so laps on about 2 cylinders & actually passed a TR7. Awards ceremony in a couple minutes.

Twitter Race Updates Author: Pat

3.5 hours left in race, still working on motor swap.

Twitter Race Updates Author: Pat

So once again it’s LeMons & we’re swapping motors on the outside chance we get to race again…

Twitter Race Updates Author: Pat

Put oil in cylinders & retested compression. Trying to get engine working in old car before we drop the motor. Still trying to get racing…

Twitter Race Updates Author: Pat

Results of test: cylinders 3&4: 160psi. Cylinder 1: 65. Cylinder 2: 20. This engine is FUBAR too. Time to shower and start packing it up.

Twitter Race Updates Author: Pat

Got back to track around 3:45ish. 5:06 from Bryan’s to the track. Got the car unloaded & decided to test compression before dropping motor.

Twitter Race Updates Author: Pat

New car is loaded, Starbuck’s has been gotten, & we r on our way back 2 the track.

Twitter Race Updates Author: Pat