slomove

I voted for Beartooth etc. because it is among the closest locations for me and obviously very nice. But I would just as well go to the western Ozarks and would have thought people more prefer it due to better central location. This will be key at the end for participation because I think it is not realistic for many of us driving/towing much more than 1500 miles one way for what is effectively a 2 week vacation (e.g. 2-3 days towing up, 5 days (maybe 7?) meeting/touring/track and then 2-3 days towing back. I believe we are asking people to vote right now on a target without sufficient information. Maybe we should for each potential target region have a short white paper including information about nice roads, tracks, family vacation options, sights, distances from major metro areas, tour route proposal etc. I know that is a little work but not a problem if we divide it up. I would volunteer to research the Wyoming or Ozark region (or cooperate with local folks) if that sounds like a good idea. Cheers, Gert

That would be an interesting one (Ferrari 2008 F1 steering wheel): http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,1060819,00.jpg

Yes, I noticed, amazing. I also saw this with a few other cars. Some have no dust, no dirt and no debris in all the nooks and crannies of the engine bay. When I look at my Seven there is dust, a little oily residue, dead insects etc. all over the place, only to be removed with a pressure washer once a while. At one time I found a mummified ground squirrel. What am I doing wrong? Gert

Another minor disadvantage: while the LSD can give you a good advantage on the dry track the Quaiffe style can be a handful on a wet/muddy/oily track. If you accelerate out of a corner already at the limit of adhesion and one rear wheel suddenly loses traction (mud on the track, oil slick etc.), the other wheel gets immediately double torque. This will cause an instant spin without any warning (been there, done that). According to the previous posts the Torsen diff would not do that. Gert

http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1061280621_Simpsons_Donuts-l.jpg Better quality donuts with LSD!

Stan, I am happy to help any time....but what is "Gert's Garage"? Do you mean "Gert's Junk and Incredibly Messy Pile of Shit"™ as witnessed by the recently taken picture below? Somewhere in there the digital gages for the cam timing are buried. Should not take me more than 5 minutes to find :lol: http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1668254949_Junkpile.jpg P.S.: That happens if you go for 2 years doing several projects and never tidy up :cheers:

Al, the company is Blackstone Labs. But there are others, too that may even be cheaper. Blackstone ships a free sample kit that can be sent back in regular mail; it was quite easy. The evaluation took some 3 weeks to be processed. If you are ever in doubt about the head gasket or many other engine functions this is a cheap insurance. Gert P.S.: Last time I oiled the filter foam I think I overdid it.... the first starting attempt ended up in a very loud bang from the air filter and a big plume of stinking smoke. I guess some of the excess oil was atomized and got somehow ignited by backfire.

Thanks Skip! In the meantime I forwarded the result to the guy at CenPeCo who formulated the oil that I use. He told me in their experience the measured iron content is quite normal for a gasoline engine and the silicone content is not likely from sucked-in sand dust because then the aluminum values (from clay dust) should typically also be high. It is probably wash-out from a new silicone rubber valve cover gasket that I installed a few months ago. So, for that matter my air filter is probably not an issue. The gas in the oil is probably caused by my stuck thermostat and the oil-coolant heat exchanger that does not allow fuel in the oil to evaporate properly. Got to fix that ASAP. Anyway, interesting to see what you can read from such an oil test. For $23 it is quite affordable. Gert

After the PNW 2005 trip I changed oil and sent in a sample to Blackstone Labs (see below, you need to click on it twice to see full text resolution). While I am happy to see confirmed no coolant or water in the oil I am worried about the high silicone (i.e. dirt) and iron (i.e. abraded material) after only 5000 miles. That leaves me doubting the efficiency of my ITG foam air cleaners. Thinking about it I always have a thin layer of dust sticking to the inside of the TB trumpets. How often should the filter foam be washed and re-oiled? I have done this once per year because it is a pretty messy job. Another question, has somebody seen similar oil test results? I am not sure what to think about the dilution with fuel. Thanks, Gert P.S.: The very high anti-wear additive numbers come from the racing oil I used. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/1896182450_BlackstoneReport.jpg

Mazda, don´t give mine away ;-) I will be back from Europe on 12/31 Thanks...... Gert

Not sure if this is any help...on Birkin cycle fenders there are slim steel strips with 2 attached (welded?) M4 bolts laminated to the inside of the wing. I have had a wing support bracket break a while ago, that led to the whole wing twisting and ripping in the middle. But those mounting bolts never broke loose.

Interesting concept...but it is still $1100 for a set of 4. I have no idea how much Jenveys are nowadays. Is it that much more?

