Half a summer worth of updates....
Golf is normally near 118 mph in the straight at Okemo, but I was running at 111 mph for some reason. It was slower. It was not smoking.
Anyway. After checking things out at Kales Custom, I was off a bit with the compression on two of the cylinders.
My first thought is "hole in the piston" but the car was not smoking at all.
Took the engine apart. While in it, inspected the clutch/flywheel.... looked great!
Pistons, engine block, and head looked good to me (untrained eye).
Hmmmmmm......
Disassembled.
Well, not related to the compression issue, I got to add something else to my carnage wall of shame... a broken main bearing cap. AND... there was nothing wrong with the bearing. Good thing I had the engine apart.
Being new to the whole "broken main bearing cap" club, I thought bringing a bearing cap from another engine the machine shop could make it work. Well, YES and NO. They would have to line bore the caps so they worked with the crank; they send out for line boring; and the "big V-8" guy didn't have one that small.
So.... I brought him a new block. Problem solved!
Not.
I get a call from the machine shop (RPM in Georgia, VT) and they tell me they can't put the pistons in the cylinders. They don't fit. They are too big? I didn't recall boring anything.
I also did not recall what I had for breakfast.
Turns out I did .5mm oversize on the pistons at one point as the block was dorked up from one of the previous engines going the way of the Doo-Doo Bird.
Bored and cleaned block with new piston rings (all gapped).
So... the source of the compression issue was actually the seats for the valves. I guess running a bit of boost for 3 years isn't good for longevity of those internal engine parts.
Cleaned up valve seats and new valve seals (all 20)..... figured we were in there anyway.
Everything is back in my garage.... a project for tomorrow as I have the day off.
Meanwhile, while summer is slowly drawing closer to winter, the New England Hillclimb Association (NEHA) hillclimb events continue. Well, I just have to drive, ya know.
Enter the world's fastest red, automatic, Daewoo Lanos with white stickers. It needs all those qualifiers to remove the other 7 Daewoos from the population. I drove it at Okemo #2 and Burke #1. Photo of the World Famous Non-Factory Sponsored Superduper Intergalactic Racing Team Daewoo Lanos (at Okemo) with Julie (little woman) in the 2009 Subaru WRX (my car!!!!) in back of me.
I had lots of time to think in the straights.
In other news... went to wedding with a bunch of local VW club people (Dubsnorth). Had a great time. No one told me about the open bar.
Ascutney #2 is next weekend (favorite hill). I don't think the Golf will be ready with putting everything together, breaking it in, and dyno tuning it. Back to driving the Daewoo.
Then.... October brings about the Mt. Philo hillclimb. Another great event, though, sadly, the last event of the year.
Nothing too exciting.... but I'm still alive.
Steve