Update 12 - TyCroes Double Header WeekendSo... we packed up our race car onto the trailer and we had also hired a camper for the weekend to give some shelter. TyCroes is an excellent track with great, clean facilities but there is little local accomodation and we didn't want the nause of having to pack everything up leave and come back.
Friday we set off in a slow moving convoy on the 5 hour journey upto TyCroes North West Wales. It ended up taking 7 hours pretty much due to accidents on the M56 and severe concestion. Luckily the sat nav warned us of this and we were able to take diversions, unfortunately the local "A" roads arn't exactly quick... but better to make progress than sit in traffic!!!
Once we arrived we saw where the general cluster of campers were, Simon Baines was already there whith his roadster and camper all ready set-up. Luckily we had put in an extra camping power extension lead which meant we were able to get our own spot without having to be too on-top of the others.
Having sorted out the camper, Missprint too the opportunity to drive the car around the paddock, getting used to the clutch take-up and bite point. We also found that the starter button was a little sticky, which needed sorting as it was causing the starter to stay engaged - a little lube sorted that out and it sounded great.
Unfortunately the 10pm circuit restraunt close as advertised on the regs was round to be an error, as we rolled in @ 9:15 and were told they shut at 9pm. Luckily we had packed some pizza's and the camper had a suitable grill
Saturday morning saw us get registered and looking forward to using the car in anger, the format of the day was to be a single 2 lap practice of the National Circuit followed by timed laps from mid morning.
For us TyCroes was to be a combined shake-down and systems test. We'd been cleared to run the engine at full race power having had tne engine builder run it in for us. So were keen to track the Engine Temp, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp to make sure the cooling systems etc. were all up to the task.
Luckily the weather was kind.. tbh... all weekend. Sat was windy cold but dry and sunny where as Sunday was no wind, sunny, warmer but with very occasional minor light showers... nothing to worry about though.
First practice saw Missprint and I experement with the launch engine speed.... we both dialied up somewhere around 4000-4500 and dump the clutch, from our limited runs around the gariage and paddock we knew how easy it is to stall.....! Anyhow, Missprint off first lit up the tyres and leveraging the max from the LSD gracefully power slided the car off the startline and onto the main track... ($41T it's fast!).. Having had Missprint disapear and then a few nerve wracking moments re-appear from the top of the National circuit she re-entered the pits with a massive (and I mean MASSIVE) grin on her face!! She loved the package and attested it was hugely powerfull but very easy to drive especially throwing it about on the limit and bieng able to play with the power to drive the car through the corners. You can imagine I was keen to have a go...... Having completed my run, I can certainly attest that it's FANTASTIC... it's a bit like driving an Aero flat out.. but without the weight
very attractive - much to the nervous faces of the rest of the Morgan racers.
Following a check of the mechanicals and temps etc. back at the paddock we were quite happy that the overall package was working great.
Out for timed runs, Missprint and I were keen to see what the little car could do... having found confidence in the car on the inital run, we sighted our braking points and turn-in's, we decided to see if we could get things smooth and ride the power round the track. Things could not have gone better, Missprint and I rung up two further times on the board.... Missprint posting a time 2 seconds off target and I was just over 2 seconds under already.. it does not get much better. Simon Baines in the roadster had done the sums, on scratch, taking into consideration his 3.5% penalty for 1B racing tyres Vs. our 1a road tyres, I was ahead... I could be giving his Roadster LW a run for it's money, regardless of handicap.
Unfortunately (and this is where the story turns a little sad)... on my last run just as I was coming around the final bend to cross the finishing line, it looked to the crowd like I'd locked up the front tyres... unfortunately the smoke got worse....... and worse...... until I crossed the line slightly sideways having slid in my own oil...
Huston... we had a problem.!!
I flicked the kill switch and coasted down the grass and into the pits...
Prognosis... catastropic failure of Piston 1!! munched valves and terminal damage to the cylinder head... our weekend was over. Good news is however, my pre lunch time was quick enough to win the Sat race.. a bit like a goal from the 1/2 way line. On Sunday we ran the scoring admin and headed off for an early shower... today I've whipped the engine out so the engine builder can do an investigation tomorrow... I'm not holding out much hope.
This is what the carb should look like
The shavings you can see in this picture are bits of piston that have been expelled back through the carbs.
There was also a bit of coolant mixed... which means the coolant system has been compromised in the head.
Taking the engine out today, you can see some of the damage in Cylinder 1 inlet - the valve stem is bent.
In the exhaust port things are a little more serious.. they valve heads are snapped off and completely destroyed.
Not a happy day in the end