That looks pretty good. I am really tempted..... Will you be there? Why not post it in the CCC event section? Gert

Well, that is O.K.....I suppose there is no permanent damage. We did stupid things as kids (no, I don't do extremely stupid things anymore) but there was nobody to post it on Youtube. If the stunt was successful you were the hero of the group (or maybe just accepted). If it went awry you were the butt of the jokes (and maybe still accepted). Unfortunately the lure of the YouTube fame and idiot series like Jackass makes some people do REALLY stupid things and they just become part of the statistics. Oh well, Darwin at work. Gert

Not sure if this is a touchy subject in Caterham circles but I have heard that people call the 4-points "suicide ropes". In fact, if you go to a NASA track day they will let you on the track with regular 3-point lap/shoulder belts or 5-point harnesses but not with 4-points straps. Makes some sense as you will likely slip under the lap belt in an accident and mush your thigh bones into your pelvis. On the other hand, the surgeons are pretty good nowadays and a cheap belt may be O.K. :blueangel: Gert

As much as I have pity with a young inexperienced driver I would push for the full use of the law. That is the only thing that will prevent her and others she is going to tell about it doing the same thing again.

Fall timing would be a problem for me even without young kids (wife works at school). Also a big name motor sports event like Run 'n Gun might somewhat distract from the focus of a first true National Sevens Convention (i.e. learning to know people, some touring and maybe some fun track or Autox time. The idea with a possible track event at the end was because one or the other car may develop a problem under track stress and that would be a mess if you want to do some touring afterwards. As for the organization of a larger circle loop tour with many people, I think that would have to be fairly self organized. I had already trouble to keep track who is joining and leaving, who made reservations where etc. on PNW2007 (6-9 rooms in 15 hotels). But for 2009 we could outline a route and schedule, suggest accommodation with pricing and everybody has to make their own reservation. Group reservations do actually not help much in Summer, because hotels are not willing to give discounts when they can sell out, anyway.

No, you need it finished, licensed, 20,000 miles on the clock, one bad or two light accidents and a broken engine. Oh well, I'll add a smiley P.S.: Congratulations to the first step!!

Looked up the area in my "scenic road bible"....I like it :) here here here here here here here here

Nah, I don't think that is an issue (at least with throttle bodies or Webers). As long as you don't empty a bucket over the intake while running....The few rain drops that hit the filter are insignificant compared to the consumed air volume. I drive rarely in the rain but the few times I did (sometimes heavy) there was no difference. Even starting after the rain soaked my ITG foam filters overnight was not a problem. The way the filters are mounted, water won't run directly into the trumpets anyway and drip out of the bottom. Gert

What do you mean http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/upload/2081613015_Pasadenaweather.jpg I know I should not do this ......and it is going to rain all weekend, anyway :cuss:

Watkins Glen...Lime Rock....Lovely tracks, I suppose but please, be a little more considerate of us West Coast guys.... On the other hand, it is only 2,800 miles :willy: Gert

I don't believe a puny extinguisher would have helped in this case (assuming somebody is brave enough to take off the bonnet of a burning car). The fuel pump will squirt an amazing amount of fuel in short time when the hose bursts. Maybe a plumbed in extinguisher kit? Gert

It is Bill "Wuffo_97" from the Birkinowners list. Here his original post: ----Original Message----- From: wuffo_97 To: birkinowners@ yahoogroups. com Sent: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:58 pm Subject: [birkinowners] Fire Sale... So, there I was.. driving along on a gorgeous saturday morning when my FPR ( I am making an assumption here.)let go and allowed 87octane Quick Trip gasoline to spray in my engine compartment at 50psi. By the time i pulled over.. bent over to look for gasoline dripping, said gasoline had found an ignition source and went off like an FAE!! Long story short. My car is totalled and i have the opportunity to buy it back. I would consider buying it to salvage the bell housing.. water pump tensioner and T9 with close ratio kit. Does anyone need any Birkin parts? frame is OK. skin is gone it has upgraded lower A arms by Woody.

If it turns out the Ozark thing is more realistic for the larger Sevens population than e.g. Montana.....Could we change Gateway for the Hallet track near Tulsa and meet there (track rental $2800 per day)? "Only" 1400 miles from SoCal and still in reach for a loop through the Ozarks. Thinking further about it...If we plan for - let's say - a one-week circle tour with a track day thrown in at the end, people could join and leave as they see fit for their schedule. Also better for trailer drop off. Hmm, I still like the Dakota/Montana/Wyoming idea but that is also something I can live with Gert