I HATE MY CAR RIGHT NOW. Today sucked.
It started with my trip up to meet up with some Richmond boys from Direct Performance. We headed up to “The Big Show” (http://www.g2ic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=94108) and I was intent on hitting low 14s. It was raining a lot of the trip up, but I had faith that it would be nicer. About 15 miles away from the shop I get a blowout. And this was out of no where. The whole interior sidewall was gone. It’s a damn good thing I borrowed a set of drag radials from my boy for the track (or was it…)
When I get to the shop, I meet up with Ashar and the guys and I put on the other radial to make the trip up with the same front wheel diameters. I go to start my car and it won’t start, takes about 7 attempts to start it. I think this is from the starter I had rebuilt. When we get going and everything about ½ mile down the road, my car turns off and back on real quick. I call Ashar and tell him I have a bad feeling about the day and all things are telling me not to run the car but I say fuck it, too much hassle to not run.
When we get to the track, its still sprinkling and freezing cold. I had to pull the wheels off my car to inspect my suspension to try to get an idea why that wheel popped. Nothing, Also I fix my shifter play by finally putting in the Skunk 2 Shifter bushing. SO my car was ready to run when we got the word to take them down the track.
When we finally get the word to run, I am the second race against my buddy in a built turbo GSR in a 99 civic coupe. This was the first time I have ever used radials and I didn’t have a real good idea about how to launch. That run I launched at 4000rpm and spun quite a bit. I pulled out a 14.903 @91.83 no 60’ time because the machine fucked me. (330’ was 6.228, 1/8 was 9.573 at 73.96mph, 1000 was 12.451) That was the best and only decent run of the day. (.317)
Next run I bogged when I launched at 3000rpms and pulled a gay 15.750 at 89.10mph with a 2.470 60’ (.133)
Next run I tried launching at 4700rpms and bogged again. I pulled a gay 15.458 at 88.66 with a 2.254 60’(.149)
Next run started the bad track time. I was at 4000 rpms ready to launch (pulled a .180 rt) when I released the clutch, I popped forward 1 foot. I thought I killed the tranny and or axle. Turns out I just popped out of gear. I ran once I was settled. 60’-6.244, 19.81 at 88.26mph
I was going to take one more pass then give my car a rest. We had been running straight, there were less than 25 people running today, it was nice…for a bit
I go to launch again and same thing happened. SO I think, ok, I just popped out of gear. Well, this time I couldnt put it into gear at all. I got out and pushed it off the track to the side and the track official said I had dropped some oil, so I immediately think axle and possible diff. because I have had this feeling that why I was going through so many axles. I pop the hood and see my axle is broken. The whole inner spline was broken clean off inside the tranny. Ok, no big deal because I brought an extra axle because I knew I would break one (with the radials and the prior history of me an axles). When we push it back to our pit, I pull that axle out and see I had to take int. shaft out to try to poke the piece out. It took me about an hour and change to get everything straight and me running again; PAIN IN THE ASS.
Got it straight and I went to take a couple more passes. (I had a brand new axle, so why not do it up). Next run I don’t know where I launched, but I know I spun and caught traction late. Shitty run altogether. 60’-2.236, 15.226 at 89.25mph (red light by .115)
Car felt great now, I take it around again to start the bracket racing.
Next run, I dial in a 15.3 and launch at 5300. I bogged a lot and it sucked. RT was ok, .158 60 sucked major ass 2.666(clue maybe???) ended with a 16.079 at 88.58 and it sucked. But I was ready to stop running anyways.
As I am downshifting to come around and pick up my slip and head back to pit for the night, my car is shaky and jumping. I figured a bolt came loose. When I pull back to check it out, I jack the front up and pull off the pass wheel (problem side), nothing was loose except the axle had a bit of play in it at the tranny. I couldn’t think of anything else except to start the car and put it in gear and see if I can replicate the noises. Well, I do it and put it in second gear and no noise, I go out and look at the wheels to see if anything is shaking badly or the wrong way, etc. Driver’s side was good to go. Passenger was not moving, but the axle was moving a little up and down. I am like, great I fucked another axle in 2 runs. Well, I pull the axle out and inspect the spline and they are a little chewed at the tip 3 mm or so but not enough to replace. I put my finger in the tranny where the diff is to feel for some possible metal in there, and what do I feel? A little piece of my diff floating around. So yeah, MY DIFF IS FUCKED!!! I have to pull out the tranny again(3rd time in a month) and take it in to work, my mechanic who built the tranny has another diff to put in so I should have it back by Wednesday.
TERRIBLE DAY
Thanks definitely go out to my g2ic bros who helped me push the car, put the rims on when I was looking at the axles, etc. Mike at Performance Direct (www.performancedirect.net) is awesome, my car is chilling there till tomorrow when I can come get it with a dolley and pull everything apart.
KILL ME NOW
(also, if anyone has HondaLogger and wants to see 5 of my 6 runs (didn’t get the 5th run), let me know, I will send it)
